‘Of course you can,’ Charlotte replied.
With squeals of delight, the children, including Doreen and Patricia, ran throughout the garden, searching for sweets.
‘Be careful of the plants!’ Charlotte yelled before quietly saying, ‘Now, wasn’t that nice? Dropping sweets for the children?’
‘Nice?’ The fury ripping across Kathryn was as hot as it was cold. ‘No, it wasn’t nice. It was the most deceitful, nasty trick anyone has ever played.’
‘Trick?’ Charlotte asked. ‘What are you talking about?’
‘Not what.’ Kathryn was so mad she wanted to scream. ‘Who.’ Spinning about, she marched into the house. ‘Sergeant Dale Johnson. He’ll pay for this one.’
She walked straight through the house to the scullery, where she washed her hands and removed her apron. After tying a scarf around her hair, she headed out the back door and rode away on the bicycle before anyone had the chance to try to stop her.
This had gone too far. Scaring the daylights out of people was not funny and would not be tolerated.
The harder she pedalled, the madder she became. She should have known Dale wouldn’t have given up that easy. Men didn’t stop until they got what they wanted. Andrew hadn’t. When her father had said she was too young to marry, especially a soldier who was going off to war with no certainty of what the future might bring, Andrew hadn’t given up. No, he’d gone ahead and got married. Not to her, but to the youngest daughter of Sir Russell Childs, a Commander in the Royal Navy. Andrew got exactly what he didn’t want. He was now serving in the Navy, on a ship somewhere. She didn’t know. Or care.
When she’d first arrived at Charlotte and Norman’s, she’d written to Andrew, several times, and had been hurt when there had been no response. Broken-hearted for months, until Mum had told her about his marriage. She’d grown angry then. As she was now. Dale would get exactly what he deserved, too.
Kathryn forced herself to concentrate on the road. It hadn’t rained for a few days, so there was no mud to contend with, but the previous water fall had left the road rutted, forcing her to continuously ride from edge to edge, utilising the smoothest sections and, at times, the grass along the road when cars approached from either direction.
Each time she heard one, her insides clenched and she kept her gaze forward, not willing to look in case it was Norman coming to stop her or Corporal Sanders driving someone around. Particularly Sergeant Johnson. That was exactly who she was going to see, but wanted it to be on her terms. She would not be surprised by him again.
Upon turning on to the road leading to the base, the much smoother surface allowed her to travel faster and she wheeled up to the main building. Last time, she’d gone through the front doors and a nice older woman sitting there had sent someone to find Dale. Assuming it would be that way again, she stationed her bicycle beside the bench and hurried up the steps. The older woman wasn’t behind the desk today. A pretty younger one, with short blond hair, was sitting there, wearing the same green uniform as the older woman had been.
‘May I help you?’ she asked.
‘I would like to see Sergeant Dale Johnson, please,’ Kathryn responded.
The younger woman’s smile increased as she shook her head. ‘I’m sorry, he’s not available. Could someone else help you?’
Kathryn’s stomach hardened with a sickening sensation. Almost four weeks had passed since she’d given that money to the soldier. She’d thought that had been the end of it. That Dale had accepted he’d failed and she’d won, but maybe he’d been transferred. The sickening sensation inside her grew. ‘May I wait until he is available?’
The woman’s face softened. ‘I’m not sure when he’ll be back. You can leave a message and I’ll see he receives it upon his return. It should be some time this evening.’
Relief filled her that he was still stationed here. ‘Thank you, there’s no message.’
‘I’m sure he’ll be available tomorrow if you want to come back.’
Kathryn nodded even as a great sense of disappointment seemed to drain her. She sincerely had wanted to see him today, while her anger had driven her. By tomorrow, it might not be as strong. ‘I’ll consider that. Thank you again.’
She had been so focused on seeing Dale that she hadn’t noticed the other soldiers on the way in. The way out was different. She could feel their eyes and hear their whispers as she climbed on her bike and rode away. Whether she’d left a message or not, he’d know about her visit.
* * *
Dale hadn’t considered what he’d say upon arrival until he slowed the Jeep down to take the road that led to Kathryn’s house. The entire base knew she’d been there to see him and knew who she was. Brigadier Winslow’s daughter. The head of British Intelligence. There was no denying he’d wondered if her father couldn’t assist in his search for Ralph, but Major Hilts had ordered him to find out why she’d been at the base and to make sure she got whatever it was she needed. Hilts hadn’t said it better not be anything personal, but Dale got the message just the same.
He also knew why she’d been there. The candy dropping had to have surprised her and, knowing her as he already did, most likely irritated the pants right off her. He couldn’t say why that made him smile, except for the fact he hadn’t had this much fun teasing someone in a long time. He’d teased Judy plenty. Being close in age, they’d picked on each other almost as much as he and Ralph. His throat swelled slightly. Certain memories did that to him. Made him miss Judy all over again and reminded him of the reason he was here.
As his thoughts returned to the present, he let out a sigh.
He couldn’t afford to have Kathryn mad. Not for his sake. If it was just him, he’d ʼfess up to the Major about the plane scaring her off her bike, but couldn’t because of Ralph. They hadn’t heard from him in two years, so he’d enlisted and been willing to do whatever he had to in order to find his brother.
Pulling into the garden, he glanced around. The place looked vacant. Back home, on a sunny afternoon like this, no one could have kept him or any of his siblings inside. Even during the drought years.
While parking the Jeep, Dale kept one eye on the front door, expecting it to open. There was the possibility that no one was home. Norman had mentioned a car before. It was nowhere in sight, but it hadn’t been on his last visit either. The bicycle, however, was leaning against the barn.
The door opened and Norman appeared while Dale was climbing over the side of the Jeep.
‘Hello, Sergeant Johnson.’ Norman waved as he came down the steps. ‘Good to see you. The children were beside themselves with the goodies you dropped from the sky yesterday.’
Dale met Norman near the fence that surrounded the garden and, glad the other man had brought up the subject, he replied, ‘I didn’t drop the candy, but did ask the pilots to.’
‘The children were still searching the ground come nightfall.’ Once again, only one eye stayed open while Norman spoke and the wrinkles around both eyes grew deeper as he laughed. ‘They hadn’t had that much fun in a long, long time. I’d be remiss if I didn’t thank you for that.’
‘No thanks necessary,’ Dale said. ‘Miss Winslow refused to take the money, so I bought candy with it instead. Lots of it. If you don’t mind, I’ll have the pilots make a drop every so often.’
‘That will tickle them pink.’ Norman’s lips pinched and his eyes grew a bit serious. ‘Except for Kathryn.’
Dale nodded. ‘I assumed as much. Could I speak to her? Explain my reasons?’
When Norman’s thoughtful expression grew deeper yet, Dale said, ‘This war has already been going on for a long time and I predict it won’t be over any time soon. I’ve heard stories of the evacuees, met