Читать книгу The Crooked Olive Branch - Frederick Munn - Страница 23

Chapter 15

The Seefeld could not accommodate Peter and Hal. The hotel across from the station had space and would exchange travellers’ cheques and was only a short distance away. Peter booked them both in.

Dorothy brought Hal round later. He seemed more relaxed. Peter assumed that Miss Price had gone some way to persuading Hal to part with Miriam. He was about to ask when Miss Price took the two men to one side to ask.

“Please gentlemen can I be so forward as to suggest that you employ thrift. We have some way to travel and on limited funds.” Dorothy blushed as she spoke.

“We have two nights’ accommodation to cover because of the delay. Instead of the night train and the ferry to England, the only viable route available is train tomorrow to Paris then another overnight stay. All ferries are fully booked for the weekend. Peggy Firth is trying to arrange for us to stay in a hostel she knows. All of this is my fault for running too tight a schedule.”

Hal seized upon this request. “Sure thing, Miss Price, we must pool resources, count on us.”

Peter, aware of Hal’s agenda, nodded.

“Certainly, we will. We have surplus from monies given to us by Gerda for Miriam.”

That evening at the Seefeld the ladies busied themselves bathing and settling the children into their rooms. Miriam, delighted at last to be able to join in with the other children, went along happily in the charge of Peggy Firth, who she now accepted.

Dorothy arranged with the front desk to launder soiled garments and dry them overnight.

Most of the older children were exhausted, confused and fearful. They just wanted to go straight to bed. If there was any remaining who were travelling with the illusion that this was temporary, probably just an exciting adventure. This had been crushed out of them by the incident at the border. The hours corralled like cattle in the October wind and rain had drained their spirits.

That is if there was any left to drain.

The smaller children were more resilient. Daphne rolled up her sleeves along with Helga and the other two carers and bathed them in relays.

“You’ll feel better for it, a big day tomorrow,” she announced, in response to all protests.

On their way back to the Seefeld Hal and Peter were arguing.

“Looks like we are now included in the journey to England plan.” Hal was pleased about this.

Peter voiced his concerns.

“I understood the plan was to hand Miriam over in Zurich and go our separate ways.”

Hal didn’t answer at once, so Peter prompted,. “What say you Hal?”

“Can we talk later?”

They carried on to the hotel in silence, Peter wondering what to do about his friend.

Miriam was taking over his life and common sense.

They arrived at the Seefeld for the agreed meeting in silence neither raising the subject again.

Miriam had got out of bed and found her way back downstairs looking for Papa Yo.

She had fallen asleep in one of the chairs. Peter was the first to notice. He spread his hands in a gesture of frustration.

“What shall we do? She should be in bed with the others. She must have sneaked out after she was put to bed.”

“Leave her Pete until the others come then maybe I can stay with her until she is asleep.”

“She is asleep Hal. You’ll have to make the break Hal and the sooner the better.”

Peter was losing patience.

Hal sat down in the chair alongside Miriam and put his face in his hands and gave a sigh before speaking through his fingers.

“If only I could start over. I didn’t expect this when I agreed to be this Papa Yo.”

He paused before continuing and looked up at Peter to explain.

“It was when I first picked her up. It hit me, like that fish in the river earlier that day. One moment, I was swimming free in calm waters, the next I was part of that little girl and she part of me.

Quicker than that heron that took the fish. I can’t break free.”

He sighed. “Nor do I want to.”

Peter put his hand on Hal’s shoulder, shaking him gently as he spoke.

“Hal, it can never work, you could not adopt even if you wanted to. There’s no way you can maintain sensible contact at any level.”

“Why not?” Hal’s reply was more plaintive than defiant.

Peter sat down alongside his friend.

“You are not Jewish nor are you married. Even if you were married there’s no guarantee of you gaining custody. Sorry old chap, it’s a nonstarter.”

Hal did not raise his head.

“I just can’t part with her Pete. I just can’t.”

Neither spoke for some while until Hal finally looked up.

“Pete, can you imagine a three-year-old torn from her family. She then finds and bonds with me, her new Papa, only to be torn away again? Sorry I can’t be a part of that. I will fight to avoid it if I can.”

Daphne Wallace and Peggy Firth arriving heard most of this.

Neither noticed them, so engrossed were they with the discussion.

Peter turned finally noticing the ladies.

Daphne started to apologise for being late when she noticed Miriam asleep in the chair.

“Hello! Do we have an escapee in our midst?”

Peggy stubbed out her cigarette and blew smoke out of the side of her mouth to avoid Miriam as she picked her up out of the chair.

“Wrong choice of words, Daph.”

Daphne pulled a face and held her breath to avoid taking in the fumes.

“I’ll pop her back in now she’s asleep,” Peg added ignoring Daphne’s unspoken criticism. Starting on her way back upstairs she stopped and turned to fire a parting shot at Daphne Wallace.

“By the way this little girl was not escaping from, she was running towards.”

Looking at Hal, she added, “That’s something we should be thinking about very seriously don’t you think, Mr. Hal?

Peter broke the awkward silence.

“Have you ladies eaten?”

Daphne seemed, for the moment, to have lost her bounce.

“Err- no, we haven’t had time.”

“I reckon Hal we could run to some dinner. That is if the restaurant is still serving.”

“Of course, it is not yet eight o’ clock,” said Daphne, recovering her character. “Most generous.”

“What say we eat now when Peggy returns, then relieve the other four to eat later?”

Hal was still lost in thoughts triggered by Peggy Firth’s remarks.

Peter nudged him back into the discussion. “That all right with you Hal?”

That evening was spent organising the tasks and a new routine for the following day.

Dorothy Price joined them later to take charge of these arrangements while the other ladies relieved the night watch. Peter and Hal left for their hotel before midnight tired, sapped by the day’s events neither referred to the question of Hal’s attachment to the little girl even though it was now the centre of both their thoughts.