Dear John Malcolm

by Apolla Broadpath

Around a year and a half after the Armistice, Charlotte returns to the Memorial at Stratharden to leave a letter for John Malcolm. My own epilogue for Theresa Breslin's epic Remembrance, which I in no way shape or form own. One-shot.

I finished Remembrance today and felt like I had to write my own version of an epilogue

Charlotte Armstrong-Barnes stood on the bridge in Stratharden that had hosted so many of her and John Malcolm's conversations. Across the river, she stared at the little park dedicated to the brave young men who had fallen in the war. Hesitantly, she stepped into the Memorial Garden and placed a letter on the stone where all the names of the young men were engraved. It read:

April 16, 1920

Dear John Malcolm,

I am writing to you because I must ask your permission to marry a young man named George Michael Stone. I know, of course, that you are gone and that you cannot speak or communicate with me in the least. One of the nurses at the hospitals says that the dead return as angels who watch over us and that they're always leaving signs. That's all I'm asking for, a sign.

I apologise, I am getting ahead of myself. Since the War, I have continued with my nursing. I started at the Cottage Hospital but then one of my superiors said that I was drastically over-qualified. She suggested that I apply at a hospital in London. Many of them were searching for nurses after those who'd helped in the War had gone home to their lives before. I was thrilled at the idea. You see, Maggie was there studying Librarianship and we'd become very close after your passing.

Maggie felt that she wasn't suited to continuing with her nursing but couldn't quite go back to life back to her life before the War. Besides, she wouldn't want to put Willie or Alex out of the job. During her correspondence with my brother, she'd discovered she very much enjoyed reading and the pursuit of knowledge. She was good at store-keeping so she thought that she might try and become a librarian. Francis encouraged her to do this and eventually followed her to London, though he said it was to continue his memoires. He's decided to become a writer and, at my suggestion, decided to begin his career with an autobiography on his time as a soldier. Maggie and Francis have an understanding that he will ask for her hand at the end of her education? It will be good for my mother to have a wedding to plan. She has been feeling rather dejected since both of her children are now living in the city.

Anyway, I moved into a boarding house for young ladies with Maggie and started at the hospital. That is where I met Dr. Stone. In fact, I had come close to meeting him several times. It turns out he'd been on the same boat over to France that Maggie and I had. He had medical problem that had prohibited him from enlisting as a soldier when he turned eighteen but he desperately wanted to help the war effort so he had become a doctor. He settled as a doctor at the hospital where I was working. He says he'd spotted me immediately but that he'd been too shy to ask me out. Finally, after months of working alongside him, he asked me out to go dancing with him. Things aren't like they were before the War: we don't need chaperones anymore. But my mother still insisted that Maggie and Francis accompany me. We had a lovely time.

Since then, we have started to talk between shifts and in the staff lounge. Two days ago, he asked me if I would marry. Imagine my shock! I had no idea that he felt so strongly about me. I'll admit, in the past few weeks he's started to be constant presence and we found that we have a lot in common. I do not believe that I love him quite yet but I think I may be falling in love. Does that make sense? At the same time, I feel like you hold my heart. I want to be happy, John Malcolm, and to do that you must release it so that I may give it wholeheartedly to George.

If you still love me, send me a sign. Give me permission to marry George. I will always remember you but I cannot linger on you anymore. I hope you understand.

With all my love,

Charlie

As Charlotte walked through the village, she decided to pay a visit to Alex and Mr. and Mrs. Dundas. In the store window, she spotted a toy boat like the one Alex had played with on the day when she, Francis, Alex, Maggie and John Malcolm had gone on a picnic to the lochs. The boat's flag had a daisy chain on it. Its name was Felicity.

"Thank you, John Malcolm," she breathed.

THE END

Thank you for reading. I hope it wasn't too cheesy. If you have time, please comment on what you think.