Sam wasn’t sure if Ruth had left him alone because she knew he had to speak to Arthur in private or whether she was shocked by what he’d said. Whichever it was, he’d sort it out later. He returned to the room, walked in without knocking and quietly closed the door behind him. He leaned against it and looked at the other man. Arthur was taller than him, but Sam was broader and tougher.
‘You have to resign, you understand that, don’t you?’
Arthur shrugged and smiled in a superior sort of way, and Sam’s fists clenched involuntarily.
‘I don’t have to do any such thing, Sergeant. Do you really think anyone will believe you, an NCO, and not me? I’m part of the club, old boy, and you’re not. That’s all that matters in the world I occupy.’
Sam shrugged, abandoned the door, and kicked around the nearest chair so he could sit. He was damned if he was going to stand whilst he argued the toss.
‘I might be a working-class bloke, not as well educated as you, but one thing I do know is that somebody with your gambling problem will have a history. It didn’t just happen overnight – there must be dozens of people in your past who can verify what I say. It’s better to resign with dignity than be humiliated in public, surely?’
Arthur appeared unimpressed by this irrefutable logic. ‘You really don’t understand how things work. Officers and gentlemen support each other. Whatever nonsense you think you can uncover, it will be ignored.’
The man’s supercilious smile almost made Sam get up and punch him. He took several deep breaths, forced his hands to relax and breathed the tension out of his shoulders before he risked answering.
If he attacked this man, he would be the one in the clink – lower orders should know their place. This was what the overconfident, slimy bastard was hoping for, and he wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction.
‘You’re on very thin ice, mate, and I intend to make sure you fall through. You might think you’ve got away with it…’
Arthur laughed. He was certain he had the upper hand and Sam decided to let him think so. The man might be a spook but where his addiction was concerned, he wasn’t as sharp as he thought he was.
‘I think it would be wise for you to find somewhere else to sleep, Sergeant, I’ve no intention of sharing this room with you. As it was booked in my name, you have no choice but to leave if I don’t want you in here.’
‘Not a problem, mate, I’ll sleep with the girls.’ He deliberately called his opponent mate as he could see him flinch every time he said it. ‘I’ll leave you to contemplate your future – I can assure you it’s not a happy one.’
Sam stood, picked up his bag, and sauntered to the door. As he opened it, Arthur spoke again.
‘I’m not a traitor, I’m not putting our country in any sort of danger, I have everything under control. My expertise is irreplaceable – my value to the war effort far outweighs any risk I might present.’
Sam didn’t bother to answer. His mind was made up. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t matter how bloody good the man was at his job, it was only a matter of time before he succumbed to his addiction again and he couldn’t risk this man being blackmailed for state secrets.
Only as he was halfway down the stairs did it occur to him that there’d been no comment on his outrageous suggestion that he shared the room with Ruth and Jill. This was strange to say the least. Had Arthur not protested because he didn’t care or because he knew when it came to it that Sam wouldn’t dream of compromising the girls?
God, he really needed a beer. He bounded out into the evening sunshine and heard voices coming from the direction of the river. He’d go that way as that’s where he and Ruth had intended to walk before his outburst.
He jogged though the pretty garden at the rear of the row of houses and emerged on the water. His eyes brightened when he saw the girls sitting on a bench just ahead.
Would he be welcome, or should he wait and hope Ruth saw him and let him know if he could join them? He lurked for a few minutes and began to get some funny looks from passers-by. He reached down, picked up a small stone and lobbed it at the bench. He’d intended for it to bounce in front of them but his aim was off and he hit Ruth on the back of the head.
She yelped and he raced over, apologising and explaining. She swivelled and his panic subsided. She was laughing.
‘Golly, you made us jump. Couldn’t you just call out like a sensible person?’
He grinned. ‘Sorry, I didn’t want to intrude. Can I join you?’
Jill was on her feet. ‘I’d better go back. There’s a pub a bit further up, you two go and get that drink.’
Sam dropped onto the bench beside Ruth – it would be easier to talk to her here than in a crowded pub.
‘I’ve got to find somewhere else to stay. I told Arthur I would go in with you and Jill but obviously I can’t do that. Do you mind if I go in search of a bed instead of a drink?’
‘Makes perfect sense to me. We’ll collect my things and then find somewhere for both of us. I feel so sorry for Jill. It must be incredibly difficult being in love with someone like him. How did your talk go?’
He quickly explained and she listened and then told him what she’d learned from Jill.
‘Even if we could find anybody who has the damning information I want, I doubt they’d be ready to talk about it. He’s right saying that his lot stick together. I’ve heard about men like him gambling their entire estates away, leaving their families destitute, and then shooting themselves rather than face the consequences.’
‘I think someone in Aunt Jemima’s family did exactly that, which is why she was so against any form of gambling. Are you saying that you’re not going to take this further?’
‘I’ve got to even if it means I get my card marked. The lieutenant in charge of our section might listen as he’s not from that sort of background – he went to grammar school, joined the officer cadets and then volunteered when this lot started. I think somebody told me his father’s something in the church so he might be a good bloke to talk to.’
‘Right, let’s not discuss this any further. We’ll go back and get our bags and then leave Jill and Arthur to pay the bill. After all, the rooms were booked in their names and if we’re not staying then things are just as they would have been on any other visit.’
Sam remained on the pavement whilst Ruth collected her belongings. She was only gone a few minutes.
‘Jill was with Arthur, I could hear them talking, so I grabbed my bag. I don’t quite know what I’d have said if I’d met Mrs Fredericks.’
‘As we’ve both got to leave from King’s Cross the day after tomorrow, it makes sense for us to find somewhere near the station.’
‘Grace and I once stayed in a commercial travellers’ B & B and it was fine. We were the only girls there but didn’t have any trouble with the other guests. Basic accommodation but very clean and the breakfast was scrumptious.’
An hour later, they’d booked two rooms in a decent little place and, hand in hand, they went in search of a pub. After walking into three and being told only regulars were served, they abandoned the search.
‘It’s getting dark, there are no cafes open now and it’s too late to go to the cinema. We could go to a nightclub, but I really don’t like those sort of places – although I do like to dance.’
‘Noted, love, I know the perfect place for tomorrow evening. They always have a first-class band and drinks aren’t too prohibitive.’
They didn’t have a key to enter the front door but had been told to knock, and as long as it was before eleven o’clock, they would be let in. They had an hour in hand. He wished he didn’t have to say goodnight to Ruth so early, but she seemed happy enough to turn in.
As he raised his hand to knock, there were heavy, running footsteps heading their way. Instinctively, Sam stepped in front of Ruth and turned to face whoever was approaching. A middle-aged bloke puffed up behind them.
‘You going in or going to hang about outside? Marge serves cocoa and biscuits at ten – I ain’t going to miss that and neither should you.’
‘We didn’t know that, just what we wanted,’ Sam said.
He banged on the door and it was opened by a spotty youth with bad teeth. ‘Just in time, me ma’s just taking the jug into the dining room.’
They weren’t allowed to take their mugs upstairs but there was ample room to sit, even with a dozen other guests eagerly slurping their hot drinks.
‘This cocoa is super, made from milk and sweetened too. The biscuits might be broken but they taste just the same as the whole ones,’ Ruth said as she munched half a chocolate bourbon with obvious enjoyment.
They were sharing a bench, which suited him just fine as it meant he could slide closer. They’d been welcomed by Marge but ignored by the men who knew each other and probably stayed there regularly.
‘It’s been a long and somewhat unusual day, Sam, but I’ve enjoyed it. Actually, I’m glad that we ended up on our own. We can get to know each other better. I’ve a lot of questions for you tomorrow and I expect you’ve got some for me.’
Sam rested his chin on the top of her head, knowing that there was one question he wanted to ask but couldn’t. He thought he was already falling in love with her, but Ruth was different to any girl he’d ever met and he didn’t want to mess things up by telling her too soon.
* * *
Ruth was in a tiny room on the top floor and Sam was on the floor below. She’d have preferred him to be next door – not so he could creep in, but in case somebody else tried to.
Her only concern was that her friendship with Jill might be ruined because of what had happened today, but she hoped that wouldn’t be the case. As she fell asleep in the narrow, hard bed, she smiled.
She might not know a great deal about Sam, but she did know he was a good man, kind and intelligent. Plus, added to these excellent attributes was the fact that he was startlingly good-looking. This made him an absolute catch, not that she was looking for a husband at the moment. She wanted to succeed as a gunner girl before she even considered anything more serious than being his girlfriend.
* * *
The next day they went to see the Tower, walked along the river, had fish and chips for lunch, then sat on a bench staring at the boats.
‘What are these questions you mentioned yesterday, love? Fire away…’
Ruth smiled. ‘Good word choice. You answer these first and then I’ll do the same. I want you to tell me about your family, how you see your life in twenty years, what you’ll do when the war’s over and you leave the army.’
‘Crikey, you don’t want much, do you.’ He held up a hand and waggled a finger in the air. ‘One, I’ve a sister and a brother – both serving. Betty’s in the WRNS, Billy’s in the RAF. He’s not aircrew but a fitter, looks after the bombers. He’s twenty-one so a year younger than me, and Betty’s three years younger.’
‘What about your parents?’
‘Mum’s a leading light in the WVS and WI, Dad’s a builder by day and firefighter by night. What about you?’
‘Right. Well, I’ve almost certainly got siblings but they don’t know about me and I don’t know about them. I’m illegitimate; a shameful secret who was bundled off to be brought up by a spinster aunt. I don’t care too much; I had a wonderful childhood and couldn’t have been happier. But I’ve no one left now as Aunt Jemima died a few months ago.’
He nodded and waved a second finger. She loved his sense of humour but really didn’t want to have fallen in love with him. She wanted to do her bit for the war effort.
‘I see me married with a family and living in the countryside somewhere.’ He pointed a third finger at her and continued. ‘I’m a qualified electrician as well as a builder. I thought I’d told you that. I didn’t put it on my application as I wanted to be a gunner and do something different for a few years.’
‘I see myself as married with a family as well, I’d like to be an author and write books; it would be something I could do whilst running a home.’
He smiled. ‘In case you’re wondering, I’m vaguely C of E, but not a firm believer, and I’m a working man and not a supporter of the Conservative party. Not a commie, too extreme for me.’
She hadn’t asked him about religion or politics but was pleased he’d volunteered these views. ‘I’m C of E too, but probably more enthusiastic than you. I like Churchill but am not sure who I’ll vote for when I’m actually allowed to do so next election.’
She was happy with his answers and thought he’d been very sensitive to her feelings by not asking who she saw herself married to. She noticed he was looking thoughtful.
‘If you’re underage, love, are you a ward of court? Who makes decisions for you?’
‘I make my own. My aunt arranged things so I’m financially and legally independent. Emancipated, you might say. She was a suffragette, did I mention that?’
‘You didn’t, but that explains a lot. I wondered why you wanted to be in a mixed artillery section and now I understand. Your aunt brought you up to think that women are the same as men.’
This comment gave her pause for thought – had she said she thought women were equal? She didn’t think so. ‘Not really – she just believed we should have the vote. There are a lot of things we can do and are proving so at the moment, but we’ll never be the same as men, who are generally physically stronger. I think it will be generations before women are treated equally but having the vote was a start.’
He chuckled. ‘One day we might have a female Prime Minister – imagine that!’
‘Not in our lifetimes unfortunately. I honestly believe that there’d be fewer wars if women were in charge as we’re not as belligerent.’
‘Fair point. What I’d really like is a cuppa and wad. Shall we go in search of them?’
‘Yes, that’s a good idea. I doubt there’ll be any buns but we should be able to locate some tea.’ Ruth was happier now she knew more about Sam but she was going to try not to let his physical attraction make her do anything rash.
* * *
They couldn’t return to the B & B until the evening so headed for the pictures and saw Band Wagon with Arthur Askey, Richard Murdoch and Patricia Kirkwood. It was funny and Ruth was glad they’d seen the more depressing Pathé newsreel before the film so they came out smiling.
‘We just need to get a bit of supper and then we can head for the dance hall in Farringdon Road – it’s perfect as it’s not far from where we’re staying,’ Sam said as he took her hand. ‘Do you want to walk, catch a bus or take the underground?’
‘Let’s walk halfway then find something to eat – hopefully there’ll still be a cafe open – and then it won’t be so far. Some of the girls where I was training used to walk three miles there and back just to dance. It was through a dense wood and I wouldn’t have done it even if I’d been able to, but they seemed to think it was worth the effort.’
After eating, they headed towards the dance hall and soon it became clear to Ruth that this place must be popular. There were dozens of couples walking in that direction as well as groups of girls and men eager to enjoy an evening of band music and energetic dancing.
‘I can do all the ballroom dances, but I’ve not done any of the recent American imports. Do you know how to jitterbug?’
‘I do indeed,’ Sam said, ‘and I’ll be happy to teach you. It looks as though it’s going to be busy. They limit the numbers for safety reasons – the shelter in the basement can only hold so many – and I don’t want to be turned away.’
Ruth glanced over her shoulder. ‘There are as many behind us as in front, I’m sure we’ll be okay.’
They were and the band was still tuning up as they stepped into the surprisingly large dance hall. It wasn’t the Palm Court – where the grand people danced at the Ritz hotel – but it was good enough for her.
Sam led her out onto the floor even though the music hadn’t started. ‘I want to dance every dance with you. Is your shoulder fully restored? I don’t want to swing you about too vigorously and dislocate it again if it’s not.’
‘I’d forgotten about that so I think it might be best if we stick to the foxtrot and so on and leave the more energetic American dances to next time.’
‘I’ve heard this band before, they’re really good.’ Sam’s arm was around her waist and she was proud to be standing next to him and relieved that she didn’t have to dance with a series of strangers.
‘I only want to dance with you, Sam, so if anybody taps you on the shoulder, ignore them, please.’
He grinned. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not letting you go. I’ve only just found you and know how lucky I am.’
The next three hours literally whirled past and they emerged from the dance hall in time to run to the B & B so they didn’t miss their cocoa and biscuits.
‘I enjoyed that so much,’ she said. ‘My shoulder aches a little bit but not too badly and it was worth it. You’re a really good dancer and made me look much better than I actually am.’
They skidded to a halt outside the door, which was just about to close.
‘Just made it, Ma’s taking it through now,’ her son told them as he closed the door firmly behind them.
Ruth recognised a couple of the men but one couldn’t expect to see the same faces. It would have been nice to have had another girl there, but she knew she was safe with Sam.
He was gentle with her but if anybody offended her, they’d regret it. As she sipped her cocoa, she smiled. This was the best day of her life so far and she couldn’t wait to write to Grace and tell her all about it.
The other guests were talking about something that had happened at Chelmsford. They were pointing at a photograph in what looked like the Evening Standard. One of them glanced over at her. ‘Look, Redge, we’ve got one of them ATS girls here.’
Her curiosity piqued, Ruth stood up and with Sam close behind her went across to the table. ‘Oh, my goodness – look at that, Sam. That’s my friend Grace and her new husband, Squadron Leader Chris Holloway. George, her brother, is a fighter pilot, and has miraculously returned from the dead. How absolutely spiffing!’
She was now the centre of attention and instead of being ignored, they clamoured to hear the full story and she gave them a brief version.
‘Crikey,’ one of them said, shaking his head. ‘That’s a wedding present and a half, having a dead brother turn up on your honeymoon.’
‘Imagine if he’d arrived during his own memorial service – that would have been even more extraordinary,’ Ruth said as she finished reading the story.
She extricated herself from the crush around the newspaper and she and Sam returned to their bench in the corner.
‘I’m not surprised it’s made the national newspapers,’ he said as he handed back her cocoa. ‘Good news is in short supply. I expect there’s a letter chasing you around the country. I wish now that we’d gone to Chelmsford as you suggested, as then you could have met this brother and congratulated your friend.’
‘I’m glad we didn’t as if we had then I’d have missed having such a wonderful day with you.’
‘That’s true, but you’d have avoided the unpleasantness with your friend Jill and her fiancé.’
‘I’ve put that from my memory. These last two days have been for us – we haven’t known each other long but one thing I do know is that I believe you might become someone rather special in my life.’
They’d been talking quietly, making sure their conversation couldn’t be overheard by the others around the table and on the far side of the room. Instead of answering, Sam grabbed her hand and almost pulled her out of the room. What was he so excited about?