Daughters Of Eden: The Eden Series Book 1 (55 page)

Eugene saw them first – pointing up to the sky where, illuminated in the bright whiteness of moonlight, three parachutists could be seen descending, the remains of their aircraft having already preceded them to earth beyond the line of hills that sheltered Eden.

Major Folkestone, once more on duty, ran up the steps to the house snapping out orders. Almost immediately the resident platoon of soldiers ran out of the hall, pulling on jackets and tin hats and slinging loaded rifles over their shoulders as they rushed off to capture the falling airmen. They were followed by the rest of the party.

Everyone began to hurry towards the home paddock, so that by the time the three men landed in the frozen grass there were a dozen soldiers bearing down on them, followed by at least three
dozen more civilians, armed with sticks, boulders and an assortment of home-made weaponry. As the rest of the party began to arrive they found Billy was already at the paddock fence, prevented from hopping over and taking the first German prisoner by Major Folkestone.

As the three German airmen picked themselves slowly up off the ground, and stepped out of the parachute harness, the soldiers under Major Folkestone's command dropped to one knee and took aim. The major barked an order in German, aiming his own pistol at the nearest airman, the captain of the Dornier. Everyone fell to silence.

The captain of the stricken aircraft called to Major Folkestone, in perfect English, that they were going to reach for their pistols and throw them to the ground. Major Folkestone thanked him but called back that if anyone tried to shoot they would be killed immediately. The captain responded that he understood perfectly and then surrendered his weapons to the frosted grass in front of him. His two fellow crew members did the same and then they all three put their hands on their heads.

Marjorie left her group of friends and walked down to the paddocks, not noticing the bitter cold, intent only on getting sight of the enemy. Billy was standing by the paddock gate that one of the soldiers had swung open, hands straight down by his sides, head unmoving as he watched.

The soldiers now surrounded the three airmen, outnumbering them to an almost absurd degree. With rifles at the ready, some still aimed and trained, they steered the airmen out of the field
ahead of them. The captain, a short, handsome man, with blond hair cropped close and eyes that seemed to be more humorous than serious, walked alongside his two airmen with a nonchalance that must have belied his feelings. He must have hurt himself on landing, because he limped, and so eventually was helped by one of the soldiers, who finally lit a cigarette and put it between his lips.

As they approached the crowd of people waiting, some of whom drew instinctively back, the captain nodded and raised one hand in salute. Everyone stared at him, except Billy who now detached himself from the gate and carefully approached the airmen in order to get a better look.

‘Ah, hallo,' the captain said, seeing the boy. ‘And how old are you?'

‘Me?' Billy wondered. ‘Me, I'm fourteen.'

‘What is your name?'

‘Billy. My name's Billy.'

‘Good.' The captain smiled and tilted his head to get a better look at the boy who was now walking alongside him. ‘You're a good-looking chap, Billy,' he said. ‘And you know what? I have a young brother at home just the same age as you are.'

He ruffled Billy's hair and walked on with a smile. Billy frowned, stroked his hair back into place, then hurried on to catch up so that he could walk alongside the captain all the way back to the house where a number of the partygoers were still waiting. Poppy watched intently as the figure of Major Folkestone in his evening dress, still carrying his pistol in hand, approached the front steps of the great house. To the major's right were the three captured airmen, and to their right young Billy,
with Marjorie walking by his side. Behind were the armed soldiers, outnumbering their prisoners by at least four to one, while behind them were the men and women of Eden Park. No one talked. All that could be heard was the sound of many footfalls on the frozen gravel. Until another sound was heard, the silver sound of a cornet, clear as a clarion on the winter night air. When the playing started, everyone stopped, staring at the silhouetted figure of Scott as he played ‘Silent Night'. The three airmen stood looking up at him from the foot of the steps, none of them moving as the notes fled across the frosty ground, to finally bury themselves in the English countryside.

If you enjoyed
Daughters of Eden
, look out for Charlotte Bingham's next novel
The House of Flowers
.

Charlotte Bingham would like to invite you to visit her website at
www.charlottebingham.com