because it is a home. You have your family here – and that is the most important of things, I think.’
She nodded in agreement and thoughtfully puffed on the cigarette. She was certainly lucky she didn’t have sons old enough to be involved in the fighting. ‘Where is your home, Alex?’
‘Warsaw,’ he said quietly, gazing now into the depths of his cocoa. ‘My family is still there. They did not manage to escape the siege.’ He lifted his head, his eyes unnaturally bright. ‘I do not know if they are still alive. But I pray each night that they are.’
Peggy felt terrible. ‘Oh, Alex. And here’s me moaning about a bit of paint and lino.’ She took a sip of cocoa, her thoughts focused on the awful news reports that had come out of Poland in recent weeks. ‘How did you manage to escape to England?’
He seemed to pull himself together, and even managed a wry smile. ‘I was pilot in Spain during Civil War. I was shot down and taken prisoner. But I finally manage to escape and get back to my squadron.’
‘You must have been very brave,’ she murmured.
He gave a self-deprecating smile and shrugged as he threw the stub of his cigarette into the fire. ‘I am very careless, for I was shot down again. I am in hospital for long time. When I am better the war in Spain is over, but Warsaw is under siege and I cannot go home.’
He scrubbed his face with his hands, the gold of his wedding ring glinting in the firelight. ‘I try so hard to reach my family, but is impossible now my country is in enemy hands. Now all I can do is wait and pray that I may see them again.’
‘I hope your prayers are answered,’ she said softly.
‘Thank you,’ he murmured. ‘It has been good to speak of them. When I am with other Poles we do not talk of families and home – it is not good for keeping mind clear for job we must do.’ He dug into the breast-pocket again and pulled out a worn leather wallet. ‘You would like to see photograph? I carry it for long time, but I look at it every night.’
She took the creased and faded photograph and regarded the sweetly pretty face of his dark-haired wife and smiling child who sat beside another young woman and an elderly couple in what looked like a sunlit garden. She felt tears prick as she handed the precious photograph back. ‘You have a lovely family, Alex. Thank you for showing me.’
‘It is I who am in your debt.’ He finished the cocoa and stood. Taking her hand, he kissed the air above it as he clicked his heels and bowed. ‘And now I return to my English books. I do not have my sister’s skill with languages, so I must work very hard I think. Good night, Mrs Reilly.’
Peggy sat for a long while after he’d left, staring into the flames, trying to imagine how it must feel to not know if your entire family were alive or dead. She had so many things to be grateful for.
‘Mum? I didn’t expect you to still be up.’
Peggy emerged from her thoughts and smiled as Anne slipped off her coat and sat beside her. ‘Did you have a good evening? Where did he take you?’
‘We went dancing at the Regency Hotel.’ She eased off her high-heeled peep-toed shoes and wriggled her feet. ‘I don’t think I’ve sat down all evening. Those RAF boys certainly know how to wear a girl out.’
‘Well, it doesn’t seem to have harmed you much,’ said Peggy with a smile. ‘Want some cocoa?’
Anne shook her head and sat forward, her expression suddenly serious. ‘He wants to take me to meet his parents,’ she said.
‘Well, that’s a good thing isn’t it?’
‘I suppose so, but it’s all a bit soon, don’t you think?’
‘I suppose it is, but with the way things are at the moment, there’s not much point in hanging about.’ Peggy studied her daughter, seeing the battle of hope and doubt in her expression and wondered what it was that was holding her back. ‘But if you’re not sure about your feelings, I agree, it would be wise to wait a bit.’
‘He got
She nodded in agreement and thoughtfully puffed on the cigarette. She was certainly lucky she didn’t have sons old enough to be involved in the fighting. ‘Where is your home, Alex?’
‘Warsaw,’ he said quietly, gazing now into the depths of his cocoa. ‘My family is still there. They did not manage to escape the siege.’ He lifted his head, his eyes unnaturally bright. ‘I do not know if they are still alive. But I pray each night that they are.’
Peggy felt terrible. ‘Oh, Alex. And here’s me moaning about a bit of paint and lino.’ She took a sip of cocoa, her thoughts focused on the awful news reports that had come out of Poland in recent weeks. ‘How did you manage to escape to England?’
He seemed to pull himself together, and even managed a wry smile. ‘I was pilot in Spain during Civil War. I was shot down and taken prisoner. But I finally manage to escape and get back to my squadron.’
‘You must have been very brave,’ she murmured.
He gave a self-deprecating smile and shrugged as he threw the stub of his cigarette into the fire. ‘I am very careless, for I was shot down again. I am in hospital for long time. When I am better the war in Spain is over, but Warsaw is under siege and I cannot go home.’
He scrubbed his face with his hands, the gold of his wedding ring glinting in the firelight. ‘I try so hard to reach my family, but is impossible now my country is in enemy hands. Now all I can do is wait and pray that I may see them again.’
‘I hope your prayers are answered,’ she said softly.
‘Thank you,’ he murmured. ‘It has been good to speak of them. When I am with other Poles we do not talk of families and home – it is not good for keeping mind clear for job we must do.’ He dug into the breast-pocket again and pulled out a worn leather wallet. ‘You would like to see photograph? I carry it for long time, but I look at it every night.’
She took the creased and faded photograph and regarded the sweetly pretty face of his dark-haired wife and smiling child who sat beside another young woman and an elderly couple in what looked like a sunlit garden. She felt tears prick as she handed the precious photograph back. ‘You have a lovely family, Alex. Thank you for showing me.’
‘It is I who am in your debt.’ He finished the cocoa and stood. Taking her hand, he kissed the air above it as he clicked his heels and bowed. ‘And now I return to my English books. I do not have my sister’s skill with languages, so I must work very hard I think. Good night, Mrs Reilly.’
Peggy sat for a long while after he’d left, staring into the flames, trying to imagine how it must feel to not know if your entire family were alive or dead. She had so many things to be grateful for.
‘Mum? I didn’t expect you to still be up.’
Peggy emerged from her thoughts and smiled as Anne slipped off her coat and sat beside her. ‘Did you have a good evening? Where did he take you?’
‘We went dancing at the Regency Hotel.’ She eased off her high-heeled peep-toed shoes and wriggled her feet. ‘I don’t think I’ve sat down all evening. Those RAF boys certainly know how to wear a girl out.’
‘Well, it doesn’t seem to have harmed you much,’ said Peggy with a smile. ‘Want some cocoa?’
Anne shook her head and sat forward, her expression suddenly serious. ‘He wants to take me to meet his parents,’ she said.
‘Well, that’s a good thing isn’t it?’
‘I suppose so, but it’s all a bit soon, don’t you think?’
‘I suppose it is, but with the way things are at the moment, there’s not much point in hanging about.’ Peggy studied her daughter, seeing the battle of hope and doubt in her expression and wondered what it was that was holding her back. ‘But if you’re not sure about your feelings, I agree, it would be wise to wait a bit.’
‘He got
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