‘Well, of course there are! I’ve been… Jake, you must explain.’

‘Of course. Here is our tea.’

Ned lingered for a few minutes and Britannia’s hand shook a little with impatience as she poured the strong brew. But Jake didn’t seem impatient at all; indeed, he entered into quite a conversation about the hospital rugger team so that when Ned at last took himself off, Britannia said quite fiercely: ‘I want to know…and all you can do is talk about rugger!’

‘My darling, I was a rugger player myself—besides, I have a soft spot for Ned. He is, as it were, our fairy godfather.’

The bacon sandwiches arrived then and a moment later the cheese and then Ned went away to serve a party of six who had just come in. The professor passed the sandwiches and only after Britannia had eaten almost a whole one did he say: ‘Before I say anything, I want you to read this.’ He took a folded letter from his pocket and handed it across the table to her.

She saw what it was immediately. ‘But why should I? I mean, it was written to Madeleine.’

He gave her a quizzical look. ‘Was it? My dear Britannia, all at sea, aren’t you? Read it.’

She read it silently, pausing once to look at him. He was sitting back watching her with a tender smile. She finished it and then read it for a second time, more slowly.

‘It was for me,’ she whispered. ‘She found it… Marinus didn’t take it.’

‘Yes, love.’

‘But the envelope—she showed it to me…’

‘And if you had looked carefully you would have seen that it was in Madeleine’s own hand. You see, my darling, you expected to see my writing on the envelope, didn’t you, and so you did.’

She folded the letter carefully and held it in her hand. ‘What a fool,’ she said, ‘but you could have told me,’ she began, and then: ‘No, of course you wouldn’t have done that—you thought that I didn’t believe you.’

‘I see that you have a tremendous insight into my failings, dearest, so useful in a wife.’

She poured more strong tea for them both and the professor asked quietly: ‘Will you marry me, Britannia?’

She put her cup down. ‘Oh, Jake, yes—you know I will!’

‘I have a special licence with me, we can marry tomorrow at your home.’

For a moment Britannia had no words. The thought that there could be nothing nicer than to get up from the rickety little table and just go home without more ado and marry Jake in the morning lingered for a few seconds in her head before she said: ‘But I can’t, Jake. I’ve another four days—I should have to pack and…’

‘You can if you want to. I’ve dealt with all that. I don’t know how important the packing is—half an hour? Your mother said she would leave the door for us and something on the stove.’

‘Mother? How does she know?’

‘I telephoned yesterday to say that we would be coming. Your father was kind enough to advise me about the licence.’

‘I thought it took days…’

‘A day or so, yes. I telephoned him when I got back to Holland and found out about Madeleine.’

Britannia bit into a sandwich. ‘How did you do that?’ she wanted to know.

‘I asked her what she had done. Will you mind very much if we go straight back to Hoenderloo tomorrow, my darling? I have a list for the following day, but after that I’m free until after Christmas. We shall have the house to ourselves, Mama is going to Emma’s and we are invited there for Christmas Day, so we shall have a day or so together, and at New Year, the whole family will come to us again, and I thought we might ask your mother and father as well…’

Britannia’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Oh, Jake, I’d love to go back to Hoenderloo—your mother doesn’t mind?’

‘She loves you, dearest, they all do.’ He smiled at her. ‘Are you going to cry? Do you want my handkerchief?’

She shook her head. ‘I’m not crying, truly I’m not. Must I see anyone before I go?’

‘Your Principal Nursing Officer said that she would be in her office until ten o’clock. What about your friends?’

‘They’ll be together in someone’s room, having tea,’ said Britannia. ‘I can see them all at once and pack in ten minutes.’

‘Then eat some of that cheese, my darling, and have another cup of this extremely strong tea and I’ll take you back.’

The café had thinned of customers by now, the last of them had gone by the time Britannia had obediently gobbled down the toasted cheese. Ned came over with the bill and the professor paid with a handsome tip, and Ned, who was no fool, melted through the little door behind the counter and left them alone.

‘Ready?’ asked the professor, and came round to button her into her cape once more.

She looked up at him and smiled. ‘We’ll have to hurry.’

‘You are quite right, my darling, as you so often are, but no one is going to hurry me for a moment.’

He put his arms round her and bent to kiss her, and no one, least of all Britannia, hurried him.

ISBN: 978-1-4592-3929-6

BRITANNIA ALL AT SEA

Copyright © 1978 by Betty Neels.

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