The evening was wearing on. Thea had telephoned Deedee and then walked to the station, saying she would wait for Fitz. Jenny had declared that she would stay with Pearl, however long it took. Pearl did the only thing she could do – she got on with her work. She had dummy sheets to lay out, and she was the only person who could do it. Jenny retook her place at the side of the desk, saying she would finish her article.
Pearl wished in vain that her work would occupy her mind enough to drive out all other thoughts, for the notes on the page frequently blurred, and haunting images of Greg would drift before her eyes. Greg lying in twisted wreckage. Greg in a burning aircraft. Greg freezing to death in an icy sea.
Finally she flung down her pencil with a sob.
Jenny was instantly at her side. ‘Why don’t we go back to your digs? No one expects you to work at a time like this.’
Pearl shook her head. ‘Thea said she’d bring Fitz here. I have to see him, Jenny. I need to know what else he knows.’
‘Then at least let’s have a drink. A building this big must have somewhere to make tea.’
‘You go. There’s a little kitchenette at the end of the corridor. I need to finish this.’
Jenny didn’t budge. ‘I’m not going anywhere without you. What’s the problem with the sheet?’
Pearl sighed. ‘It’s this report about the concert at RAF Scampton. It needs about two hundred and fifty words cutting if it’s to fit in the space set aside, but I can’t see anything I can remove without ruining the piece.’
‘Let me look.’ Jenny leaned over the pages. ‘No problem. You’ve set aside more space for my “Day In The Life” article than I need, so all you have to do is swap them round.’
Pearl stared, then rubbed her eyes. ‘Why didn’t I see that?’
‘Because you’ve got more important things on your mind. Anyway, with that sorted, it’s ready for typesetting. Let’s get a drink.’
But at that moment hurrying footsteps could be heard in the corridor outside and then the door was flung open and Thea strode in with Fitz close behind. Pearl sprang to her feet and, the next thing she knew, she was being pulled into a hug, the scent of tobacco, coal tar soap and engine oil engulfing her and reminding her so strongly of Greg it made her dizzy with longing. She stepped back, blinking tears from her eyes, her throat so tight she was unable to speak.
‘I’m so sorry, Pearl,’ Fitz said. ‘I wanted to get here ahead of the telegram, but it was impossible. I hate that you had to learn the news like that.’
Pearl swallowed and managed to speak. ‘It’s good of you to come at all. What can you tell me?’
Fitz hesitated, glancing around the office. ‘Is there somewhere more comfortable you’d rather go?’
Pearl shook her head. ‘Please. I need to hear what you know.’ Only then did it sink in that Fitz had dark shadows under his eyes and his uniform looked rumpled, as though he’d slept in it. ‘I’m sorry. You must be tired and hungry. We can go back to my digs for a hot drink if you don’t mind cocoa or Ovaltine.’
Fitz shook his head. ‘I can wait. I suppose I was trying to put off saying what I know, because’ – he took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair, looking suddenly lost and very young – ‘there’s not much hope, I’m afraid.’
Pearl sank onto a chair, gripping the arms. ‘Tell me.’
Fitz perched on the corner of the desk, but immediately sprang back up and started pacing. ‘I saw it happen, you see.’ He paused as though waiting for her to comment, but Pearl could only gaze at him, feeling strangely disconnected.
‘It was supposed to be a straightforward training run with a couple of crews who were nearly ready to join operational squadrons. It was a leaflet drop over the Netherlands. I think the point was to persuade the German troops to give themselves up. Anyway, I’m rambling. Sorry. You want to know what happened to Greg. Well, we were in a group of three Lancs. He was observing one Lancaster crew while I was in one of the others. He had Edwin with him, too.’
There was a sharp indrawn breath from Jenny. ‘Edwin? Edwin Holland?’
Fitz shot Jenny a sympathetic look. ‘Yes. Sorry. I forgot you two were friends.’
Now it was Jenny’s turn to sink onto her chair as though her knees had given out. Oddly, the sight of Jenny’s distress shook Pearl from her torpor, and she gave Jenny’s hand a squeeze. ‘Go on,’ she urged Fitz.
‘Okay. Well, the drop itself was as straightforward as we’d expected, and we were soon approaching Allied territory.’ He looked at her as though to ensure she understood, and she nodded. Since the D-Day landings in June, Allied forces had gained a foothold in parts of the Netherlands, but they still struggled to gain more territory. ‘But then we were attacked by two enemy fighters. We had a fighter escort, and they soon saw them off, but Greg’s Lanc had been hit and he must have had engine damage, because it started to lose height.’
Pearl clung to Jenny’s hand, unsure who was comforting who, as Fitz continued his tale. ‘It was awful, not being able to do anything.’ He swallowed. ‘Anyway, most of the crew managed to bale out – we counted seven parachutes in all, and the crew consisted of seven trainees plus Greg and Edwin as observers. The last I saw, it was going down over woodland.’
Pearl leaned forward, aware of Jenny’s fingers digging into her palm. ‘But he might have landed safely.’
Fitz shook his head. ‘There was no clear space where they could have landed. They must have crashed into the trees.’
‘But they could still be alive. You should have gone back to look.’
An expression of such pain crossed Fitz’s face that Pearl instantly regretted her outburst. ‘We couldn’t. We had to get away because more fighters were on their way. Our escort planes were getting low on fuel and wouldn’t have been able to defend us.’
‘You did the right thing. I didn’t mean—’
‘I know. You were only saying what I’ve been telling myself ever since we left them behind.’
‘You had to keep your crew safe.’ Pearl glanced at Jenny, who had released her hand and was now dabbing away tears with a handkerchief. ‘What about the men who baled out? Any news of them?’
‘Not yet. They must have landed in enemy territory, so we can only hope they manage to evade capture.’
‘Any chance Edwin was among them?’
Fitz addressed his reply to Jenny even though Pearl had asked it. ‘Greg and Edwin were there as observers, in addition to the crew of seven, so there were still two men in the Lancaster when it went down. I can’t see either Greg or Edwin leaving a trainee crew to fend for themselves, can you?’
‘No.’ Jenny gave a watery smile. Pearl agreed.
‘And I’m sure Greg would have taken over the controls at the first sign of danger.’
‘Me too. He’s been itching to get back into an operational unit.’ Pearl refused to speak of Greg in the past tense. After a pause she asked, ‘What now?’
Fitz didn’t pretend to misunderstand her. ‘We’ll know more if any of the parachutists make it back so they can be debriefed. As for Greg and Edwin’ – he stopped pacing and picked up a pencil from the desk before continuing – ‘there are three possibilities.’ He paused again, biting his lip.
Pearl saved him the trouble by saying in as matter-of-fact a tone as she could muster, ‘If they survived, they’ll either be captured or they’ll make it back to Allied territory.’ She refused to say the third option aloud: that they had not survived the crash.
‘Precisely. And where they went down – near Blerick – isn’t too far from Allied territory, so there’s a good chance of them reaching safety, assuming they’re unhurt. If they were… killed… well, the Lancaster will have been spotted going down, so the authorities will identify any… remains. Whatever happens, we’ll find out in due course.’
Pearl pulled herself straighter. ‘I’m going to assume the best until I hear otherwise. From what you say, Greg had control of the Lanc, so it would only have crashed when it reached the trees. They might have survived.’
‘They might.’
Whatever Fitz might have said next was interrupted by a tap at the door, and Mr Haughton walked in.
‘My dear,’ he said to Pearl, ‘I’ve just heard. I’m so very sorry. Is there anything I can do to help?’
Pearl fought the sudden urge to run to him, like a crying child seeking comfort from her father. She had only vague memories of her own father and was painfully aware that she was perhaps starting to regard Mr Haughton as a parental figure. She had to remind herself that he was the owner of the newspaper group and was offering practical help, not a shoulder to cry on.
‘That’s very kind of you, but there’s nothing to do, bar waiting.’
‘At least take tomorrow off.’
Pearl was horrified. ‘I couldn’t do that. The latest edition is going to press tomorrow, and I need to be around in case of last-minute emergencies.’
‘I’d be happy to take over.’
Pearl shook her head. ‘It’s very kind, but I need to keep myself busy.’ And the day the Bombshell went to press was always busy, with last-minute adjustments having to be made before the deadline. It was exactly what Pearl needed. Mr Haughton looked like he was about to object, so Pearl met his gaze. ‘It could be weeks or months before we hear anything. I need to remain occupied and optimistic, and I can’t do that if I’m sitting around doing nothing. Besides, my grandmother arrives tomorrow, and she’s going to come here if I can’t get away to meet her, although I really don’t like to think of her all alone in a strange place, especially with the latest news.’ Her gaze drifted to a newspaper on her desk with a prominent headline proclaiming: Foul Play Suspected in Case of Missing Cambridge Girl. Although Cambridge was miles away and she knew she was overreacting, she couldn’t seem to help herself.
Mr Haughton placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. ‘Let me meet her. It’s one less thing for you to worry about.’
‘Now that’s a good idea. What do you think, Pearl?’ Thea had retreated to the far corner of the office with Fitz once Thomas had arrived and had been having a murmured conversation with him. She must have been keeping half an ear on what Mr Haughton had been saying, though, for now she met Pearl’s gaze with a positively wicked smile.
‘Oh, I couldn’t let you do that. I wouldn’t like to ask Deedee to meet a complete stranger.’ Pearl crossed her fingers behind her back as she said this, and studiously avoided glancing in Thea’s direction. Deedee would usually be not at all bothered by meeting a stranger; in fact she would revel in it. However, there was enough going on in her life at the moment without the added complication of her grandmother coming face to face with her long-lost love. As far as she knew, Mr Haughton had not seen Deedee at the wedding, having needed to leave as soon as the ceremony had ended, and so had no idea of her identity. As Deedee was determined to keep him in ignorance, Pearl had to respect that and do her best to keep them apart, no matter what Thea thought.
Fitz stepped forward. ‘I’ll meet her. Deedee knows me, and I’ll be at a loose end with Thea being on duty. I might as well make myself useful.’
That settled, Mr Haughton turned to leave, then paused in the doorway. ‘By the way, where will your grandmother be staying?’
Pearl stared at him, flummoxed. ‘I never even thought.’ She glanced at Thea. ‘Did you sort a room out for her?’
Thea’s aghast expression was her answer. ‘I thought… can’t you put her up in your digs?’
Pearl shook her head. ‘Mrs Dale has a strict no overnight guests rule. She won’t even let Greg—’ She broke off as pain tore through her heart. For that one instant she had forgotten Greg was missing.
Thea looked contrite. ‘I’m sorry. You did mention that before and I completely forgot. I’ll sort something out.’ But she looked worried, and Pearl knew it was because she would be on duty all the following day with no time to get away to find a room. ‘I suppose I could drop into the White Horse on the way back to the Waafery and see if Norah can give her a room.’
Fitz looked apologetic. ‘I already booked it. I rang her before I left for the train. But Deedee can have it.’
Mr Haughton stepped back inside the office. ‘No need. I think I can offer a solution. I have a small apartment at the top of this building where I stay when I need to work late. It’s no trouble for me to move in here for a while, and your grandmother would be more than welcome to stay at the Gatehouse. I’m sure Mrs Stockwell would welcome some female company.’
Pearl exchanged glances with Thea, who was looking very smug, and she realised with a sinking heart that, much as she dreaded telling Deedee where she would be staying, this was the only option. Even so, she tried. ‘I hate to think of you turned out of your own house.’
‘Nonsense. It’s the least I can do. And she’ll have company when you’re all at work.’
Pearl wished she could think of an alternative, but that would mean finding Deedee a room in Lincoln. And finding a suitable place would be difficult when the town was full to bursting with servicemen and women already occupying most available accommodation.
Mr Haughton looked pleased. ‘Good. Then that’s settled,’ he said when Pearl had nodded in acceptance. ‘I’ll let Mrs Stockwell know tonight.’
Pearl could imagine Deedee’s face when she told her where she would be staying. She was not going to be happy.