Chapter 30

Rowan Marlow….Rowan Marlow….. Last summer – last autumn were such a long time ago. Did he still have that letter from his mother….probably not, John thought. He was sure that his mother had mentioned that Roger's new girlfriend had a father in the navy who had served with Father. As did Giles Marlow. The name wasn't that unusual, of course. John was less certain that mother had mentioned that Roger's girlfriend had a number of sisters and lived on a farm in Dorset. Perhaps he was just mixing up the two Marlows? A runaway sister might certainly give rise to a bit of preoccupation. And for all his confident smile and fundamental confidence, Lt Marlow wasn't anywhere close to having the concentration on the job in hand that he had shown when HMS Bravery had been in the Mediterranean, however cleverly Marlow might think he disguised it. Perhaps a more direct approach would yield better results.

"Do you have a sister called Rowan?"

It was a question that admitted of only two answers – three if you counted "I won't tell you, sir." John had chosen the question for that very reason. "No" of course brought him no further forward in finding out what Marlow's problem actually was. John needn't have worried. The relief… and something else … that flickered across Marlow's face told John the first thing he needed to know.

"Yes, sir. Do you know where she is? Has something happened to her?"

"She's safe and well – and I suspect rather well fed too."

A brief grin passed over Marlow's face. "She can always do with that."

There was a pause. "Where is she, sir?"

"I think it would rather unfair of me to tell you that. I'm very sure she would be able to write and tell you that herself if she wanted to."

"Yes, only …. I can't write to her …. And she's so bloody independent … and she might assume that … well, I don't know."

"If you wanted," John said carefully, "I could probably have a letter passed on to her. It would be entirely up to her if she chose to accept or read it. And I don't think it would be fair of me to do so more than once."

"Could you sir?" and this time Marlow's tone was the relief and hope of a school boy who had just been extricated from a seemingly dreadful jam by a kindly and trusted adult.

"I can't guarantee that she'll either read it or reply, but yes, I can. And it will be made clear to her that she can pass a letter back to you without you seeing the postmark, too. And I promise to do so whether or not you chose to answer my next question."

"Thank you sir. Which is? The question I mean."

"Has this anything to do with the fact that you haven't really been firing on all cylinders for the past few months? It might be a good idea if you told me something about this business. It's obviously bothering you."

Peter Marlow to his friend Selby:

Well, I might have offered to look after the farm if it was all happening now. I mean Jon dying and so on. But not now – I'm not such a clot. Rowan's been treated fairly shabbily I think. She can be irritatingly good at things and doesn't bother hiding it, but she's a decent sort. And at least she had advice and the old farm manager to learn from at the beginning. Whoever takes it on now won't be able to do that and I'm not idiot enough to let it be me. And God knows what sort of being Giles will take it upon himself to marry – you can't say Karen has set a good precedent. So number 2 son will be quietly looking out for number one – not frittering his youth away looking after number 1 son's inheritance only to be booted out on a whim.

Rowan Marlow to Ann Marlow.

..I wasn't going to write to you until I was settled, but I suppose I'm settled for the time being – at least until after hay making. And lambing has thankfully finished. From that you can probably work out that I've got a job. The couple who own the farm are ….Rowan paused. It wasn't as if she was still at school, and she couldn't be bothered to think of a better word. …very niceand friendly. He broke his leg earlier in the year and is currently on the mend. So don't worry about me. I hope things are going OK with you. ….She couldn't think of anything else to say.

With love,

Rowan

Rowan Marlow to her sister Nicola

…I'm OK, although I haven't managed to escape farming yet. Still I've got a job and somewhere to live for the time being. Very comfortable it is too. Good luck with the School Cert. (and to Lawrie too, and to Ginty in her Highers.) I'd rather not tell you where I am, because it makes things easier all round if you can honestly say you haven't the faintest clue…

Dorothea McGinty to Titty Callum

…. yes, of course Rowan can borrow Scarab – or at least my share of her which means Dick's share will come too. If Roger says she sails well enough, then I'm sure she does. What is she like?...

Molly Blackett to Peggy Brading

And what's more, I still haven't met this young lady of Roger's. At least I have, but I didn't know she was Roger's young lady at the time. Nancy says on no account to "give the poor girl the feeling she's been inspected" so I shall have to go and enquire after Mr Dixon's leg.