Liz shook her head. ‘Only one thing cures a propensity to smile too much,’ she advised. ‘An intensive programme of kissing. Trust me. I’m a nurse.’
He trusted her for the next few minutes.
‘Eh...’ Liz said eventually, although she was finding it hard to concentrate with Adam’s arms around her waist and his hands beginning a little cautious exploring. ‘We’ve got a party to go to.’
‘And?’
‘Things are escalating, I feel.’
‘And?’
‘Well, we had a bit of a problem stopping last night, didn’t we?’
The roaming hands stopped moving. He sighed and placed them in a more neutral position, but he was still having the smiling problem. Liz addressed her next comments to his black bow tie, her hands flat on the lapels of his coat.
‘Thank you for stopping last night. Thank you for not assuming that... because... well, you know what I mean...’
‘I love you,’ he said simply. ‘I’ve loved you for a very long time, and I’m prepared to wait. I’m good at that.’ His voice grew dry. ‘I’ve had a lot of practice.’
She lifted a hand to his face. He turned his head and kissed her palm. ‘You keep touching my face,’ he observed.
‘I want to make sure you’re really here.’ She told him about her dream and he listened thoughtfully.
‘Helen knew how I felt about you,’ he said simply when she had finished. ‘From the start. She was a very perceptive person.’
Liz nodded, and swallowed the lump in her throat.
‘Do you mind me touching your face?’
‘I love you touching me anywhere,’ he assured her. A gleam of mischief crept into his eyes, ‘Do it as much as you like. Wherever you like.’
‘Adam ... What that patient said... about you making an honest woman of me. Well ... it wasn’t you who made a dishonest... well, what I mean is...’
‘Liz,’ he advised, ‘that hole you’re digging for yourself? It’s getting bigger by the second. If I were you, I’d stop shovelling.’
She looked anxiously up at him. ‘You mean it really doesn’t bother you about Mario and me?’
‘I’m jealous as hell,’ he said swiftly. ‘But only because I wish it had been me who was your first love. That’s all.’
‘You’ll be my last love.’
‘I’m going to need a lot of reassurance about that.’
She touched his face again. ‘As much as you want, my love. As much as you want.’
‘Well,’ said Cordelia, as she opened the door to them. ‘About time too. That’s all I can say.’ Then she threw her arms about Adam’s neck and greeted him properly.
‘Why does everyone keep saying that to us?’ he asked with a faintly puzzled air. ‘My mother said something very similar.’
‘Why do you think she and I didn’t come to see you off when you joined the medical corps?’ asked Cordelia cheerfully. ‘We were hoping that if we left the two of you alone you might actually get round to saying something to each other.’
She had been off visiting relatives in Edinburgh for the past couple of days, but Liz had given her the good news by phone, wanting her to be one of the first to know. Beaming at both of them, her face suddenly took on a guarded look. Liz turned, and saw Mario.
He came forward and greeted her before turning to Adam. They looked at each other a little warily, then Adam laughed and held out his hand. Mario shook it warmly and clapped him on the shoulder.
‘Welcome home, old friend. I understand congratulations are also in order.’
‘Be my best man?’
‘If you’ll do the same for me.’
‘Is this the one?’ Liz asked eagerly, peering over Mario’s shoulder. ‘Where is she?’
He had told her last week that he was bringing someone special with him tonight. He’d had two or three girlfriends since he and Liz had agreed to part. When he had forced her to admit how she felt about Adam, she had asked him anxiously about himself. Was there someone?
‘Not yet,’ he had said, ‘but I’m going to have fun looking for her!’
‘Come on,’ he said now, with a pride which boded well for this new relationship. I’ll introduce you both to her.’
‘Everything all right, Liz?’
‘Fine,’ she replied, turning her face away from the lights of Great Western Road. She patted the window seat beside her. ‘Come and join me for a minute, Mario.’
He sank down beside her. ‘Your mother and Mrs Crawford brought Hope to the café again today.’
‘It’s becoming quite a regular outing for them, isn’t it?’
Mario nodded. ‘Maybe we’ll even get your father in sometime.’
‘I doubt it,’ Liz said with a rueful smile. ‘But you never know, I suppose.’
‘How is it with you and him these days?’ Mario’s eyes went to Adam. He was on the other side of the room, laughing at something Dominic Gallagher had said. Mario’s new girlfriend was talking to Naomi Richardson and Jim Barclay. ‘I presume he approves of your engagement?’
‘Wholeheartedly.’ She shrugged. ‘And we communicate. After a fashion. It’s not great, but it’s better than it was.’
There was a certain wistfulness in Mario’s voice. ‘Do you regret it, Elisabetta? Us, I mean?’
‘Not a single moment of it. It was something very special – and very romantic.’
His face lit up. ‘It was, wasn’t it?’ His eyes went to his girlfriend. ‘It’s romantic this time too ... but different somehow.’
‘Deeper,’ Liz suggested. ‘Something that’s going to last.’
Mario’s glance lit on Adam, then came back to her. ‘We’ve both been lucky, Liz.’
‘Yes,’ she agreed, smiling into his eyes. ‘Now go back to her,’ she said gently. ‘I’ll be fine. Adam and I are going soon.’
Mario leaned over and kissed her on the cheek - an affectionate salute between old friends.
‘Will the two of you come for a meal with us and my father? To celebrate your engagement?’
‘Thank you,’ she said. ‘We’d love to.’
She was still sitting on the window seat when Adam came looking for her later. He had to say her name twice before she heard him. He helped her into her coat and they took their leave of their hostess. As they walked down the steps on to the pavement he headed for Morag, but Liz pulled on his sleeve.
‘Could we walk for a bit? Would you mind?’
They walked in silence till they reached the café, dark now and shut for the night. Liz stopped.
‘This is where it all started. When you brought me for a coffee that day.’
‘The very first time I was jealous as hell, you mean?’
‘Were you really?’
‘I could see how you were reacting to Mario,’ he said lightly. ‘I didn’t care for that one little bit.’ He lifted her gloved hand and put his lips to it, sliding his other arm around her waist. ‘I was already falling in love with you, you see.’
‘I’m sorry,’ she said. ‘I was blind, wasn’t I?’
‘On numerous occasions,’ he said wryly.
‘The last night of the Empire Exhibition?’
‘Yes. The night of the
Athenia
, too. When I had to stand back and watch you go into Mario’s arms. Not mine.’
‘I’m in yours now,’ she said earnestly. ‘And I intend to stay there.’
‘I’m very glad to hear it.’
‘I think Eddie knew about us too, you know,’ she said. ‘He said something to me once about you being very fond of me.’
‘Did he? That’s nice to know. Almost as though I have his blessing. Was that who you were thinking about back at Cordelia’s? Absent friends?’
Liz nodded, and would have said more, but her eyes had filled with tears. Adam pulled her head against his shoulder. She wasn’t at all surprised that he had guessed. He had always been sensitive to her feelings. She sniffed and looked up.
‘Sorry.’
‘Don’t be,’ he said comfortably. ‘That’s one of the things I’m here for.’
‘We won’t forget them, will we?’
The hazel eyes were very tender. ‘How could we, my love? They live on through Hope, for one thing. And through our memories of them. They’ll always be part of our lives. Come on,’ he said. ‘It’s getting cold.’
They turned, and began to walk up Byres Road.
‘Cordelia’s had a second letter from Hans-Peter. Did she tell you? They’re going to try and get together as soon as they can.’
‘That’s good,’ said Adam. He squeezed her hand. ‘I’m glad that you and she have become such good friends.’
‘She’s going to be my bridesmaid,’ said Liz. ‘Naomi too, of course - and Janet. Well, Janet will have to be a matron of honour, since she’s already married. Hope will be the flower girl, of course-’
She was brought up short by the look of sheer male panic on Adam’s face.
‘This wedding,’ he said, ‘it’s not going to get out of hand, is it?’
Liz chuckled. ‘You’ll have to speak to my mother about that - and your own. You wouldn’t want to spoil their fun too much, though, would you?’
‘Big weddings take longer to arrange,’ he grumbled. ‘I said I could wait - but not that long. When are we seeing your minister?’
‘Tomorrow afternoon.’
‘We’re going to tell him that we want to get married very soon. Very, very soon,’ he repeated. ‘Oh, damn. Come in here for a minute.’ He pulled her into a shop doorway.
‘I thought kissing in public was vulgar,’ she said some considerable time later.
‘What idiot ever said that?’ he mumbled. ‘I find I can’t keep my hands off you, Elizabeth MacMillan.’
‘Good,’ she said blithely. ‘Now that I’ve got you in a weakened state, I’ve got some things to say. First of all, an early wedding is fine by me. Secondly, after we’re married, I’m going to keep working.’
‘I’m counting on it,’ Adam said. ‘You’re going to be in charge of our health education programme at the practice.’
She beamed at him but he sent her a warning look.
‘We could court controversy there, you know. Especially when we start giving advice about birth control.’
Liz lifted her chin. ‘I’ve never been afraid of a fight. Especially in support of a just cause.’
‘I know,’ he said admiringly. ‘That’s one of the many reasons why I love you.’
He got another kiss for that. Then Liz continued to enumerate her list of requirements.
‘If we have children I’m going back to work once they’re old enough.’
‘Fine by me,’ he said equably.
‘Are you going to agree with everything I say?’ she demanded.
‘Och, no!’ His eyes crinkled at the corners. ‘I’m looking forward to some really good arguments.’ He raised his eyebrows at her. ‘Especially the making up afterwards.’
Liz dropped the belligerent attitude. ‘Oh, Adam Buchanan. I love you!’
‘You will keep telling me that, won’t you?’ He glanced across at the streetlight on the edge of the pavement. ‘Do you remember the night of the
Athenia
?
‘I’ll never forget it. We walked up the road arm in arm in the blackout and you told me that one day the lights would come on again. And they have,’ she finished happily, smiling up at him.