Can Dreams Come True?

by Oliver, Marina

  There were still a couple of maids in the house, left there by his mother to look after it, and they were soon busy preparing food while the children were driven, protesting, into baths and then, after they had eaten, to bed,

  Then Kate and Maggie could relax. To Kate's astonishment, there were two bathrooms in the house, one off the main bedroom, and Robert took her there while Maggie soaked in the other.

  'I'm longing to feel clean again,' Maggie said, as she eyed the scented soap and thick, soft towels, and Kate agreed. 'You go and have yours, too. And thank you for finding us some of your mother's nightgowns, Robert.'

  'She had far too many! You can sleep in this room,' Robert said as he left Kate.

  'I have to go back to the pool tomorrow,' she said. 'I only have leave until then.'

  'I don't think they'd grudge you a few more days, compassionate leave if not for your own recovery.'

  'I feel like George. I mean to do all I can to help defeat them.'

  'We all do. Sleep well, Kate.'

  He'd been calm and businesslike all day. Had she dreamed he'd called her 'darling' when he'd found her sitting on that wall? Besides, there was Daphne. He was engaged to her. He wasn't for her.

  *

  One of the maids brought Kate a breakfast tray. She stretched, luxuriating in the softness of the bed, and smiled lazily at the girl. 'Thank you. That looks wonderful. It smells like real coffee too!'

  'Yes, Miss. We've washed your underclothes and tried to brush your outer clothes clean, but I'm afraid we couldn't get all the stains out. It must have been terrible. We saw pictures in the paper.'

  Kate shuddered. 'Yes, it was. You've managed to clean up my clothes? That was kind of you! I'd have been filthy again as soon as I'd put them on.'

  She meant to catch a train from Snow Hill station that afternoon, and Robert, who was in the drawing room reading the papers, said he would drive her there.

  'Where are the children? And Maggie?'

  'She's taken them to church.'

  'Maggie? She never went to church. We weren't brought up to go.'

  'I think she wanted to say a prayer or two for Sheila and the little ones. Hattie, too. They'll be back in an hour, we can all have lunch together before you have to go.'

  Kate nodded. 'Do you think they'll be all right? I don't think it's sunk in properly yet.'

  'My mother's maids will look after them, and I'll find them a cottage as soon as I can. I must go back to Tern Hill this afternoon too. They'll think I've absconded from the hospital, I left without saying goodbye!'

  She looked at him, a question in her eyes. 'What do you mean? Why did you come to Coventry?'

  'To find you, of course. I heard you'd gone there, and about the raid, and I was frantic. Kate, now I've found you, nothing else matters. I want to marry you.'

  She swallowed. 'Daphne. You're engaged to her.'

  'No more. I asked her because my father urged it, he wanted grandsons, but we both realised it would never work. Kate, you can get a divorce, I'll pay for him to provide grounds of adultery, and I'll wait for you, however long it takes.'

  She was staring at him in amazement. 'Robert, stop! What are you talking about? Why do I need a divorce? That's crazy!'

  'You mean Walter's dead?'

  'Walter?' Kate's mind was reeling. How did Robert know about Walter, and why should he imagine they were married?

  'I haven't seen Walter since I ran away to Walsall.'

  'Then how can you say – '

  'Because we were never married! Robert, how did you get this idea?'

  He rubbed his hand over his eyes. 'Phyllis mentioned it. When I came for you and you'd left for Lincolnshire. I thought you might have gone to John Wilson.'

  'I see.' Kate didn't know what to tell him, but she could not bear him to think she had any feelings left for John Wilson. 'I never want to see John Wilson again as long as I live. I met Phyllis when I was living at Walter's house. She didn't know his family and must have assumed we were married. He'd found me, when I was destitute, because my purse had been stolen, and – ' she paused.

  'If it helps, Kate, I know all about the baby. I'm sorry you lost it.'

  'You know? How?'

  'Maggie told me when I found her. Kate, it doesn't matter! I love you, I don't care a toss what you did, all I care about is that we spend as much time together as we can. I want to marry you, and it seems there is no barrier. Kate, I've loved you since I met you at that party, but you were so young, it took me a long time to realise it.'

  'Your mother won't agree. I'm sure she wants you to marry someone like Daphne, a girl from your own class.'

  'What she wants has nothing to do with it. I think, if I'd had the courage and the sense to introduce you to my father years ago he'd have seen at once that you are the only girl for me. Kate? Will you?'

  She blinked away tears, but this time they were of joy. He did love her, and soon they could be together. She reached up as he clasped her in his arms and traced the line of the scar on his face. 'I heard all about how you risked your life,' she said softly.

  'And the scar doesn't repel you?'

  'How could it? It's you I love, Robert, not your handsome face.'

  A month later, just before Christmas, they were married in a small church near Tern Hill. Maggie and the children, still subdued, and George who had taken the day off from work, were the only witnesses. Mrs Manning had declined to travel south, but she sent Kate a stiff letter trusting that she would learn to be a suitable wife for her son.

  Maggie provided as good a meal as she could with the help of a few extra eggs and a chicken from the farmer who owned the cottage to add to the rations. Kate could hardly believe it was happening, until she and Robert were driving away in his car. They planned a brief honeymoon at a riverside hotel near Shrewsbury, helped by their friends who had contributed extra coupons for petrol.

  Kate looked back to where Maggie and George stood at the gate of the cottage, waving them off. The three children, who seemed to have recovered swiftly from the loss of Sheila and their younger siblings, ran alongside the car until Robert reached the main road and accelerated away.

  'They make a family,' she said softly. 'They've been through so much together. When George has got over his loss, I wouldn't be surprised if they married.'

  'Perhaps,' Robert said softly. 'It's our marriage I'm interested in now. Kate, I still think I'm dreaming.'

  Kate, much as she loved Robert and wanted to be with him, was apprehensive. She had told him everything about the months she'd been with John Wilson and Walter, and was grateful for his understanding. But would she be able to respond to his lovemaking? Would it remind her too much of John's seduction or Walter's fumbling inadequacies?

  They reached the hotel just before dark, and despite the cold walked out onto the terrace and watched the river swirling by. Then Robert, whose arm was round her waist, bent down and kissed her.

  'Come, Mrs Manning. I've arranged for us to dine in our suite.'

  The waiter was laying a small table with gleaming silver and crystal, and soon afterwards brought in a trolley with soup, river trout, and apple pie. Kate did her best to eat, but she was too nervous to swallow much, and recalling the night John Wilson had seduced her, she drank only one glass of champagne.

  'Darling, come here,' Robert said when they had finished and he'd wheeled the trolley outside and placed a 'Do not disturb' notice on the door. 'Why are you so nervous?'

  'You might regret it!' she burst out. 'Robert, I couldn't bear that!'

  'I'll have no regrets,' he said gently, coming across to begin undoing the buttons on her dress. 'Kate, do you trust me?'

  She nodded, unable to speak. As he continued to remove her clothes, she began to tremble. Robert picked her up and took her to the bed.

  'Don't get cold, sweetheart,' he said, covering her nakedness with the sheet. He shed his own clothes swiftly and joined her in the big bed. After a while Kate relaxed. He was kissing and stroking
her, with none of the frantic urgency John Wilson had displayed, and she found herself responding, wanting to revel in his caresses, kissing him back with increasing desire until, with a gasp of joy, he took her. Together they soared to the heights, and afterwards Kate lay in his arms and almost wept with relief. It had been ten, a hundred times better than before, because she loved him and knew she was loved in return, and always would be.

  ###

  THE END

  Marina Oliver has written over 60 novels, and is converting many of them to ebooks. Others have been or are being published as ebooks by other publishers.

  Please see the latest information on Marina's web site:

  http://www.marina-oliver.net

  More ebooks by Marina Oliver:

  WILD CATRIONA

  BY MARINA OLIVER

  Scottish Highlands, late spring, 1758

  Catriona's father is lost at sea, and her mother loses the will to live, leaving her with her Uncle, who wants to marry her to a much older, stern newcomer.

  Cat is determined to escape, and does so with the help of her cousin. But she needs to hide from them all, until she can go to her father's Dutch family in Amsterdam.

  Expert in fabric printing and making her own dyes, she persuades Rory Napier, struggling to manage his uncle's linen manufacturing in Glasgow, to employ her to supervise the new processes.

  Though she is successful, their relationship is stormy. Can they succeed despite the problems and the rivalries?

  ***

  THE COBWEB CAGE

  BY MARINA OLIVER

  Marigold Smith, born into the small mining town of Hednesford, is devoted to her family, especially the small and delicate Ivy, for whose accident she blames herself. She is determined to try and make life easier for Ivy and her middle sister, Poppy, as well as her hard-working parents.

  When she is given the chance of going into service in Oxford she meets the wealthy and charming Richard Endersby, whose father owns a factory in the Potteries. Despite the differences of class, education, and background they fall in love. Then comes the Great War, and Richard, a qualified pilot, joins the army.

  He is reported missing, Marigold's family is struck by tragedy, and she has to make an agonising decision in order to be able to help them. Through her they can escape from poverty and she can build a business to support them all.

  Reviews of The Cobweb Cage

  'A riveting, pacy read' - Emma Blair

  'The Cobweb Cage is very atmospheric and the intriguing story never falters. This is a story that won't let you go, filled with people and places you recognise with your inner eye, and situations that are at once familiar and surprising' - Susan Sallis

  'I enjoyed this well-researched book immensely - ideal escapism on a cold wet day' - Anita Burgh

  'An absorbing family saga with a splendid cast of characters' - Annabel magazine

  'I hope a sequel is planned' - SWWJ

  ***

  LORD CLIFFORD'S DILEMMA

  BY MARINA OLIVER

  Lord Clifford meets Elizabeth when his ward Annamarie announces she means to marry her brother Sir Henry.

  Not only is Henry under age, Elizabeth controls his fortune. And sixteen-year-old Annamarie has been falling in love with unsuitable men for several years.

  Until he can resolve this complication Lord Clifford cannot turn his attention to courting Elizabeth.

  Elizabeth, in turn, is wary of love after being cruelly jilted when she was just seventeen.

  ***