Scorpion Sunset (33 page)

December 1916

‘That was the best roast lamb I've eaten in years, Angela. Thank you.' Michael turned from Angela to his sister. ‘It's good to be here with both of you.' He reached for Georgie's hand and squeezed it.

‘Things must be bad upstream if you're looking for reassurance from your big sister.' Georgie returned the pressure.

‘They're not bad – at the moment,' Michael qualified.

‘When will the assault begin?' Angela signalled to the maid to clear the dishes.

‘Command doesn't confide in war correspondents.' Michael picked up his wine glass.

‘Come on, Michael, we've seen the supplies being shipped upstream,' Georgiana finished eating and set her knife and fork on her plate. ‘This is us you're talking to and we need to know. Peter's there, you're there …'

‘And David's there.'

‘He survived the Expeditionary Force foray from India in 1914 and the siege of Kut. I'm not worried about him.'

‘You should be. He never stops talking about you. Every time I see him he asks if I've heard from you.'

‘Really,' Georgiana retorted sceptically. ‘If he does, it's only because you haven't any women with you. He likes to have a new girl on his arm every night.'

‘There aren't any women upstream,' Michael protested.

‘Not even camp followers?'

‘Camp followers are always attached to someone and that someone will be loath to allow their womenfolk out of their sight,' he replied, thinking of Kalla. ‘That doesn't detract from the fact that David will be in the forefront of the advance.'

‘Doctors are never in the front line.'

‘Oh, yes, they are. John and David have both worked in the forward trenches and operated under fire.'

‘David's made of India rubber, he'll bounce back,' Georgiana declared. ‘To repeat Angela's question, when is the assault likely to start?'

‘So you can tell everyone?'

‘Who will we tell? Men in HQ who already know? Americans in the Lansing who are playing guess the date? We need to know so we can start praying for your and Peter's safety.'

‘I suppose I won't be telling you anything that the sepoys and auxiliaries haven't already guessed and spread far and wide among the natives. Everyone is expecting orders to start the offensive around the middle of the month.'

‘In a week?' Angela paled.

‘Week to ten days. But don't worry, Peter will be fine,' Michael assured her.

‘You haven't known him that long. You've no idea how reckless he can be.' Angela bit her lip.

‘I've heard the late night camp fire stories about Townshend's Regatta. How Peter sailed single-handedly into nests of Turks and fought and overcame them all when he was outnumbered ten to one,' Michael joked, ‘but that was Peter the subaltern. Peter is now a cautious, responsible major.'

‘Being promoted didn't make him any more sensible.'

The maid came in and curtsied.

‘You can bring the coffee, fruit, and cheese when you've finished clearing the dishes.' Angela handed her the gravy boat.

The maid filled a tray with dirty dishes and disappeared back into the kitchen.

‘Peter's responsible for the lives of the junior officers and ranks under his command, Angela,' Michael reminded her. ‘And majors almost always remain in relative safety in the trenches to oversee operations.'

‘You expect me to believe that Peter will stay behind the lines after sending his men out to face the Turks?'

‘That's exactly what he'll do – most of the time.'

Georgiana decided that a change of subject was called for. ‘You didn't return to Basra just to give us letters from Peter and David, did you?'

‘No, Harry's old orderly sent a message that he wants to see me.' He met Georgiana's eye and shook his head slightly to warn her off mentioning Harry.

‘You think he has information about the Arab auxiliaries fighting with the Turks?' Georgiana moved their coffee cups to the centre of the table so the maid could fill them.

‘I have absolutely no idea why he wants a meeting.'

‘Did you catch the man who shot Charles?' Angela questioned.

‘No one even saw him.'

‘Do you have any idea what tribe he belonged to?'

‘None. Charles was incredibly unlucky. Arab snipers fire at us day and night and rarely hit anything.'

‘So Charles wasn't a target?' Georgiana pressed.

‘No more than any man in an officer's uniform.' He saw tears start in Angela's eyes. ‘Peter really will be all right …'

‘Please, excuse me.' Angela left the table and ran from the room.

‘Shouldn't you go after her?' Michael asked his sister.

‘She'll be fine after she's had a few minutes to compose herself. It's the strain of worrying about Peter while working in the Lansing and looking after Robin. Have you heard from John?'

‘A postcard to say he's arrived in a Turkish POW camp, and was fine but would welcome Red Cross parcels. You?'

‘The same, but I've been writing to him a couple of times a week. To be honest it was either that or start keeping a diary. John's always been a brilliant listener. I thought reading my letters might give him something to do. Apart from the news about Charles and the paternity of Maud's baby I've tried to keep them fairly light. From what we've heard in the Lansing and seen of the Turks, the British POWs taken at Kut have had a foul time.'

‘I've heard that too,' Michael murmured.

‘From the Arabs?' When Michael didn't confirm her suspicions she said, ‘Don't look so surprised. I know exactly how you spend your days. I've read the articles you've written in the paper – granted often weeks after you've penned them – but it's obvious, even without what you've said tonight, that you spend a great deal of time with the locals. I've also heard rumours that you're a political officer.'

‘Like Harry I sympathise with the natives. We may be fighting their hated overlords, the Ottomans, but nothing can alter the fact that we're doing it by invading their country. Like the average Tommy I have absolutely no bloody idea why we're here. Apart from trying to steal the oil the Arabs have chosen not to exploit.'

‘Have you talked to any Arabs who've seen the Kut POWs?' she asked.

‘A few. Apparently the Turks and their Arab auxiliaries marched the captives into the desert at the height of summer without food, water, or sufficient protective clothing. Tribesmen stole everything they had of any value including their boots. Hundreds if not thousands have died en route to Turkey.'

‘Do you think John is safe now?'

‘You can't get much information from a postcard. He's alive at the moment but I doubt the Turks will keep the POWs in one place for long. They'll move them around to prevent them from building a network of contacts to help them escape. I only hope John doesn't end up in the hands of a group of sadists. Every army has a few and the ones that are wounded and invalided into prison guard duty can be among the worst, or so I've been told.'

‘Do you know why Mitkhal sent for you?'

‘I've no idea.'

‘But you'll see him?'

‘Hopefully.'

‘Will you ask him if I can see Harry?' she pleaded.

‘I'll ask, Georgie, but you saw Harry as well as me. He obviously wants to live as an Arab with his Bedouin wife and children. And, from the state of him I wouldn't blame him for turning his back on the army or England.'

‘And us?'

‘We haven't been part of his life for a very long time, Georgie.'

‘I know he's made his choice but I'd still like to see him one more time and meet his wife and children. We were so close …'

‘When he wasn't teasing you and driving you to distraction,' Michael smiled.

The maid brought in fruit and cheese and Angela reappeared. ‘I'm sorry, Michael, I don't know what's the matter with me these days. I just can't seem to stop crying.'

‘Given what's happening in the world, it's a wonder we haven't all drowned in tears,' Georgiana commented. ‘How are you coping upstream, Michael?'

‘You know what men are like, especially soldiers.'

‘You're pretending it's a Boy Scout camping trip.'

‘The supply of alcohol helps.'

‘Georgie told me that you've written to Charles's father about Robin. I take it you haven't had a reply from him?' Angela asked.

‘It's too soon for letters to have gone both ways, but even if General Reid wanted the boy to live with him, there's no way we could get Robin to England at the moment. No military ship heading for Blighty would take a baby, and there are precious few civilian vessels prepared to risk sailing with German U-boats patrolling the Med.'

‘Have you discussed Robin's inheritance with Peter?'

‘He knows Charles recognised the boy as his son and left him a legacy.'

‘Did Peter say anything about my looking after him?'

‘Only that he hoped you won't get too fond of the boy because General Reid might claim him.'

‘Do you think Charles's father will want him?' Angela's hand shook as she poured the coffee.

‘Difficult to say. What do you think, Georgie?' Michael turned to his sister.

‘As I've already said to Angela, it's impossible to predict how Uncle Reid will react. Especially after losing Charles. But I can't see a seventy-year-old man wanting a small child running around his house. And by the time this war is over, Robin will be at the handful stage.'

‘The situation is a mess. It must be dreadful for John to know that one of his closest friends fathered his wife's child but a part of me can't help feeling glad that Charles has left a son.' Michael rose from the table.

‘Thinking of having a family, Michael?' Georgie asked, surprised by his attitude.

‘Not until after the war.'

‘Everyone says that about everything these days,' Angela left her chair.

‘Please don't get up, Angela. I'm beat and I have no doubt you want to read your letters.' He indicated the letters he'd placed on Angela's desk.

‘You'll call again before you go back upstream?'

‘I'll try, Georgie, but I make no promises. If you want to send replies to your letters …'

‘We will,' Angela assured him.

‘I'll send Daoud to pick them up tomorrow evening if I can't come myself.' He left the table and Angela and Georgie followed him to the door. He kissed Angela's cheek then Georgie's.

‘You'll give Peter my love?' Angela begged.

‘I will. Goodnight to both of you.'

It was only when he went outside that Michael realised Angela had sat through the entire evening with her shawl pulled around her shoulders although the stove was lit and the bungalow warm. He hoped she wasn't sickening for something.

Turkish Prisoner of War Camp

December 1916

Mrs Gulbenkian was woken by the sound of someone sobbing as though their heart was breaking. She left her bed and checked Hasmik in her low cot. The child was sleeping soundly. She opened the door and tiptoed into the small adjoining room where Rebeka lay face down on her bed.

She sat beside her and stroked her hair. ‘Whatever's the matter, Rebeka?'

Rebeka reached into her pocket for the scrap of bandage she'd put there. She turned and dried her eyes but kept them averted from Mrs Gulbenkian.'

‘Are you crying for your parents and sisters?'

‘I cry inside me every day for them.'

‘As I do for Mr Gulbenkian.' Mrs Gulbenkian made the sign of the cross and lowered her eyes for a few minutes. ‘If you're concerned for the future,' she said, ‘don't be. My cousin will send money enough for passage for all of us to go to America. And wherever I go I will take you and Hasmik. I promise you. After what we have suffered together we are closer than a family.'

‘Thank you, Mrs Gulbenkian …' Rebeka shook her head and more tears fell from her eyes.

‘You're crying because of Major Mason, aren't you?'

Rebeka finally looked at her.

‘You've fallen in love with him?'

‘I don't know,' Rebeka whispered.

‘You don't know? Whenever he comes into the room you are in, you can't stop looking at him. And now you tell me don't know whether you love him or not. Well, I don't believe you.'

‘It's hopeless for me to love any man. I was never pretty and no man would want or love me, not after what the Turkish gendarmes did to me.'

Mrs Gulbenkian wrapped her arms around her. ‘You're no different from any Armenian girl the Turks laid their hands on. They dishonoured thousands of us.'

‘Knowing that I have company doesn't make it any easier to bear.'

‘No, it doesn't, but you must learn to accept that when the Turks dishonoured us they made less in the eyes of the world, and to any man who is aware that we have been dishonoured. Major Mason knows what the Turks did to you and although he is kind no man wants a wife without honour. And have you spared a thought for Major Mason? A man like him would have a wife and children.'

‘If he has, he's never spoken about them.'

‘Probably he finds it too painful because he misses them so much.' She stroked Rebeka's hair. ‘The best thing you can do is forget about Major Mason, Rebeka, concentrate on your work here as a nurse. If we don't make trouble and work hard perhaps the Turks will allow us to stay here until the end of the war. Then, when the ships start sailing again, we can go to America. Once we are there we won't tell anyone what happened to us and we can start our lives afresh.'

‘By lying?'

‘By not telling anyone what the Turks did to us.'

‘I must look for Mariam before we leave Turkey. I am all she has left. If it wasn't for her I would want to be with Veronika and Anusha and our parents …'