Well, this is it people! The last chapter. Yes, there will be a sequal (and another one after that. My own verbosity sometimes comes back to bite me in the rear). Thanks to you all for reading this and hopefully I'll see you for round two! I hope to start getting it up either this week but for sure next week when I'm not working as much.
(London, 1923)
"And they're still married?" Davey asked as Michael cleared his throat.
"They are." the young man nodded. "About a year later, their son Jerome Gavin Alfred was born. They call him Jerry and then his sister Sarah Elizabeth came along a couple years ago."
Matthew smiled as he carefully picked up the picture and began to fold it back up. It sounded like Bert Alfred had found everything he'd hoped.
"And, they found out last week they're having another!" Michael laughed.
"They obviously love each other." James commented with a chuckle and the others nodded.
A strange sense of let down was working its way through Matthew as the others asked Michael questions about his sister and Gavin, but he roused himself enough to hear that Jane and Gavin had a little boy, Herbert Jerome whom they called "Herbie" so as not to get him confused with Bert. Tucking the drawing into his jacket, Matthew wondered what he should do with it now. He knew the story, and didn't need to take it with him everywhere he went.
But it had almost been a talisman for him. It had always been there, through all of the things he'd faced.
Michael was watching him and said, in an almost offhand way, "You know sir, I bet Bert would get a kick out of knowing that his picture was saved. Let me give you directions to their house."
Nodding, Matthew found a piece of paper tucked in one of his other pockets and Michael drew him a neat map so that he was able to find his way to number 8, Haversham Court.
Rising to his feet, he hoped that Bert wouldn't view his coming as an intrusion into his life. It had beem seven years since they had last met.
The house was lovely. As Matthew stood contemplating it, he could see the work and care that had gone into it. The flowers were blooming and the small lawn was green. Now that he was standing here, he wondered if this was such a good idea.
He took a deep breath, trying to relax his stiff shoulders. Before the war, he would have thought nothing of going to see someone that he didn't know well. But he had come back changed. Indecision racked him over even the simplest things and he found it hard to force himself into social situations. His family didn't understand and as his father's heir, he'd had to find it within himself to keep going.
As he thought that perhaps he wouldn't go in after all, a small child came bounding up to him. "Hi!" the boy said brightly.
Matthew couldn't help but smile as he crouched down so that he would be on eye level with the lad. "Hello." he said softly. "My name is Matthew Wallace. What are you called?"
"My name's Jerome Alfred, but Mummy and Daddy only call me that when I'm in trouble. Most other times, everybody calls me Jerry." the child explained.
"Pleased to meet you, Jerry." Matthew chuckled as he reached out and shook the boy's small hand solemnly in his. Jerry beamed at him as a male voice called, "Oi! Jerry! What're ya doing?"
"It's fine, Daddy." Jerry called back cheerfully. "This is Matthew Wallace!"
Turning his head, Matthew saw Bert Alfred for the first time in seven years. The years had been kind to him and he immediately grinned widely, bringing back a lot of memories for Matthew.
"Cap'n Wallace!" he greeted cheerfully, stumping over at a rapid clip, hand extended.
Matthew rose to his feet, smiling as he clasped Bert's hand firmly. "Sergeant Alfred. Good to see you again."
"Why'd he call Daddy Sergeant, Mummy?" Jerry asked as he looked up at his mother.
"Because that was Daddy's title durning the war." Mary explained and Matthew had to admit that the years had been very kind to her as well. "Captain Wallace and Daddy were in the same unit."
"You were in the war?" Jerry asked, gazing at him admiringly.
"I was." Matthew said softly. "It's been a while though."
"That it has." Bert agreed as Mary shifted little Sarah to her other hip. "Things have changed."
"And yet, some things haven't." Matthew teased, inclinging his head toward Mary, who looked befuddled. Bert flushed red before motioning to the house with his free hand.
"Why don't you come in? I haven't seen you in ages."
"I'd like that." Matthew agreed as he followed after Bert and Jerry, who was bouncing ahead excitedly at the prospect of a visitor.
"So you're Captain Wallace." Mary said with a smile as they entered the house. "Bert's told me many stories about you."
"Good ones, I hope." Matthew quipped lightly and was taken aback when she nodded.
"Yes. Bert's always had a lot of respect for you." she commented as he silently hung up his coat. What was he supposed to say to that? He didn't feel particularly respectable these days.
"For me? What did I do to deserve that?" he asked, almost half to himself.
"You cared. Bert told me of how you always wrote the letters to the families yourself instead of letting a commander who didn't know their sons at all do it." she said sympathetically.
Matthew clenched his jaw. Of all the people that he had spoken to after he'd come home, Mary Alfred was the only one who seemed to even had an inkling of what he'd been through.
"Someone needed to care about those boys. And if I hadn't, then no one would have." he shrugged, but it felt like some of the burden that he had been carrying had begun to ease. She just smiled, as though she knew everything he wasn't saying before showing him into the living room where Bert was sitting on the floor, Jerry and Sarah trying to wrestle with him.
The scene reminded him of his uncle Marcus, who had done the same thing with Matthew and his four siblings. He also opted for a seat on the floor and Sarah immediately made her way over to him. He settled her on his knee as he did with his nieces and nephews before pulling out the faded drawing and handing it to Bert, who took it with a puzzled air before opening it. He gasped. "It can't be! Did you..."
"I did." Matthew said, grinning for the first time in a long while. "When I lost track of you after the Somme, I took this drawing with me and hoped that one day, I would find you and also find out if you had ever found her again. Michael Banks was my server at the Boar's Head last night and recognized the drawing. He told my friends and I the whole story, and he ghought I should return this to you, which I agreed with."
"Return what?" Mary asked as she primly settled herself into a chair.
"This." Bert said with a smile as he passed it to her. She took it before giving him a look of love and exasperation. He just grinned cheekily at her and she rolled her eyes.
"He drew it the night before the battle." Matthew supplied. "We were asking him if he had a girl and he said he didn't, but that there was someone he cared about very much. Then, he drew that."
"Oh Bert, you silly romantic you." Mary sighed and he shrugged.
"It was the truth, Mary. It's always been you." Bert said softly.
"Ewww!" Jerry complained. "She's gonna kiss him now!"
Matthew couldn't help his laughter as he ruffled Jeryy's hair. "I think your Dad had to wait quite a while before your Mum would kiss him."
"That I did." Bert muttered and Mary lightly smacked his arm, which only served to increase Matthew's mirth. He was glad that he had come here today.
Bert watched Matthew Wallace leave from the window and the smile slowly faded from his face. If he'd had to hazard a guess, he would think that his old captain wasn't doing as well as he would like others to believe. He knew that Mary had said something to him, but he wasn't going to ask unless she volunteered something.
But he hoped that perhaps, they could help. He'd always liked young Captain Wallace and it pained him to see someone younger than him looking so...defeated. It was as though the war had won in the life of Matthew Wallace.
And as they had shared dinner with him and talked afterward, Bert found that Matthew was an intelligent, eloquent man who felt things very keenly and perhaps this why the war had taken such a toll on him.
"I rather like your captain." Mary commented as she came into the room, also watching as Matthew strode away down the street.
"I do too. Always did." Bert replied, arms folded over his chest. A thought occured to him and an all too familiar smile touched his lips. Mary noticed this and raised an eyebrow.
"What are you plotting, love?" she demanded.
"Who says I'm plotting?" he asked, turning an innocent gaze to her.
She wasn't fooled for even a second. "Herbert James Alfred, I know you. What. Are. You. Plotting?"
"Well...I was just thinking that perhaps Olivia should meet Matthew. He was saying that his father has had business dealings with her father..."
"No! You are NOT going to matchmake! Again!"
Bert sighed. "Honestly, I don't even try! How I was supposed to know that your Uncle Albert and Cook were going to get on so well? Or that the twelve students in that art seminar I taughter were going to get together? Olivia's been telling me how none of the men with titles understand her. I think Matthew would. And maybe if she meets him, she won't turn men away out of hand."
"That's...rather logical." Mary said, sounding surprised.
"I'm capable of thinking logically on occasion." he said loftily.
"Only when you're plotting." she countered and he laughed as he pulled her close to him with his left arm. She snuggled against his side for a moment before a crash was heard from the living room and Jerry voice called, "Mummy...I broke something!"
Both of the sighed and as they left to go see what destruction Jerry had accomplished this time, Bert thought to himself that he would invite Matthew to the exhibition Robby had cooked up. People were coming to display art, poetry and other things from the war. And maybe even he could get Matthew, as a commander, to talk about what the war had been like for him. And if he happened to bump into Olivia...well, so be it!