THE WAR BRIDE CLUB (19 page)

      Sometimes she felt sorry for him.
Sometimes
. But he’d made his own choice, bringing her here. He’d lied to her about what their life in America would hold, and he had refused to stand up for her, to protect her,
to love her
, as he’d promised.
 

      Maybe he’d married her because he
had
loved her then. Or liked her. Maybe he’d thought the war would take his life, and that they’d never actually end up here. Maybe that’s why he’d pretended his life in America was something it wasn’t. Or maybe things had just been different during the war.

      But whatever his reasons, she deserved better. And she wasn’t backing down.
 

      Madeline placed a hand on her stomach and rubbed it, softly.
 

      If she was pregnant, she wanted a real home for their child. Enough money to buy a crib, pretty clothes and a handful of toys.
 

      She didn’t want much, but she did want to be comfortable.

      
But more than anything, she wanted to be home.

Madeline was starving. She’d stayed in her room all night, except for sneaking out late to use the toilet, but she couldn’t hide any longer.
 

      She’d heard everyone else have breakfast, listened to the clang of the dishes, and heard the back door swing shut a handful of times.
 

      Now, it seemed, the house was quiet.
 

      How she was going to put up with four more days of it, she didn’t know. Right now, all she wanted was some bread to fill her belly.
 

      The coast was clear. She tiptoed out to the kitchen, scanned the room and the large window, and started to relax.
 

      She picked up the butter knife and reached for the loaf. Then heard the creak of a floorboard.
       

      Her heart felt as if it leaped to her throat.
 

      “You heartless little cow.”

      The words were laced with evil. Nasty.
 

      Tiny hairs prickled on the back of Madeline’s neck, but she continued to spread butter on the bread.
 

      “Did you hear me?”

      She almost wished it was her mother-in-law. Sarah was easier to deal with than Roy’s sister.
 

      “How dare you come here and ruin my family! You disgust me. Turning a man against his own flesh and blood.”

      Madeline placed the knife down. Biting her tongue was no longer an option.

      “I don’t want to have this conversation, Carolyn. I have done no such thing and I think you need to apologize to me.”

      Carolyn’s eyes flashed.
 

      “Don’t use your haughty words with me, miss. We know you want to poison him against us, but you won’t. You’re no better than a stinking pig, you filthy English tart.”

      That was enough. A burning heat hit Madeline’s chest, flushed up her neck.
 

      “Had you made even a hint of effort,
just tried
, to accept me into this family, it never would have come to this. I came here expecting love, expecting a family to call my own, and look what I ended up with.” She scowled at her sister-in-law with disgust. She’d kept her words to herself for long enough. “A bitter spinster with a nasty mother, and nothing to do except treat me like a human slave!”
 

      For a moment she thought she was going to be slapped. Or clawed at by a wild woman. Instead Carolyn just glared at her, then stalked away.
 

      It was then she saw Roy standing in the doorway that led outside. He looked stunned. He didn’t say a word.
 

      But Madeline was on a roll.
 

      She turned to unleash her anger on him instead, no longer able to keep her cool.
 

      “It’s true, Roy. Every word of it. You painted this beautiful picture of what it would be like here. Now I know why you resisted for so long when I used to ask you about home and your family. You waited just long enough, until you’d concocted the story you thought I wanted to hear.”

      He hung his head. Finally, she hoped, he was ashamed.
Finally
he might realize what he’d done to her. How he’d robbed her of her family. Taken everything from her with a lie.
 

      “I loved you, Roy. And I married you because I thought you loved me too. Because I thought you’d stick up for me. Because I thought your family would love me as their own.”

      “I’m sorry.”
 

      For the first time since she’d arrived, his voice sounded like the man she’d met in London.
 

      “So you should be.” She wasn’t letting him off the hook. She should have said this days ago. Weeks ago. Should have made him see from the very start. No matter how sincere he sounded, he didn’t deserve forgiveness, not yet. “You snatched me away from my family, pretended to be something you weren’t. I won’t ever forgive you, Roy. Not unless you make things right. And fast.”

      They stood, staring at one another. The look on his face almost made her think he cared.
 

      She no longer wanted her breakfast. The growling in her stomach had gone, only to be replaced by a deep thud, an emptiness. Her entire body felt like it was pulsing from the adrenalin of the arguments.
 

      But she had to eat. Had to keep her strength up, so she covered the toast with jam, hand shaking, and turned to go back to their bedroom.
 

      “Madeline?”

      She looked over her shoulder. Saw that Roy had moved into the kitchen and had his cap folded in his hands.
 

      “Yes?”

      “I’ll take a job in town.”

      She nodded. It felt like a win but she knew they had a long way to go before she’d ever respect or care deeply for him again.
 

      She walked away. There were no words left to say. All he could do was prove to her through his actions.
 

      “I’m sorry.”

      His words were mumbled, but she heard him. Only she didn’t stop. She was already crying and she didn’t want him to see.
 

      Maybe they did have a chance. Maybe they could make things work once they moved away.
 

      She hoped so.
 

      Because being sad, alone and miserable had not been part of her plan when she agreed to come here.
 

      His words echoed in her mind.
 

      I’m sorry.
 

      Well, she was sorry too.
 

      
For ever thinking she could be happy in a country without her family. For ever coming here at all.
 

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

ALICE slipped from the house with a spring to her stride. It was about to rain, the air thick with the muggy smell of a storm headed toward the city, but she didn’t care.
 

      Most mornings she escaped her house, happy in the knowledge that she wouldn’t have to face her husband or the ugly, dimly lit interior of their home for at least eight hours. But today, she had another reason to be sunny.
 
She was starting her position as assistant.
 

      Along with a pay raise, a small office of her own with a desk large enough to spread out at, and a window glimpsing the city below.
 

      And she was going to be reporting direct to Matthew.
 

      
Matthew.
Just saying his name made her tingle all over.
 

      There was something between them. Something that she wished wasn’t so forbidden.
 

      Comparing him to her husband was like pairing a box of shiny apples beside a handful of rotting plums. Back in London, choosing between the men might have been more difficult. Now, her husband would be unlikely to appeal to any respectable woman.

      
But Matthe
w? Matthew was something else entirely.
 

      And married, she reminded herself. A mean-faced Mrs. Perkins had been sure to emphasize that piece of information as she’d strutted from the office last night.
 

      But Alice didn’t care. All she cared about was the extra money in her paycheck each week. Although it would be a nice change to take orders from a man who looked like a screen actor and smelled so wealthy it literally oozed from his skin.
 

Alice was trying hard to wipe the smile from her face. He’d already called her into his office twice. Twice. It shouldn’t have, but it made her body sing. Made her want to dance about the office and bask in the delight of feeling wanted. Of knowing a man was interested in her.
 

      Like she used to feel as a single girl in London. As a nurse who’d been desired by her patients. It was a feeling she hadn’t experienced in so long.
 

      “Alice?”

      She jumped. Her fingers hit the typewriter keys by mistake.
 

      “Yes?” She sat to attention.
 

      Matthew was leaning around the door of his office, his mouth stretched into a smile. She couldn’t help but grin back.
 

      “I might need you to work late tonight. I have some clients coming in at five and I’ll need you to sit in on the meeting.”

      Alice nodded. “Of course.”

      He winked.
She loved that wink.
 

      “That’s my girl. Take a longer lunch break if you like to make up for it.”

      He disappeared and closed the door behind him again. Alice felt her heart thud to a stop. Then start up again.
 

      Staying late would mean Ralph wouldn’t have any dinner, not until much later anyway, but she wasn’t going to worry. If he was the husband she’d expected, hoped for, then she would have scurried home on her lunch break and told him. Hurried home to fix something basic.
 

      But then, if she was in the marriage she’d expected, she wouldn’t be working. She’d be at home fluffing about, making their home beautiful, preparing delicious meals and preserving fruits. Shopping.
 

      No, she wasn’t going to feel guilty about working hard.
 

      Besides, by the time she got home he’d either be asleep, so drunk he wouldn’t care, or feeling so sorry for himself he wouldn’t eat what she put in front of him anyway.
 

      She pulled the piece of paper from her typewriter and let it fall into the trash can. She hated making mistakes.
 

      Her fingers started to glide across the keys again as she worked on the letter.
 

The office was starting to empty out, and Alice was getting nervous. She was starting to wonder if the meeting was just a pretense to keep her here alone. And she hadn’t decided if that was a good thing or not.
 

      Thinking about being unfaithful was one thing. Wanting to fall into another man’s arms and be swept away was passable. But actually acting on it? With another woman’s husband? She wasn’t so sure.
 

      Alice rose from her seat, uncomfortable from sitting in the same position for so many hours, and glanced at her boss’s door. It was still firmly shut. She hadn’t seen him since early afternoon.
 

      Alice reached for her bag and moved quickly down the corridor. She didn’t bother making eye contact with any of the others who were leaving, just focused on the door to the rest room.
 

      It was cool and silent in the ladies room. She made her way to the mirror, listening to her heels as they clomped on the tiles. Alice dug around in her purse for a tissue, wiped her lipstick off, then powdered her face and started again with her lip brush. She swept some more mascara over her lashes then fiddled with her hair. She had it in a soft roll, keeping her blonde hair off her face, and she wondered about letting it loose instead.      

      Would that be too obvious?
 

      She didn’t have time to wonder. The thud of approaching footfalls made her gather her things and head for the cubicle. The last thing she needed was to be caught out fixing her appearance when she ought to be on her way home like the others.
 

      Alice straightened her skirt, fiddled with the buttons on her blouse, then dug out her tiny bottle of perfume and dabbed a little to each wrist. On second thought, she dabbed some to her neck too.
 

      She took a deep breath, before deciding she was so nervous she did actually need to relieve herself.