6
Tactics
By the time Clara came back to the hotel before lunch, Kate and I had done our packing. It was at my suggestion. I thought it best that we should be ready to move. I was in Clara’s room stowing Sukey’s clothes away in her bags and Sukey was helping me.
“I was hoping you’d think of doing your packing,” Clara said as she came hurrying in. “Go and fetch Kate, please, and we’ll have a war conference while I do mine.”
When I came back with Kate, Clara was fastening Sukey’s bags.
“Order us up some lunch while I do this,” she said.
“Well, how did you get on?” asked Kate while I placed our order.
Clara looked up from her work. “The shipping agent said they didn’t expect the refit to take more than twenty-four hours. The Albion is due in Fremantle early tomorrow morning.”
“And can
