‘You mean the dates you told Mary about never happened?’
‘They did – I couldn’t lie to Mary – but they only happened so I could write to her about them, knowing she’d then tell you. I never gave up hope that you might change your mind. I didn’t know you weren’t at home this week – I came home hoping particularly that you would be, so I could see what effect my machinations had had on you and if it was time to have another go.’ He looked into her eyes. ‘Are you very cross with me?’
‘Yes I am. But it’ll keep.’ She stroked his cheek with her thumb. ‘Ask me again, Charlie,’ she whispered.
‘Kiss me first, in case you say no.’
‘I’m not going to say no. But I’ll gladly kiss you.’
He pulled her closer, and their lips met in a kiss that felt like their first one all over again.
‘All right, if you promise you’re not going to say no then this time I’m going to do it properly,’ Charlie whispered when they finally broke apart. He let her go so he could fall to one knee, then he took her hand. ‘Miss Bancroft, would you do me the very great honour of agreeing to become my wife?’
‘We couldn’t do it right away. It might need to be a long engagement.’
‘When you said you wouldn’t say no, I was sort of hoping the alternative answer would be yes.’
She laughed. ‘It is yes. Get up out of the mud, you daft lad.’
He smiled as he stood up and pulled her back into his arms. ‘As long as it’s yes, Bobby, you can impose whatever terms you please. If you want to wait until we’re ninety I shan’t complain, although our wedding night might be less exciting than I was anticipating.’
‘I really shouldn’t say yes after the way you tricked me.’ She shook her head. ‘One of these days, you’re actually going to be engaged when Topsy tells me you are and I’m not going to believe her. She’s like the boy who cried wolf.’
He smiled. ‘Ah, but the next time she gives someone the news I’m engaged it will be true, won’t it? I’ll let you be the one to tell her, then you can get your own back.’
‘When Lilian suggested it might have been an engagement of necessity, my heart nearly hit the floor.’
‘An engagement of…’ He frowned. ‘Oh. I hadn’t thought of that.’
‘No, I don’t suppose you would.’
‘If I can manage to resist your charms until we’ve signed on the dotted line, Bobby, then I’m certainly not at risk from anyone else’s.’ He fished in his pocket for something and took her hand to slide it on. ‘Here.’
Bobby held up her left hand and stared at the sapphire ring on her third finger. ‘It’s beautiful, Charlie! However did you afford it? Please don’t say your horse came in.’
‘Family heirloom. It belonged to my grandmother. Mary doesn’t know, but I had a talk with Reggie when I came home and I told him I was planning to take one last crack at it. He gave me this to help persuade you.’
‘Reg gave it to you? You mean he approves?’
‘I believe he does. You know, he’s mellowed quite considerably since those two little girls came into his life. It makes me wonder what sort of man my brother might have been if Nancy had lived and he’d never gone to war.’
‘It’s the exact colour of the kingfisher I saw,’ she murmured, moving her hand so the stone glistened in the dying sunlight.
‘I knew you’d like it.’ He guided her to a flat rock. ‘Let’s sit and watch the sunset. I’ve been promising you this moment for a long time.’
Bobby smiled as she sat by him and snuggled into his arms. ‘When I saw you at Moorside, I was worried you couldn’t have got my telegram – either that or you were too embarrassed to mention it. I’ve been waiting all week for an answer from you.’
He frowned. ‘Telegram?’
‘Yes, the telegram I sent to your billet.’ She looked at him. ‘That is why you asked again, isn’t it?’
‘I asked because I hoped you might have changed your mind, and because I wasn’t strong enough not to ask. I didn’t get any telegram. What did it say?’
‘It said “Ask me again.”’
‘Did it? If I’d seen that, I’d have been off to Bradford on the next train before you changed your mind.’
‘I knew I’d made a mistake the moment I saw Piotr and Jolka together, and the sort of family life they lead.’ She shook her head. ‘I really thought the telegram must be why you brought me here.’
