The Temporary Betrothal by Lily George Read Free Book Online Page B

and family. While your work with the veterans is nothing short of
admirable, what are you doing to better your own life, my son?”
    “You sound like my mother. Always lecturing me to give up my
work and settle down with a wife.” And yet, what was so winning about his life?
Dinner alone. Walks to the Pump Room. Reading before his cozy fire. It was
usually pleasant, but took on a lonely tinge now that he thought about it.
“Sometimes I prefer solitude. When Brookes is in town, I have a very active
social life.”
    Aunt Katherine clapped her hands, her rings tinkling merrily.
“Ah, but John is now married, and I am sure he and Harriet will have a family
soon. He won’t have as much time for trips to Bath and army reunions. You must
create a life for yourself that is rich and full, young Charlie. While austerity
has its benefits, I worry that you are missing out on the very vibrancy of
life.”
    Vibrancy. Warmth. Beauty. An image of blue eyes and hair the
color of sunlight passed through his mind. A lively young lady, someone to share
his life with. He blinked rapidly, clearing the alluring vision away. “I don’t
know, Aunt Katherine. Sometimes I think I was meant to be alone. Perhaps that is
why God spared me. To live a life of quiet austerity helping others. It’s not a
bad existence, you know.”
    Aunt Katherine pursed her lips and shook her head. An unusual
quiet descended on the library, broken only by the crackling of the fire in the
grate. At length, Aunt Katherine spoke softly. “Not all women are like Elizabeth
Gaskell. Not even pretty ones.”
    “I am afraid all young ladies are more like her than we care to
admit.” The thread of bitterness running through his tone was surprising, even
to his own ears. “Especially...” His face began to burn, a flush he could not
attribute to the heat from the fire. “ Especially pretty and vivacious women.”
    “Charlie.” Aunt Katherine’s voice was quiet, the kind of tone
she might reserve for a child who had fallen and skinned his knee. “Surely you
don’t harbor bitterness and prejudice in your heart.” She straightened up and
offered him a kind smile. She was like a mother in some ways, and it made him
blink back sudden tears. He was a soldier, after all. No good to cry. “‘Another
man dies in bitterness of soul, never having enjoyed anything good,’” she
quoted. “Don’t allow what Beth did to rob you of happiness.”
    It took a few moments for Charlie to gain composure. He simply
stared out the library window, avoiding Aunt Katherine’s gaze while he settled
his thoughts. What she said was true. He must get rid of all bitterness in his
heart. And yet, it was hard to let go of that anger. It had driven him and
fueled his existence for so long, he didn’t know how to relinquish it. It had
been hidden under a mask of good cheer, at least where the Brookes family was
concerned. But Aunt Katherine, with her uncanny powers of perception, had
discovered the truth.
    When he was of a more reasonable frame of mind, he rose. It was
embarrassing to be so emotional. “Aunt Katherine, I must be going. But I do want
to thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your help. I appreciate all you
are trying to do for me.”
    She extended her hand, jewels winking in the firelight. “Tut,
tut, my dear boy. I shall meddle with you tirelessly now that John is happily
wed.” She gave him a wheedling smile. “Your mother may be right, after all. And
remember that the Handley girls are made of stronger stuff than I think we often
give them credit for.”
    Her words echoed in Charlie’s mind as he walked back to his
flat. Why had she added that last bit? Could it be that Sophie Handley was made
of stronger stuff than he imagined? Behind that pretty face, was she something
more? He let himself into the chilly flat. His housekeeper had the day off, and
he hated coming home when she hadn’t been working all day. His home seemed dour
and cheerless without at least a