Page 72 of Neighbors at War

She shook her head. ‘I heard the foghorn so I knew something was happening. They bombed German ships in the Channel, didn’t they?’

‘They did. Dad was ecstatic and I must admit to feeling the same way.’

Peggy was glad there had been some retaliation on their behalf but still didn’t like to think of men being killed. Even enemy men. Not all of them were evil, she knew that much. She thought of Captain Engel. As much as it unnerved her to have him appearing on her doorstep every so often, she still wouldn’t like to think of his mother having to grieve for him.

‘What a birthday treat,’ Tony said giving her hand a gentle squeeze. ‘Maybe the Americans put on the display just for you.’

Peggy laughed. ‘Somehow I doubt it.’

‘But you don’t know for certain,’ he teased.

She nudged him, catching him off-guard and making him stumble. ‘Sorry,’ she laughed, biting her lower lip.

‘You’re a bit of a toughie on the quiet, aren’t you, Peggy Hamel?’

‘I certainly am.’ She liked to think she was strong, in determination, even if physically she wasn’t as tough as most men would be. ‘I’ll always stand up for myself.’

‘I think I’ve worked that out already,’ he said, and grinned.

Chapter Forty-Five

HELEN

Helen continued to stare out of the window across St Aubin’s Bay, still trembling from the roar of the huge plane that had appeared and flown off with two smaller ones a short time earlier. The sound had been tremendous and had initially scared Bobby, so she had lifted him up and held him high enough to be able to see the planes for himself.

Lowering him to his feet again, she crouched so she was level with him. ‘Wasn’t that exciting?’

‘We saw big planes, Mummy.’ He spread his arms as wide as they would go. ‘They were that big.’

‘Bigger, even,’ she said. ‘And they were here to let us know we will be all right, weren’t they?’ She had no idea what they had flown over for, but wanted to make sure Bobby hadn’t been frightened by the incident. Who knew if more might fly over soon? If one large and two small planes were that loud, she could only imagine how noisy several might be.

She pictured Richard. He would have definitely signed up but she had no idea where, or in which force. Was he flying bombers, too? She hoped he was safe wherever he might be stationed. Her positive mood vanished. How was she going to get word to him that she no longer lived at number 2? She desperately needed to hear from him, from anyone outside the island. This claustrophobic feeling of living in a bubble could be made more bearable if she received word from someone outside it. If only she could go out and send her own telegram. She could send one to her parents, maybe.

‘Mummy, water?’ Bobby was holding up the small, tin watering can Ida had found for him somewhere. He knew he needed to ask before pouring water over the plants.

‘Yes, good idea.’ She watched her little boy taking care not to pour too much and wondered if he was behaving like other children his age. She only had an older brother and no cousins and didn’t have any experience of toddlers. Not wishing to fall into another guilt-ridden mood, Helen decided she needed to find something, a hobby maybe, to keep her mind busy. She had little to write about when their days had no variation, and she was hopeless at knitting or sewing.

Helen noticed Bobby’s trousers were above his ankles. Not that anyone outside their tiny circle would see him but that didn’t mean she should let her standards slip. She thought of Ida and how she enjoyed spending her evenings knitting or sewing. Helen decided that if she was going to keep her son in clothes, she should ask Ida to teach her how to do these things.

Helen thought of all the things the two of them needed and, impatient to start, rummaged through the trunk holding their clothes. She took out a sweater of Bobby’s that was now too small for him and sat down to unravel it. If she was going to ask for Ida’s help, she needed materials for them to work with.

As she pulled gently at the wool, winding it round her left hand, her thoughts returned to Richard and how to send a message to him. She would speak to Peggy later and ask if she had any ideas. Yes, she decided, feeling slightly more settled, that’s what she would do.

Later that evening she sat with the family in the living room. Tony had been invited, and to ensure he was home for curfew they ate their meal earlier than usual. She gave Peggy the birthday card she had made for her, and Bobby had drawn what could have been almost anything, but which she suspected might be a flower.

‘This is beautiful, thank you.’ Peggy beamed at them both and ruffled Bobby’s hair.

‘I wish we had something to give you,’ Helen admitted, hating not being able to shop for her good friend.

‘There’s no need. All I want is for everyone to be safe. There’s nothing more important to me.’

‘That reminds me,’ Ida said happily. ‘I received this from the Red Cross today.’

They all looked at the flimsy telegram with the now familiar Red Cross logo printed onto it.

‘Is it from your cousin?’ Babs asked, excitement in her voice.

Helen had seen photos of their cousin, who Babs had said had left Jersey to join the Royal Navy as soon as war was declared. She wondered how he must feel, unable to come home on leave.