Sweet Rosie by Iris Gower Read Free Book Online Page B

large sofa, his legs, thin and gangly, hung over the edge and Llinos’s heart contracted with love for him.
    Charlotte smiled a welcome. ‘Come and sit for goodness’ sake and let’s open the letter from my brother.’ She ruffled Lloyd’s hair. ‘Put both of us out of our misery.’
    Llinos tore the letter open with trembling fingers. ‘It’s bad news,’ she said at last. ‘Joe’s mother has passed away.’ She looked at her son, ‘Your grandmother.’ He had never met his grandmother, he would never know the sweetness of the woman, her age-old wisdom, her beauty.
    ‘But Charlotte is my grandmother,’ he said, puzzled.
    ‘I know, darling, but you had another grandmother, her name was Mint, she lived in Daddy’s land, in America.’
    ‘Oh.’ Lloyd looked crestfallen for a moment and then, childlike, he shrugged away the sadness in his mother’s voice. ‘When is Daddy coming home?’
    Llinos looked down at the letter. ‘He will be back with us before Christmas,’ she said. She should feel happy and yet her heart was heavy: Joe had to cross the great Atlantic sea that separated them; it was a hazardous journey at the best of times and now, with winter coming on, it would be even worse.
    ‘Never mind, Mamma.’ Lloyd had the same knack as his father of reading her thoughts. ‘Daddy has the Great Spirit to keep him safe.’ He slipped from the sofa and nestled his head against her knees. ‘He’ll be home before the snow comes, you’ll see.’
    Over his head, Llinos met Charlotte’s eyes. ‘He’s like his father,’ Charlotte said, ‘he’s a seer. If he says Joe will come home safely, then he will.’
    ‘Of course he will,’ Llinos replied and yet she knew she would not rest until Joe was safely in her arms again.
    Binnie Dundee looked around the table in the sun-washed dining room and marvelled at his family of sons who were growing rapidly. The boys had strong limbs and glowing faces browned with the warmth of the American sun. He was a contented man.
    He congratulated himself on shaking the dust of Swansea off his feet all those years ago and settling in America with a wonderful wife. Sometimes it troubled him that he and Hortense were not legally married, that he still had a wife back home. He had never kept in touch with Maura; once he made his decision to leave her he put her out of his mind. All he could do was to pray his secret was never discovered or Dan McCabe would have him hung, drawn and quartered for tricking his daughter into a sham marriage.
    The boys were whispering together, no doubt planning some mischief. Binnie watched them fondly. No wonder Dan, Jerry and Matthew were the apple of their granddad’s eye. If Dad McCabe favoured the child named for him it was only because Dan was the first-born and the image of him.
    Binnie sighed, a contented sigh. West Troy was a fine place to live and Binnie was glad that he was not back in Swansea where the weather would be turning cold and rain beat incessantly against the window-panes.
    ‘A penny for them.’ His wife smiled across at him and Binnie felt a tug at his heart. He loved Hortense as much as he had done when they were first married. She would be so hurt if she knew the truth about him. He pulled himself up sharply. Why think about the past now? It was over and done with.
    ‘I was remembering how dull the weather was back home,’ he said. Hortense smiled and reached over to touch his hand.
    ‘But this is your home now, Binnie my love.’
    ‘I know.’ He returned her smile. ‘I know. I was just telling myself how lucky I am to be with the woman I love and to have three fine sons. I would give my life for you, my love, you know that.’
    The sound of a carriage stopping outside the porch galvanized the boys into action. ‘Grandma’s here!’ Dan said. ‘See you later, Mom.’
    Binnie stood in the doorway as Hortense followed her sons to where Mrs McCabe was waiting for them. He waved to his mother-in-law and she