‘I must telephone Daisy,’ Robert said when Alice had arrived back home. ‘We must let her know Luke is alive and comparatively safe. We’ve got a number to ring in case of emergencies, haven’t we?’
‘Yes,’ Alice said doubtfully. ‘But would her superiors class this as “an emergency”?’
‘Well, I do,’ Robert said shortly. ‘Poor Daisy is worried out of her mind, to say nothing of what Gill will be feeling. Their superiors can think what they like.’
Alice smiled. She knew he was right; Daisy wouldn’t care if trouble came her way as long as she got the news about Luke.
Robert put on his most persuasive doctor’s voice when talking to the Operations Manager. ‘We have something of a family emergency and I must speak to Daisy. It’s most important.’
‘I’m sorry, Daisy is away at the moment. She will be back later today or tomorrow, all being well. I’ll leave a message for her.’
‘Oh,’ Robert was momentarily deflated. He had so hoped to give Daisy the joyous news straightaway. ‘I thought she might be there, it being Sunday.’
‘The war doesn’t stop even for the Lord’s Day,’ the Operations Manager said a little piously.
‘Can you tell me where she is?’
‘No, I’m sorry. I can’t do that, but I’ll leave a message for her to telephone home the moment she arrives back.’
‘Then is Gill Portus there?’
‘No, she’s away too. I am sorry.’ The woman seemed to unbend a little, but not enough to offer to do anything more to help.
‘Who else can I get hold of?’ he asked Alice as he replaced the receiver.
‘What about Johnny? He might be keeping tabs on where Daisy is. Being in the services too, he might be able to do that when we can’t.’
Robert smiled wryly. ‘Isn’t he a little jealous of Luke?’
Alice laughed. ‘Once upon a time, maybe, but Daisy has convinced him that Luke and she are cousins and the best of friends, but no more. And of course, now that Luke has Gill . . .’
‘I expect you’re right. You women have an intuition about these things. So, do we have a number for him?’
‘No, but we could contact Mitch. He’s sure to know how to get in touch with his nephew.’
‘We don’t have a number for Mitch, do we?’
Alice chuckled. ‘We don’t – but your mother does.’
‘Mother! Mother has a telephone number for Mitch Hammond? I thought she disliked him.’
Alice shook her head. ‘Not any more. I think he charmed her when he looked after her and your father at the time of the unveiling of the cenotaph in London.’
Robert was thoughtful. ‘Yes, I remember. Well, well, well. Wonders never cease. So, will you ask her for it, or shall I?’
‘I’ll go, if you like. She’ll be in the parlour waiting until we’re all ready for lunch. I’ll explain to her why we’re having to follow such a roundabout route.’
Minutes later, Robert was asking the exchange to connect him to the number for Mitch’s flat in London.
‘Hammond,’ a voice answered at last.
‘Mitch – is that you? It’s Robert Maitland here.’
‘Oh Lord, this isn’t about Pips, is it? Is she all right?’
‘As far as we know, she’s fine, but she’s a little difficult to get hold of just now. We have to wait for her to contact us.’
‘Ah yes . . .’
Robert could hear the relief in the man’s voice and allowed himself a small smile as he felt a moment’s sympathy for Mitch; he was obviously still very much in love with Pips.
‘What can I do for you, Robert?’
‘We’re trying to get an urgent message to Daisy. I expect you’ve heard that Luke was posted missing? Well, I’m delighted to say that Pips has telephoned to tell us that he’s safe, but he’s with William and that, of course, is in occupied territory.’
‘Good Lord!’ Mitch thought quickly and then said, ‘He must have bailed out and found his way there. He’s visited William before, hasn’t he?’
‘Yes, that’s what we thought too.’
‘And Daisy doesn’t know yet? That he’s safe?’
‘No. I rang her superior officer, but she wasn’t exactly helpful.’
Mitch chuckled. ‘They’re not allowed to be, Robert. Don’t blame her.’
Robert laughed with him. ‘No, I understand that. But poor Daisy must be told as soon as possible. We wondered if you could get in touch with Johnny. He might know where she is or be able to contact her more quickly than we can.’
‘Ah, I see now why you’re ringing me, but there is something else, something that is probably even more important than letting Daisy know. If he’s in Belgium, both he and, I’m afraid, William and his family too, if they’re harbouring him, are in dreadful danger. Has anything been said about getting him back home?’
‘No – we haven’t been told anything about that and I don’t expect we will be.’
‘Leave that with me too. I have one or two contacts . . .’
When he replaced the receiver, Mitch was thoughtful for a moment. Then he dialled a number he knew very well. ‘Jeff, I need your help and it’s urgent.’ He explained swiftly.
‘Of course,’ Jeff Pointer said at the other end of the line. ‘We’d better move as quickly as possible.’ He was silent for a moment, thinking. ‘Get Johnny to bring Daisy here. We need her.’
Next, Mitch telephoned the airfield where his nephew was stationed. He was in luck; Johnny was not flying and was brought to the telephone.
‘This is an emergency, Johnny. Can you get leave?’
‘I think so. I’m grounded because I’ve injured my leg. It’s not serious, but they won’t let me fly for a few days.’
‘Can you still ride your motorcycle?’
‘Oh yes, but . . .’
‘Now listen carefully. A message has been received that Luke is safe – for the moment – but he is still in grave danger. Johnny, you have to find Daisy and bring her to London as soon as you possibly can. To Sixty-four Baker Street. Have you got that?’
‘Yes, Uncle Mitch.’
‘Right. I’ll be waiting for you whenever you get there. But make it as fast as you can. This is urgent.’
Johnny knew better than to ask for more information, especially over the telephone. He trusted his uncle implicitly and would do whatever he asked.
Within minutes Johnny was standing in front of his commanding officer. His sense of urgency had communicated itself and he’d been admitted to the CO’s office at once.
‘Sir, I can’t tell you details, I’m afraid, mainly because I don’t know them myself, but one of our chaps who was reported as missing from Hornchurch last Tuesday has been located as being safe, but only for the moment. Sir, will you trust me when I tell you that there are ways I can help, but I need a few days’ leave?’
The CO frowned thoughtfully. Hammond had a good reputation, was known to be not only an exceptional flier, but also trustworthy and honest. He was in line for a promotion very soon, though the young man didn’t yet know this himself.
‘Of course, Hammond. I will see to it. Off you go.’
‘There’s one more thing, sir, if I might ask a huge favour. Could you telephone the senior officer at Hamble? I need to get in touch with Daisy Maitland urgently.’
The CO raised his eyebrows. Had he misjudged this young man? ‘Isn’t she your girlfriend?’
‘She is, sir, yes, but my uncle has asked me to take her to Sixty-four Baker Street in London as quickly as possible.’
The older man stared at him. He had little information to go on, but he – unlike Johnny at this moment – knew exactly what was at that address. Without further hesitation, he reached for the telephone.
They were working at the Langemark cemetery the following day when they encountered the German officer again.
‘It will be good to be seen tending the German graves,’ William had said and so this morning they had come to where the German soldiers from the Great War were buried.
‘Hitler came here for a visit in June 1940,’ William said. ‘Evidently, he served in this area during the Great War.’
‘Did you see him?’
‘No,’ William said shortly. ‘I didn’t know he’d been until later. If I had—’ He turned away quickly and Luke wondered what had been in his mind.
The staff car pulled to a halt outside the cemetery and the officer strolled amongst the graves, reading one or two inscriptions and then pausing for a long moment beside the rectangular box shape that marked the mass grave that contained thousands of dead.
Then, still limping on the uneven ground, he came directly to William.
‘Do you get – what is the word – vilified by the locals for tending enemy graves?’
William shrugged. ‘No, I remain completely neutral. They know that – and accept it.’
The man gave a curt nod, his gaze still roaming around the sombre place and finally coming to rest upon Luke, who was working a short distance away, his head down.
‘Wilhelm,’ the officer said softly, ‘I have come to talk to you about your – relative.’
A stab of fear shot through William, but he straightened up and faced the officer, keeping his face expressionless.
‘First, I will explain why I am about to do something for which I could be shot.’ They were standing in the middle of the cemetery. No one could overhear what was being said, not even Luke.
‘You will remember the first Christmas of the last war when up and down the lines soldiers from both sides climbed out of their trenches and met in no-man’s-land?’
‘I do indeed,’ William murmured.
‘You played football, I believe, with each other.’
‘Yes, that’s right. We did.’
The officer was silent for a moment before saying, ‘I could not play. I was lying very ill in our trench. There was no one available from our lines so one of my friends persuaded one of your doctors to see me.’
William gasped but said nothing, allowing him to continue. ‘Your doctor said that if I did not get immediate attention, I would die.’ Slowly, he turned to look straight into William’s eyes. ‘You carried me from our trench across no-man’s-land to your first-aid post. Your doctor amputated my foot and your nurses cared for me.’
‘My God,’ William said hoarsely. ‘You’re Hans?’
‘You remember me?’
‘Of course I do. When you were well enough, I took you to the nearest casualty-clearing station, from where, I presume, you were eventually taken to England as a prisoner of war.’
Hans nodded. ‘I was, but I was treated well, with courtesy and kindness. You – and your fellow countrymen – saved my life. And now, I owe it to you to save your – relative.’
William frowned. ‘I appreciate your sentiment, but – how?’
‘Whilst I am here – in charge of this area – he is safe, but I have been recalled to Berlin.’ He smiled wryly. ‘Perhaps they think I am not doing a good job here. I have been notified that my replacement will arrive this coming Saturday, the sixteenth. I cannot guarantee that my successor will look so kindly on him. You and your family are safe – it is in the notes at our headquarters in Ypres – but there is nothing about him. Wilhelm, you must get him away from here by Friday morning at the latest – send him home, if you can. For the next four days, you will not be watched. I promise you that, but afterwards . . .’ Hans said no more, but William understood.
‘We’ve been lucky that you were posted here.’
‘No coincidence, I assure you. I asked for a posting near Ypres. I wanted to come back here, though, of course’ – he smiled faintly – ‘I didn’t know then that I would be able to help one of the men who saved my life.’
‘Hans, I would like to shake your hand to thank you properly, but your driver is watching.’
With his back turned towards his driver, Hans smiled. ‘It is better not. Just – do what you can, otherwise the young man may be taken prisoner and I cannot say what might happen to him then.’
Inwardly, William shuddered.
‘I may not see you again before I leave, so I hope all goes well. Viel glück.’ He gave a curt nod and, setting his face in a serious expression, he turned and walked back to his vehicle without even glancing in Luke’s direction.