the hall and made small talk with a woman who’d been bombed out twice already — once during the blitz and again a few weeks ago.
Finally, it was Elizabeth’s turn and she washed up quickly in the cold bathroom and even colder water. By this time, the hot water was long gone. She said her goodnights to the rest of the line and hurried down the cold dark hall to their cold dark room.
Simon was just getting into bed when she came in.
“All right?” he asked as he pulled back the covers.
“Cold.” Elizabeth took off her overcoat that was subbing for a robe and laid it over the back of the chair.
“What on earth are you wearing?”
Elizabeth did her best imitation of a fifties pin-up. “Do you like it?”
“It’s entirely impractical and hardly period,” he said with a frown as his eyes took in all she had to offer. “And, yes, very much.”
Elizabeth giggled and dove under the covers. The room had a small radiator, but it only gave off heat for a whopping two-foot radius. “The other one was too long. I’d wake up strangled by my own clothes.”
Simon started to argue the logic of that statement, but apparently thought better of it. Judging from his expression, he was definitely pleasantly surprised by her clothes or lack of them.
“Besides, the other one barely fit in the suitcase. This one takes up hardly any room at all.”
Simon grinned. “In that case.” He slid under the covers next to her.
Elizabeth cuddled up to Simon’s warmth. He always ran hot and she loved curling up next to him.
“Good Lord!” he said. “Your feet are like bricks of ice.”
“I know,” Elizabeth said as she rubbed them against the warmth of his legs.
“Stop that.”
Elizabeth settled for rubbing her feet against the sheets instead and snuggled up against Simon’s side. Her left hand came to rest on his chest and the wedding ring caught the light from the bedside lamp. She rubbed the band with her thumb.
“Feels odd, doesn’t it, to be wearing these again?”
Simon didn’t reply at first. After a moment, he covered her hand with his. “Does it?”
“Just that these are the same rings and this room is a lot like that first room we shared in New York. It’s all the same and yet completely different.”
His long fingers traced out random patterns on the back of her hand.
Elizabeth rolled over and edged her way onto his chest, resting her head on her laced hands. “I’m glad we’re here. I know what we’re doing is the right thing. But more than that I’m glad we’re here together.”
Simon caressed her cheek gently. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t want it to be any other way.”
Elizabeth closed the gap of inches that separated them and kissed him. She would never get tired of the way he held her when they kissed. Strong and loving, passionate and gentle. It was the safest place on earth.
After a moment, Simon leaned over and shut off the light plunging them into complete darkness. The blackout curtains on the windows kept out any ambient light and only the thinnest sliver of light from the hall crept under the door. The darkness was so absolute it made her shiver.
Simon kissed her again. “All right?”
She’d never been scared of the dark before, but then she’d never experienced dark quite like this. Putting aside the idea that she’d discovered a latent phobia, Elizabeth returned Simon’s kiss and settled into his arms, but the chill of the dark never quite went away.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth wasn’t a fan of hospitals, even modern day ones. She’d always envisioned older hospitals as a cross between a torture chamber and a Romanian insane asylum. Guy’s Hospital wasn’t nearly that bad. The nurses’ uniforms were crisp and white and they even wore little pinafore aprons and caps that looked like miniature nun’s habits. Guy’s was orderly and enormous, but she was still glad she wasn’t a patient there. Germs were waging their own war in the hospital
Finally, it was Elizabeth’s turn and she washed up quickly in the cold bathroom and even colder water. By this time, the hot water was long gone. She said her goodnights to the rest of the line and hurried down the cold dark hall to their cold dark room.
Simon was just getting into bed when she came in.
“All right?” he asked as he pulled back the covers.
“Cold.” Elizabeth took off her overcoat that was subbing for a robe and laid it over the back of the chair.
“What on earth are you wearing?”
Elizabeth did her best imitation of a fifties pin-up. “Do you like it?”
“It’s entirely impractical and hardly period,” he said with a frown as his eyes took in all she had to offer. “And, yes, very much.”
Elizabeth giggled and dove under the covers. The room had a small radiator, but it only gave off heat for a whopping two-foot radius. “The other one was too long. I’d wake up strangled by my own clothes.”
Simon started to argue the logic of that statement, but apparently thought better of it. Judging from his expression, he was definitely pleasantly surprised by her clothes or lack of them.
“Besides, the other one barely fit in the suitcase. This one takes up hardly any room at all.”
Simon grinned. “In that case.” He slid under the covers next to her.
Elizabeth cuddled up to Simon’s warmth. He always ran hot and she loved curling up next to him.
“Good Lord!” he said. “Your feet are like bricks of ice.”
“I know,” Elizabeth said as she rubbed them against the warmth of his legs.
“Stop that.”
Elizabeth settled for rubbing her feet against the sheets instead and snuggled up against Simon’s side. Her left hand came to rest on his chest and the wedding ring caught the light from the bedside lamp. She rubbed the band with her thumb.
“Feels odd, doesn’t it, to be wearing these again?”
Simon didn’t reply at first. After a moment, he covered her hand with his. “Does it?”
“Just that these are the same rings and this room is a lot like that first room we shared in New York. It’s all the same and yet completely different.”
His long fingers traced out random patterns on the back of her hand.
Elizabeth rolled over and edged her way onto his chest, resting her head on her laced hands. “I’m glad we’re here. I know what we’re doing is the right thing. But more than that I’m glad we’re here together.”
Simon caressed her cheek gently. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I don’t want it to be any other way.”
Elizabeth closed the gap of inches that separated them and kissed him. She would never get tired of the way he held her when they kissed. Strong and loving, passionate and gentle. It was the safest place on earth.
After a moment, Simon leaned over and shut off the light plunging them into complete darkness. The blackout curtains on the windows kept out any ambient light and only the thinnest sliver of light from the hall crept under the door. The darkness was so absolute it made her shiver.
Simon kissed her again. “All right?”
She’d never been scared of the dark before, but then she’d never experienced dark quite like this. Putting aside the idea that she’d discovered a latent phobia, Elizabeth returned Simon’s kiss and settled into his arms, but the chill of the dark never quite went away.
Chapter Seven
Elizabeth wasn’t a fan of hospitals, even modern day ones. She’d always envisioned older hospitals as a cross between a torture chamber and a Romanian insane asylum. Guy’s Hospital wasn’t nearly that bad. The nurses’ uniforms were crisp and white and they even wore little pinafore aprons and caps that looked like miniature nun’s habits. Guy’s was orderly and enormous, but she was still glad she wasn’t a patient there. Germs were waging their own war in the hospital
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