drink?’
‘No!’ Geraint threw his cap down on the table and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Sorry, but there’s no time. If I’m not at the station in Arrochar in two hours to pick up the train south, I’ll be officially absent without leave by the time I get to my barracks.’
‘If it’s because you didn’t say goodbye, I understand...’
‘No, you don’t. I don’t want to say goodbye, not ever. That’s the whole point. I thought...’ He smiled weakly. ‘I love you,’ he said baldly. ‘I let you think I didn’t love you because I thought it would be kinder, but it was wrong and I was a complete idiot and you were right and—and I love you.’
Flora’s legs almost gave way beneath her. She dropped extremely ungracefully into a chair. ‘You love me.’
‘I do. And as long as you love me, that’s all that matters. You were right. We can cope with anything, if we have each other.’
Geraint loved her. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t let herself believe it, not just yet. ‘But yesterday you said...’
‘Some things haven’t changed.’ He looked down at her earnestly. ‘I am still terrified that I won’t be able to cope in the trenches, but I know that I’ll try my hardest, and I know that if I fail you’ll still love me. I’ve realised that the only way I can let you down is by walking away from you, by being too afraid to give what we have a chance.’
‘And if you are hurt, Geraint? If you are wounded, scarred, worse? Will you come home to me?’
‘I promise.’
‘And afterwards, after the war, what then? What about your political ambitions? I’m not exactly a poster girl for the socialist movement.’
Geraint grinned. ‘Oh, but all that’s going to change. No more us and them. We’ll work together, you and I, to change the world. Or at least, to change that part of it. With you by my side, I’m know we’ll succeed.’
He dropped to his knees before her, taking her hands in his. ‘Knowing you love me will give me something more precious than anything to fight for. If you’ll take me, if you can forgive me for being so blind, if you still want me, I can think of nothing I want more, and no bigger honour than to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?’
She had held herself in, kept her emotions strapped so tightly down for weeks now that it was almost impossible to let herself go. But Geraint was looking at her, his face stripped bare for her to read, and his train left in less than two hours, and she loved him and he loved her and that really was all that mattered.
‘Yes,’ Flora said in a tight little voice that did not sound a bit like her own. Happiness, like a sudden burst of summer sunshine, caught her unawares. She threw her arms around his neck. ‘Yes, yes, yes. Oh, dear heavens, yes.’
Laughing, kissing, crying, she clung to him. ‘I love you,’ he said over and over as he returned her kisses. ‘Are you certain?’ he asked her as she kissed him back.
‘Absolutely. Completely. Utterly.’
‘Then tell me what we need to do.’
‘Do?’
‘Banns. Paperwork.’
‘You mean you want me to marry you now? But we are both leaving for France.’
‘All the more reason, but if you’d rather wait I would understand.’
‘No. No, I don’t want to wait a second longer than we have to. I’ll postpone my departure. I’ll make a list,’ Flora said, laughing. ‘It’s one of the many things I’ve discovered I’m rather good at.’
Six weeks later
‘Did I tell you that you look quite radiant, Mrs Cassell?’
‘Several times. Did I tell you that I love you, Mr Cassell?’
‘No matter how many times you do, it will never be often enough.’
They were in Flora’s bedroom, having appropriated the Lodge for their wedding night. Alex had returned to school most reluctantly. Flora’s parents were spending the night as guests of Colonel Patterson. Her mother was very far from reconciled to the marriage, but the laird had proved a
‘No!’ Geraint threw his cap down on the table and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘Sorry, but there’s no time. If I’m not at the station in Arrochar in two hours to pick up the train south, I’ll be officially absent without leave by the time I get to my barracks.’
‘If it’s because you didn’t say goodbye, I understand...’
‘No, you don’t. I don’t want to say goodbye, not ever. That’s the whole point. I thought...’ He smiled weakly. ‘I love you,’ he said baldly. ‘I let you think I didn’t love you because I thought it would be kinder, but it was wrong and I was a complete idiot and you were right and—and I love you.’
Flora’s legs almost gave way beneath her. She dropped extremely ungracefully into a chair. ‘You love me.’
‘I do. And as long as you love me, that’s all that matters. You were right. We can cope with anything, if we have each other.’
Geraint loved her. She couldn’t believe it. She couldn’t let herself believe it, not just yet. ‘But yesterday you said...’
‘Some things haven’t changed.’ He looked down at her earnestly. ‘I am still terrified that I won’t be able to cope in the trenches, but I know that I’ll try my hardest, and I know that if I fail you’ll still love me. I’ve realised that the only way I can let you down is by walking away from you, by being too afraid to give what we have a chance.’
‘And if you are hurt, Geraint? If you are wounded, scarred, worse? Will you come home to me?’
‘I promise.’
‘And afterwards, after the war, what then? What about your political ambitions? I’m not exactly a poster girl for the socialist movement.’
Geraint grinned. ‘Oh, but all that’s going to change. No more us and them. We’ll work together, you and I, to change the world. Or at least, to change that part of it. With you by my side, I’m know we’ll succeed.’
He dropped to his knees before her, taking her hands in his. ‘Knowing you love me will give me something more precious than anything to fight for. If you’ll take me, if you can forgive me for being so blind, if you still want me, I can think of nothing I want more, and no bigger honour than to have you as my wife. Will you marry me?’
She had held herself in, kept her emotions strapped so tightly down for weeks now that it was almost impossible to let herself go. But Geraint was looking at her, his face stripped bare for her to read, and his train left in less than two hours, and she loved him and he loved her and that really was all that mattered.
‘Yes,’ Flora said in a tight little voice that did not sound a bit like her own. Happiness, like a sudden burst of summer sunshine, caught her unawares. She threw her arms around his neck. ‘Yes, yes, yes. Oh, dear heavens, yes.’
Laughing, kissing, crying, she clung to him. ‘I love you,’ he said over and over as he returned her kisses. ‘Are you certain?’ he asked her as she kissed him back.
‘Absolutely. Completely. Utterly.’
‘Then tell me what we need to do.’
‘Do?’
‘Banns. Paperwork.’
‘You mean you want me to marry you now? But we are both leaving for France.’
‘All the more reason, but if you’d rather wait I would understand.’
‘No. No, I don’t want to wait a second longer than we have to. I’ll postpone my departure. I’ll make a list,’ Flora said, laughing. ‘It’s one of the many things I’ve discovered I’m rather good at.’
Six weeks later
‘Did I tell you that you look quite radiant, Mrs Cassell?’
‘Several times. Did I tell you that I love you, Mr Cassell?’
‘No matter how many times you do, it will never be often enough.’
They were in Flora’s bedroom, having appropriated the Lodge for their wedding night. Alex had returned to school most reluctantly. Flora’s parents were spending the night as guests of Colonel Patterson. Her mother was very far from reconciled to the marriage, but the laird had proved a
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