The Victory Garden(12)

“Yeah, you two,” Robbie said. “Behave yourselves. No more making fun of the pictures.”

Supper was announced. Emily led Robbie and the others into the dining room. “You won’t be able to carry plates,” she said. “Why don’t you find seats outside and I’ll see that food is brought to you. What do you think you might like?”

“My oath, this is some spread,” Ray Barclay said. “We haven’t seen food like this since we left home. At the hospital, it’s mainly stodge with a tiny sliver of meat occasionally. Or pies made out of potato and veg. Is this how people live around here, or just posh people like you?”

“Oh no. We’ve been on rations ourselves,” Emily said. “It’s just that so many friends were generous for the party. A local farmer sent us the ham, and another one two-dozen eggs, and we grow the salad stuff in our own kitchen garden. Now what would you like—a taste of everything?”

“What’s that?” Jimmy went over to a dish in the shape of a big fish. It was pink and shiny and decorated with sliced olives. He dipped his finger into it and popped it into his mouth. “It’s fish paste,” he said with distaste.

“It is salmon mousse,” Mrs Bryce said in a cold voice, appearing in the doorway behind them. “We were fortunate enough to acquire a piece of salmon from Fortnum and Mason in London.”

“Mousse? Is that like a Scottish mouse?” Jimmy asked, not seeing Emily’s warning frown.

“No, it’s that thing with big horns,” Ray chimed in.

“I’m not exactly sure how it is made,” Mrs Bryce said, her voice now clipped. “But it is one of Cook’s specialties.”

With that, she swept off. Emily showed them to their seats and brought them plates before filling her own and coming to sit beside Robbie.

“Sorry,” he muttered. “I can’t keep a rein on my friends when they’ve had a bit to drink. I think they upset your mum.”

“She’s easily offended,” Emily whispered back.

Clarissa came up to them. “Save me two seats, will you? I’m getting plates for me and for Lieutenant Hutchins.” She blushed a little. “He’s from Berkshire and his father plays golf at the same club as Daddy. Isn’t that amazing?”

Emily smiled. It was turning into a good evening after all.

After supper, the band was playing beside the dance floor. Emily’s father came up to her. “I think it’s only right that I claim the first dance with my daughter.” He held out his hand to her and led her on to the floor. “You’re looking very lovely tonight, my dear,” he said as they began to waltz. “Very grown-up suddenly. It’s hard to believe our little girl is now a woman.” There was a catch in his voice. Emily thought it was the first time he had spoken to her with any emotion for a long while.

“Thank you, Daddy.” She smiled up at him.

“I think the party is going well, don’t you?” he went on. “Your mother was in a frightful state about it, wasn’t she? Between ourselves, I was a little worried it was a bit much for her. But now I think it was a good idea, don’t you? It’s given her something to celebrate at last.”

Emily nodded.

They danced in silence, then he said, “So are you enjoying yourself?”

“Immensely,” she said.

“Fraternizing with the officers, I notice.” He gave her a wink. Then his face became sombre. “If I were you, I’d keep my distance until this wretched war is over. Only leads to heartbreak, my dear. You fall in love and then they are killed. You’ve already lost a beloved brother, so my advice to you is to keep your heart locked well away until peacetime. And from what we hear, that won’t be long, now that the Americans have joined the fray.”

Emily nodded and said nothing. As soon as the dance had ended, she made her way to where Robbie was sitting. He stood up as she approached. “I regret that I can’t ask you to dance with me. I used to be quite a dancer before the war. We only had kangaroos to dance with and they aren’t too fussy.”

Emily laughed. “We could take a little stroll,” she said.

“Rightio.” He grabbed his crutches. They weaved their way through the crowd until they were beyond the light of the lanterns. Music floated out across the lawn.

“A grand party you have here,” he said. “No expense spared.”

“I’m their only remaining child, and this is the closest they’ll get to presenting me formally into society.”

“So you’re supposed to find a posh husband tonight, right?”

“My father just warned me in quite the opposite direction. He told me not to fall in love until the end of the war because life is too precarious.”

“So are you going to obey? Lock yourself away in an ivory tower until the war is over?”

“I don’t think I can,” Emily said. “I’ve already lost the key to that tower.”

They stood looking at each other, then he rested his crutch under his shoulder, took her chin in his hand and kissed her. That first kiss was a mere brushing of the lips, but then he pulled her closer and the kiss was long and demanding. As they broke apart, each a little breathless, Emily turned to see her mother standing at the edge of the crowd, staring in their direction.