The Restless Sea. Vanessa Haan de

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СКАЧАТЬ says Olivia. ‘Fairey Swordfish.’

      ‘Any idea where he is now?’

      Olivia shakes her head.

      ‘I wonder if he was involved in the Taranto raid. That was all Swordfish. Incredible, those old bi-planes … Who’d have thought it?’

      ‘Wasn’t Taranto the first all-aircraft attack by our Navy?’

      Gladys nods. ‘Not only that, they destroyed half of the Italian Navy’s capital ships and gave us the upper hand in the Med …’

      ‘I don’t think that was Charlie’s squadron,’ says Olivia. ‘Or if it was, I don’t think he was involved. The Fleet Air Arm have been helping out over London.’

      Both Wrens grimace. ‘God knows the RAF needed them.’

      They are silent for a moment.

      ‘I take it he wasn’t flying stringbags over London?’

      ‘I shouldn’t think so. And I’m sure he’d be offended if he knew you were calling them “stringbags” …’

      ‘It’s what we all call them. Said with much love …’

      ‘Unless he’s got no sense of humour …?’

      ‘Actually, he has a great sense of humour.’

      ‘Don’t tell me he’s handsome too?’

      ‘Has he got a girlfriend?’ Maggie primps her hair as if styling it in a mirror.

      Gladys squints at Olivia. ‘You’re a dark horse,’ she says. ‘You never told us you were sweet on anyone.’

      ‘I’m not! He’s more like a brother …’

      ‘That’s a classic hedging line!’

      ‘It’s true …’

      ‘Keeping him all to yourself, eh?’ says Maggie.

      ‘That’s enough from you,’ says Gladys. ‘You’ve got Rob.’

      ‘And Danny,’ says Olivia.

      ‘I don’t believe you should focus all your efforts on one man.’

      ‘We can see that.’

      ‘And if you really are going to confine yourself to one – then you’ve got to try the goods before you commit. Otherwise you may be in for a lifetime of disappointment.’

      Gladys shakes her head, laughing. ‘You’re incorrigible,’ she says, pushing Maggie in the shoulder so that she falls back on to the grass.

      ‘Don’t you act all innocent with me,’ says Maggie. ‘I know you’ve enjoyed the odd fumble after lights-out.’

      ‘I’m not quite in your league, though, am I?’

      Olivia goes to fetch a jug of water, taking the opportunity to wind up the gramophone again and avoid the conversation. She suddenly feels foolish next to these liberated girls who know so much about relationships and men. Charlie is the closest thing she’s ever had to a boyfriend, and she couldn’t exactly call him that. He really is more like a brother. She enjoys his company, but she could never imagine …

      She wanders slowly back out, sipping her drink, watching the others lean back on their elbows and look out across the loch. The swallows flit up and disappear into the eaves of the house. The gramophone scratches to a stop. Peace descends for seconds, but is broken by the drone of a plane. A Junkers 88 appears, a growing dot in the distance. They are such a common sight now that the girls just lie there, watching it approach. The planes usually circle the loch on reconnaissance and then disappear back to Norway again.

      Suddenly Gladys jumps up and grabs hold of Olivia’s arm. ‘Inside! Now!’ she yells as she starts dragging Olivia towards the cottage. ‘Kitchen table!’

      But Olivia resists, standing motionless, enthralled as she sees the first tiny charge drop towards earth. This is no reconnaissance plane. Maggie pushes her: ‘Come on,’ she says and Olivia starts to run, but can’t help glancing back to watch the tiny bomb float down, down, and then explode among the ships on the loch. The bang of the anti-aircraft guns starts to fill her ears, tracer fire trailing up through the air. But the plane avoids the bullets and carries on. Boom

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