Page 45 of The Shadow Code (Heroes of War #3)

T he Rover’s tyres crunched over the gravel drive, headlights flashing briefly against the stone facade of the Harcourt home. Jack cut the engine. The silence that followed rang in his ears until it was broken by the distant wail of the siren, rising again over the rooftops.

They had barely stepped from the car when the front door flew open. Evelyn Harcourt stood framed in the light, wrapped in a housecoat, hair pinned up tight. The moment she saw Richard, she rushed forward, hands clutching his shoulders, then his face, as if to prove he was real.

‘Oh, thank God,’ she whispered, guiding him inside. ‘Quickly now, you’re freezing.’ She ushered them all in, her voice brisk but cracked at the edges. ‘Daisy, hot water. And draw the bath. Two extra inches. I don’t give a fig about the ration – he’s earned it.’

Richard managed a weak smile as Evelyn fussed over his coat and shoes. ‘I’ll get you some fresh clothes,’ she murmured. ‘Some tea and a blanket. You’re home now, darling.’

Jack lingered by the door, watching as Ellie’s mother led her husband upstairs. Ellie paused, one eyebrow raised, surprised, perhaps, by her mother’s tenderness.

‘We lost Constance to the WAAF,’ Evelyn said with a sigh. ‘Lovely girl and I do so miss her, but duty calls.’

Ellie pressed her lips into a smile. Jack watched, quietly stunned that Mrs Harcourt possessed anything resembling a tender side. He peeled off his coat and headed for the kitchen.

The overhead light buzzed faintly. It was quiet except for the tick of the wall clock and the soft rattle of wind against the windowpanes.

Jack slumped into a chair at the table, feeling the pull at his arm, his breath uneven.

The graze from Shoeburyness was deeper than it had seemed in the rush of the moment.

He exhaled, jaw clenched. The pain had finally caught up with him. He heard footsteps behind him.

‘You’re bleeding,’ Ellie said, alarm flashing across her face. ‘No wonder you look pasty.’

Did he? That might explain why he felt so washed out, nauseous and shattered. He longed to sleep, but he had to check in at HQ first.