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.Nulli Secundus -
'Second to None'
by Terence Cardwell Chapter
Twenty Five - The parting
Elizabeth had known for over a week that the troops
would be leaving for France and Belgium. All the wives
in the married quarters were distraught at the thought
of their husbands going overseas to fight a war that no
one agreed with except the politicians. They grouped
together for comfort; and in the beginning Elizabeth
joined them, but a terrible fear started creeping over
her.
Losing Jack meant she would be vulnerable and
unprotected. She was not sure she could cope on her own.
The fear of being alone grew inside her. It gnawed at
her insides and she clung to Jack whenever he came home,
terrified of the future and what it might hold.
‘People say that the war will be over by Christmas,’
people repeated, and she clung to this belief.
‘It won’t be so bad, just a few months,’ Jack told her.
‘But you could still get hurt or worse,’ she thought,
unwilling to even mention that word.
The days went by so quickly and the terrible day kept
drawing nearer and nearer, till finally it was their
last day together.
The troops had been given the afternoon off to say
goodbye to their wives. They were required to report for
duty at seven o’clock on the evening of the eleventh.
The regimental commander intended them to leave the
barracks at midnight and travel to the local railway
station. The troops would then be taken to Southampton
for the crossing to Le Havre in France, and on to
Belgium.
A lump of fear lay within Elizabeth’s chest almost as a
palpable thing. She tried to hide it from Jack,
pretending that she could accept his leaving and was not
unduly disturbed by it.
They lay together on the bed, making love to each other
in the gentlest way Elizabeth had ever known. Jack
caressed her body slowly, touching every part of her,
feeling its softness and warmth. She realised he was
committing to memory the touch and feel of her, and she
felt an overwhelming urge to draw him inside her. His
fingers stimulated her like never before.
Jack traced around her eyes, stroked her cheeks and
touched her lips. His fingers caressed her neck and
moved in a back and forward motion towards her breasts,
caressing slowly up, and then around her breasts,
towards the middle, till they touched her nipples. It
felt as if an electric current was running through them
and Elizabeth quivered as his hands moved down her
stomach.
He caressed her maidenhair and then, to her surprise,
moved down the front of her legs, fondling them as he
moved down to her feet.
Elizabeth caressed Jack’s body, feeling the firmness of
his arms and shoulders, touching his face and the top of
his head as he moved downwards.
She felt his fingers moving backwards and forwards
inside her legs, moving up, closer and closer till he
touched her mound and she shivered as he caressed her.
‘Oh now, Jack, please now,’ she pleaded, pulling him
upwards.
Jack came up slowly, kissing her stomach and her breasts
as she pulled his head to her.
He lifted himself up and looked into her eyes.
‘I love you so much Elizabeth.’
Then she felt him enter her, and the quivering turned to
a volcano. An overwhelming tide rippled through her as
he moved inside her. It flowed up and down her whole
being till she could only moan, ‘Oh Jack, yes. Love me,
love me.’
They lay on the bed together after their lovemaking,
holding each other close until they heard the bugler
calling them to order.
Elizabeth jumped at the sound, knowing the dreaded
moment had come, and clung tighter to Jack.
He leaned over and kissed her softly. ‘I have to go.
I’ll be back soon, I promise.’
He pulled away from her as she reluctantly let him go,
knowing he wanted to stay, but would be put on a charge
if he reported late.
He put on his brown war-issue uniform, much drabber than
his dress one. It took some time for him to get fully
dressed with his webbing, straps and other fittings.
Finally he put on his old, well-polished and cared-for
boots. They were almost a part of his own body and would
prove to be his best friend in the weeks ahead.
Elizabeth dressed and combed her hair, quietly wiping
away her tears in the bathroom so Jack would not see
them. She walked up to him, putting her arms around his
neck.
‘Promise you will come back to me? I couldn’t bear to
live if you weren’t with me.’
‘It’s only for a short time,’ Jack said, knowing he was
telling a white lie. ‘We’ll be home by Christmas.’
‘Please. Don’t be brave and get yourself killed. Promise
you’ll come back to me and our baby,’ Elizabeth pleaded.
‘Promise me, Jack.’
‘I will come home to you, my love, I promise with all my
heart and soul. Goodbye my dearest. I will think of you
and our child every day till I come back to you.’
He kissed her, holding her close. He felt for the last
time the touch of her soft warm body and smelled her
gentle perfume of Jasmine.
What he had to do was tearing him apart. It took him
all his willpower to pull away and walk to the door.
Elizabeth did not see the tears running down his cheeks,
or hear the heavy sob escaping as he tried to bring
himself under control. She watched him leave in silence,
unable to speak lest she say the wrong words. In her
head she knew he had to go, but in her heart she could
not accept it.
Elizabeth had committed to memory their lovemaking and
would play it over and over again in her mind till it
became almost real again and she could escape to be with
her beloved Jack.
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