The Child Left Behind by Anne Bennett Read Free Book Online Page A

morning. I don’t recall ever having seen a man from the British Army at Mass before.’
    ‘Well, although I am in the British Army, Christy and I are from Ireland,’ Finn said. ‘And that, like France, is a Catholic country.’
    ‘Ah, yes,’ Gabrielle said. ‘I wondered what the accent was. I couldn’t quite place it.’
    ‘We are in the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers,’ Finn explained. ‘We have a fair few Catholics in our regiment.’
    ‘Then I am surprised there were not more soldiers at Mass,’ Gabrielle said.
    ‘Well, there are other churches in the town and Mass at different times,’ Finn pointed out.‘But probably some, now that they’re away from home, will risk their immortal souls for a few extra hours in bed.’
    ‘Besides, only a relative few were sent here for special duties,’ Christy said.
    ‘And what are those special duties, soldier boy?’ Gabrielle asked with a coy smile.
    Finn gave a quiet chuckle as Christy said, ‘We look after the creature comforts of the officers at the British Headquarters, for the moment at least.’
    ‘And what do you both do in your spare time?’ Gabrielle asked.
    ‘Well, our free time is governed by the officers we are assigned to,’ Finn said. ‘When we are at the camp some of the lads might be playing football, others will be playing cards or dominoes or reading, and I would probably be cleaning my kit and especially my rifle, lying on my bed sleeping, or writing letters home. It’s pretty boring, really.’
    He smiled at her and then in the bantering tone she had used, he asked with a sardonic grin, ‘And what do you do with your free time, Mademoiselle Jobert?’
    ‘I really don’t have much free time,’ Gabrielle said, ‘what with serving in the shop and helping my mother. Sunday is my one free day and then we love to go for a walk.’ She grinned mischievously at Finn and added, ‘I find it a most agreeable pastime.’
    ‘And so do I,’ said Finn.
    Gabrielle’s eyes met Finn’s and she saw theyearning in them that she knew would be mirrored in her own. For a split second it was as if time had stood still and they were alone. Everyone else had ceased to exist.
    Then Finn tore his gaze away. His heart was banging and his mouth felt unaccountably dry. He knew then that he loved Gabrielle Jobert heart, body and soul, although he had not touched her and he barely knew her. None of that mattered.
    What did matter, though, was that he was a soldier from a country at war, who any moment could be ordered away. He wondered whether it was wise to begin any sort of relationship with this wonderful girl or whether it would be kinder to her to nip it in the bud. Yvette’s voice brought him back down to earth, saying how brave she thought all the soldiers were.
    He was unable to answer straightaway and he was grateful to Christy, who said, ‘I don’t know whether either of us have earned that title or not, Yvette, for we have yet to meet the enemy, though we joined up last year and have done months of training.’
    Yvette’s eyes were puzzled as she said in surprise, ‘Do you want to fight then?’
    Finn had recovered himself sufficiently enough to say, ‘It’s not the fighting for fighting’s sake that I regret, but when my brothers write that there are boatloads of injured Irish boys arriving home just now, and I am here high and dry and never near a bullet, it makes me feel a bit of a fraud.’
    ‘I can understand you feeling that way,’ Gabrielle said, ‘but I am very glad you came here for a time.’ Again there was that attractive flush to her face that caused Finn’s heart to beat faster as she asked, ‘Do you think me very forward?’
    ‘Why should I?’ he asked.
    ‘It’s not seemly for a woman to speak of such things.’
    Yvette suddenly walked ahead and Gabrielle knew that it was to give her and Finn some privacy. Christy, seeing the way the wind blew, followed Yvette.
    Finn continued, ‘Of course it’s seemly. Yvette sort of