Maggie's Girl by Sally Wragg

Silas hadn’t even changed. He was pacing up and down the room instead, still larger than life, still more than she felt quite able to cope with.
    She sighed heavily and put down the paper, which was so full of news from France that she could hardly bear to read it.
    He stopped at last, looking down at her, and with surprise, Adèle saw that he was anxious.
    â€˜I called round at William’s earlier. Dashed if that granddaughter of his hasn’t gone off to nurse in France! Did you know?’
    â€˜Of course I knew!’
    Adèle would never forget Daisy Bridges’ eyes as she told her.
    â€˜You never said,’ Silas complained testily.
    â€˜I’ve only just found out myself dear! I dropped in at Daisy’s with presents for the children …’
    She saw Silas glowering, and persevered.
    â€˜The girl did look after John, Silas – I feel duty bound to do a little now and then.’
    If only she could do more! If only she’d been able to tell Maggie exactly what she meant to her. It seemed cruel thatMaggie was her own granddaughter, and yet she wasn’t even allowed to admit it, even to her husband.
    â€˜She will be all right?’ Her voice was tight with worry. ‘Maggie was always such a lovely girl.’
    â€˜Of course! Why shouldn’t she be?’
    Adèle looked at him. He was pacing again.
    â€˜Silas you would tell me if something was wrong?’ Concern over Maggie hardly explained his behaviour. To Silas, Maggie was just an employee, a girl grown into a woman hot-headed enough to rush off into the thick of battle. Why, she was as impetuous as Ned….
    Adèle stopped her mind from straying further. It didn’t do to dwell on these things.
    Silas thrust his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his heels, looking disconcertingly, for once, the full weight of his years.
    â€˜It’s put me in mind of John,’ he growled, faintly embarrassed. ‘He’s in France, too, and that girl’s going out to nurse the wounded. What if John turns out to be one of them?’
    â€˜We mustn’t think that way!’ A sudden rush of affection overwhelmed Adèle. For all his bluster, there was a side to Silas no-one else but she was ever allowed to see, and that was only because he loved her.
    She got up slowly and went to put her arms around him. He felt solid, and yet slightly diminished. Age came to them all, even Silas.
    She clung to him tightly, felt him lean a little into her, and some of the tension left his body.
    â€˜He’ll be fine, Silas! Don’t worry.’ She found she was praying that would be true.
    â€˜Of course he will.’ His voice was steadier, more like himself. ‘But he should have come into the firm with me.’
    â€˜It wasn’t what he wanted,’ Adèle said gently.
    â€˜I’d have looked after him!’
    â€˜Of course you would, dear. Go and dress,’ she coaxed.
    It was like dealing with a wounded bear at times.
    He stopped and gently kissed the top of her head.
    Outside the room, he leaned against the wall and sucked air back into his lungs. He’d nearly given the game away. The shock of hearing about Maggie, he supposed – his granddaughter!
    Ned had always been his favoured son, right or wrong. It had been on the tip of his tongue to tell Adèle just now. After all, what harm could it do now, after all this time? Was he right still to keep it from her?
    But she’d never forgive him for keeping such a thing secret for so long, and in the meantime these blessed people were on their way. He hurried into his dressing-room and began to get ready for dinner.
    It had been a shock finding out what the blessed girl was up to, and too late to do anything about it.
    He stopped knotting his tie and stared into his dressing-room mirror. Despite the shock, he recognised in his eyes a quiet, sure satisfaction.
    How like her father this was! Just the sort of thing Ned