CHAPTER FIVE
Nancy Compton had prayed for good weather and fortune smiled on the Gymkhana. The short grass was dry and one end of the large field was filled with tables. The course for the horse jumpers at the other end had a good audience. Loud speakers were playing the songs by a northern group that were tremendously popular with the younger set.
The last rider had completed their ride and Nancy linked her arm through Daniel Compton’s and said, "Bring Martin and come and meet the vicar." Compton had been timing the riders and they found Martin by his skittle stand with his bowl of tennis balls, which contestants threw at the skittles on a table in a tented opening.
Martin laid his jacket down on the table and left a young lad who had been assisting him to look after any other customers.
The three were waiting for the vicar to finish talking to a large man who was wearing a fisherman’s jersey and listening carefully to what the vicar was saying. They all heard the disturbance and turned to see a young couple who were standing by the skittle stall.
The man swore and went to the stall where he pushed the table over to the annoyance of those waiting to play. Martin started to move purposefully towards the stall when Compton wrapped his arms around him.
"No you don’t son...no you don’t. He’s drunk and although he should have someone teach him some manners it is not going to be you."
They heard the young woman tittering, "Really Reggie you are such a bad shot. Come on we will find somewhere else to play." They moved off and when Martin reached the stall it had already been righted and was in use again but his jacket was on the floor and had suffered under someone’s feet. A young woman slid out of a horse’s saddle and picked it up.
Caroline Denson said, "A bit of a brush and it will be like new." She held it out to him and he was aware of a pair of smiling brown eyes under a rider’s helmet.
"Thank you," he said absent mindedly, with his mind still on the individual who had caused the disturbance. Nancy Compton said, "Let’s call it a day Martin and you can come and enjoy some of the cakes with Daniel."
Caroline noticed a small leather wallet, which was under the table and thought that it must have slipped out of the jacket. She opened it and found a Canonsfield Police Warrant Card belonging to Martin DeVere. When she looked for him he had disappeared into the crowd.
Nancy Compton said, "That was Celia Denson and one of her stupid boy friends that knocked over your stall. You would think that she would behave herself."
Much the same was said to Martin by his mother when he finished his breakfast on the following morning and held his jacket up to brush off the dry mud. He reached in the pockets and then stifled a curse.
"What’s the matter dear?"
"My wallet has gone. It had my Warrant Card in it and that will get me into a lot of trouble."
With the lack of interest that mother’s sometimes show in the face of perceived disasters she said, "Don’t worry dear. I expect it will turn up. What are you going to do this morning?"
She knew full well that his head would be inside the old Alvis motorcar doing something or other with it until he had to go on duty. The garage doors were open and only his feet could be seen as the rest of him was under the front of the car.
The radio was on and an enthusiastic voice was extolling the merits of the Government because an election call was expected any day. The Party in power was by no means certain of being re elected.
He heard a voice say, "Are you sure that thing will not drop on you?"
His head momentarily appeared and he found himself looking at a nice pair of stockinged legs.
"I have put jacks on each side so it’s safe enough, can you pass me that red box that’s on the bench."
She squatted down to hand it to him and he vanished once more. The empty box came flying out shortly thereafter.
She heard him muttering to himself and the feet moved this way and that. His face appeared once more with a more reddish hue.
"Could you please look up on the wall where my tools are hanging and find the ring with a handle on it?"
She easily identified the tool that he wanted and once more squatted down to hand it to him. When she straightened up she ruefully looked at the oil on her fingers.
Laura DeVere thought she heard voices and when she found Caroline Denson standing by the car Martin’s feet were still the only things visible. Caroline held up her fingers with the oil on them and gave a little moue.
In a voice he had not heard since his early boyhood his mother said, "Come out of there at once Martin and don’t get a visitor dirtying her nice clothes."
His head appeared once more. "I will just give the old lady some oil and then I’m finished."
When he had shucked off his overalls and washed his hands thoroughly he went into their small dining room where, despite breakfast only just having finished, there was a plate of biscuits and steaming teacups.
He said immediately, "You were the girl on the horse."
She said, "Yes that’s right and I have brought you something." She reached in her purse and brought out the small leather wallet.
Martin leapt out of his chair and held her hands with the wallet in them as he kissed her on the top of the head.
"Oh you darling girl you have saved me so much trouble."
Once more the tone of voice he remembered said, "Martin your hands had better be clean!"
He looked down at Caroline and they both exploded into laughter. When her relationship with the girl who had taken part in the disturbance came to light, Laura DeVere said quickly, "You could not have two sisters who are so different."
Caroline replied to that by saying, "Celia does seem to have inherited mother’s liking for parties and the Social round."
Martin asked curiously, "Don’t you like parties then?"
"Sometimes, but I am a working girl and do not have much time for that."
Making his mind up Martin stood up and said, "Would you like to come for a drive before I have to go to work?"
His mother sniffed, "You are honoured Caroline. He does not even ask me to go out in that thing." She was smiling however when she said it and when Caroline asked if she would like to go instead she waved it away. "What, have my hair blown all about in the wind and get cold into the bargain...no thanks!"
Back in the garage Caroline noticed how the chrome work gleamed and the leather looked as if it was new.
Martin said proudly, "She is a 1938 12/70 Alvis, four speed and although there is some syncromesh I still double de clutch."
He settled her in the passenger seat and then fiddled with the choke and accelerator before he swung the crank hoping that the engine would fire but of course it didn’t.
After another unsuccessful try he asked if she would push her foot over and hold the accelerator down a little. This time there was a splutter and then a roar as she held the accelerator down too far but fortunately it continued to run when she hastily withdrew her foot. He threw the crank in the back and got into the driver’s seat.
Neither noticed his mother watching as the car bumped down into the road and roared off. She nodded to herself in a congratulatory way and murmured to herself, "You always knew it might happen one day and if things go well he could not find a better girl than Caroline."
Martin kept looking sideways to see if the ride was causing any problems for his passenger. "Is the wind giving you any trouble?"
She chuckled and shouted, "Not with this hair," and she shook it to show how the short curls stayed in place. They reached the beginning of the City built up area and he turned on to the side roads to avoid driving through older housing, which was crammed together in narrow streets.
Caroline asked, "Where are we going?" She had eventually realised that she had no idea where they were.
Martin shouted above the engine noise, "I expect that you generally have very nice catered meals with wine and such but we are going to have the staple diet of most policemen who do not cook for themselves."
There was real laughter when he pulled in front of a small shop front with a sign that said, 'Fish and chips.' He jumped out of the car and said, "Just stay here."
When he came out of the shop a few moments later he was carrying a large newspaper wrapped package.
"Now we will go to Marston Lake and enjoy the best fish and chips in the whole of Canonsfield." There was a tantalising aroma from the package and when they found a park seat by the water he opened it up and showed her the still steaming contents.
Martin explained, "I have put some vinegar and salt on but you will still have to use your fingers I’m afraid."
She picked up the chips daintily at first but because they were hot and she was hungry they soon got transferred to her mouth a lot faster.
"The fish is very nice Martin and so are the chips."
Martin said ruefully, "We don’t have much money to throw about so it makes a very satisfying cheap meal sometimes."
Caroline had studied economics and joined the accounting firm that looked after her father’s financial interests.
"I am sorry I thought that your father left you a sizeable sum but it is none of my business so I am sorry that I said anything."
Martin replied, "Well he certainly left enough for my schooling but the lawyer’s son who looks after mother’s accounts seems to think there is only the pension and that does not go a long way."
"Who is the Accountant Martin?"
"Geoffrey Marles and his father looked after the probate." Caroline filed that away in her mind for later thought. When the skies started to darken they disposed of the wrappings in a nearby refuse container and she held up her hands.
"This is the second time today I have had dirty hands."
Martin pulled out his handkerchief and let her use it. "I am not used to looking after girls I’m afraid." She laughed delightedly, "And it shows."
As the first drops of rain pattered down he pulled into the side and found a windcheater in the back of the car, which she shrugged into and pulled the hood up. There was a drawstring so only her face was framed. He found a blanket and tucked this round her lap.
Martin assured her, "Won’t be long. Not far from home."
The rain blew into her face and the noise meant that she could not remonstrate with Martin who had no protection at all. The door to the garage was still open and Laura DeVere was there, holding up her hands in protest at the conditions his passenger had been subjected to.
Martin vanished to change into dry clothes and when he had dried himself off and changed he found his mother and Caroline once more enjoying the reviving qualities of hot tea. Caroline however was dressed in one of Laura’s blouses, which hung loosely about her and a pair of Martin’s trousers.
He looked and then looked again and his mother said, "If you say anything stupid you are no gentleman."Trying hard not to laugh Martin said, "I am truly sorry Caroline. I should have anticipated what rain would mean."
Laura DeVere said, "You will have to stay until your clothes are dry." Then she saw Caroline shaking her head. "I really had not any intention to stay at all when I came to return the wallet."Then with a delightful smile which lit up her whole face. "I haven’t had so much fun for ages. I really have to get back I promised my father that I would discuss some things with him and he would have expected me hours ago."
It was Martin’s mother who saw that any further trip in the car was impossible. "I will call a taxi and I hope that these clothes will not cause you any embarrassment until you can change."
They both watched the lights of the taxi disappear down the road in the rain and Martin said, "The old lady has never let me down before and this time it really was the weather I suppose."
"Don’t worry son, some girls do not bruise very easily. I will bet her sister would have made a lot more fuss."
After the taxi stopped at the driveway, rather than hurry in to the house and try to be invisible Caroline walked slowly up to the front door and was not surprised to find her father opening it.
"Oh my Sainted Aunt. I was beginning to get really worried but I should have guessed that you were out demonstrating some new fashions."Despite her inclination to snap Caroline said, "If you are going to be rude I will not tell you what happened."
After she had once more become a well dressed young woman she sat down in the Conservatory where her father loved to spend his time. She told him what had happened in a very matter of fact way.
"Sounds like the model with the cast iron engine block and crank case."
Caroline protested, "I should have expected your interest to be in the car."
"If I had known that you were with young DeVere I would not have been worried. I knew his father and he should be a fine young man. He would have sorted out that young popinjay that was with your sister. I was there talking to the vicar and would have enjoyed watching."
Caroline adopted a serious expression, "Before we talk about some new investments I want to talk about his father. I would have thought that there would have been a good inheritance after he was killed in the war but Martin says that his mother only has a small pension."
Guy Denson had made a good deal of money in different ventures after the war and was taken to be very shrewd by his competitors so he did not miss the familiar use of DeVere’s name.
"Let me tell you a little about Rupert DeVere Caroline. He dropped at Arnhem like I did and a good many others from round here that were in the 1st Paras. He was very young to be a Major but that came from the way he looked after his men and the common sense he used in battle situations. It broke a lot of us up when he was killed and he should have received some recognition for what he did.
Rupert had been looking after the evacuation of the wounded when it became obvious that we could not hold the bridge. There was a young wireless operator that had stayed to the end sending out his reports but right at the last minute a tank shell got him and he was blinded. The medics that were staying with the last of the wounded who could not walk, bandaged him up and Rupert led him down the taped exit route to the river. We were in the last boat waiting to pull away and Rupert saw how overloaded we were.
He waved us on, ‘Off you go and come back for us if you can.’
He must have known that the enemy was very close behind because they had begun strafing the river. Very possibly he could have got down in the water and held on while we rowed...but he would not leave the squaddie. When we were half way across we saw their shapes in the mist and a spandau opened up. They didn’t have a chance."
She looked at her father with some concern because of the feeling in his last words. Caroline asked quietly, "You would think they would look after people like that a little better."
"I got the impression Caroline that he did have some assets and it would not be like him not to make sure his family would be looked after. Most soldiers are realists. You are working at Trubmans and Basil Trubman is pretty sharp. Ask him what he knows about this Accountant. Something else you can do...if you are looking for an excuse to visit them again,"...he looked sideways in time to see the blush which appeared.
"If Laura DeVere still has a copy of the Will and the last account statement she received, that might shed a little light."
Caroline asked, "You don’t mind me asking at work then?"
"I would be very disappointed if you didn’t and bring the young feller here I would like to meet him, come to think of it bring the sergeant he is working with and his wife and Laura DeVere."
"Now why do you want to do that Dad, Mother will have a fit."
"Listen daughter I know a lot more than people think. That sergeant is probably the only real detective that we have got and they don’t like him. He nailed the Alderman’s son for fraud after they had all threatened him with all kind of nastiness if he didn’t look the other way. We can’t have the law decided by politics. The lad has got himself a reputation as a troublemaker. That’s why they have teamed him up with the sergeant hoping that they can tr
ip them both up. I will bet you it isn’t going to happen."
Caroline was curious, "How do you know all this?"
"Basil Trubman is on the Watch Committee and there are still some veterans on the Force that I meet from time to time."
"But why do you want to meet the ladies?"
"I sometimes have a little spare cash from time to time which it wouldn’t hurt me to put to use in some kind of charitable cause. The vicar is always after me to make some repairs to the church but I am thinking that the people who would know where the money could best be spent are the ladies."
To see what response he would get he casually asked, "Now wouldn’t that give you a good excuse to visit them again?"
She said indignantly, "I don’t need an excuse...besides I have to return some clothes."
There was a field on the outskirts of Canonsfield by the small Cathedral and car lights shone on a group that were a short way from the road. A girl was screaming in pain and one of the youths said, "She can’t tell us anything Ted. We can’t let her go."
There was a final scream of agony and the car drove away, leaving the silence of the night.