Lizzie's War (38 page)

‘Good, because that's what I want our children to be…'

‘Our children, Lizzie?'

She laughed as his brows rose. ‘Well, I'm hoping there will be a few – as I told you yesterday.'

‘And what about your ambition to design beautiful hats?'

‘Do you recall telling me once that all you required of me was to design lovely creations you could sell, that I could have others to look after everything else…'

‘I do vaguely remember,' he said, his eyes intent on her face, ‘and would you be happy with that, Lizzie?'

‘I think I might, most of the time – though I might want to make a few special ones myself, and to visit the workshops occasionally, but I'll be content to be a wife and mother – if it's what you want too?'

‘You know the answer to that,' Sebastian smiled as he set a plate of sizzling bacon in front of her. ‘I've always seen you here in my home as my lover and my wife, the mother of my children – but I want you to have your dreams, Lizzie.'

‘My dreams have all come true,' Lizzie said. ‘I'd like you to look after the business side of things and let me design and make beautiful hats – but to do it here, in my own home with my family about me…'

‘We can have housekeepers and nannies, and people working in the shops and the workshops,' Sebastian said. ‘You've had to work hard and I know things were difficult for you for a long time – now I want to take care of you. I want to give you the earth… to spoil you and Betty…'

‘She is already in seventh heaven,' Lizzie smiled up at him. ‘I was going to move in with Aunt Miriam – but now, if you don't mind, I'll offer her the chance to come here…'

‘We have plenty of room,' Sebastian said. ‘It's a long time since this house really felt like home. I filled it with people and gave big parties, but I hated being here alone. When I got up this morning and saw you in my bed, and Betty putting her arms out to me to be picked up, I suddenly realized what was missing all those years.'

‘We'll make it a home together, Sebastian.'

‘I was a fool to stay here alone with my ghosts for so long…'

‘We both have ghosts to chase away,' Lizzie said and moved close enough to kiss him. ‘You know most of mine, but I didn't know about yours until you told me yesterday – and I'm glad you have.'

‘Bring Aunt Miriam here if you want – Beth and her twins too if you like. The sooner this big house has a family to fill it the better…'

‘Beth is married to her old love, but I'll ask her to visit often, because Betty loves the twins and Beth's like a sister to me.'

‘Then she's my sister too, because I want to share everything with you – if you'll let me?'

‘Yes, my darling. We'll fill the house with love and laughter and people,' Lizzie said and looked up at him, her love flowing out to surround him and draw him into their own special place. ‘And the more of them that are children, the better…'

‘Amen to that,' Sebastian said and from a room somewhere above them it seemed to Lizzie that for a moment she heard the sound of childish laughter and a rocking horse.

 

 

 

We hope you enjoyed this book!

Rosie Clarke's next book,
Jessie's Promise
, is coming in 2017

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R
OSIE
C
LARKE
is happily married and lives in a quiet village in East Anglia. Writing books is a passion for Rosie, she also likes to read, watch good films and enjoys holidays in the sunshine. She loves shoes and adores animals, especially squirrels and dogs.

 

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Addictive Fiction

First published in the UK in 2016 by Aria, an imprint of Head of Zeus Ltd

Copyright © Rosie Clarke, 2016

The moral right of Rosie Clarke to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

The moral right of Richard McKenna to be identified as the translator of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN (E) 9781784977160

Aria
Clerkenwell House
45-47 Clerkenwell Green
London EC1R 0HT

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