Lauri Robinson - Diary Of A War Bride

She followed his gaze towards the children. ‘I agree, and not all children are treated as well or have fared as well as the ones placed with Norman and Charlotte.’

‘I’ve witnessed that myself.’ The two boys from the fires had told him that they hadn’t been allowed out of the bedroom except to go to school and that the only food they got to eat was what Oscar and Ed left outside the pub for them grab on their way to and from school. That’s what they’d been doing in the barn, eating, and had found an old lantern they decided to try to light. ‘I know it’s not much, but the candy could be a small consolation for them.’

‘It certainly thrilled these children and I’m sure it would others.’

Before he could stop himself, he asked, ‘Why are you here?’

She started picking berries again. ‘My father sent me here three years ago, when many of the girls my age were joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service. He’s a British Intelligence Officer and knew many of the ATS members would be sent to France and Germany. He didn’t want that for me.’ Glancing his way, she added, ‘And my mum didn’t want me anywhere near soldiers, including the American ones.’

‘Why?’

‘She has her reasons.’

Considering how outspoken and stubborn Kathryn was, he questioned if she’d merely obeyed what her parents wanted. ‘Do you?’

Without missing a berry, she said, ‘Yes. The same reason as my mum.’

‘What’s that?’

The way she eyed him, from head to toe for a silent moment, he questioned if she’d answer and, for a reason he wasn’t willing to investigate, he discovered he was holding his breath.

Turning back to the bush, she said, ‘This isn’t the first war to bring American soldiers on to our soil.’

The air left his chest as relief washed over him. A simple reason, really, yet to her it must be more. ‘No, it’s not.’

‘They come and leave again, go wherever the army sends them with no concern to those they leave behind.’

The bitterness in her tone was colder than a North Dakota winter and chilled him just as deeply. Not sure he should, but still had to, he asked, ‘That happened to your mother?’

‘No, my aunt.’ With an even colder tone, she added, ‘And her son, my cousin.’

‘What about after his tour of duty?’

As she turned back to her berry picking, she snapped, ‘He’d forgotten all about them by then.’

World War I, as it was now being called, had provided many men with foreign brides, just as he had no doubt that this war would. For those foolish enough to go down that lane. He wasn’t. He also wasn’t foolish enough to continue a conversation that clearly disturbed her. However, what he had learned was all the more reason to befriend her. If the Brigadier disliked Americans as much as Kathryn did, he wouldn’t be any more interested in helping him find Ralph than the army was, unless his daughter asked him to.

Stepping up beside her to pluck a few more berries, he asked, ‘So, back to my original question—will you help me figure out a better way to distribute the candy to the children? I know it’s not much, but...’ nodding towards the children, he continued ‘...it could mean a lot to them.’

‘It would need to include other children as well,’ she said.

‘Of course. As many children as possible, which is another reason I need your help.’

Tucking several strands of her long black hair behind one ear, she said, ‘You are persistent, aren’t you?’

The smile she attempted to hide gave him hope. ‘I’ve been called worse.’ Lifting the candy bar out of his basket, he held it out to her. ‘Truce?’ When it appeared she wasn’t going to give in, he added, ‘Think of the children. How much it would mean to them.’

Her smile included a hint of pink covering both cheeks as she shook her head and took the candy bar. ‘Truce.’

‘That’s made by the Hershey candy company,’ he said, hoping to keep the smile on her lips. ‘It comes from Hershey, Pennsylvania, where the world’s largest chocolate factory is.’

When she eyed him critically he held up a hand.

‘Honest. They make all sorts of candy.’ He had no idea if his next statement was 100 per cent true, but wanted to get her further on his side. ‘They even make a candy bar named after Babe Ruth, the greatest baseball player in the world.’

‘Baseball?’

‘You’ve never played baseball? Well, let me tell you about that.’

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