In Love and War by Liz Trenow

Author:Liz Trenow
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Monsieur Van Damme arrived, a tall, well-built man in a fine three-piece suit, every inch the prosperous member of the local community. An impressive girth suggested that he hadn’t suffered overly much during the starvation years.

They were duly introduced and he nodded his assent to their being shown around. ‘I will return in an hour, Father, is that sufficient for you?’ he said, taking out a pocket watch on a chain that reminded Alice of the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland. It was her favourite childhood book, of course, and she completely identified with its eponymous heroine, after whom, her mother said, she had been named.

‘We are most fortunate,’ Tubby whispered, after he left. ‘Word was he became so irritated with visitors clamouring to see the old place that he put his foot down, so to speak, which was a shame, because people gain much solace from such a pilgrimage. But there you go. It was only ours on loan – we can’t claim it forever.’

Even though the rooms were echoing and empty, Alice felt she could still sense the presence of soldiers who had come here for rest, friendship and solace. Jokey notices still adorned the walls. By the front door, a sign read: To pessimists, way out! Another, at the foot of the stairs: Owing to the descent of a meteorite upon the electric lighting plant, the House is temporarily reduced to the oil and grease expedients of a bygone age.

‘We had a bit of bad luck in the winter of 1917,’ Tubby explained. ‘The Germans found their range and we thought we’d be blown to kingdom come.’

‘My old office is up here,’ he said, panting a little as they mounted the stairs. Above its door hung another sign in painted lettering: All rank abandon, ye who enter here.

‘I like that,’ Ruby said. ‘When my Bertie was in training he said they hated the captains, how you always had to salute them and they got the best food and a clean bed to sleep in. But after a bit he wrote that they were mostly good chaps, once you got to know them.’

‘Nothing pleased me more than to see them getting along man to man, like normal human beings,’ Tubby replied.

A single piece of furniture remained in the former office: an enormous dark oak desk. ‘We had to leave in a hurry and, like a fool, I left all my papers inside, so please forgive me while I look for them, ladies. I won’t be long.’ He began to pull open drawers, rummaging through bundles of paperwork and notebooks with small yelps of recognition. ‘Feel free to explore while you’re waiting.’

Rooms were still identified with hand-lettered signs. The library was echoing and empty save for the dusty shelves, but the reading room felt cosy, like an Edwardian lady’s drawing room with its floral wallpaper, mahogany desk and a small stove in the fireplace, a large enamel kettle atop it.

‘There’s something about this place, isn’t there?’ Alice said. ‘Those men having a few hours of normal life before going back to the trenches.

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