Luke was not the only one awake. There were several of his family members and loved ones suffering a sleepless night. Daisy had telephoned again in the evening, but there was no more news from anyone. She and Gill tried to comfort each other, talking in low whispers through the night. The next morning, their superior told them, ‘No flying for you two today. You look dreadful. You wouldn’t be safe. Take a couple of days off, if it would help.’
‘I don’t think it would, ma’am. It’s just that neither of us slept last night. We’ll take today off, but I’m sure we’ll be better tomorrow,’ Daisy told her.
Gill wasn’t so sure that the next night, and for several nights to come, would be any better, but she said nothing. Plenty of other ATA pilots received bad news from time to time. They all had to carry on. So must she. But she felt as if her heart were breaking and by the look on Daisy’s face, so was hers.
Sam held Peggy in his arms through the second night.
‘It’s the not knowing that’s the worst, Sam,’ she murmured against his shoulder. ‘I go from feeling hopeful to being plunged into despair.’
‘I know, love. I know.’
There was no such comfort for Norah from her husband. Len turned onto his side, his back towards her. They didn’t speak, though Norah knew he was awake because he wasn’t snoring. She lay on her back staring at the ceiling through the long night.
Luke’s other grandmother, Bess, slept fitfully. Beside her, Charlie snored. She even smiled wryly to herself. Not much kept Charlie awake, but tonight his snoring actually comforted her.
At the hall, sleep was difficult for everyone there too. They were all wondering the same thing; asking the same questions that no one could answer.
Where was Luke? Was he still alive? Was he injured? If only they could hear some news. Any news, however bad, would be better than this awful not knowing.
In the early hours of the morning, Luke reached the outskirts of Poperinghe. Now he turned to walk in a south-westerly direction, still keeping to the countryside and avoiding main roads. He was sure there would be Germans billeted in the town and soldiers on duty, maybe even some patrols out.
He reached his destination well before dawn and smiled. Farm buildings that he recognized loomed up through the darkness. He stood for a moment near the farm gate, trying to remember if there was a dog that would alert the sleeping occupants of the farmhouse. Very quietly, he walked towards the nearest barn, but, just as he’d thought might happen, a dog sleeping in a kennel near the back door began to bark, though it did not come towards him. Perhaps it was chained up; he hoped so. He didn’t want to have to deal with a snarling animal, which was only doing its job of protecting the property and the people who lived there.
A pale light flicked on inside the house, then another just beyond the door. There was a rattle of a chain and the door opened. A man stood silhouetted against the light.
‘Who’s there? Quiet, Jess. Down, girl.’
Luke moved forward slowly. A little nearer he called softly, ‘Uncle William. It’s me. It’s Luke.’
There was a moment’s stunned silence and then a torch beam shone in his face. He submitted to the glare with good grace; he knew William had to be sure . . .
‘Good Lord!’ William said, turning the beam away and coming towards him. ‘Whatever’s happened? Come in, come in quickly. I must turn the lights off.’
He ushered Luke into the kitchen and led him to a chair near the fire that was still burning low in the grate.
The door leading to the stairs opened and Brigitta peered round it. ‘Oh my!’ she said, her eyes wide with astonishment. ‘Luke.’ She came into the room, her arms outstretched. ‘What are you doing here?’
‘Get him some food, Brigitta. He looks frozen to death and half starved.’
‘Of course. At once.’ As Brigitta bustled about the kitchen, Luke said, ‘I was shot down over Dranouter. I was lucky; a friendly farmer gave me these clothes and found someone to take me to Ypres. I knew I could find my way here from Ypres, but, Uncle William, I can’t stay here. I just thought perhaps you can put me in touch with someone who could get me to the coast – and then home.’
Before William could answer, Brigitta touched his shoulder. ‘Of course you must stay here until we can think what to do.’
‘But it would put you in the most appalling danger. I can’t—’
‘Both our boys – Pascal and Waldo – you remember them?’
‘Of course.’
‘They are both working for the Belgian Resistance. Pascal is away hiding in the Ardennes.’ For a moment her face was bleak. ‘He doesn’t get home at all. It would be too dangerous, but Waldo is not far away and comes at night sometimes.’
‘We don’t get many patrols out here – thank goodness,’ William said.
‘I need to get home,’ Luke said between mouthfuls. ‘Can Waldo put me in touch with an escape route?’
William and Brigitta glanced at each other. ‘We can ask him,’ William said. ‘But in the meantime, you can stay here. You can help me look after the war cemeteries. The Germans don’t interfere with us.’ He smiled sardonically. ‘Particularly if we’re looking after their cemetery at Langemark.’
‘I just don’t want you to be in any danger because of me.’
Brigitta shrugged. ‘Don’t you think we were in danger in the last war? We don’t mind it for ourselves, though we do worry about the boys.’
‘Of course.’
‘We must think up a story and how to act if they do come looking. Do you think they might be on the lookout for you?’
Luke shook his head. ‘Not that I know. I parachuted out and my plane crashed some distance away. If they are looking for me, I think it must be around the crash site.’
‘You don’t think they saw your parachute, then?’
‘I don’t think they can have done.’
‘Where is it now?’
‘The helpful farmer was going to burn it along with my uniform.’
‘Now, you must get to bed. You must get some rest. Later, we will think up a cover story.’
‘I’ll take you up,’ Brigitta said. ‘You can have Pascal’s room. I always keep it ready although I know he won’t get home.’
Luke fell asleep at once. The fear and the long walks had exhausted him, but for what was left of the night, William and Brigitta were awake planning.
‘Like you said, William, he can work with you on the farm and in the cemeteries. The Germans allow you to do that. He can be my nephew.’
‘But he can’t speak the language.’
‘No, that is a problem.’ She was thoughtful for a moment. ‘What if he can’t speak at all? I mean, pretends that he can’t speak?’
‘That’s a bit risky. You know what the Germans are doing with people with – well – problems. They might transport him.’
‘But if he’s hiding in plain sight, as you say, and doing something they’d see as being for them, surely they wouldn’t.’
William was thoughtful. ‘We’ll put it to Luke. It’s him taking the risk.’
‘Just until Waldo can get him onto one of the escape routes. I don’t think Luke is going to be content to sit out the rest of the war here, do you?’
William gave a short laugh. ‘No, I don’t think he is.’