Page 95 of The Winter Bride

They spent the most wonderful afternoon together and once again Annie realised how fortunate she was to have found them. At last, she was part of a family and she loved it.

They had only been gone for a matter of minutes that evening when Ruth and Simon appeared bearing yet more flowers.

Marie chuckled. ‘This place is beginning to look like a florist’s shop,’ she joked as she bore them away to put them in water.

By the time Annie was tucked into bed she was tired but happy and she fell asleep as soon as her head touched the pillow. For the first time since the attack, she had a peaceful night.

Chapter Forty-Seven

The following week, John and Marie took Annie back to the hospital to have the stitches in her arm and face removed. A lot of the bruising and swelling had gone down, but Annie was still very conscious of the scar on her cheek. She was managing to hobble about quite well on crutches and was beginning to think about going back to Nuneaton. It didn’t feel right imposing on Marie and John any more than she had to, although they had treated her like royalty and made her and Adam so welcome. Alfred was back with them too and had barely left Annie’s side, and she knew that she probably owed him her life.

She’d had a lot of time to think and was still pleased with her decision not to start any further business ventures until Adam was at school, so why, she wondered, was there still this hollow space inside her?

She was sitting with Marie one evening enjoying a cup of cocoa before retiring when Marie asked, ‘What is it, ma petite? I know you well enough by now to see that something is troubling you. Are you still fretting over the attack?’

Annie stared at her for a moment and suddenly her innermost thoughts came spilling out. She knew now that she could trust Marie with her life, and she didn’t think she would think badly of her if she told her the truth.

‘I was just thinking about . . . someone special,’ she confided in a low voice.

Marie’s eyes stretched wide. ‘Someone special? I did not think there was such a person in your life since your husband died.’

‘Well, there is, and has been for a long time – since even before I married Monty, although nothing could ever come of it,’ she admitted, and slowly and painfully the whole sorry story came out.

‘So, you and Monsieur Gordon were . . . lovers and Adam is ’is son?’

When Annie nodded miserably, Marie sucked in her breath. ‘But why ’ave you never told ’im? He is an honourable man and ’e would ’ave looked after you both.’

‘I didn’t tell him because I didn’t want him to feel obligated towards me. He already has a wife and child to care for, so it was better if he never knew about Adam.’

Marie’s hand flew to her mouth. She had assumed Annie knew Alex’s wife had been killed in an accident some time before. ‘But you still care about ’im?’

Annie’s sad face gave Marie her answer, and she sighed but said no more, and soon after they each made their way to their rooms.

Three days later, shortly after dinner, as Annie sat in the drawing room reading a newspaper, Marie opened the door and ushered in a visitor. Annie looked round and for a moment they simply stared at each other. Conscious of the scar on her face, Annie lifted her hand to cover it as Alex Gordon moved towards her.

‘Hello, Annie. I saw Marie earlier today and she told me what had happened to you. I’m so sorry you had to go through that. She also told me that you are a widow. I didn’t know that either or I would have got in touch.’

‘What would have been the point?’ Annie said quietly. ‘You have a wife and a daughter.’

He was sat down opposite her, their legs almost touching, and hot colour flooded into her cheeks.

He shook his head. ‘No, as a matter of fact, I don’t. I still have Lucy, my daughter, thank goodness, but my wife was killed shortly after the war ended.’

‘Oh . . . I’m so sorry.’

‘Don’t be. She’d been drinking, as usual, and after a night in the pub with her friends she stepped into the road straight into the path of an oncoming car. The driver didn’t stand a chance of stopping. The doctor told me she would have died instantly, so at least she didn’t suffer. As I once told you, our marriage had been over in all but name for a long time – although I would never have wished her dead.’

‘But how have you managed with your little girl on your own?’

He smiled. ‘I have a marvellous live-in nanny. But how have you managed with your little boy?’

‘With lots of help from Peggy and Nancy,’ she told him truthfully. ‘But recently I’ve decided to go back home to Nuneaton so I can spend more time with him, at least until he goes to school. I shall probably start another business venture then.’

There was a tap at the door, and it opened to reveal Marie holding Adam’s hand. Her maid had just bathed and changed him into clean pyjamas, and with his teddy bear tucked under his arm and his thumb jammed in his mouth he looked adorable.

‘There is a young man ’ere who wishes to say goodnight to his mama before I tuck him into bed,’ Marie said quietly, and releasing her hand Adam hurried over to his mother.

Annie was painfully aware of the way Alex was watching him before he held his hand out and said softly, ‘Hello, Adam.’