Free Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley

pointed out Augustus John at the bar. They looked older, more confident, more alike than ever in uniform. Oliver wondered whether he had chosen the wrong service.
    ‘How’s it going, Oliver?’ Polly, too, had aged. Her face had thinned so that her eyes seemed larger, her lashes longer, mouth wider.
    ‘It’s going nowhere. I’ve been trying to get in on the Finnish war but they say it’s nearly over. I’m bloody bored and cold in my camp. You look fine.’
    ‘I’m busy. I think I’m doing something useful.’
    ‘Secret?’
    ‘Not so that you’d notice. Well, it is really.’
    The twins laughed, watching her.
    ‘We saw Calypso,’ said Oliver to test them.
    ‘We’ve rather gone off her.’ David glanced at his brother for confirmation. ‘She’s become grand and social, not too keen on old friends—has other fish to fry.’
    ‘She was dining with one tonight.’ Oliver was still angry. ‘She said she was going out with Hector when I telephoned.’
    ‘He’s in the House most nights, she can’t be expected to sit at home alone.’ Polly came to Calypso’s defence.
    ‘No need for her to lie.’
    ‘Well, that’s Calypso. She will be free another time. Try again, you may have better luck.’
    ‘She’s no Penelope.’ David exchanged a glance with Polly. ‘We went to her house last time we were up. Have you been there?’
    ‘No.’ Oliver noticed the change in the twins’ attitude. ‘You two used to sit there drooling. She loved it.’
    ‘You did too. She liked you better than us.’
    ‘Or Walter,’ Polly remarked. Then, noticing Oliver’s expression: ‘She’s married, got money, a lovely house, she entertains, is the wife of Hector Grant, she isn’t one of us any more.’
    ‘Is she happy?’
    ‘I think so. Next time you get leave give her notice. The twins did.’
    ‘How did you get on?’ Oliver looked from Paul to David. ‘Was she glad to see you?’
    ‘I suspect she prefers officers.’ David was ironic.
    ‘You’ll get commissions. Tell me about yourselves.’ Oliver suddenly wanted to drop the subject. ‘Where are you stationed? What are you doing?’
    ‘We are near Cambridge at the moment. We are escorting Sophy back to school tomorrow. We tried to get into bombers but they are training us for fighters. We could have been together in bombers, we thought in our innocence.’
    ‘How long before you are trained?’
    ‘Another month, less.’
    ‘And I am kicking my heels square bashing. God!’
    ‘Walter’s full of grumbles, too. They won’t have him in submarines. He says the Navy are sadists, that he’ll spend the war being sick.’ Polly yawned. ‘I’ve got to work tomorrow. I’m off to bed. If I’m gone in the morning before you wake don’t worry, come again whenever you like. There’s plenty of room. I’m in Mum and Dad’s room, the twins have got the spare room, you can have Walter’s. Sophy’s in mine. Goodnight.’
    Oliver looked after her. ‘It’s not only Calypso who’s changed.’
    ‘We all have,’ the twins said. ‘Who would have thought a year ago we’d all be sitting round a kitchen table in fancy dress, the camomile lawn days over?’
    ‘You know I still can’t tell you two apart, can you, Sophy?’
    ‘No.’ Sophy grinned. ‘Nor can Polly.’
    ‘Nor the R.A.F. It’s like school. Perhaps the war will make some distinction.’
    Sophy looked at the twins across the table, troubled. ‘Wound.’ She spoke in her clear voice. ‘Or kill.’
    The twins looked at her. ‘You never know,’ they cried cheerfully. ‘Anything left to drink?’
    ‘There’s someone at the front door.’ Oliver stood up. ‘Who, at this hour?’
    ‘Go and see. Don’t wake Polly, she really works very hard.’
    Oliver opened the front door, peering out. ‘Good Lord, Uncle Richard! What are you doing here?’
    ‘Looking for shelter.’ Richard limped indoors. ‘Got lost in the bloody blackout, difficult to see the numbers, what do they want a blackout for with a