The Wasted Years

by Mary Larkin

  She had endured weeks of torment because of this man, and he thought he could just walk in and take up where he left off.

  Unable to stop herself, she let her tongue run away with her. ‘You’re too early! I’ve not had any drink yet,’ she taunted him.

  He drew back as if she had slapped his face. Was that the only way she could stomach him? Had all the plans and preparations he had made been in vain?

  Had Pat McDade won Rosaleen over? Well, May had warned him not to delay too long. Hadn’t she sung the praises of tall, handsome Pat? Everything that he was not. She had cautioned him not to keep Rosaleen in the dark about his plans. He should have listened to her, but he had wanted to surprise Rosaleen. But it had backfired … he was the one who was being surprised.

  He dragged his eyes from the cold, haughty beauty of her and glanced at the clock. ‘What time are you expecting him?’

  ‘I’m not really expecting him … when I heard the door open, I just thought it might be him. I certainly didn’t expect to see you.’

  ‘Oh.’ He frowned. Why had she not expected to see him? Had she sent him a letter telling him not to come and it had gone astray? At a loss to understand, he sighed. ‘Well, I’m very tired, Rosaleen. Do you think you could give me a cup of coffee before you show me the door?’

  ‘Of course. I’m sorry … look, take off your coat and sit down. Are you hungry? Will I make you a fry?’

  ‘No … no, I’m not hungry. Just a cup of coffee.’ It wasn’t food he was hungry for. He had hungered for her for long months, but it seemed he had delayed too long.

  As she prepared sandwiches while the kettle was boiling, she chastised herself. He had travelled halfway across the world and look how she had greeted him. Not one kind word! As usual, she had let her hurt pride rule her tongue. She should have thrown herself into his arms and let nature take its course. God knows she had wanted to, but the look in his eyes had stopped her. There had been contempt in their depths … how could he look at her like that. Surely he didn’t think that she was playing about with Pat? Would she be able to put matters right?

  Drawing deep breaths into her lungs, she sought to compose herself. However, in spite of her efforts, her hands still shook as she placed a plate of sandwiches and a pot of coffee on a tray to carry into the living room, only to find him stretched out in the armchair, completely relaxed, his eyes closed, apparently asleep.

  ‘Andrew …’ she whispered, but he was out to the world, and returning the tray to the kitchen, she fetched a blanket and gently covered his prone figure.

  He looked exhausted and shame once again smote her as she recalled the way she had greeted him. Well, when he awoke she would make amends, but first she must see Amy and ask her to mind the children, yet again. Then she would call in and see Pat McDade and inform him of her intentions to emigrate; she did not want him calling around and upsetting the plans she was going to set in motion. With these thoughts in mind, she quietly left the house.

  It was two hours before Andrew showed signs of awakening.

  Stretching, he craned his head this way and that, and it must have hurt because he grimaced as he opened his eyes. Awareness came slowly to him, as his eyes took in the room and at last came to rest on her.

  Rosaleen watched him from where she sat curled up on the settee and smiled as she observed the surprise in his eyes as they roamed over her figure. The oyster-coloured silk pyjamas that she wore were very fine and hid nothing. Amy had supplied the coupons for them and Rosaleen had saved them for when Andrew should send for her, but now she felt the need to woo him. She had brushed her hair and it framed her head like a bright halo while her skin gleamed luminous in the dim firelight. Desire raged through him as he watched her rise from the settee.

  Never having set out deliberately to charm a man before, she felt shy as she approached him.

  Leaning over him, the pyjama coat open and revealing, she said softly, ‘I’ll make that coffee, now you’re awake.’

  He gripped her hand and motioned her to her knees beside his chair. They both started to speak at once.

  ‘We must…’ He stopped.

  ‘It seems we …’ She also paused and he nodded for her to continue.

  ‘It seems to me we got off on the wrong foot again,’ she whispered, and her eyes begged his forgiveness.

  He smiled wryly. ‘I must admit I’ve had better receptions.’

  ‘I’m sorry … but I was so surprised to see you.’

  His grip on her hand tightened. ‘That’s what I can’t understand. Didn’t you receive my letter?’

  ‘No. It’s almost four weeks since I received a letter from you.’

  ‘It must be because of the Christmas mail. I wrote and told you that I would be arriving on Christmas Eve … but then the plane was delayed.’ He pulled her closer against his thigh. ‘I’ve spent forty-eight hours sitting at the airport dreaming about you. I thought I’d never get here! So you can understand how I felt when you seemed to be expecting Pat.’

  Her gaze was compelling. ‘I thought you had changed your mind. Even May’s letters were so strange. She wrote that she rarely saw you. Then she urged me to sell up and go out to her and Billy. Is it any wonder that I thought she was warning me off? I was sure you had a woman out there and that May was trying to break the news gently to me.’

  ‘That’s my fault, Rosaleen. May was under threat of what I’d do to her if she told you what I was arranging. As for urging you to sell up and … well, I imagine she was trying to help me, by getting you ready to move.’

  ‘Oh.’

  ‘You see, I was buying a house. May assures me that you’ll love it. I hope she’s right. But I realise now that I should have asked you how you felt about it.’

  She reached up and touched his cheek. ‘You’re sweet, Andrew … but yes, you should have warned me.’

  He leant closer. ‘Have you missed me?’

  She nodded shyly. ‘Awfully! I’ve thought of you often. Longed for you to send for me … when you didn’t, I thought you had abandoned me.’

  ‘Ah, Rosaleen, how could you think that?’

  ‘It was very easy to doubt you. Thousands of miles away and no word of sending for me … no offer of marriage …’ Her voice trailed off in embarrassment. ‘At least… well… are you offering me marriage?’

  ‘Of course!’

  He released his hold on her and, twisting in the chair, felt in the pocket of the jacket draped over the back.

  ‘May also assured me that you would love this. I chose it because it reminded me of your eyes.’

  She opened the small jeweller’s box and gasped in delight at the ring nestling within. A large emerald surrounded by diamonds.

  ‘It’s beautiful,’ she whispered. ‘May’s right, I love it.’

  ‘If it doesn’t fit, it can be altered.’ His hands cupped her face and there was reverence in his voice. ‘Will you marry me, and make me the happiest man in the world?’

  At her shy nod, he removed the ring from the box, but when he lifted her hand to place the ring on her finger, he hesitated, eyeing the wedding band that Joe had placed there almost nine years ago.

  Slowly, Rosaleen slid it from her finger. ‘I shall keep the rings Joe gave me, until Laura grows up,’ she said, and stretching up she placed the wedding band on the mantelpiece.

  Then she held out her bare hand to Andrew. The ring fitted perfectly and she raised her face for his kiss.

  ‘Have you been drinking?’ he asked, dryly.

  Hot colour blazed in her cheeks.

  ‘I’m sorry … that was an awful thing to say. Can you forgive me?’

  She was tugging at his arm, indicating that he join her on the rug. Instead he rose to his feet. Gripping her hands, he pulled her up to face him.

  ‘Rosaleen, much as I enjoyed my romp on the rug with you, I prefer the comfort of the bed.’

  Her lips twitched in amusement, and laughing, he bent and kissed them hungrily. ‘Does that make me sound
old?’

  She shook her head. Gazing down into her passion-filled eyes, he said softly, ‘Ah, Rosaleen … you are so beautiful. I can’t believe my luck.’

  His hands pushed the pyjama jacket off her shoulders and down her arms. For some seconds he gazed on the loveliness of her then, with a smothered exclamation, swept her up in his arms and headed for the stairs.