The Railway Children Return by Linda Chapman

Author:Linda Chapman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

Lily turned over everything Abe had said in her head. ‘So why did you sign up to fight?’ she asked.

He shrugged. ‘For revenge. Pure and simple.’

LiIy nodded. She understood. When news of her dad’s death had arrived, she’d felt like she’d wanted to go and fight someone too.

‘I wanted to kill some Germans,’ Abe went on. ‘Because they’d killed him. My brave brother.’ He shook his head and swallowed. ‘He was only eighteen years old.’

Lily frowned. She could remember her mum talking about the battle of Omaha Beach and she was sure it hadn’t happened very long ago. ‘How old are you?’

‘Um . . . eighteen,’ said Abe.

Lily’s frown deepened. ‘But you said he was your big brother?’

Abe cleared his throat. ‘That’s right. We were born close is all.’

Lily raised her eyebrows. ‘You know something – back home we have a saying: you can’t kid a kidder.’

Abe faltered. ‘Meaning what?’

She folded her arms and fixed him with a stern look. ‘Meaning that I’ve told my fair share of lies and so I know one when I hear one, Abe.’

‘I’m not lying!’ Abe protested. ‘I’m eighteen. I’m . . . I’m a soldier on a secret mission.’

‘So what is this secret mission?’ she challenged.

‘I can see you don’t understand the meaning of “secret”!’ he said, attempting to joke.

She continued with her unimpressed stare.

‘Okay, well . . .’ He hesitated. ‘If you must know, I’m . . . I’m a member of a special forces unit and because of that I have to get to Liverpool. That’s where I was heading when I got injured. It’s such a secret mission that the regular army don’t even know about it, which is why I told y’all not to tell anyone. Please now, don’t say anything. I’ll leave and you won’t see me again.’

Lily considered it. There was a chance he could be telling the truth but there was still the thing about his age. How could he and his older brother both be eighteen? Questions boiled in her brain, but looking at his pleading face she came to a decision. Whatever the truth, he was away from home and needed help. Maybe he also had a mum back at home, waiting for him, worrying about him. She, Pattie and Ted had been lucky to end up with Bobbie and Annie. He didn’t have anyone.

‘So you’ve got to get to Liverpool then?’

He nodded.

‘Well, you’re in luck,’ she told him. ‘Trains run through this station to Liverpool every day or two.’

Abe sat up straight. ‘Really?’

She nodded. ‘It’s the same line we came on from Manchester.’

Hope dawned on Abe’s face. ‘Lily, do you think you could find me the time of the Liverpool trains?’ he asked eagerly.

‘Yeah, sure. Tomorrow. But now I’d better go home,’ she said, getting to her feet. ‘They’ll be worried about me. I’ll come back after school, okay?’

He nodded. ‘Okay – and, Lily?’

She paused. ‘What?’

Abe’s grateful brown eyes met hers. ‘Thanks.’

Back at the house, Thomas, Ted and Pattie were sitting at the kitchen table, their cocoa untouched.

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