A Death And A Plan

JOHN WALKER – COMMANDER – HMS VANGUARD

ACCIDENT AT BECKFOOT STOP

NANCY DEAD STOP

CAN YOU COME HOME STOP

SWALLOWS AND PEGGY

John Walker, Commander of HMS Vanguard looked at the telegram in his which had been delivered from the dockyard telegraph office. For him, the sounds of men going to and fro seemed almost a whisper as he kept reading the message over and over. A few tears came down from his eyes and splashed onto the deck below his feet.

"Ah, John, I thought I might fi–" the voice stopped almost as quickly as it had started. Captain Parham, Vanguard's commanding officer, stood in the hatchway of John's quarters with a look of confusion etched onto his face. He'd never seen his Commander like this in the months he had known him and instantly knew that something was terribly wrong. "Commander? John?"

"Sir? Oh, Sir! Am I late for Department Heads?" John quickly wiped his eyes and stood before his Captain.

"No, but I was just coming here to say that we've got orders to go into a minor refit. If its not too personal… What is in the telegram?"

"My fiancé has had an accident – she's dead"

"Good grief! Well, of course you can have leave this very minute. Get you gear together and I'll handle the paperwork" Parham said.

"But there is the refit to think about" John protested.

"Commander, to hell with the refit – there are more important things then the service. Now, get your gear and I'll see if I can get you a railway warrant"

"Aye, Aye, Sir" John said. "Thank you"

"It's no problem, Commander… I lost my wife during the war too, so I know somewhat how you must feel"

"Sir" John nodded and waited until the Captain had left before turning to pick up a bag to pack some clothes inside.

#

Several hours later, a chilled John stood at the train station and looked around as the last whisps of the departing train swirled around his legs.

"JOHN!" his thoughts were disturbed by the shout of Peggy Blackett as she ran over to him.

"Peggy" he gave her a hug. "I'm sorry about whats happened to Nancy... What... What happened?"

"There was a storm and a tree was picked up and hurled through the top floor of the house - she never stood a chance"

"Right" John replied. For some reason or another, he found it hard to comprehend the death of Nancy when he had seen hundreds of people die during the war. A good number of them had been by his own hands or by his actions. "Where is she?" he asked.

"The funeral home at Rio" Peggy replied, "But we're supposed to have her coffin back for a viewing" and John had a flashback to having to look on the grisely remains of crewmembers killed.

"She wouldn't like that" he commented as they left the station and headed towards the small Land Rover that was war surplus.

"What can we do though? Nancy would hate to be in the ground - she'd want to be buried at sea!" and John smiled faintly. "The others are all mostly here, but Roger will get up here this evening" Peggy continued speaking as she started the engine and began the drive from Rio to Beckfoot. John knew that Roger was in the Navy doing something with submarines, but he was not sure exactly.

"I'm looking forward to getting to Beckfoot" said John.

"Oh?"

"I want to get out of this uniform"

"Nancy always loved to see you in it"

"I know" came the reply. No more was said until the Land Rover reached Beckfoot where the Blackett sisters lived. "Of course, I suppose that should be sister" John thought as he opened the door and got out.

"JOHN!" Susan and Titty ran towards him and gathering him up in a hug with some crying - surprisng from the normally stoic Susan.

"How long did it take for you to get here?" asked Titty.

"Overnight train from Portsmouth to London, another one to Crewe and then a newspaper train to here... about fourteen hours"

"I wish this was under better circumstances" Susan said sadly.

"Same here"

"You must be tired from all your travelling up here" said Peggy. "Do you want to get changed out of that uniform?"

"Rather" and the group trooped inside where John went into the room used by Captain Flint when he stayed over from time to time. As he changed out of his uniform jacket and shirt, John's thoughts turned to his deceased fiance and the life they had planned together. Christmas, the last time they had seen each other, had seen John pull out a ring and propose in front of their family and friends.

"John?" a voice called from the doorway. John turned and saw Dick standing awkwardly with a look of utter confusion and hurt.

"Dick" John crossed and shook the bespectabled young man by the hand.

"I'm... I'm sorry about Nancy - she was a good friend to me and Dot"

"Where is she?"

"Sleeping. The poor girl was tired by the time we got here this afternoon and I thought she would get rather grumpy if woken up"

"You heard about the plans made for the funeral?"

"Yes... I don't like it at all"

"Well I have been thinking about that" John sakd, "And I have an idea that is going to be risky and could land us all in jail"

"After all that I did during the war,I think I am due for a little bit of risk taking" Dick said.

"Well wake up Dot and meet me in the kitchen in five minutes" John replied. Dick nodded and left the room to allow John to change out of most of his uniform.

# # # # #

By the time that John actually made it downstairs an hour later, Roger had arrived and was nursing a cup of tea - Susan passed him a cup of his own. Because of their time working in the services or helping in the war effort, this was the first time that the Swallows, Amazons and the Scarabs had been together. A single place remained unfilled as if expexting Nancy to come thundering in and saying she had fooled them all.

"So, what is your plan?" asked Dot.

"Nancy once asked me to make sure she was buried at sea like a pirate should be. Now while we can not do that exactly, I propose that we sail Swallow, Amazon and Scarab to the middle of the lake where it is the deepest and put her overboard"

"Is that legal?" asked Titty.

"No it is not" remarked Susan, "But Nancy was our friend and I think that we should do it for her"

"What happened to the sensible Susan we knew?" chuckled Roger.

"She died during the war" Susan said darkly and sadly.

"I have a better idea" Peggy broke the silence. "Amazon was badly beaten up from the storm and it isnt worth fixing when I dont intend to sail in her again."

"What are you suggesting?" asked Dick.

"We take Amazon under sail to the middle of the lake and scuttle her - Nancy would love to go down with her ship"

"How are we going to get Nancy's body from the coffin to the Amazon without anybody noticing?" asked Dot.

"We could replace the body after the viewing with rocks, hide the body and do the scuttling after the funeral" said Dick. "After all, we can't have an empty coffin as the lightness would be noticed right aw–"

"I have a better idea" Roger spoke up and the others looked at him. "Why don't we bury Nancy on Wild Cat Island? She loved that place as much as any of us ever did, and at least we could make sure nothing happened to where she was" and so it was agreed.

"Orders, Commodore?" asked Peggy smartly. She was sure that her sister was watching and laughing at the use of the term now that John was a naval officer.

"The fleet will store and prepare to set sail" John gave a weak smile.