identity card again, talking earnestly to the sergeant on the front desk. Then he was taken into another room.
‘Would you like a cup of tea while you wait?’ the sergeant on the front desk asked.
‘Thank you, that would be welcome. Do you know what’s going on?’
‘That I couldn’t say, Miss. Sugar in your tea?’
‘No, thank you.’ Of course he wouldn’t answer even if he knew, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself from asking.
The tea arrived, she drank it, and still Alan hadn’t appeared. She sat quietly, and waited, and waited. Patience was a quality she had in abundance, so the waiting didn’t worry her, but her curiosity was running riot. What on earth could this be about?
An hour later Alan came out of the room, and she had never seen such a grim expression on his face. ‘I’m sorry, darling, but I’ll have to take you home. I’ve got to report for duty at once.’
She stood up. ‘Can you tell me what’s happening?’
He just shook his head. ‘You’ll find out soon enough, but I can’t say anything at the moment.’
‘I understand, but how do you know you’ve got to report back at once?’
‘I phoned my station from here. Everyone is being recalled in case we’re needed.’
The journey back was mostly silent, neither of them wanting to talk much. When they reached her house he held her tightly for a moment, and then said, ‘I’m sorry our day out has ended like this. I’ll be in touch when I can.’
‘You take care,’ she told him.
‘I’m not in any danger.’ He grimaced. ‘Not like thousands and thousands of other poor devils. Tell Mrs Harcourt to do what her husband asked, and get the children out of London.’
With those last worrying words he turned and strode up the road, his stride long and urgent.
‘You’re back early, Hanna,’ Mrs Harcourt said as soon as she walked in. ‘I thought you were spending the day with Alan?’
‘He’s had to report back for duty at once.’ Hanna then told her what had happened, and the advice Alan had given. Jane Harcourt rushed to switch on the wireless.
‘Jack! Where the devil are you?’
A head covered in a navy-blue knitted hat appeared through a hatch. ‘I’m here, Frank.’
‘Quick, come on. The captain wants to talk to us.’
‘Do you know why?’ Jack scrambled back on deck.
‘Not a clue, but it must be something important. Careful now!’ Frank caught hold of Jack as the ship plunged and then rolled. ‘Damned Atlantic can be nasty at times.’
‘Where’s the meeting taking place?’ Jack shouted above the howling wind.
‘In the mess.’
When they got there it was crowded with all those not on duty, and they managed to squeeze in at the back.
Captain Stevenson nodded when they arrived, his expression grim. ‘There’s bad news. Belgium and France have capitulated, and our army is trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk.’
There were murmurs of dismay, and after a pause, the captain continued. ‘We don’t have any more details at the moment, but there’s bound to be attempts to rescue as many as possible. Unfortunately we’re only a day out of New York and unable to give any help. I’ll let you know as soon as we have any further news, but I’m sure you are all aware that with France as a base the Germans will have easy access to the Atlantic.’
‘Things are going to get very rough,’ one man muttered.
‘I’m afraid so.’ The captain looked at the men crowded round him. ‘But we’ve got to get the supplies through if our country is going to survive.’
There were grim faces all round when the captain left, and Jack was stunned as he struggled through the men to reach Bill. ‘How could this have happened? There will only be the Channel between the Germans and us. If we don’t find a way to get our troops off those beaches, then we could end up without much of an army as well. What’s going to happen now, Bill? Will Hitler now invade Britain?’
‘I really don’t know, lad, but
‘Would you like a cup of tea while you wait?’ the sergeant on the front desk asked.
‘Thank you, that would be welcome. Do you know what’s going on?’
‘That I couldn’t say, Miss. Sugar in your tea?’
‘No, thank you.’ Of course he wouldn’t answer even if he knew, but she hadn’t been able to stop herself from asking.
The tea arrived, she drank it, and still Alan hadn’t appeared. She sat quietly, and waited, and waited. Patience was a quality she had in abundance, so the waiting didn’t worry her, but her curiosity was running riot. What on earth could this be about?
An hour later Alan came out of the room, and she had never seen such a grim expression on his face. ‘I’m sorry, darling, but I’ll have to take you home. I’ve got to report for duty at once.’
She stood up. ‘Can you tell me what’s happening?’
He just shook his head. ‘You’ll find out soon enough, but I can’t say anything at the moment.’
‘I understand, but how do you know you’ve got to report back at once?’
‘I phoned my station from here. Everyone is being recalled in case we’re needed.’
The journey back was mostly silent, neither of them wanting to talk much. When they reached her house he held her tightly for a moment, and then said, ‘I’m sorry our day out has ended like this. I’ll be in touch when I can.’
‘You take care,’ she told him.
‘I’m not in any danger.’ He grimaced. ‘Not like thousands and thousands of other poor devils. Tell Mrs Harcourt to do what her husband asked, and get the children out of London.’
With those last worrying words he turned and strode up the road, his stride long and urgent.
‘You’re back early, Hanna,’ Mrs Harcourt said as soon as she walked in. ‘I thought you were spending the day with Alan?’
‘He’s had to report back for duty at once.’ Hanna then told her what had happened, and the advice Alan had given. Jane Harcourt rushed to switch on the wireless.
‘Jack! Where the devil are you?’
A head covered in a navy-blue knitted hat appeared through a hatch. ‘I’m here, Frank.’
‘Quick, come on. The captain wants to talk to us.’
‘Do you know why?’ Jack scrambled back on deck.
‘Not a clue, but it must be something important. Careful now!’ Frank caught hold of Jack as the ship plunged and then rolled. ‘Damned Atlantic can be nasty at times.’
‘Where’s the meeting taking place?’ Jack shouted above the howling wind.
‘In the mess.’
When they got there it was crowded with all those not on duty, and they managed to squeeze in at the back.
Captain Stevenson nodded when they arrived, his expression grim. ‘There’s bad news. Belgium and France have capitulated, and our army is trapped on the beaches at Dunkirk.’
There were murmurs of dismay, and after a pause, the captain continued. ‘We don’t have any more details at the moment, but there’s bound to be attempts to rescue as many as possible. Unfortunately we’re only a day out of New York and unable to give any help. I’ll let you know as soon as we have any further news, but I’m sure you are all aware that with France as a base the Germans will have easy access to the Atlantic.’
‘Things are going to get very rough,’ one man muttered.
‘I’m afraid so.’ The captain looked at the men crowded round him. ‘But we’ve got to get the supplies through if our country is going to survive.’
There were grim faces all round when the captain left, and Jack was stunned as he struggled through the men to reach Bill. ‘How could this have happened? There will only be the Channel between the Germans and us. If we don’t find a way to get our troops off those beaches, then we could end up without much of an army as well. What’s going to happen now, Bill? Will Hitler now invade Britain?’
‘I really don’t know, lad, but
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