An Orphan’s War: One of the best historical fiction books you will read in 2018. Molly Green

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СКАЧАТЬ of me. How did it happen?’

      ‘He was one of the ones who had to stay behind at Dunkirk. A medic. They needed them to go off with those rescued, but they also needed medics to stay behind and look after the wounded. I understand he volunteered.’ She wasn’t prepared to go into any further details.

      ‘How old are you, Maxine?’

      ‘Twenty-one.’

      ‘Too young to be a widow.’ He gently squeezed her hand. ‘I’m so sorry,’ he repeated.

      ‘He wasn’t only my husband for a very short time but he was my best friend … from childhood. That’s what is so painful. I’ve lost my best friend.’ Her eyes filled with tears.

      ‘Then let me try to make it up to you,’ Edwin said.

      ‘No one can make up for anything like that,’ she said briskly, to hide the familiar ache in her heart.

      ‘I’ll damned well give it a good try.’

      Maxine was keen to get off the subject and was grateful when the main course arrived. To her surprise she found the duck delicious. She also found she was beginning to enjoy Edwin’s conversation about the places he’d travelled to before the war, though she couldn’t add anything much except to nod and smile.

      ‘What other books have you read besides Out of Africa?’ he asked.

      ‘Rebecca.’ She thought a moment. ‘I like Agatha Christie.’ Her mind went blank and quickly she said, ‘What about you?’

      ‘Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World, Evelyn Waugh – I’ve just finished A Handful of Dust – anything by Jean-Paul Sartre …’

      He mentioned two or three more names but she’d never heard of any of them. She sipped her wine, hoping she looked interested, not knowing if she’d like the plays he now mentioned because she’d only heard of Noel Coward’s Private Lives. But Edwin was nice. Attentive. Polite. Absolutely charming. Altogether different from when she’d first come across him in the ward.

      ‘We must do this again … soon,’ he said as he helped her on with her jacket an hour and a half later. ‘I’m not going to keep you out late. None of us are getting a lot of sleep lately, and I need steady hands when I hold the knife.’ He grinned at her.

      ‘Put like that, I think you’re very wise.’ Maxine smiled back.

      The taxi pulled up, as Edwin directed, in Royal Street, close to the hospital building. Edwin paid the fare and the cab disappeared into the dusk. He looked down at Maxine, a strange expression she couldn’t fathom on his face.

      ‘You’re very lovely,’ he said. ‘Would you allow me to kiss you?’

      She didn’t know if she wanted him to or not. Before she could answer, he drew her into his arms and she felt his lips on hers. It buzzed through her mind how different he felt from Johnny, whose kisses were cheerful … friendly … Edwin’s was more like a lover’s kiss. For a few seconds she tried to wriggle free. It was too smothering. But then, against her will, she felt herself responding, felt her own lips start to kiss him back. How she’d missed this. But it was too dangerous. She didn’t want to like him in that way. Dazed, she pulled away.

      ‘I’ve had one of the best evenings in a long time,’ Edwin said.

      ‘Me, too,’ she whispered.

      ‘Then go, before you turn into a pumpkin.’

      ‘Isn’t that what the carriage is supposed to do?’

      His teeth gleamed in the fading light. ‘Yes, something like that.’ He gave her a swift kiss on her lips. ‘You’d better go in, Cinders. It’s going to bucket down.’

      Reluctantly she turned away, aware that he was watching her. Inside the hospital she removed her high heels, not wanting to wake anyone as she crept down the steps. It was only when she was safely in the bedroom, hearing Gillian’s gentle snores from the other bed, that she realised she wasn’t sure if she felt relief or disappointment at the sudden end to the evening.

       Chapter Nine

      ‘Come on, lazybones, wake up.’ It was Walker, one of the three other nurses Maxine shared the room with, shaking her shoulders gently. She’d been dreaming about Edwin.

      Her eyes opened wide as she jerked up.

      ‘You were sleeping the sleep of an angel – even on your bed of straw,’ Walker chuckled. ‘He must be gorgeous.’

      To her annoyance, Maxine felt her face redden.

      ‘Oooh, look who’s blushing. I’m pretty close to the nail, aren’t I?’

      ‘I’m not answering.’ Maxine swung her long, slender legs off the mattress, laughing and shooing Walker away.

      Somehow it seemed a little dull that morning without Edwin coming in and out of Men’s Surgical. She rather missed him. This was ridiculous, to feel like this after one date, and probably the only date he would ever ask her on. She’d convinced herself that it was just an impulsive gesture on his part and he wouldn’t be repeating it, when Bennett came to find her as she was washing a few cups whilst waiting for the kettle to boil on the Primus stove for their afternoon tea. The patients had had theirs and Maxine was looking forward to snatching five minutes with her feet up and a couple of Digestive biscuits.

      ‘For you.’ Bennett handed her an envelope.

      ‘Me?’ Maxine pointed to herself.

      ‘Yes, love. It’s got your name on, if I’m not mistaken – Nurse Taylor. Private and Confidential, so it says.’

      Maxine took the envelope and shoved it in her apron pocket, ignoring the curiosity on Bennett’s face.

      ‘I’ll read it later – in private, as it states,’ she said with a grin.

      ‘Fair enough, but you have to share it with us if it’s something exciting.’ She gave Maxine a sly look from under her lashes. ‘I have a feeling I know who it’s from anyway.’ She winked and scurried out of the kitchen door, pulling it behind her.

      There was no possibility of reading the letter now. She’d be in trouble if she didn’t get back on the ward right away.

      Immediately she forgot about Edwin as George Morton grabbed her attention. During the blackout he’d been knocked off his bicycle by a motorist and suffered internal injuries and a broken arm. Waving his good arm in fury, he cursed Hitler for causing the accident, which, Maxine supposed, indirectly Mr Hitler had.

      The only bright spot was that today was payday. She joined the queue outside Matron’s office to collect her wages – ten shillings more than she’d received at the Infirmary. ‘London rating,’ Anna had explained, her nose wrinkling that it wasn’t nearly enough compensation. She could see her friend’s expression now. How she missed her.

      ‘I СКАЧАТЬ