Authors: Margaret Tanner
Lauren's Dilemma (29 page)
Blair
watched tears spring to Laurie's eyes. He was glad to be able to do this for
her, after she had given him so much.
“They are
good solid names. I'll take this young fellow out to meet the men. You stay
with Laurie.”
“Thank you,
Blair,” she whispered. Her eyes felt so heavy now she could hardly keep them
open. “Danny would be glad to have our baby named after him, and Dick, too.”
“Go to
sleep now. You’re exhausted, darling, and it’s nearly midnight. I have to be
back at Broadmeadows tomorrow, but I'll see you before I leave in the morning.”
“I wish you
didn't have to go.”
“You can't
wish it as much as I do, but I have to do the best I can for those boys back at
camp. If my knowledge of battle can save even one soldier's life, leaving you
and our son is a small price to pay.”
“I know.
I'm proud you feel that way, but I can't help being selfish and wishing you
could stay with me. Oh, a letter came for you the other day. It’s from France.
I put it on the mantel.”
Laurie’s
green eyes were glazed with tiredness, her hair a flaming auburn mass against
the pillow. She was so brave and beautiful. Blair swallowed down a lump in his
throat. He dragged his eyes away from her and glanced at the cradle where their
son would sleep, once his grandfather returned from showing him off to the men.
He truly believed himself to be the luckiest man in the world.
* * *
Who would
be writing to me from France?
Blair collected the letter and shoved it into his pocket. After opening some
champagne so they could toast the baby’s birth, he flopped into bed, exhausted.
It wasn’t
until he arrived back at camp that he suddenly remembered the letter. On
opening it, he was surprised to find it was from James McDonald, a one-time
neighbor of theirs.
Dear Blair,
When you receive this
letter
I shall be dead. There is a big push on soon, and I
won't
be coming back from it.
Don’t
judge me too harshly. I
will leave it up to you as to when you pass
this
information on to the appropriate authorities. Anne and the children have moved
to Western Australia
to be with her parents. I have caused them so much hurt, I cannot believe the
things I have done.
Dick McKinlay didn't kill Helen, I did. I was
besotted with her when I met her at your party, and we started seeing each
other in Melbourne
and became lovers.
Disgust curdled his stomach, but he forced
himself to keep on reading. Thank
God
Laurie hadn’t
read it.
I ruined
my wife and children's lives to be with Helen, and just before I sailed for
overseas she spurned me, said she had been trifling with my emotions and
wouldn’t
wait until I got back. I followed her up to
Coolibah to get her to change her mind.
Yes, I killed her. I
didn't
rape her as the papers said, she had been quite willing, but afterwards she
said we were through, she had found someone else.
I
went
crazy, and started hitting her,
and I couldn't stop. I swear, I
didn't
know Dick would
be blamed, when he was, I was too cowardly to own up to what I'd done. I
consoled myself with the thought he would get off because of his mental state.
I am truly sorry for all the pain I caused
everyone.
Major
James McDonald.
Blair
folded the letter and put it away. It sickened him to realize how Helen had
betrayed him. She was beautiful on the outside, but filthy and twisted on the
inside. As for James McDonald, what kind of fiend would remain silent and let
an innocent man go to the gallows for a crime he, himself, had committed?
He would
have to hand the letter to the police, of course, but for the sake of Anne
McDonald and her children he hoped they would be discreet. He would tell Laurie
and the McKinlays later, when he was out of the army and back home.
Epilogue
One
afternoon in November of 1918, Laurie was in the homestead alone. Her father,
Blair and Fergie had gone into town for supplies, and little Daniel was taking
a nap. The windows stood wide open in the sitting room to let in the early
summer breeze. As she sat in an armchair she drifted between sleep and
wakefulness.
“Laurie,
Laurie.” She opened her eyes and Danny stood near the fireplace. He was in
uniform. His head was bare, his brown curls just as windblown and unruly as she
remembered.
“The war is
over.” He gave a boyish smile. “You can be happy now.”
“Laurie,
great news.” Blair dashed into the room and pulled her to her feet. “Heard it
in town. They've signed an Armistice at last. The war is over.”
“I know.”
She did a little jig.
“What! How
could you?”
“Danny told
me. He was here a minute ago.”
“Laurie.”
Blair was shocked as he stared into her over-bright eyes. “There's only us in
the room.”
“He stood
over there, by the fire. I know it sounds crazy, but I saw him.”
Her cheeks
were flushed, her eyes burning vividly green, but otherwise she seemed normal.
“You dreamt
it, my darling,” Blair soothed, not wanting to upset her, because she was
expecting again. He vaguely recalled reading somewhere that pregnant women had
flights of fancy.
“Maybe I
did, but I'm so glad it's all over and the soldiers can come home now.”
She smiled. Her face suddenly took on such a
serene beauty the breath caught in his throat. She blew him a kiss. Laughing,
he reached out and pretended to catch it.
“I think I
hear your spoilt son calling out.” She danced out of the room.
After
Laurie left for the nursery to attend little Daniel, Blair suddenly became
aware of the bittersweet smell of herbs wafting around the room. Some instinct
drew him towards the fireplace. There on the hearth lay a sprig of thyme.
The End
About the Author
Margaret
Tanner is a multi-published Australian author. She loves delving into the pages
of history as she carries out research for her historical romance novels, and
prides herself on being historically accurate. No book is too old or tattered
for her to trawl through, no museum too dusty, or cemetery too overgrown. Many
of her novels have been inspired by true events, with one being written around
the hardships and triumphs of her pioneering ancestors in frontier Australia.
As part of
her research she has visited the World War 1 battlefields in France and Belgium, a truly poignant
experience.
Margaret is
a member of the Romance Writers of Australia, the Melbourne Romance Writers
Group (MRWG) and EPIC.
She won the 2007
and 2009 Author of the Year at AussieAuthors.com. Her novel Frontier Wife won
the Best Historical Romance Novel at the 2010 Readers Favorite Award, and
another novel, Wild Oats was a 2011 Finalist in the EPIC awards.
Margaret is
married with three grown up sons, and a gorgeous little granddaughter.
Outside of
her family and friends, writing is her passion.
Website:
http://www.margarettanner.com/
Note from
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