Blitz

  Blitz

  A World War II Romance

  Sue Perkins

  Caishel Books

  Copyright © 2018 and 2022 Sue Perkins

  All Rights Reserved

  Cover Image Copyright: zeferli

  Cover Art: Sue Perkins

  Except for use in any review, no part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the author Sue Perkins.

  These books are works of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  www.CaishelBooks.com

  Description

  Twenty-four-year-old Velma longs to be treated as an adult, but her older sisters insist they know what is best for her future.

  Tall, dark, and handsome, Jack is a soldier distantly connected to Velma's family. He sweeps Velma off her feet and asks her to marry him.

  War looms on the horizon and Jack must go to face the enemy. Their love now has to survive the family and the war–or will their parting be forever?

  Dedication

  Blitz is dedicated to the memory of my parents

  Vera and Geoffrey.

  Their love story provided the inspiration for this book.

  Contents

  1. Meeting of Two Strangers

  2. First Date

  3. Meet the Family

  4. Misunderstanding

  5. Jack's Family

  6. Breaking the News

  7. Change of Plans

  8. Unexpected Solution

  9. The Best Laid Plans…

  10. A New Address

  11. Letters From The Front

  12. On The Beach

  13. Bomb Raid

  14. Bombs, Bombs and More Bombs

  15. Hot and Bothered

  16. Bad News

  17. The End of the War

  About the Author

  Other Books by Sue Perkins

  Chapter one

  Meeting of Two Strangers

  May 1938

  “Florence, are you there?” Velma knocked on the door. No answer. She pushed it open and called again. “It’s only me.”

  She heard a muffled noise in the kitchen at the back of the house and grinned. Her sister must be busy with little Sam. Florence’s life centred on the four-year-old. Everything faded into the background when she and Sam were alone. Velma moved down the hallway and pushed open the door at the end.

  Sunshine filled the kitchen and blinded her for a moment. She stretched her arms out wide to welcome the warmth and twirled round and round, the skirt of her cotton print frock flaring as she spun. Velma stopped abruptly. The other person in the room definitely wasn’t her sister. Dark eyes watched her. Male eyes full of amusement had followed her carefree dance.

  “Who are you?” Her voice sounded breathless. She stopped, facing him.

  “I might ask you the same question.”

  Velma tilted her head to one side as she considered the man in front of her. He’d made himself at home. The warmth of the kitchen had encouraged him to take off his khaki jacket and drape it over the back of a chair. He wore no shirt. The startling white of his vest stood out against his sunburned arms. Black braces attached to the waistband of his trousers had been released from his shoulders and looped down to stress the slim hips. Tendrils of hair on his chest escaped the top of the vest and Velma shivered as a tingle crept through her body.

  She had to raise her head to see his face as he stood several inches taller than her. He had combed his dark hair to one side with a precise straight parting, and his face showed a deeper tan than his arms. Her gaze shifted to his twinkling, dark brown eyes.

  “Like what you see?”

  “I’d like it better if I had a name to put to the face. Who are you?”

  “Ladies first.” His infectious grin made Velma respond with a smile of her own.

  “I’m Velma, Florence’s sister, and you are...”

  “Jack. George’s brother.”

  One of Florence’s brothers-in-law. Now she knew his name, she could see the resemblance to George. Several of the Stanley brothers had attended Florence’s wedding some years ago. She couldn’t remember Jack. Both bride and groom came from large families and the church and reception had been pretty crowded.

  “Where’s Florence?”

  “She took little Sam to meet his daddy off the bus.” Jack picked up the kettle and filled it from the tap over the sink. “Can I make you a cup of tea?”

  “That would be nice.”

  Velma watched him through lowered lashes as he turned the gas on and struck a match to light the hob. He placed the large kettle over the flames.

  “Tell me about yourself.”

  Jack emptied the dregs from the teapot. “Not much to tell. I’m younger than George. Joined the RASC a few years ago.”

  “RASC? Sorry, I don’t know what that is.”

  “Royal Army Service Corps. I’m a driver and mechanic. There’s not much work on Hayling Island. I’ve always been interested in engines and motor vehicles, so I headed straight for the transport section when I joined.”

  “Aren’t you worried about being in the armed services? My brother says there’s a war brewing. Germany is trying to grab more than its fair share of land.”

  “Worried? I’m not sure what you mean. Do you think I’m afraid to fight for my king and country?” He frowned at her, annoyance flashed in his eyes.

  Oh heavens, he thinks I’m questioning his bravery!

  “It’s not what I think,” she hastened to explain. “But don’t you get a bit frightened you might have to fight? Kill or be killed? I know it would scare me to death.”

  “There wouldn’t be a problem then, would there?”

  Velma relaxed as Jack grinned and his anger evaporated. He poured hot water into the teapot, swirled it round and emptied it into the sink. Returning the pot to the draining board, he put in three spoonfuls of tea and poured on hot water.

  “We’ll leave it to draw for a few moments.” He placed the teapot on the table, followed by cups, saucers, tea strainer and milk jug. “Do you take sugar?”

  “No thanks.”

  Velma ducked her head to hide her flush of embarrassment. Letting him make her a cup of tea showed a closeness to each other. She considered Florence’s house a second home. It should have been her making the pot of tea. To relieve the tension building up inside her, she searched for something to say.

  “Tell me about Hayling Island. George’s spoken of it often. I’ve never been there.”

  “Not much to tell, really.” He poured tea into the cups. “It’s a small island just off the coast near Portsmouth. George and I grew up there, along with the rest of our brothers and our sister. My brother Will and I are the same age. He’s a postman on the island.”

  “I know who you are,” Velma exclaimed. “You’re one of the twins, the youngest one.”

  “People always call me the youngest.” Jack laughed. “Will’s only twenty minutes older than me.”

  “What’s it like having someone who’s identical to you?”

  “It’s nice when you’re growing up. We always had someone our own age to play with. We looked alike and played lots of tricks on people. Coming from such a big family having a playmate made all the difference, especially as our sister is the youngest. She got spoiled by everyone. Will and I are nearly thirty now and we’ve got different ideas on what we want to do, but we’re still close.”

  “I know what you mean about big families,” Velma sighed. “W
e’ve got the same amount as you. Ours is the other way around. Eight girls and one boy. I’m the baby of the family and at times it’s not nice.”

  “Don’t you get spoiled?”

  Jack blew on his tea before taking a sip and the same warm shiver rushed through Velma’s body. She liked this man a lot. He made her feel relaxed and the comfort felt more acute by the thrill of excitement of being near to him.

  “Yes, they spoiled me,” she admitted. “They also overprotected me, and still do. My sisters and their husbands think it’s their duty to take care of me. They forget I’m nearly twenty-five and quite capable of taking care of myself. My older sisters have been watching over me for a long time and I guess it’s difficult for them to remember I’m all grown up.”

  “You look like a full grown woman to me.”

  Jack reached out and touched her hand. Warmth passed between them; warmth that promised a wealth of feelings for the future.

  “We’re ba-ack.”

  Velma snatched her hand away at Florence’s call. Little Sam came running down the hallway, followed by his parents.

  “Aunty Vee. Aunty Vee.” The boy threw himself into her arms and Velma smiled. He never could say her name properly. She quite liked his version.

  “Hello, Velma.” Florence gave her a hug. “When did you get here? Has Jack been taking care of you?”

  “Yes, he has.” Velma indicated the empty cups on the table. “You didn’t tell me George’s brother had come to visit.”

  “My fault,” Jack interrupted. “I had some leave owing and came and see my brother and his family. I arrived unannounced on their doorstep last night.”

  “We’re glad you did.” Florence removed her hat from her shining auburn hair. “It’s lovely to see you. George doesn’t get to see his own family very often. Are you staying for tea, Velma? It’s only salad and cold meats.”

  “I’ll stay if it’s all right with you?”

  “Of course it is. You can help me get everything ready. George, will you keep an eye on Sam for me?”

  George lifted Sam onto his lap where the boy cuddled into his father’s chest. The sisters smiled.

  “He’s so good with him,” Florence told Velma as they washed the salad ingredients and placed them in the bowl. “And Sam adores him.”

  “His brother’s quite nice.” Velma covertly glanced at Jack.

  “You sound interested.” Florence smiled at her younger sister. “Wouldn’t it be nice, two brothers with two sisters?”

  “Hey, you’re jumping the gun. We’ve only just met.”

  “Don’t worry, I’m teasing.” Florence picked up the plate of buttered bread, each slice neatly cut into halves. “Bring the cold meat, would you?”

  “This looks nice, dear,” George commented as Florence placed some salad and meat on her son’s plate.

  “Thank you.”

  Velma watched Florence smile at her husband. That’s the sort of marriage I want. A husband who appreciates what I do and who doesn’t think it’s wrong to thank me out loud.

  “Could you pass the bread and butter, please?”

  Jack’s request broke into her reverie. Velma smiled as she held the plate for him while he took three pieces.

  “What do you think about the chances of there being a war?” Velma held her breath at George’s question and she waited for Jack’s answer. War. The last thing she wanted to happen now she’d met someone she’d like to know better.

  “Do you mean Hitler?” George nodded and Jack continued. “I hope not. Spain’s in a mess with Franco seizing power. News from Russia is a bit of a worry. Stalin seems to be house cleaning his top brass in the Russian Army.”

  “How will that affect us?” Velma couldn’t understand how upsets in these foreign countries could bring war to England.

  Jack turned to smile at Velma, his teeth brilliant white against his suntanned face. “We’ve got agreements with a lot of the little countries around Russia and Germany. If they’re attacked, we’ll go to their aid.”

  Velma shivered. She didn’t want to hear about war. If she tried to change the subject, would Jack think her shallow?

  “Do you think war is definitely coming? When do you think it will happen?”

  “Don’t worry, Velma,” Jack smiled again. “I doubt it will happen this year, or even next. The powers-that-be may come to their senses and stop Hitler’s agenda.”

  Velma wished they would stop talking about Hitler. She didn’t want to think of the men in her family going off to fight. Why couldn’t everything stay the same?

  Little Sam upset his glass of water and his mother hastened to clean up the mess. In the confusion she saw Jack glance at her. He abruptly changed the subject to the unusually warm weather.

  Twenty minutes later Sam went off to bed. The adults sat outside for the next few hours discussing family news and enjoying several pots of tea.

  “It’s getting late.” Velma hid a yawn behind her hand. “I should head home.”

  “It’s dark now, Velma; you shouldn’t go on your own. Jack will walk with you.” Florence frowned. “Don’t dawdle on the way or Josie will worry about you.”

  Velma opened her mouth to say she could see herself home perfectly well, thank you. Luckily, she had second thoughts before she spoke. It would be romantic to walk home under the stars with a handsome man at her side.

  Jack took her arm as they walked down the street. For a while they moved in silence, but Velma knew she must eventually say something. She glanced at his face. In profile she saw his rounded chin and the five o’clock shadow on his cheeks. “When do you have to go back to–where is it you’re stationed?”

  “Aldershot,” he replied. “I’ve got until next Wednesday. I’d like to spend some time with you. Is that all right?”

  “I’d like that.” She ducked her head to hide the excitement surging through her.

  “Would you like to go to the pictures one night? Tomorrow perhaps?”

  “That would be lovely. Saturday night there’s usually a good film on. I think this week it’s Pygmalion.”

  “Shall I pick you up from work tomorrow?”

  “The store shuts at midday on Saturday. You can pick me up at home if you like. Come for tea.” Velma fervently hoped Josie wouldn’t mind her inviting a strange man to the evening meal. She would explain Jack’s relationship to Florence, making him practically family.

  “I’ve got a better idea.” Jack patted the hand resting on his arm. “You go home from work and freshen up. I’ll call for you, then we can go for a walk in the park and have tea in a café before we go to the cinema.”

  They walked on in silence. At ease with Jack, Velma could almost believe she’d known him forever. The silvery twinkle of the stars above relieved the blackness of the clear sky. “I love watching the heavens.” She shivered, but not with the cold. Jack misunderstood and his arm moved to her shoulders, pulling her close.

  “Your eyes are beautiful.” Jack stared at her face. His next words proved he didn’t mean the stars. “Almost as beautiful as the night sky.”

  Velma ducked her head as warmth flooded her cheeks. The contact between them comforted and excited her. Little tingles shot up and down her body, leaving a pool of excitement in her stomach. Why did this man have such a deep effect on her when she’d only known him a few short hours?

  “We’re here.” Disappointment washed over her as they stopped outside a neat terraced house with a small garden between the house and the road. Velma thought the walk from Florence’s had taken a lot less time than usual.

  “Is this where you live?”

  “I grew up here with my sister Josie and her husband, Tom. They took care of us younger children when Dad died.” She opened the gate. “I expect you’ve heard Mum couldn’t cope with so many of us on her own. I’m the only single one now. My next oldest sister got married last year.”

  Velma heard her voice prattling on and hoped Jack didn’t think her silly. The admission of being singl
e slipped out before she could help it. She could have kicked herself. He’d probably think her to be on the lookout for a husband. She’d love to go out on a date with him. It would be awful if she put him off before they’d had a chance to get to know one another better.

  Happiness and nervousness surged through her when Jack put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. She waited breathlessly as he gazed deep into her eyes.

  Slowly, he lowered his head. His lips brushed lightly against her mouth. Excitement rushed through her body from the touch of his hand stroking the back of her neck. Elation made Velma feel she floated on air. She hadn’t thought he could hold her any closer, but Jack tightened his arms and the kiss deepened. Lack of breath and over stimulation of her senses made her dizzy. Jack released her and Velma almost stumbled. Pulling back slightly, he smiled down at her.

  “I’ll pick you up here tomorrow afternoon. Sleep well.”

  She watched him walk down the street until he turned a corner and went out of sight. Velma didn’t have to glance in a mirror to know she had a soppy smile on her face. She didn’t care. Jack made her feel wonderful.

  Josie and Tom had already gone to bed. Velma crept quietly up the stairs, although she knew Josie would still be awake. Her older sister wouldn’t settle until she knew Velma had come home.

  Velma found it hard to sleep. Visions of Jack invaded her mind. Could such a handsome man really like her as much as she liked him? Going over and over the time she’d spent with him today meant she could recall every single detail. She wriggled excitedly. Velma looked forward to tomorrow. With a punch to her pillow, she settled the lumps made by her tossing and turning.

  If I don’t get to sleep soon I’ll look like an old hag when he comes to pick me up.

  Velma’s eyes closed at last and sleep overtook her, but dreams invaded her unconscious mind. She floated into the cinema on his arm where Jack waited for her to sit before he settled beside her. His arm draped across her shoulders at the start of the film. Velma knew he’d be too much of a gentleman to kiss her in the crowded cinema, instead his eyes told her how much he longed to hold her in his arms again. Irritation rose in Velma’s chest as the angry sound of the fire alarm interrupted the film.