Together Under the Stars Page 11

‘Better take cigarettes,’ Ricky said as they put the items in a kitbag. ‘I expect Nancy’s parents smoke.’

  Steve looked in the bag and frowned. ‘We’ve got to take more than this. How is Mrs Dalton going to feed us for several days?’

  ‘What we need is some fresh stuff as well, but where can we find that?’ Luke wondered.

  ‘A farm. There’s one not far from here, so if we go early in the morning it shouldn’t take us too long.’

  ‘We’ll need transport, Steve.’

  ‘I’ll see what I can do, while you ask Nancy if we can catch an afternoon train.’ He strode off to try and find Sarge, and tracked him down in one of the hangars.

  ‘Hello, sir.’

  Steve explained what they wanted and why. ‘Can you help us again?’

  ‘Of course I can. Meet me at the gate at seven in the morning and I’ll take you to the farm. I know the farmer and he will be happy to help you.’

  ‘That’s terrific. We’ll see you then, and thanks.’

  ‘No trouble at all, sir.’

  Well pleased with the arrangement he went back to their quarters, found his friends already there, and told them about their trip early in the morning.

  ‘I need some sleep.’ Ricky yawned.

  ‘We all do.’ Luke flopped on the bed.

  Although they did get some sleep, it was often disturbed, and in the morning they still felt tired and drained.

  Steve was the first awake and he shook Luke, who groaned and reluctantly opened his eyes. ‘Did you sleep much?’

  ‘On and off. I kept dreaming of that field as we dropped towards it.’

  Steve shrugged. ‘I expect we all had nightmares about that. We’ve got half an hour to get to the gate, so get up while I drag Ricky out of bed.’

  He found his friend sitting on the edge of the bed, head bowed and taking deep breaths. ‘Are you all right?’

  He nodded. ‘I just had a dream that the farmer’s field turned into the sea when we hit it and I was drowning.’

  ‘You’d have a job drowning in cabbages,’ Steve joked.

  Ricky looked up and laughed. ‘Hey, I like cabbage. We should have brought some back as souvenirs.’

  Running a hand through his thick hair to bring it into some kind of order, Steve grinned, relieved to see the colour come back to his friend’s face. ‘Well, let’s go and see if we can get some for Mrs Dalton, shall we? The sergeant will be waiting for us.’

  They were soon hurrying to the gate, where Steve exclaimed, ‘A lorry! Are we intending to fill that up?’

  Sarge gave an amused chuckle. ‘You never know, sir. Hop in; the farm is only five miles away.’

  When they arrived, the farmer and his wife came out to greet them, and listened while the sergeant told them what was needed. ‘I thought you might be able to help these lads.’

  The farmer studied the three boys and then focussed on Steve. ‘I heard some Canadian pilot dumped a Lancaster in a field and made a right mess of it. Was that you?’

  ‘Yes, sir. I managed to miss the farmhouse, though,’ he added dryly.

  The farmer grinned. ‘Not by much, from what I’ve heard. News of your exploits has travelled far and fast.’

  ‘There was at least a couple of foot to spare,’ Luke said, keeping a perfectly straight face.

  ‘Well, the important thing is you all got out safely.’ The farmer’s wife smiled at them. ‘Are you boys hungry?’

  ‘Always,’ Ricky told her immediately.

  ‘In that case, come in and I’ll cook you a good breakfast. My husband will find you plenty of fresh vegetables to take with you.’

  ‘Thank you, ma’am,’ they all responded as they followed her into the house. They had come out without anything to eat and were ravenous, as usual.

  When they arrived back at base, they had so many vegeta­bles they had to go round and borrow extra kitbags to put them all in.

  They met Nancy as arranged, loaded with as much as they could carry, and she studied them in amazement. ‘You’ve brought a lot of luggage with you.’

  ‘We’ve managed to get a few things for your mum,’ Steve told her.

  ‘A few?’

  Broad grins appeared on their faces as they left the base.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was dark by the time they reached Nancy’s house, and with the blackout hiding every crack of light it was hard to know if anyone was in.

  Steve hesitated. Nancy had assured them that her parents wouldn’t mind them coming unannounced, but he was still uneasy about it. ‘Are you absolutely sure your folks won’t mind us descending upon them without notice?’

  ‘I’m positive.’ She opened the door with her key. and pulling the blackout curtain aside. she ushered them quickly inside. ‘Drop your bags in the hall and come and meet my parents.’

  At that moment, the door of the front room opened, sending a shaft of light into the dark hall, and Sally Dalton gave a cry of delight when she saw her daughter. ‘What a lovely surprise …’ It was then she noticed the boys standing in the shadows.

  Nancy laughed when she saw her mother’s expression. ‘You said you wanted to meet them, so I’ve finally managed to bring them with me. We all have a few days’ leave.’

  Sally quickly recovered. ‘That is just wonderful. Come into the other room where I can see you properly.’

  When Nancy introduced them, she saw her mother’s eyes lingering on the wings on Steve’s jacket, and knew she was picturing her son standing there with the same badge.

  ‘I’m delighted to meet you all,’ she told them. ‘Tom will be as well. We’ve been asking Nancy to bring you home, and it’s lovely you have been able to come at last. I thought there were four of you, though?’

  ‘Sandy couldn’t make it, Mrs Dalton. He’s still flying,’ Luke explained.

  ‘Ah, that’s a shame, but it’s a pleasure to have the three of you stay with us.’

  They heard the front door open, a thud, and someone swearing. ‘Sally, what’s all this stuff in the hall?’ Tom called out. ‘I nearly tripped over it.’

  Nancy went out and switched the light on, and the boys were right behind her, grabbing the bags out of the way.

  ‘Our apologies, sir.’ Steve hoisted two bags onto his shoulders.

  Tom stopped rubbing his shin and a huge smile lit his face, as he reached out and hugged his daughter. ‘Oh, this is marvellous, and you’ve brought friends with you. Put those bags down, lads, and tell me who you are.’

  They went back to the front room and the introductions were made. Her parents were clearly excited to have the men in their home, and Nancy admitted to herself that Jean had been right. This would be good for them.

  ‘You must be hungry. I’ll get you something to eat.’ Sally left the room, smiling.

  The boys were immediately on their feet, and followed her out. ‘We can’t eat your rations, ma’am,’ Steve told her. ‘We’ve brought some food with us.’

  ‘You don’t need to call me ma’am, although it sounds charming. My name is Sally and my husband is Tom.’

  ‘We’ll do that, Sally.’ Ricky swung a heavy kitbag up. ‘Would you show us where we can unpack this, please?’

  ‘Come into the kitchen.’ Tom went to pick up one of the bags and grimaced. ‘What on earth have you got in there?’

  Luke grinned. ‘Food, sir … Er, Tom.’

  ‘No wonder it hurt when I walked into it.’

  Nancy led the way to the kitchen with an amused look on her face. If the amount of luggage and its weight was any indication of what they had, then this could be inter­esting.

  One by one the kitbags were opened, and by the time they had finished the kitchen table was covered with tins, packets and vegetables.

  Sally gasped, eagerly reaching for a box and removing the lid. ‘Look, Tom, eggs, bacon, sausages and a whole chicken! Where did you get all this?’

  ‘A friendly farmer helped us out,’ Steve told her.

  ‘Not the one—’r />
  ‘Oh, no, Nancy.’ Ricky stopped her finishing the question. ‘I’m not sure he will ever speak to us again.’

  All three of the boys smirked.

  ‘What have they been up to?’

  ‘Don’t ask, Dad.’

  ‘Ah, like that, is it?’ When she nodded, he grinned at the Canadians, standing with innocent expressions on their faces. ‘Come into the front room and let the girls get on with the cooking. We’ll have a pot of tea while we’re waiting. Sorry I haven’t got anything stronger to offer you.’

  ‘Never mind that.’ Luke dived once more into one of the bags and produced a bottle of whisky, handing it over to Tom.

  Then Ricky and Steve produced boxes of cigarettes. ‘Present for you,’ Steve said.

  Tom was gazing at the whisky and cigarettes in astonish­ment. ‘Good heavens, lads, this is unheard of. How did you get hold of these?’

  ‘We went on the scrounge.’ Ricky winked at Nancy’s father. ‘We can be very persuasive.’

  ‘I don’t doubt that, and thanks very much. Let’s have a drink to toast a happy and relaxing few days for you.’

  Tom soon found four tumblers, poured a generous slug of whisky in each one and handed them round. He raised his glass. ‘Thanks for coming. We are delighted you have made it. While you’re here you are to treat this as your own home and come and go as you please. Rest and relax.’

  ‘Thank you, Tom.’ Steve sipped his drink. ‘It will be a real treat for us to spend time in a proper home.’

  ‘I expect you miss your families.’

  ‘We do,’ Luke told him, ‘but we’ve come here to help win the war, and that’s all that matters at the moment.’

  They talked for some time, discussing the prospects of an invasion when the weather was better. No one knew for sure, of course, but the country was filling up with troops and equipment, indicating that something big was being planned.

  Steve had taken to Tom on sight, and although he must have still been grieving the loss of his son, Tom had welcomed them into his home with obvious pleasure. There were laughing photos of Dan and Nancy everywhere, making Steve wonder how his own parents would have coped if the crash-landing had turned out differently.

  The reverie was halted when Sally opened the door and announced that dinner was ready. She had roasted the chicken and used some of the vegetables they had given her. There was also an apple tart and custard for dessert. The plates were soon wiped clean of every scrap of food, and they thanked Sally and Nancy for a lovely meal.

  Tom glanced at the clock. ‘Anyone want to go to the pub?’

  Ricky’s face lit up at the mention of a pub, and the other two nodded.

  ‘You girls coming?’ Tom asked his wife and daughter.

  ‘No, Dad, you go and have a boys’ night out.’

  He laughed at being called a boy and kissed her on the cheek. ‘All right, but if you change your minds we’ll be in The Horse and Hounds.’

  The pub was crowded, and as it was his local, Tom was well known. He introduced the Canadians and, as they had found everywhere, they were welcomed with warmth.

  They had a lovely evening with a lot of laughter and singing, and it was just what they needed to really unwind after their crash-landing. Steve drew deeply on his cigarette and smiled at his friends, who each gave a slight nod. The danger they faced had drawn them so close together they could almost read each other’s minds.

  They had expected Nancy and Sally to be in bed when they arrived back, but they were still up and waiting with sandwiches and a pot of strong tea.

  When they had finished eating, Sally took them upstairs. ‘You can have a room each, and are to sleep for as long as you like. As we said before, please treat this as your own home.’

  After thanking her they went to their allotted rooms. Steve took one look at the large bed, undressed quickly and dived in, sighing with pleasure and relief.

  The next morning Nancy found her mother in the kitchen looking out at the back garden. ‘Has Dad gone to work?’

  Her mother nodded. ‘He’s trying to get his accountant’s work up to date so he can spend more time at home while the boys are here.’

  ‘Are our guests up yet?’

  ‘Two are still asleep, but Steve is out there. He shouldn’t be doing that, it’s very cold.’

  ‘Doing what?’ Nancy went over to the window. Steve had taken a spade out of the shed and was digging over her father’s vegetable plot.

  ‘That ground must be like iron, and your dad was leaving that job until it softened up a bit.’

  ‘Well, that doesn’t seem to bother Steve because he’s done over half of it. How long has he been out there?’

  ‘I don’t know. He was there when I came down.’

  ‘Every time he returns from a mission he goes for a walk on his own, no matter what the weather. He told me that back in Canada they are farmers, so perhaps he’s missing that.’

  ‘Maybe, but he’s here to rest, not work. Go and talk to him, darling, and try to make him come in.’

  ‘I don’t think he’ll listen to me. I believe he’s the kind of person who, when he wants to do something, won’t be easily swayed.’

  Sally watched him intently and then sighed. ‘He’s such a strong boy, and different from the other two. I like him – I like all of them.’

  ‘I do as well. Jean and I have become rather too fond of them.’

  Sally gave her a knowing glance. ‘I’ve noticed him watching you with those gorgeous eyes.’

  ‘We’re friends, Mum,’ she said firmly. ‘That’s all.’

  ‘If you say so.’ Her tone indicated that she didn’t believe that for one minute. ‘There are so many young men in danger, it doesn’t bear thinking about, does it? I can only guess at the heartrending things you have seen. I don’t know how you do it, darling.’

  ‘Someone has to,’ was all she said, and changed the subject. ‘Start getting breakfast, and I’ll drag him in. Food should make him stop what he’s doing.’

  Sally tipped her head to one side, listening. ‘Ah, Ricky and Luke are moving around.’

  ‘Right, I’ll get Steve. They’ll be hungry – they always are.’

  ‘Of course they are.’

  Nancy put on her coat and went out to the garden. ‘Breakfast will be ready soon. Why are you digging over Dad’s vegetable plot?’

  He stuck the spade upright in the ground and smiled. ‘It needed doing.’

  ‘I didn’t bring you here to work,’ she scolded. ‘You should be relaxing and enjoying yourself.’

  He studied the beautifully prepared ground. ‘I am relaxing and enjoying myself.’

  ‘Does doing something like that remind you of your farm at home?’

  His eyes glinted with amusement. ‘Not really.’

  Getting information out of him was a struggle, so she sensibly gave up. ‘Well, come in now. Luke and Ricky are showing signs of getting up.’

  ‘Right.’ He returned the spade to the shed, and then slipped his arm around her shoulder as they walked back into the house.

  The others were already sitting at the kitchen table reading the newspapers. Steve washed his hands and joined them while Nancy helped her mother with breakfast.

  ‘What do you want to do today?’ Steve asked.

  ‘Nothing,’ was the instant reply.

  ‘We’re just going to lounge around, read, or write letters,’ Luke told him. ‘What about you?’

  ‘Sounds good to me.’ He turned in his chair. ‘Is that all right with you, Sally? We won’t get in your way.’

  ‘Absolutely.’

  ‘Thank you.’ He turned back to his friends. ‘While I’m in London, I’m going to visit Harry. Do you want to come?’

  ‘Of course.’ They both nodded agreement, and Ricky asked, ‘When shall we go?’

  ‘I thought tomorrow.’

  ‘Perfect.’ Luke grinned. ‘Uncle Harry will be pleased to see us again, but if we go back to the Jolly Sailor, he’ll want
us to stay overnight.’

  Sally had been listening to the conversation, and as she placed the plates of cooked food in front of them, asked, ‘Who is Uncle Harry?’

  Steve explained and she smiled broadly. ‘In that case you have to visit him. We mustn’t be selfish and keep you all to ourselves, as much as we would like to.’

  ‘We’ll only stay one night,’ Steve told her, picking up his knife and fork to tuck in to breakfast.

  Nancy watched them laughing and joking as they cleared their plates. It was lovely to see them like this, and she was glad her parents had suggested it.

  Chapter Fifteen

  They were about to leave for Harry’s when Sally handed Steve a package. ‘Give that to your uncle. I made a couple of pies out of the vegetables you brought with you. It’ll make a meal for you all.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you.’ He put the package carefully in his kitbag and they were on their way, looking forward to seeing Harry again.

  They were in luck because he had a rare day off, and seeing them coming along the road, rushed out to meet them. There was a broad grin of delight on his face as he greeted them. ‘Where’s Sandy?’

  ‘Still on duty,’ Luke told him.

  ‘Oh, shame he couldn’t come as well, but it’s a lovely surprise to see you again. Come in out of the cold.’ When they reached the door, he leant across the fence and thumped on the next door. ‘Glad, the boys are here.’

  She was out in an instant and beamed at them. ‘Put the kettle on, Harry, and I’ll be right in. I’ve just made a carrot cake and it should be just about done now. I’ll bring it with me in a minute.’

  They were soon settled in front of a fire enjoying tea and a slice of hot cake, fresh out of the oven. It wasn’t the kind of cake they were used to, but with limited ingredients it was tasty.

  Harry studied them carefully. They had all changed since he’d seen them last. That was hardly surprising, though, considering what they were doing. ‘How long have you got?’

  ‘They gave us five days,’ Ricky told him, and then explained about Nancy’s parents inviting them to stay with them. ‘We said we’d be back sometime tomorrow.’

  ‘Great, we’ll go to the Jolly Sailor, and then you can bunk down here for the night.’