A Woman's Courage Read online

  ‘From a purely selfish point of view, I wouldn’t want to lose you,’ Frances said. ‘But it would be a real shame not to exploit to the full your extraordinary talent. ’

  *

  It was almost lunchtime when Pat returned home. A letter had arrived with the second post and lay face down on the mat. She picked it up and at once knew the handwriting. A rush of heat went through her. The envelope bore her name and old address.

  After all this time. After I lost hope.

  The walls in the dark little hallway seemed to shift and press in on her.

  Marek.

  She tore at the envelope, afraid of what it might contain. A single sheet of lined paper torn from a notebook.

  Patricia, my love.

  Her heart was beating fast, hammering against her rib cage. She berated herself for having given up.

  You must wonder at my silence. All these months without a word. Forgive me.

  Tears filled her eyes and blurred the next few lines. Odd words leapt out at her. Wounded. Unconscious. Close to death. She wiped at her tears.

  The doctors tell me I have no business being here, that I died and somehow came back to life, that I survived against all the odds.

  She let out a sob.

  It’s almost a miracle, you might say. None of the doctors here is able to make sense of it, or offer an explanation. Of course, it makes complete sense to me, Patricia. I know you will understand when I say that what saved me was you. How could I die when I have so much to live for, when I have you? How could I leave you after the promises I made? I know that you are the ‘miracle’ the doctors spoke about, the reason I am here.

  He was in a military hospital on the south coast, recuperating – ‘each day becoming stronger’ – and would not be returning to action.

  She took the letter into the kitchen and sat at the table still with her coat on, tears streaming down her face, the news slowly beginning to sink in. She had resigned herself to a different life. She had let go her dream of a future with Marek. No happy ever after. But now. Now. Her hands shook as she read the letter again, taking time to linger over each word.

  Almost a miracle, you might say . . . I know you will understand . . . what saved me was you.

  She closed her eyes and heard his voice, the soft Czech accent saying that she was the reason he had survived.

  They had lost so much time.

  She knew what she must do.

  *

  It was dark when she left the house the following morning. All she had was one small bag; it was all that she needed. The first bus was due in a few minutes. As she waited, she said her silent goodbyes to the sleeping village and the memories it held. The good she would cherish; the bad lay buried with Bob in the churchyard.

  It was time to move on, and she was more than ready. In her pocket was Marek’s letter, spurring her on.

  What saved me was you.

  He had saved her, too.

  The life they had dreamed of together, one she feared was lost forever, was at last about to come true. We are the lucky ones. We found that most elusive and rare of things, enduring love.

  In the darkness a blackbird began its song. A faint rumble signalled the approaching bus. Pat felt a surge of anticipation, a surge of joy. This is the start of a journey, an adventure that could lead anywhere.

  When the bus arrived, she took a seat next to the window and gazed out as her old life grew ever more distant. Behind her was the past. Ahead was a new beginning filled with promise and possibility.

  The best was still to come.

  Marek.

  My happy ever after.

  Welcome to the world of Simon Block!

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  Woolton Pie

  Woolton pie, also known as Lord Woolton Pie, is a vegetable pie that was popular during World War II. Lord Woolton was the Minister of Food, and his pie was among several recipes recommended to the public by the Ministry of Food during the war, when rationing made many other meals hard to create. It includes a little Marmite, Alison’s addition to the recipe.

  You will need:

  For the pastry:

  • 150g potatoes, diced

  • 250g wholewheat or plain flour

  • 2 tsp baking powder

  • ½ tsp salt

  • 100g margarine

  • 1 tsp water

  • 50g cheese, grated

  • 1 tbsp milk, for glazing

  For the filling:

  • 300g cauliflower, cubed

  • 300g parsnips, cubed

  • 300g carrots, cubed

  • 300g potatoes, cubed

  • 300g turnip or swede, cubed

  • 2–3 spring onions, chopped

  • 1 tbsp rolled oats

  • 2 tbsp Marmite

  • ½ tsp salt

  • ½ tsp pepper

  • ½ tsp parsley, dried

  Method:

   1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C.

   2. First, make the pastry. Boil the 125g potatoes until very soft, then drain and mash them until smooth. Leave to the side to cool.

   3. Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together, then rub in the margarine.

   4. Mix in the mashed potato, water and grated cheese. Then mix and knead to form a dough.

   5. Next, make the filling. Put the chopped vegetables into a pot and fill with water to just cover the vegetables. Simmer for 15 minutes.

   6. Add the Marmite, rolled oats and seasoning, then cook for another 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft and most of the water has been absorbed.

   7. Pour the vegetable mixture into a deep pie dish.

   8. Roll out the pastry and place neatly on top of the dish, then glaze the top with milk.

   9. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes until lightly browned.

  10. Enjoy!

  Wartime Tales from Memory Lane

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  First published in the UK in 2020 by

  ZAFFRE

  An imprint of Bonnier Books UK

  80–81 Wimpole St, London W1G 9RE

  Owned by Bonnier Books

  Sveavägen 56, Stockholm, Sweden

  Copyright © S. Block, 2020

  Home Fires (television programme) © ITV Studios Limited 2015, 2016

  Cover design by Jenny Richards

  Cover images © Colin Thomas; background images © Shutterstock.com

  The moral right of S. Block to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright,

  Designs and Patents Act, 1988.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

  ISBN: 978–1–78576–568–1

  Paperback ISB
N: 978–1–78576–567–4

  This ebook was produced by IDSUK (Data Connection) Ltd

  Zaffre is an imprint of Bonnier Books UK

  www.bonnierbooks.co.uk