Chapters (52)
- Cover
- Margaret Dickinson
- Dedication page
- Contents
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Part Two
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Sow the Seed
- Note
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Copyright page
There was another pause while they just sat looking at each other across the table, drinking in the sight of each other.
Then he asked gently. ‘How’ve you been, Kate? Why aren’t you in uniform? Aren’t you in the WAAFs any more?’
She circled the cup with her hands and glanced down at it. She shook her head. ‘No. I – had to leave.’
‘Had to leave? Why?’
‘I – got pregnant.’
‘Pregnant!’ he burst out, so loudly that one or two people nearby looked across. Some smiled, thinking that a young husband was hearing the joyous news for the first time; others curious in case there was a shotgun wedding about to be arranged.
‘Sssh,’ she hissed.
‘Shush be damned! Who is it? I’ll bloody kill him!’
‘Danny – don’t. It’s not like that. Just calm down – and listen.’
‘Well,’ he said, but his tone was not encouraging, ‘I’m listening.’
‘I’ve grown up a lot since – well – since I last saw you . . .’
His mouth was tight as if he would like to refute that particular statement, but he held back any retort and let her continue. ‘There was someone on our station – don’t ask me who ’cos I’m not going to tell you. We had an affair. I loved him, Danny. Not in the same way I once loved you, but . . .’
She saw his eyes soften as if the memory of their young, innocent love still hurt him too.
‘ . . . but I did love him – I still do.’
‘Why don’t you get married then?’
‘He – he’d already gone when I found I was pregnant.’
‘Gone? Do you mean – he was killed?’ Danny asked gently now and reached across the table to take her hand.
Kate shook her head. ‘No – no, he’s already married.’
‘Oh, Kate.’ There was reproach and yet sympathy too in his tone.
Her head jerked up. ‘I know you must think badly of me. But I’m not sorry. I have a beautiful baby girl whom I love dearly and things – well – they’re working out.’
‘But you’re not living at home, are you?’
‘No – and that reminds me; was it you sent that telegram?’
“Course it was. Who did you think it was from?’
She smiled. ‘I – I thought it was from – Ella’s father. You didn’t put a name on it.’