Chapter Nine
Dr. Eccleston
"Can anyone tell me the amount of rings around Saturn?" Eccleston looked out over his students and huffed. Idiots the lot of them, he thought grumpily. Still, better here surrounded by idiots then out in the trenches surrounded by gunfire.
Still, he would feel happier when he got home to his beautiful young wife. Too young and beautiful for him of course but for whatever reason, Rose Harkness had chosen to marry him, a broken war vet over Rickey the Idiot. Chosen travelling with him to wherever his feet took him instead of living a safe, solitary existence in London with her former suitor. Chosen to marry him and have his daughter. Rose and Susannah were his life and breath.
They were only staying in London as Jack, Rose's beloved brother, had been shot in the trenches and sent back home to convalesce. Christopher couldn't deny Rose anything. They were staying with her harridan of a mother until his brother-in-law was healed.
"Scuse me," a familiar voice interrupted a student's (wrong) answer attempt.
He turned and grinned automatically at the sight of it. "Everyone turn to chapter 12 and start reading," he ordered as he strode toward his wife.
"You forgot your lunch," Rose told him giving his favourite tongue touched smile. "Scatterbrained, you are."
He smiled at her and took the wrapped food. "What would I do without you?" he asked touching her cheek gently.
She pecked him on the cheek. "You'll never have to find out," she replied earnestly.
He didn't deserve her. The blood that stained his hands left them dripping red. Jackie was right when she claimed he wasn't good enough for this loving, innocent and kind woman. But he was selfish enough to bind her and her gentle light to him permanently through marriage anyway.
"I-," like always, he faltered before he could get the words out but she simply smiled at him and kissed him again, this time on the lips.
"I know," she breathed. "I love you too." God, he loved this, beautiful woman. He'd stay in this bloody university with his idiot students forever if she smiled that smile at him.