was no hint in her demeanour of what had just taken place and was
mortified when the blush that had started to creep up from her neck flushed her face. Eloise’s eyes narrowed and she asked, ‘You wouldn’t do anything improper, would you, Andrina?
The servants and gardeners are our responsibility. We must treat them with respect and in a proper manner at all times. If you have stepped over the line, you had better put things right
immediately. Am I to call Jay back?’
‘No! No, please don’t. We conversed, and he forgot his manners. I chastised him. That is all. He is embarrassed, but he’s back in his place. You mustn’t put him through
it twice.
Please!’
‘Very well. Come on – let’s forget it. I’ll help you pick the strawberries; it will be fun.’
Able to breathe more freely at last, Andrina wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on her brow and was glad of the distraction of turning her back on Eloise and crossing to the pile of
baskets stacked near the greenhouse. Taking one of them back to Eloise, she found herself thinking about Jay’s background once more.
‘Don’t you find Jay a bit of a mystery? I mean, it is thought he belonged to the gypsies, but from what I have heard, they are more likely to steal a baby than give one away. And Jay
has this air about him. Sometimes he appears to be more of a gentleman than a working-class man.’
‘Is that wishful thinking, dear sister? Look, I’ve seen how you are attracted to him. Please don’t be. Please put all thoughts of him out of your mind, for it can only end in
heartache for you, and worse for him.’
‘That is nonsense. How dare you suggest such a thing? I’m disgusted with you, Eloise!’
‘Well, just be careful. It is easy to fall for someone who is out of bounds. It’s the excitement of it. Look, why don’t we look into doing some war work? It would be wonderful
to be with Edith, or some of the others who have gone. And it cannot possibly be as bad as everyone is saying. What do you think?’
What did she think! She hated the thought of anything that would take her away from Jay. Now that they had declared, by way of a kiss, how they felt for each other, she didn’t even want to
go back to London again. It was ironic, given that only half an hour ago she’d been longing to go back there.
‘That was a big sigh. Sorry, old thing – I didn’t mean to badger you. I understand. But, for me, I have to do my bit for the war.’
And I have to pursue my impossible love,
thought Andrina.
That will mean a war in itself, and being ostracized from society. Will I be able to bear that?
At this moment she did not know.
5
Albert and Jimmy
The Battle of Albert, the Somme, July 1916
Another disastrous day
A corporal in General Allenby’s Third Army, Albert Price knew he’d done well. A volunteer, he’d taken to the scant training that he’d been given and had
come out with flying colours. Keen to do his duty to the best of his ability, he’d made it his business to learn all he could from the regular-army blokes. Now he had the sort of
responsibility he probably wouldn’t be given if there hadn’t been a war on. But, with so many killed, he had been the only choice the officers had. Albert hoped he had the qualities
that would be needed. It had seemed strange to him that the battle they were engaged in was called the Battle of Albert – oh, he knew that it was pronounced differently to his name, as this
place sounded more like ‘Albear’, but it was spelt the same. Not that it made any difference what the battle was called; the hardship and terror of it never left them. With every day it
became more difficult to follow the order of the whistle and send his young boys over the top of the trench; and even to go over himself, as each time he was certain a bullet had his name on
it.
Sometimes he wished it had, because life in the trenches worsened with every passing hour. Incessant rain turned the ground
mortified when the blush that had started to creep up from her neck flushed her face. Eloise’s eyes narrowed and she asked, ‘You wouldn’t do anything improper, would you, Andrina?
The servants and gardeners are our responsibility. We must treat them with respect and in a proper manner at all times. If you have stepped over the line, you had better put things right
immediately. Am I to call Jay back?’
‘No! No, please don’t. We conversed, and he forgot his manners. I chastised him. That is all. He is embarrassed, but he’s back in his place. You mustn’t put him through
it twice.
Please!’
‘Very well. Come on – let’s forget it. I’ll help you pick the strawberries; it will be fun.’
Able to breathe more freely at last, Andrina wiped away the beads of sweat that had formed on her brow and was glad of the distraction of turning her back on Eloise and crossing to the pile of
baskets stacked near the greenhouse. Taking one of them back to Eloise, she found herself thinking about Jay’s background once more.
‘Don’t you find Jay a bit of a mystery? I mean, it is thought he belonged to the gypsies, but from what I have heard, they are more likely to steal a baby than give one away. And Jay
has this air about him. Sometimes he appears to be more of a gentleman than a working-class man.’
‘Is that wishful thinking, dear sister? Look, I’ve seen how you are attracted to him. Please don’t be. Please put all thoughts of him out of your mind, for it can only end in
heartache for you, and worse for him.’
‘That is nonsense. How dare you suggest such a thing? I’m disgusted with you, Eloise!’
‘Well, just be careful. It is easy to fall for someone who is out of bounds. It’s the excitement of it. Look, why don’t we look into doing some war work? It would be wonderful
to be with Edith, or some of the others who have gone. And it cannot possibly be as bad as everyone is saying. What do you think?’
What did she think! She hated the thought of anything that would take her away from Jay. Now that they had declared, by way of a kiss, how they felt for each other, she didn’t even want to
go back to London again. It was ironic, given that only half an hour ago she’d been longing to go back there.
‘That was a big sigh. Sorry, old thing – I didn’t mean to badger you. I understand. But, for me, I have to do my bit for the war.’
And I have to pursue my impossible love,
thought Andrina.
That will mean a war in itself, and being ostracized from society. Will I be able to bear that?
At this moment she did not know.
5
Albert and Jimmy
The Battle of Albert, the Somme, July 1916
Another disastrous day
A corporal in General Allenby’s Third Army, Albert Price knew he’d done well. A volunteer, he’d taken to the scant training that he’d been given and had
come out with flying colours. Keen to do his duty to the best of his ability, he’d made it his business to learn all he could from the regular-army blokes. Now he had the sort of
responsibility he probably wouldn’t be given if there hadn’t been a war on. But, with so many killed, he had been the only choice the officers had. Albert hoped he had the qualities
that would be needed. It had seemed strange to him that the battle they were engaged in was called the Battle of Albert – oh, he knew that it was pronounced differently to his name, as this
place sounded more like ‘Albear’, but it was spelt the same. Not that it made any difference what the battle was called; the hardship and terror of it never left them. With every day it
became more difficult to follow the order of the whistle and send his young boys over the top of the trench; and even to go over himself, as each time he was certain a bullet had his name on
it.
Sometimes he wished it had, because life in the trenches worsened with every passing hour. Incessant rain turned the ground
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