BooksBarbecue
Back The Return Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Also by Anita Frank
  4. Note to Readers
  5. Dedication
  6. Part One
  7. Chapter One
  8. Chapter Two
  9. Chapter Three
  10. Chapter Four
  11. Chapter Five
  12. Chapter Six
  13. Chapter Seven
  14. Chapter Eight
  15. Chapter Nine
  16. Chapter Ten
  17. Chapter Eleven
  18. Chapter Twelve
  19. Chapter Thirteen
  20. Chapter Fourteen
  21. Chapter Fifteen
  22. Chapter Sixteen
  23. Chapter Seventeen
  24. Chapter Eighteen
  25. Chapter Nineteen
  26. Chapter Twenty
  27. Chapter Twenty-One
  28. Chapter Twenty-Two
  29. Chapter Twenty-Three
  30. Chapter Twenty-Four
  31. Chapter Twenty-Five
  32. Chapter Twenty-Six
  33. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-One
  38. Chapter Thirty-Two
  39. Chapter Thirty-Three
  40. Chapter Thirty-Four
  41. Chapter Thirty-Five
  42. Chapter Thirty-Six
  43. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  46. Chapter Forty
  47. Part Two
  48. Chapter Forty-One
  49. Chapter Forty-Two
  50. Chapter Forty-Three
  51. Chapter Forty-Four
  52. Chapter Forty-Five
  53. Chapter Forty-Six
  54. Chapter Forty-Seven
  55. Chapter Forty-Eight
  56. Chapter Forty-Nine
  57. Chapter Fifty
  58. Chapter Fifty-One
  59. Chapter Fifty-Two
  60. Chapter Fifty-Three
  61. Chapter Fifty-Four
  62. Chapter Fifty-Five
  63. Chapter Fifty-Six
  64. Chapter Fifty-Seven
  65. Chapter Fifty-Eight
  66. Chapter Fifty-Nine
  67. Chapter Sixty
  68. Acknowledgements
  69. Extract
  70. Chapter One
  71. Chapter Two
  72. Chapter Three
  73. About the Publisher

‘I won’t abandon my baby, Jack, and I don’t want to hurt it. If it stubbornly wants to stay and live, I must respect it for wanting to be. The fault is mine, not my baby’s, so I’m not going to try and get rid of it anymore.’ She walks towards him until there is barely a breath between them. She lifts her chin, but he immediately sees the confidence is feigned and when she speaks there is a tremor in her voice. ‘Make your offer again, Jack.’

He does not hesitate. He has no need to. He knows the words she wants to hear and, though he will never confess as much to her, he longs to say them.

‘Marry me, Gwen.’

‘Yes.’

Her voice is dull. There is no yearned-for sparkle in her eyes, just resigned defeat.

Without waiting for his response, she turns away and walks out into the night.

Chapter Thirty-One

Jack

August 1939

‘No.’

The force of Jim’s refusal causes Jack to step back, panic rising. This was not part of the plan.

‘Jim …’ He grapples for words, words that will convince the dour farmer to give him permission to marry his daughter.

‘No, Jack, I can’t give my blessing. I’m … well, to be honest, I’m totally taken aback. You and Gwen? Lad, you hardly know each other.’

‘We know what we want.’

‘I didn’t even realise the two of you were … well, are you? Courting? You’ve been to a dance, I’ll give you that, but you’ve not exactly stepped out – gone to the pictures or …’

‘We’ve worked beside each other day in, day out for nigh on three months now, Jim. I reckon that’s a better way of getting to know someone than taking them to the pictures a couple of times a week, don’t you?’

‘But you’ve given no indication …’

Jack rubs his forehead, his mind racing. They are in the orchard behind the house, picking apples. It is not an ideal time, but Jack has been struggling to find a suitable moment since Gwen finally accepted his offer. They had agreed he would ask to speak to Jim that first evening, but Ted had turned up unexpectedly and they had ended up drinking beer and discussing the deteriorating situation in Europe, speculating on the possible implications of Britain’s pact with Poland.

‘When are you going to say something?’ Gwen had demanded after.