The Last Letter from Juliet - Melanie Hudson Page 0,77
couple of days …’
It had all been sorted out without me, then.
Charles let go of my hand.
‘I say, old thing, I’m awfully tired tonight. Do you mind if we give the next chapter a miss?’
I closed the book, kissed Charles on the top of the head and took my coat from the back of the chair.
‘I don’t mind at all,’ I answered, holding back the tears and trying to show a bright smile in my voice. I grabbed my coat and turned to leave, but thought of something, suddenly. ‘The thing is, Charles, I’ve got a busy flying schedule tomorrow, I’m going all the way to Prestwick … and if Pa is coming for you on Tuesday … I … well I won’t get to see you before you go …’
He nodded and waved his hand to dismiss me.
‘You’re busy, don’t worry. I’ll see you at Lanyon, whenever you can get down. No hurry.’
‘But, Charles,’ I said, sitting down and taking his hand again. ‘You’re more important than any of that. Why don’t I see if I can …’
He didn’t let me finish. His expression hardened.
‘Don’t see about anything. You’ve got an important job to do. Lottie is at a loose end … she can help.’
‘Loose end? Hardly, Charles. She’s still a WAAF, you know, and there’s Mabel to consider …’
‘You should be getting along now. Last train and all that.’
There was nothing left to say. And as the ward door closed behind me, I felt that I had just said goodbye to a distant relative, not my husband, and for so many reasons, with the train carriage blackout blinds pulled down low, I leant my head against the rocking carriage, and wept the whole way home.
Chapter 26
Katherine
Never email tipsy!
Dear Sam
I’m sitting in Fenella’s car in the car park at Lanyon having just escorted Juliet back to her room. We’ve had the most wonderful day together, touring the local area. She asked if I could take her on a couple of outings – looking for buried treasure, no less! I’m sure Juliet will tell you all about it when she sees you, so I won’t steal her thunder, needless to say, despite scouring most of the Penwith peninsular, we did not find the compass.
I can assure you that I am keeping her well wrapped up and trying my hardest to hold her back from exerting herself too much. There is a very definite feeling of ‘swansong’ about the trip – many last goodbyes, last looks, which is understandable but occasionally unnerving. She’s a remarkable woman, but then you know that already, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am to have met her.
With very best wishes,
Katherine.
P.S. I’m still reading Juliet’s memoirs. She has just missed out on a passionate weekend away with Edward, and now Charles has pushed her away! Nightmare. I’m reading your blog, too. I particularly enjoyed the one about your exploits on Orkney. Did you really dance naked with the Hairy Bikers on the summer solstice?
I put the car into gear and headed down the familiar road to the village, past the school and the pub and down to the harbour. It seemed that Angels Cove had transformed itself into a hotbed of activity during the day and a heavenly host of snowflakes, candles, angel wings and a whole manor of Christmas-themed lights had sprung up all over the village, with lights now pinned on every building, lamppost and harbour wall.
I bumped into Fenella who was standing on the pier wearing a Day-Glo tabard and acting as foreman to two men, one of whom was dangling from a ladder attaching an electrified elf to a telegraph pole. It seemed that Fenella had taken a little speech I made to heart – a tipsy one proffered while snipping seaweed, or eating a full English. I couldn’t remember, but anyhow, a speech about how it was the civic responsibility of the modern-day villagers to rekindle Christmas spirit – and she had taken off to the pub to hunt down and enlist the vicar with an offering (bribe) of gin. Once settled at the pub she had called an extraordinary meeting of the village elders to discuss saving, albeit at the last minute, the Angels Cove Christmas lights festival, and according to the man at the top of the ladder (who really did need to focus a little more on what he was doing rather than look down at me) she had given quite a rousing speech during the