hand and dropped a kiss to it. “We live in a farm house in a little New York town, where hens mill about and there are endless fields and long sunny days.”
She smiled. How could she not? When he put it like that it sounded, well, wonderful.
“And your family?”
“You know I have a sister. She’s unmarried, or at least she was when I left, and my parents are just usual Americans. There’s really nothing to tell.”
“So your sister lives at home too? How many bedrooms does your house have?”
“What is this? Twenty questions? Enough already.” Roy stood abruptly and stalked a few steps away.
She bit back a response. Most of the time he was so kind and loving, so sweet, other times he got annoyed and rude with her, like she had no right to ask him personal questions. It was like they lived in a bubble, where everything was wonderful, until she spoke out of turn.
But her father had told her that Roy had come over to see him, that he’d asked for her hand in marriage. And now it was all she could think about. She needed to know what kind of life to expect if the question was put to her.
Could she really leave everything she knew behind? Leave her family for good? It was something that worried her every night before dark, because she’d thought about marrying him plenty before now. She did want to marry him, but she had no idea where New York even was on the map. Didn’t she have a right to know a little about where she might be moving if she said yes to him?
“Roy, I’m sorry, I just…”
He turned to face her, a smile just noticeable from where he stood in the half light. She felt that now-familiar tickle in her stomach, the one that reminded her she was in love.
“Maddy, it’s me who’s sorry.” He knelt in front of the seat, taking both her hands in his own.
Oh God. Was he going to ask her now? Did she have to decide tonight? Her heart started racing, pulse thundering at her neck and in her wrists. It was a wonder he couldn’t see it pounding beneath her cardigan.
“You can ask all you like.” He leaned forward to kiss her nose. “I’m just thinking about the war. About leaving. About…”
She pulled his lands into her lap. “You can tell me.”
He shook his head. “I just think we need to live in the now, not waste time talking about America or what might be. Are you cold?”
She nodded. He pulled off his coat and tugged it around her shoulders.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Madeline felt warmth spread through her, inhaled the smell of cologne on his jacket and looked into his eyes. Maybe she was supposed to ask for his coat? She had no experience and she’d just guessed a man would offer it. Her thoughts made her feel bad for doubting him. He was a good man. A kind man. She just had all types of romantic ideas flitting through her imagination. It wasn’t good for her.
“Let’s get you home before your father comes looking for us.”
She leaned into him as he slung an arm around her. Every now and again she questioned him, worried about whether he was right for her, and then at times like this, she wondered why she was so silly.
But then she’d only known him such a short time. He’d be gone soon and yet she had to make a decision that in pre-war times would never have had to be made so fast.
“Tell me about the farm again,” she asked him.
This time he was relaxed. This time he pulled her closer rather than push her away.
Roy dropped a kiss to her head. “Every morning someone goes down to collect all the eggs and let the hens out. They roam free across the fields, until they’re called in for a dinner of hot mash.”
“You feed
She smiled. How could she not? When he put it like that it sounded, well, wonderful.
“And your family?”
“You know I have a sister. She’s unmarried, or at least she was when I left, and my parents are just usual Americans. There’s really nothing to tell.”
“So your sister lives at home too? How many bedrooms does your house have?”
“What is this? Twenty questions? Enough already.” Roy stood abruptly and stalked a few steps away.
She bit back a response. Most of the time he was so kind and loving, so sweet, other times he got annoyed and rude with her, like she had no right to ask him personal questions. It was like they lived in a bubble, where everything was wonderful, until she spoke out of turn.
But her father had told her that Roy had come over to see him, that he’d asked for her hand in marriage. And now it was all she could think about. She needed to know what kind of life to expect if the question was put to her.
Could she really leave everything she knew behind? Leave her family for good? It was something that worried her every night before dark, because she’d thought about marrying him plenty before now. She did want to marry him, but she had no idea where New York even was on the map. Didn’t she have a right to know a little about where she might be moving if she said yes to him?
“Roy, I’m sorry, I just…”
He turned to face her, a smile just noticeable from where he stood in the half light. She felt that now-familiar tickle in her stomach, the one that reminded her she was in love.
“Maddy, it’s me who’s sorry.” He knelt in front of the seat, taking both her hands in his own.
Oh God. Was he going to ask her now? Did she have to decide tonight? Her heart started racing, pulse thundering at her neck and in her wrists. It was a wonder he couldn’t see it pounding beneath her cardigan.
“You can ask all you like.” He leaned forward to kiss her nose. “I’m just thinking about the war. About leaving. About…”
She pulled his lands into her lap. “You can tell me.”
He shook his head. “I just think we need to live in the now, not waste time talking about America or what might be. Are you cold?”
She nodded. He pulled off his coat and tugged it around her shoulders.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Madeline felt warmth spread through her, inhaled the smell of cologne on his jacket and looked into his eyes. Maybe she was supposed to ask for his coat? She had no experience and she’d just guessed a man would offer it. Her thoughts made her feel bad for doubting him. He was a good man. A kind man. She just had all types of romantic ideas flitting through her imagination. It wasn’t good for her.
“Let’s get you home before your father comes looking for us.”
She leaned into him as he slung an arm around her. Every now and again she questioned him, worried about whether he was right for her, and then at times like this, she wondered why she was so silly.
But then she’d only known him such a short time. He’d be gone soon and yet she had to make a decision that in pre-war times would never have had to be made so fast.
“Tell me about the farm again,” she asked him.
This time he was relaxed. This time he pulled her closer rather than push her away.
Roy dropped a kiss to her head. “Every morning someone goes down to collect all the eggs and let the hens out. They roam free across the fields, until they’re called in for a dinner of hot mash.”
“You feed
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