33

‘What did the dragon lady have to say?’ Lily asked as they sat down to eat.

Rose smiled at everyone sat around the table. ‘I was worried she would bite my head off, but in fact she was extremely sympathetic and agreed something didn’t sound right. She has promised to see what she can find out at head office. I told her the three of us want to go to London to see if we can find anything out, and she has given us another day off – she suggested we take in a show, and she will book us into the Lyons ladies’ hostel for the night.’

Lily couldn’t believe her ears. ‘Blimey, is she ill or something?’

‘I think it is very sweet of her, and I for one will work twice as hard when we get back,’ Katie said. ‘Oh dear; what about the children, and the staff rotas?’

‘You are to go and enjoy yourself once you have found out all you can about Anya.’ Flora was adamant. ‘Don’t give the children a second thought. I’ll take care of them, and perhaps if you give Jennie and Joyce full shifts it will help fill the gaps?’

‘Thank you, Mum. Miss Butterworth did say she would go to both teashops and check the remaining staff weren’t overstretched. I think she has a soft spot for Thanet; after all, this is where she used to work when she was a Nippy. Oh, and she said she would arrange travel permits as we will be visiting the Lyons training school, and drop them into Captain’s Cottage tomorrow morning.’

‘Blimey, she really has been helpful,’ Lily said as she raised her cup. ‘A toast to Miss Butterworth, and long may she reign.’

‘Then I suggest we eat up and you girls get yourselves off home and into your beds. You have a busy few days ahead of you. I do hope you enjoy yourselves,’ Flora smiled.

‘But most importantly, we must find out where Anya and Mildred have disappeared to,’ Rose reminded them.

Flora pushed the pram through the hot streets of Ramsgate. Even the lure of the harbour did nothing to soothe her; she had too much on her mind to enjoy the early summer day. Her mood wasn’t helped by the weight of the pram. At nearly three years of age, Daisy was getting too heavy to sit on the special seat that fitted on top while Alexsy slept in the body of the pram. Now that he was so mobile and full of energy, he wanted to sit up and look about rather than snooze.

‘It’s time we changed your mode of transport,’ Flora remarked to the fractious Daisy, who wanted to get down and walk. ‘Here we are . . .’ She pulled the pram backwards up a short path and put on the brakes. ‘Now, you do your best to be quiet for a little while, as I must talk to the man who lives here,’ she told the little girl as she lifted the blackened knocker and brought it down with a bang. ‘Oh my goodness, that was loud,’ she said as the door opened.

‘It takes everyone like that,’ smiled a white-haired man. ‘The postman has had more than one heart attack delivering my parcels; you’d think he’d have learnt by now.’ He chuckled as he peered more closely at Flora. ‘Aren’t you the lady who owns the boarding house on the other side of the harbour? Where Mildred Dalrymple lives?’

‘The guesthouse, Sea View. Yes, I’m Flora Neville,’ she smiled back, thankful that he recognized her. That would make it easier to broach the subject of Mildred’s disappearance. ‘And you must be Jake Singleton. I wonder if you could spare me a few minutes? It’s about Mildred . . .’

‘Of course I can; I hope there’s nothing wrong with her? I can’t say I’ve seen her in a while. I hope she’s keeping well?’

‘There is a problem,’ Flora said, glancing at Daisy, who was hell bent on escaping from her pram seat.

‘Why don’t you bring the kiddies inside? Better still, let’s go through to the back garden and that one can run herself ragged. Can the little one walk yet?’ he asked, as Flora let Daisy free and picked up Alexsy.

‘In a fashion; he tends to shuffle about on his backside and pull himself up by grabbing at tablecloths and cushions. You need eyes on the back of your head with him around,’ she grinned, giving Alexsy a kiss on the top of his head.

‘I can see you’ve got your hands full,’ he chuckled as he led the way through a small front room full of knick-knacks and past a tidy kitchen, through a door that led into a garden that to Flora seemed longer than all the rooms in the house.

‘You have a lovely home,’ she said politely, thinking that she could easily imagine retiring to a property like this and leaving Rose to run the guesthouse.

‘It suits me,’ he said, pointing for Flora to sit on a carved wooden bench while he took a chair beside a small table. ‘The kiddies can go where they please, no need to worry about them damaging anything,’ he added as Flora set them down, vowing to keep an eye on them both and be ready to stop Alexsy picking the bright blooms. ‘Now, tell me what is wrong with Mildred.’

‘I’m not sure there is anything wrong with her. It’s just that she’s gone missing, and we have no idea where she could be.’

He nodded thoughtfully. ‘What makes you think I can be of help?’

‘Mildred told us just after Easter that she was going to visit family, and it’s only now some time has passed that we’ve realized she doesn’t have any family left alive. It is so out of character, but as she put her affairs in order before she left and made me the executor of her will, I have started to wonder whether she has done something silly.’

‘Mildred Dalrymple has never done a silly thing in her life,’ he barked at her. ‘I’ve known her since we were children and she is the most sensible person I’ve had the good fortune to meet. Now, if you were to say she does some foolhardy things at times, then I’d agree with you.’

Why, he is in love with Mildred, Flora thought as she watched his worried face. ‘This is why I need your help,’ she said. ‘As the executor of Mildred’s will I happen to know that you are mentioned as one of the few beneficiaries. I’ve been hoping – no, I’ve been praying that you might be able to shed some light on what has happened.’

She waited for him to speak as he sat looking out over the garden, down to where the sea could be seen sparkling in the sunshine.

‘Where is the Saucy Milly?’

‘Back in the harbour. It wasn’t there for a while,’ she answered, watching his face carefully.

‘And she definitely isn’t on board?’

‘My daughter, Rose, and her friends went to look and told me there were two French lads on board. They didn’t speak to Rose, and she has very little French to be able to ask questions.’

He nodded thoughtfully. ‘It is as I thought. When the Saucy Milly next sails it will return with Mildred, as it has done in the past.’

Flora shivered. ‘You are talking in riddles; please, you’ve got to tell me what is happening,’ she begged. ‘Surely, if she went fishing, then she must have returned with the boat. And in that case, where has she gone since she came back?’

He raised a hand and pointed towards the sea. ‘Rivers run deep with Mildred, and she is loyal to her country. Did she happen to leave on the night of the storm?’

‘Why, yes, there was a storm around the time she went away. Could she have gone overboard, do you think? Perhaps I should speak to the police or ask around the fishermen in the harbour?’

Jake shook his head, smiling. ‘She will return from wherever she is, you have no need to worry. The fishing fraternity is a close family and will not divulge its secrets, but its members will rally round if she needs help. Now, would you like a cup of tea?’ he asked, slapping the side of his leg as he stood up, so loudly that he gave Flora the fright of her life.

Half an hour later, Flora walked back to Sea View deep in thought. From what she could understand, Jake Singleton had been hinting that Mildred was over on the other side of the Channel on some kind of mission. But what could that be, and why Mildred?

She stopped to look at the busy harbour, thinking back to 1940, when so many soldiers had been brought back half drowned from Dunkirk – and then it hit her. If Mildred was somewhere over the Channel, it meant she was in enemy-occupied France.

She raced back to Sea View and sat by the telephone, praying she wasn’t too late. Rose had promised to ring her from a telephone box and let her know when the girls had arrived in London. She needed Rose to go and see Ruth, to ask her to get in touch with John Bentley: he was the only person Flora could think of who would know what to do to get Mildred back. She recalled him saying he had been well travelled before war broke out and he might just know how to track down her dear friend. If not, he could at least speak to the two French lads on the Saucy Milly and find out what they knew.

Rose stopped Lily and Katie as they left Victoria train station. ‘I want to speak to Mum to see how she got on visiting Mildred’s friend, Jake,’ she said, opening her purse. ‘Drat, do either of you have some coppers I can borrow?’

Both dug about in their purses, coming up with some loose change. ‘Will it do?’ Katie asked.

‘Just about, if I speak quickly and Miss Tibbs doesn’t answer the telephone,’ Rose grinned. ‘Here’s an empty phone box. I’ll only be a tick.’ She hurried inside.

Lily and Katie stood beside the box, out of the way of the crowds, and watched as Rose spoke for a few minutes before putting down the receiver. When she rejoined her friends she looked serious.

‘Mum seems to think Mildred could be in France, but has no idea why. She wants us to visit Ruth and ask her to get in touch with John Bentley, as she reckons he can help.’

‘Crikey; I knew Flora had it bad for John, but thinking he can find Mildred is taking it a bit far . . .’ Lily laughed.

Rose froze on the spot and turned on her friend. ‘It’s not like that at all; it was something the old fisherman said to her that got her thinking. I agree with her that John is the right person to ask for help,’ she said firmly as they started walking again. Then she smiled. ‘I do think she likes him, though . . .’

They stopped for a drink and a bite to eat at the Corner House near to the Strand, and watched the Nippies dash about serving the hundreds of diners while they decided what to eat.

‘Blimey, this place is massive,’ Lily said as she looked about her. ‘To think at one time, I wanted to come to London and work in a Corner House. I’d have got lost in here. How about some fried fish?’ she asked as she read the menu.

Katie made a face. ‘I’d rather not, if you don’t mind; I’m feeling a little sick. It must have been the train journey. Perhaps I’ll just have a cup of tea.’

‘You do look a bit green around the gills,’ Rose said as she put the back of her hand against Katie’s forehead. ‘You feel a little warm; take your coat off and take a few deep breaths. I’ll ask for a glass of cold water for you to sip. You’ll be as right as rain before too long.’

Lily watched thoughtfully without saying a word.