Mina gets up from the sofa. It had to be asked -- he adored Quincey, and Quincey had adored his father -- and she knew it was coming. Distantly, it half-occurred to her to lie, but that, after all the other secrets were finally out... would be unforgivable.
"Josef enlisted to fight in the Great War," she told him quietly, keeping her back to him. Dear, brave Josef -- Abraham's grandson and Quincey's dearest friend. "He died at Ypres, Jonathan... and when word came, Quincey enlisted."
She swallows hard and bites her lip: even as long as it's been, the memories hurt. The loss of Jonathan, Josef and then gentle Quincey's decision to enlist. "He fought at Amiens and was terribly, terribly injured. They brought him home to England to a hospital. Septasemia set in.... they said it was only a matter of time before it killed him."
In some ways, it's a blessing that she can't see him. Can't see the way he's going to look at her when she chokes out her next words: "I couldn't let that happen."
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"Josef enlisted to fight in the Great War," she told him quietly, keeping her back to him. Dear, brave Josef -- Abraham's grandson and Quincey's dearest friend. "He died at Ypres, Jonathan... and when word came, Quincey enlisted."
She swallows hard and bites her lip: even as long as it's been, the memories hurt. The loss of Jonathan, Josef and then gentle Quincey's decision to enlist. "He fought at Amiens and was terribly, terribly injured. They brought him home to England to a hospital. Septasemia set in.... they said it was only a matter of time before it killed him."
In some ways, it's a blessing that she can't see him. Can't see the way he's going to look at her when she chokes out her next words: "I couldn't let that happen."