The Land Girls by Victoria Purman

Author:Victoria Purman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins

Chapter Twenty

Four days before the girls were to pack up and leave the Stocks’ fruit block, Mr Stock knocked on the door after supper and handed over a box of letters, each bundle wrapped in twine. Peggy thanked him and assumed the role of lady postmaster.

The girls gathered around the table as she did a rollcall of names and passed on the bundles.

‘Dorothy. Enid.’ Peggy looked up from the box and handed a collection of letters to Gwen. ‘There are quite a few there.’ Gwen snatched them up and ran through the open door of their quarters and out into the twilight.

‘Betty. Well, you have a parcel of some kind. And some letters.’

As Betty walked to her bed, she tugged on the twine and let it fall to the floor. One from her parents. One from Mrs Black. One from Jean, her friend from Woolworths. And two from Michael.

A tiny grey envelope was stamped with a diamond shape and the words Passed by Censor on the front.

Pte MX Doherty

2/23rd Bn

AIF

Abroad

January 16th, 1943

Dearest Betty Boop,

Just a few lines to let you know that we have left country and are out at sea. We left camp and caught the train to and had an excellent supper at . We then embarked at . The cabins on board are great and there is plenty to eat, with the food as good as you’ll get at any hotel in town. There is not much I can tell you about the ship or tell you its name but I’m sure you quite understand that.

All the boys are looking forward to getting to . We’re all up for an adventure and determined to do our best for Australia.

When you write, Betty, use the address at the top here and it will find me no matter where I am.

Don’t forget to write. I will very much look forward to hearing from you.

Yours,

Michael

Betty snatched up his second letter and tore open the envelope. A folded letter was inside and when she opened it, a little post card fell out too, small enough to fit into the palm of her hand, with Be My Valentine printed on the front, the red words set among roses and carnations and a lace garland. She flipped it over. There was an X and nothing else.

Betty’s pulse raced. He hadn’t forgotten. She flipped open the wafer-thin pages.

The address on it was King Street. Home. And the date in his neat handwriting was the day they’d said goodbye. The day he’d kissed her on the footpath and said, ‘Don’t get too lonely.’

Through her tears, she tried to focus on his words.

Dearest Betty,

Happy birthday!

I bet this is a surprise. I don’t know when I’ll get to write to you after I leave and how long it will take for you to get my letters, so I have written this tonight after my birthday party. It really was a good night. Thank you for the Biggles book and the Cherry Ripes. Boy, do you know how to get to a fella.

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