Against the Tide Imperial: The Struggle for Ceylon (The Usurper's War: An Alternative World War II B by James Young (story reading txt) 📕

but you are a terrible man,” Myla said, then turned to Sadie to speak with great conviction. “He did not know until just now.”

David looked at his wife, then at Adam, then at his wife.

Oh shit, apparently David did not know either, Adam realized, feeling stark raving horror at what was unfolding in front of him. Sorry about that, lad!

“Did not know what?” Norah asked, walking into the room. She saw the look of surprise on David’s face, Sadie blushing, and Myla glowering at Adam.

“I was going to tell you tonight,” Sadie said quietly, starting to smile.

“Your boyfriend, in an act of utter perfidy, has just let a rabbit out of the bag,” Myla observed almost simultaneously, her smile pure poison as she looked at Adam. “A dead one, as a matter of fact.”

There was a moment of silence as Norah processed what Myla had said and the rest of the group waited for her reaction.

“Adam! What have you done?” Norah asked, realization causing her voice to rise.

“I did not…” Adam began.

“Oh you bloody did!” Myla cut him off, laughing. Norah glared at Adam.

To the table, to the table right now, he thought, turning away.

“I’m not sure it’s a boy,” Sadie said quickly behind him. As he sat the bottles down, Adam saw David break into a stupefied grin. Beverly chose that moment to come back out, her make up redone.

“It sounds like you guys are having a party out here without me,” she observed, then saw the matching smiles on David and Sam’s face.

“One of them smiling like that is bad enough,” Beverly continued. “But both of them? I clearly need to get right with the Lord.”

“I’m pregnant,” Sadie said haltingly.

Beverly’s face lit up.

“Congratulations!” she said, embracing Sadie once again. “I would ask how far along are you, but that’s kinda obvious.”

Sadie laughed, then rubbed her stomach.

“Yes, crossing on a boat was not fun,” she observed.

“I can imagine,” Myla said, turning slightly pale herself.

“Well, too bad you’re not down in Olympia,” Beverly said. “I could fuss over you in the ward.”

Norah turned from where she was busying herself in the kitchen.

“You’re a nurse?” she asked Beverly.

“Yes, I am,” Beverly replied. “You as well?”

“Yes, obstetrics,” Norah said. “I also did surgery for a year.”

Beverly gave Norah a speculative look.

“I’m older than I look,” Norah said with a smile, then gestured over at Adam. “Should have seen his face when I told him my true age.”

“We just thought Major Haynes was robbing the cradle when you started going out,” Sam said.

“It’s not like I’m that old,” Norah replied archly. “Thank you very much.”

“I love you Americans,” Myla said, her amusement with the social chaos in front of her.

“As a people, we do try to keep it unpredictable,” Adam replied. Norah still gave him a cross look, and he slightly shrugged his shoulders in return, face pained.

I am in so much trouble, he winced inwardly. I think if I wasn’t about to leave for several months I’d be sleeping alone tonight.

“I’m going to be an uncle,” Sam said, still smiling. Sadie, remembering how the conversation initially began, turned to look at him.

“Yes, and you will not give our son a slingshot,” she said, then continued seeing Sam grin. “Or our daughter.”

The next three hours passed pleasantly, filled with wine and good food.

I’m glad I asked Beverly to come up here, Sam as he stood in the kitchen making a sandwich to take with him for dinner. The widow Bowden was engaged in an animated conversation with Norah over some peculiar nursing requirement Washington had. David and Adam were locked in an intense game of backgammon, the fifth in a series after they’d each won a pair. Sadie leaned against her husband’s shoulder, smiling at some joke David had just made that Sam did not catch.

“It’s like the world is totally normal outside,” Myla observed from beside him, her voice low. “That there’s not a war on, that half the people in this room are about to go off to fight in it, and not all of them will come back.”

Sam turned to look at Myla, unconsciously drawing away from her bald truth.

“Sorry, I’m just feeling a bit maudlin,” Myla said, then held up her wine glass. “I mean, I’m drinking the wine my husband swore we’d open when he returned.”

“I’m sorry,” Sam said, feeling the urge to sweep Myla into his arms due to the forlornness in her voice. She held up a hand.

“Save that for the woman you can comfort, Sam,” she said with a smile. “It is greatly appreciated, but I am afraid if a man touched me right now I’d swoon into his arms. Beverly would be justified in poisoning my entire garden if I did that.”

Wow, she’s a blunt one, Sam realized, watching as Myla blushed then looked steadfastly at the wine glass in her hand.

“Okay, so I will not be drinking any more wine this afternoon,” she said, setting her glass down.

“I’m sure your husband is just having difficulty getting word to you,” Sam said earnestly. “Now I wish we hadn’t opened that second bottle.”

“Ian has been missing for four months in the northwest corner of India,” Myla replied flatly. Sam’s eyes widened as she continued.

“His aircraft was overtaken by a storm and is likely scattered over the side of a mountain somewhere. I do not have the heart to tell Henry, so I have not told anyone else until just now.”

Sam gripped the counter in front of him, feeling the blood run from his expression.

“Wipe that look off your face, you’ll make the other curious,” Myla whispered in, smiling as if Sam had said something quietly amusing. Sam immediately followed her orders, turning back to his sandwich and forcing a grin of his own

“I was actually about to tell Beverly the day you came down,” Myla said. “That was part of my shock in finding out that she is a widow.”

Sam finished putting the second slice of bread on top of his sandwich