THE WAR BRIDE CLUB (34 page)

      Ivy grinned at them. “Pleased to finally meet you.”

      Betty linked arms with June again.
 

      “We’ll take it out in the garden, if that’s okay with you?”

      Ivy gave them a wink and disappeared again.
 

      “You have got it good, girl,” June said, hugging her tight.
 

      Betty didn’t want to burst the bubble. To tell June the truth. But she needed to confide in her, needed to talk to her about what had happened. And she wanted her tell her before Madeline arrived, now that they had a few moments together.
 

      “How’s your husband, June? He sounded lovely on the phone. So kind. And that day when we arrived and he offered to help me…”

      “Oh, Betty, he
is
divine. So brilliant.” June’s eyes shone brightly. “I just love it here. I miss home, but he’s just the best. His whole family are the best.”

      Betty led her to the little outdoor table in the garden and pulled out two seats. She knew how this must look – idyllic. It almost seemed a shame to ruin the moment.
 

      “So how about you? Could you be any happier? And where was your Charlie that day? Naughty boy keeping you waiting like that.”

      Betty looked down. Didn’t know quite how to say it, what to say to her friend.
 

      “June, that day, when I was waiting for Charlie…”

      Ivy appeared then with a tray of tea and cookies.
 

      “Here we go, girls. Tea, cookies and even scones.” Ivy laughed. “Did I say it right?”

      “Oooh, can I take her home with me?” June grabbed hold of Ivy’s hand like she was never going to let her go.
 

      Ivy swatted at them and left them be, laughing to herself as she walked away.

      “Ivy has been my savior,” she told June. “Seriously, I don’t know what I would have done without her.”

      June bit into a scone and closed her eyes. “This is so good. Don’t ever let her go.”

      “June, I had some bad news that day.”

      June swallowed her mouthful and leaned forward. “You mean the day we arrived, when Charlie was late? You’re not still angry at him about that are you?”

      Tears swam in Betty’s eyes, emotion like she hadn’t felt since that day when their ship had docked bubbling up in her throat, clouding her mind. Why was it so hard to say it? To admit that Charlie was gone even after all this time?

      “He wasn’t late, June.” She tried to keep her voice steady.

      June reached out to hold her hand. “What, honey? Was it William? Where is the little man?”

      “It’s Charlie. He’s dead, June.” Her voice reduced to a whisper. “Charlie’s dead. He was gone before I even arrived here.”

      June jumped from her chair and ran to Betty’s side of the table, throwing her arms around her and bursting into tears herself.
 

      “He can’t be. Betty, no!”

      She nodded as June gulped and hiccupped. Seeing her friend so upset made her stronger, made her calmer.
 

      “He was dead before I even left London,” she told him. “His family had tried to send me a message, to tell me, but I’d already left.”

      Betty held her, until the tears had started to ebb, and June straightened herself.
 

      “Is this his parents’ home?”

      Betty shook her head. “His brother’s, actually. Luke.”
 

      “Well that’s nice, isn’t it? I mean, it’s not nice, it’s awful, but, well you know what I mean.
 

      “I think I’m falling in love with him.” Betty sobbed out the words, admitting for the first time how she felt about Luke.
 

      Her whole body started shaking. She’d said it. And didn’t just like Luke, she wasn’t just attracted to him,
she had fallen in love with him.
 

      “Oh, darling. You’re just confused. With Charlie gone, and little William to care for…”

      Betty squeezed her eyes shut and leaned deeper into June’s embrace. “I’m sorry, I thought I’d be all right telling you. I guess it’s just all caught up on me. I shouldn’t have said it.”

      June stood, patted Betty’s back and returned to her chair.
 

      “I always thought you were the one who would be happy. I was so worried about my own marriage, what my new family would be like, but from your stories, I thought it was you and Charlie who would be truly happy. I’m sorry, Betty, I am.”

      When they’d been on the ship, Betty would have said the same. She’d been so confident about her marriage. If anyone was going to have a life-long love, it would have been her and Charlie. And now here she was a widow, with her mind and heart filled with love for her dead husband’s brother.
 

      What she needed was to take her mind off Luke and hear more about June.
 

      “As long as you’re happy, June, I’m happy. Tell me he’s wonderful, please tell me he hasn’t let you down?”

      A dreamy look crossed June’s face, like no matter how hard she tried her eyes had to light up just at the mention of her husband’s name. “Eddie’s the best. More than I could ever have hoped for. I’m so lucky.”

      “I’m happy for you, June, I really am.” She couldn’t stop the fresh flood of tears that filled her eyes though.
 

      “Did you mean what you said before? About your brother-in-law?” June whispered.

      Betty nodded, knowing it was the truth.
 

      “Worse things could happen, Betty. Don’t feel bad. You deserve to be happy, no one is going to judge you.”

      She suddenly didn’t want to talk about it.
 

      “I can’t believe I forgot to tell you.”

      June bent forward. “Tell me what?”

      “I found Madeline.” She watched as a smile lit June’s face. “She’s not in a good way, but she’s got a baby, can you believe it?”

      June’s face seemed sad, but Betty wondered if she’d misread her expression.
 

      “A baby, so soon?”

      “And we’re going to be seeing them both today. She was meant to get here before you.”

      “What about Alice? Or do you think she’s forgotten all about us by now?”

      Betty sighed. “I hope not.”

      “Betty, I think your other friend is here!” Ivy called out from the house.
 

      She jumped to her feet as her housekeeper walked toward them with William on her hip.
 

      “Coming?” Betty asked.
 

      June shook her head. “I’ll stay here with William, I think,” she said as Ivy placed him down on the rug. “He’s such a darling boy, I need to soak up my time with him.”

      Betty watched as he crawled around. He was so fast as he moved over the lawn then tried to pull himself up to stand, so close to walking now.
 

      “I’ll be back soon.”

Betty hadn’t been prepared for being reunited with the girls. Now that she was faced with it, seeing June and then knowing she was about to see Madeline… she hadn’t realized how much she’d missed them.
 

      “Mads!” Betty called out, holding up her skirt so she could run to the car. “Madeline!”

      Madeline turned, slowly, her body angled toward Betty. The sight made Betty stop in her tracks, her shoes skidding on the gravel, before forcing herself to propel forward again.
 

      
It wasn’t the Madeline she remembered.
 

      She was no longer the round faced, proud girl who’d befriended her all those months ago on the ship. Not the chatty, confident young woman who’d made Betty feel like her best friend in the world when she was pregnant.
 
Who had done so much for her and been the one to bring them all together as friends.
Helped to deliver William.
 

      Madeline was merely a shell of that person. A fragile, skinny shell of the woman she’d been. Her cheeks were hollow, dark, deep half-circles under her eyes creating no illusion about what she’d been through. Something dreadful had happened to her, something she was desperate to escape from.

      The quiet, content baby girl in her arms was asleep. Without her, holding on to her tight, Betty wondered if Madeline could even stand upright. She was like a balloon with no air to keep her afloat.
 

      “Oh my love, what’s happened to you?”

      Betty scooped the baby from her friend’s arms and pulled her into a firm hug. Madeline’s body was so small, but she held on, pressing into her, sobbing into her shoulder. She had known something was wrong, but she’d never imagined Madeline would look like this.

      “There, there. It’s okay, you’re safe here.”

      Madeline still didn’t let go, not until Betty prised her away so she could inspect the baby, worried they were going to crush her.

      “Tell me who we have here? Who’s this gorgeous wee girl?”

      The baby was tucked tight into a fluffy pink and white checked blanket.

      “Char-Charlotte,” Madeline hiccupped. “This is my Charlotte.”

      “Well, Charlotte, let’s get you and your mother inside. You can meet my William and your Aunty June.”

      “June’s here already?” Madeline asked, her voice low, like she was scared.
 

      Betty nodded, holding the baby in one arm and slinging her other around Madeline. Her friend tucked into her, like a child needing comfort.
 

      “She’s here. No word from Alice, but June’s well. And she’s looking forward to seeing you.”

      “And Charlie? Please tell me your Charlie is as nice as he was back home?” Madeline’s eyes were pleading. “Roy, he’s, he’s…”

      Tears stopped her from saying anymore.
 

      “Shhh, now. You’re okay. We don’t have to talk about anything you don’t want to. You’re safe here.”

      Madeline looked up at her, still waiting for an answer about Charlie, but Betty didn’t want to burden her with her own loss. Not now. She’d gotten it off her chest telling June and her focus now was on helping Madeline, even if she didn’t know what needed fixing yet.
 

      “I’ve got a story of my own, Madeline, but let’s just get you inside and with a cup of tea in your hand first, all right?”

      Madeline looked grateful, a smile slowly showing itself as her face relaxed.
 

      “I’ve already discussed what I know of your circumstances with, ah, Mr. Olliver, and you’re welcome here for as long as you need somewhere to stay. Our house is your house if you need it to be.”

      Madeline looked confused. “Mr. Olliver? That’s a bit formal, isn’t it? I thought his name was Charlie.”

      Betty hoisted the baby up and tickled her chin, smiling down at her.
 

      She wasn’t going to lie, but she could avoid the topic completely. She’d tell Madeline about her circumstances soon enough. Right now, they needed to do what they could for Madeline, because whatever had happened to her wasn’t allowed to happen again. Not if she could help it.
 

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

ALICE fought the quiver in her chin and thrust it skyward instead. There was no point in acting like a child, but turning up here was making her doubt herself all over again. She’d chosen Betty because she’d been the easiest to find, and because she’d probably be the most sympathetic. And she needed someone to confide in and just be herself around. Not that the other girls wouldn’t be there for her, it was just that Betty was the one with the biggest heart.
       

      There was only one Olliver residence listed in the public records, and she was certain it was the one. It was something she’d remembered, Betty telling her that it was Olliver with a double ‘L’ in the middle – it was something they probably all remembered her saying.
 

      Alice coached herself every step of the way. Up the long driveway, toward the door and then standing on the wide porch.
 

      The house was impressive. She tried not to let the negative thoughts creep into her head, but it was hard. This was the type of home she’d expected. The type of entrance that she thought she’d be arriving home to. The type of home that deep down she still yearned to have.

      But thinking like that wasn’t useful. It certainly didn’t do her any good moping about what should have or could have been. She and Ralph were going to make it. They were both going to succeed, make something of themselves, and they
would
have a home like this one day.
 

      They were going to make their marriage work, and that was the only thing that mattered now. It was the only thing she could think about – how fortunate she should feel not to be marked an adulteress and banished back to London.