by Deborah Carr
“Come along,” Ed said. “She told me I must take you to see the poppy field.”
Alice adored poppies, especially more so now that Ed had picked one for her. It always felt like summer had truly arrived when the poppies were out. They held hands and followed the pathway around to the side of the house and then up a slight incline to a five-bar gate. Arriving at the gate they stopped.
Alice gasped. “It’s a sea of scarlet,” she said, breathless with awe at the glorious sight stretching ahead of them; the blood red petals swaying slightly in the light breeze. “I’ve never seen anything quite so enchanting.”
“I have,” Ed said, kissing her. “I thought you’d like this view,” he opened the gate. “I discovered it when I came here with Peter. He was asked to deliver mail to Madam Gaston and she told us about the poppy field.”
Happier than she could ever recall being, Alice let him lead her into the middle of the field. “I wish I could stay here forever,” she said. “It’s magical.”
“I thought so when I found the farm. I wanted somewhere for us to be alone, if only for a couple of days. We need to spend time getting to know each other away from other people.”
Alice agreed. “This is perfect,” she said, pulling Ed’s hand until he bent his head so that she could kiss him. “Let’s sit down,” she said, when they came up for air.
“I have a gift for you,” he said, seeming a little shy.
Alice wondered what he could have found for her. She waited as he carefully withdrew a box from his lapel pocket. He placed it in the palm of her hand. “I hope you like it,” he said. “When I spotted it on leave after being discharged. It reminded me of our first kiss and I had to buy it for you.”
She smiled up at him aware she would treasure whatever he had chosen for her. Pressing the little brass clip, she lifted the lid, and gasped. “Oh, Ed, it’s exquisite.” She took the scarlet enamelled brooch from its cushion and held it closer to take in its shining beauty. “I love it. Here,” she said, holding it against her blouse. “Help me fasten it, will you?”
He did as she asked.
Alice leant forward and taking his face in both her hands kissed him. “Thank you, my darling. I’ll treasure this, always.”
They sat, and Ed draped his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him. Content to be in his arms, especially in such a beautiful place, Alice rested her head against his chest.
“I love you,” Ed said breaking the silence between them.
Her heart swelling with joy, Alice stared at the pretty scarlet flowerheads all around them, trying to etch the moment in her mind forever. “I love you, too,” she said wishing the moment would last forever. “Thank you for arranging this for us.”
“I’m grateful you agreed to come here with me.” He moved so that they were facing each other as he went on one knee.
Alice’s brain could not process what was happening, but she instinctively knew that what happened next was going to change the course of her life. She held her breath.
“Alice, my beautiful darling sweetheart, will you do me the honour of agreeing to become my wife?”
She covered her mouth with her left hand.
Ed’s smile slipped slightly. “Alice?”
She could see he was worried she might turn him down, so forced herself to reply. “Yes, I’d love to marry you, Ed,” she said, leaning forwards and almost losing her balance. He caught her, and they fell back onto the hard earth, her landing softened by falling onto him. “Mr and Mrs Woodhall,” she said dreamily, delirious at the image in her head of the two of them dressed in their finery at her parish church.
“You’re picturing us at our wedding, aren’t you?” he teased after a few seconds.
How did he know? She giggled. “Yes, I am,” she admitted, shyly.
Ed held her tightly. Then lifting her slightly by the shoulders, he kissed her. Alice returned his kiss and instantly they were lost in their own world. She vaguely heard an explosion. For a split-second Alice tensed at the reminder that her beloved man would soon be back at the Front risking his life for his country.
“Don’t think about it,” he soothed, pulling her into another kiss.
She forced the thought aside and immersed herself in the sensations she was experiencing.
They spent the rest of the day lying in the field in each other’s arms each swapping dreams for their future together.
“How many babies do you want?” Alice asked him.
“As many as you like,” he whispered. “I think we should at least try for a pigeon pair.”
“A what?”
He kissed her. “A boy and a girl.”
Alice loved the idea. She pictured her with their baby in her arms, a toddler running around the living room, while Ed sat in his favourite armchair proudly watching his family.
“We’re going to have a magical life together,” she murmured, certain that as soon as this war was over, the rest of their lives would be theirs to live as they chose. “Where will we live?”
He hugged her to him and closed his eyes. “I have a cottage in Scotland, near to my family estate,” he said.
Alice had never heard of this estate before and certainly did not know about a cottage. “Tell me what it’s like, so that I can imagine it.”
“It’s stone. It’s painted white and the garden in front of the cottage leads to a lake,” his Scottish lilt soothed and delighted her. She closed her eyes in contentment as she listened to him. “There are mountains behind,” he continued, his words interspersed with silence as he thought of what else to add. “In the depths of winter, we can be cut off, but I love that time best. Then again, I also enjoy the long summer nights. I sometimes spend the night in my boat on the lake fishing, or simply relishing the peace and quiet.” He hesitated and hugged her tightly. “I’m going to love it even more now that I’ll have you there to share everything with.”
Alice sighed. She had never been so happy.
“We don’t have to live there, if you’d rather not. We can always keep the cottage for our holidays in the summer.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to?” Alice asked, rising and resting on her right elbow.
“You might wish to return to Jersey, set up home there.”
It dawned on Alice that he had misunderstood her sigh. “No,” she said kissing him. “I love Jersey, you know I do, but I want to live with you, in your cottage.”
“Our cottage,” he corrected.
Thrilled to hear him say such a thing, she smiled. “Thank you. Our family cottage.”
He beamed at her. “I love you, the future Mrs Woodhall,” he said, pulling her down and kissing her, hard.
Moments later when they stopped, Alice said, “I can’t wait to marry you, Ed,” she said. “How long do you think we should wait?”
He shrugged. “How long would you like to wait?”
No time at all, she thought, but resisted voicing aloud. “I don’t know.”
Ed smiled at her. “We could see how soon we can be married. On my next leave, maybe? Or should we wait to be back at home when our families can celebrate the occasion with us?”
Much as Alice liked the idea of having a big family wedding with all their friends coming together to celebrate their day with them, she did not like the notion of having to wait. “We don’t know how long this war is going to last,” she said, thoughtfully. “Or, how soon you and I will be sent home at the end of it.”
Ed nodded. “I agree. We could always hold a reception later. Our loved ones can meet each other then and have a special day with us.”
Alice liked that idea, very much. “We should get married sooner, rather than later then.”
“Yes, I think we ought to do that,” he said pulling her into his arms and kissing her.
The sun was slowly setting behind the trees. They sat in each other’s arms watching nature at its best, both ignoring the distant roar of explosions. Ed said, “I’m going to have to leave soon.”
“I didn’t ask where you were staying?” Alice said. “I hope it’s somewhere nearby.”
“I’ve rented a room at a house in the village. It’s only a five-minute walk.”
Alice was not ready to end their perfect day yet. “Can’t you stay just a little longer?”
He kissed the top of her head. “Five minutes. Madame Gaston has been paid to give you a meal tonight and she’ll be serving it any time now.”
Alice felt like a petulant child. She didn’t need to eat anything. “I don’t want to waste the time I have with you,” she argued. “Couldn’t we walk into the village and have a meal together?”
He shook his head. “Your Matron gave me strict instructions about where you had to stay and that you could only be seen with me in the village during daylight hours.” He put his finger tips under her chin and lifted it slightly. “Anyway, Madam Gaston needs the money and I’ve paid her for the meal. We don’t want to insult her by you not eating it.”
“No, of course not.”
“We can make up for it tomorrow. I’ll buy food for a picnic, if there is any, and we can spend the afternoon by the river.”
She shook her head. “No, let’s bring our picnic here. There’s something about this place that makes me want to stay here with you for as long as I can.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” he said. “Our own private paradise.”
They strolled back to the farmhouse where Ed thanked the landlady and wished them both a good evening before leaving.
Alice watched him go, wishing things were different and that they were already married. No one could tell her to stay here without him then, she mused. She sat down on the chair Madam Gaston indicated and a delicious plate of stew was served to her. Alice could tell by the amount of vegetables and lack of meat that the woman was struggling to pay for food and was grateful to Ed for reminding her that her stay here was also helping Madam Gaston.
“Délicieux,” she said. “Merci.”
They ate their meal, communicating by using the few words each knew from the others’ language and a lot of gesticulation. Despite the lack of understanding, Alice enjoyed a surprisingly pleasant evening with the woman. She discovered that her husband had died at the beginning of the war and her three sons killed over the following four years. It was heartbreaking to watch the grief still etched on the older woman’s face. She told Alice that she wanted to return to her family in Brittany after the war but did not think she could afford to.
Alice hoped she found a way to achieve her ambitions. She could only imagine how sad it must be to spend your life alone living with ghosts. She hoped Madam Gaston found a way to move on.
The following morning, Ed arrived just after they finished their breakfast of porridge and honey. Alice rarely ate the oat breakfast but did not wish to offend her hostess by refusing the food she placed in front of her.
“Bonjour,” Ed said standing at the open front door, a hessian bag in his hand. “How are you this morning?”
Relieved to have a distraction from her sadness learning about Madam Gaston’s bereavements, Alice thanked her and left the table to join him. She waved goodbye to the lady, who seemed more confident and less haunted this morning. Alice hoped their chat the previous evening had helped in some way. She always felt better sharing her worries with Mary.
Alice winced as several explosions went off nearby. “I’d love to come here after the war,” she said. “When the area around the Somme has returned to how it once was, and the peace isn’t constantly interrupted by reminders of what’s really going on.”
“Me, too,” Ed said, glancing at the house before kissing her.
If someone had told her before this day that she would happily spend two days sitting in a poppy field day-dreaming and staring into space, Alice was certain she would not believe them. This, however was bliss. She realised Ed was speaking.
“You weren’t listening, were you?” he asked, his eyes twinkling with amusement.
Alice ran her right hand over a poppy, her skin barely touching the scarlet petals. “I was thinking how perfect my weekend with you has been.”
He kissed her shoulder. “It has been even more incredible than I could have ever imagined.” An explosion interrupted his next words. “Even with that crescendo going on. We’ll return here after the war and spend longer than two days. We can sit here. Nothing will interrupt our peace.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.” He pulled her down on top of him and soon they were kissing again. “I love you so much,” he murmured. “I can’t until we’re married, and we can make love freely.”
Alice faltered and sat up slightly. Her mind briefly considered what she was about to suggest, but reason and forethought were not things she cared about at that moment, only her adoration of her future husband. “Why can’t we do it now?”
His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open.
Aware that she was acting out of character, but desperate not to waste the precious time they had together, she blushed. “What’s the matter? We’re going to be married soon. What difference will it make?” She waited for him to mull over her words, then added, “Will we ever find a more romantic, or private place to love each other than here?”
He stared at her. She could see he was unsure. For a moment she wondered if she had gone too far. She had obviously shocked him. She had shocked herself.
Ed rested his right hand on her cheek. “I don’t know what to say,” he admitted. “I love you and want you more than anything, but I’m not sure.” He studied her face. “Are you truly certain this is what you want?”
She had never been surer of anything. She knew it was out of character, but this place seemed enchanted, as if it was not part of the real world. She smiled, covering his hand with her own. “I am.”
He took her in his arms and kissed her with more passion than she could have imagined.
Later, they lay in each other’s arms staring silently up at the azure blue cloudless sky waiting for their heart rates to return to normal. Alice had imagined what it would be like to be made love to. She closed her eyes and could still feel how it was to be so utterly as one. The experience had been enlightening and far more enjoyable than she had ever dreamt.
Alice knew she would remember this day forever. Here, in the most idyllic field, surrounded by poppies and in the arms of the man she was soon to marry, nothing could mar her happiness. Nothing.
Chapter 24
Gemma
August - 2018
Gemma opened her eyes confused for a moment. Why was it still dark? Reaching for her watch on the bedside table, she rubbed her eyes trying to focus.
“Six fifteen,” she groaned, before putting the watch back and closing her eyes. She could tell it was going to be a warm day by the heat in her bedroom, despite the open window. She realised she hadn’t experienced the sight of a sunrise at the farmhouse before and decided she wasn’t going to miss the opportunity.
She got up and showered, standing for several minutes under the cascade of cool water waiting for it to bring her round. Dressed in her shorts, a clean tee-shirt and her trainers, Gemma hurriedly brushed her short curly blonde hair. By time she stepped out of the front door the sun was ready to rise.
She ran along the path towards the poppy field, standing in awe just inside the gate at the vision that greeted her. The gold, orange and yellow sunrays spread like wildfire across the scarlet heads through the early morning mist. Gazing at the sea of poppy heads dancing in the gentle summer breeze, Gemma thought it was the most glorious thing she had ever seen. She pictured Alice and Ed standing where she stood one hundred years earlier experiencing the same vision.
“Beautiful,” Tom said quietly at her shoulder.
Surprised to hear his voice, she smiled, delighted he was there to share such a magical moment. Without averting her gaze, she said, “Why are you here so early?”
“It dawned on me last night that if you were leaving, then I needed to com
e here to see the sunrise, just in case it was as spectacular as I had hoped. Who knows when I would get another opportunity to do so.”
“And, is it?”
“Oh, yes.”
She could feel his warm breath on her cool skin and shivered.
“Do you want me to fetch you a jacket?” he asked quietly.
“No, thanks,” she said, unsure why they were keeping their voices so low. “We’re not going to wake anyone by talking, you know?”
Tom laughed. “I know that, but somehow it seems disrespectful to be noisy at a time like this.” He put his arm around her shoulder. “Do you mind?”
“No,” she said, relishing the heat from his body as they both stared at the sunrise. “If I leave, I’ll never be able to see this again,” she said almost to herself. The thought upset her. Even more since the decision to leave was hers alone.
“You know what I think,” he said.
She didn’t, not fully. She wanted more than anything to stay here, at this special place, with him. “But what would I do for money?”
He didn’t reply. She felt him tense very slightly. “Can’t you take a chance and see what happens?”
She was unsure whether she would have the courage to do such a thing. Then again, she was not ready to return to nursing. Gemma felt her emotions getting the better of her and cleared her throat. “I’ll make a decision today, one way or another.”
Tom turned her to face him. Placing his hands either side of her cheeks he moved closer to her, kissing her. After, he smiled. “Why don’t you hold a party for the people you know here and the neighbours who you haven’t met yet?”
Flustered by his kiss and surprised by the change of topic, Gemma frowned. “What’s the point? It’s not as if I don’t still have a lot to do before I leave. Not to mention the letters in the second batch that I still haven’t read.”
“You’ve finished the first batch then?” He smiled at her. “And?”
“I’m completely absorbed by their love affair,” she said. “I know it happened a century ago, but it affects me as if it was happening right now. I can sense them here together,” she said hoping he didn’t think she was being ridiculous. “It’s as if I can go into the next room and find Alice. Or maybe come out here and see her and Ed laughing together. I’m disappointed each time I realise it’s not going to happen.”