BROTHERS AND SISTERS OF BYLAND CRESCENT an absolutely heartbreaking and unputdownable historical family saga (The Cowgill Family Saga Book 1) by BILL KITSON

Author:BILL KITSON [KITSON, BILL]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
Publisher: Joffe Books historical romance and sagas
Published: 2021-12-13T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-one

In the closing days of August 1914, when France was reeling at the loss of 27,000 troops during one day of the ill-fated Battle of the Frontiers, Sonny visited his solicitors in Bradford. As he walked from Manor Row to the lawyer’s office, preparations for war were already visible. Windows carried patriotic posters and flags and queues of serious-faced young men signalled the opening of recruiting centres, each of the eager applicants keen to ‘do their bit’. Many of them had been seduced into the conviction that this would be the shortest of campaigns. The generally held and much publicized expert opinion being that it would ‘all be over by Christmas’.

Sonny deposed that his estate should be divided between his father and brother equally, in the event that he predeceased them, unmarried and childless. He added the proviso that in the event of his marriage subsequent to the making of the will the estate should then devolve to his widow and any legitimate offspring of that marriage. The solicitor had given him a sidelong enquiring glance on hearing this provision, on seeing which Sonny had grinned and explained that, as matters stood it was a purely hypothetical clause.

* * *

In Paris, general consternation abounded. Most Parisians were at a loss to understand, let alone explain how they found themselves at war. To an Englishwoman such as Ada, short of informed opinion as to the possible outcome, confusion was all the more extreme. A visit to the British Embassy proved fruitless as the building was besieged, both by fellow nationals seeking similar reassurance and hordes of others keener still to escape to what they saw as the last refuge of security on the continent. Neither set of petitioners seemed likely to gain much in the way of satisfaction, so Ada retreated to her apartment to take stock. She missed Eleanor whose wise counsel she trusted in such matters. Equally, Ada longed to be back in the comfort and safety of her own family surroundings, for so long forbidden to her. Suddenly, Paris was a lonely and frightening place and Byland Crescent seemed a long distance away.

* * *

Nor was it only in Europe that events were being watched with a kind of horrified fascination. Access to reports of developments was enhanced for James and Alice Fisher through their ownership of four provincial newspapers. With wire-reports streaming in daily from an ever-growing number of press bureaux, what had been rumour one day turned into awful truth by the following morning.

Alice was shocked by how swiftly and completely James’s prognostications had become a reality. ‘Where,’ she asked him, ‘will it all end?’

James had snorted with derision. ‘It certainly won’t be all over by Christmas,’ he told her. ‘As to where, or when, I have no idea. Any more than those so-called experts. Of one thing I am sure, life will never be the same again. Many barriers have been pulled down that will never be rebuilt, much of what we have come to regard as permanent has vanished forever.

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