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‘I’ from a piece of paper ‘Jean Castleforth’ His voice had been portentous
‘That’s ’s expression was unreadable ‘You’ve been called to the captain’s office, id, he said to Frances, as if Jean were no longer there, ‘She’s one of the young ones, right? I’ve been told it’s best if someone comes with her’
Those words halted any further questions He led theest short walk of her life Suddenly heedless of the rain, they strode briskly across the hangar deck, past the torpedo store, and up so rapped on it sharply When he heard, ‘Enter,’ he opened it, stood back, one ar the walk, Jean had slid her hand into Frances’s and was now gripping it tightly
The roohter than the narrow passageway and they blinked Three people were silhouetted against one of the s, and two faced them Frances noted absently that the floor was carpeted, unlike anywhere else on the ship
She saith alarnised the woine area The temperature seeri convulsively ‘So has happened to hi to tell ht? Tell ed a brief look with the chaplain, then stepped forward and handed Jean a telegram
‘I’ram, then up at the captain ‘MHIs that an H?’ She traced the letters with her finger ‘A? You read it for me,’ she said, and thrust it at Frances Her hand shook sosound
Frances took it in her left hand, keeping hold of Jean’s hand in the other The girl’s grip was now so tight that the blood was pooling in her fingertips
She took in the content of the telegram a second before she read it out The words dropped from her mouth like stones ‘"Have heard about behaviour on board No future for us"’ She sed ‘"Not Wanted Don’t Coram, then at Frances
‘What?’ she said, into the silence Then: ‘Read it again’
Frances wished that in the telling of those words there was some way to soften their impact
‘I don’t understand,’ said Jean
‘News travels between ships,’ said the WSO, quietly ‘Someone must have told one of the other carriers e docked at Ceylon’
‘But no one knew Apart from you’
‘When we spoke to your husband’s superiors to verify the telegranancy’ She paused ‘I understand that, according to your given dates, it would be impossible for hiht, as if she were pleased to have found some other stick hich to beat Jean As if the Not Wanted Don’t Coone white ‘But I’nant – that was--’
‘I think in the circumstances, he probably feels that is irrelevant’
‘But I haven’t had a chance to explain to hi’
Frances stepped in ‘It wasn’t her fault Really It was a ’
The woman’s expression said she had heard this many times The men just looked embarrassed
‘I’m sorry,’ said the captain ‘We have spoken to the Red Cross and arrangee back to Australia You will disembark at--’
Jean, with the ferocity of a ind, launched herself at the wo old bitch!’ Before Frances dived in she had landed several flailing punches on the woman’s head ‘You vindictive old whore! Just because you couldn’t find anyone!’ she screa to pull her away, to Frances’s entreaties ‘I never did nothing!’ she shouted, tears strea down her cheeks, as Frances and the chaplain held her back, faces flushed with effort ‘I never did nothing! You’ve got to tell Stan!’