Read Online The Soldier's Daughter by Rosie Goodwin - Free Book Online
Authors: Rosie Goodwin
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younger ones to go to bed.
‘What time are you going tomorrow, Daddy?’ Sarah asked with a catch in her voice and James kissed her forehead tenderly as he tucked the blankets beneath her chin.
‘Oh, now don’t you get worrying about that,’ he soothed. ‘You just be a good girl for your mummy and remember that I’ll be home soon.’
Briony felt a huge lump form in her throat and scuttled away to the warmth of the little sitting room. James was subdued when he came back downstairs, and sensing that her parents would value a little time alone she told them, ‘I think I might get an early night too. Night, Mum. Night, Dad.’
‘Night, pet.’ Her father hugged her soundly then tipped her chin to stare into the eyes that were so like his own. ‘You take care now,’ he said. ‘And remember that I love you and I’ll be thinking of you all, every single minute.’
Too full to speak, Briony could only nod as she hurried away up the steep narrow staircase.
A sound woke her early the next morning and she lay disorientated for a moment in the pitch darkness. Then she realised it was muffled sobbing, coming from below. Getting up and feeling her way to the door, she went downstairs. The sight of her mum crying uncontrollably met her when she opened the door leading into the little kitchen-cum-sitting room. Hurrying across, she placed an arm about her shaking shoulders and asked, ‘What’s wrong, Mum?’
Lois waved a sheet of paper at her as she rocked to and fro in the chair. ‘It’s your dad – he’s gone,’ she sobbed. ‘He says in the note that it would have been too painful and upsetting to have to say goodbye to everyone again, so he slipped away whilst we were all asleep.’
Somehow Briony was not surprised. She had sensed that her father was saying goodbye to her the night before when she retired to bed, and it was just like him to try and save them any more heartache.
‘He left a little note for you too,’ her mother told her, passing over a small envelope with her name written on the front of it.
Briony quickly tore it open and began to read;
Dear Briony
,
I’m sorry to take the coward’s way out, but I just couldn’t face seeing you all getting upset again. I know you will keep an eye out for the children and your mum for me, and if you look in the sideboard in the front room you will find I have left a little gift for each of you, to be opened on Christmas Day. Will you see that everyone gets them for me? God knows where I will be by then, but you can rest assured that I will be thinking of you all and that I will be with you in spirit. Let’s pray that this will be the one and only Christmas that we will ever have to be apart
.
Take care of yourself, my special girl, and know that I love you
.
Dad xxxxxxxxxx
Briony swallowed deeply and blinked away the tears that were trembling on her lashes; bending down, she lifted the poker and jabbed some life back into the fire, then threw some coal on before saying, ‘Well, sad as it is, I think Dad did the right thing, Mum. It would have been really hard for him to leave us all in tears again. At least this way he’ll take away the memories of how happy we all were together last night. And now the least we can do is keep things going so that he has a home to come back to, so I’m going to make us both a nice strong cup of Camp coffee and then you can help me get the children up and ready for school before we set off for work, eh?’
‘Yes, all right,’ Lois sniffed, almost as if she were the child and Briony were the adult. James was gone and there wasn’t a lot she could do about it now except to try to go on.
As Christmas raced towards them, the food in the shops became sparser. ‘There’s hardly anything to be had and the rationin’ ain’t even started yet. Gawd knows what we’ll do for Christmas dinner,’ Mrs Brindley grumbled when she popped round one evening. Briony had already invited the woman to spend Christmas Day with
‘What time are you going tomorrow, Daddy?’ Sarah asked with a catch in her voice and James kissed her forehead tenderly as he tucked the blankets beneath her chin.
‘Oh, now don’t you get worrying about that,’ he soothed. ‘You just be a good girl for your mummy and remember that I’ll be home soon.’
Briony felt a huge lump form in her throat and scuttled away to the warmth of the little sitting room. James was subdued when he came back downstairs, and sensing that her parents would value a little time alone she told them, ‘I think I might get an early night too. Night, Mum. Night, Dad.’
‘Night, pet.’ Her father hugged her soundly then tipped her chin to stare into the eyes that were so like his own. ‘You take care now,’ he said. ‘And remember that I love you and I’ll be thinking of you all, every single minute.’
Too full to speak, Briony could only nod as she hurried away up the steep narrow staircase.
A sound woke her early the next morning and she lay disorientated for a moment in the pitch darkness. Then she realised it was muffled sobbing, coming from below. Getting up and feeling her way to the door, she went downstairs. The sight of her mum crying uncontrollably met her when she opened the door leading into the little kitchen-cum-sitting room. Hurrying across, she placed an arm about her shaking shoulders and asked, ‘What’s wrong, Mum?’
Lois waved a sheet of paper at her as she rocked to and fro in the chair. ‘It’s your dad – he’s gone,’ she sobbed. ‘He says in the note that it would have been too painful and upsetting to have to say goodbye to everyone again, so he slipped away whilst we were all asleep.’
Somehow Briony was not surprised. She had sensed that her father was saying goodbye to her the night before when she retired to bed, and it was just like him to try and save them any more heartache.
‘He left a little note for you too,’ her mother told her, passing over a small envelope with her name written on the front of it.
Briony quickly tore it open and began to read;
Dear Briony
,
I’m sorry to take the coward’s way out, but I just couldn’t face seeing you all getting upset again. I know you will keep an eye out for the children and your mum for me, and if you look in the sideboard in the front room you will find I have left a little gift for each of you, to be opened on Christmas Day. Will you see that everyone gets them for me? God knows where I will be by then, but you can rest assured that I will be thinking of you all and that I will be with you in spirit. Let’s pray that this will be the one and only Christmas that we will ever have to be apart
.
Take care of yourself, my special girl, and know that I love you
.
Dad xxxxxxxxxx
Briony swallowed deeply and blinked away the tears that were trembling on her lashes; bending down, she lifted the poker and jabbed some life back into the fire, then threw some coal on before saying, ‘Well, sad as it is, I think Dad did the right thing, Mum. It would have been really hard for him to leave us all in tears again. At least this way he’ll take away the memories of how happy we all were together last night. And now the least we can do is keep things going so that he has a home to come back to, so I’m going to make us both a nice strong cup of Camp coffee and then you can help me get the children up and ready for school before we set off for work, eh?’
‘Yes, all right,’ Lois sniffed, almost as if she were the child and Briony were the adult. James was gone and there wasn’t a lot she could do about it now except to try to go on.
As Christmas raced towards them, the food in the shops became sparser. ‘There’s hardly anything to be had and the rationin’ ain’t even started yet. Gawd knows what we’ll do for Christmas dinner,’ Mrs Brindley grumbled when she popped round one evening. Briony had already invited the woman to spend Christmas Day with
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