Vera's Valour by Anne Holman

of the window as she waved to her mother – and John – standing by her on the pavement.
    She thought of Churchill’s words about and end of the beginning – or was the start of the end? Well, whatever it was, Vera felt a new chapter in her life was just beginning.
    * * *
    There was much to do settling back home again. Vera felt she was in a dream as she looked at familiar things and began to sort things out.
    Of course there was the ache in her heart that Geoff wasn’t there. But there was a letter from him, which she torn open to read:
    My dearest Vera,
    Intelligence told me you had got back to England and I was so relieved to know
    you are safe.
    Fighting continues here and I have been assigned to constructing river crossings
    because Mulberry did its job very well.
    It is good to know we are winning at last – but the war will drag on because the
    Germans are determined to fight to the end. I don’t have to tell you the horrors that
    means to so many people. I hope and pray it will all be over soon.
    The winter weather is setting in and I long to snuggle down with you –
    Your loving,
    Geoff.
    It took some time for Vera to come down to earth after she’d read his letter. His face was pictured in her mind, and his new worries about other engineering projects he’d been given to do. And the cold Continental weather – she hoped he was able to wrap up warm.
    Feeling a poke on her leg, she looked down to see Battle, Geoff’s dog, asking for his dinner. And close behind sat, Gyp, Bill’s dog, hoping to get his feeding bowl filled too.
    Wiping the tears from her eyes, Vera heaved herself up from the armchair where she’d sat to read the letter, and felt her bump. “Let’s hope your father is safe – whatever happens,” she told her unborn child. “In the meantime, I must get on. There is so much to be done.”
    Vera decided keeping herself busy was the best thing she could do, to prevent herself from moping. And knowing women all over Britain, were probably doing the same thing as they waited for their menfolk to return, helped her to accept her ache for Geoff to return.
    “Come on then, you rascals, “she said, “Let’s see what I can find for you to eat. And that applies to baby and me as well.” She added patting her tummy.
    Whatever lay ahead she thought it was going to be a very busy and exciting time.
    She just wished she could hear from Geoff again and know that all was well with him.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER ELEVEN
     
    LEAVING the dogs with the farmer every day, as Vera usually did when she went off to work, allowed the animals to be with the farm dogs around the farm yard, instead of being locked up in the cottage all day. They were used to spending the day at the farm and were trained not to run off - or chase the farm animals. They had the hay barn to shelter in if they wanted to sleep until she fetched them later in the day.
    The farmer wasn’t in the least curious to know where Vera had been for the past few weeks. His mind was wrapped around his hectic daily routine of farming, and even with the help of his hardworking Land Girls, he as still left short of male workers because the men had been sent away to join one of the armed forces. But, leaning on his walking stick, he greeted her with his warm smile when she dropped the dogs off.
    “We’ll keep an eye on ‘em,” he told Vera good-naturedly, giving both dogs a hearty pat, as Vera thanked him.
    “What’s that brain box husband of yourn been up to, then?”
    Vera replied, “Goodness knows!” Vera said as got back into her car. “I don’t like to think about what he’s doing – I just want him home again.”
    “Has he left you?”
    Vera laughed, “I hope not! But there’s a hell of a fight going on over there in Europe.”
    The farmer looked at the peaceful countryside that surrounded him. “I can’t be thinking of that,” he said,