My Name is Eva An absolutely gripping and emotional historical novel - Suzanne Goldring Page 0,17

your name.’ Pat shows her the out-of-date passport with her young face, so young, so innocent. ‘And there’s another one here as well and that’s also got your picture, though I don’t understand why it’s got a different name. Eve Kucha or something.’

‘Eva Kuscheck,’ murmurs Evelyn.

‘Oh, whatever! It’s all yours, I tell you. So, I’m betting the guns belong to you as well.’ Pat purses her lips and frowns.

Evelyn shakes her head, then says, ‘Well, I’m very sorry, dear, but I don’t remember any of this. Maybe it wasn’t me who put all these things away in the cases.’

‘Maybe you didn’t. But all these papers, the gun licence, letters and so on are addressed to you. This is all your stuff, yet you’re telling me you had no idea what was in the suitcases.’

Evelyn looks at Pat with a smile, then says, ‘I really do wish I could help you, dear, but my memory isn’t what it was.’

She looks down at the tray. ‘You haven’t drunk your coffee, dear. Don’t let it go cold.’ Then she takes another biscuit, looks at it, wrinkles her nose and says, ‘I don’t know why Mary’s given me Jammie Dodgers. She knows I don’t like them. I want chocolate digestives.’

14

27 January 1944

Dearest darling one,

I know if you were here, you would tell me I am far too flighty and impatient and I should wait a bit, but I am seriously thinking of giving up my chauffeuring with the ATS and following in your footsteps.

I feel sure I can do something much more useful than just sit around waiting for high and mighty officers. It looks at last as if we might soon finish this blessed war and we’ve heard that the poor people of Leningrad are finally free, now that blasted siege has ended.

It was all right for a bit, getting used to my lovely Humber and so on, but on New Year’s Eve, when I would much rather have been letting my hair down, I had to drive a pair of officers to Portsmouth again. I knew the route quite well by then, but would you believe, they let me sit there all night without a word and what’s more, without anything to eat or drink to celebrate the New Year? And when they finally came back to the car in the morning, all they said was, ‘Oh, driver, we forgot all about you,’ and then I had to drive them all the way back to London, feeling wretchedly tired and annoyed. I feel so taken for granted and badly misused that I am quite fed up and feel like a change, as well as being frustrated that I have come no nearer to taking your nemesis to task.

What kind of a change could there be? You might well ask. Well, today, on our company noticeboard, I saw a poster asking for volunteers with secretarial skills and languages, so I am going to offer my services and see where that gets me. My French is pretty good, though I think my German is much better. Driving has been fun and at least I am now a far better driver than I was, but waiting around for inconsiderate, selfish officers isn’t enjoyable or worthwhile and I do so want to do something useful, just as you did, my darling. And if that means I end up taking risks just like you, then I know I shall be in good company. Who knows, I may meet you again sooner than I’d thought and then we’d have such fun. I miss you so much, my darling.

All my love,

Your Evie xxxx

Ps I love you

15

Mrs T-C, 9 November 2016

Ask Nicely

‘You can’t pretend you don’t know anything about the guns,’ hisses Pat. ‘I’ve looked all through those cases. They’re full of your stuff. There’s clothes, documents and passports. You’ve got to tell the police where the guns came from.’

‘Well, dear, I would if I could remember.’

Pat’s hair is damp and she is wearing a tracksuit. She looks as if she’s just come back from a sports club. What is it they do these days? In Evelyn’s day golf and gardening, maybe a seasonal game of tennis were considered to be adequate exercise, but now, people seem to think they have to run everywhere and go to gyms to keep fit.

‘You jolly well try and remember! I had no idea there was going to be such a palaver when I took them down to the station. Honestly, you’d think I