When the Heather Blooms (12 page)

‘I don't know why I didn't see it before,' Victoria smiled, coming to sit beside him. ‘Charlotte takes after her grandfather. He was a born teacher. He enjoyed imparting knowledge and he made everything interesting. He was very kind to me; he taught me such a lot. It's obvious that Charlotte loves children and she's so patient. It's hard to believe her mother was such a dreadful person.'

‘Yes, I suppose so.'

‘You're not your usual cheerful self this holiday, Josh. Is anything wrong?'

‘What should be wrong?' Josh frowned.

‘I don't know. Your work, maybe? Are you still enjoying being a lecturer? Living in the city? Don't you miss the countryside?'

‘Yes, I do sometimes, now you mention it,' Josh said on a note of surprise. He was tempted to tell Victoria the secret he had kept from them all, including Charlotte, but he bit back the words just in time when she came to join them.

‘I was just asking Josh if he misses the country, Charlotte. He admits he does. The trouble is he wouldn't get a lecturer's job down here.'

Charlotte looked from one to the other in dismay.

‘Oh Josh! You're n-not thinking of leaving Glasgow are you?'

‘I hadn't thought about it until Victoria asked. I suppose I could always get a job as a teacher with maths and physics …' Mimi called Victoria away and Charlotte turned to him, her eyes wide and distressed.

‘Oh Josh, I don't know what I'd do if you moved away from Glasgow.'

He laughed aloud and clasped her hand where it lay on his knee.

‘It was a spur of the moment answer, that's all, but to be honest I wouldn't mind going back to teaching and following the progress of the children I'd taught.'

‘Oh? You've been so quiet I wondered what was wrong …?'

‘You're as bad as Victoria. Does that mean you'd miss me if I left Glasgow?

‘You know I would.'

‘Enough to come with me?' The teasing light had gone from his eyes now.

‘If you asked me to,' Charlotte said, but before Josh could say any more Mimi and Lachie bounced on top of them both, wanting them to join in a game. The moment was lost.

Morven called to see Charlotte almost as soon as she returned to Glasgow after the Christmas holidays. She and Donnie had spent it together.

‘I've got something to tell you,' Morven said. Her face looked young and troubled, and was she thinner?

‘It sounds serious, Morven.'

‘It is to me. Donnie has bought a motorbike, a big one. He's always wanted one.'

‘Oh …' Charlotte felt a surge of relief. ‘Is that so bad, Morven?' She had a feeling the girl was near to tears.

‘It is when you've no money and we're supposed to be saving up to get married. He's used our savings as a deposit. He's paying the rest off in instalments.'

‘Oh, I see …'

‘My grandmother said that was the path to ruin. She said you should save up first until you had the money.'

‘I suppose …' Charlotte chewed her lower lip, ‘your grandmother was wise. It's what people did, but not everyone agrees. Maybe Donnie will get to see you more often if he has a motorbike?'

‘That's his excuse.'

‘Maybe he'll take you for rides into the country if it has a pillion?'

‘It has, but I'm still mad at him,' Morven said. ‘You don't disapprove of Donnie, do you, Lottie?' She sounded so young and vulnerable that Charlotte wanted to hug her.

‘If you both enjoy it,' she said, ‘I think it might be all right. After all you're both young to think of marriage.'

‘Yes, I know.' Morven decided not to tell Charlotte her other news. She prayed Donnie was right and she would be back to normal by the time they met again.

Chapter Eleven

On a Friday evening towards the end of February Josh drove Charlotte down to Darlonachie to see Billy and Libby's two-week-old baby son. Libby always kept a room ready for Charlotte so she knew she would be welcome.

‘I'm not as good at cooking as you are,' Charlotte laughed, ‘But if Billy will give it a try I'll do the cooking while I'm here to give you a rest.

‘That's wonderful, Charlotte. I never expected to be so tired,' Libby said. ‘It's the broken nights.'

‘What are you going to call him?'

‘Joseph William Crainby Lennox,' Libby grinned. ‘A big mouthful for such a tot but Fraser has already named him wee Joe and his Great-Granny Pringle is delighted.'

‘If it's not too cold for him I'd love to take him in his pram and walk him over to the cottage to see her and Josh,' Charlotte said. ‘Then you can have a nap while we're gone.'

‘That would be splendid,' Libby agreed. ‘I could do with you every day. He'll be warm enough if we wrap him up. Gran has knitted him a lovely pram suit, leggings, jacket, bonnet, and mitts in soft blue wool. Already he wriggles out of the mitts but if you keep the hood up and the blankets well up he'll be fine.'

‘Perhaps I could phone and say I'm walking over then?'

‘Of course,' Libby grinned, ‘and no doubt Uncle Josh will walk to meet you.'

They met at the edge of the wee wood. Charlotte made sure the brake was on the pram as Josh took her in his arms, seizing the opportunity for a kiss and cuddle. They were unaware of Mimi and Lachie helping Peter repair a fence on the other side of the narrow strip of woodland. The trees were bare of leaves and the twelve-year-olds had a clear view of them and nudged Peter, stifling their giggles with an effort.

‘Hush,' Peter said. ‘You're not to tease. Keep it a secret.'

‘Can't we even tell Fraser?' Lachie spluttered with laughter.

‘Not Fraser,' Peter grinned. ‘He'd be sure to tease. ‘Anyway somebody might catch you at it one day.'

‘They wouldn't get me being that soft,' Lachie scoffed.

Polly was delighted to see Charlotte and her first great grandchild.

‘Take your coat off, lassie. I see you've taken to wearing trousers like Libby, eh?'

‘These are Libby's,' Charlotte smiled. ‘She thought they'd be warmer.'

‘Mmm,' Josh murmured, running a hand over her rounded hip, ‘and very fetching you look in them too.'

‘Well!' Polly exclaimed, her eyes almost popping out of her head. ‘You're lucky you didn't get your face slapped for being too familiar, young Josh …' Charlotte blushed and even Josh looked abashed. His action had been automatic and admiring, but his mother had no idea how intimate his relationship with Charlotte had become.

The spring term passed in a flurry of activity. Charlotte met Morven twice in a café for a cup of coffee. Morven arrived swathed in a voluminous winter coat which she hugged around her as though she was cold. The second meeting was on a fine spring afternoon just before the Easter holidays began. Charlotte teased her.

‘I'm saving up for some new clothes,' Morven snapped, then to Charlotte's dismay she burst into tears and dashed out of the café. Charlotte ran after her but Morven had jumped on a bus and disappeared. Later that evening she was telling Josh about their meeting and Morven's strange behaviour when she telephoned to apologise.

Josh guessed the news from the one-sided conversation.

‘You've to vacate your digs in three weeks? Whew! Listen Morven, I'm going down to Darlonachie tomorrow. As soon as I return after Easter you must come here. We'll arrange something, I promise.' Her expression was troubled. ‘I'll telephone you as soon as I get back.'

‘Trouble?' Josh said when Charlotte turned to face him.

‘Yes, oh yes. Morven's in terrible trouble, Josh. I have to help her. She has no one else …' She saw him frown. She ran into his arms, throwing herself onto his knees with her arms around his neck as she rested her face against his cheek. He felt her lashes brush his skin, delicate as a butterfly wing. He realised she was struggling to blink away tears and he drew her away to look down into her face.

‘Please don't be angry, Josh. I must help Morven. She has no one else to turn to.'

‘What about that boyfriend of hers?'

‘Donnie? I could throttle Donnie,' she said. ‘He has used all their savings to pay a deposit on his motorbike and now he's struggling to make the payments. He had promised Morven he would pay back some of her money by the end of term but he can't. Her landlord asks for a term's rent in advance. She hasn't got it so she has to move out. I've told her she can come here until she can get another place to stay.' Her arms tightened, almost childlike in their urgency. ‘It – it means we shall not be able to spend nights together here until Morven finds other digs.'

‘Surely it will not be for long, sweetheart?'

‘Any time is too long,' she said, then her eyes widened as though she couldn't believe she had said such a thing. Josh chuckled and held her closer. She drew a deep breath. ‘There's more than just digs …'

‘Mmm, I thought there might be from what I overheard.' Josh nodded.

‘I should have talked to her, Josh. I should have given her help and – and advice, then she wouldn't be in such a mess. They're so young, both of them, and Donnie has no sense of responsibility. He says the baby will have to be brought up in a home, as he was.'

‘My God! He can't mean that? His own child? He'll have to sell his motorbike and marry the girl. He'll have to support them …'

‘That's what Morven told him but he doesn't want to think about it. She's afraid the headmistress at her school will find out too, and ask her to leave her job.'

‘When is the baby due?'

‘August.'

‘She can't hide her condition until the end of June, can she?'

‘I don't know. She's quite stocky and she's been wearing shapeless clothes for a while – probably from the minute she knew, hoping no one will notice much difference, except to think she has put on weight. Oh, Josh, I don't know. I should have passed on Libby's advice and sent her to the family planning clinic …'

‘Libby's advice?' Josh sat up straighter, his grip tightening. He looked into her face, his brows twin dark arches above his startled eyes. ‘Exactly what sort of advice did young Libby give you, Charlotte?' he demanded.

‘Oh, er, well it was supposed to be confidential,' Charlotte stammered in confusion, her cheeks growing hotter by the second. ‘G-girl talk … you know.'

‘No, I don't know.' Josh's mouth tightened. ‘You tell me.' Charlotte looked at him. He seemed tense and angry and he was waiting for an answer.

‘Ages ago Libby said she was sure we were meant for each other and she wanted to know why we … why we didn't get married. She wasn't interfering, Josh. She wanted us to be as happy as she and Billy are. I told her about Mother saying marriage was disgusting and had to be endured, not something to enjoy. I said our friendship was very precious and I'd rather keep things as they are than risk losing you. She insisted that Mother had talked complete rubbish and if that's all that stopped me from considering marriage I should find out what was involved, then make my own mind up. I w-was horrified. I thought I'd get a baby. Libby explained about caps for women and things I'd never heard about so …'

‘You mean Libby knows we – we …?'

‘No! Of course not, Josh. We've never mentioned things like that again. She explained how to avoid having babies. I-I thought about it a lot. I had to know if – if we got married whether … well, whether I would hate it as my mother did. In my own heart I was sure anything which brought us closer had to be good, b-but I needed to know …'

‘I see,' Josh said.

‘Oh, Josh, please don't be angry. It's the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me and I'd never have had the courage to find out without Libby's advice.'

‘What do you mean “it's the most wonderful thing”, Charlotte? Having sex?' Josh was tense.

‘Not just sex,' Charlotte said. ‘I have no fears of marriage now – at least not so long as it was with you. I don't know how it would be with other men. Perhaps my mother was right about …'

‘Damn your mother, Charlotte. Are you saying you've no objections to getting married? Now you know there's nothing to “endure”? You're convinced it's all right?'

‘All right?' Charlotte frowned. ‘It's much more than “all right” for me. Is that all it means to you, Josh?'

‘I'll tell you what it means for me, Charlotte. It means I want to marry you and make sure you're mine and that you never, ever try finding out with any other man. You've always been so against being tied by marriage vows. I thought I'd have to settle for what we have.'

‘Oh Josh, you banished all my stupid worries the first night we spent together.'

‘Let me get this straight, Charlotte, if I ask you to marry me now, tonight? Would you say yes?'

‘Of course I would, so long as you promise not to keep searching for a woman who would bear your children.'

‘Oh my ….' Josh shook his head in disbelief, and expelled a long sigh. ‘I've known for a long time there was only one woman I want for my wife, but I thought it was an impossible dream when I discovered the real identity of a student called Lottie Laine.'

‘I'm sorry about the deception.' Charlotte said, but there was a little smile curving her lips as she looked into Josh's eyes.

‘Well so long as you make sure there are no more deceptions …' Josh warned with mock severity. ‘Shall we go and buy an engagement ring before we set off for Darlonachie tomorrow morning?'

‘All right,' Charlotte smiled, ‘if that's your wish, my lord and master.'

‘It is my wish. In fact it's my command,' Josh grinned. ‘We'll not tell anyone. I can't wait to see the faces of my mother, and Libby, when they first notice a ring.'

‘I feel excited already,' Charlotte chuckled.

‘They'll want to know about a wedding date?'

‘I suppose so, but Josh …' Charlotte frowned. ‘I'd prefer a quiet wedding. Just your family, if you don't mind.'

‘I don't care what kind of a wedding it is, so long as you're my wife at the end of it. At least if we're engaged Morven and her boyfriend will realise you'll not be here much longer and they'll have to make plans.'

‘She's very independent, or at least she tries to be. Her grandmother has had more influence that she realises. She's scared of getting into debt, but Donnie has had no one to influence him. He has as good a job as Morven and I have. We manage to save a bit each month but he seems to have no self-control.' She sighed. ‘I wish Morven hadn't got pregnant though. That changes everything. Donnie will have to keep them both. It will be a bad start to their life together.'

‘You can't take on the troubles of the world, Charlotte,' Josh said.

‘I know, but remember I've suffered the humiliation of being put out of my flat without warning. A very kind man helped me.' she smiled up at him. ‘The best man in the whole world …' Josh's arms tightened.

‘When you look at me like that I'm glad you went to that clinic.' He lifted her up and carried her through to the bedroom. ‘We'd better seize the opportunity while we can,' he growled softly. ‘We shall be in Darlonachie tomorrow for Easter, and Morven will be here when we return. How am I to survive?'

‘I'm sure you will, dearest Josh.'

‘Maybe, but let's set the wedding date. How about the first week of the summer holidays, the beginning of July? I shall count the days like a child waiting for Christmas.'

‘Mmm, I'm willing …' Charlotte looked up at him, her eyes already dark with desire, her lips parting to meet his own.

The following morning Josh telephoned his mother to say they would be later than expected, then he took Charlotte into the city to search for the engagement ring he wanted her to have. They chose two diamonds, set in a twist of gold.

‘Just like two lovers intertwined,' Josh whispered, bringing the ready blush to Charlotte's cheeks as she glanced at the sales assistant.

Much later as they approached Darlonachie Josh reminded her of their plan to surprise his mother and Libby, the two who had been most impatient to see them married.

‘I can't stop looking at it and thinking how lucky I am to have you, Josh,' Charlotte smiled. ‘I'm sure they'll see me.'

When they arrived at the cottage Fraser and Peter were working in the garden and Mimi and Lachie were supposed to be helping them sow pea seeds, but Lachie was more intent on chasing Mimi with a big worm.

‘They sound happy anyway,' Josh chuckled as Mimi shrieked and ran towards them for protection from a grinning Lachie. Polly hurried to the door to see what all the noise was about.

‘You're just in time for tea,' she greeted them. ‘I was making some for Fraser and Peter. They've worked hard all afternoon but these two rascals havena earned any.'

‘Oh Gran! You promised to make us one of your buns with the chocolate icing,' Lachie said, giving his grandmother his most beguiling smile, while Mimi beamed at her.

‘Oh, all right then. You'd better give Fraser and Peter a shout. I'm sure Charlotte must be ready for a cup of tea after her journey.'

‘What about me?' Josh demanded, sounding like an older edition of Lachie instead of a man of thirty-eight. Polly put her hands on her hips and regarded him. She shook her head. ‘Men are always wee laddies at heart,' she told Charlotte.

Charlotte was helping her pass round the cups of tea when Polly gave an unexpected yelp of surprise and delight.