Read Online Until We Meet Again by Margaret Thornton - Free Book Online
Authors: Margaret Thornton
Ads: Link
cupboard.’
‘Well, it’s certainly true in ours,’ smiled Tilly. ‘But you couldn’t find a happier family than Hetty and Bertram and little Angie. Bertram knew shewas…er…pregnant, but he had already fallen in love with her and he insisted that they should get married… But Hetty loved him, too,’ she added, ‘and she still does. Anyone can see that it’s a real love match.’
‘And…what about the child’s father? Didn’t he want to marry Hetty?’
‘No, he didn’t,’ said Tilly, indignantly. ‘But Hetty wouldn’t have married him anyway. She had realised by then that she had made a big mistake.’
‘So…who was the father? Although I don’t suppose it matters now, does it, seeing that Bertram has adopted the little girl?’
‘Actually, it does matter quite a lot,’ replied Tilly. She gave a deep sigh. ‘It’s all very complicated. You see… I might as well tell you… Angela’s real father is Samuel, my elder brother.’
Dominic could scarcely believe what he was hearing; in fact he was at a loss for words, an unusual state of affairs for him. He shook his head in a bewildered manner.
‘It caused quite a stir in the family, believe me,’ Tilly continued. ‘I’ve told you just a little about my brother, Samuel. He is…well, there’s a side to him that is not really honourable. He was abroad for a while on an expedition, and he didn’t meet Hetty until she had been here for quite a while.And, from what I gather, they took a fancy to one another and started going out together; and Hetty imagined that she was in love with him… He does have quite a charming side to him as well…
‘I’ve learnt most of this from Maddy,’ she went on, ‘after Hetty and Bertram were married. I wasn’t really old enough to understand about it at the time. Samuel had let her down, of course – Maddy had seen him with someone else – but by that time Hetty had realised what he was like. Anyway, all’s well that ends well, I suppose.’
‘And what about Samuel? Does he see his daughter?’
‘As a matter of fact he does, occasionally. They are all very civilised about it. Bertram is a very decent and rational sort of man. He’s doing what he believes to be right in allowing Samuel to visit them. Angie calls him Uncle Sam; the rest of us have always called him Samuel. All Angie knows is that he is her grandmother’s son. Just another uncle in our complicated family.’
‘Yes…’ Dominic shook his head perplexedly. ‘You certainly are, aren’t you?’
‘The strange thing is that both my mother and Uncle Will are grandparents to Angela; my mother because she is Samuel’s mother, and Uncle Will because he is Hetty’s father.’ Tilly laughed. ‘I get confused myself sometimes.’
‘It’s good to be a member of a large family though, I’m sure,’ said Dominic. ‘As for me, I’m the only one, worst luck. I’ve often wished I had brothers and sisters. My parents are inclined to fuss and worry too much about me. Well, Mother really; Father is not too bad. She is driving herself scatty at the moment worrying about the war. I’ll be eighteen, you see, in September and she’s scared stiff that I’ll go and enlist, especially with me being in the ATC.’
‘You wouldn’t, would you?’ Tilly glanced at him anxiously.
‘Oh…I don’t know; I might,’ he answered with a casual air. ‘It might be jolly exciting to go and have a bash at fighting the Hun instead of playing at soldiers, which is what we’re doing at the moment. At least that’s what people think we’re doing, although old Hump has hotted up the training quite a lot just lately. Some of the lads who have left school this time are already talking about joining the army instead of going to university. I must admit I feel quite envious of them.’
‘But you and Tommy have another year to do at school, the same as me,’ said Tilly. ‘And it may well be all over by then. Let’s hope so anyway.’
‘Yes, that
‘Well, it’s certainly true in ours,’ smiled Tilly. ‘But you couldn’t find a happier family than Hetty and Bertram and little Angie. Bertram knew shewas…er…pregnant, but he had already fallen in love with her and he insisted that they should get married… But Hetty loved him, too,’ she added, ‘and she still does. Anyone can see that it’s a real love match.’
‘And…what about the child’s father? Didn’t he want to marry Hetty?’
‘No, he didn’t,’ said Tilly, indignantly. ‘But Hetty wouldn’t have married him anyway. She had realised by then that she had made a big mistake.’
‘So…who was the father? Although I don’t suppose it matters now, does it, seeing that Bertram has adopted the little girl?’
‘Actually, it does matter quite a lot,’ replied Tilly. She gave a deep sigh. ‘It’s all very complicated. You see… I might as well tell you… Angela’s real father is Samuel, my elder brother.’
Dominic could scarcely believe what he was hearing; in fact he was at a loss for words, an unusual state of affairs for him. He shook his head in a bewildered manner.
‘It caused quite a stir in the family, believe me,’ Tilly continued. ‘I’ve told you just a little about my brother, Samuel. He is…well, there’s a side to him that is not really honourable. He was abroad for a while on an expedition, and he didn’t meet Hetty until she had been here for quite a while.And, from what I gather, they took a fancy to one another and started going out together; and Hetty imagined that she was in love with him… He does have quite a charming side to him as well…
‘I’ve learnt most of this from Maddy,’ she went on, ‘after Hetty and Bertram were married. I wasn’t really old enough to understand about it at the time. Samuel had let her down, of course – Maddy had seen him with someone else – but by that time Hetty had realised what he was like. Anyway, all’s well that ends well, I suppose.’
‘And what about Samuel? Does he see his daughter?’
‘As a matter of fact he does, occasionally. They are all very civilised about it. Bertram is a very decent and rational sort of man. He’s doing what he believes to be right in allowing Samuel to visit them. Angie calls him Uncle Sam; the rest of us have always called him Samuel. All Angie knows is that he is her grandmother’s son. Just another uncle in our complicated family.’
‘Yes…’ Dominic shook his head perplexedly. ‘You certainly are, aren’t you?’
‘The strange thing is that both my mother and Uncle Will are grandparents to Angela; my mother because she is Samuel’s mother, and Uncle Will because he is Hetty’s father.’ Tilly laughed. ‘I get confused myself sometimes.’
‘It’s good to be a member of a large family though, I’m sure,’ said Dominic. ‘As for me, I’m the only one, worst luck. I’ve often wished I had brothers and sisters. My parents are inclined to fuss and worry too much about me. Well, Mother really; Father is not too bad. She is driving herself scatty at the moment worrying about the war. I’ll be eighteen, you see, in September and she’s scared stiff that I’ll go and enlist, especially with me being in the ATC.’
‘You wouldn’t, would you?’ Tilly glanced at him anxiously.
‘Oh…I don’t know; I might,’ he answered with a casual air. ‘It might be jolly exciting to go and have a bash at fighting the Hun instead of playing at soldiers, which is what we’re doing at the moment. At least that’s what people think we’re doing, although old Hump has hotted up the training quite a lot just lately. Some of the lads who have left school this time are already talking about joining the army instead of going to university. I must admit I feel quite envious of them.’
‘But you and Tommy have another year to do at school, the same as me,’ said Tilly. ‘And it may well be all over by then. Let’s hope so anyway.’
‘Yes, that
Similar Books
