At the Christmas ball, Michel added in his prayer that the boys might bring glory to the Empire. He ended the prayer with, “Thanks be to God who giveth us the victory16.” The Empire was not cared for at all at Vauréal. Michel was nevertheless considerate of his guests.
Because the boys overseas were sacrificing, so would Michel out of gratitude. He served17 a mere single figure course meal at Vauréal’s Christmas ball, out of respect. In Salisbury, the boys were given a bill of fine fare for Christmas dinner: roast turkey, boiled ham, cabbage, potatoes, buttered beans, cornstarch pudding and jelly, mince pie, apples, oranges, nuts, and plum pudding.
Westbrook asked Michel how his sons were doing at Salisbury. The reply was they were having a swimmingly jolly time. Everyone chuckled along the length of the dining table.
After a dull fortnight at sea, the Armada arrived in Plymouth Hoe, southern England. The contingent was greeted by cheering Britons who had come to welcome their colonials home. While rain poured down, the contingent drove or marched three hours to their temporary training facility at Salisbury Plain. Newfoundland trained at Salisbury for seven weeks. The regiment was given their primary glance at the momentousness of the battle, given they were now surrounded by thousands of their anxious brothers-in-arms.
While his glass of Madiera, the Edwardian drink of choice, was being filled, Westbrook turned to Auré, “Mr. Richardieux, you have not given us your opinion yet, and it would be entertaining to the ladies to hear some talk of war.”
The only thing the ladies wanted to know was why the boys had not yet returned. The big breakthrough should have already happened.
“His Majesty said ‘e will abstain from alcohol az long as ze war lasts,” Auré replied.
“Quite rightly so, and a fine man to do so in his position.” answered Lawrence.
“I will drink ‘is share,” Auré continued.
Michel smiled but caught himself before anyone could see his grin.
“But what do you mean?” cried Sir Westbrook.
“I mean to zay if England’z troops were made to train at Zalizbury in ze conditions ourz are going through, they would mutiny.”
Give credit where credit was due, thought all grudgingly, though not a soul would dare say so aloud.
The contingent’s hosted training site was nothing short of ghastly. In Salisbury, the rain would pour down relentlessly three out of four days, or eighty-nine out of one hundred and twenty days, during the whole of their stay in one of the most woebegone winters in British history. Gales brought down lecture tents where they gathered for instruction. Uniforms were hastily made. The seams unravelled on their too snug tunics. The cotton and wool sewn to make greatcoats did not a thing to protect against the wet or cold. Boots simply fell apart in the muck. Chums remarked that cardboard was used to make the soles of the boots, and Hughes was pet named “Sham Shoes.” Laddies queued in downpour for tea and porridge breakfast, fat bacon, and Irish stew for dinner, and supper consisted of bread, jam, and tea. Troops said it was as though a village was being evacuated from a flood, given how one had to wade through the wallow and water so much of the time. The training area had been lessened to a muck-like bog. The English were caught off guard that the colonials from the Empire’s coldest outpost even noticed the weather.
Auré continued, “You zay every Englizhmen ‘as eh patriotic duty to the Empire at thiz moment. This iz the dominion’s capitol. How many Englishmen speak French? Very few indeed. European students are taught eh ‘andful of languages and that iz considered normal to them. Ze foremost European countries mainly ‘ave one official language, though Europeans learn so many of ze other languages of the continent. Our official languages are French and English, though nowhere near ‘alf the dominion is bilingual. It iz remarkable how ignorant we are of one another.”
Tension was felt by all, because of his nephew’s inexplicable rudeness, so Michel interrupted by stating, “What my nephew means is that when one learns another language, by default one learns that culture and therefore that culture’s perspective. One axiomatically becomes more accepting, or at least tolerant, of that perspective because one understands that culture. It is said no culture is better nor worse than another, solely different. If worse came to worst, that is to say if Quebec ever tried to leave or if the dominion went to civil war, it would not be the fault of any given political party or one sole province, but the failure of all of Canada. If the majority of Canadians were bilingual, neither catastrophe could happen because so many dynamics would change in the dominion that would prevent either measure from happening. Those two distresses could not come close to transpiring if the majority of the dominion was bilingual. And my nephew is correct to say that at the most basic level of patriotism, every Canadian has a duty to be bilingual.”
Much to Michel’s chagrin, his nephew added, “And in fairness, it iz almost alwayz French Canada who learnz ze other’s language.”
In hopes that the conversation would come to an end, Michel finished by saying, “Lest we forget18, if we are to understand the other figuratively, we must first understand the other literally. And yes, there are flaws in the system.”
The awaiting full orchestra could be heard by Vauréal’s hushed guests from across the grand hall. “Silent Night,” in both English and German, drifted across the opposing trenches the other side of the Atlantic.
Michel tried to defuse the situation by stating, “Let us agree to disagree.” He mentioned the boy’s training to dissuade the present conversation from continuing.
Lady Westbrook added, “Our youngest born19, Gabriel, wrote they are behaving in a most bombastic manner.” This included, but was certainly not limited to, fights amongst the kilted units over which colour tartan each should be granted. Alcohol was always available in the villages not far from camp, but if one was well-raised, one did not surrender to the wicked desire.
Oblivious to his wife’s intention to aid Michel in a change of subject, Westbrook carried on, “But, by jove, you cannot mean you want independence from England? And be isolationists, like the Yanks?! Surely not!” If the two families could agree upon one subject, it was to be un-American.
Michel asked that Auré aid him in bringing cigars to the table once supper had finished, however scandalous it was to ask a master in place of a servant for anything at all. As the two left the hall, the ladies raised their eyebrows at one another over their teacups. Richardieux knew where his loyalties lay.
Gentleman’s agreements broke out all along the newly formed Western Front. The two rival armies gifted each other chocolates and cigarettes, partook in football matches together, and extended the compliments of the season to one another in the barren terrain. Interpreters aided Chaplains in giving service and mass.
Westbrook said, smiling to no one in particular, “That Richardieux seems to have quite the bee in his bonnet over these matters.”
Kellynch, who sat next to Westbrook, replied under his breath, though more to himself, “Indeed, I do believe he is a war profiteer.”
“In the name of Saint George (England’s Patron Saint)! That is a terrible thing to say!” said a Westbrook astonished.
Aubrey and Lady Bird slandered those who looked skinny in their wedding dresses the last season. The gentlemen would eventually remove to the smoking room to discuss the contingent. They would then turn to the important matter of where England was presently engaged. The landing of the Princess Pat’s in France earlier in the month under a British Division, the 27th, would also be scrutinized. Then the conversation would turn to Borden’s sacred agreement for the New Year. Fifty thousand was many indeed for so small a colony. Nevertheless, as long as Christianity, truth, and justice were being wrested from a barbarous foe, no number could eclipse the patriotic fever that was Canada.