Page 125 of The Stranger in Room Six
‘Yes, but I didn’t know he was my father. Of course, back then, I thoughtyourfather was my father, until he came back from the war and told me.’
Harry squeezed her hand. ‘That must have been a real shock.’
‘It was. But I still see him as my father. He was the man who brought me up. Besides, he and your mother have given me a brother,’ she said, squeezing his hand back.
‘Did you know anything about Clarissa and the Colonel’s activities then?’
‘No,’ she said, trying to keep her voice steady. If she told her beloved Harry that she had been a crucial part ofthose activities, he might not understand it had been well intentioned.
‘But who killed her?’
‘We don’t know. As everyone said at the time, it could have been anyone in the village. She wasn’t liked, and by the end of the war, there were definite rumours that she was pro-German.’
He shuddered. ‘The Nazis did such wicked things. I can’t believe people were so cruel back then.’
‘Nor could we. But it is frightening how anger and ambition can take over some people.’
‘It must have put you in a very difficult situation,’ he said.
‘It did,’ said Mabel. It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him about Antonio but he would be shocked to know she’d fallen in love with the enemy, let alone had a child. She and Papa had agreed long ago not to tell him.
‘My poor sister.’
She leaned her head into his shoulder. It was so comforting. At times, she could almost imagine that he was her son.
‘I will always be here for you, Mabel. Always.’
‘You are a good, kind boy,’ she said, almost choking with guilt. ‘I am so lucky to have you.’
Then she struggled to her feet and looked down at the evil sign on the wall. ‘Now let us obliterate this loathsome thing.’
Now
‘You mustn’t blame yourself,’ says Belinda. ‘You were so young. You just wanted to please your aunt.’
Mabel is looking away, as if not wanting to meet her eyes. ‘No one will know how ashamed I am. I didn’t mean to tellanyone this. It just came out. But it’s such a relief to confide in you.’
Then Mabel grasps Belinda’s hand. What a strong grip for someone so old! ‘Promise you won’t tell anyone this?’
‘I promise,’ says Belinda, feeling terrible. But she has to tell Mouse. Because if not, her girls might die.
87
1966 onwards
Mabel was as proud of Harry as if he were her blood brother. When he got into Oxford to read History, she told everyone.
By then she was having to slow things down at the Old Rectory. Cook had long since retired and had to be looked after, which Mabel was very happy to do until Cook sadly passed some years later.
As she had done before, Mabel threw herself into work, hiring more staff and continuing to give free refuge to those who needed it. As time went by, Mabel couldn’t help noticing what a variety of visitors they had. More wars had broken out; more refugees were desperate for somewhere they could come for a break. Or sometimes it was simply people who couldn’t make their pennies stretch and were beyond grateful to find kindness here.
When Harry graduated – a ceremony Mabel attended with pride bursting in her heart – he declared that he wanted to enter politics.
‘Are you sure?’ said Papa. ‘That’s a very unstable business. You need a job to support you. How about the law? I know someone who might be able to offer you a pupillage.’
Then, two weeks later, Diana rang in hysterics. ‘It’s your father. He’s … He’s dead.’
At first, Mabel couldn’t believe it. Papa had seemed so well at the graduation. But Diana managed to explain through her cries that it had been a heart attack out of the blue.
