The Kingdom of Night (Book 3)

Two - The Call and the Answer

George

Before I knew it, my leave was ending and I was headed back out to the airfield. Mother volunteered to accompany me to the train station, but I told her it wasn't necessary. Besides, it would probably make it harder for me to leave the safety and security home provided.

     I slept part of the way there. Mother had kept me busy while I was home, going out for walks to the Serpentine or somewhere else extremely public, like Trafalgar Square or Harrods. She liked to parade me about like a show dog, boasting about my rank as Wing Commander. Although I was embarrassed, it was completely harmless, and told myself to let it go. Mother had always seized every opportunity to show me off.

     A knock on my compartment door startled me from my wandering thoughts. Standing outside was a girl, probably not much older than I was, her dark hair in curls just past her shoulders and her blue eyes curious as she peered in on me. She was dragging a large suitcase, covered with stickers from places she'd been. I jumped up and slid the door open, smoothing my hair down in the back as I did so. It had an irritating habit of sticking out, and would never stay unless it had a good amount of product applied.

     'Would you like me to help you with that, Miss?' I gestured to the suitcase. It was half her size, if not more.

     'Yes, please,' she said breathlessly, and right away I noted her accent. Distinctly American.

     I took it, hoisting it into the rack up top. India and Cambodia flashed past my nose.

     'None of these seats are taken, are they?' she asked, still standing between the benches and seeming reluctant to sit down.

     'No. Go on. Sit.'

     Once we'd both taken our seats, directly across from one another, I remembered my manners. I could see the reprimanding look in Mother's eyes now. 'I'm George Haywood, Miss. Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force.'

     One of her eyebrows, followed by a corner of her mouth, went up. 'Hannah Ziegler. I'm a cellist.'

     'A cellist?' It was my turn to raise my eyebrows. 'Who do you play with?'

     'No one yet.' She twisted a finger in her skirt. 'I came here to go to school. We're on a half-term right now, you see.'

     I nodded. 'Yes. Have you been here long, Hannah?'

     She shook her head. 'I got in from New York City last August. It's been...difficult, this far from home.'

     'I can imagine. Do you miss home?'

     Hannah shrugged. 'Somewhat, I guess. But Mama tells me this experience'll be good for me. Seeing the world, being on my own, that sort of thing.'

     'I hope your seeing the world hasn't been too difficult, with the war on and everything.' Our naval fleet patrolled the waters everywhere now, searching for German subs.

     'No...' She shook her head. 'We had a U-boat scare three days into our trip, but otherwise uneventful.'

     'Probably just trying to scare you. Seems a popular tactic these days.' I took a deep breath, groping around for another topic. 'So what's bringing you up to the Waddington area, then?'

     'I've got a great-aunt who lives in Newark-on-Trent.' She bit her lip, looking embarrassed. 'I don't know where that is. I've never been outside London.'

     'Not far from where we are, actually. I could take you, if you like.' I grinned, accompanied by a wry wink. Mother and Grandmama would probably disapprove. I'd always been good at flirting, and making a girl I barely knew blush would have them shaking their heads and wagging their fingers at me.