The Soldier's Bride by Maggie Ford Page A

Trafalgar Square’.
    She could see people passing backwards and forwards beyond the shop window, going about their business as quickly as possible, huddled in their coats, scarves wrapped around the necks, heads down against the chill wind; could see them clearly because her eyes were as dry as the desert.

Chapter Six
    Letty leaned forward and tapped little Albert’s fat cheeks with a forefinger. ‘Who’s a darling chubby-cheeks then?’ she cooed, evoking a smile from the nine month old sitting contentedly on his mother’s lap, a small fist curled around the bit of buttered bread he was vigorously sucking.
    Curtains closed against the winter’s evening, everyone full up with Christmas pudding and cake, they sat around the parlour fire, pulling chestnuts out of the grate, muffins browned on toasting forks then being buttered and handed round. Nutshells littered the ash-strewn hearth; the men drank beer, the women sipped sherry. Letty gazed at each one.
    Almost a year since losing Mum. It hardly seemed possible, for all Dad’s face seemed to grow more lined with grief as the months grew. Vinny and Lucy had even put aside their black for something a bit more cheerful for Christmas. Vinny with baby Albert had proudly announced another on the way. Lucy too, her stomach in full bloom, looked so contented with her married state, Letty almost hurt with envy.
    Lucy puffed her chest out over her bulge, leaningforward with an effort to retrieve a chestnut from the grate, and didn’t quite make it.
    ‘Jack, love, reach one out for me, there’s a dear.’
    Obligingly jiggling its charred blackness from one hand to the other until it was cool enough, he handed it to her. Lucy gingerly peeled off the husk. Nibbling the sweet floury flesh, her eyes sought Letty’s.
    ‘And when are you and David getting engaged?’ She looked surprised when Letty, tightening her lips, didn’t reply. ‘Lord knows you’ve been walking out for long enough. Eighteen months, isn’t it? Since Vinny got married.’
    Letty caught David’s look, sitting a little apart from the others, near the piano, read in his expression that now was probably the time to bring out her ring. She glanced quickly away. It definitely was not the time. At Lucy’s enquiry Dad had got up. Shoulders hunched, he went out of the room, going past David with not one glance in his direction. Irritation immediately reared up in her. She almost called after him, ‘It’s Christmas! Goodwill to all men – that includes my David too.’
    ‘Where’s Dad off to?’ Lucy, her blue-grey eyes wide with innocence, continued nibbling at the chestnut while Vinny prattled happily to little Albert, oblivious to everything but him.
    Dad hates David, that’s what, and you didn’t help, Letty wanted to stand up and shout at them both. Your Jack and your Albert – the sun shines out of their backsides as far as Dad’s concerned. So why in God’s name is he so against David?
    Instead, she shot her pregnant sister a sharp glance.‘You’ll get indigestion eating all those nuts,’ she said, and escaped Lucy’s retort by getting swiftly up from the sofa to go and help herself to another muffin off the table.
    She didn’t really want it, put it back on the pile, sat at one of the upright chairs beside David.
    ‘I can’t show them the ring,’ she hissed. ‘Not yet.’
    He said nothing, but his bowed head gave the impression of veiled disapproval, disappointment, a coolness towards her for lacking in courage, for letting him down perhaps in not boldly displaying the ring still hiding like a felon under her blouse.
    ‘I’m sorry, David,’ was all she could whisper, but again he said nothing, just stared sightlessly towards the fireplace, an apathetic half smile on his lips as though it was an effort to acknowledge her at all, though he did hold her hand when she touched his.
    Her leaving had disrupted the pleasant stupor around the fire. Jack took a deep revitalising breath and