Page 35 of The Stranger in Room Six
‘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.
