tanks to come rolling around the bend. "That's what I heard. That's why we're here. I sent a couple of guys to check out the coast road. They should be back any minute."
Elizabeth glanced at the church. "Does anyone know who rang the bells? Have you seen the vicar?"
"I saw him a minute ago talking to that woman with the loud voice." Earl nodded in Rita's direction. "She's some lady. I could hear her a mile down the road."
Elizabeth sighed. "Take no notice of Rita. . . . she's quite harmless, actually."
She winced as Rita screeched yet another order. The housewives shuffled into an uneven line, standing shoulder to shoulder.
Earl grinned. "Rakes and brooms against bayonets. You gotta admire their guts."
"Or pity their stupidity," Elizabeth said briskly. "I—" She broke off as the roar of an engine echoed from farther down the road.
The sound effectively silenced everyone, even Rita, as they all turned to face the coast road. For a moment Elizabeth felt sick with fright, until she realized that the German army would hardly advance with a single vehicle. The travelers had to be Earl's men.
Nevertheless, she held her breath as she watched the jeep approach. From somewhere behind her she heard a quavery voice wail, "Oo, 'eck," and Rita's sharp voice answering, "Hush! Stand your ground, ladies."
"You stand it," someone muttered. "I'm going back to my kids."
A chorus of "Me, too" followed the statement, and a clatter suggested the weapons had been cast to the ground as the women scurried out of the line of fire.
Rita's howl of protest died as the jeep pulled to a halt in front of Earl and two American officers jumped out.
Elizabeth recognized one of them as Sam Cutter, the young man who was responsible for Polly's constant state of bemusement these days. He lifted his hand in a sloppy salute. "Nothing going on down there, sir. False alarm, I reckon." As he turned his head, Elizabeth noticed a dark bruise just under his left eye. Or maybe itwas a shadow. In that light she couldn't be sure.
"That's what I figured," Earl said. "Thanks, Sam."
Elizabeth relaxed her shoulders. "That's a relief." She turned and waved at the silent crowd. "All right, everyone, back to your beds. There's no invasion tonight."
"Are you quite sure, your ladyship?" Rita demanded.
She actually sounded disappointed, Elizabeth thought sourly. "Quite sure, Rita. The invasion would have come from the beach, and there's only one road into town. If the Germans have launched an invasion, they are not advancing on Sitting Marsh."
"Which wouldn't make a whole lot of sense anyway, if you think about it," Earl murmured.
Elizabeth raised her hand as a babble of voices arose from the crowd. "I would like to know which one of you raised the alarm, however. I'm sure it was well-intentioned, so don't be embarrassed to admit it. It would help put our minds at ease to know who it was, and why."
Silence greeted her question as everyone looked blankly at one another.
"I was one of the first to get here, m'm." Percy Bodkins, the grocer, raised his hand. "I didn't see no one come out of the church."
"That's right, your ladyship. He was here when I got here." Bessie Bartholomew, the plump and jovial owner of the bake shop and tea room, pumped her head up and down. " 'T were only Percy, Rita, Clara and her lads, and the vicar when I got here."
A white-haired man in a shabby raincoat pushed his way forward. The collar at his throat gleamed white in the moonlight, and reflected on the thick lenses of his glasses. "Lady Elizabeth, I don't know who rang the bells, but whoever it was must have run off afterward. Just a prank, I'm thinking."
"You're probably right, Reverend." Elizabeth nodded at the vicar. "Perhaps we should take a quick look in thebell tower, however. I would hate to think that someone would do any damage to the church, but I would feel better if we inspected the tower, just in case."
"Well, I don't know how much we can see in the dark," the
Elizabeth glanced at the church. "Does anyone know who rang the bells? Have you seen the vicar?"
"I saw him a minute ago talking to that woman with the loud voice." Earl nodded in Rita's direction. "She's some lady. I could hear her a mile down the road."
Elizabeth sighed. "Take no notice of Rita. . . . she's quite harmless, actually."
She winced as Rita screeched yet another order. The housewives shuffled into an uneven line, standing shoulder to shoulder.
Earl grinned. "Rakes and brooms against bayonets. You gotta admire their guts."
"Or pity their stupidity," Elizabeth said briskly. "I—" She broke off as the roar of an engine echoed from farther down the road.
The sound effectively silenced everyone, even Rita, as they all turned to face the coast road. For a moment Elizabeth felt sick with fright, until she realized that the German army would hardly advance with a single vehicle. The travelers had to be Earl's men.
Nevertheless, she held her breath as she watched the jeep approach. From somewhere behind her she heard a quavery voice wail, "Oo, 'eck," and Rita's sharp voice answering, "Hush! Stand your ground, ladies."
"You stand it," someone muttered. "I'm going back to my kids."
A chorus of "Me, too" followed the statement, and a clatter suggested the weapons had been cast to the ground as the women scurried out of the line of fire.
Rita's howl of protest died as the jeep pulled to a halt in front of Earl and two American officers jumped out.
Elizabeth recognized one of them as Sam Cutter, the young man who was responsible for Polly's constant state of bemusement these days. He lifted his hand in a sloppy salute. "Nothing going on down there, sir. False alarm, I reckon." As he turned his head, Elizabeth noticed a dark bruise just under his left eye. Or maybe itwas a shadow. In that light she couldn't be sure.
"That's what I figured," Earl said. "Thanks, Sam."
Elizabeth relaxed her shoulders. "That's a relief." She turned and waved at the silent crowd. "All right, everyone, back to your beds. There's no invasion tonight."
"Are you quite sure, your ladyship?" Rita demanded.
She actually sounded disappointed, Elizabeth thought sourly. "Quite sure, Rita. The invasion would have come from the beach, and there's only one road into town. If the Germans have launched an invasion, they are not advancing on Sitting Marsh."
"Which wouldn't make a whole lot of sense anyway, if you think about it," Earl murmured.
Elizabeth raised her hand as a babble of voices arose from the crowd. "I would like to know which one of you raised the alarm, however. I'm sure it was well-intentioned, so don't be embarrassed to admit it. It would help put our minds at ease to know who it was, and why."
Silence greeted her question as everyone looked blankly at one another.
"I was one of the first to get here, m'm." Percy Bodkins, the grocer, raised his hand. "I didn't see no one come out of the church."
"That's right, your ladyship. He was here when I got here." Bessie Bartholomew, the plump and jovial owner of the bake shop and tea room, pumped her head up and down. " 'T were only Percy, Rita, Clara and her lads, and the vicar when I got here."
A white-haired man in a shabby raincoat pushed his way forward. The collar at his throat gleamed white in the moonlight, and reflected on the thick lenses of his glasses. "Lady Elizabeth, I don't know who rang the bells, but whoever it was must have run off afterward. Just a prank, I'm thinking."
"You're probably right, Reverend." Elizabeth nodded at the vicar. "Perhaps we should take a quick look in thebell tower, however. I would hate to think that someone would do any damage to the church, but I would feel better if we inspected the tower, just in case."
"Well, I don't know how much we can see in the dark," the
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