Page 53 of Summer of Fire
Stella must have noticed the fear etched onto her face, and she reached for Lizzie’s hand. ‘Don’t worry, my love. It’ll be alright. We went through this in the Great War, you know. We won that one and we’ll win this one too. Brutal as it is—good always triumphs over evil, and this time, we have Mr Churchill in our corner.’
Lizzie was grateful for Stella’s calming presence and reassuring words. Loud booms and bangs echoed throughout the station, and the ground shook every few minutes. Children who were old enough to travel on their own had been evacuated to the country at the start of the war, but she heard babies wailing as the blasts rocked the foundations and dirt showered from the ceiling onto people’s heads.
‘This must be serious,’ Lizzie said. ‘I hope Val got out alright.’
Stella said she was sure she would have. After the initial shock, they took their minds off the continuous thunder of falling bombs by chatting about this and that. Stella told Lizzie about her children, who were now grown. One son was away fighting, and she’d had a letter from him recently. Her daughter worked in a factory and her young man was away fighting, too. ‘My children are such a blessing. Lord, keep them safe in this mad world,’ she muttered as another violent crash boomed.
‘Do you have a young man?’ Stella asked after Lizzie finished telling her about the members of her family andhow her grandparents were still in Jersey under Nazi occupation.
Lizzie shook her head as the floor reverberated and she coughed as the dust tickled her throat. ‘No, no I haven’t.’
‘Lovely girl, like you,’ said Stella, beaming. ‘I bet it’s not for the lack of offers.’
‘To be honest, I’ve not had much time to meet anyone, what with the war. We moved from Jersey earlier in the summer and it’s been all go, at work.’
‘Yes, they do keep you lot busy, that’s for sure. I don’t know exactly what you do in there, but mum’s the word,’ she said, tapping her nose. ‘Talking of which, I haven’t seen Jack King around for a while. He usually drops into Val’s office, and I bring him a cuppa and his favourite biscuits. I keep a few Digestives back for him when I can get them,’ she said.
Lizzie’s heart fluttered at the mention of Jack. She’d been doing her best not to think about him and failing spectacularly. ‘He’s away,’ she said, blushing slightly.
‘Oh, I have a soft spot for that one. All the ladies do. Proper charmer, he is. And those film star good looks! If only I was thirty years younger… It’s never too much trouble for him to help me with the doors, either. Mind you, he no doubt leaves a trail of broken hearts behind him, so it’s probably best to steer clear of him, love. He’s a bit old for an innocent young girl like you. I wouldn’t blame you if you had a crush on him, though.’
‘Pardon?’ Lizzie shook her head vigorously and tried to stop the burn of embarrassment from creeping up her neck and onto her cheeks. ‘Goodness. Don’t be daft, Stella! He is my boss, and he’s way too old for me.’
Stella eyed her as though she could see right through her bluster. ‘He’s a dreamboat for sure, but take care. Those secretive government types are never in one place for long. Get yourself a nice steady fella, is my advice, like I did withAlbert. Forty years we’ll be married this December and we’re as happy as on our wedding day.’
Lizzie breathed freely again as Stella launched into details of her own love story. She hoped she hadn’t noticed just how flustered her comments had made her. Lizzie wished she wasn’t so obvious about her attraction to Jack. It was getting out of hand. The mere mention of his name brought a glow to her cheeks. She couldn’t have people thinking she was doting on him like a devoted puppy.
What would happen when he came back, and she had to deal with him at the office?
The noise of the bombing gradually subsided, and Lizzie heard the buzz of hundreds of conversations as people waited for the raid to be over.
A loud, continuous drone echoed through the station tunnels, making Lizzie jump. This was a new experience for her. When the first major bombing of London had taken place, she’d been in Reims. Before that, she’d only taken part in practice raids and false alarms.
‘That’s the all clear,’ Stella announced. ‘Come on, it’s over. Let’s see what damage those Jerries have done. Brace yourself.’
They emerged into the smoky London streets.
CHAPTER 26
‘I’ve made arrangements for you to go on an intensive induction training. You’ll leave for the country first thing tomorrow morning,’ said Val, as she stood gazing out the window at the scenes of destruction.
‘That’s sudden,’ Lizzie replied, after a pause.
‘Yes, sorry, I couldn’t give you more notice. I hadn’t counted on Mr Hitler changing tactics and bombing London systematically every day. Everything has changed with this daily Blitz, and we must respond accordingly.
We need more trained operatives on the ground supporting the fledgeling Resistance networks. All SOE sections are stepping up operations in their respective countries, but none is as important as Northern France right now, which is being used as a base for the Luftwaffe’s daily killing sprees.’
A thrill ran through Lizzie at the prospect of the intensive training. Another time, she’d be ready for a monster like that German soldier. ‘Does this mean I’ll be going back to France soon?’
Val nodded. ‘We are counting on you. You know the lay ofthe land in Reims. Jack sent another message that the Luftwaffe have set up an airbase on the outskirts of the city. It makes sense when you think how close Reims is to London. If only the French army had been able to keep the Germans out, we wouldn’t be in this bloody buggering spot.’
Val’s casual cursing still shocked Lizzie, who had never heard a woman use words like that before. Her boss was a breed of her own, and Lizzie had to admit, even though it was unusual to hear a woman use such language, it didn’t seem out of place for the indomitable Val. She was a great role-model, but Lizzie thought she’d better skip the swearing, or her mother would be horrified.
‘Will I meet Jack in Reims, or is he coming back before I leave?’ Lizzie asked, as casually as she dared without obviously revealing her feelings for him.
‘Not sure yet,’ Val replied. ‘He’s working with the Resistance and doing reconnaissance, but I don’t know how much longer we can risk his presence there.’
Lizzie was torn between wishing he would stay in Reims so she could see him again, and him returning to London so he would be out of reach of the Gestapo.
