‘I’ll be happy to wait for you, darling, however long it takes. I will, of course, make every effort to help get you freed as soon as possible. I’m an optimist, so I have every faith we can achieve that, then we can be together forever. Although, I admit, my family may well create problems. I’d like to think Hugh might come round to accepting you. I’ll speak to him.’
‘That would be very brave of you, cara mia,’ he said, giving her such a dazzling smile that Prue melted into his arms yet again. It was then that she heard a door bang and quickly pulled away.
‘Look out, someone’s coming.’
‘Ciao!’And placing a kiss on her small turned-up nose, Dino grabbed a spade and marched away with it propped upon his shoulder, an expression of tranquil happiness on his face. Giggling, Prue ran to the dairy.
*
Brenda found Prue happily humming ‘Don’t Fence Me In’ as she washed the floor in the dairy. Standing at the door Brenda watched and listened with a smile on her face. Prue was a small lithe young woman with strongly muscled arms and golden blonde hair, and being Jack’s much-loved younger sister had always been a good friend. Glancing up, her lids widened to gaze upon Brenda in stunned disbelief. Dropping the hosepipe, she ran over to her, which caused water to spray everywhere, soaking Prue to the skin in seconds. Laughing, she dashed to the tap to turn it off, before flying back to hug her friend. ‘Brenda, I can’t believe it. How wonderful to see you again. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming?’
‘I wanted it to be a surprise.’
‘It’s most certainly that. I thought you were still in France. Oh, I’m so glad to see you.’ Prue’s soft grey eyes slid over her, narrowing a little in concern. ‘Are you all right? You’re looking a bit skinny and tired. I dare say you’re still grieving for our lovely Jack?’
‘I’m afraid that will always be the case. He was a wonderful husband.’
‘Ah, so you did marry?’
‘Indeed we did, although I haven’t yet convinced Hugh of that fact.’
‘He is in the depths of despair himself right now, as we all are.’
‘I fully understand and offer you my sympathies, darling, as I did to Hugh. Although that failed to calm his temper.’
Prue gave an amused little smile. ‘He probably hasn’t forgiven you for robbing him of his best pal. They were almost like twins, those two, there being only a year between them. I hope he made you feel welcome. And is he prepared to let you stay? He never even told me you were here.’
‘I arrived only yesterday evening, but I’ll be staying only a day or two at most.’ Were it not for the fact that he was Prue’s brother, she might well have explained how Hugh had accused her of seducing and running off with darling Jack. Very sensibly, she remained silent on the subject. ‘But that’s fine, as I must return to Castlefield, hopefully to find myself a job.’
‘Oh, I do wish you could stay longer, but I’m sure you’ll succeed in finding one; you’re a hard worker. And the city centre is not too far away—an easy train ride—so you can always pop over for the odd weekend. I would love to see more of you, lovey, as I’ve missed you so much,’ Prue said. Tucking her arm through Brenda’s, she led her out along the garden path while tossing sticks for the dog. ‘So did the members of our staff, although I wouldn’t say that was a feeling generally shared by my father or siblings,’ she added with a rueful grin.
‘I’m fully aware of that fact. I missed you too, and am just glad to be here,’ Brenda said, recalling how Prue’s married sister, Melissa, had always been distinctly unfriendly and disapproving. Despite her anxious need to find her beloved son, Brenda had returned with some degree of reluctance to the family fold. She’d had few expectations of welcome, having been thrown out simply for falling madly in love with a wonderful young man. Would Jack’s grand sister still hold that against her?
Today, however, having found her dear old friend, she was feeling much more optimistic. The sun was shining, a beautiful bright day, which made Brenda feel much better. She’d long believed these hills possessed personalities of their own. Sometimes they appeared sullen and brooding, at others alight with promise. Now they were aglow with purple heather, which was so good to enjoy before the snows of winter blanketed them. She’d suffered enough from freezing snow to last a lifetime.
‘Did you enjoy staying with darling Mama?’ Prue asked. ‘I badly missed her when she left to return to France, but I’m so glad she helped you.’
‘It was thanks to your mother that I got this job in the first place. She was always so kind and generous. I came to love her dearly while caring for her in France. When did you last hear from her?’ Brenda asked, striving to curb the fear in her tone of voice.
Giving a slight frown, Prue shook her head. ‘I can’t remember. We received very few letters from her, probably because of the German occupation. But then Melissa received a telegram from a hospital telling us of her death. It was so heartbreaking I had no wish to even read it. It was a difficult time for me. My husband had been killed too, at El Alamein,’ Prue told her, then pulled her face. ‘We married in something of a rush because of the war, and spent one week together before he was sent overseas. I never saw him again.’
‘Oh, how dreadful. I’m so sorry to hear that.’
Prue gave a little shrug. ‘I’m not sure marrying him was the right thing to do. We hardly knew each other. I just fancied him, I suppose. Or else, deep in some secret part of me, I felt the need to rebel against my father for constantly ordering me to marry someone rich. And you know how impulsive I can be. I’m sorry he died, poor man. But even the week we spent together wasn’t exactly a happy one. If it wasn’t so tragic, it would almost seem like the plot of a Victorian melodrama.’
Brenda giggled. ‘Your family does seem to live in the past, and it must be quite lonely at times for you in this remote countryside.’
Hugging her arm closer, Prue whispered in her ear, ‘Actually, I do have a new friend. Earlier this year a PoW was placed with us. He was so pleased to be allowed out to work on the land, being originally interned at the Palace camp in Douglas, among other places in the Isle of Man, simply for being Italian.’
‘Oh, my goodness! I too was held in an internment camp, simply for being British,’ Brenda admitted.
Prue stopped walking to stare at her friend in horror. ‘Was that part of the traumas you’ve had to face? Please tell me more. What kind of a life did you and Mama live in Paris, and how on earth did you cope when the Germans arrived? Oh, do tell me everything, I need to hear all your news.’
Brenda brushed aside these questions with a sad little smile. ‘Maybe later. It’s a long story and not a pleasant one, thanks to the war. But Camille was very happy to be back in her home country. Sadly, in 1941 she had to leave her beloved apartment to live somewhere in the Loire Valley with her cousin, as I’ve explained to your brother. But I don’t know where.’
‘Why would she do that?’
‘Because of the dangers involved in staying in Paris. It was a complete nightmare.’
Prue’s eyes darkened as they met her friend’s gaze with deep sympathy. ‘This dratted war has ruined the lives of entire families.’
‘Indeed it has, including yours and mine.’ How could she be sure that her little Tommy was safe? The chill within Brenda worsened as images and memories she preferred to block out returned yet again to haunt her. ‘I like to think that all the traumas I’ve had to deal with have made me so much stronger. I’m sure the same is true of you too.’ Putting her arms about her friend, she gave her a warm hug. ‘So what is he called,