Page 6 of Neighbors at War

Mrs Edwards’ expression softened. ‘I’m sure it won’t.’

The back door opened and an untidy man Helen recognised as the gardener walked in. He immediately removed his cap and it was clear from the look of concern on his ruddy face that something was dreadfully wrong.

‘What’s the matter, Tommy?’ Mrs Jeune asked, going over to him closely followed by Mrs Edwards.

He looked at Helen and Dulcie, who had joined them, then, seeming satisfied, puffed out his cheeks and closed the door behind him. ‘We have a problem and I’m not sure what to do about it.’

‘Helen, fetch Tommy a cup of strong tea,’ Cook ordered. ‘Er, Dulcie, I’m not sure why you’re hovering when you’ve got pots to wash. Get back to that scullery.’

Helen went over to the kettle and did as she asked.

‘It’s the silver, Mrs Edwards.’ His voice was low but Helen could still hear what he was saying. She wondered why the gardener was interested in the silver.

‘I thought it was safely put away.’

Helen realised by the tone in the housekeeper’s voice that she didn’t mean the silver was in a cupboard but hidden somewhere. Aware she needed to hurry up with the tea, she poured in a little milk and gave it a stir.

‘It is, but that’s the problem. Him in the office called me in earlier and questioned me about hidin’ things. I’m sure he could tell I was fibbin’ when I said I knew nothin’ about any treasures.’

‘I’m not sure what the problem is, though,’ Cook said.

Helen carried his tea over to him and put it down on the table, then returned to the worktop and pretended not to be listening as she continued tidying up.

He groaned. ‘He’s ordered me to have the veg patch dug up. By tomorrow first thing.’

Helen heard one of the women gasp.

‘We need to do something.’ It was Mrs Edwards’ voice and she sounded unusually flustered.

‘I know but there’s a lot of stuff to move and I can’t do it all by myself. What if I’m seen? I don’t want to be sent away to one of those camps in Germany.’

Upset to hear the man’s desperation, Helen went over to the table. ‘Maybe I know someone who can help,’ she said, thinking of Peggy’s boyfriend Tony. She didn’t know him well but had overheard him reassuring Peggy one night outside their homes and suspected he was involved in acts of sabotage that had been happening on the island.

Three surprised faces turned to her, and she realised she was about to be told off for interrupting.

* * *

The day passed quickly and as Helen hurried home with Peggy’s younger sister, Babs, who had kindly waited for her after dropping off some knitting to a friend of her mother’s in Millbrook, she tried to think how to approach Tony.

Worried she might be seen as being rude, she said, ‘It’s not often I see you out this way.’ She knew that she and Babs went in different directions to get to their places of work.

‘I only had a half day at Boots today,’ Babs explained. ‘Naturally, Mum took that to mean she could keep me busy with jobs for her.’

As Babs moaned, Helen waved the sides of her coat to try and cool down as they walked. Her skin was sticky with perspiration after the long day working in the kitchen and her nervousness at serving the German soldiers. She hated having to go into the dining room when they were there. She wished she had a thinner coat to wear on such a hot June day. Working in the kitchen had been bad enough but now they were walking quickly in the bright sunshine it somehow seemed even worse. Tomorrow she would go without a coat and simply wear her best cardigan.

As they chatted, Helen couldn’t help thinking how much nicer it must be serving at one of the counters in Boots like Babs. Most importantly though, she was relieved to have someone to talk to and take her mind off having committed herself to speaking to Tony about the issue at the villa.

‘Isn’t it funny?’ Babs said in her usual bubbly way. ‘I work at Boots and you work for the lady who helped run it for years.’

Helen wasn’t sure that was correct, but didn’t like to argue. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t been able to meet her,’ she admitted. ‘She seems to have achieved a lot in her almost eighty years.’ She tried to picture herself at Lady Trent’s age and reflected that all she would like to have achieved by then was to be happily settled in a home of her own, with Bobby married and bringing up his own children. The thought made her smile.

‘What are you thinking?’ Babs asked, nudging her and interrupting her thoughts.

‘I was only wondering what I might be like at eighty.’

Babs giggled. ‘You’ve got a long way to go before then, and a lot of living to do in that time.’

Helen wondered if those years would be spent here stuck on the island. As much as she loved it she hoped to have the freedom to choose whether to stay or leave. If the Nazis won the war then she doubted that choice would be given to her.