Lakeland Lily (3 page)

‘Oh, heck, I’ve done it now. She’s got her Puritan voice on.’ Lily was thrusting Dick’s eager hands away, hitching up her long skirts and scrambling down from the roof as fast as she could. She flapped a desperate hand at him. ‘Oh, do go home, Dick. It would be dreadful if I couldn’t go tomorrow. I’ve been so looking forward to it.’

He dropped lightly down beside her but when he would have gathered her in his arms yet again, Lily thrust him away. ‘Get off with you. You’ve promised to take me out in a boat tomorrow, remember. And to speak to my dad.’

Snatching her hand, he kissed the back of it. He’d seen a picture in a magazine he’d read at the Working Men’s Institute of a Frenchman doing exactly the same thing, so thought he might as well try it on Lily. He was a great one for showmanship. Made life a bit more interesting, it did. He certainly didn’t care to get too serious about it. Except for Lily. He’d do anything for his lovely Lil. He meant to impress her tomorrow too, with his skill with the oars.

‘I’ll show your dad what a good boatman I am.’ In the hope he’d look kindly upon him when later Dick made his request. Assuming he plucked up the necessary courage.

‘It’s me you have to please, you daft lump. Not me dad.’

Dick wasn’t so sure. He felt sick to his stomach at the thought of facing big Arnold Thorpe. Not a man to mess with, wasn’t Arnie. Everyone knew that. One of the most experienced fishermen on the lake he was a big brawn of a chap. Loved boxing and cock fighting and would take a gamble on anything that moved, for all he had a wife who was a Card-Carrying Methodist. Arnie was a hard man, and protective where his family were concerned, Lily in particular.

‘He won’t give his most precious daughter away to any Tom, Dick or Harry, now will he?’ he said, and they both collapsed into a fit of giggles at this old joke between them.

‘Lily! If you don’t come in this minute I’ll come and drag you up this yard by the scruff of your neck!’

Spinning on her heel, Lily ducked beneath the flapping sheets pinned on the washing line and ran, stopping only briefly with her hand on the sneck of the back door. ‘You’ll meet me on the jetty?’

‘Aye, Lily. I will.’ Then Dick blew her a kiss, just to finish the romantic interlude with a suitably extravagant gesture, and swaggered off down the back street, whistling.

The Thorpe family rowed the short half mile in the family fishing boat to where the water carnival was to be held. Arnie and the boys had given it an extra thorough clean, and decked it out in ribbons in honour of this special day. All six children, including Lily, were hardly able to sit still for excitement.

The town was humming with people in their best summer dresses. Flags and streamers were everywhere, with much splashing and squealing coming from the lake, everyone enjoying the fun.

Besides the sailing races there were always plenty of games for the children: musical chairs at the water’s edge, balloon bursting, eating buns on cycles, tent pegging and apple bobbing. Lily didn’t think herself too old for such fun. Not quite yet. For the more adventurous, there would be home-made raft races and lots of other silly water games which resulted in the contestants getting a proper soaking if they were anything like her twin brothers.

Later there might be a sham sea battle with mock explosions and clouds of smoke as if in a real war. Then the winning side would storm on to the other team’s island and everyone would cheer.

Lily knew her father would take part in the fishermen’s boat race, and likely win it as he so often did. After a picnic tea, which they would take together beneath the trees, they’d loll about and recover from their adventures for a while. Then would follow the grand firework display. It was worth coming to the Water Carnival for that glory alone.

The uncertain Lakes weather had been known to spoil the day in the past, for all it took place in early summer. Lily was delighted that this particular June day was perfect, with a merry blue sky and hardly a puff of cloud, the striped Egyptian cotton sails of the small boats dazzling in the sun. When the figure of Dick emerged from a stand of trees a few yards from the water’s edge, Lily’s happiness was complete.

Her three younger sisters, Liza, Emma and Kitty, were running in dizzying circles around Hannah, too excited to keep still. Jacob and Matt, her twelve-year-old brothers, were busy helping her father tie up the boat at the jetty, arguing furiously as their eagerness to escape and savour the delights of the carnival made them clumsy.

‘You’ll ask him now, right away?’ Lily whispered to Dick, and the sight of his death-pale face told its own tale, bringing a giggle bubbling to the surface. ‘He won’t eat you.’ Lily held the certainty of all treasured children that she’d have to commit cold-blooded murder before Arnie Thorpe fell out with his favourite daughter. Dick did not share this somewhat naive viewpoint.

‘I wouldn’t count on it. I’ll ask if I can take you rowing first.’ This would give him the chance to test Arnold Thorpe’s mood before he put the more important question. Lily pouted, but as her father approached turned it quickly into a smile and gave a furtive nod of agreement, meant only for Dick’s eyes. But Arnie, as he was often heard to remark, hadn’t been born yesterday. If a lad was standing around like a bit of wet water weed beside his pretty daughter, it wasn’t hard to guess the reason. Still, not a bad lad, Dick Rawlins. And if he was a bit lacking in the brains department, Lily had more than enough to spare for the pair of them.

‘Now then, Dick.’

‘Mr Thorpe.’ Dick swallowed the lump of terror that had lodged in his throat and wiped his hands on the seat of his trousers. The man seemed even bigger than usual, if that were possible. ‘I wondered, happen, if I could take your Lily - if you had no objections like - out on the lake?’

Arnie considered Dick very solemnly for a moment and then looked at his daughter. ‘She’s only just got off it. You’re not taking her home the minute she’s arrived, are you?’

Diverted by this unexpected remark, Dick stood nonplussed, cheeks starting to fire up. It was Lily who saved his embarrassment.

‘He means out in one of the hire boats.’

‘Oh, from the posh new rowing fleet. A fishing boat not good enough for you, is that it?’

‘Stop teasing him, Dad. He’s saved up.’

‘
Aye, one shilling and ninepence,’ Dick said, recovering valiantly and puffing out his chest with pride. ‘So I can afford to pay for her.’

Arnie’s brown eyes crinkled at the corners with suppressed laughter. ‘Oh, well then, if thee’s a rich sort of chap, happen I should drop all opposition. What do you say, Mother?’

‘I say, stop plaguing the poor lad and let everyone enjoy themselves.’ Then Hannah started handing out small brown paper packages. ‘Here’s your dinner sandwiches. I doubt we’ll see hide nor hair of you till teatime.’

‘Four o’clock,’ Arnie said. ‘On the dot. Anyone who’s late will have to suffer the sharp end of my tongue in consequence.’

No one, it was agreed, would risk that.

There were some initial moans and groans as Hannah insisted the two younger girls remain with her and baby Kitty. Jacob and Matthew beat a hasty retreat before anyone should suggest they do likewise.

‘Well, get on with it, lad,’ Arnie chivvied poor Dick. ‘Or them boats’ll all be taken afore you get there.’

Thus galvanised into action, Dick and Lily walked sedately along the shore, a good six inches apart. Only when they turned a corner and believed themselves out of sight did they reach for each other’s hands. Arnie and Hannah, peeping at them between the trees, exchanged a smile and did likewise.

Less than ten minutes later Lily was reclining against the red leather cushions in what she considered a suitably ladylike pose. Unlike many of the young men recklessly showing off their inadequate skills to their sweethearts, Dick had handed her in and walked the length of the row boat without putting either of them in any danger of capsizing. Now he had a firm grip on the oars, his well-muscled arms flexing beneath his best summer shirt. Some of the toffs wore smart blazers but since Dick did not own such a garment, he’d tucked a neckcloth in the form of a cravat into his shirt collar to mark the occasion, and his one pair of brown boots were polished to a mirror brightness.

The sun was hot, and Lily adjusted her ancient straw bonnet which she hated, despite the new green ribbon trimmings meant to heighten the colour in her hazel eyes. She wished she owned a parasol like the fashionable young ladies and their mamas. These exemplars of loveliness occupied the long narrow steam-yachts which sailed majestically up and down the lake; the kind of glorious vessel owned by every rich family who occupied a mansion on the shores of Carreckwater, each vying to outdo the other in opulence.

These people had usually made their money from cotton in Lancashire, or shipping in Liverpool, and could afford to display their wealth in the finest teak, pine and oak craft. Far grander than a hired rowing boat, they were sleek and stately with embossed velvet upholstery, walnut panelling, even carpets and white marble wash hand basins. Lily had caught glimpses of these wonderful floating palaces when Arnie had been helping out with some refitting. He did occasional work for Hadley’s boat builders, which helped to eke out his low wages from the fishing, and had sneaked her aboard for a peep. The memory of such unbridled elegance had lived in Lily’s mind ever since.

One was approaching even now, sun glinting off its brass fittings, the chatter of genteel voices, merry laughter and the chink of china tea cups echoing over the lake as the ladies took tea beneath a pretty blue and cream fringed canopy. There was the papa in his top hat, the engineer in his flat cap, and the women with their wide straw hats skewered with giant pins so they didn’t blow off in the wind.

Somewhere far away on the shore a band had struck up a jolly tune and a voice was calling passengers to board
Lucy
Ann,
the Public Steamer, smartly decked out with strings of flags, for the next lake cruise to one of the islands or the Fisherman’s Inn for luncheon.

‘All aboard! Next sailing in ten minutes. Hurry along there, please.’

Lily’s lips curved into a contented smile as she watched the jostling crowds in their bright summer dresses, some hurrying to take advantage of this offer, others strolling along the promenade or enjoying the sun on the wooden benches that stood before the Marina Hotel. She was much happier here with Dick, and the steamer already seemed crammed with people.

Emboldened by his success over the boat trip, Dick was saying, ‘So I’ve decided to talk to your father, man to man like, the minute we finish tea and before the fireworks start.’

‘Let’s hope you don’t spark off any fireworks of your own!’ Lily giggled, but for once Dick only looked troubled and paused in his rowing while he considered her quip.

‘What d’you reckon he’ll say then?’

‘Oh, don’t look so worried. He’s in a good mood. And he likes you, I know he does.’

Lily let the fingers of one hand trail in the water as she offered Dick her most radiant smile, hoping he was watching as she pressed her young body back against the cushions. ‘Make sure you tell him we don’t want to wait too long. Next summer would be perfect. I’ll be nearly seventeen by then. And don’t forget to mention our plans. See this frill on my petticoat? I did the crochet trimming myself.’ She twitched up her skirt, managing to reveal a good two inches of slender ankle as well as the lace edging.

Dick was enchanted. He had not, in fact, missed a nuance of these flirtatious gestures and wondered how he would manage to resist this adorable girl for as long as a year. The sun had burnished her brown hair to a glowing chestnut, worn loose to her shoulders beneath the straw bonnet, and on her delicious nose was a scattering of freckles brought out by the sun, that he had a desperate urge to kiss. The outline of her long legs and slender hips, curving enticingly beneath the cream print frock she wore, made his necktie feel suddenly too tight about his throat.

He almost forgot they were in a boat and he was rowing it as his gaze wandered downward to the peaks of her young breasts against the thin fabric. The sight of these wondrous delights put him in such turmoil he very nearly lost all control.

‘By heck, Lily,’ he said, in a small choking voice, ‘you’re a real cracker. I’ll do me best to persuade him, I swear it.’

Thrilled by his ardour she blew him a kiss, puckering her lips into such a delightful pout that Dick could resist her no longer and the recklessness in him surged to the surface. In the next instant he was on his feet, making the boat rock madly as he reached forward to steal one sweet kiss before rowing her out to Hazel Holme and maybe managing to steal a bit more.

Lily squealed with delight at his daring. ‘You’ll have us over, you daft lump!’

But he only laughed. It was in that moment that he happened to glance up. Something alerted him. A shadow? Someone shouting or dropping a tea cup? But it was too late. By then the steam-launch was upon them. He could almost see his own slack-jawed surprise as he was catapulted into the air, his ears filled with the terrifying sounds of splintering wood as the slender rowing boat was sliced into two neat halves. And endless screams carried up into the true blue sky.

‘All my best china broken! Not a single cup left intact. Completely ruined. It really is most dreadfully upsetting.’