Bloody Hands by Andrew Wareham

Author:Andrew Wareham [Wareham, Andrew]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PublishNation
Published: 2021-09-12T04:00:00+00:00

To Richard’s amaze, she drove competently, in complete mastery of the heavy car. He sat next to her at the front, relaxing after the first miles and the successful double-declutch for the bends out of Wells.

“I have read in the motoring magazine that there is consideration of cars with four gears for after the war, following the example of the big lorries, Richard.”

He was interested but felt that conversation should be limited as she turned her head to him whenever she spoke.

They parked in the almost empty and far smaller Saturday Market Square outside the big church. It was obviously the carpark for the market and had no more than four other cars in it, two of them the Rolls-Royces of great landowners.

“Oh! That reminds me, Richard. We should attend the parish church on Sunday, now that you are fit enough to walk so far. It will keep the dear ladies of Wells happy!”

“No doubt it will, Prim. I have some questions to ask this God if he actually exists. Where he was on the First of July, for one.”

She chose not to reply, taking his arm as they walked round to the huge market.

“It is the weeks after harvest, Richard. The farmers have money in their pockets and many of their labourers will have been paid overtime during the weeks of extra labour. There will be more clothes stalls and several selling china- and kitchen-ware as well as the normal fruit and vegetable stalls. A good number of second-hand merchants as well, one or two of whom will have oddments of gold and silver. A number of houses being sold up, of course.”

The homes of dead soldiers, wives and children off to somewhere smaller or back to live with her parents.

“Of course.”

“There are often some good antiques to be found, Richard. Well worth looking at the furniture.”

“I haven’t actually got any money on me, Prim. Haven’t had a chance to get to a bank.”

“I have. Your pay goes into our account which I have access to while you are overseas. As well, of course, I have my own money.”

“There is my father’s allowance as well.”

“That is held separately and I cannot draw on it. We might go into the bank here in King’s Lynn while we are in town. After we have been to market, that will be. We will take a luncheon and do our other business thereafter, if it suits you, Richard.”

He was happy to give her free rein, he found. She was quite possibly more competent than him when it came to handling their money, neither Navy nor Army teaching housekeeping to its officers.

They bought little as they walked down the aisles of the open square, most of them food stalls. The staff at the House purchased all they needed of fruit and vegetables.

They came to a strong-smelling section, saw locally fished crab and lobsters, all alive still, and obviously dead fish.

“They sell the fish at a penny at day’s end, Richard. Apparently, enthusiastic gardeners take the rotting flesh for manuring.

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