Free Day Will Come by Beryl Matthews Page B

suppose James did, either. She’s the perfect secretary. That’s her job, and she does it well.’
    Dan nodded. ‘Now the real Grace has been revealed, the gloves are off, and we’re in trouble.’
    ‘I don’t know how much of our argument she heard, but I think it must have been most of it, and she must have misunderstood. After all, we were only trying to be helpful.’
    ‘She interpreted that as interfering, though. We have some explaining to do.’ Dan snatched his hat from a chair and put it on. ‘I’ll go and find her now.’
    ‘I’m coming with you. Neither of us is used to explaining ourselves. It might take both of us to get the job done.’
    ‘True,’ Dan agreed dryly. ‘By the way, George, what did you want to see me about?’
    ‘Just to let you know that James is coming to the Savoy on Saturday.’
    ‘Then we had better sort this out right now. If James finds out we’ve upset her, he’ll give us hell!’
    George pulled a face. ‘I’ll have to see if I can return to active duty as well. It could be safer there!’
    Both officers smiled grimly as they marched out of the office.
    Dan drove straight to Grace’s home, and when he knocked on the door, it was opened by her father.
    ‘Good evening, Ted. We’re sorry to bother you, but we would like to see Grace. May I introduce Colonel Askew.’
    ‘Pleased to meet you, sir. I’m afraid she isn’t here, Dan.’ Ted turned and called, ‘Where did Grace say she was going, Jean?’
    ‘To the pictures. The Odeon, I think she said.’
    ‘Ah, in that case she will be quite a while. You are both welcome to come in and wait.’
    ‘Thank you.’ Dan smiled. ‘We are in a hurry, so we’ll see if we can find her.’
    ‘We can’t wait around all evening,’ George said, as Dan pulled up near the cinema.
    ‘I don’t intend to. We’ll get the manager to put a message on the screen, asking her to come outside.’
    George looked at his nephew in disbelief. ‘And you think that will put her in a receptive mood, do you? She’s already angry enough, Dan!’
    ‘I am not leaving it until tomorrow.’
    George shrugged, knowing that when Dan was set on an action, nothing would change his mind. ‘All right. I’ll stand behind you.’
    Dan laughed, and his uncle scowled. ‘You’ve been nothing but trouble ever since you were born.’
    ‘Stop grumbling. Let’s find the manager.’
    The two officers were an impressive sight as they marched into the cinema foyer.
     
    Grace was startled and alarmed when her name came up on the screen asking for her to come outside immediately. Fortunately she was only six seats in from the aisle and didn’t have to disturb too many people as she left. Her heart was thumping as she hurried out. When she saw the two officers waiting for her, she was even more worried.
    ‘What’s happened?’ she asked, rushing up to them.
    ‘We need to talk to you about this afternoon,’ George told her.
    For a moment she couldn’t quite grasp what he was saying. Then it registered, and she looked from one officer to the other in astonishment. ‘Are you telling me you had my name put up on the screen, just because you want to talk to me?’
    ‘Sorry about that, Grace. It was Dan’s idea.’
    Her gaze fixed on the major. This was unbelievable!
    ‘You frightened me. I thought the invasion must have begun – or there had been some disaster.’
    ‘It is a disaster,’ Dan told her. ‘We’ve never had to explain ourselves before – let alone apologise.’
    The sight of these two powerful army officers standing in front of her, and looking slightly uneasy, was too much for Grace. She fought to hold on to her emotions.
    ‘The need to apologise is a disaster?’
    ‘Absolutely. We’ve never been in this position before, have we, George?’
    ‘Damned uncomfortable thing to have to do without practice.’
    Grace could contain herself no longer, and burst into laughter. They were working as a double act!
    ‘This is