Such Sweet Sorrow by Catrin Collier Read Free Book Online Page A

ring in Cardiff? An engagement ring,’ he added so there could be no mistake.
    ‘If that’s all you’re prepared to give me, I suppose it will have to do,’ she murmured, mischief and love glowing in her eyes.
    He would have kissed her if they’d been alone. As it was, he had to content himself with squeezing her hand. Not for the first time that day he wondered what on earth had possessed him to join the Guards. Then he remembered Tony’s assertion that as they’d have to go anyway, it was better to be first in line so they could pick out the cushiest numbers for themselves before the rush.
    He hoped Tony was right. Because suddenly nothing seemed worth leaving Pontypridd and Tina for. Especially war.

Chapter Three
    ‘I thought they’d never leave.’ Tony rammed the bolt home below the lock on the café door. He glanced at Diana, who was standing nervously in front of the counter stacking dirty cups on to a tray. He walked across to her and took a cup from her hand. ‘I’ll see to all this after I take you home.’
    ‘There’s so many …’
    ‘They can wait.’ He stroked the side of her face gently with his fingertips while staring intently into her eyes. ‘You are sure you want this?’
    She swallowed hard, her secret clouding her mind like a toxic mist, poisoning her every thought and move. She would never be able to bring herself to get engaged to, much less marry, Tony without telling him the truth. And she couldn’t think of a better time to begin than now, after she went upstairs with him. ‘I’m sure,’ she murmured.
    ‘I’ll go up first and pull the blackout curtains. There’s no electric light, so you’ll have to bring the candle from the kitchen.’
    Diana walked behind the counter and into the kitchen. She found what she was looking for on the windowsill: a stub of candle glued by a puddle of wax to a cracked saucer. Lifting it down, she took the box of matches from next to the stove and opened it, snapping three in half before she finally succeeded in lighting the wick. Switching off all the downstairs lights she carried the candle to the foot of the stairs. She sat on the bottom step, shivering, trying to keep a grip on herself while waiting for Tony to call her. It was peculiar how even the most commonplace objects could be transformed by candlelight. The wavering flame lengthened shadows, animating them into threatening, malevolent shapes that reminded her of the ghastly ghoul and ghost stories William had spun to frighten her when they’d been children. She was aware of a heightening of sensitivity, as though her body was preparing her for disaster – or an experience she would treasure for the rest of her life. Which would it be?
    Willing optimism to win, she looked around, consciously absorbing the scene, storing it for some future date when Tony would be away and this moment would be no more than a bitter-sweet memory. Setting the candle on the stair next to her she hugged her knees and tried to picture the rooms they’d share when he came home on leave. It would have to be rooms. There was no way she’d be able to afford, or justify renting a whole house, not when he’d be away most of the time, but then it would give them an opportunity to save for a home of their own.
    ‘I’ve blacked out the bedroom, it’s safe to come up.’
    She turned her head, Tony was standing at the top of the stairs looking down at her.
    ‘Are you all right?’
    ‘I was miles away.’
    ‘If you want to change your mind, I don’t mind waiting until after we’re married.’ Half of him wanted her to walk up the stairs, the other half – an uncharacteristically doubtful, nervous half – wished she’d insist on leaving for home right now.
    She shook her head. ‘No, I don’t want to wait.’ Picking up the candle she turned and slowly mounted the stairs.
    ‘You sure this is the ring you want?’ William patted the box he was carrying in his coat pocket.
    ‘It’s exactly the ring I