Day Will Come (17 page)

Closing the office door firmly behind him, Stan watched Bill sit down before walking over to his desk. ‘London’s crowded these days.’

Bill laughed. ‘I don’t suppose many of those American boys have ever been outside their own country before. You can’t blame them for wanting to see London in the spring.’

‘Hmm.’ Stan studied the man in front of him for a moment, and then said, ‘Do you think this risky operation will work?’

‘Not sure, but we won’t know unless we try.’

‘You’ll need someone with you. Preferably a girl who can speak French like a native. We can contact the SOE. They will have someone who could do that.’

‘I’ve already got someone in mind.’

‘Oh.’ Stan frowned. ‘Who’s that?’

‘Grace.’

‘No!’

‘She’s perfect for this mission, and her French is excellent.’

‘No!’

‘Stop saying “No”.’ Bill raised his voice in an unusual show of anger.

‘You can’t take Grace. Find someone else.’

‘At least give her the chance to refuse. If you don’t ask her then I will. I’m the one going on this mission and I want someone with me I can trust. We’ve got two months to train her. And stop shouting!’

Stan sat back and took a deep breath. ‘Just because we are long time family friends, doesn’t mean you can be insubordinate, so watch your tone. I don’t know why I’m getting so angry anyway. She’ll never agree to it.’

‘She’ll jump at the chance. Bet you a fiver.’

‘Five pounds? You are sure of yourself.’

‘I met Dan at the War Office yesterday. He was visiting his uncle. We had lunch together and I managed to get him to talk about Grace. His opinion was that she would handle any challenge she was faced with and still keep her composure. You’re stifling her, Stan, and it is an indication of her self-control that she hasn’t shown her frustration. After talking to Dan I was certain she would be right for this mission.’ The corners of Bill’s mouth turned up in amusement as he sensed victory. ‘So, are you going to risk a fiver?’

‘It will give me great pleasure to take your money. Ask Grace to come in here.’

Bill jumped to his feet and opened the door. ‘Grace, we need you.’

She came in and sat down, notepad at the ready.

‘Don’t record this. We would like you to settle an argument,’ Stan told her. ‘Bill will tell you all about it.’

‘There is a chateau in the south of France with extensive
grounds. The Germans have sealed it off completely and it is heavily guarded. We need to know what they are doing there. The resistance have been unable to get anywhere near it, so I have agreed to see what I can do. I shall be posing as a German army officer with a French girlfriend who is showing me around her country.’ Bill paused, watching Grace carefully, but her expression gave no indication of her reaction to this news. That was just what he needed to see. ‘We have been arguing, as I expect you heard, about my choice of companion for this mission. Stan has bet five pounds that you will refuse.’

That bombshell did produce a reaction. Grace sat up straight, her gaze fixed on Bill, searching for any hint that this was a joke.

‘This is a serious request, Grace,’ Bill said quietly. ‘Before you answer, this will be very dangerous. We could be captured or killed – and you will have to jump out of a plane.’

‘Take your time, Grace,’ Stan told her. ‘No one will think any the worse of you if you refuse.’

‘When do you go?’ she asked Bill.

‘Sometime in June. That will give you two months to prepare. You will have to go through an intensive training programme.’ Bill sat back and waited. He was well aware how dangerous this was going to be, but he was so sure she was right for this job.

Grace remained silent while she looked out of the window. When she turned back to Stan there was a slight smile on her face. ‘You have lost your bet, sir.’

He handed over the five-pound note to Bill, his expression serious. ‘You will still be able to change your mind over the
next couple of weeks. After that there will be no backing out, Grace. Bill must be given time to replace you.’

‘I won’t back out, sir. I want to do this.’

Stan nodded. ‘Bill is no stranger to risky missions and I trust his judgement that you are the right person for this. I do have one concern, though, and that is your motive for accepting.’

Grace frowned. ‘My motive?’

‘Yes. It has crossed my mind that you might be taking this on to avenge your husband’s death.’

‘That is something I, personally, cannot do, sir. The only comfort for me, and thousands of others mourning the loss of loved ones, will be the defeat of Hitler and his regime. That will only come about by each one of us working together. My only motive is to play my part by using whatever talents I have. You need have no concerns that I will be a liability to the captain, sir.’

Stan nodded slowly. ‘I believe Bill has chosen well. I will expect to see you both back here by the end of June. Godspeed to both of you.’

‘Thank you, sir.’ Grace stood up when Bill did and they both saluted.

Once in the outer office Bill told her that they would be leaving at once. ‘There is no time to waste, Grace. Pack your bag and I will be waiting outside your billet in a car.’

Bill had only given her half an hour and Grace rushed around the room grabbing items and packing them in her kitbag, and she was glad he wasn’t giving her much time to think about her decision. Well, she wasn’t going to have second thoughts. After Brian had been killed she had
wanted to try and find something useful to do – something that would make a difference. At last the opportunity had come.

After a final glance round the room to check she hadn’t forgotten anything, she grabbed her bag and ran down the stairs.

The car was already there with Bill propped up against it, smoking a cigarette. No one would guess from his relaxed, casual attitude that they were planning to embark on a dangerous mission. There was a slightly different air about him, though, making her realise there was much more to this man than she had originally thought. That man always joking and full of tricks was just a mask. It was going to be interesting working with him.

He stubbed out his cigarette and held the door open for her while the driver put her kitbag on the boot of the car.

‘Can we talk?’ she asked quietly once they were on their way.

He nodded. ‘We are going to a manor near Guildford to start your training. Time is short so we will only be there for a week before moving on to the next place. You are going to have to learn quickly, Grace, because you’ve got to be able to take care of yourself if anything happens to me. You are going to be pushed to your limits. There will be times when you are exhausted and wish you had never agreed to this. I will be with you all the time because I must be sure you won’t panic whatever the situation you are faced with. If you do then both of our lives will be at risk. If there is the slightest hint that you might not be able to deal with this, you will be straight back in the office. Is that clear?’

‘Perfectly. I won’t let you down.’

‘I’m confident you won’t or I would never have chosen you.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘I will also be reading your letters to make sure you don’t give anything away.’

‘I’ll have to be careful what I say, then,’ she told him.

‘Very careful, Grace.’ He turned to face her. ‘No one must know what we are doing at these training camps. If you do happen to see anyone you know and they ask what you’re doing there, you are not to say a word.’

‘I know how important that is, Captain.’

‘Call me Bill at all times from now on, even if top brass are around. We’ve got to be relaxed and easy in each other’s company. Forget my rank. I don’t want you snapping to attention and saluting me. That could be awkward in two months’ time. That’s all you need to know at the moment, so relax and enjoy the journey.’

They arrived just in time for lunch and were shown straight to the dining room. Several men nodded to Bill when they walked in and Grace guessed this wasn’t the first time Bill had been here. During the meal she hardly noticed what she was eating, far too interested in her surroundings, and she was surprised to see an empty plate in front of her. She would not consider herself to be the nervous type, but did admit to feeling apprehensive, not knowing what the following weeks were going to be like. There was only one way to deal with this and that was to remember one of her mother’s favourite sayings and take each day as it came.

An officer was striding towards them and she made a quick assessment of him. He was not a young man, but he moved with all the ease of being very fit. Not sure how she should act in this unusual place, she remained
seated and only stood up when Bill rose to his feet.

‘Good to see you again, Bill.’ He shook hands with Bill and then turned his full attention onto Grace, his pale grey eyes fixed firmly on her face. ‘And you’ve brought Grace with you. Come and see me when you have finished your meal, Bill, and bring Grace with you.’

‘We’ll be there very soon, Henry.’ Bill grinned. ‘Just in time for coffee?’

‘Of course,’ the officer laughed.

‘Henry makes the best coffee I’ve ever tasted,’ Bill told her as the officer walked away and they sat down again.

Over the next week Grace didn’t have a moment to herself. They were cramming three weeks’ training into one, and at night she gratefully climbed in bed. Her mind was buzzing with all the things she was being taught, but she was still able to sleep, much to her relief. Bill had handed her over to the various instructors, taking no part in the training, but he was always there, watching and assessing her progress. She was very aware that if he saw the slightest hint she wasn’t able to cope, he would call a halt. There were obviously women around who were fully trained and he wouldn’t have any trouble replacing her.
That wasn’t going to happen
, she decided, determination surging through her. There were still several weeks to go, but as each day passed, her desire to go on this mission increased. But she would have to prove she was good enough, and that wasn’t going to be easy.

At the end of the week she had to face the instructors for a verdict. This was the most nerve-wracking part of the week; so much depended on their assessment of her abilities.

‘It’s been a tough week for you, trying to absorb everything is such a short time,’ Henry said. ‘When I received these orders I declared that it couldn’t be done. Do you think you have proved me wrong?’

Grace was aware that Bill was standing behind her by the door and he wasn’t going to hear doubt from her. She looked at each instructor and then back to Henry. She smiled and nodded. ‘I have proved you wrong.’

‘You have a quick mind and a determined nature, and, yes, in your case I was wrong. This has been the easy part, though. It is going to get tougher, but as far as we are concerned you have done
quite
well. We shall watch the rest of your training with interest.’

Grace breathed a silent sigh of relief. Their verdict was not as good as she had hoped, but at least it seemed as if she had done well enough to go on to the next stage. She was obviously going to have to do better or Bill would take her off this mission. As she left the room she glanced at him but there was nothing to show how he felt about her progress in his expression. Bill had stayed to have a word with the instructors and she waited patiently outside for him.

Twenty minutes later he came out. ‘Time to move on, Grace. Meet me outside as soon as you can.’

‘I’m already packed. I’ll be with you in ten minutes.’ She hurried to collect her bag, wondering what had been said in that room after she left. She would love to know, but knew better than to ask. Bill obviously wasn’t going to say anything until he was sure she was going to make it through the training.

They were soon on their way in the car with the same driver, so she knew it was all right to talk.

‘Where are we going?’

‘There’s a plane waiting for us at Northolt airfield to take us up to the Highlands of Scotland where you will receive commando training. You will only have three weeks so it’s going to be rough.’ He turned slightly to face her. ‘I’m relying on you to be honest and tell me the moment you decide not to go on. I will also pull you out if it is apparent we are asking too much of you. If we had more time I have no doubt you would pass the training schedule, but we don’t have that luxury.’

‘I fully understand that you have to be able to rely on me in a crisis. All I can do at this stage is promise that I will do everything I can to prove myself capable of coping with whatever is needed of me.’

‘I can’t ask for more than that.’ He smiled then. ‘I made the mistake of underestimating you the first time we met. I’ve watched you carefully since then and have come to realise you were capable of more than sitting in an office. We are living in extraordinary times, Grace. Times that are demanding more of us than we thought we were capable of. That has to be faced and accepted because it is the only way we are going to win this war.’

‘I am prepared to face any challenge. I wouldn’t have agreed to this otherwise.’

‘And I wouldn’t have asked you if I’d thought you were content to sit out this war in an office. Have you flown before?’

‘No.’

‘Didn’t James ever take you up in his plane?’

Grace laughed. ‘No, but I often wished he would.’

‘Well, you’ll get your chance today, though it won’t be
as comfortable. It will get us to Scotland quickly and that is the main thing. There isn’t any time to waste. This mission must go ahead on time even if I have to go alone.’

‘You won’t have to do that! I’m coming with you, Bill, even if I have to work myself to a standstill during the training.’

‘I’m asking a great deal of you, but there are two reasons for the intensive training. I want you to be able to take care of yourself – and I need you to be fully aware of the dangers we might face while in France.’

When Dan had manhandled her over the army assault course it had been easy compared to this, Grace thought as she eased herself into a hot bath with a groan of relief. She was bruised, battered and ached from head to toe. Bill had said this training was because he wanted her to be able to take care of herself. Well, she certainly would be able to after this! It had been a tough physical three weeks, and many times she had thought it was not possible to endure another day. When at her lowest she would glance across at Bill watching her and she had gathered her strength together and carried on. A smile crossed her face. It had all been worth it, though, because today she had actually been able to throw a man flat onto his back.