THE WAR BRIDE CLUB (31 page)

      She was going to save enough to sail back to London.

      There was no way this baby was going to live here. Not with grandparents who would try to poison the child against its own mother. Not when she could offer her child a life with cousins and aunties who would love the child in England. Even if it did mean shaming herself.
 

      She no longer cared.
 

      Somehow, she was going to leave. Going to run from this place and never look back.
 

      Then what would Roy say? His little plan to keep her against her will, to ruin their marriage and force her to live with his family, was going to fail.
 

      She almost felt sorry for him.
Almost
.
 

      But she knew she’d never regret leaving him.
 

      Never.
 

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Betty cleared her throat.
 

      “Luke, I’m, ah, sorry to bother you.”

      He looked up, placed his cup down and stared at her. She was in danger of losing her confidence. Fast.
 

      “Is your secretary back at work yet?”

      He looked up. “Oh, yes. She’s been so busy since she got back. I completely forgot.”

      “So the offer still stands, then? For her to assist me?”

      Luke stood, folded the paper, and swallowed the last of his coffee. He studied her, cup in hand.
 

      “She’s at your disposal. Come past later today.”

      “Could I come with you now, instead?”

      He shook his head and shrugged on the jacket that had been over the back of his chair.
 

      “Not necessary. Have Ivy bring you past later today.”

      Betty nodded, then twisted her hands together, trying not to fidget. He walked toward her, smiled curtly, then went straight out the door.
 

      She let out a whoosh of air. Asking him had been harder than she’d expected. Much harder.
 

      She went through to the kitchen.
 

      “Did you ask him?” Ivy asked.
 

      “Yes.”

      “Well? What did he say?”

      Betty reached for an apple and let it roll about in her palm. “He said to come past later.”

      Ivy threw her hands in the air and rolled her eyes.

      “So why the long face?”

      “He wasn’t friendly.” Betty slumped down at the table and let her head fall gently against the cool of the timber.
 

      She could feel Ivy standing behind her.
 

      “Anyone else would think you were wishing for him to be sweet on you.”

      Ivy said the words with kindness, but the very thought made Betty feel sick. Made her insides curdle.

      “You’re wrong,” she insisted.

      Betty sat up straight.
 

      “I’m just saying you seem awfully worried about how he looks at you, what he says, that sort of thing. Luke takes a while to trust. Give him time.”

      Ivy was right. She did need to give him time.
 

      But was she right about her feelings toward him? She still loved Charlie. Didn’t she? Charlie had been the best man she’d ever met. Charlie had lit up the room that first night she’d met him. Swept her off her feet.

      But Charlie was gone.
 

      And she did like Luke. Even if she didn’t really want to. Not like that.

      Betty thumped her head down on the table into her hands.
 

      “Don’t carry on like a fool,” Ivy scolded. “Now go get that baby up, and I’ll take him to play with my daughter and her youngest. You can stop at the office and start searching for these friends of yours without William making a fuss and distracting you.”

Betty was almost as excited as the day before they’d all arrived in America. That sense of adrenalin, of anticipation. Today, she was going to find her friends.
 

      “Is this it?”

      The driver nodded. “The large grey building here on the left.”

      Betty suddenly realized she had no idea at all what Luke did. How had he made his money? She’d just presumed it was in a family business. Charlie had never said anything about what his brother did, except that Luke made him look like the black sheep.
 

      “What line of work is it that Mr Olliver is involved in?” Betty asked her driver.
 

      The car slowed and pulled into a vacant space. The driver turned around to look at her.

      “Mr. Olliver is a State Senator, Ma’am.”

      
Oh.
It was as if an entire fleet of bricks had landed on her shoulders. A Senator? That was important, right? Wasn’t he a little young? It did explain why he’d never served though. His job was obviously important enough to keep him here. But a Senator?

      “So I just go in this building here?” she asked.
 

      “You can’t miss the entrance. See the flags up there?”

      She smiled and stepped out onto the pavement.
 

      “I’ll be waiting here.”

      “Thank you,” she said.

      Betty clutched her hat with one hand to battle the wind, and held her skirt with the other. She’d gone from excited about the task at hand to suddenly terrified at even stepping foot in the office.
 

      The building looked ominous, with two large doors, both of which appeared too heavy to push.
 

      Should she just go back to the car?

      A hand to the small of her back stopped her. She spun around, and straight into Luke.

      “Oh! I’m sorry, I just…” she stuttered.

      “I remember my first day working here.” His hand had dropped away, but he still stood close. “I know what it’s like to be afraid to walk through those doors.”

      She couldn’t look at him. So handsome, so imposing in his tailored suit. So… not her Charlie, she scolded herself.

      He beckoned for her to follow, and held one door open for her to pass through.
 

      “William is with Ivy?” Luke asked. 
      “Yes.”

      “I’m glad she’s able to help you. I don’t keep her very busy most of the time, so having you here must be a treat.”

      “I don’t know about a treat, but I’m sure pleased to have her.”

      She followed Luke as he strode down the passageway. It even smelled important in here.
 

      “Come and meet my assistant, Jean. I’m certain she’ll find those friends of yours.”

      “I hope so,” Betty said, trying not to stare.
 

      “What do you say we go out for dinner tonight?” he asked.
 

      Luke had stopped in the doorway. He leaned against it, watching her. She didn’t know what to say.
 

      “I’m not sure I can leave William that long.” She also wasn’t sure she could look at him again.
       

      “I’ll phone Ivy and let her know. Let’s make it an early dinner, just around the corner.”

      Betty nodded. What else could she do?

      “I’d like to hear more about your family, how you met Charlie. And hopefully you’ll know more about your friends’ whereabouts by then.”

      He disappeared through the door then, and she was left to wait for Jean.
 

Betty had found her. She’d actually found June.
 

      Well, more correctly, she’d found June’s husband.
 

      “Yes, I’m still here,” she said.
 

      “Where shall I tell her to meet you?”

      She gave him Luke’s address and tried to contain a squeal of delight as she hung up the phone.
 

      “Good news?”

      Luke was in the room. She hadn’t even seen him walk in.
       

      “The card I had, my friend’s husband, well, I just got in touch.’

      “Good,” he said.
 

      “No luck with the others yet, but Jean said she’d try again in the morning for me, to locate Alice.”

      “Shall we go?”

      She’d almost forgotten about dinner. She ached to hold William, to feed him, but she didn’t want to be rude.
 

      “I won’t keep you away from the little man for long,” Luke assured her.
 

      Was it that obvious?
 

      “Come on.”
 

      He held her coat out and she reached back to slip it on. He was staring at her. For a heartbeat, he watched her, and she watched him back.

      Then he turned away and offered her his arm. Betty took it.
 

      He was so unlike Charlie. Her man would have clasped her hand, been cheeky and put his arm around her waist. Tugged her in tighter, just as he had on their very first date.
 

      Luke wasn’t like that. He never would be. He was proper, more reserved.
 

      She liked that they were talking again. That they had that easiness back between them, but it was still awkward between them.
 

      But now, she almost wished he had taken her hand, even though she hated herself for even thinking it.

      “I can see you’re anxious,” Luke observed.
 

      Betty made her hand relax as it held the glass stem.
 

      “I’m sorry.”

      “You want to get back to William. I understand.”

      She liked that he was polite about it, but did he really understand? With a mother like the one he’d grown up with, playing the part of a doting parent probably wasn’t something he thought was normal.
 

      “I take it Ivy’s filled you in on my mother. Or should I say lack of mother.”      

      What was with him and guessing her thoughts?
 
“I’m starting to feel like you can read me as easily as a child’s book.”
 

      Luke laughed. “You’re honest, Betty. I like that.”

      Had he ever thought less of her? That she wasn’t going to be honest?

      He beckoned the waiter over. “Two steaks, cooked medium.”

      The waiter nodded and took the menus.
 

      “I hope you don’t mind my ordering for both of us. We can eat and then get straight home.”

      It was years since she’d had a steak at a restaurant. The war had reduced everything in her world to coupon rations. The food since she’d arrived had been wonderful, but this was special.
 

      “Betty, I wanted to bring you out for dinner to apologize,” Luke told her.
 

      “For what?” She took a nervous sip of wine.
 

      “I know you heard what Mother said that day. I should have brought it up earlier.”

      She gulped, spluttering her mouthful. Her skin burned with embarrassment.
 

      “I, ah…”

      “I don’t mean to upset you. It just needed to be said.”

      She sat still as a statue.
 

      “I don’t enjoy my mother’s company at the best of times. Charlie was more patient with her, which is why I wanted you to meet them. They would have visited sooner or later, but I digress.”

      She took another delicate sip. It was starting to make her feel mildly giddy, but it was better than staring back at Luke. She’d never tried wine before.

      “What I’m trying to say is that my mother is desperate for me to take a wife. Quite frankly, I’d rather be alone than end up with a woman like her. I don’t mean to sound rude, but she is, well, how can I put this? Everything that a woman like you is not.”

Betty didn’t know whether to be insulted or flattered.

      “I’m not sure if you meant that as a compliment or not.” Betty surprised herself by finding her lost tongue.
 

      “Oh, a compliment. Of course it was a compliment!”

      She was embarrassed all over again. And confused.
 

      “The way you are with William, your patience, the way you enjoy Ivy’s company, those are all things that Charlie would have loved to see. You’re a wonderful mother, Betty. I just don’t want
my
mother to lure you to their country house, to turn you into something you’re not. That’s why I want to keep you with me. You and William, well, I’ve grown attached to you both since you arrived. More than you could ever realize.”