Read Online Daughter of Dark River Farm by Terri Nixon - Free Book Online
Authors: Terri Nixon
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voice low and worried. ‘You won’t get addicted.’
It was only then he realised what he’d said. ‘Of course I won’t! Evie, please…don’t worry.’
‘But look at you!’ She was close to tears. ‘You can barely breathe, you need
something
.’
‘I’ve got something,’ he said gently, and lifted their still-linked hands. ‘Just sit with me? Don’t mind if I drift a bit. Just…sit with me.’ He let out a slow, difficult breath and his eyes closed. I saw his jaw tighten against a small sound of pain, and Evie raised his hand to her lips and kept it there.
Jack and I murmured our goodbyes and started to drift away, but Evie caught up with us before we reached the door. ‘He’s sleeping already,’ she said. ‘He’s so tired. Hopefully he’ll sleep until it’s time for his next injection.’
Jack put an arm around her. ‘I was never certain I’d say this, but I think he’s worthy of you, Evie.’
‘I love him so much,’ she said, choking on the words as she looked back to where Will slept. The lump of bandage beneath his pyjamas stretched right across his waist, and around his left side, and I guessed the surgery had been intensive, and more dangerous than Evie had wanted to say.
‘He’s going to need a lot of help to stay off morphine once he’s out,’ Jack said, and while I knew it had to be discussed, I thought he might have delayed a bit. But Evie was made of sterner stuff than me, and she nodded.
‘But it’s a good sign he didn’t let me call the nurse over, isn’t it?’
‘It is. I think he knows how scared you are though, and if you’re not careful he could go the other way.’
She gave him a horrified look. ‘You think he’d actually deny himself pain relief?’
‘He loves you, sweetheart,’ Jack reminded her, and kissed her forehead. ‘He’ll do anything.’
‘Are you all right, Skittles?’ Evie asked me, and put a hand on my arm. I nodded, but I was starting to feel distanced again, as if I were watching from the other end of the tunnel.
‘I’m just tired,’ I told her, and smiled. ‘A good sleep and I’ll be right as a trivet.’
Five minutes later the three of us were outside, listening to the crump of guns and the shouts of men and a newly arrived convoy. Now the worry over Oli was eased, all I could think about was Archie. I could see Jack’s mind had turned inward, and wondered if he too was thinking about his nephew.
‘I’m going back to Belgium tonight,’ he said to Evie, confirming it. ‘I want to be there when the lad gets back.’
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Give him a hug from me, won’t you?’ She glanced at me as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but I smiled and gave a tiny shake of my head. If I’d had any remaining doubts about her love for Will, they’d have been dispelled as soon as I’d seen the couple together.
‘Will you take me straight to the ferry, or am I coming back with you?’ I asked Jack.
‘I’m sure you’d like to see Oliver once more before he’s shipped back, wouldn’t you? I can take you to the hotel again if you like, and you can see him in the morning. I’m not sure you’re up to a channel crossing by the looks of you anyway.’
‘I’d feel better for sleeping in a bed,’ I admitted, and Evie gave me a hug.
‘You take care, sweetheart. You’re still not back to your old self.’
We said our goodbyes, and while I sank with relief into Jack’s passenger seat, Evie went, with equal relief, back down to spend another long night at Will’s bedside.
We arrived back in Belgium in the early hours, and I fell into bed with deep gratitude. The travelling, the cold and the tension had all gradually chipped away at me, and I still felt a low ache in my belly but I couldn’t tell if it was a physical pain or the emptiness of losing the baby. Frances had been appalled at the way I’d embraced the blame, and she denied any possibility that I deserved it, but I felt the truth wrap itself
It was only then he realised what he’d said. ‘Of course I won’t! Evie, please…don’t worry.’
‘But look at you!’ She was close to tears. ‘You can barely breathe, you need
something
.’
‘I’ve got something,’ he said gently, and lifted their still-linked hands. ‘Just sit with me? Don’t mind if I drift a bit. Just…sit with me.’ He let out a slow, difficult breath and his eyes closed. I saw his jaw tighten against a small sound of pain, and Evie raised his hand to her lips and kept it there.
Jack and I murmured our goodbyes and started to drift away, but Evie caught up with us before we reached the door. ‘He’s sleeping already,’ she said. ‘He’s so tired. Hopefully he’ll sleep until it’s time for his next injection.’
Jack put an arm around her. ‘I was never certain I’d say this, but I think he’s worthy of you, Evie.’
‘I love him so much,’ she said, choking on the words as she looked back to where Will slept. The lump of bandage beneath his pyjamas stretched right across his waist, and around his left side, and I guessed the surgery had been intensive, and more dangerous than Evie had wanted to say.
‘He’s going to need a lot of help to stay off morphine once he’s out,’ Jack said, and while I knew it had to be discussed, I thought he might have delayed a bit. But Evie was made of sterner stuff than me, and she nodded.
‘But it’s a good sign he didn’t let me call the nurse over, isn’t it?’
‘It is. I think he knows how scared you are though, and if you’re not careful he could go the other way.’
She gave him a horrified look. ‘You think he’d actually deny himself pain relief?’
‘He loves you, sweetheart,’ Jack reminded her, and kissed her forehead. ‘He’ll do anything.’
‘Are you all right, Skittles?’ Evie asked me, and put a hand on my arm. I nodded, but I was starting to feel distanced again, as if I were watching from the other end of the tunnel.
‘I’m just tired,’ I told her, and smiled. ‘A good sleep and I’ll be right as a trivet.’
Five minutes later the three of us were outside, listening to the crump of guns and the shouts of men and a newly arrived convoy. Now the worry over Oli was eased, all I could think about was Archie. I could see Jack’s mind had turned inward, and wondered if he too was thinking about his nephew.
‘I’m going back to Belgium tonight,’ he said to Evie, confirming it. ‘I want to be there when the lad gets back.’
‘Of course,’ she said. ‘Give him a hug from me, won’t you?’ She glanced at me as soon as the words were out of her mouth, but I smiled and gave a tiny shake of my head. If I’d had any remaining doubts about her love for Will, they’d have been dispelled as soon as I’d seen the couple together.
‘Will you take me straight to the ferry, or am I coming back with you?’ I asked Jack.
‘I’m sure you’d like to see Oliver once more before he’s shipped back, wouldn’t you? I can take you to the hotel again if you like, and you can see him in the morning. I’m not sure you’re up to a channel crossing by the looks of you anyway.’
‘I’d feel better for sleeping in a bed,’ I admitted, and Evie gave me a hug.
‘You take care, sweetheart. You’re still not back to your old self.’
We said our goodbyes, and while I sank with relief into Jack’s passenger seat, Evie went, with equal relief, back down to spend another long night at Will’s bedside.
We arrived back in Belgium in the early hours, and I fell into bed with deep gratitude. The travelling, the cold and the tension had all gradually chipped away at me, and I still felt a low ache in my belly but I couldn’t tell if it was a physical pain or the emptiness of losing the baby. Frances had been appalled at the way I’d embraced the blame, and she denied any possibility that I deserved it, but I felt the truth wrap itself
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