Page 25 of The Stranger in Room Six

At sunrise, when she couldn’t sleep, Mabel tiptoed down the stairs and found Aunt Clarissa sitting in the drawing room overlooking the gravel drive.

‘Has the Colonel come back yet?’ asked Mabel.

Her aunt jumped. ‘Goodness me, child. You scared me out of my wits. Go back to bed. I need some peace.’

‘But has the Colonel …’

‘I said, go back to bed. Didn’t you hear me?’

Please may he be all right. Although he could be brusque when he wanted to, the Colonel was generally very kind to her. More so than her aunt, at least.

Mabel headed for the library to find a new book. Stories always helped her fall back to sleep, especially when she had nightmares of the Blitz. Suddenly, she heard the front door opening and voices in the hall. One was the Colonel’s. Her heart lifted with relief.

‘Jonty!’ sounded her aunt’s voice. ‘Thank God you’re back. What happened? What did they ask you?’

‘Shhh, not here.’

‘In the drawing room, then.’ A door slammed and it fell quiet.

Later, when it was time for lunch, Mabel found her aunt looking much brighter. The Colonel, however, gave her a hard glare.

‘If you wish to know something,’ her father had advised, ‘ask someone in a courteous manner.’

So she did.

‘Why did the policeman take you away, Colonel?’

He continued chewing slowly, staring at her with cold grey eyes, before visibly swallowing. Then he leaned forward across the table so his gaze was locked with hers. ‘It was just a misunderstanding,’ he said coolly.

‘Was it a misunderstanding about your friend too?’

‘It was, actually, although he’s rather upset about losing a small badge he was wearing. Have you seen it?’

Mabel was about to say ‘yes’ but then froze. What if they thought she’d stolen it? Would they believe her if she explained she’d wanted to hand it over but Clarissa had told her to leave?

‘No,’ she said instead, trembling inside.

The Colonel was giving her a hard stare. ‘I didn’t think so. Otherwise, I am sure you would have told us, wouldn’t you?’

‘Yes,’ she managed to say. Then she ran up to her bedroom to find a safe hiding place for the badge. Somewhere no one would find it.

After lunch, when Mabel went out into the garden to gather flowers for her nature school notebook, she became aware of the Colonel behind her.

‘Thank you for comforting your aunt when I was called away,’ he said, his tone friendlier than before.

‘I tried,’ stuttered Mabel, turning to face him, ‘but she wanted to be on her own.’

‘Ah, that’s because she was upset.’ His eyes were fixed on hers again, making her feel extremely uneasy. ‘You wouldn’t want to do anything to upset your aunt, would you?’

‘Of course not.’

‘Because you’re an orphan now – or as good as. And do you know what happens to orphans during the war?’

‘No,’ she said in a small voice.

‘I’ll tell you. They get given away to people who don’t want them and don’t look after them.’

How could a person be so nice one minute and so terrifying the next?

‘Why are you angry with me?’ she asked quietly.

His face softened again. ‘I’m just reminding you of some facts. But I would like to know one thing. Did you tell the police we were expecting a guest for dinner?’

‘No.’

‘Then it must have been Cook.’ He frowned. ‘We can’t afford any security breaches. She will have to be let go.’

Mabel couldn’t be responsible for that! ‘I might,’ she stammered, ‘have mentioned it to Frannie.’

‘Our little maid?’

Our? The Colonel spoke as if he employed her too.

‘We thought there might be some food going spare, you see,’ she babbled. ‘Like last time when I took it down to her family.’

‘Last time?’

Mabel’s mouth went dry. ‘I gave them some leftovers to save waste like the posters say. I explained that some important guests of yours hadn’t turned up.’

Something cleared in the Colonel’s face.

‘I see.’ He patted her on the shoulder. ‘That was very thoughtful. And you’re right, we mustn’t waste anything in this war. Not food. Or lives, unless it’s absolutely necessary. Good. I think we’ve cleared up a few misunderstandings now.’

‘Wait, please.’ Mabel caught him by the cuff of his jacket. He looked down at her hand, surprised. Embarrassed she took it away.

‘You said just now I was an orphan, “or as good as”. But Papa is still alive.’

‘Actually, he was shot down over Norway a week ago. He might have bailed out, but we don’t know. Didn’t your aunt tell you?’

‘No.’ Mabel put her hand to her mouth to stem the scream of horror and shock inside. ‘No, she didn’t.’

‘Maybe she was protecting you.’ The words sounded kind, but his voice had a hard edge to it. ‘We will have to hope that your father has been taken to a prisoner-of-war camp, rather than …’

He stopped.

‘Rather than what?’

‘Well, there are stories of soldiers being shot on the spot: especially high-ranking ones like your papa.’

‘Shot on the spot?’ she repeated, stunned.

He patted her on the shoulder again. ‘It’s a mad world at the moment, Mabel. But you have your aunt and me. Just as long as you behave yourself, of course.’

Mabel sobbed all night. There was only one person who would understand and that was Frannie, but she hadn’t been at work for two days now. Perhaps Mabel would cycle down in the morning and check she was all right.

The cottage door was ajar. There was no answer when she knocked so she just went in.

Frannie’s mother was sitting in a rocking chair, staring out of the window at the sea.

Mabel had a sinking feeling that something awful had happened. ‘Are you all right?’ she asked softly.

She shook her head. ‘Last night,’ she whispered, ‘my husband went out to get firewood and someone shot him dead.’

Mabel felt a cold shock flash through her. ‘Who?’

‘The police reckon it was a poacher.’

There was a noise as a pale figure came out of the bedroom that Frannie shared with her six brothers and sister.

‘My dad’s gone just like your mum,’ she said in tears. Together they held each other, rocking back and forth in grief.

Later that evening, enemy planes flew overhead. ‘They’re bombing Exeter again,’ said her aunt, standing at the window.

‘For gawd’s sake get under the table, madam,’ yelled Cook, pulling Mabel under with her. ‘There isn’t time to get to the shelter.’

‘I want to watch,’ retorted her aunt tightly.

Despite the danger, Mabel crawled out from under the table and put her arm around her aunt in comfort. ‘It will be all right,’ she said.

Her aunt didn’t stiffen the way she usually did when Mabel tried to show affection. ‘Thank you, dear,’ she said. ‘Do you know, I actually think you’re correct. With everyone’s help, the better side will win.’