Brave Hearts Read Online Free Page A

kid.’ And his voice broke. Reggie tried to send me home. He said he could go for a while and then it was too hard and he had to drink and that wasn’t right for a girl like me.” Catharine watched the pelicans gather for their feeding. “But I was so sure. I wouldn’t let him go.”
    Jack offered her a cigarette. He lit it and one for himself. “What happened, Catharine?”
    â€œThe day before the wedding, he took his biplane up—and flew it straight down into the ground.”
    Jack blew out a thin stream of blue smoke, and, once again, he wanted to take her in his arms.
    â€œYou poor damn kid.”
    â€œI went to Paris, art school. I learned how to paint still lifes, and that’s what my life was, a still life. A few years later, I went to a party at the American embassy. I met Spencer.”
    He looked at her sharply. Her voice was even and uninflected, neither happy nor sad.
    â€œSpencer was very nice to me.” She grimaced a little. “That sounds terribly prim, doesn’t it? But he was gentle and caring, and he wanted so much to marry me. Finally, I thought, why not? I married him, but you’re right, I didn’t love him. I didn’t want to love him. I didn’t want ever again to love anyone.”
    She hadn’t been fair to Spencer. Had she ever been fair to him? But there had been happy days, many of them, and if she saw his faults, she saw his strengths, too: devotion to duty, good heartedness. If Charles had lived, they might have found in him an anchor for their lives.
    But Charles had not lived.
    She stared hopelessly at Jack.
    â€œThe first time I saw you,” Jack said gently, “I could see the pulse fluttering in your throat. I wanted to hold you in my arms and tell you it was all right.”
    He reached out, but she stepped back, her composure broken.
    â€œI’m sorry,” she said, choking back tears, “I shouldn’t have come today. I shouldn’t have come.” And she turned and ran blindly down the path.

“I have to see you.”
    His voice was so strong over the telephone, it was almost like having him stand beside her. Catharine remembered with incredible precision the way his thick black hair curled behind his ears and the piercing brightness of his blue eyes.
    She clutched the phone, tried to answer, couldn’t. Her throat felt tight and choked.
    â€œI’ll come over there.”
    â€œNo,” she managed. She took a deep breath. “Jack, we’ve nothing to say to each other.” Oh, she knew that wasn’t true, but this was dangerous and foolish and would lead only to heartbreak. She would break this off before it could grow.
    â€œYou’re wrong, Catharine. We’ve worlds of things to say to each other.”
    Yes, her heart agreed, but her mind knew this was madness.
    â€œJack,” and she made her voice reasonable and patient, “I know I’ve given you a wrong impression. I can’t blame you for misjudging me, but you must understand, I’m married. I’m not free; I can’t see you again.”
    â€œWhy can’t you see me?” he pressed.
    When she didn’t answer, he continued, “Don’t you have friends, Catharine?”
    â€œOf course, I have friends.”
    â€œYou were at the Savoy that first night with men other than your husband.”
    The difference was that she wanted him, and she hadn’t cared at all for those nice young RAF officers, but she couldn’t tell him that, could she?
    There was a chuckle at the other end, and Catharine’s face flamed. She didn’t need to tell him.
    â€œAren’t you presuming about my intentions?” he asked delightedly.
    She had presumed about both his intentions and her response—and he knew it very well indeed. She had revealed herself terribly. She laughed, too. The two of them stood by telephones and laughed, and Catharine felt young and happy for the