Read Online Such Sweet Sorrow by Catrin Collier - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Catrin Collier
Ads: Link
able to touch you after all this time.’
‘Isn’t it?’ Diana leaned forward and impulsively hugged and kissed her mother.
‘Get on with you.’ Megan pushed her daughter away because she was dangerously close to tears. ‘I’ve a lot to catch up on, so it seems. Elizabeth leaving Evan, and Phyllis moving in. I never thought he’d find the courage to live openly with her, although I suspected that something was going on there for years.’
‘Isn’t it marvellous? They’re so happy together.’
‘God knows Evan deserves as much happiness as he can get after suffering Elizabeth’s wifely ministrations for over twenty years. And speaking of husbands and wives, he tells me you and Will are both courting strong,’ she added artfully.
‘I think Will was hoping to buy Tina a ring this afternoon.’ Diana tried to deflect her mother’s interest from her affairs to her brother’s.
‘It’s serious between them, then?’
‘I think so.’
‘Then why in hell did the fool go and join up?’ Megan spooned sugar into the tea Phyllis had poured. ‘You think they’ll get married?’
‘I don’t know, what with the war and everything –’
‘Damned war!’ Megan cursed angrily.
‘One good thing has come out of it.’
‘It has?’
‘You’re home.’
‘And all the boys have gone or are going. Evan told me Eddie’s been in the Guards for months. Signed up a couple of days after marrying Jenny Griffiths. Something happen there I should know about?’
‘None of us knows what really happened between Eddie and Jenny, other than he seemed to want to get out of Pontypridd in a hurry. But Will and the Ronconi boys signed up in the Guards because of Eddie. They’re hoping to be able to serve with him.’
‘And Haydn’s in ENSA.’ Megan switched the conversation to Evan’s oldest son. ‘Singing for his country and married. I noticed that Evan couldn’t stop talking about her, as opposed to his other daughter-in-law.’
‘Jane’s a sweet little thing, you’ll like her.’
‘An orphan, Phyllis said.’
‘She might be an orphan, but she’s got enough gumption in her to stand up to Haydn.’
‘Good. Apart from Evan, the men in this family always have had too much of their own way.’
‘I can’t see Tina letting Will get away with anything.’
‘And Maud’s still well and happy in Italy, and Bethan …’ Megan began, referring to Evan’s eldest daughter who’d married the local doctor.
‘… has the most beautiful baby girl you’ve ever seen,’ Diana interrupted excitedly. ‘Just wait until you see Andrew. He’s the most besotted father in Ponty.’
‘I can imagine. I’m glad it’s worked out for those two. And Charlie’s married to Alma Moore. I don’t think any of us saw that coming.’
‘She’s good for him, and he’s been marvellous to Will and Eddie.’
‘That just about covers everyone except you.’ Megan turned her dark, perceptive eyes on her daughter. ‘Aren’t you going to tell me anything about yourself?’
‘I’m happy. Wyn Rees is a wonderful boss –’
‘So work’s fine. What about your free time?’ Megan interrupted.
‘That’s fine too.’
‘Really? What’s this I hear about you and Tony Ronconi?’
‘We’ve been seeing one another, but I told him tonight I don’t want to get engaged or married. Not now he’s joined up.’
‘You don’t love him?’
‘He’s going away. No one knows what’s going to happen, everything’s so unsettled.’
‘You’re not prepared to wait for him?’
‘It seems silly to get married to a man I might not see for years.’
Megan might have spent the last few years physically separated from her daughter, but she knew her, and knew her well. ‘So you quarrelled with Tony tonight?’
Before Diana had time to answer, the front door closed and William came whistling down the passage. He opened the door and stood rooted in the doorway.
‘Mam! How on earth did you get here?’
Megan rose
‘Isn’t it?’ Diana leaned forward and impulsively hugged and kissed her mother.
‘Get on with you.’ Megan pushed her daughter away because she was dangerously close to tears. ‘I’ve a lot to catch up on, so it seems. Elizabeth leaving Evan, and Phyllis moving in. I never thought he’d find the courage to live openly with her, although I suspected that something was going on there for years.’
‘Isn’t it marvellous? They’re so happy together.’
‘God knows Evan deserves as much happiness as he can get after suffering Elizabeth’s wifely ministrations for over twenty years. And speaking of husbands and wives, he tells me you and Will are both courting strong,’ she added artfully.
‘I think Will was hoping to buy Tina a ring this afternoon.’ Diana tried to deflect her mother’s interest from her affairs to her brother’s.
‘It’s serious between them, then?’
‘I think so.’
‘Then why in hell did the fool go and join up?’ Megan spooned sugar into the tea Phyllis had poured. ‘You think they’ll get married?’
‘I don’t know, what with the war and everything –’
‘Damned war!’ Megan cursed angrily.
‘One good thing has come out of it.’
‘It has?’
‘You’re home.’
‘And all the boys have gone or are going. Evan told me Eddie’s been in the Guards for months. Signed up a couple of days after marrying Jenny Griffiths. Something happen there I should know about?’
‘None of us knows what really happened between Eddie and Jenny, other than he seemed to want to get out of Pontypridd in a hurry. But Will and the Ronconi boys signed up in the Guards because of Eddie. They’re hoping to be able to serve with him.’
‘And Haydn’s in ENSA.’ Megan switched the conversation to Evan’s oldest son. ‘Singing for his country and married. I noticed that Evan couldn’t stop talking about her, as opposed to his other daughter-in-law.’
‘Jane’s a sweet little thing, you’ll like her.’
‘An orphan, Phyllis said.’
‘She might be an orphan, but she’s got enough gumption in her to stand up to Haydn.’
‘Good. Apart from Evan, the men in this family always have had too much of their own way.’
‘I can’t see Tina letting Will get away with anything.’
‘And Maud’s still well and happy in Italy, and Bethan …’ Megan began, referring to Evan’s eldest daughter who’d married the local doctor.
‘… has the most beautiful baby girl you’ve ever seen,’ Diana interrupted excitedly. ‘Just wait until you see Andrew. He’s the most besotted father in Ponty.’
‘I can imagine. I’m glad it’s worked out for those two. And Charlie’s married to Alma Moore. I don’t think any of us saw that coming.’
‘She’s good for him, and he’s been marvellous to Will and Eddie.’
‘That just about covers everyone except you.’ Megan turned her dark, perceptive eyes on her daughter. ‘Aren’t you going to tell me anything about yourself?’
‘I’m happy. Wyn Rees is a wonderful boss –’
‘So work’s fine. What about your free time?’ Megan interrupted.
‘That’s fine too.’
‘Really? What’s this I hear about you and Tony Ronconi?’
‘We’ve been seeing one another, but I told him tonight I don’t want to get engaged or married. Not now he’s joined up.’
‘You don’t love him?’
‘He’s going away. No one knows what’s going to happen, everything’s so unsettled.’
‘You’re not prepared to wait for him?’
‘It seems silly to get married to a man I might not see for years.’
Megan might have spent the last few years physically separated from her daughter, but she knew her, and knew her well. ‘So you quarrelled with Tony tonight?’
Before Diana had time to answer, the front door closed and William came whistling down the passage. He opened the door and stood rooted in the doorway.
‘Mam! How on earth did you get here?’
Megan rose
Similar Books
