The Promise (26 page)

‘Well, yes, I can,’ Belle admitted. ‘But imagining is only thinking what you want to happen. I like to picture Jimmy and me living by the sea, perhaps running a guest house or something. I doubt it will really happen, but unless you have a dream and work towards it, nothing will change.’

They walked back into the town then, and went into a café for something to eat before getting their lift back.

It was small and scruffy, with plain wood tables that needed a scrub, but other cafés that were nicer had been full of soldiers. Two elderly men were tucking into a plate of what looked like beef stew, and it smelled delicious, so when the waitress came over to them for their order they pointed at it and asked for some wine too.

They were eating their food when two American soldiers came in. They were young, perhaps twenty-three or -four, tall with sunburnt faces, and in comparison to their English counterparts, their tan uniforms looked very smart.

Miranda beamed at them, and Belle shot her a warning glance.

Both men removed their hats and paused at the girls’ table, looking not just at them but their food too. ‘That looks good, mam,’ the dark-haired one said. He had a sergeant’s three chevrons on his sleeve. ‘Would you recommend it?’

‘It’s very tasty,’ Miranda said, blushing a little.

‘Then I guess we’ll settle for that too,’ he said. ‘We don’t know our way round here yet, only arrived a few days ago. May we share your table?’

‘By all means,’ Miranda said, not looking at Belle, who she clearly knew would not approve. ‘I’m Miranda Forbes-Alton, this is Belle Reilly. We don’t know our way around either, this is the first time we’ve come into Calais.’

‘I’m Will Fergus,’ the dark-haired sergeant said, offering his hand. ‘And this is Patrick Mehler,’ he added, nodding at his fair-haired companion. ‘Are you sure we aren’t intruding?’

‘We have to leave soon for a lift back,’ Belle said, hoping that was enough of a hint for Miranda not to get too carried away by two such handsome men.

‘Back to where, mam?’ the sergeant asked as both men sat down.

‘Camiers. The hospital,’ Miranda said. ‘We’re ambulance drivers. And you don’t have to call us mam, we’re Miranda and Belle. In England only royal ladies are called mam.’

Will laughed, showing beautiful white teeth. ‘Well, ladies, may I call you Belle and Miranda? I can’t believe two such pretty girls can do such a job. It would be worth being wounded to be driven by one of you.’

Belle knew in that instant that Miranda was going to fall for this man. He was handsome, charming and able-bodied. Furthermore, he didn’t have that war-weary look that most of the staff at the hospital had.

The men ordered their meal, and they all made smalltalk. Will came from Philadelphia, Patrick from Boston, and they were here as part of an advance party to get things ready for the American troops who would be arriving at the end of the year.

Belle quickly established that she was married; Patrick was too, and she sensed that he felt much the same as she did, a little anxious that he might be dragged into something by Will. So she talked to him about Jimmy, and why she and Miranda were here, and asked him about his wife, making it quite clear where she stood.

Within a very short time it was quite obvious to Belle that Will was as taken with Miranda as she was with him. They were laughing like old friends, talking nineteen to the dozen and leaning closer to each other over the table. If it hadn’t been against the rules to fraternize with soldiers Belle would have been delighted for her, but she knew her friend well enough to be sure that she would be prepared to risk anything for a man she liked.

When Belle began reminding Miranda they had to leave to get their lift back Will was quick to offer to drive them. ‘I’ve got a staff car,’ he said. ‘Stay a while longer. We’re only just getting to know one another.’

Belle knew if she insisted they left now Miranda would be cross with her. But more than that, she could see the first signs of a budding romance there, and she couldn’t begrudge her friend that. So she smiled and accepted another drink.

Will was as good as his word. After a walk around the town and then several more drinks, he took them back. At least, Patrick drove and Will and Miranda sat in the back, kissing the whole way.

‘You don’t approve,’ Patrick had said in the last bar they went into. Miranda and Will were a little way off, standing so close together, gazing into each other’s eyes, that they looked like one person.

‘It’s not that. They make a lovely couple,’ Belle sighed. ‘I just don’t want her to be hurt, or get into trouble at the hospital.’

‘I’ve never seen him like this with a girl before,’ Patrick said. ‘He’s got it bad, I’d say. Hell, why shouldn’t they have fun? I’m sure it’s the same for you in England, folks saying do this, don’t do that. We’re here in France, there’s a war on, and any of us could get killed any day. You and I are married, Belle, but we’ve had that same crazy feeling ourselves. Shouldn’t we be glad they will have it too?’

’Yes, you’re right,’ she admitted. ‘But this has come on too fast. Miranda’s headstrong.’

‘And Will’s a good guy.’ Patrick put his hand on her shoulder. ‘You don’t choose to fall in love, it chooses you. Besides, you are too young and pretty to worry your head about what could go wrong.’

Will and Patrick dropped them at the hospital gates. It was nearly eleven and Belle realized as she began to walk with Miranda to the hut that she was tipsy.

‘Isn’t Will just wonderful?’ Miranda said breathlessly, linking arms with Belle.

Belle glanced sideways at her friend. Even in the dim light on each ward door, she could see her eyes shining. ‘Yes, he is,’ she replied, shivering with the cold. ‘But right now I’m just afraid we might be in serious trouble.’

‘I’m meeting him again tomorrow,’ Miranda said in a tone that implied she wasn’t prepared to be argued with. ‘I’ve met the man I want to spend the rest of my life with, and I don’t care about anything else.’

Vera was reading in bed when they got in and put her finger to her lips to remind them the other three girls were asleep.

‘You’re late,’ she whispered. ‘I was getting worried. Did you have a good time?’

‘The very best,’ Miranda whispered back and did a pirouetting dance right down the hut to the lavatory.

Belle sat on Vera’s bed. ‘Did anyone ask about us? Are we in trouble?’

‘No, only with me for making me worry,’ Vera smiled. ‘So tell me, what happened?’

‘The full story in the morning,’ Belle said. ‘But let’s just say Miranda’s fallen in love. Don’t say anything to the others; we don’t want Captain Taylor hearing about it.’

Belle looked over at Miranda before she turned off her light. She wasn’t asleep, just lying there with a smile on her face. She’d never looked so radiant.

Chapter Fifteen

Belle found the change in Miranda since she’d met Will remarkable. Even though she was slipping off to meet him almost every night, and not getting back until after twelve, she was up like a lark in the morning, singing, laughing and being sweet to everyone.

Sally disapproved. She said cattily that Miranda was being ‘fast’, but snooty and jealous as she was, she wasn’t the kind to tell tales. Belle found it hard not to be jealous herself. To see her friend with shining eyes and a dreamy expression reminded her of the way she used to feel about Etienne, and she guiltily wondered why it was she was remembering her feelings for him, and not for Jimmy.

‘What’s this bloke of Miranda’s like then?’ David asked Belle one morning as they were taking their first trip to the station to collect new patients.

‘What do you mean?’ Belle said cagily. She hadn’t told a soul about Miranda’s man, and she didn’t think the other girls would have told anyone about it either.

‘Don’t be daft, I could see something had happened the day after you slipped out to Calais,’ he grinned. ‘You looked troubled and she was skipping about like a new lamb. It don’t take much to put two and two together.’

Belle saw no point in lying to David. He was a good sort and he was always discreet. ‘Well, keep it under your cap. American, very handsome, a nice man. He’s a sergeant.’

‘A Dough Boy, eh?’ he said. ‘Well, tell him from me to get the rest of the Yanks in and help us end this bloody war.’

‘They are coming, or so it is said,’ Belle said. ‘He won’t get so much free time to see Miranda then.’

‘Why are you so troubled about it if he’s decent?’

‘Well, she
has
gone rather overboard,’ Belle sighed; she was rather glad to have someone to confide in. ‘I’m scared she’ll get sent home or it won’t work out for them.’

‘No good being a worry-wart about it,’ he shrugged. ‘If I met a girl that made me glow the way Miranda does, I’d walk over hot coals to be with her. Besides, isn’t the reason you came here to be closer to your old man?’

Belle nodded agreement, but she felt a stab of shame that it wasn’t true. She hadn’t even thought to ask Captain Taylor if it was possible to have a couple of days off to meet Jimmy somewhere. Why hadn’t she?

A couple of nights later, Miranda was doing her hair in readiness for going out to meet Will, when Belle came into the hut, her oilskin coat dripping with rain. She said nothing, just took off her coat, hung it on a peg by the door and then bent down to take off her boots.

The other four girls were clustered up at the other end of the hut. They looked up and gave Belle a wave, which she returned, and then she got her towel to dry her wet hair. It seemed to Miranda that Belle was deliberately ignoring her.

‘Are you cross with me?’ she asked when Belle finally sat down on her bed.

‘Of course I’m not,’ she replied, looking surprised at the question. ‘Why would I be?’

‘I thought perhaps it was because I’m always going out with Will these days and leaving you on your own.’

‘I don’t mind that, Vera is good company too,’ Belle said. ‘We’ve become quite close.’

Miranda felt that was a snub. ‘I don’t want to lose you as a friend,’ she said.

Belle laughed. ‘It will take more than a man to shake me off,’ she said.

Miranda breathed a sigh of relief. Belle wouldn’t make a joke of it if she was cross.

‘You see, we have to make the most of it now. He could be sent off somewhere else at any time.’ Miranda felt she had to explain herself.

Ever since she was about sixteen she’d longed for the kind of love she’d read about in books. She’d been a bridesmaid three times and all of those marriages had been more about the bride finding a suitable partner her family approved of than being ecstatically in love. By the time she met Frank she had begun to believe love might not even exist.

But after all the hurt Frank caused her she had begun to think maybe it was best just to settle for a kind, decent man who she could trust and rely on. But then Will came along, just when she least expected to find romance, and all at once she knew with utter certainty that he was the man she’d always hoped for.

Everything was so right with him; they could talk about anything, laughed at the same things. He made her heart soar, he was on her mind from first thing in the morning till she fell asleep at night. But best of all, she knew he felt just the same about her. The war made the future uncertain, but she was certain of Will. This was the love she had always hoped for.

Yet however much he dominated her thoughts and dreams, she never wanted to lose Belle’s friendship. She was far too special, and Miranda was ashamed that she might have been neglecting her.

Belle leaned over and put a cold, damp hand on Miranda’s arm. ‘I understand, and I’m happy for you,’ she said. ‘Just be careful. Keep something in reserve.’

Miranda glanced around the room to check no one was listening, but Sally was reading, Vera was darning some socks and Honor and Maud were playing chess.

‘We haven’t done it yet,’ she whispered. ‘Is that what you’re worried about?’

Belle sniggered. ‘That wasn’t what I meant. I’m hardly the right person to come all moral on you. I’m just afraid you are going too fast, too soon.’

‘It might be a bit late to warn me of that. Captain Taylor said I could have this Sunday off and Will’s taking me somewhere overnight.’

When Belle didn’t respond, Miranda caught hold of her hand. ‘I know you think I’m being reckless, but I love him, Belle. Really love him. He loves me too.’

Belle smiled at her. ‘I do understand, and I’m certainly not sitting in judgment. If I were in your shoes I’d probably do just the same,’ she said. ‘But why are you loitering here if he’s waiting for you now? And you’d better put my coat on, you’ll get soaked through otherwise.’

Miranda left the hut a few minutes later, the oilskin coat over her head. She took the road out of the hospital grounds, then, as usual, some hundred yards before the main gates she slipped down a path between two wards until she came to the fence and climbed through a hole in it.

She had found this way out some time ago, knowing that if she used the main gates the sentry there was likely to report her. Will waited in the car close by, shielded by some thick bushes. As always when she met him she was fizzing with excitement. Even when she was having the affair with Frank she hadn’t felt quite this way, but then she’d never felt as if she really knew him.

Will was quite different. He was warm, open and dependable, always there at the arranged time, and he hadn’t pushed her to have sex with him, even though he said that every time they kissed it was like the 4th of July. She really liked that description, it felt like fireworks exploding to her too; she had only to touch his hand and she wanted him. In truth it was only the fear of getting pregnant again which had held her back so far.

Her mother wasn’t likely to approve of any man unless he had blue blood or was very rich. And Will’s family in Philadelphia were totally undistinguished. His father had been one of thousands of poor Irish who had emigrated to America in the late 1800s and had married the daughter of Italian immigrants a couple of years later and produced five children of whom Will was the eldest. His father had a small building company, and he’d wanted Will to work with him, but although Will had for a few years, he’d joined the regular army when his younger brother was old enough to take over. Will had said he had his eye on a bigger horizon than just bricklaying.