Christmas, in a day’s time, was all planned, as Sibbie found out the next morning. Wills was taking them to his home, just as he had said he would.
‘He’ll be picking us up around eleven. I can’t see him today, as he said he has an important assignment. And, Sibbie, I don’t know how to say this, but . . . well, we are staying the night and I – I . . .’
‘You don’t have to explain anything to me, Marjie. I’m very happy for you. I saw that your bed hadn’t been slept in, and I heard Wills leave about an hour ago.’
Marjie blushed, then giggled. ‘I thought you would think I’d got up early and made my bed.’
Sibbie picked a cushion up and threw it at Marjie. ‘You – make your bed? Ha, that’ll be the day.’
Catching the cushion, Marjie burst out laughing. The sound was such a relief to Sibbie.
‘Thanks, Sibbie. I have so much tugging at my heart that I don’t know how I’m going to get through it all.’
‘Well, we will be together. We’ll help each other through this, Marjie, we will.’
Marjie nodded. ‘And to have the memory of Wills – and of me truly being his – will help me, I know it will.’
‘Marjie, really, you don’t have to explain. You deserve Wills’s love, and the happiness he gives you. You are so courageous. If I had the news about my mum that you had of yours, I would go to pieces. I nearly did anyway, as it was devastating to hear what poor Aunt Flors and Aunt Ella have been through. I know you went to pieces at first, but look at how you have dealt with it. You are truly amazing, and you inspire me. Let’s have one of our hugs.’
As they hugged, Sibbie thought that having Marjie by her side would help her and drive her actions. I will always think of her safety before my own – that’s not what we have been taught, but it is what I’ll do, and that will help to give me the courage I will need.
When they arrived at Wills’s apartment the next day, they were taken aback, when faced with the truth of his wealth. His home wasn’t really an apartment, as they had thought, but a four-storey house in Kensington.
The basement, accessed separately, was where his main staff lived: his cook and her husband, who was Wills’s driver and manservant. The ground floor housed the kitchens at the back, with the entrance from street level at the front of the house. This took you into a magnificent hall, from which a spiral staircase with golden, intricately designed spindles and a highly polished deep-mahogany handrail led up to Wills’s living quarters – a sumptuous four-bedroom, four-bathroom two-storey apartment that was just beautiful. The first floor of the apartment was divided into three rooms: a study, with the usual mahogany desk, red leather chairs and book-lined walls; and a music-cum-leisure-room, with a grand piano, an assortment of deep-seated cream sofas and matching armchairs. Occasional mahogany tables were dotted about, some of which housed games – chess was laid out on one; backgammon on another; and a third table had a green baize top, with two packs of playing cards neatly stacked on it. Magazines were piled tidily on another. A drinks cabinet, which was almost a full bar, graced one corner of the room; and on the opposite wall, behind royal-blue curtains, was a French door, which led on to the walled flat roof of the floor below. This was immaculately laid out as a garden, complete with a small fountain.
But it was the lounge that really took their breath away. The cream and royal-blue scheme continued in here, but the furniture was huge. A sofa dominated the room. It was at least eight feet long, with very high back and arms. Its cushions were feather-filled and welcomed you as if cuddling you. Four matching chairs, which again were much bigger than ordinary armchairs, were placed so that wherever you sat, you were near to and facing the wonderful marble fireplace, which held a roaring log fire, flanked by a dazzling pine Christmas tree that gave off the wonderful smell of the forest it had come from.
Elegant marble statues of Roman women stood in each corner, and the occasional table that graced the centre of the room was also made of marble. Paintings that seemed authentic artworks by Old Masters graced the walls. At that moment Sibbie wished she knew something about art, in order to compliment Wills on them. But she didn’t try to; she simply enjoyed the magnificence of their presence.
For all this, Wills was just Wills, and he welcomed them as if he was doing so into a terraced house in the East End, in a lovely ‘make yourself at home’ way. And Sibbie thought him more handsome than she had previously, as his casual dress – slacks topped with a checked shirt and a knitted sleeveless pullover – gave him a rakish look. She could see the admiration and love in Marjie’s eyes as he greeted her with a hug.
After they had finished their lunch and were in the games room, and had each decided to challenge Wills to a game of chess, as he’d been boasting how good he was, Wills brought out the best surprise of the day so far. ‘Before we play, Marjie, I have further news for you. I have managed to get M to agree to you seeing your mama.’
Marjie screamed with joy. ‘Mama! Oh, Mama. How? When? Oh, Wills, why didn’t you tell me as soon as I came?’
‘I had to wait for privacy. With the staff taking your coats, then serving us drinks and our meal, it wasn’t something I could broach. But, darling, I can tell you that we are working to fix up a meeting. It can’t be at her home, as that might make someone suspicious.’
This alarmed Sibbie, and she could see how it shocked Marjie, but they said nothing, letting Wills continue.
‘We know there are many spies among us, but we don’t know who they are, or where they are. We feel it is possible that an alert will have been sent to these spies about your mother. Not that she is in any danger, as we feel confident, from what she told us, that it won’t be thought she knows anything of interest. When we brought her in, we did so in such a way that any spies wouldn’t know where she was going, and we made sure she wasn’t followed. But just the same, as a precaution, we have warned her that she may be being watched. If these spies find out that she has a daughter here, they might look into what you are doing. We can’t take any chances.’
‘I understand, and I trust you to take care of her, darling. So is this what you were doing yesterday? How did you manage it, as you seemed so certain that I wouldn’t be able to see Mama?’
‘When you told me last night, darling, about your mother’s heroics in the last war, I decided then to try to do something, using that information. I was granted an interview with M. He was very interested to hear about how your mother got herself and two other nurses out of Belgium. He intends to look into it further, once this war is over, when he may have recourse to interview people who were involved and prepare a case for the women to receive an award.’
‘That’s wonderful. They so deserve to be recognized. And this led to him relenting and letting me see Mama?’
‘Yes. Your mother was brought in. She was there a long time, because before M would see her, I had to take her through the Official Secrets Act and get her to sign it. She was then questioned about you, and it was learned that she had told a neighbour you were stationed in Lincolnshire. She was told by M to tell this neighbour that her information was wrong, and that you had since transferred to the Medical Corps; that at home you had been a member of the Red Cross society, had trained in first aid and are now stationed in Africa.’
‘How was Mama, and how did she take all of this?’
‘Remarkably well. She showed the mettle that she must have had as a young woman, when she was in Belgium. M was very impressed.’
‘He won’t think of recruiting her, will he?’
‘No, although he expressed regret at this. But it isn’t policy to recruit members of the same family. Your father is a possible encumbrance, as it is. But we are working on a plan to have him informed of our intentions for him, if he will come home. If he agrees, he will be lifted out at some stage.’
‘That would be wonderful. I would feel so much better knowing that he is safe.’
‘Yes, and he could be very useful to us: his knowledge of the area will be used; he will be brought into the office, given the status of an officer and will work with us on what we are trying to achieve in the area. Not only that, but M has promised to do all he can to locate Randolph.’
‘Really! And does Mama know this?’
‘Yes, M told her everything. She was very professional and thanked him, even though it was clear that all she’d been told was tearing at her emotions. She really would make an excellent agent. You share her qualities. How you handled knowing that your mother was here, and that you were refused permission to contact her, has greatly impressed M. It demonstrates that you are the right calibre of person for the job.’
Marjie and Sibbie felt elated and began to really enjoy the rest of their day, even more so than they had until now. By suppertime they were a little merry, laughing at the silliest things as if they were children, as they ate delicious canapés from the silver platters on which they were presented.
When Wills wound up the gramophone, once the remains of the food had been cleared away, Sibbie decided it was time for her to retire. To her amusement, neither Marjie nor Wills protested. ‘Would you like a hot drink bringing up to you, Sibbie?’
‘No, just a jug of water, thanks, Wills.’
‘You’ll find that by your bedside already, and your bed will be turned down for you. Have a good night’s sleep, Sibbie, and thank you for a lovely day.’
Marjie stood up then and gave Sibbie a hug. As she did so, Sibbie felt a deep longing in her heart, for she so wished she could be with her Paulo. To know him as Marjie knew Wills. To be shown his love for her, in the way that Wills had shown his love for Marjie. The feeling was almost too painful to bear.
Always in tune to Sibbie’s feelings, Marjie walked with her to the stairs. There she took her hands. ‘It won’t be long now, darling Sibbie. I feel certain, from what Wills said about my father and other things, that we are going to Hérault. It makes sense anyway, as the Resistance is active in that area, and we both know the area so well. Then you will be reunited with your Paulo and can express the love you feel for one another, but have only been able to speak of till now.’
‘I know. I can’t wait, and if they don’t send us to that area, I will find a way to visit him, once we are in France. It feels so strange – having been in love with him for so long, and then to find out by letter that he felt the same, and not being able to tell him of my love.’
‘Your time will come; I know it will.’
Realizing she was putting a dampener on Marjie’s happiness, Sibbie made a huge effort to giggle and to make Marjie do so. Mimicking her Aunt Betsy, she said, ‘Eeh, it’ll be grand, and you won’t see owt of me for a week!’
Marjie laughed out loud, her happiness shining from her once more.
As Sibbie went up the stairs, the thought came to her, as it had before, just how much courage Marjie had. Her happiness must be bittersweet, knowing that this short time she had with Wills would soon come to an end and they would be parted, for an unknown, but probably very long time.
The same thought was going through Marjie’s mind, as part of her heart was heavy with all she had to bear, and for her dear friend; and at knowing that this time she had with Wills was so limited. But she was determined to fill whatever time they could spend together with happy memories, to sustain her when they were apart.
The beautiful song from Vera Lynn, ‘A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square’, filled the room as Marjie went back in. A welcome draught wafted through the French doors, billowing the curtains. ‘I thought the room was getting a little stuffy, darling. It’s quite a clear night, after all the fog we’ve had lately. If you are not too cold, I thought we would dance under the stars.’
A feeling of euphoria surged through Marjie. Going into Wills’s open arms, she began to sway to the music with him. ‘I would love to dance outside – I don’t care how cold it is.’
Wills switched off the lights and the fire’s glow lit the room in a flickering way. ‘That won’t be seen from outside, so we won’t get into trouble with the air-raid wardens.’
Holding hands, they went through the curtains, careful to close them afterwards. Wills guided Marjie in the darkness.
‘There’s no moon visible tonight, as it is a new moon. When it does show from behind the clouds, it will only be a faint impression, so there’s no danger of any bombing, and that means few air-raid wardens will be about.’
Marjie giggled, feeling like a naughty child. Then Wills took her in his arms and, to the now-muffled strains of Vera’s beautiful voice, they danced.
Being short of clothes, other than her uniform and a couple of day-outfits, Marjie wore the same costume she’d worn on the first day she’d met Wills. She’d discarded her jacket, and the flared skirt lent itself well to the dance movements of the waltz.
The wind was keen and tried its best to freeze them, but Marjie felt strangely warm, as if it were a summer night. Nothing could daunt her happiness as Wills held her close. She could feel every part of his strong body, and thrilled at his kisses as he muzzled her neck. ‘Marjie, oh, Marjie, I wish we could marry before you leave, but with the Christmas holidays, the offices are closed for a week and it isn’t possible to get a quick licence. Would you marry me, if I could do so?’
‘I’ll marry you right now, darling. Right here. We can say our vows to each other. In France, the bride and groom can say their own words, after the formal vows.’
The music had come to an end and, in the silence, they clung to each other. ‘Let’s do that, Marjie. I know what I want to say to you. But are you warm enough?’
‘I think, if we’re not dancing, I will need my jacket; and my scarf can act as my veil.’
They giggled again at this, and it felt to Marjie as if she was on a wonderful adventure.
‘You get your jacket, darling. Wilson will have put it on the coat stand on the landing. But hurry back.’
When Marjie returned, Wills had over his arm one of the net curtains that hung behind the room’s drapes. ‘Here you are, darling, you can use this as a veil. And this’ – as she took the veil, Wills plucked one of the beautiful silk lilies from the display that stood on a marble pedestal next to the grand piano – ‘can be your bouquet.’
‘And the ring?’
‘Oh, I hadn’t thought of that. Look, it will be too big, but will you accept my father’s ring? My parents went to America before the war. An elderly aunt on my mother’s side, who emigrated there many years ago, was very ill, and Mother was fretting about her. It has been too dangerous for them to come back, and I am glad of that. I was already an officer, having passed out of Sandhurst, and of course there was a strong inkling that war might break out. My father didn’t want to leave, but he wouldn’t have been able to take part in active service, for he . . . well, he lost a leg in the last war.’
‘Oh, I am sorry, Wills.’
‘No, he is fine and he manages well; he can even walk for short periods of time using a false leg. Anyway, before he left, we had a talk and, at the end of it, he gave me his ring and asked me to wear it, then he would know that I had a part of him with me, wherever I was.’
‘That’s a beautiful story, Wills. I love your father already.’
‘He is a special person, and so is my mother.’
‘I’d be honoured to accept your father’s ring.’
‘It will just be for a couple of days, and then I will buy you your own ring. And we can go to a church and say the proper vows over it, when no one is about.’
‘Oh, Wills, that will be lovely. One day this will be all over and we will be together, and I will meet your parents, and you my family.’
‘Yes, and I will present you to them as my wife. As you will be that from tonight, in all but the official documents.’ Taking her free hand, he led her outside once more.
Despite the wind, Marjie managed to fix her veil – she didn’t think of it as a curtain – as she lifted a hairpin from each side of her head to clip the net into place.
‘Leave your hair to tumble over your face, darling.’
She smiled up at Wills. With the veil secure, she whispered, ‘I’m ready.’
Wills pulled the curtain back so that the light shone on her. ‘You look beautiful. Oh, my Marjie.’
Dropping the curtain, he gave her the lily. His face was so close to hers, she could feel his breath on her cheek and, despite the darkness, see the tears glistening in his eyes. ‘Marjella, I give to you all that I am. I will love and honour you till the day I die. I will cherish every moment I have with you. You are the completion of me, and I take you as my wife.’
Marjie’s throat constricted and her heart swelled. ‘William, you are my rose, my sunny day, my rippling, timeless river, my pine tree in the forest where I live – my world. I will love you forever. You are me. You are my beloved husband.’
His kiss was gentle. He held her as if she were a fragile, precious being. To her he gave his love, and she accepted it. As he slipped the ring onto her finger, it didn’t matter that it was huge. It was the symbol of their love, and always would be.
Taking her hand, Wills led her inside. With no words passing between them, they climbed the stairs. Once in Wills’s bedroom, he once again took her in his arms. His kiss this time was passionate. It held his longing and lit hers.
Slowly they undressed each other, until they lay on the bed naked. Wills gazed down at Marjie. ‘You are so beautiful that I want to kiss every part of you.’
‘And I want you to, my husband – I need you to.’
The sensations this gave her took her to a blissful world that only she and Wills inhabited. When at last he entered her, she felt that world burst into a million stars of love, happiness and, most of all, hope.
Marjie’s meeting with her mama, the next day, was a joyful reunion mixed with a tearful well of anguish. They clung to each other as they stood, like any other mother and daughter, saying goodbye on Victoria station. The platform was crowded with couples kissing goodbye, anxious parents seeing their sons off to war, and people who looked as though their own world was the most important one, as they strutted towards trains or exits carrying briefcases.
‘My darling, I am so proud of you – if, as expected, so very afraid for you. I don’t know which is worse: not seeing you and not knowing, or seeing you and knowing.’
‘Oh, Mama, seeing you is so much better, and having you understand my position, too. I know you will worry, but at least you won’t think that I don’t care about you. I have missed you so much and have longed for information about you all.’
‘I would never think that, darling Marjella. And I wish I had better news for you. But try not to worry. I know your father and Arnie will do all they can to get to Ella and Lonia and to rescue them. And no news from, or about, Freddy is good news. As for me, I’ll go and stay with Aunt Mags for a while, and she will help me.’
‘I’m proud of you too, Mama. You are so brave, and yet you have so much to contend with. I hope you soon hear news of Randolph. As for Monty, we’ll just have to pray for him. I am more worried about him than any of them.’
‘Me too. Why he held the views he did, I do not know. He genuinely wanted to go to Germany to help in the war effort there . . . Well, maybe I do know why. He has always reminded me of your late uncle Harold.’
‘Oh, Mama. Monty was so young and idealistic; he was misguided, that’s all. All that Harold did to you is in the past and won’t rise up again. Poor Monty.’
They clung together, and while she was in her mama’s arms Marjie whispered, ‘Can I tell you something wonderful?’
Mama held her at arm’s length. ‘You’re in love. I could tell the moment I spotted you, and the man is William, isn’t it? You were looking up into his face when you came into view.’
‘I am, Mama, so very much in love, even though we haven’t known each other long. Do you think love this deep can happen in an instant?’
‘I know it can. As I came through the checkpoint at the Belgian border I had to report to your father. He looked up at me – and it happened. This complete stranger was the love of my life, my world. It happened for him, too.’ Mama’s eyes misted over.
‘Mama, we married last night. Well, we pledged ourselves to each other, in our own service. To me, Wills is my husband.’
‘That’s wonderful, my darling. I am so happy for you, and yet so sad for you.’
‘Don’t be. I’m so happy, and I want that happiness to last for the rest of the time we have together, and beyond.’
‘I understand. The memory of the time I had with your father, before our war took him away, has lasted with me to this very day.’
They were both quiet, and Marjie thought of the injustice of it all. That her parents went through all they did, only to face it again now. It broke her heart.
‘Don’t cry, darling. Wipe your tears and smile. It’s the only way. Let me remember your lovely smile till we meet again.’
They smiled at each other, both struggling to contain the tears that threatened, but they felt the other’s heartache, despite their brave efforts.
‘Goodbye, Mama. Keep strong.’
‘Goodbye, my darling girl, until we meet again.’
With this, Marjie walked away. As she reached the steps she turned, but her mama had vanished into the swirling crowd. She understood. Sometimes the only way to deal with things was to walk away from them. She had to do that, too.