said, “you’re fibbing,” but when Eileen looked where he was pointing, she could see a faint blur of smoke above the trees. The train was definitely coming. It was a miracle.
“All right, gather up your things,” she said. “Alf, fold up your map. Theodore, put your jacket on. Binnie—”
“Look!” Alf said excitedly, jumped off the platform, and ran toward the road with Binnie at his heels.
“Where are you—?” Eileen said, glancing anxiously up the tracks. “Come back here! The train—”
It was approaching rapidly. She could see it emerging from the trees. “Theodore, stay right here. Don’t move,” she ordered him and took off for the platform steps. If those two made them miss the train…
“Alf, Binnie! Stop!” she shouted, but they weren’t listening. They were running toward the Austin, which roared past them and skidded to a stop at the foot of the platform stairs.
The vicar leaped out and ran up the steps, carrying a basket. “I’m so glad I caught you,” he said breathlessly. “I was afraid you’d gone.”
“I thought you were in Hereford.”
“I was. I got stopped on the way home by a wretched troop convoy or I’d have been here earlier. I’m so sorry you had to walk all that way with the luggage.”
“It’s all right,” she said, feeling suddenly that it was.
“I thought you said drivin’ fast was only for emergencies,” Binnie said, bounding up onto the platform.
“You was going a ’undred miles an hour,” Alf said.
“Did you come to say goodbye to us?” Theodore asked.
“Yes,” he said to Eileen, “and to bring you—” He stopped and glared at the train, which was nearly at the station. “Don’t tell me the train is actually on time. It hasn’t been on time once since the war started, and now today of all days.… At any rate, I brought you some sandwiches and biscuits.” He gave her the basket. “And.… Alf, Binnie, go fetch the luggage,” and when they did, he said quietly, “I rang the Children’s Overseas Reception Board.” He handed her an envelope. “I’ve arranged passage for Alf and Binnie on a ship to Canada.”
To Canada? That’s where the City of Benares had been going when it was sunk by a U-boat. Nearly all the evacuees on board had drowned. “Which ship?” Eileen asked.
“I don’t know. Their mother’s to take them to the Evacuation Committee’s office—the address is in the letter—and they’ll take them to Portsmouth.”
The City of Benares had sailed from Portsmouth.
“And this is for you as well.” He handed her an envelope with several ten-shilling notes inside. “To cover your train fare and the children’s expenses.”
“Oh, but I can’t—”
“It’s from the Evacuation Committee.”
You’re lying, she thought. It came out of your own pocket.
“It isn’t fair to ask you to pay your own way when you’re doing the committee’s job,” he said. He glanced over at Alf and Binnie. “I’m certain you’ll earn every penny.”
“The train’s ’ere,” Alf said, and they both looked over at it.
It came to a whooshing stop.
“Thank you,” Eileen said, handing the envelope back to him, “but I don’t want you to have to—”
“Please,” he said earnestly. “I know what a worrying time this has been for you, and I thought… I mean, the committee thought that at least you shouldn’t have to worry about money. Please take it.”
She nodded, blinking back tears. “Thank you. I mean, please convey my thanks to the committee. For everything.”
“I will.” He looked at her searchingly. “Are you all right?”
No, she thought. I’m a hundred and twenty years away from home, my drop’s broken, and I have no idea what I’m going to do if I can’t find Polly.
“Whatever it is, you can tell me,” the vicar said. “Perhaps I can help.”
I wish I could tell you, she thought.
“Come along,” Alf said, yanking on her sleeve. “We gotta get on.”
She nodded. “Children, gather up your things. Here, Binnie, take Theodore’s duffel for him. Alf, take your—”
“I have them,” the vicar said, picking up the bags. With his help, she got them and Alf and Binnie up the steps onto the train. This one wasn’t crammed with troops, thank goodness.
“Now you, Theodore,” she said.
Theodore balked. “I don’t want—”
Oh, no, not again, Eileen thought, but the vicar was already saying, “Theodore, will you show Eileen what to do? She’s never been to London on the train before.”
“I have,” Theodore said.
“I know, so you must take good care of her.”
Theodore nodded. “You go up the steps,” he instructed Eileen, demonstrating. “Then you sit down—”