Darkest Before Dawn Episode 12
Maud and Alf might have married young, but he was the love of her life and she didn’t know what she’d do without him.
“You don’t have to tell us anything,” she said, and he nodded.
“I know. I won’t tell all of it, but I can tell you some.”
“Are you here for the night, Alf?” Rose asked.
“If you’ll have me, but I have to leave first thing.”
“Well, I don’t know if we’ve room,” Rose said, before laughing out loud at their worried expressions.
“Of course we’ve room!”
After tea, they all sat as close as possible to Alf, waiting for him to talk.
“We did our first trip to Dunkirk without incident,” he began.
“We took people off smaller boats and could see more on the beach and in the water.
“They were mostly French troops that time. The second time, we took on a load of our boys and we’d almost made it back when we were bombed.”
“Bombed?” Maud slapped her hands to her face.
“We took some damage, but a destroyer and a minesweeper came to our assistance and we were towed in.
“We didn’t lose a single man. We got our boys home safe and, in all, we evacuated nearly three thousand troops.”
“What about the boat?”
“She’s been refloated and she’ll be towed to London. I’m joining another ship until she’s back in service.
“It was the most incredible thing I’ve ever seen,” Alf went on.
“Seeing the scale of human effort across nations made me realise that we can come through this together.”
He stopped and caught his breath.
Maud knew him well enough to know that her husband was fighting another battle: trying to stop himself from crying.
Rose poured him a whisky.
“Thank you.” He smiled.
“I was right moving you here,” Alf continued. “There have been a few properties bombed at home.”
“Have you heard anything of Edward and John?” Maud asked.
“If I had, it would have been the first thing I told you,” Alf replied.
“No news is good news. Where’s our Tilly? Shouldn’t she be home from work by now?”
“Didn’t you get my letter, Alf?” Maud asked.
“I haven’t been home much,” Alf admitted. “Why? What’s happened?”
“Tilly’s expecting,” Maud explained. “The baby is due in July.”
A huge smile formed on his face.
“That’s the best news I’ve had for a long time.” Alf registered the worried expressions on the faces around him and his smile faded. “What’s wrong?”
“She’s on bed rest,” Rose replied. “She’s poorly.”
“Doctor Kirby is keeping an eye on her,” Maud added.
“Is it all right if I pop up and say hello?”
Maud went with him. Tilly was propped up in bed, her eyes closed, the tray on the floor beside the bed.
Maud thought she looked so terribly frail when she should be blooming.
She hadn’t touched her cake and had hardly made a dent in the bread and jam.
Tilly gave a start when she heard them enter the room.
“Dad!”
“Congratulations,” he said, his voice gentle. “I couldn’t be more pleased. Is there anything you need?”
Rose and Isobel had followed them upstairs.
“We’ve got it all in hand,” Rose declared.
“We’ve all been knitting like mad,” Isobel said.
“Oh, dear.” Alf pulled a face that made Tilly smile, but Isobel wasn’t offended.
“Don’t worry, Dad,” she said. “I’m making a quilt. I managed a pair of bootees, but they’re more like knitted teacups and about as much use.”
“They’re lovely, Isobel,” Tilly said kindly. “The baby will be glad of them to keep its little feet warm.”
Maud picked up the tray.
“Anything else you fancy, love?”
“I have everything I need, thank you,” Tilly replied.
“In that case, we’ll leave you to rest.”
Maud ushered everyone back downstairs.
“I’m off to the hospital,” Rose said. “If Tilly seems any worse, call the number I gave you from the telephone box.”
“I will,” Maud promised, her stomach in knots as she closed the door behind her sister-in-law.
Later, when Isobel and Sidney had gone to bed, Maud sat on the sofa with Alf.
His big, strong presence had lifted her spirits beyond measure, but she knew that tomorrow she’d have to say goodbye to him all over again.
In some ways, finding out he’d survived his ship being bombed was reassuring, but it made her realise how much danger he was in.
And there was her boy, Edward. She hardly dared think about him and where he was now.
Was he one of those left at Dunkirk?
Alf’s breathing deepened and she realised he’d dropped off to sleep.
She rested her head against his chest so she could feel the strong beat of his heart.
Suddenly it hit her that she wasn’t worried about how she’d cope without him any more, but that she was worried about losing him.
“I love you so much, Alf,” she whispered.
Her voice woke him up and he held her tight.
“Oh, I do love you, Maud,” he said. “I’m so glad you’re safe here in London, but I am worried about that girl upstairs.”
“So am I,” Maud admitted, biting her lip. “If anything happens to Tilly or the baby . . .”
Alf squeezed her tight.
“I know, love,” he replied. “I know.”