CHAPTER II
TEA AT THE RITZ
The following Wednesday afternoon Dick and Dot made their way to The Ritz Hotel, for him it was the first time he had been there since the war. Dot had arranged for them to meet Titty in the foyer, she was waiting for them. Dick had not seen Titty for many years, his work in the USA meant he had missed out on the various get-togethers the childhood friends arranged, but he kept in contact with them all when he could; and apart from his sister it was Titty he wrote to most of all. She greeted him affectionately and enthusiastically as if they had only last met a few weeks before.
The three of them were led to their table in the tea salon towards the rear of the hotel by the maitre'd, some of the waiting staff acknowledging Dot and Titty as they walked through, clearly regular and remembered customers.
"Well Dick, what can you tell me?" Titty started to question him as soon as they had been served their afternoon teas and left alone.
"I've spoken to Mac, and the two of them gave up his croft nearly eighteen months ago. He was actually a bit disappointed; they had done very well over the years. Their leaving was all very properly done, their rent was always paid on time..." Titty interrupted him.
"That will be Daisy, Nancy has always been hopeless about money and domestic things." Remembering how Nancy had organised Beckfoot when Mrs Blackett was away years before, Dorothea wanted to defend her, thinking of reminding Titty of that time when she and Dick lived in the Dog's Home to hide from the GA, but she knew it was best to let Dick continue with explaining to Titty what he had discovered.
"They didn't leave a forwarding address but all was amicable with Mac." He paused, and Dorothea could see Titty was about to interrupt. He continued. "But an acquaintance from some years back in the Home Office told me quite unofficially and confidentially, of course, that there is no registered passport for a Ruth or Nancy Blackett of her age, from which I conclude they are still in Britain." At this he removed his spectacles and wiped them with his handkerchief, a gesture that Dorothea knew well, that meant he felt quite pleased with himself. Titty was less appreciative.
"Well that narrows it down then!" Dick could tell her tone was sarcastic.
"That's unfair Titty, we haven't much at all to go on, and Dick has only been back just over a week." Dorothea was quick to defend her brother.
"Sorry Dick, I know and I do appreciate what you're doing, it's just strange, it's so unlike her." Titty's apology was not really needed by Dick, he knew from old what she could be like when something riled her, as Nancy's disappearance clearly did.
"What about the others? Have they any ideas?" Dick would have been surprised if they did, if Peggy didn't know it was very unlikely the others would. His mind went off at a tangent and he found himself thinking out loud.
"How is Roger these days?" Roger was still a concern to them all, returning from the war in forty-six, in the Far East his years in a prison camp had mentally disturbed him, and despite the care of all his family over the years, Titty in particular, he was still unable to live an independent life. They all did what they could, but they knew deep down he would never be the same as the Roger they knew in childhood.
"Quite well, I've not told him about Nancy, she used to visit him every three or four months, which was kind, but I don't think he'd understand. I'll try to tell him when there is something to tell." For a moment Titty was quiet and almost wistful.
There was a silence between them as they had tea, though Dick was deep in thought rather than concentrating on his sandwiches and cake. He pondered what he knew of Nancy and what she was most likely to do or even go. She had always been strong willed and her relationship with Daisy was the first time any of them had seen such a side to her or a willingness to give way to the demands of another. As he thought Dorothea was chatting to Titty as they usually did on these occasions, he was not actually listening but heard some mention of John and Susan and whether they were soon to leave their careers in the navy, perhaps they could help. But something else came to mind and, as he often did, he spoke of it at once.
"Where did Daisy grow up, we never met her did we Dot?" The two women looked at him for a moment then Dorothea spoke.
"I did, you were in America of course, wasn't in Essex somewhere?" She looked at Titty hoping for more information.
"Yes on the east coast, the Backwaters, we met her parents when we mapped Secret Water. She told me more when met after the war, she's estranged from her family, well, she was back then and from what Nancy says I think she still is." Dick continued not at all deterred by this remark.
"Do you have an address?" Titty answered first.
"Not for them, but some years ago she gave me the address of the farm we got milk from back then, because she occasionally had contact with Don."
"Don?" Dick was now slightly confused, he and Dot had not been part of the expedition to map the Backwaters so the names of those they met there meant very little to him. Titty answered him.
"There was four of them, they called themselves the Eels, have I never shown you the totem or the finished map? Don was the eldest, friends with Daisy more than her brothers. He asked her out once, that's when she told him, you know..." They all knew, even after so many years it was not much spoken of openly, it was just how they were.
"Can you give me the address?" Dick returned to the subject.
"Yes, of course, what do you have in mind?" Titty asked, but Dorothea realised the signs of her brother having a plan.
"What is it Dick? What are we going to do?"