She whispered, ‘You cried out, my darling. Just once, and then you were still again.’
He kissed her hip and felt a tremor run.through her. Was the nightmare gone at last? Had it found the one, unmatchable strength and left him in peace?
He kissed her again and said, ‘I want you.’
She pulled his head across her stomach, moaning softly as he postponed the moment a while longer.
Later, as they lay and watched the first yellow sunlight through the shutters, she said simply, ‘I-don’t feel like me at all. Strange, isn’t it?’
‘Whoever you are, I think you’re wonderfuclass="underline" ’
He thought he heard footsteps in the hallway. The clatter of cups. He almost expected to see Jupp peering around the door.
He dragged the sheet over their bodies and said, ‘Cover yourself, you- shameless creature.’ He kissed her hard on the mouth. ‘Or we may be asked to leave.’
She took the mood, swinging her legs over the bed and seizing her robe from a chair.
‘Lay another finger on me and I’ll……’
She ran back to him and held him against her. ‘I’ll probably let you do anything you like with me.’
And that was how it continued for the next two days and nights. Moments of peace and intimate silence. Swift, exploring passion which left them both breathless and limp like young animals. The sun and blue sea, the isolation and the sheer perfection of it all was like a backcloth to their own happiness.
When they climbed into the old car again Lindsay said quietly, ‘I will never forget this place.’ He squeezed her hand. ‘One day I’ll remind you of it. When you start getting fed up with me.’
She looked at the house. The old man and his son had made their farewells as if to allow the moment of departure a certain privacy.
‘They’ll put a plaque up there one day.’ She shook the
hair from her eyes. ‘To Wren Eve Collins, who fell here.’ They smiled at each other and he said, ‘Time to move.’ The car jolted up the hill past the ruins which they had
not found time to visit.
They hardly spoke during the return journey, and once when he had seen a tear on her cheek she had reached out for his hand, saying, ‘I’m all right. Don’t worry, my darling.’ She had placed his hand on her thigh and continued to drive along the dusty road above the sea. ‘It’s just me. I’m selfish, pig-headed and silly.’
He gripped her leg, knowing she felt as he did. ‘And perfect.’
The first buildings of the town swung into view as she said, ‘I’ll drop you at the gates.’
He nodded. ‘Right. I’ll ring you as soon as I know what’s happening.’ The car stopped, the bodywork glittering in the harsh sunlight. She kept both hands on the wheel.
‘You’re not sorry?F
‘Grateful.’ He watched her turn to look at him. ‘And happy.’
She revved the engine. ‘Me too, as it happens.’
The car moved away into the traffic and Lindsay walked towards the gates.
He returned the sentry’s salute. ‘Good morning.’
The marine watched him from the corner of his eye.. ‘Good for some,’ he said.
18
Passage home
Goss’s private information proved to be very true. Within. twelve hours of the libertymen returning aboard, the last few missing ones being found and delivered by shore patrols, Benbecula was steaming out of harbour.
The day prior to sailing Lindsay had attended a conference at the H.Q. building, and from it had gleaned some importance of the ships being allotted to the convoy. Troops, munitions, oil and food, it was to be organised like some vast relay race. The first leg across the Indian Ocean was more or less straightforward, as Japanese submarines had so far made little or no impression there. Once around the, Cape more escorts would be joining and leaving the convoy, like guards changing on a valu able treasure, and a powerful cruiser squadron would be at sea the whole time, never too far away to give support against heavy enemy units.
Off Gibraltar the convoy would be reorganised. Some ships would slip under the Rock’s own defences with supplies for the fleet and the desert army. Others would be joining with another convoy to head westward to America. The bulk of the ships would press on for the last and most hazardous part, to run a gauntlet between U-boats and German long-range bombers.
The fact that so much care was being shown for the final part of the voyage was proof of the importance given to it. It was hinted that an aircraft carrier arid her escorts would be available to provide vital round-theclock air cover, something almost unheard of.
Once at sea, Benbecula joined with other naval vessels in sorting out and organising the ships into three columns. There were twenty-four to be, escorted in all. Lindsay had.been in far larger convoys but somehow this one seemed so much bigger. Perhaps the size.and majesty of individual ships made up for actual numbers. The four troopers, for instance, were ocean liners of repute before the war. Large, well-powered and new. The other ships were as varied as their flags, but unlike most other convoys Lindsay had seen, were fairly modern vessels,’ well able to keep up a good pace under almost every circumstance.
As they had gathered, from Colombo and Bombay, from Kuwait and as far away as New Zealand and Australia, he had been conscious-of the variation. Almostt every flag seemed to represent a country occupied by an enemy. French and Dutch, Danish and Norwegian, there seemed unending colours on hulls and flags. There were several British ones and two Americans, and Lindsay wondered what it must feel like to be at sea, depending on your own resources but free, while your homeland was under the enemy’s heel.
Goss’s special information had omitted one fact, however. Because of the convoy’s changing shape and size it would be necessary to retain one naval officer in sole charge, in a ship which would be employed for the whole of the journey. Benbecula was that ship. Commodore Kemp was to be senior officer.
Maybe Kemp was still unsure of Lindsay’s reaction, or perhaps be was at last aware of his own unpopularity with higher. authority. Either way, he appeared content to stay at a distance, keeping his contact with Lindsay to a bare, cool minimum.
When he had first come aboard he had said, ‘You command the ship. I will control the overall pattern of events.’
Now, four days out, and steaming south-west across the blinding blue glare of the Indian Ocean, Lindsay, wondered what the commodore had been offered as his next appointment. A lot would no doubt depend on the success of the convoy, although with such a well planned series of escorts it was hard to see how things could go’ wrong.
He walked to the extent of the port wing and stared astern at the great panorama of ships. Benbecula was leading the starboard line, while one of the big troopers led the centre. The port column was headed by a dazzlepainted cruiser. He let his eyes move along each ship, and wondered how many would survive the whole war. Oiltankers and freighters, grain ships and ore carriers, while in the centre the four stately liners carried the most precious cargo of all. Even without binoculars it was possible to see the packed masses of men on their decks, like pale khaki lines over every foot of open space. The second troopship was partly hidden by the leader, and he wondered where Eve was at this moment. Peering at the Benbecula? Resting in her cabin or chatting to the irrepressible Marion? He could not see the ship without seeing her face in his mind.
Because of the convoy conferences, the planning and last minute organisation he had only been able to meet her twice, and then briefly.
As he strainedd his eyes towards the ship he thought of all the coincidences which had brought and held them together. Even the mistake at Liverpool which had sent a girl to her death and kept Eve safe seemed like part of some uncanny plan.