of thing?”
Simone replied that she would do anything needed to help. Perhaps she could go and make munitions somewhere. “Mr. Lewyth … he is very kind. Is he not, Jacques?” she said.
Jacques replied that Mr. Lewyth was a man of much knowledge and indeed he was kind.
“How do you feel about going on the land?” asked Mrs. Jermyn.
“The land?” said Simone. “What is this land?”
“It’s working on the farms. As so many men are going off to fight, girls are being recruited now. I heard they are shaping up very well. What of you?”
“On the farm …” She lifted her eyebrows and looked at Jacques.
“Would it be here … in these parts?” he asked.
“I think so. I know our manager, Mr. Yeo, is looking for someone to replace one of the men who has just been called up.”
Jacques said: “To work here … on this estate … on Jermyn’s … that would be very good, would it not, Simone?”
“Well, yes. If I can do … this land. I must have means to live … we could bring very little with us, you understand?”
“But of course. I tell you what we shall do. When we have had our tea, I shall send for Mr. Yeo. He was a little skeptical about landgirls, I’m afraid, but naturally he would be, wouldn’t he, Violetta? We will talk to him and then decide.”
“Soon it will not be for us to decide,” I said. “They are talking about calling up the women as well as the men. They will draft them into suitable occupations, I expect.”
“Well, Mademoiselle,” said Mrs. Jermyn to Simone, “you must see Mr. Yeo.”
It was amazing how well it worked out. Mr. Yeo was sure he could find a place for Simone and shortly after the Dubois had arrived on our shores Jacques had joined the Free French Army and Simone was working on the Jermyn estate.
Dorabella had admitted to me that she was relieved because Jacques was not staying in the neighborhood.
“Did you fear that he might revive your passion?” I asked.
I was alarmed because she did not answer immediately. She seemed as though she were going to confide something. Then I saw the look in her eyes. No use trying to explain to Violetta. She would never understand.
Then she said: “Oh no, nothing of the sort.”
But I continued to feel a little uneasy. I feared that, though she knew him for a philanderer and an inconstant lover, she was still attracted by him.
I was very glad that he had gone away.
The war news was becoming more and more depressing. It was heart-rending to hear of the terrible damage that was being inflicted on London. There were rumors of barges being constructed on the other side of the Channel in preparation for invasion.
It was amazing how people steeled themselves for the worst. I think what we dreaded most was to have the enemy on our soil. As a result, there was a general feeling of kindness towards each other. It was noticeable. The awareness of what could happen to us made us tolerant and want to help others.
We heard stories of the heroism of the people of London. Many of them had already sent their children away from home and now they faced bombardment with stoicism flavored by grim humor.
It was indeed a strange time to live and I knew that I should never forget it through all the days left to me.
And still there was no news of Jowan.
I was having tea with Mrs. Jermyn one day when she said: “Your family used to run that place in Essex. They made it into a hospital during the first war.”
“That’s so. It was my grandmother and my mother helped too. She has often told us about it.”
“I was thinking of this place. Not exactly as a hospital, but lots of those men will need somewhere to get over their illnesses and operations. I thought … with all this space, we could have some of them here. It would give them a rest … a sort of convalescent home. What do you think?”
“Would it be too much for you?” I remembered when I had first met her she had seemed almost an invalid.
“I should have people to
Simone replied that she would do anything needed to help. Perhaps she could go and make munitions somewhere. “Mr. Lewyth … he is very kind. Is he not, Jacques?” she said.
Jacques replied that Mr. Lewyth was a man of much knowledge and indeed he was kind.
“How do you feel about going on the land?” asked Mrs. Jermyn.
“The land?” said Simone. “What is this land?”
“It’s working on the farms. As so many men are going off to fight, girls are being recruited now. I heard they are shaping up very well. What of you?”
“On the farm …” She lifted her eyebrows and looked at Jacques.
“Would it be here … in these parts?” he asked.
“I think so. I know our manager, Mr. Yeo, is looking for someone to replace one of the men who has just been called up.”
Jacques said: “To work here … on this estate … on Jermyn’s … that would be very good, would it not, Simone?”
“Well, yes. If I can do … this land. I must have means to live … we could bring very little with us, you understand?”
“But of course. I tell you what we shall do. When we have had our tea, I shall send for Mr. Yeo. He was a little skeptical about landgirls, I’m afraid, but naturally he would be, wouldn’t he, Violetta? We will talk to him and then decide.”
“Soon it will not be for us to decide,” I said. “They are talking about calling up the women as well as the men. They will draft them into suitable occupations, I expect.”
“Well, Mademoiselle,” said Mrs. Jermyn to Simone, “you must see Mr. Yeo.”
It was amazing how well it worked out. Mr. Yeo was sure he could find a place for Simone and shortly after the Dubois had arrived on our shores Jacques had joined the Free French Army and Simone was working on the Jermyn estate.
Dorabella had admitted to me that she was relieved because Jacques was not staying in the neighborhood.
“Did you fear that he might revive your passion?” I asked.
I was alarmed because she did not answer immediately. She seemed as though she were going to confide something. Then I saw the look in her eyes. No use trying to explain to Violetta. She would never understand.
Then she said: “Oh no, nothing of the sort.”
But I continued to feel a little uneasy. I feared that, though she knew him for a philanderer and an inconstant lover, she was still attracted by him.
I was very glad that he had gone away.
The war news was becoming more and more depressing. It was heart-rending to hear of the terrible damage that was being inflicted on London. There were rumors of barges being constructed on the other side of the Channel in preparation for invasion.
It was amazing how people steeled themselves for the worst. I think what we dreaded most was to have the enemy on our soil. As a result, there was a general feeling of kindness towards each other. It was noticeable. The awareness of what could happen to us made us tolerant and want to help others.
We heard stories of the heroism of the people of London. Many of them had already sent their children away from home and now they faced bombardment with stoicism flavored by grim humor.
It was indeed a strange time to live and I knew that I should never forget it through all the days left to me.
And still there was no news of Jowan.
I was having tea with Mrs. Jermyn one day when she said: “Your family used to run that place in Essex. They made it into a hospital during the first war.”
“That’s so. It was my grandmother and my mother helped too. She has often told us about it.”
“I was thinking of this place. Not exactly as a hospital, but lots of those men will need somewhere to get over their illnesses and operations. I thought … with all this space, we could have some of them here. It would give them a rest … a sort of convalescent home. What do you think?”
“Would it be too much for you?” I remembered when I had first met her she had seemed almost an invalid.
“I should have people to
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