Winter Roses Read Online Free PDF Page A

applied any more either. Every Tom, Dick and Harry seemed to think they were entitled to stroll into her kitchen any time they pleased. The Rector was different, though.
    ‘Fred?’ she asked sharply. She hadn’t had a decent night’s sleep since that new offensive on the Somme began two weeks ago. They said at first it was a success, but they weren’t making such a song and dance about it now, and someone had to go out to fill in the gaps caused by casualties.
    ‘Can you spare a moment or two, Mrs Dibble?’ Rector pulled one of the kitchen chairs out for her. So it was going to be bad. Margaret decided she would sit down. ‘Would you like your husband to join us?’
    ‘You tell me first, Rector. I can’t abide waiting, and Percy takes things hard, thank you all the same.’
    ‘I’ve heard from the military authorities, and they tell me that the medical examiner has reinspected Fred in accordance with the appeal procedure, but have again passed him as fit for service.’
    Of course they had. Them army doctors would see no reason Fred shouldn’t be another blinking FieldMarshal Haig, provided he could see further than his nose and hadn’t got the plague. It was them couldn’t see proper. Dry-eyed, that’s what you had to be these days. ‘He’s not fit to go outside these four walls,’ Margaret replied flatly.
    ‘I know that, you know that, but the authorities are only interested in physical fitness, and Fred is a strong young man.’
    ‘Who’s too chuckleheaded to pick up a gun at the right end, let alone fire it.  He’ll think a bayonet is for picking up dead leaves.’
    ‘I shall keep on trying, Mrs Dibble. He’s still in this country under training, as you know, so there is still hope.’
    ‘Training!’ she repeated bitterly. How long would that last? It was no use Rector looking at her in that compassionate way. All the sympathy in the world hadn’t brought Fred safely home, nor all the prayers either.
    ‘I thought you would like to know that Dr Marden has been to see Fred.’
    Her head jerked up. ‘How was he?’ It was the middle of July, over a month since he’d been taken and she had still not received a word. Hardly surprising, since he couldn’t write.
    ‘A little bewildered, but physically he seems to be coping well enough.’
    ‘It’s not like you to nuddle about with the truth, Rector.’
    ‘Very well,’ the Rector replied evenly. ‘Dr Marden insisted on seeing the training camp commanding officer. Fred is, as you feared, being teased by his fellow soldiers, but we know Fred never minded that too much. He takes it in good part.’
    ‘Put that way, it’s what I’ll tell Percy.’ Briskness was best. ‘I understand what you’re trying to tell me, Rector, or not tell me. What about His Majesty?’
    ‘I beg your pardon?’
    ‘His Majesty wouldn’t want poor Fred to go through all this.’
    ‘Try everything, Mrs Dibble. It can do no harm. If I can help—’
    ‘But it’ll do no good either.’ She rose to her feet. ‘And if you’ll excuse me, Rector, thanks for all you’re doing, but I’ll get on with luncheon or you’ll all go hungry. And don’t you get bothering Mrs Lilley to pop in to see I’m all right. She’s enough worries of her own.’
    From the Rector’s face she knew that’s just what he had been thinking, but to her relief he left her alone. She wanted a good cry, before she pulled herself together and went to tell Percy. Three kids, one of them out somewhere on the front digging trenches, one of them having a bastard, and the other feeble-minded and dragged probably to his death from the shelter of his home. Once Ashden could shelter its weakling chicks; now no one and nowhere could, even though we were supposed to be fighting for a better world.
    The Lord sent rain as well as sun, but why did He have to send all the storms together? If the Kaiser invaded, at least Fred would come home, and Joe would be safe with Muriel and his little ones, and