The Day Before Tomorrow Read Online Free PDF

position for five hours now, ever since she had opened the letter from the Army Liaison Office. 
    When she had read the opening words, a pit had opened up beneath her feet, and she had slid into it, down and down. She felt it close over her head and understood that she would never come out again, not as long as she lived. 
    Denny was dead.  How was she ever going to live without him?
    How indeed?  It had to be faced; it is not for any of us to say how long we shall live.  Too late, she realised that she had put too much of herself into him, that she could no more live without him without agony, than she could cast aside her right arm.  Too late for even the bitter solace of telling him this.  That he did not know, would never know now, for she had never shown him that he meant as much to her as she had to him. 
    Had – had!  Oh God! The black years of emptiness that stretched before her, she could not face them – she could not!
     She had feared to show him the truth in case she lost him.  Had feared even to face it within her.  What a fool she had been!  To think that she could protect her heart by denying it.  And now she must pay for her folly, as for a crime.  
    After a while – she never knew just how long – she hardened her will. She would go on.  It was what he had wanted.  She was heartbroken, but she was also free.  Nothing else could ever hurt her again.  She was steel – rock – impenetrable.  Now she was finished with love (or love was finished with her) she would try ambition.  
    She made her way to Tristan’s room. 
     

~ Chapter Nine ~
    I nvasion!  In her mind’s eye, she saw them.  The faceless hordes storming across the county, lines of tanks crawling before them.  They had marched across Europe and across her nightmares.  Now they would march across her home.  Followed by the SAS.  Knocks on the door.  People dragged away.  Firing squads.  For the unthinkable had happened.  They were here, and more were coming every day.  Britain was now an occupied county.  
    Tamar was packing up what little she had; they would be leaving tomorrow.  There were troops heading this way.  Ophelia was in a flap, as was to be expected, she wanted to pack up everything they owned and Tristan could not seem to make her see sense.  She could not bear the idea of those dirty soldiers touching her beautiful things.  It wasn’t “nice” Darling.  Tamar wanted to slap her, but Tristan was feeling guilty about his affair with Tamar and was being especially gentle with his wife.  And Tamar judged that it was too soon to start acting up with him, so she kept out of it, even when Ophelia suggested that they could make more room in the car by leaving some of Tamar’s things behind.
    She said nothing, just narrowed her eyes. Tristan was becoming more and more enamoured every day. It would be Tamar’s turn soon enough. 
    ‘Then everything will be paid for,’ she thought.  Every gloating remark, every selfish impulse, every insult.  Everything.
    * * *
    The first robbery had gone according to plan, to Cindy’s mingled relief and dismay. 
    Mack was now moving his operation further down the country. The big country houses would be better, he said.  More pickings and less security.  And cheaper living.  This was what appealed to him about crime.  The easy rewards, the quick money and free spending.  Clothes, comfort, girls.  Mack was a hedonist, not a master criminal. 
    Now they were doing a job a week, living high and to hell with the future. 
    Tonight they were planning a big one.  A large, isolated county house, Mack told them. Belonged to some peer.  A big payoff. They should be able to live off this one for a couple of months at least …  
    * * *
    It was just before dawn when Tamar awoke with the feeling that there was something wrong. Downstairs she could hear noises, the faint, but unmistakable sounds of people moving about.  ‘Soldiers?’  No, whoever it was,