He took two letters from his bag and handed them to her. Bobby stared at what was printed on the uppermost envelope.
‘On His Majesty’s Service,’ she murmured.
‘Aye. Thought you’d want it right away, since it’s official.’
A chill passed through her that had nothing to do with the weather as she stared at those dreaded words.
Her first thought was for Charlie, preparing to leave his training post to join the fight. Then for her brothers, Raymond and Jake, both soldiers: one on active service in North Africa, the other learning to dismantle bombs with the Royal Engineers. But when Bobby tore open the envelope, she discovered it wasn’t any of the men she loved that His Majesty was writing to her about.
It was her.
Gil was still hanging around, looking worried. ‘Hope it’s nowt bad, Miss Bancroft?’
‘Um, not… really,’ Bobby said vaguely. The words were swimming before her eyes, and she felt suddenly dizzy.
‘You’re white as a ghost. Do you want me to walk back with you?’
‘No.’ Bobby tried to pull herself together. ‘No, thanks all the same. It was kind of you to bring it down. I’m all right.’
‘Well, if you’re sure,’ Gil said, still looking doubtful.
Bobby forced a smile. ‘I am, I promise. You ought to get yourself somewhere warm. Goodbye, Gil.’
After hesitating a moment, Gil strode off in the direction of the village, leaving Bobby to wander back to Moorside Farm in a somewhat dazed state.
When she reached the house, she drifted in by the side door, entered the parlour and took a seat at her desk there, the letter still gripped in her hand.
Reg, who was correcting proofs at his own desk, started speaking to her. However, just like the letters on the page, the words he spoke became muddled somewhere between her ears and her brain.
‘Summat up this morning, lass?’ he asked as she sat silent. ‘Can’t seem to get a word out of you.’
‘It’s… this letter. It came for me in today’s post.’
He frowned at the official-looking envelope. ‘What is it then? Bad news?’
‘No. Yes. I mean, it’s…’ She took a deep breath. ‘Reg, I’ve been called up.’
Chapter 2
Reg looked almost as shocked by this news as Bobby was.
‘Don’t waste any time, do they?’ he growled, his brow setting in a scowl. He raised his voice to call to his wife. ‘Mary! Better get that teapot in here. It’s an emergency.’
Bobby tried to collect herself as Reg hobbled from his desk, leaning heavily on the stick he used to support his lame left leg, and took the letter from her. The numbness within her had started to subside, giving way to a fist of icy dread.
‘Well, it’s not a sure thing,’ Reg said when he’d scanned the text. ‘You’ve not rightly got your call-up yet, have you? You’re to report for your medical in two days, that’s all.’
‘What’s the difference? It means I’ll have to go, Reg. In weeks, I’ll have to leave here and… I’ll have to go.’
‘Not necessarily. Happen you’ll fail.’
‘I won’t fail.’ She laughed. ‘I’m too damned healthy. I don’t even wear reading glasses. I’ll have to leave you and Mary, the girls, my dad… oh Lord, my dad.’ Bobby pushed her fingers into her hair. ‘He can’t live alone. Not again.’
‘Told him, have you?’
‘Not yet. Gil only just gave me the letter.’ She swallowed a sob. ‘Reg, I don’t know what to do,’ she whispered.
‘Now, now. None of that.’ Reg gave her shoulder a clumsy pat. ‘It’ll be reet.’
