Read Online Past Remembering by Catrin Collier - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catrin Collier
Ads: Link
All of you.’ He looked from the wardens to the old cockney.
‘It’s all in a day’s work, thanks to bloody Hitler. I only hope our RAF boys are giving them what for over there, that’s all I can say,’ the cockney groused as he continued to dig.
‘I can walk,’ Jane protested as he nodded to the VAD who was carrying Anne.
‘After you’ve seen a doctor.’ He followed the VAD towards the centre. ‘And then any walking you do will be in the direction of Paddington station.’
‘Haydn …’
‘No arguments.’
His face was grim, set, and she realised no amount of coaxing, cajoling or lovemaking would sway him. Not this time.
Alma and Charlie lay wrapped in one another’s arms in Bethan’s bed, watching the sun sink slowly over the hills.
‘I’ve been dreaming about that for a long time.’ He pulled her even closer, locking his hands around her waist.
‘It’s probably wrong for a woman to say so, but so have I.’ She ran her fingertips over the smooth skin of his shoulders, wishing that it had been like this between them from the first moment of his leave.
‘Why is it wrong for a woman?’
‘I don’t know. Welsh chapel morality, maybe? Didn’t you know that women aren’t supposed to like lovemaking, only put up with it for their husbands’ sake?’ She smiled at him. ‘It is going to be all right between us, isn’t it?’
‘It’s always been all right between us.’ He reached for the jacket he’d flung down next to the bed. Fumbling in the pockets he pulled out a packet of cigarettes and the lighter she had given him the last Christmas before the war. A lighter that lay in his locker in base camp in between ‘jobs’ because he dare not take anything of English manufacture where he went.
‘I don’t just mean bed.’
‘I know, Alma.’
‘I was being silly and selfish earlier when I said I wouldn’t want to go on without you. You mustn’t worry about me. Especially when you are away.’
‘I’ll never stop worrying about you, that’s a husband’s prerogative.’ Turning his back to her, he leaned on his elbow and lit a cigarette.
‘Charlie, I need to say something and, please, don’t interrupt me before I’ve finished, because I’ll never pluck up enough courage to bring this up again. I think I know where they send you, and you told me once that your first wife and baby may still be alive somewhere in Russia …’
‘You have no idea how vast Russia is.’
‘Please, Charlie, I said no interruptions.’ She sat up and looked earnestly into his ice-blue eyes, cold no longer, but warm with love and tenderness. ‘What I’m trying to say is that if you do find her, and want to stay with her after the war, that’s all right.’
‘Alma …’
‘I won’t pretend to like it, but I’ll understand. You warned me before we married that Masha had prior claim on you.’
‘Just as Ronnie Ronconi had on you.’
‘Ronnie was my lover, not my husband, Charlie, it’s not the same thing. I want our relationship to be built on honesty and trust, that’s why I told you everything about me before we married. We were truthful with one another then, and I want no secrets between us now. Neither of us could have imagined anything like this war happening. We both thought we would live out our lives quietly in Pontypridd. That Masha would remain somewhere where you couldn’t reach her, and Ronnie would stay in Italy with Maud, but now things are different. This has nothing to do with Ronnie,’ she emphasised. ‘I will never go back to him no matter what happens. I promise …’
‘No.’ He laid his finger across her lips. ‘Don’t make promises you may find yourself unable to keep. You were right to say that we had no idea how this war would affect us. We have even less idea what else is coming our way.’
‘I promise,’ she reiterated fervently. ‘There will never be anything between me and Ronnie Ronconi ever again. But I mean it about Masha. If you do find
‘It’s all in a day’s work, thanks to bloody Hitler. I only hope our RAF boys are giving them what for over there, that’s all I can say,’ the cockney groused as he continued to dig.
‘I can walk,’ Jane protested as he nodded to the VAD who was carrying Anne.
‘After you’ve seen a doctor.’ He followed the VAD towards the centre. ‘And then any walking you do will be in the direction of Paddington station.’
‘Haydn …’
‘No arguments.’
His face was grim, set, and she realised no amount of coaxing, cajoling or lovemaking would sway him. Not this time.
Alma and Charlie lay wrapped in one another’s arms in Bethan’s bed, watching the sun sink slowly over the hills.
‘I’ve been dreaming about that for a long time.’ He pulled her even closer, locking his hands around her waist.
‘It’s probably wrong for a woman to say so, but so have I.’ She ran her fingertips over the smooth skin of his shoulders, wishing that it had been like this between them from the first moment of his leave.
‘Why is it wrong for a woman?’
‘I don’t know. Welsh chapel morality, maybe? Didn’t you know that women aren’t supposed to like lovemaking, only put up with it for their husbands’ sake?’ She smiled at him. ‘It is going to be all right between us, isn’t it?’
‘It’s always been all right between us.’ He reached for the jacket he’d flung down next to the bed. Fumbling in the pockets he pulled out a packet of cigarettes and the lighter she had given him the last Christmas before the war. A lighter that lay in his locker in base camp in between ‘jobs’ because he dare not take anything of English manufacture where he went.
‘I don’t just mean bed.’
‘I know, Alma.’
‘I was being silly and selfish earlier when I said I wouldn’t want to go on without you. You mustn’t worry about me. Especially when you are away.’
‘I’ll never stop worrying about you, that’s a husband’s prerogative.’ Turning his back to her, he leaned on his elbow and lit a cigarette.
‘Charlie, I need to say something and, please, don’t interrupt me before I’ve finished, because I’ll never pluck up enough courage to bring this up again. I think I know where they send you, and you told me once that your first wife and baby may still be alive somewhere in Russia …’
‘You have no idea how vast Russia is.’
‘Please, Charlie, I said no interruptions.’ She sat up and looked earnestly into his ice-blue eyes, cold no longer, but warm with love and tenderness. ‘What I’m trying to say is that if you do find her, and want to stay with her after the war, that’s all right.’
‘Alma …’
‘I won’t pretend to like it, but I’ll understand. You warned me before we married that Masha had prior claim on you.’
‘Just as Ronnie Ronconi had on you.’
‘Ronnie was my lover, not my husband, Charlie, it’s not the same thing. I want our relationship to be built on honesty and trust, that’s why I told you everything about me before we married. We were truthful with one another then, and I want no secrets between us now. Neither of us could have imagined anything like this war happening. We both thought we would live out our lives quietly in Pontypridd. That Masha would remain somewhere where you couldn’t reach her, and Ronnie would stay in Italy with Maud, but now things are different. This has nothing to do with Ronnie,’ she emphasised. ‘I will never go back to him no matter what happens. I promise …’
‘No.’ He laid his finger across her lips. ‘Don’t make promises you may find yourself unable to keep. You were right to say that we had no idea how this war would affect us. We have even less idea what else is coming our way.’
‘I promise,’ she reiterated fervently. ‘There will never be anything between me and Ronnie Ronconi ever again. But I mean it about Masha. If you do find
Similar Books
