Stones of wrath, p.23
Stones of Wrath, page 23
“This will keep us going for a while! It’s alright, Sarah, even mice eat cheese,”
George said.
During the evening, they snuck out. They watched and listened to understand which trains went where. Soon, they were overcome by tiredness. Back at their hiding place, they curled up and were soon asleep. They slept through until the sun pierced the slats of the large warehouse.
A disappointed Arthur stamped his foot, “Oh no, we slept in! We’ve missed our best chance and now we will have to take a risk catching the train in daylight.”
George rallied, “Look, everything in this warehouse is going north, right?”
They nodded. “We can follow the trolleys. Then find a way to sneak aboard a train. If we end up in Manchester or Liverpool, we will do it all again!”
Deborah looked worried. She did not have the lads’ confidence, but she trusted God which was all that mattered.
As ever, George led the way. “I’ll go first! Do what I do.” Running from one large pallet to the next and ducking whenever he saw trouble. George weaved in and out, closer, and closer to the train. He followed one man who had retrieved a trolley from their warehouse.
Arthur grabbed Deborah’s hand, “Come on, just think of home.” Deborah closed her eyes and imagined she was with a lost boy and Peter Pan was saving them from Captain Hook.
She was jerked out of her sweet daydream by a vice-like grip on her neck. She stared into the face of an angry man who scowled at her. His grip did indeed feel like a hook. He also had hold of Arthur and they both struggled to get away.
Arthur called out, “George.” He spun around and looked in horror as George, too, was captured.
“Well, you lads have had your fun. Now, you are going to find out what the full force of the law looks like.” The men dragged them kicking and wriggling to the police booth.
***
Ivy and Beatrice found Mikkel looking down and defeated at the hotel. He could see they were flushed with excitement.
Ivy grabbed his hand. “We need to hurry—she’s gone to the railway station. If we all spread out, hopefully we will find her. She’s with two boys and they are planning to catch a goods train to Sheffield. That was yesterday, though. I hope we are not too late.”
As they pushed themselves to walk as briskly as possible, Beatrice said, “I’ve been thinking. When we find her, we can’t take her back to Sheffield. It’s too dangerous. As soon as we arrive back in Sheffield, whoever took her will know. And they may …” she hesitated, and grimaced, “they may kill her.”
Ivy nodded. “Yes, I have considered that, too. In fact, I said as much to Maryanne. Maryanne has offered to take care of her until we find the villains who kidnapped her.”
By the time they arrived at the station, sweat was beading their brows. They spread out, each going in a different direction.
Mikkel pointed, “We will meet back at the departure board.”
Beatrice walked to the little police booth and showed them her warrant card and clarified why she was at the station.
The duty officer explained, “We are chasing three boys now. They were seen over in the service area. Probably trying to get on a train in broad daylight. The little blighters!”
Beatrice looked disappointed, as there was no mention of a girl. However, she was hopeful that the boys may have seen Deborah.
Ivy climbed up onto a baggage trolley to get some height and peered across the vast station. She groaned with frustration— it was like finding the proverbial needle. Especially if that same needle was already on a train heading somewhere. She wandered the station, looking high and low for her darling little girl with white-blonde hair and sweet blue eyes. Within the hour, she had checked the lavatory three times over.
Once she thought she saw Deborah and ran to touch her arm, “Deborah.”
The little girl turned around and said, “No, my name is Florence.”
Her mother looked at Ivy in a haughty manner and dragged Florence away, saying, “I’ve told you, don’t talk to people you don’t know.” Ivy wanted to say sorry, but they had already moved away.
***
Mikkel wandered over to the service areas of the station looking for three children trying to sneak onto a train. He knew the odds were against him—they were probably too late. If the children were getting on a train, it would have been last night. He looked in what he deemed were the obvious places to hide, behind palettes of goods and in the quiet areas.
Suddenly there was shouting, and he looked in the direction it came from. He drew in a sharp breath. In the distance, two men were dragging three boys across the platform. He moved in the same direction, following them as they walked toward the police booth. One boy was small. His cloth hat fell off in the tussle. Long white-blonde hair fell free and Mikkel called out, “Deborah.”
He picked up the pace, calling her name ever louder over the din of people. She heard her name and turned to see Mikkel running her way. Both elation, joy, and tears filled her little face. They all arrived at the police booth as Beatrice stepped out and dropped to her knees. She reached out and swept Deborah into her arms. Ivy heard Mikkel’s voice and came running. When she saw Deborah, she too fell to her knees hugging and rocking Deborah and weeping with joy.
“Oh, my darling, darling girl, you have had us so worried. Your poor Mam has been beside herself.”
Beatrice took the Bobby aside and worked out a plan to take Deborah back to Maryanne’s. She explained the danger she was in, and the Bobby relented and agreed. He asked for her address in case there was any red tape but was otherwise comfortable with the outcome. Mikkel spoke to the boys as the brawny railwaymen held them firmly by the scruff of their necks.
“Thank you for looking after Deborah. You have been incredibly brave. Your friend Marion told us you have family here in London. I will make sure we find them for you. In the meantime, if it’s alright with these gentlemen, we will take you with us.”
The railwaymen nodded and left the boys in Mikkel’s care. They were glad not to have to deal with them.
Arthur asked a question. “Her name is Deborah? We thought it was Sarah. Please, mister, don’t take us back to the workhouse. We want to find our families.”
Mikkel answered. “Don’t worry. We will do everything we can to find you proper homes.”
Back at Maryanne’s house in Chelsea, they arrived to find a feast waiting for them. The children were ravenous. George tugged on Mikkel’s sleeve. “What about Marion, mister, she’s still at the workhouse?” Deborah looked into Mikkel’s eyes and nodded.
Arthur said, “Please get Marion out of there?”
Beatrice stood, “I’m going over now to the General Register Office in Somerset House to look at births, deaths, and marriages. I’ll see if we can find your family members and Marion’s. You all came from the same street, you said? Where was that?”
Archie replied. “We were all from near St Paul's Cathedral, miss. When the Zeppelin dropped its load on September 8th last year, we were taken to St Patrick’s. We begged them to find our relatives. No-one has come to claim us. Until now, we’ve been stuck in the workhouse.” Beatrice took all their details and the names of relatives they could remember. She would go back to St Patrick’s and do the same for Marion.
Ivy sat Deborah down with Maryanne, “Deborah, you can’t go home yet, my love. It’s too dangerous. Until we catch that wicked man who took you, it’s best if you stay here with Maryanne. She is a friend of my Nannan’s, and she will take care of you. Annie will come down and visit you soon. In the meantime, you can write to her. Mikkel and I need to go back to Sheffield this afternoon. Beatrice will stay here until she’s sorted out homes for all your friends. Darling, do you know the man who took you?”
Deborah’s lips formed a determined line, and she stared straight ahead. She could not look at Ivy for fear she would get her mother killed. It wasn’t time to speak yet. Instead she hugged her.
Ivy looked at Mikkel and shook her head.
Beatrice made her way to the door. Her first stop would be St Patrick’s and then Somerset House. She hugged Ivy and Mikkel goodbye before they headed back to Paddington station for the long journey home.
“Sister,” said Beatrice, “I’m sorry I’ve been so hard on you over the years. In truth, I was jealous of you. I didn’t appreciate you as I should have. Over these last few months, you’ve blossomed into a lovely, capable woman. I’m proud to call you, my sister.”
“Oh Bea, I love you too.” They hugged again.
Within twenty-four hours, Beatrice would find the relatives of Marion, George, and Arthur. Afterwards, she followed the others back to Sheffield, leaving Deborah in the safe hands of the capable Marianne. It was a happy ending for a small group of children although everyone knew Deborah would not be happy until she was back in her Mam’s arms.
***
It was 10pm when Archie met them at the station. He looked very sombre.
“I take it you didn’t find Deborah?”
Ivy put her finger to her lips and waited until they were well out of anyone’s earshot.
“We found her, but we left her in London to keep her identity hidden.”
Archie hooted with joy! Both Mikkel and Ivy shooshed him, but they laughed at his enthusiasm.
Mikkel spoke in a whisper, “She will stay with Maryanne Boady until we find the culprit.”
Archie leaned in. “So much has happened since you left. For a start, Sir Jasper has been arrested.”
Mikkel stopped walking and stood stock still, “What are you talking about, Archie? Why would they arrest him? On what grounds?”
“He contravened the ‘Official Secrets Act’ apparently. And that’s all I know. Also, I have been spying on Otto Schmidt. I have it all written down.” Archie told them all about his near-death experience which brought a smile to Mikkel’s lips.
“My goodness, I hadn’t realised how dull my life was until I came to Sheffield. Now I think we should walk you home, Ivy. Archie and I will go to my boarding house and call Annie to tell her the good news. Tomorrow, I start lectures and I’ve done very little preparation, so it will be a late night for me.”
As they walked, Mikkel told them more about what happened to him in Denmark. He did not leave out a single detail. Ivy looked a little jealous when she heard about Clara Larsen until he mentioned her fiancé. Archie conceded his near-death experience did not compare to Mikkel’s. Ivy told them they were both brave and hugged them fiercely.
Thirty-Four
Sheffield
September 1916
T
he last few months had gone by in a blur and summer was coming to a close. Just a few more weeks and autumn would be upon them. Sir Jasper’s trial loomed with the newspapers damning him as a traitor. Beatrice requested the police investigate the whereabouts of Otto and Gustav at the time of Deborah’s abduction. But of course, they provided firm alibis with their trips away and no one could refute their story. In the meantime, Deborah stayed in London and was attending a local church school.
Mikkel resumed his teaching schedule at the university, but the numbers continued to dwindle. He was thinking seriously about his future. Lindisfarne called to him! But in all these weeks, he had yet to find the time. He intended to go back there next weekend.
The war did not abate—it became ever more deadly and destructive. So many young men lost their lives in the ghastly trench warfare. The country remained in a state of turmoil and depression. The government attempted to rally people’s spirits. But as the queue for food grew longer, their spirits remained low. People tightened their belts as their waistlines diminished. Pretty flower beds now sported cabbages, carrots, and potatoes.
Preparations for the upcoming Sheffield military ball were in full swing. Ivy had volunteered to help Mrs Richter with the decorations. Meanwhile Mikkel spent many hours at Hillsborough barracks where he continued to translate coded messages in various languages. Working with Captain Denby Francis had become so frequent that it overshadowed his university work and research. He and Denby had become firm friends and enjoyed an easy comradery. Mikkel often travelled to London to meet with the Russian military. His translating skills were highly sought after as the war dragged on. On each occasion, he took Annie to visit Deborah.
Last month, Denby had offered Mikkel a permanent job for the rest of the year. Mikkel accepted on the proviso his work at the university could continue. He still enjoyed access to the research library which was where he sat right now. Mikkel’s instinct told him that the French connection to Lindisfarne must be there somewhere.
This weekend, Ivy and Archie were accompanying him to Lindisfarne. Mikkel wanted to do more research before they left on their journey. He looked forward to seeing Edward Hudson again. Edward had extended an invitation for Ivy and Archie to play with Guilhermina Suggia for a small group of friends at the castle.
By continuing his research into the history of this tiny island off the coast of Northumbria, he realised Edward had been right about its significant place in the history of Christianity. Founded in 634 by the Irish monk, Saint Aidan, Lindisfarne became the base for a phenomenal phase of evangelism. It spread throughout the north onward to the British Isles and eventually the very Christian, British Empire. It was originally not part of the Roman church, but Lindisfarne became known as the mother church. Another saint by the name of Cuthbert, a humble evangelist, witnessed great miracles performed there. Much of this Edward Hudson had told him but being an academic he required verification. He dug deep into the university’s archives.
Mikkel’s research continued through the first Viking raid which detailed the great storm and the lightning dragons in the sky. That had to be significant, he said to himself. As he jotted down other noteworthy events, he ploughed through over a thousand years of history. That’s when he noted the ‘War of the Roses.’ He paused and his mouth dropped open. There it is! The French connection! Margaret of Anjou, the feisty French royal who had married mad King Henry VI. How remarkable! Mary Queen of Scots and Margaret of Anjou, both French royals, were affected by two mad King Henry’s. He shook his head with a smile.
Margaret of Anjou lived around 100 years before Mary Queen of Scots. Nothing significant in that except for a tiny footnote in history that made Mikkel sit up and take note. Margaret had taken charge of England as her husband became demented. There ensued a fight for his crown between two forces, the Yorkists and the Lancastrians. In 1462, Margaret’s Lancastrian military attempted to seize the Northumbrian castles. Following a storm at sea, 400 troops sought shelter on Lindisfarne. Here they were taken captive by the Yorkists.
Had they found the Ark and its resting place? Well, at last a link between the tapestry, the island, the French and somehow these mysterious stones. It was still a veiled mystery. But he knew he had inched closer.
Just as he closed his books, Gustav appeared, looking stressed and frustrated.
“Ah Mikkel, just the man. I wanted to ask you about what progress you have made on the tapestry. I realise I have asked you that often, but I’m losing patience. Should I take it to someone else?”
Mikkel frowned. He was not about to tell Gustav what he’d discovered. He was also reluctant to hand the tapestry to anyone else.
“I’m sorry, Gustav, research is very time consuming. With all the work I have at the university and the military, I'm weighed down.”
Gustav pulled his head back and looked shocked. “What are you doing for the military?”
“Oh, nothing much, just translation, Russian for the most part.”
Gustav raised an eyebrow, “How very interesting.”
Mikkel wracked his brain for a nugget he could tell Gustav that would satisfy him without giving the game away.
“A while ago, I was down in the hole at the Manor. I found a tunnel that leads to Castlegate. There are many French inscriptions down there, but I’ve translated one which intrigues me, ‘Follow the Angel.’ I suspect you already know about the tunnel but chose not to tell me. I ask myself what else you haven’t told me, Gustav. Also, why have you kept it all a secret?”
Gustav spluttered, “It’s obvious why, Mikkel. I wanted the glory for myself. A discovery like this will create a lot of unwanted interest. I decided I’d wait until we have all the facts and, quite frankly, until after the war. My nationality means I will not be received favourably. Nor will they give me any credit which I deserve for making such a find.”
Mikkel wanted to say, except you would not have made the find without Deborah. And why is she in danger? He would not raise the question of Deborah until he had all his ducks in a row.
Gustav was looking at his research, trying to read it. He appeared to be searching for something specific. Mikkel piled books on top of his research and began replacing the books back onto their shelves.
Mikkel said, “By the way, Captain Denby Francis has invited me to the ball. I understand your wife has done a wonderful job with the preparations. It will be quite an event from what I’ve heard. I’m looking forward to it.”
Gustav gave a cryptic smile. “It will be a night to remember. See you at orchestra practice, Mikkel. If you have time, that is?” He stopped and looked back as he was walking out the door. “It was kind of Ivy Jenkins to offer her help with the decorations for the ball. She is a girl of many talents.”
“Yes, indeed!” Mikkel replied.
Mikkel took his research back to his office and placed it in the safe. The secretary from the front desk knocked at his door.
“Professor Jacobsen, I thought I’d better bring this parcel to you personally. It arrived some time ago. Somehow it fell from your pigeonhole and ended up under a cupboard. I hope it wasn’t important, Professor. It was an accident and has only now been discovered.”
