A PAIR OF PEARL EARRINGS

In the narrow, tall old house in Bloemstraat, Edward’s arrival is anticipated with excitement. Since he accepted the invitation, preparations have verged on obsession.

‘Anyone would think it was the Queen coming,’ says Sophie. Queen Juliana of the Netherlands or the English Queen Elizabeth, it made no difference. Sophie likes them both, but the English Queen is young and beautiful, and Sophie’s mother is English and the family all watched the film of her coronation only last year. 

‘We will have to put Edward in the attic room,’ says Betty, ‘It’s not grand like Tregethlan, but after the Army I don’t suppose he will mind.’ 

Sophie and her mother have been shopping and return with two well-packed bags.

‘There was no time to make your summer things this year,’ Betty had said, ‘what with your father’s ship coming back only last week, packing up at Den Helder and organising everything for the holiday. Anyway you’re growing up now, you need some nice things.’

The city’s two department stores were now stocking clothes that had not been available during the hard times only a few years ago. For Sophie they found a circular skirt which swished satisfyingly, a neatly fitting white blouse, a belt and fashionable flat shoes. Sophie thought a grey raincoat would be boring, ‘but useful,’ as Betty insisted. They made a satisfying visit to the lingerie department, where they found fine nylon stockings and various indispensable undergarments; but most glorious was the dress, white with blue roses and cut to define the waistline, with a full skirt. For herself Betty bought comfortable sandals for walking round the city, a dress and a new hat.

As Sophie unpacks the clothes at home, stroking the fine, crisp cottons and reveling in the smell of the new things, she thinks to herself, ‘I will be OK to meet Edward now.’ Unknown to Betty, she has purchased a pink lipstick.

Henk comes in, and says he perhaps should buy a new shirt, to live up to the two ladies in his life. Sophie thinks that he always looks handsome, especially in his naval uniform and after becoming so tanned during his recent posting to the Far East.

‘Well, I thought a couple of new shirts would be welcome,’ Betty says, handing him a bag from the store. Henk smiles at her fondly.

’Danke, Bettische.’ he says, ‘Now we are all ready. We should be leaving in an hour if we are not to keep Edward waiting.’

Sophie disappears to her room with the new Phillips radio from the kitchen. Betty has tuned it to the BBC’s Light Programme and Doris Day sings her latest hit, ‘If I give my heart to you…’. Sophie hums along with it, but soon re-tunes to Radio Luxembourg as she dresses in her new finery.

By the time they catch the taxi to the Central Station, wine is in the refrigerator and Betty has organised dinner. Sophie walks carefully in her new shoes. Her hair is newly washed and feels silky, but, to her frustration, it is barely long enough to put up into a fashionable ponytail.

None of them is quite prepared for the Edward who strides towards them from the ticket barrier: tall, almost as tall as Henk, confident, tanned and fit.

Hands are shaken, greetings exchanged. In the taxi Sophie notices that an Army haircut has robbed Edward’s auburn hair of the curls she used to love as a little girl.

‘Why aren’t you wearing your uniform?’ she asks.

‘Because I’m not on duty,’ he replies and they all laugh.

Over dinner, they learn that at Tregethlan things are doing well. Tom has help with running the estate and the land is still farmed by the Byghan family. Diana has managed to restore the house to something like its former glory and there are occasional visitors at weekends. There is news of Emily, the little girl who was evacuated. She is about to graduate from Oxford where she has studied International Law.

‘She always was clever,’ says Betty. ‘What will she do next?’

‘She will go and be a spy,’ says Sophie, ‘I can help her translate messages.’

Edward writes Emily’s address down and gives it to Sophie, saying, ’I’m sure she would like to hear from you,’ and Sophie promises to write.

As the evening light fades and the candles on the dinner table are lit, Edward relaxes. Henk takes a bottle of brandy from the sideboard.

‘It is a gift from Edward. We should sample it.’

‘How very kind,’ says Betty. ’I don’t think I’ll have any, but you men go ahead. Will you help me make the coffee please, Sophie?’ She opens the chocolates that Edward acquired in the Mess, offers it round and leaves it on the table.

‘So,’ says Henk, ‘You have been doing well. I’m delighted to hear that. Have you decided what you will do after the Army?’

‘Well,’ Edward hesitates. ‘The thing is that my father wants me to go agricultural college to learn about farming, I mean land management, and I’m supposed to be starting at the college in Cirencester. But I’m not too sure. I mean, I’ve never been that interested. I love Tregethlan but that doesn’t mean I want to do all it takes to run it.’

‘Ah, says Henk, ‘What might you be thinking of instead?’

‘Well, nothing is for sure yet, but I have been given more than a strong hint that they are offering me a commission to stay in the Army for another two or three years. It’s quite unusual and there are not many chaps who are offered that, so it’s an opportunity I wouldn’t like to miss.’ 

‘I see. Yes, that would be good for you. ‘What does your father say?’

‘He doesn’t know yet.’

‘Oh…’

‘And there’s something else. The world has come through the most ghastly war ever, but there is fighting now in Korea, Cyprus, and the Far East, as you know. And now there’s the Cold War: goodness knows where that’s going.’

‘So you think in the Army you could help?’

Edward nods and takes another drink.           

‘You might be right,’ Henk says. ‘Certainly in our Navy we see that war and conflict seem never to end.’ He looks at the young man opposite and is reminded of himself at that age: full of enthusiasm and wanting to change the world. 

The next day is spent looking at art in the Rijksmuseum, starting with The Night Watch.  Edward knows it is famous but is not quite prepared for its size and dramatic impact, the tension in the faces. They wander through galleries of Dutch art, 16th and 17th century interiors and landscapes, portraits of old men and beautiful girls, and they buy postcards. Sophie chooses one of a mysterious girl wearing a pearl earring. ‘Isn’t she pretty?’ she says, and Edward finds himself saying, ‘Nearly as pretty as you,’ and Sophie blushes.

That evening, Henk says to Edward, ‘I think you said that you have done some sailing on a lake over there in Germany. You realise that here in the Netherlands we are surrounded by much water?’ There is a twinkle in his eye as he goes on, ‘I think you might like to see some water, so I have arranged for us to take a boat out tomorrow, and sail. We can go from the yacht club and take our time.’

Sophie says, ‘Oh, I’d love that,’ but Betty says, ‘It’s for the men this time. We women will find something else to do.’

The sailing club is at the edge of a vast inland sea and the boat is Dutch-built, larger, more rounded and somewhat different to handle from the nimble dinghies that Edward knows. After a while, Henk hands over to Edward, who finds the challenge of the larger boat exhilarating with a heightened sense of the power of the wind.

‘She’s flying!’ he says, as they stream across the water, and Henk replies, ‘Steady as it is then.’

Over a beer in the club later, Henk says, ‘I was thinking about what you told me last night. I hope that you don’t mind, but I mentioned it to Betty. She agrees with me that if you decide to do what you wish and follow what I can see might be a calling, you would probably be right.’

Edward takes a mouthful of Grolsch. Henk continues, ‘Tregethlan will always be there. It is your home and one day it will be all yours. Others can look after it and farm the land for now.’ Edward nods. ‘Betty and I would never want to interfere, but we can see that you are in danger of being torn on this. You are young and I think you will make an excellent soldier. There will be time for the land later. Drink up now and I’ll get another.

The days pass in the maze of canals, bridges and intriguing old buildings, so like the paintings they see in the museums and galleries that Edward would not be surprised if the girls in the portraits by Vermeer were glimpsed through an open window. He turns to Sophie and says ‘I am sorry I didn’t bring you a present, but I really couldn’t think what you would like. Do you think we could find something?’

Sophie is beginning to think that Edward has hardly noticed her, while Edward is aware that Sophie, not yet sixteen, is still very young. They start with a cafe, where they sip a strong Javanese brew and Sophie plans a route round various back lanes and little shops. As they leave, a group of boys saunters along the street. Their hair is swept back into crests and swirls, they wear narrow trousers, long Edwardian-type jackets and thin bootlace ties. They notice Sophie; one of them says something and the others laugh. Edward and Sophie hurry the other way and as wolf-whistles and laughter follow them down the street Edward puts a protective hand across her shoulders.

In the next street, they pause at a shop where music is playing and the atmosphere is thick with cigarette smoke. ‘Shake, rattle and roll! That’s the latest hit,’ Sophie says, excited.

‘Don’t suppose it will last,’ says Edward, but they linger to savour the atmosphere and look though stacks of records. The big 78’s look clumsy and impractical beside the new little 45’s and Sophie decides to save up for a new gramophone.

They look at books, but everything is in Dutch and means nothing to Edward. They look at scarves, and belts, and exotic fabrics imported from the East. Interesting scents waft into the street and in a shadowed doorway someone seems to be smoking something unusual.

‘You want ganja?’ says a low voice.

‘No thank you,’ says Edward quickly and they hurry on. After that nothing seems quite right, until Sophie pauses by a tiny shop window where there are items of jewelry and oriental pearls.

‘Look, Eddy,’ she says, pointing to a pair of earrings, ’Aren’t they just like the one in the painting?’

Edward says, with a sense of relief, ’Shall we have a look then?’

Inside the shop, Sophie is given the delicate pearls to hold by her face. ‘They’re lovely,’ she says looking into a small mirror on the counter. Edward quietly tries to ask the cost.

‘For your sister?’ says the elderly assistant, in Dutch, ‘For your sister I can reduce the price.’

‘What’s he saying?’ Edward asks, ‘How much does he want?’

‘You are English!’ says the old man. ‘For you I do not charge.’

Edward sees it would be wrong to insist, so he accepts gratefully and buys a silver pin for his mother. They leave the network of narrow streets and walk together beside small canals and over picturesque bridges, pausing to celebrate their purchases with coffee and cream buns in a corner cafe. At every turn there is a view worthy of recording, and Edward is busy with his new camera.

‘It is just like Vermeer,’ Sophie says.

‘You are prettier than that girl.’

Sophie blushes. They are standing on a bridge and something catches in Edward’s throat as he looks into her wide, grey eyes, the sunlight playing on her hair. On impulse, he bends to kiss her on the cheek, as a brother might.

‘Oh, I do love you Eddy.’ Just a moment she holds him tight. ‘I always will.’

‘And I will always love you too.’

They stand in the centre of the parapet, gazing down the canal. Edward holds her hand and says, ‘If I lived here, I would buy a boat and we would sail down the canal all the way to the sea.’

‘Could we sail to Cornwall?’ 

‘Yes. Easily.’

Full of life and youth, they slowly make their way back. They pause at the flower market, where Sophie helps Edward select a vast bouquet for Betty. 

‘Would you carry it for me?’ he says, handing it to her, dazzled by her radiant smile framed by the luscious pinks and golds of the petals. He quietly sings a snatch of an old song his grandmother used to sing to him: ‘Roses and radishes, pansies and peas,’ and Sophie continues, ‘Here’s to the dicky birds that sing in the trees. You taught me that when I was little.’ http://link%20to%20Mylor%20Rhythm%20extract

That evening, Edward takes the family to a restaurant and Sophie wears the earrings. They talk about the future. Sophie says she will graduate in languages and get a good job. There is a pause. Then, has Edward decided? He has. Tregethlan and his father will have to wait a bit longer. They drink a toast to the future.

Although Betty has noticed the earrings she has not commented, but now Henk says,

‘Those are pretty pearls, Sophie.’

Edward replies, ‘I couldn’t think what Sophie would like, and then she spotted them in a shop window.’

Next morning there is sadness as Edward prepares to leave. They all promise to keep in touch, and Edward will tell them how he gets on. After they return from the station, Sophie retreats to her room and cries. Betty and Henk look at each other. The sound of the radio reaches them from the bedroom, ’Once I had a secret love…’

‘What did you think of the ear-rings?’ says Betty. 

‘I thought she looked happy. She is young still, so it is probably not too serious. Though she might do worse.’

Betty says, ‘I will have a little chat with her tomorrow.’

Suddenly the music changes and the melodious harmonies of Doris Day give way to a wild rhythm that they have never heard before. Someone is singing about rocking a clock, whatever that might mean. The Radio Luxembourg announcer says, ‘That was Bill Haley and his Comets: we’re going to be hearing a lot more from them.’ Betty and Henk look at each other in astonishment and laugh nervously. It doesn’t make sense.

Chapter 26