Chapter 239
‧₊˚ ☁️⋅♡𓂃 ࣪ ִֶָ☾.
The excitement of soldiers heading home on leave for the first time in a long while filled the air.
‘I’m finally going home, too.’
Caught up in that excitement, my heart started to race.
“Do you have your tickets?”
Killian held up the envelope the lieutenant had given him and nodded.
“The lieutenant should have gotten you first-class tickets.”
“Please tell him thank you for me.”
When I expressed my gratitude, the sergeant waved his hands, flustered.
“Oh no, not at all. It’s only right. We couldn’t possibly let a lady ride in a car packed with rowdy, smelly men. If we did, your husband would…”
“Thank you. I know you must be busy—you don’t have to see us off.”
“No, it’s my duty. I’ll escort you all the way to first class.”
“We don’t have much luggage; we’ll be fine.”
Killian gestured toward the front of the train, indicating I should go ahead to the first-class car. As I started walking, he fell in step behind me, giving the sergeant a polite nod. The sergeant, taking the hint, finally stopped following and bowed deeply from where he stood.
As we made our way toward first class, Killian kept glancing back over his shoulder, apparently checking to see if the sergeant had left.
Once the sergeant disappeared into the station, Killian stopped looking back, but now his eyes were darting around, scanning the area as he hurried forward—as if he was trying to avoid someone.
“What’s wrong?”
Killian shook his head as if it was nothing, and finally reached for my hand. It was much easier to keep up with his quick pace.
‘Is the train about to depart?’
That couldn’t be it; the sergeant had just told us we arrived with plenty of time.
I was still hurrying to match Killian’s stride when he suddenly stopped, nearly causing me to bump my nose into his arm.
“What’s going on?”
I wondered if something was blocking the way, but instead, Killian was staring at my hand—the one he was holding.
“Why are you wearing this?”
“What do you mean? It’s our wedding ring.”
He frowned at the ring on my left hand, and for a moment, a thought struck me.
“Wait, did you leave it on purpose back at the room?”
Just before we left the quarters, I’d seen my wedding ring sitting on the nightstand, even though I’d assumed it was safely hidden in my luggage. I wondered if I’d taken it off and forgotten, and worried for a moment that maybe my memory was failing again.
But now I realized—it must’ve been him.
“I told you, I don’t like that ring.”
“Still, you can’t just toss away a family heirloom like that.”
When he tried to throw it onto the tracks between the platform and the train, I hurriedly snatched it away and slipped it into my skirt pocket. I moved to walk ahead, afraid he’d try to take it again, but—
“Ah!”
“Get inside. Now.”
Suddenly, he pushed me into the train car in front of us.
“This isn’t first class!”
At that very moment, an inbound train pulled into the platform, filling the air with noise and chaos. I tried to get back out, but Killian pulled me along, deeper into third class, so I had no choice but to follow.
‘What on earth is he doing?’
Instead of walking down the empty, easy platform, he was dragging me through the crowded, cramped third and second class cars just to get to first class.
‘Unbelievable…’
Just as the sergeant had warned, third class was packed with soldiers—so noisy my ears hurt and so smelly my nose stung. I felt a surge of gratitude toward Lieutenant O’Brien for getting us first-class tickets.
I’d have to remember to send him a thank-you letter and a gift once we got home.
And as for Killian—once we finally sat in first class, I’d make sure to pinch his nose for dragging me into this chaos. Maybe twice, since he’d gone as far as to pull my hat low and put a mask on me, trying to shield my face from the staring soldiers, yet still insisted on taking me through here.
‘My husband is just as odd as ever today.’
Honestly, I might need to pinch his nose a third time after what happened next.
“Hey. This is a Falkland military train.”
As we passed through the third car, a grumpy-looking older soldier stuck out his leg, blocking Killian’s way and picking a fight.
He must have mistaken us for Highlanders from the area, since we were dressed like civilians.
“Highlanders aren’t allowed on trains headed to Falkland.”
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