Page 61 of The Stranger in Room Six

The train was almost empty.

‘Not many folk are travelling nowadays,’ remarked a woman opposite, who was looking at her with interest.

Mabel was tempted to get up and find a seat in a different carriage but didn’t want to appear rude.

‘I’m going to visit my sister in Penzance for a few weeks,’ continued the woman. The plastic cherries on her hat bobbed as she spoke. ‘To tell you the truth, we weren’t very close before the war but now everything has changed, hasn’t it?’

She eyed Mabel’s well-cut coat curiously. It was a hand-me-down from her aunt and at least two sizes too big but would, she’d said tartly, ‘hide the bulge’.

‘Was that Lady Clarissa I saw putting you on the train?’

Just my luck, thought Mabel. The woman must be local.

‘Yes,’ said Mabel falteringly. ‘I used to work for her.’

‘I see. So where are you going now? Travelling by train isn’t particularly safe; those Germans could bomb us at any minute. What’s your story?’

Mabel felt her chest tighten with anxiety, followed by a light flutter in her stomach.

Cook had told her this could happen. ‘Sometimes it feels like a butterfly flapping its wings,’ she’d said.

‘I was not blessed to be a mother myself, but I’ve heard some tales.

You’ll be dead scared. You might even think you’re going to die.

But you won’t.’ Then she’d crossed herself.

‘Just make sure they call the doctor in time.’

Mabel was suddenly aware of the cherry-hatted woman waiting for an answer.

‘I’m going to visit a friend,’ Mabel said quickly. It wasn’t exactly true but it would do.

Then Mabel closed her eyes, hoping the stranger would understand and stop asking questions. But she kept going on about how awful the war was and asking whether Mabel had been unlucky enough to lose anyone.

A vision of her beautiful mother and little sister came into her mind. Try as she could, Mabel couldn’t help a tear trickling down her face followed by another. ‘Yes,’ she sniffed.

‘I’m sorry, love. I’ve upset you, haven’t I?

’ The woman passed her a lacy handkerchief.

‘There’s me going on and on. My husband, bless his soul, used to say that I talked enough for two wives and more.

You look tired, if you don’t mind me saying.

Why don’t you have forty winks? Make yourself comfortable.

Here – you can have my shawl to wrap round you.

No, I insist. Which station are you getting off at?

Penzance? Like me, then. That’s good. I’ll let you know when we arrive, although there’s no chance of missing it.

It’s at the end of the line. And if you feel hungry on the way, I’ve got plenty here.

’ She patted the wicker basket next to her.

‘I like to share what I can,’ she said, taking a slice of ham out of the basket and waving it towards Mabel, who immediately felt queasy.

‘Thank you but I don’t feel hungry at the moment. In fact, I think I might be …’

She only just got to the window in time.

Ugh! Mabel began to cry with shame.

‘It’s all right, dear. Don’t worry. Whoops! There you go again. Get it out. It will feel better that way. Here, love, let me take off your coat. We can wipe you down with my handkerchief.’

Reluctantly, she obeyed.

She cast her eyes over Mabel’s stomach. ‘Ah. So that’s why they’ve sent you away. One of Lady Clarissa’s maids, were you?’

Fortunately she didn’t wait for an answer.

‘Honestly, these people use others and then they get rid of them. Some of them, they say, even support Hitler. The woman’s eyes sparked with new interest. ‘Wasn’t there some trouble with a colonel who lived near Lady Clarissa? Stabbed in court, wasn’t he?’

‘I’d rather not talk about it,’ said Mabel quietly.

‘Of course you wouldn’t. It’s not a nice thing to concern yourself with in your condition. When I was expecting, my mother told me to think of only nice thoughts. Now you just rest. My name’s Beryl by the way. What’s yours?’

‘Mabel,’ she said instinctively. Then immediately she wished she’d kept quiet. ‘But please don’t tell anyone you met me or that I am … pregnant,’ she pleaded.

‘Of course, I won’t, love. Your secret is safe with me. Now you go ahead and have that shut-eye. Wake me if you feel hungry.’

It was a long journey. The wind was strong and every now and then Mabel jolted awake as a branch struck the side of the train.

Suddenly, she was aware of a noise from outside and of Beryl coming away from the window.

‘Get down under the seat,’ she said quickly. ‘I can see a plane coming. From the markings, it’s one of theirs.’

It flew over. Then another. And another. They held their breath as they clung to each other, crouched under the seats. The train picked up pace.

Surely any minute now, they would be bombed to smithereens just like Mama and Annabel. Mabel placed her hands protectively over her stomach. She would die to protect Antonio’s baby. ‘Please, God,’ she found herself praying. ‘Save us both.’

‘They’ve gone,’ said Beryl, her breath coming out in a whoosh. ‘Looks like they’re on their way to Exeter.’ She crossed herself. ‘I hope to God they don’t kill too many. Those poor souls. They won’t know what’s coming to them.’

Thinking of Mama and Annabel, Mabel began to weep.

‘Come, come. You can’t worry about everything now. It’s all too big. Just think about what’s in front of you, like your bairn. Is the father waiting for you?’

‘He doesn’t know yet,’ whispered Mabel.

‘Well, however he reacts, you’ll be all right.

I feel it in my bones. Us women are made of strong stuff.

We cope with things that many men could not.

That’s why God gave us the honour of having babies.

I’m blessed with four children, each with little ones of their own now, although they live miles away.

’ She rushed to the window again. ‘Goodness me, we’re nearly there. ’

As she spoke, Mabel saw the sea running alongside the track. It was a different kind of sea from the one she’d just left. This was wider. It seemed to go on for ever.

‘Is this friend of yours meeting you off the train?’

Mabel flushed. ‘Actually, I don’t know her. It’s someone that my … that Lady Clarissa arranged for me to stay with during my confinement.’

Heavens! She’d almost said ‘my aunt’ then.

But when they got out, no one was there.

‘I’ll wait until she turns up,’ declared Beryl. ‘I’m not leaving an expectant girl alone.’

After an hour, still no one came.

‘Do you have an address?’

Mabel passed her the piece of paper that Cook had given her before leaving.

‘Let me make some inquiries.’

Mabel was left sitting on the platform, head bowed, wondering what was going to happen next. Would Cook have passed her message to Antonio? Would he escape to try and find her? If so, he would probably be arrested and sent to another camp. Or shot …

Eventually, Beryl came back. Her face was sombre.

‘Mabel, I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news.

You must be very brave. You remember those planes we saw passing on the way to Exeter?

’ Her lips tightened. ‘They dropped their bombs on Penzance too. There was a direct hit on the street where you were meant to be staying.’

Mabel put a hand to her mouth in horror.

‘I’m afraid there were no survivors. The whole road was wiped out.’

Mabel burst into tears. So Cook’s sister had been killed? How terrible! Then the realization came to her that she had nowhere to go. She couldn’t possibly return to the Old Rectory. Her aunt wouldn’t want her there.

‘You must come with me,’ said Beryl, as if she could read Mabel’s thoughts. ‘My sister’s the other side of town. We should be able to get there safely from here.’

‘But you don’t know me.’

‘It doesn’t matter. My sister will understand. It’s only a modest cottage but it’s right by the sea, in a small village called Mousehole. You can stay for as long as you like until your bairn is born.’

‘I have ten pounds I can give you for my board.’

‘Thank you, but you keep that money for yourself.’

‘Why are you being so kind to me?’ Mabel asked, her eyes wet with gratitude.

‘I have children myself. I don’t like to think of a young girl like you being on your own. Do you want to call your mother?’

Mabel shook her head. ‘She … She died.’

‘So that’s the loss you were crying about. You poor, poor girl. You can tell me more later if you want, or not at all. The most important thing is that we get you back into a warm home after this journey. Let’s go, shall we?’