Read Online The Winter Folly by Lulu Taylor - Free Book Online

work?’ she said slowly. ‘Doesn’t that matter?’
    ‘Anyone can do your job,’ he said. ‘But only I can do mine.’
    She’d been hurt at the implication and he’d become exasperated because he hadn’t meant to imply her job was easy, just that their circumstances were different. They’d
begun to squabble and then to shout, and then they were having a proper quarrel.
    ‘So my job and life don’t matter?’ she’d cried. He seemed like a stranger suddenly, and she hated it.
    His eyes flashed with irritation. ‘You married me – you must have understood that meant you were marrying the house as well!’
    ‘We never talked about it!’
    ‘Because it was glaringly obvious. You’ll have to give up your job if we’re going to be together. Besides, when you have a baby, you’ll be stopping work
anyway.’
    ‘Oh, you’ve decided that, have you?’ She felt furious. Even though she had half thought the same, his assumption enraged her. ‘Am I supposed to become a full-time mother
just because you say so? How dare you make those decisions on my behalf?’
    He stared at her, his eyes steely, and something in him seemed to snap. He shouted, ‘I don’t have a choice – I’ve
never
had a choice – and now you’ve
married me, neither do you! The sooner you understand that, the better!’ He stormed out into the night, slamming the door behind him and leaving her weeping and frightened because she’d
never seen him look at her in that terrible way, or heard such a tone of bitter resignation in his voice.
    When he finally came back to bed, she was still awake. She wrapped her arms round him and said she was sorry. She’d thought it over and of course it was stupid of her not
to realise that the fort would have to be their home right from the start. She would give up her job.
    ‘I knew in my heart I’d do it eventually,’ she said, stroking his back and feeling him relax in her arms. ‘I suppose I just hadn’t quite admitted it would be sooner
rather than later. But you’re right, my life is with you now. It’s what I want.’
    He’d hugged her back and kissed her. ‘Thank you. I do love you, darling, and I’m sorry for that horrible row. I should have talked to you about all this, but I’m not very
good at it, I’m afraid. I don’t like admitting things, even to myself. I know what it means to give up your work. If it’s any consolation, there’s plenty to do at the house,
believe me. It’s a whole career in itself.’ Smiling down at her, the dimple in his left cheek appearing, he said, ‘You never know, we might have a honeymoon baby and then
you’ll have lots to keep you busy.’
    ‘Maybe,’ she’d said, relieved and happy that there was peace between them again. ‘We’ll see.’
    Within a month, her notice was worked out, her flat had been rented and she had taken the first steps towards beginning her new life at Fort Stirling. The vast house was now her home. There was
no sign of a baby yet.

Chapter Five
    1965
    Eastbourne seemed like a strange place for a honeymoon. Alexandra might not know much about such things but she had the vague idea that Paris or Venice were the right kinds of
places, or somewhere by the sea in a hot country.
    They had the sea, all right, but apart from that, not even a hotel. The little motor car had roared past The Grand on the sea front and Alexandra, who had expected them to stop, was quite
disconcerted. Her husband – the word was strange and tasted bad, leaving a bitterness in her mouth – didn’t so much as flick a glance at the place but continued frowning at the
road ahead, a cigarette clamped between his lips or occasionally between his fingers.
    He must know what he’s doing
, she thought. Her hands were pressed tightly into the seat on either side of her, her fingertips hooked into the grainy leather. They had barely
spoken to one another since they had said their vows a few hours earlier. The bells had been pealing as they