The Soldier's Bride by Maggie Ford Page A

few indulgent moments of self pity. She didn’t want even David to share them.
    ‘I was only dreaming,’ she said, amazed how terse she sounded.
    His whisper came back, almost chastened. ‘I thoughtyou might need me. You seemed so distressed.’ Then, after a small hesitation, ‘May I come in Letitia?’
    She hesitated. Dad didn’t know David had stayed, would be horrified to know he’d come into her room. Anyway, it wouldn’t be right, would it? But quite suddenly she didn’t care.
    Her face buried in her hands, less from misery than embarrassment at his entering her bedroom at her own invitation and her only in her nightdress, she mumbled her acquiescence, thankful the gas lamp in the street below sent only the weakest of glimmers to the room. All the same, she was being very improper and dared not look up.
    She didn’t hear his approach until the edge of her bed dipped under his weight. His hands touched hers, began easing them from her eyes, and, improper or not, it seemed most natural to cling to him, to lift her face to his, allow her lips to be kissed gently. No words; his body against hers gave its own comfort, shutting out the emptiness that had so frightened her. Yet an instinctive fear made her suddenly pull back.
    ‘No … we can’t. We mustn’t!’ And then, as he too moved back very slightly, confusion. She should never have allowed him to come into her room, but now he was here, how could she allow him to leave?
    He held her lightly; the caresses that had threatened to overwhelm her had ceased. David’s voice was low, a whisper.
    ‘Go back to sleep now, my darling.’ He was moving away, the edge of her bed rising back into place as hispressure on it lessened. ‘It’s best I go home. I shall come and see you tomorrow.’
    But she couldn’t let him go. ‘I was being silly.’
    ‘No, you weren’t.’ He was close to her again, his words halting. ‘Letitia, my darling, I love you with all my heart. And because of that I could never be so selfish as to allow myself to … I want you for my wife, and until that time … Letitia, do you understand what I am trying to say, my darling?’
    Yes, she did understand. Loving him, she did understand. His own past grief had made him compassionate rather than bitter, had not made him hard or selfish. A man to cherish. As he kissed her once more very tenderly before leaving, she knew she wouldn’t cry again tonight.

Chapter Five
    Arthur Bancroft’s voice was thick with tears as he handed little Albert back to his mother.
    ‘’Er first grandson. It ain’t fair …’ he managed before his voice gave out and the tears washed over his blue eyes.
    Vinny, still weakened from having little Albert under such a sad set of circumstances, held the baby to her like a shield, her face twisting with grief. ‘Don’t, Dad! You’ll start me off again.’
    ‘Never ever ’ad a chance ter see ’er first grandchild …’
    ‘Dad!’ Letty’s voice was strong. ‘Go and put the kettle on, love. I’ll make tea when it boils.’
    He went like a lamb, as he did these days. Whatever she said, he did; whatever command she gave, he obeyed as if his will had been sapped and he needed to obey to keep himself from falling apart.
    Letty shook her head as Vinny’s tears evaporated. ‘He won’t let himself get over it. I know it’s only been six weeks, but we all have to try. I have to. For his sake. I suppose I’m being hard, and I feel it just as much as he does, but Dad just keeps dissolving. A dozen times a day. Like he did just now, seeing the baby.’
    ‘We shouldn’t have come,’ Albert offered, but his roundface held a partially offended look that immediately put her back up. She tried not to dislike him but his pomposity got right up her nose at times.
    ‘Don’t be silly.’ She shrugged, vaguely angry. ‘Dad would have been even more upset then. He’s been fretting to see the baby. It’s bound to upset him. Everything upsets him.’
    She moved about