Heart of War (61 page)

Betty said, ‘I do value that – being independent – but, yes, I'd be very happy to live at the cottage with Stella as long as I'm needed. You understand that I'll still be working at Hedlington Aircraft.'

‘Of course you must, child,' Aunt Isabel said. ‘Stella and Johnny wouldn't dream of preventing you. Stella doesn't need a nanny, or a keeper … just a friend, a friendly relative.'

I hope you're right, Betty thought. She had felt it necessary to stake out the boundaries of her commitment to Stella; though, privately, she did not expect to be going out much until Fletcher came back to take her in his arms … and … she half closed her eyes, seeing him … to carry her into that land of total giving, total accepting, that they had entered in the little hotel on the Deal front, facing the winter sea.

Aunt Isabel looked at the gold watch pinned to her lapel and said, ‘We've been out over an hour, and it'll take us at least a half an hour to get back to the car, and then another fifteen minutes to the Manor.'

‘Turn down here,' Johnny said, ‘head for those three thick bushes. I've been up here often, with Guy and Laurence and Stella, before …' He trailed into silence.

Christopher Cate was waiting for them in the doorway of Walstone Manor, his long face a little grave. He said, ‘You've all got a nice colour … A telegram came half an hour ago for you, Johnny.' He held out the pink envelope, still sealed. ‘The telegraph boy went to the cottage, of course, and Stella told him to bring it on here.'

They scraped the mud off their boots on the footscraper, and then the doormat, and went into the old house. Laurence Cate was standing by the fire, tall and good looking in his uniform of a 2nd Lieutenant of the Weald Light Infantry. He had been at the Regimental Depot in Hedlington for four months now, and would be sent overseas as soon as he reached eighteen and a half, next month. Johnny nodded toward him and then opened the envelope. He read aloud – ‘It's from Dad:

Am coming to England soonest attempting book passage SS
Baltic
sailing New York
[deleted by censor, that must be the date of the ship's sailing]
important plans for Hedlington Aircraft and J.M.C. under study make no plans of your own till my arrival inform Betty hope she will return with me for job in Newton Baker's office inform Richard Rowland of contents of this cable much love to you and Stella –
[signed]
Stephen Merritt.'

Betty said in a clear, distinct voice, ‘I am not going back to America now.'

Isabel Kramer said soothingly, ‘I'm sure your father will understand when you get a chance to speak to him.'

Johnny said, ‘I have a passage booked on the
Sylvania
, for next Wednesday the 11th, and I'm not going to miss it.'

Isabel looked at Cate and raised her eyes briefly to the ceiling. The young had the bits between their teeth and nothing would stop them now.

Johnny said, ‘I must be getting back, sir. Are you ready, Betty?'

Betty said, ‘Yes. I'll drop you off at the cottage and then go on home. Phone me to tell me when you want me to move in, after you've spoken to Stella.'

‘If I'm leaving on Wednesday, you can come in on Thursday,' Johnny said.

‘Telephone me, though.'

‘All right.'

Then they went out, with Laurence, who threw over his shoulder, ‘I'm going down to talk to Probyn about the golden oriole I saw on Beighton Hill this morning early, Daddy.'

‘Are you sure that's what it was?' Christopher called after him.

‘Quite, Daddy. There's no other bird, even migrant, as brightly coloured, and of that size.'

Then they were all gone. Isabel turned and put her arms round Christopher's neck, pressing her body gently against his. He stooped, kissed her on the mouth, and leaned away – ‘They are so sweet and brave … and young,' Isabel murmured. ‘God grant that they all come out safe and sound.'

‘Safe, perhaps, with luck,' Cate said. ‘Sound … I'm not sure that anyone who goes through this war, fighting, will ever be really sound again.'

After a while Isabel said, ‘I had a cable from America, too, Christopher. It came yesterday morning, just before I left the house to catch the train here.'

Christopher waited, looking down at her, their hands now locked, face to face, standing a foot apart.

She continued, ‘It was from Stephen, too. He asked me to come home with him, when he goes back, and keep house for him.'

Christopher said, ‘Well, my dear, you must do what you think you must. I shall love you wherever you are, whatever you do.'

Isabel said, ‘Peter van Dehofer lives in Grandview, just down the river. He has asked me to marry him a dozen times since Wilson died.'

This time Christopher eased his hands free of hers and walked up the room, turned, and came back – ‘My dearest Isabel,' he began slowly, ‘my case seems hopeless. Unless Margaret commits adultery, and I can prove it, without collusion, I cannot get a divorce. Even if Margaret were to be caught, and sentenced to death, and the sentence commuted to life imprisonment – I still could not get a divorce.'

‘You could in the United States,' Isabel said, her eyes on his.

His lips tightened. ‘You know I cannot leave Walstone,' he said. ‘You
know
. Why do you torment me?'

She said, ‘Because I'm a woman, Christopher. I just had to tell you what I am
happy
to give up. I wouldn't marry Peter in a thousand years, now that I've met you. I am happier seeing you once or twice a month, our moments of love stolen almost in public, than to live day and night with anyone else. And all this is because you are what you are … Now, just humour me, dearest because I'm a woman, and an emotional American. Tell me you love me.'

Christopher stood close, without touching her, and whispered in her ear, ‘I love you, I adore you … with my body I thee worship … with my soul, too, but don't tell the rector … I want you, I worship you.' He sank his teeth slowly into her ear.

He heard a knock on the door and Garrod's ‘Tea, madam … sir.' She came in bustling, carrying the silver tea tray, preceded by a waft of buttered crumpets and a tinkle of china. She set down the tray and looked up, ‘Nice and hot, madam, and not too strong, just the way you like it.'

‘Thank you, Garrod,' Isabel said, smiling back. And Christopher smiled. Garrod had seen, of course. Seen and understood. And being what she was, had not gasped ‘Excuse me,' or dropped the tea tray or slunk out again, closing the door carefully behind her. Her master was in love, and she knew it. And was happy for them both. All the village knew too, and was happy. And, Cate thought, every one of them understands perfectly clearly the nature of the insoluble problem that prevents our enjoying the full happiness that is held in its double padlock.

The telephone in Betty's front room rang just as she was patting her hair into place before starting to cook her dinner. It was her brother. His voice sounded strange and awkward: ‘Betty … I've spoken to Stella. She's very grateful to you for offering to come here but she swears she'll be all right by herself … She's pregnant, and …'

Betty cut in, ‘Oh, Johnny, how wonderful! When's the baby due?'

‘Middle of October. I know she wants me to stay, but I can't, Betty, I can't. You do understand, don't you?'

Betty said quietly, ‘I understand, Johnny.'

‘Perhaps, later, when the baby's nearly due, she won't want to be alone here. Perhaps …'

‘I'll make it quite clear to her that I'll come whenever she wants me,' Betty said.

She replaced the receiver and stood a moment, staring at it. So Stella was pregnant, at last. It couldn't have come at a worse time, with Johnny going off to the war, but in the long run it might be the best thing that ever happened to her. Meantime, it was clear that she, Stella, wanted to be alone, to live her own life – whatever that now was.

In the First Sea Lord's spacious room at the Admiralty, Admiral Sir John Jellicoe, Royal Navy, faced Rear Admiral William S. Sims, United States Navy. Sims had sailed before the American declaration of war, and arrived in England three days after it. The biggest chart on the wall showed the loss of tonnage to German U boats, month by month. It was a steadily rising red line. On the same graph there was another line, in blue – also rising, but not as fast as the red one: this was the monthly tonnage of shipping being turned out of the shipbuilding yards. A third line, in green, also rose, but at a still lesser angle: this was the sinking of U boats.

‘Half a million tons in March,' Admiral Sims said.

‘And it'll be over eight hundred thousand tons this month, if the trend continues,' Jellicoe said gloomily. He was the finest naval tactician of the time. His handling of the enormous Grand Fleet at the Battle of Jutland had been brilliant, and must have resulted in a decisive victory if he had been as well served by his scouting admirals and commodores as he deserved. But this war under the sea seemed to be outside the scope of his mind.

‘Looks as if the Germans are winning the war,' the American said cheerfully.

Jellicoe said, ‘They will unless we stop those losses.'

‘We will,' Admiral Sims said. ‘With convoys.'

Jellicoe looked up. ‘I've been forced to accept them. I must say I don't like the idea. Blockade and patrol are the classic answers, but … perhaps the Prime Minister's right. Here, come along to our Anti-Submarine Division and you can see how it works, in theory.'

The two admirals walked along the passage and up a wide flight of stairs. Jellicoe opened the door of a big room on the third floor and looked around. Commander Tom Rowland glanced up from his desk and at once came forward.

The First Sea Lord said, ‘Where's Admiral Duff?'

‘In conference, sir. And Captain Fisher.'

‘Well, this is Admiral Sims, United States Navy. Who's in charge of the trans-Atlantic convoy planning?'

‘I am, sir – Commander Rowland.'

Sims stuck out his hand. ‘You're my man, then, Commander. Admiral Bayly has already told me how he works it, in practice, out of Queenstown. Now you show me how and where you get the ships and convoying vessels into Admiral Bayly's hands, and I'll see how we can best fit in with you. We're slow, but we're not stupid.'

Jellicoe laughed, and said, ‘Well, I'll leave you in Rowland's hands … Bring the admiral back to my room when he's had enough here.'

‘Aye, aye, sir.'

Cate read the long speech with interest, and, with equal interest, the list of guests. It would be nice, some time, to attend such a gathering and feel – indeed, know – that you were at the very heart of the Empire, in some sense a part of it; but they also serve who only … inspect dry rot in tenants' cellars. And worry about the French. It had long been obvious that their new Commander-in-Chief, Nivelle, would mount a great offensive as soon as he could in the spring. It had, equally obviously, been launched a week ago, and continued on successive days. The newspaper communiqués had started by being boastful, rapidly becoming chary, cautious, and now all but silent. What had happened? Something bad, that one could count on, in this war.

The Right Honourable Member for Caernarvon, Mr David Lloyd George (Lib.), called ‘I spy strangers.' The Strangers' Gallery was cleared. The House met in Secret Session. The Right Honourable Member for Dundee, Mr Winston Churchill (Lib.), then said, in substance, a new campaign is about to open. Since the beginning of the year two events have occurred, each of which has changed the whole situation and both of which must be taken into account in the policy of the Allies. On the one hand an Allied Empire whose standing Army comprised over seven million soldiers has been crushed by the German hammer. On the other a nation comprising one hundred and twenty millions of the most active, educated and wealthy citizens, commanding intact almost limitless resources of every kind, has engaged itself in our cause … If time is given nothing can stand against Great Britain and the United States together …