Soldier Doll by Jennifer Gold Read Free Book Online Page A

and began walking, her pace hurried. She wrapped her arms around herself for warmth, still trembling.
    â€œMeg—wait!” Close at her heels, Ned grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her back to him. He took her hand and looked into her eyes. “Meg—I love you. You know that, right? I’ve always loved you. Since we were children.” He licked his lips, looking nervous.
    Startled, Meg looked up at him. She wasn’t sure how to respond. “Oh,” she managed, her voice shaking. “Well, I love you too, Ned. You know that.” Blinking in surprise, she let go of his hand and stumbled back a few paces. Ned quickly made up the distance between them and grabbed her hand again. He was sweating despite the cold, and his cheeks were flushed a bright pink.
    â€œWell, then. Not exactly how I rehearsed it, but…” Ned’s voice trailed off. He took a deep breath and bent down on one knee. Meg watched, shocked, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small wooden box. Her heart was beating so fast, she could barely hear his words as he spoke. He released her hand to open the box and retrieved from inside a small gold ring. Meg breathed in sharply.
    â€œI know it’s not much.” He looked apologetic, his cheeks almost purple now. “But one day, if the printing business does well—”
    â€œSh,” said Meg. She put a finger to his lips, and then allowed him to slip the ring on her finger. “A perfect fit.” She looked up at him, eyes moist. “It’s beautiful, Ned.” She held her hand up to get a better look at the ring. She stared at it, admiring, turning her hand in different directions, preening slightly. Ned watched her. She remembered he was there and dropped her hand back to her side, her own cheeks reddening.
    â€œI gather that’s a yes, then?” Ned coughed. He was smiling now but still looked anxious, fiddling with the box and shuffling his feet. “I asked your father’s permission.”
    â€œDid you?” Meg laughed. She pictured her father’s embarrassed reaction and gruff response. “Poor Father. I imagine he got quite flustered.”
    â€œWell, a bit.” Ned grinned. His color was returning to normal now. “But he gave it. Didn’t seem all that surprised that I was asking. I suppose everyone will have seen this coming.”
    Meg stared at her new ring again. “Shall we be wed soon, then, Ned? Before you leave?” The sun had come out again. In the sunlight, the gold of the ring glittered brightly. Rainbows scattered in every direction.
    â€œWell…” Ned fidgeted with his hands. “I’ve been giving this quite a bit of thought. The thing is, I’d prefer to wait until I return. You’re so very young, after all. And we can plan a proper wedding that way.”
    Meg waved her hand dismissively. “I don’t need a fancy wedding.” She shook her head. “Whatever for? I just want to be wed to you.” She laughed lightheartedly. She twirled a lock of hair around her newly adorned ring finger. In the sun, the color was almost a match to the ring.
    â€œNo.” It was Ned’s turn to be stubborn. “I want you to have a nice wedding like all the other girls, with a proper dress. You deserve it. You’re the prettiest and smartest of them all.”
    â€œNed,” Meg sighed in frustration. She rolled her eyes. “I don’t care about a silly wedding and a silly dress. I think we should be wed as soon as possible. Before you leave.”
    â€œNo, Meg.” Ned took her hand in his and stared at the ring. “We’ll have a beautiful wedding. Even if you don’t want it, I want it for you.” He looked at her, earnest.
    Meg bit her lip. She could see this meant a lot to Ned. She willed herself not to stomp her foot.
    â€œFine, then, Ned.” She laid her head gently on his shoulder. “We’ll have your