He had lived with this woman for over four years, bitter years at first which had then mellowed and become bearable in the last months, and he had admitted to himself that he’d come to admire her, like her even, and pity her a lot once he’d understood how she felt about him because he knew he could never feel the same about her. The way she had supported him through the strike with never a word of complaint or self-pity had further impressed him, and there had been moments of late, especially when he was with Alice listening to the child’s chatter and laughter and knowing how much the bairn loved him, that he could have said he was content. He didn’t know about happy; happy had always been linked in his mind with Ruby and consisted of a wild joy and elation that bordered on ecstasy, but maybe Olive and the bairn made up a different sort of happiness? He hadn’t examined his feelings too often because he always ended up more confused when he did, but as his respect and regard for Olive had grown, so had his determination not to use her for the relief of his body’s needs. He had taken her in anger in the past, but now that anger and resentment had gone he’d felt he needed to give her peace, besides which he knew she had suffered when she had lost the babies. But in all his deliberations, even when he’d realized how she felt about him, he hadn’t understood that her feelings for him were so strong.

He raised his head, wiping his face with the back of his hand as he muttered, ‘What the hell must you think of me?’

‘I think you know the answer to that.’

He looked into the thin plain face that of late hadn’t appeared so plain to him. ‘Olive—’

‘No, please don’t. Don’t say anything. I can’t help how I feel any more than you can, and it’s all right. I – I don’t mind you don’t—’ Her voice broke and as she swallowed, she lowered her head, but not before he had seen her eyes fill with tears.

Again he said her name, but now the deep tender tone brought her head lifting. This woman loved him in a way Ruby never had. The realization was part shock, part pain. She needed and wanted him and she would never have walked away from him.

Their hands were joined and she was still kneeling when she stammered, ‘I – I don’t expect anything from you, not – not in that way.’

Slowly and firmly he drew her up with him, and when they were both standing he lowered his head, bringing her hands to his mouth and feeling her fingers tremble as his lips touched them.