our job.’ He looked intently at her. ‘I’ve got to do this, Hanna.’
‘I know.’ She squeezed his arm. ‘I wouldn’t have expected you to do anything else.’
He nodded, knowing she would support him as she had done all through the years. His sister was a very special person. Then he turned his attention to Mrs Harcourt. ‘Do you know where your husband is at the moment?’
‘No, but I received a message from him saying that all leave had been cancelled, and that was only to be expected. I’m afraid we will have to get used to not knowing where any of you are. Secrecy will be rigorously enforced.’
‘No doubt. We’ve been told that we won’t find out where we’re going next until we are at sea.’
‘When do you have to go back?’ Hanna asked.
‘I’ve only got two days.’ He smiled gently at her. ‘Sorry.’
‘That’s better than nothing. I’m going dancing with Alan tonight, so why don’t you come with us?’
‘He might not care to have me tagging along,’ he joked.
‘Of course he won’t mind. We all need to relax and have a bit of fun.’
‘Well, it would be nice, and you have taught me how to do the waltz.’
‘Good, that’s settled then.’
‘I’ve never known two days go so fast.’ Hanna tried to hide her fear for her brother’s safety, and wasn’t very successful.
‘Don’t look so worried, Hanna. I’ll be fine. I’m on a good ship with a crew who know what they are doing.’
‘Sorry,’ she sighed. ‘But it’s hard. Why did this have to happen, Jack? For the first time in our lives everything was going well for us, and there seemed to be a hopeful future ahead of us. Now that’s all gone and there’s a war to fight.’
‘Come on, Hanna, this isn’t like you.’ Jack placed an arm around her shoulder. ‘The future’s still there, we just don’t know what shape it will take, or where it will lead us. We’ve got to take each day as it comes and do the best we can. It isn’t going to be easy, but we’ve overcome tough times before, and we will this time.’
She looked up and smiled. ‘When did you become so wise?’
He shrugged and grinned. ‘The sea makes me think. Anyway, look, the sun is just rising on another new day.’
They were standing in the garden and Hanna lifted her head. ‘I remember another time when we watched the sunrise together before you boarded the ship for the first time. It seems a lifetime ago. We had no idea what that day held in store for us, and just when we felt everything was going well for us, we find ourselves in that position again.’
Jack looked down at her. ‘And remember we welcomed that new day with hope in our hearts, and it turned out all right, didn’t it?’
‘Better than we could have expected,’ she agreed.
‘Well, so will this one, you’ll see.’ He hugged her, slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the garden and up the road.
Twelve
Christmas had come and gone, and disappointingly neither Jack nor Captain Harcourt had made it home, but they all knew that was how it was going to be from now on. It was May now and Winston Churchill had taken over as Prime Minister, but apart from that it had been a quiet few months at home. Hanna couldn’t help feeling that this was the lull before the storm. Things were not going well in France and Captain Harcourt had sent a message to his wife saying that she should leave London for the country, so he obviously knew something was about to happen.
All they could do was to take each day as it came, and today she had a date with Alan. She had bought a new skirt and blouse in the hope that it would lift her spirits a bit. She mustn’t be gloomy today, but it wasn’t easy to push aside the worry. Jack had only managed to get home once for a short visit since war broke out. He hadn’t said anything about where he’d been, and she didn’t ask, knowing that everything was secret now. The movement of ships or troops was never mentioned, and she
‘I know.’ She squeezed his arm. ‘I wouldn’t have expected you to do anything else.’
He nodded, knowing she would support him as she had done all through the years. His sister was a very special person. Then he turned his attention to Mrs Harcourt. ‘Do you know where your husband is at the moment?’
‘No, but I received a message from him saying that all leave had been cancelled, and that was only to be expected. I’m afraid we will have to get used to not knowing where any of you are. Secrecy will be rigorously enforced.’
‘No doubt. We’ve been told that we won’t find out where we’re going next until we are at sea.’
‘When do you have to go back?’ Hanna asked.
‘I’ve only got two days.’ He smiled gently at her. ‘Sorry.’
‘That’s better than nothing. I’m going dancing with Alan tonight, so why don’t you come with us?’
‘He might not care to have me tagging along,’ he joked.
‘Of course he won’t mind. We all need to relax and have a bit of fun.’
‘Well, it would be nice, and you have taught me how to do the waltz.’
‘Good, that’s settled then.’
‘I’ve never known two days go so fast.’ Hanna tried to hide her fear for her brother’s safety, and wasn’t very successful.
‘Don’t look so worried, Hanna. I’ll be fine. I’m on a good ship with a crew who know what they are doing.’
‘Sorry,’ she sighed. ‘But it’s hard. Why did this have to happen, Jack? For the first time in our lives everything was going well for us, and there seemed to be a hopeful future ahead of us. Now that’s all gone and there’s a war to fight.’
‘Come on, Hanna, this isn’t like you.’ Jack placed an arm around her shoulder. ‘The future’s still there, we just don’t know what shape it will take, or where it will lead us. We’ve got to take each day as it comes and do the best we can. It isn’t going to be easy, but we’ve overcome tough times before, and we will this time.’
She looked up and smiled. ‘When did you become so wise?’
He shrugged and grinned. ‘The sea makes me think. Anyway, look, the sun is just rising on another new day.’
They were standing in the garden and Hanna lifted her head. ‘I remember another time when we watched the sunrise together before you boarded the ship for the first time. It seems a lifetime ago. We had no idea what that day held in store for us, and just when we felt everything was going well for us, we find ourselves in that position again.’
Jack looked down at her. ‘And remember we welcomed that new day with hope in our hearts, and it turned out all right, didn’t it?’
‘Better than we could have expected,’ she agreed.
‘Well, so will this one, you’ll see.’ He hugged her, slung his bag over his shoulder and walked out of the garden and up the road.
Twelve
Christmas had come and gone, and disappointingly neither Jack nor Captain Harcourt had made it home, but they all knew that was how it was going to be from now on. It was May now and Winston Churchill had taken over as Prime Minister, but apart from that it had been a quiet few months at home. Hanna couldn’t help feeling that this was the lull before the storm. Things were not going well in France and Captain Harcourt had sent a message to his wife saying that she should leave London for the country, so he obviously knew something was about to happen.
All they could do was to take each day as it came, and today she had a date with Alan. She had bought a new skirt and blouse in the hope that it would lift her spirits a bit. She mustn’t be gloomy today, but it wasn’t easy to push aside the worry. Jack had only managed to get home once for a short visit since war broke out. He hadn’t said anything about where he’d been, and she didn’t ask, knowing that everything was secret now. The movement of ships or troops was never mentioned, and she
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