Lexi’s War: A heart-warming wartime saga to bring hope and happiness in 2018. Rosie James

in the kitchen with Alfred.

Chapter Seven

      Upstairs in his study Reynard was glum. It was the beginning of June and now no one could ignore the fact that war with Germany was imminent. Everyone knew about the constant flow of trains taking soldiers to Southampton Docks for embarkation to France and Belgium. There was no question about it – although war had not yet actually been declared, preparations for the conflict were in full swing.

      Reynard leaned forward, his head in his hands. It seemed unthinkable that only a few weeks earlier, those same trains had been taking people away to the continent on holiday. How could this be happening?

      Then he stood up. If he had anything to say about it, Alfred would not be going on one of those troop trains. Or if he did, it would be over his father’s dead body! But Reynard allowed himself a little smile. He had hatched a plan – which might go some way in preventing Alfred’s hot-headed wish to enlist. In any case, the talk in London was that this war would be over by Christmas. So, for the moment, Reynard’s delaying tactics were all that were necessary.

      Downstairs in the kitchen, Anna glanced at the clock. Mr McCann was still in the study – which was unusual at this time of the morning – but perhaps he had too many things on his mind. He’d been in a bad mood for days, and she knew that he was worried sick about the prospect of war, and what it was going to mean for the country.

      Anna filled the coffee pot and put it on a tray together with a cup and saucer and a small bowl of sugar, but no milk. Her employer always drank his coffee black. He hadn’t requested a mid-morning break, but she was going to take the drink up anyway. Perhaps it would cheer him up for an hour or two. Coffee could do that if you drank it strong enough.

      Upstairs, she tapped on the study door and went in. Reynard was poring over some papers in front of him, and he didn’t look up as Anna put the tray down on the small table by his side.

      ‘Thank you, Anna.’

      She was about to leave when he turned to speak. ‘Plans for the summer holidays have changed, Anna,’ he said. ‘I’ve decided that Alfred, and Johnny – who of course will soon be a student at Salisbury – will, after all, be going on that field trip to Barra with the college. Which means that neither of them will be here again until the beginning of September.’

      Anna was almost speechless with disappointment. Her boys not being here during all those summer weeks?

      ‘At first, I had turned down the opportunity for them to go – it felt so remote, an island in the Outer Hebrides,’ Reynard went on, ‘but in view of the present situation I thought it might be wise for them to be out of harm’s way, at least for now … until things become clearer.’ Reynard stirred a spoonful of sugar into his cup. ‘I know how much you love having a full house during the holidays, Anna, but it can’t be helped I’m afraid … I’ll inform the college and the boys.’

      Anna left the room without saying a word. To say that she was disappointed was putting it mildly. She’d already anticipated the summer weeks of comings and goings and general jollity with everyone at home. She sighed, feeling cross. But at least Johnny was still home until the end of June, and she still saw Lexi on a regular basis, and Cecilia, too. They always made her feel so welcome in their little cottage and the younger children were a delight and full of life.

      Anna flung herself down in her chair and folded her arms. She wished she hadn’t taken the blessed coffee up to him now and she didn’t care whether it cheered him up or not. He certainly hadn’t cheered her up.

      Upstairs, Reynard traced the outline of the map with his forefinger again. Yes, Barra seemed the perfect spot – an island about as far away from England, and from the Continent with its impending disaster, as you could get. When the geography field trip had been announced earlier in the year he’d not taken to the idea with much enthusiasm, and neither had Alfred. But now Reynard had decided that both boys should go, after all – apparently the place had spectacular views and white sandy beaches so it would be a sort of holiday for them, if nothing else. And at least for those couple of months his older son would be safely away from any possibility of offering his services to the country.