Chapter 4

Early Summer 1936

"Thank goodness they've gone, "said Nancy as the departing passengers closed the compartment door behind them. "I've accused Peg of being a chatterbox in the past but that woman never stopped. Jiminy, I don't know how her husband could put up with it!"

"He must either be a saint or completely deaf." agreed John, "Hopefully we have the compartment to ourselves for a while now."

"I certainly hope so." said Nancy moving up closer.

John took her hand in his and other than the rhythmic beat of the train's wheels on the track time passed in companionable silence.

Eventually Nancy roused herself, "Well Skipper, or should I call you Midshipman now?"

"Officially it's not Midshipman for a few weeks, but you can use it now if you must." he grinned. "By the way, I noticed you have stopped calling me Commodore."

"Titty mentioned in one of her letters that you got teased by the others. So I thought it best to drop it, in public anyway. She knew you were too polite to mention it yourself."

John made a mental note that here was something else he had to thank his middle sister for. She was the least vocal in the family but often knew what he was thinking better than he did himself. He had only mentioned the incident briefly to her while at home during the Christmas break, but obviously she had remembered and mentioned it one of her regular letters to Nancy.

"Shall we forget the Navy for a while and just be us?"

"Shiver my timbers, I've nearly forgotten how to be just me! I've been concentrating so hard on being a young lady it's difficult switching back."

"It wasn't all posh frocks and best behaviour was it?"

"No, but I'm sure that dragon of a landlady at the boarding house went to the same school as the Great Aunt. 'No visitors allowed upstairs, only in the sitting room. The front door is locked at 11 o'clock. Sixpence extra for a hot bath'", she mimicked.

"Poor you. Mother and father were alright, I hope?"

"They were fine. I'm so glad you arranged for me to stay in the same place as them. When the dragon discovered your father was a full Captain she was fawning all over them, 'Captain Walker would you like some more toast? Mrs Walker shall I pour tea?'. I don't how we kept straight faces at times."

"I so glad you could come down for the Ball and the passing-out parade. It's the major event of the year for us Cadets."

"I really enjoyed it. I've not been to anything like that before. You all looked so smart in your best uniforms, but so serious too."

"You looked wonderful too in that dress. I don't think I've seen you in a dress since you had to wear those ridiculous party frocks for your Great Aunt."

"And that pendant you bought went perfectly with the dress. It must have been fate that made you choose that one."

"Not fate. It was another Cadet. He picked some jewellery for his sister and I asked his advice and he went for that one. I couldn't work out what would look good on you. Even with three sisters I don't know much about ladies' fashions."

"However it was chosen it was perfect. But do you know what was the best part of the Ball?"

"It was all good wasn't it?"

"Spending the time with you. Not just dancing together, though you are surprisingly good -"

"Thank you very much" John interrupted pointedly, "Did you expect me to fall over your feet or something?"

"I didn't mean it like that. You could see some of the Cadets were not used to dancing with real girls. They held their partners as if they expected them to explode." Both laughed at the image this conjured up.

"Do you know what I remember most of all?" asked John.

"The food?"

"No, my name's John, not Roger."

"What then?"

"It was we went outside to cool down and we looked out over the river and down to the sea. Do you remember what you said?"

"I spouted a lot of nonsense that night, but I think it was something about wanting us to be together for ever. And you said that forever is very long time."

"And then?"

"John Walker you know perfectly well what happened next."

"I think I did this." John pulled Nancy closer and planted a kiss on her cheek, "Then I said something trite like 'Nancy I love you' and did this." This time the kiss was full on the lips and lasted much longer. He broke away. "That's what I remember, I hope you do too."

"You utter idiot. Of course I remember, and what's more I love you too."

At that moment the door to the compartment opened and the guard stepped in. "Sorry to disturb you, but can I see your tickets please?"

John blushed scarlet while rummaging in his pocket for their tickets and was glad the guard had not opened the door a few seconds earlier. Nancy just smiled sweetly. John produced the tickets, which the guard duly clipped, "Thank you Sir. Thank you Miss. Enjoy the rest of your journey."

As the guard left Nancy let out a burst of laughter, "Oh John, you should have seen your expression when he came in. You looked like you'd been caught red-handed at some terrible crime."

"Do you think he heard anything?"

"Who cares? He's probably seen and heard far worse before now. Anyway we are not likely to ever meet him again. " Nancy gave one of her grins then turned serious again, "There was something else I learned. "

"What's that?"

"I realise now how much the Navy must mean to you. I used to think it was like any other job, like teaching or working in a bank, it just meant going away a lot more. Now I can see it is a life of it's own and I shall have to share you with the Navy." Nancy looked regretful as she said it, then her expression changed back to her familiar grin, "Cheer up Skipper, I'd rather share you than not have you at all. Now we have a whole week before you head back south again."

"What have you got planned? You've said nothing at all about next week."

Nancy half turned to look John in the face, "To be honest I've nothing planned. I just want to spend some time with you. Go sailing of course, maybe revisit some of the old places again before you have to leave. Places like Swallowdale. Perhaps climb Kanchenjunga again."

"You know that would be great, after Dartmouth and the training ship spending time without the pressure of knowing someone's watching over your shoulder all the time will be such a change."

"It doesn't seem to have done you much harm. First Prize for Seamanship wasn't it?"

"That's just Dartmouth , I don't know how I'll do in the real Navy."

"Real Navy!" Nancy hooted, "You make what you've been through sound like a game!"

"Sometimes that what it seems like." John admitted, "You play by their rules and do your best and hope you come out on the winning side. Surely you found the same at school?"

"I suppose so, but then I don't like playing by the rules all the time. Look at the trouble I got into at home sometimes. Mother was always trying to get me and Peg to be better behaved, but you could tell her heart wasn't always in it. Something to do with losing father when we were young, and I think she wasn't always a perfect angel when she was young either.

"Jiminy, are we coming to the next station already? We have to change here. Come on Skipper, let's get those bags down."

It was late afternoon when they finally arrived at the station above the lake. Mrs Blackett was waiting with Rattletrap to take them back to Beckfoot. John was surprised to see Peggy was not with her.

"Peggy still has a week left at school." Mrs Blackett explained, "She won't be back at Beckfoot until Friday."

As she drove Mrs Blackett fired off a constant stream of questions, wanting to know all about Dartmouth and the Ball, and she directed these alternately at John and Nancy, usually turning to speak to them. Unfortunately this did nothing to improve her driving.

Finally Nancy managed to interrupt the flow, "Mother can you take us to the club first? I want John to meet the new Great Aunt."

"A new Great Aunt? queried John, "I thought you only had the one and she's gone now."

"Shiver my timbers skipper, this one is entirely different. You'll see."

"Alright Nancy," said her mother "but you mustn't be too long. I've told cook to have a meal ready when we get in. I expect you are both hungry after the journey. How rude!" This last directed at a cyclist who shook his fist at her as Rattletrap passed closer than was really safe.

To John's surprise Mrs Blackett turned off the main road that led around the lake and took a smaller one leading to a building at the water's edge.

"Lakeside Sailing Club," he read as they passed a sign, "what are we doing here?"

"Just a minute, you'll see."

Mrs Blackett pulled up in a gravelled space beside the building, "Now don't take too long. Remember what I said about the meal."

Nancy jumped out. "Don't fuss so mother. We shall only be a few minutes."

Moments later she stood beside a sailing dinghy with a green canvas cover to keep off the weather. "Here she is. Meet the new Great Aunt."

"Great Aunt?"

"Yes, see." Nancy loosened the ties securing the back of the cover and lifted it enough to read the name on the transom. There in clear, black letters was the name Amita Magna.

"I see, but why name her after the GA?"

"The money we get for the rent on the GA's old house is plenty enough to buy a new boat so we thought it fair to name it after her, and by using Latin it isn't so obvious." While talking Nancy finished untying the cover and pulled it off in a heap. "There, what do you think of her?" She asked with obvious pride in her voice.

"She's beautiful. Why don't you keep her at Beckfoot?"

"Look at the height of that mast. She wouldn't fit in the boat house with it up and it would be too much bother to take it down and set it up it every time. We got her specially to race here at Lakeside, though she is so new we have only taken her out a couple of times. When we get used to her she should be the fastest boat of her size on the lake."

"What about Amazon? Surely you haven't got rid of her?"

"Jib-booms and bobstays! Of course not! The GA is mostly for racing. She'd be no use for carrying camping stuff to Wild Cat Island or going on picnics. Amazon is special because she was our first boat and she still gets plenty of use. We have to use her to get over here to start with."

An impatient toot on a horn reminded them that Mrs Blackett was waiting with Rattletrap.

"Coming, mother!" Nancy shouted. "Come on Mr Midshipman, give me hand to get the cover back on will you. It's beastly stiff with being so new, and much easier with two."

Working together they replaced the cover on Amita Magna while Nancy started to explain how they got the new boat.

"You see it all started with something Peggy said back in the Easter Hols... That's right, you have to pull it really tight to stop it sagging. Yes, Peggy said something that I had wondered about but not said anything." Just then another toot on the horn interrupted her. "Alright Mother. We've nearly finished. I'll explain later Skipper."