there again, her fair hair longer, now falling to her shoulders, her soft grown eyes and unforgettable smile, looking beautif4 so beautiful. He said her name - She smiled. He slept.
He woke. Even fewer bandages than before. This time his son spoke.
Richard said, 'Hello, Daddy.'
He heard him and replied, 'Hello, Richard,, but didn!t recognise the sound of his own voice. The nurse helped him to sit up ready.to greet his family. He thanked her. A doctor touched his shoulder.
'The worst is over, Mr. Kane. YouIl soon be well, and then you can return home.'
He smiled as Kate came into the room, followed by Viz - ginia and Lucy. So many questions to ask them. Where should he begin? There was gaps in his memory that demanded satisfaction. Kate told him that he had nearly died.
He knew that but had not realised that over a year had passed since his division had been ambushed in the forest at Remagen.
Where had the months of being unaware gone, life lost resembling death? Richard was almost twelve, already hoping to go to Havard, Virginia was nine, and Lucy nearly seven. Their dresses seemed rather short. He would have to get to know them all over again.
Kate was somehow more beautiful than William even remembered her. She told William how she never learned to face the fact that he might have died, how well Richard was doing at Buckley and how Virginia and Lucy needed a father. She braced herself to tell hiiin of the scars on his face and chest that would never heal and thanked God that the doctors felt certain there would be nothing wrong with his mind and his sight would be restored. Now all she wanted to do was help him recover. Kate slowly, William quickly.
Each member of the family played their part in the pro. cess. First sound, then sight, then speech. Richard helped his father to walk, until he no longer needed the crutches. Lucy helped him with his food, until he could feed himself once more and Virginia read Mark Twain to him.
William was not sure if the reading was for her benefit or his, they both enjoyed it so much. And then at last, after Christmas had passed, they allowed him to return to his own home.
Once William was back in East Sixty - eighth Street, he recovered more quickly, and his doctors were predicting that he would be able to return to work at the bank within six months. A little scarred, but very much alive, he was allowed to see visitors.
The first was Ted Leach, somewhat taken aback at William's appearance.
Something else he would have to learn to live with for the time being.
From Ted Leach, William learned news that brought him satisfaction.
Lester's had progressed in his absence and his colleagues looked forward to welcoming him back as their chairman. A visit from Tony Simmons brought him news that made him sad. Alan Lloyd and Rupert Cork - Smith had both died. He would miss their prudent wisdom. And then Thomas Cohen called to say how glad he was to learn of his recovery and to prove, as if it were still necessary, that time had moved on by informing William he was now semii - retired and had turned over many of his clients to his son Thaddeus who had opened an office in New York. William remarked on both of them being named after apostles. Thomas Cohen laughed and expressed the hope that Mr. Kane would continue to use the firm. William assured him he would.
'By the way, I do have one piece of information you ought to know about.'
William listened to the old lawyer in silence and became angry, very angry.
Chapter 26
Book Five
Chapter 26
General Alfred Jodl signed the unconditional surrender at Rheims on 7 May 1945 as Abel arrived back intoa New York preparing for victory celebrations and an end to the war. Once again, the streets were filled with young people in uniform, but this time their faces showed elation, not fear. Abel was saddened by the sight of so many men with one leg, one arm, blind or badly scarred. For them the war would never be over, whatever piece of paper had been signed four thousand miles away.
When Abel walked into the Baron in his colonel's uniform, no one recognised him. Why should they? When they had last seen him in civilian clothes two years before, there were no lines on 1 - ~s still youthful face. The