Angelique (40 page)

Slightly ashamed of my outburst I begin to apologise until the traditional dinner gong sounds saving me from further embarrassment.

Denise takes my arm gives me a squeeze as we troop into the dining room. The table is an amazing sight laden with silver and crystal.

Cecil had pulled out all the stops this evening. The electric lights had been extinguished the room is illuminated by only the ceiling chandeliers and the candelabras on the table. The flames radiating from the huge log fire cast a welcoming flicker around the room reflecting in the crystal. The conversation over dinner is both illuminating and entertaining. Various subjects are discussed with no further mention of the war. The food as usual is magnificent prepared and served by our excellent cook and her assistants. I consider the dinner this evening is a great success and a night of passion with Denise to follow is even better.

The next morning after breakfast this is it! No turning back now even the weather doesn’t help me to dodge the flight, it is a brilliant day. Gunter telephones Susan to notify her we are on our way and requests her to have the landing strip prepared for us near her depot.

I put on of a brave face as we walk towards the aeroplane in reality I am terrified. Strangely enough it is not so much the fear of the actual flying but it is the crossing of the channel I fear the most.

We gather at the aeroplane, Gunter stows our bags then bids farewell before he climbs into the cockpit. The young gardener that assisted Toot on the last occasion when we flew stands by to swing the prop.

I bid everyone goodbye hug and kiss my Wife then clamber aboard with difficulty hampered by the huge amount of clothes, the leather flying coat plus the life jacket and parachute. I have to virtually squeeze myself into what was the gunner’s position when it was a fighting machine. Gunter instructs everyone to stand clear, the engine fires on the third swing. The lad removes the chocks, away we go taxiing up the field we turn and race into the wind. Halfway down the marked landing strip we take to the air.

We swing over the house and within a minute we are out over the channel heading towards France on a beautiful but very cold day. Although my muffled up body is warm my face is frozen. I recognise the cross channel ferries as they scurry back and forth to France. A flotilla of grey painted warships in line ahead pass below. There a magnificent sight of a ship in full sail heading down the channel no doubt to distant parts of the world. I wonder how long before the crew see their loved ones again. It seems it takes only minutes crossing the channel before we are over dry land again. Although I initially dreaded the crossing I wouldn’t have missed the experience for the world. I can’t wait to describe my adventure to Denise. I do relax a little when the solid earth appears below us. In just over an hour flying I recognise Suzanne Caspar’s depot. The yard, the warehouse, her office and the railway spur line snaking into the distance look so different from the air.

We circle once, dropping lower as we pass over the site.

I easily identify Suzanne, my Brother in law Paul and of all people Bob Hawkins our maritime director waving a welcome. The landing strip is marked out with a series of oil drums, a flag flies indicating wind direction. Gunter drops in, makes a perfect landing and taxis towards my friends and colleagues bringing the aeroplane to a stop in front of them. Gunter leaps down and greets them individually he gallantly kisses Suzanne’s hand. I have a strange emotion sitting in the machine on French soil again. Although I enjoy being in England I have a feeling of coming home now I am back in France. I have to admit this flying business is the way to travel. A journey that took nearly an entire day the conventional way took just over an hour and half by aeroplane. It takes me a few minutes to prize myself out of the machine and clumsily clamber down hampered by the accoutrements Denise insisted I wore for the flight. I waddle ever to them after a greeting and a laugh about my appearance they hurry us into Suzanne’s office out of the cold to be welcomed by the wonderful aroma of percolating coffee and the sight of a glowing pot bellied stove. We are seated comfortably in her warm office enjoying the hot drinks and fresh croissants conversing in a mixture of French and English for Paul and Captain Hawkins benefit when Suzanne remarks.

“It is lovely to see you Adam but to be honest I was expecting Gunter to bring Marcel back with him. Where is he, what have you done with him?”

Oh yes! I almost forgot the two of them are getting close. Suzanne is evidently looking forward to seeing him and I turned up instead. What a disappointment for her.

I explain where he is what he is doing on my behalf assuring her he will be home for Christmas. She looks a lot happier when I give her this information. She turns to Gunter.

“Oh by the way Gunter an English fellow called here yesterday he told me he knows you very well. He was very interested in seeing your Aeroplane he is sorry he missed you. I think he is keen on taking a flight with you. Maybe this is the beginning of the flying business you are hoping for. When I told him you had flown all the way to England he appeared very excited.”

Gunter asks thoughtfully. “Hum that’s interesting what was his name?” Suzanne replies.

“I have his card here.” She hands Gunter a business card. Gunter smiles and hands it to me. The card reads.

Clarence Doomsday.

International Interests.

Gunter asks me “You know who this is don’t you?” I reply. “I have no idea.”

“It’s your friend from Paris I believe he went under the name of Major Dunwoody when you had your little contretemps him at the British Embassy.” Shocked that he has reappeared in our lives I remark.

“Good Lord what does he want with you now?” Gunter shakes his head and asks Suzanne. “Would you describe this chap to me Suzanne please?” She thinks for a moment before replying. “He is quite tall, well dressed, speaks very good French, has red face, and oh yes he has a huge bushy moustache.” Gunter nods. “I believe that confirms his identity.”

I exclaim “Blooming Heck! Gunter I thought we had heard the last of him?” He smiles.

“Oh don’t worry Adam. He is only letting me know he is aware of my latest aeroplane venture.”

He addresses Suzanne again. “Did you tell him I had a passenger on my flight to England?”

“No it did not arise.” Gunter looks relieved. “That’s good we don’t want him knowing all our business do we?” Paul looking baffled asks. “Tell me to mind my own business but what are you three on about?”

I explain. “It’s a long story Paul to be honest you don’t want to know. I think ignorance is bliss when dealing with this snooper.”

I in turn ask Captain Hawkins deliberately changing the subject.

“It’s nice to see you Bill but what are doing here?” Bill explains.

“I was in the OSCADA depot having a meeting with Harry when Gunter telephoned to say you where coming over. My ship is not due for loading until tonight so I took the opportunity to have a ride out enjoy the scenery and see you. Hey here is a bit of good news. Regarding that telegram you sent to me about the kid you met at the Hotel Victoria. You wanted me to give him a chance to sail on our ships?”

I reply. “Yes of course I do his name is Colin Collins he is a great kid. Poor little blighter, his dad was lost at sea in the first year of the war?” Bill continues. “Yes I was told about that. Well I had cargoes in and out of Birkenhead docks. The Dockers were on strike as a result I got a few days and nights at home for a change. I took the opportunity to take my kids to New Brighton for a day out. It was pretty cold, definitely not the time of the year for playing on the beach or swimming in the pool. While the kids spent the day in the fairground with the Wife I slipped up to the Hotel Victoria hoping to catch you there, maybe to have a pint together. But you had already left when I arrived. Anyway I didn’t waste my time there.

I had a word with the manager Mr Gillon about young Collin Collins. To cut a long story short Mr Gillon arranged for me to interview him there and then with his Mother present.

The kid is a wonder. He knows every Liverpool shipping company in existence, where they sail to, what cargoes they carry. He can even name nearly all the ships in their fleets and to top it all he can tie nearly as many knots as me. As a result of the meeting I offered him a place on my ship. He is to start at the bottom rung of the ladder as Peggy and work his way up to Able Seaman as he gets in his sea time.

I shall keep a personal eye on his progress. If he is good with navigation and all the other skills required I will train him to eventually become an officer. All being well he should realise his ambition to be a Captain of his own ship, hopefully one of our ships Adam. You’ll like this part. I asked him when it would be convenient to start working for me he replied.”

“Right now Sir if I may.”

I request. “Please keep in touch with me about his progress. I think I took to him because he reminds me of myself at his age.”

Bill continues telling me about Colin. “Of course I will Adam. He has been aboard since we sailed and I am able to report I am more than pleased with him. He has settled in very nicely, he’s a very good worker and he gets on famously with the rest of the crew particularly my cook Jesus.” On the mention of his name I ask him. “Jesus how is he, is he still stateless and confined to be permanently on board the ship?”

Bill explains. “No thanks to our mate Alec I resolved that one for him. When we were at Alec’s hotel for that meeting I mentioned I was worried about the cook because I was transferring to my new ship. I was signing on a completely new French crew but I wanted to keep Jesus with me. After leaving Portia we had to travel from Liverpool to Germany to collect the new ship from the builders. It meant travelling by rail and ferry, crossing borders and passing through immigrations.

Of course as you know Jesus had no papers. Alec gave me an address to contact a chap he knows of in Le Havre. It cost me quite a bit but he arranged for Jesus to have a British passport, a French identity card, and a British seaman’s discharge book. I don’t know how he did it but I thought not to question him. They all look genuine to me and we passed over the borders with no trouble.”

I smile when he finishes explaining. So, the mysterious man that helped me and Alec out with documents is still up to his old tricks eh? Major whatever his name is with the British intelligence has not caught up with him yet.

I enquire. “By the way how is the new ship working out?” Bill replies. “She is an absolute beauty, I have to give the Germans credit they sure can build ships, completed on time, on budget. It is a pleasure to have no more, shitty.” He realises that he swore in front of a lady and apologises. “I beg your pardon Susan.” She shrugs her indifference. Bill continues extolling the virtues of his new ship.

“No more dirty coal, no ashes to dispose of, or filthy smoke to contend with. But the best of all I have no bloody drunken firemen to deal with. I even have a snug wheehouse to shelter me in from the elements. I have electric lights throughout the ship. Even the winches are electric driven. There are no steam ones clattering away while you are trying to sleep.”

I remark. “Well Captain you sound to be a very happy man. What happened to your old ship Bill? The last I heard of her she was laid up in Liverpool.”

“Ah! She was that for a while. She was in the hands of ship brokers. I have just been informed the Greeks have bought her.” He explains with a sarcastic laugh.

“The Greeks are not so fussy about regulations as the British Board of Trade. She will spend the rest of her life trading around the Greek Islands. Now that location should be more forgiving on an old ship than the Irish Sea in winter I reckon. In a way I am sorry to see her go. She has been a good and lucky ship for me and she was my first Captains job. She got me through the war unscathed as well.

Portia is getting old and I was having trouble insuring her without spending lots of money on the old girl to bring her up to date. She wouldn’t have complied with the new regulations parliament has introduced since the war ended. Huh! They didn’t care what condition the ships were in during the hostilities as long as they kept going supplying the war effort. One good thing came out of it however. The cash I got for her enabled me to buy into OSCADA without borrowing so much from the bank.” He laughs and adds. “There is only one drawback with the new ship.

I miss the fiddly to nip in and thaw me old bones out when it’s been a long cold watch on an open bridge.”

Paul intercedes. “Excuse my ignorance of nautical matters Captain, I heard you mention you are employing the lad as a Peggy. I have two questions to ask you, the first one is what is a Peggy? The second is what on earth is a fiddly?” The Captain laughs and explains.

“A Peggy is usually a fresh starter at sea he is the general dogsbody and looks after the crew while learning seamanship from them. On some bigger foreign going ships he would be classed as a cabin boy but on a smaller coastal vessel like mine he is known as the Peggy. The fiddly to answer your second question is the area above the boilers. As I said before it’s nice and warm to hide in during the winter. I had one in my old ship Portia because she is a steam driven vessel but my new ship the Denise is diesel powered consequently, no boilers, no fiddly, no sneaking in for a quick thawing out.

Paul remarks. “We live and learn.” With a dreamy look on his face he adds. “I wouldn’t mind doing a trip with you Captain, when I have time that is. I have always wondered what is like to be at sea on a lovely starlit night and visiting foreign countries.” I chip in with a laugh.

“It will be a long time before you do that Paul with all your commitments and a baby on its way.”

“You are right there Adam, but a man can dream can’t he?”

Captain Hawkins says. “Aye! Lad. There is not much time for dreaming in mid winter in a force nine gale rounding Lands End, take my advice stick to your four legged land horses. Seahorses are not as forgiving.” We have a laugh until Gunter announces. “It’s time to go I am afraid. Estelle will be wondering where I am. I was supposed to be back yesterday.” Suzanne offers to ring the hotel and let them know he is on his way. Gunter requests. “Before we leave Adam may I have a word please it‘s something personal I wish to discuss.”