The Fleethaven Trilogy (66 page)

‘He did! The old bugger bloody well sacked me!’

Kate gasped. Danny rarely resorted to bad language; that he was doing so now, and being so disrespectful to the Squire, shocked her.

And what made it worse – it was all her fault.

Very early the following morning, before going to work, Kate cycled to the Grange. Standing in front of the Squire’s huge polished desk, she felt the familiar fluttering just below her ribs that she got when she was nervous.

‘What’s so urgent, young lady, that I have to be dragged away from my breakfast?’

He was sitting on the opposite side of his desk now, glowering at her. When she had been shown into the book-lined study, he had been sitting in a wing-chair near the long window overlooking the smooth expanse of front lawn, his right foot propped up on a footstool, and a plate of bacon and eggs on a small table to one side. Leaving his meal, he had levered himself up from his chair and hobbled across the room, wincing with every step.

Kate had always liked the Squire, with his bristly white whiskers and red face. As a child, she had thought of him as a jolly Father Christmas and in her sudden concern for him, her nervousness was forgotten for a moment.

‘Have you hurt your foot, Squire?’

‘Gout,’ he said testily. ‘That’s why I wanted a driver till that silly young fool put my new car in the ditch!’

Her stomach lurched afresh. ‘That’s what I’ve come to see you about – Danny Eland.’

The old man grunted and glared up at her. ‘Well? What about him?’

Kate took a deep breath. She was taking a big gamble and she knew it. He couldn’t hurt Danny any more – he’d already dismissed him. But the Squire was her mother’s landlord. He owned the home they all lived in. If she, Kate, angered him even more . . .

‘Well, get on with it.’

‘It was all my fault, Squire.’ The words came tumbling out in a rush. ‘About your motor car, I mean. I was driving it, not Danny. I begged him to let me have a go and – I know he shouldn’t have. Oh, Squire – I’m so sorry. Please don’t sack Danny. And me dad – he can make it good as new. He’s ever so clever with motors and . . .’ She was babbling now in her agitation.

‘Well, I’ll be damned!’ The look on the Squire’s face was so comical that Kate gave a nervous little laugh.

He was shaking his head and staring at her. ‘You’re so like your mother, Kate, do you know that?’

Now it was Kate’s turn to blink in surprise.

‘She was only about your age when old Sam Brumby died and she came to see me, standing exactly where you’re standing now . . .’ His eyes clouded over as if he was seeing not Kate, but her mother, Esther. ‘No more than a slip of a girl, she was, but there she stood almost demanding that I grant her the tenancy of Brumbys’ Farm. The Brumbys had the tenancy for generations, but there was no family to carry on after Sam.’ There was a pause, then the Squire said quietly, ‘I always admired your mother for her honesty and it seems you too have that same virtue.’

He smiled at her now, and it was once more the Squire she knew and liked. His eyes twinkled with mischief. ‘All right, young lady, I’ll see young Danny doesn’t lose his job. Mind you, he shouldn’t have let you drive it.’

‘I know, but . . .’

He held up his hand, palm outwards. ‘All right, all right. Just so long as you get your stepfather to fix it up, we’ll say no more about it.’

‘Oh, thank you, Squire, thank you. But, just one more thing . . .’

‘What is it?’ he asked resignedly, but his anger was gone now and his eyes were twinkling.

‘You – you won’t ever let Danny know I came to see you, will you? He’d be cross. He’s got his pride, you see.’

The Squire’s whiskers twitched. ‘All right my dear. It’ll be our little secret.’

And as the Squire was rewarded with one of Kate’s beaming smiles, he in turn gave her a broad wink.

T
he following evening Danny was waiting for her in the lane outside Brumbys’ Farm when she arrived home from work. It was almost dusk for Kate had been obliged to stay late to finish hemming some velvet curtains by hand with her tiny, neat stitching.

‘Guess what?’ He came and stood astride the front wheel of her cycle, resting his arms on the handle-bars. He leaned forward and planted a kiss on her mouth. Something had pleased him, Kate thought. He was grinning from ear to ear and forgetting to be cautious right outside the yard gate.

Carefully Kate said, ‘You haven’t found another job already?’

‘Nope – but I’ve got me old one back.’

Kate gave an exaggerated squeal of delight and hoped it sounded convincing. She flung her arms around Danny’s neck and hugged him. He grasped her arms and they were scuffling playfully when a sharp voice rang out in the still night air.

‘Kate! Kate – I want you in. Now!’

Danny let go of her as if he had been burned, and sprang away, but Kate merely called back over her shoulder, ‘I won’t be a minute, Mam.’ She leaned her cycle against the gate post and turned back to Danny. Lowering her voice, she said, ‘Now, tell me quickly. What happened?’

‘Squire sent a message I was to go up to the Grange. I was quaking in me boots, I can tell you, when I went into his study,’ Danny said.

So was I! thought Kate, but she said nothing, listening as Danny continued. ‘“I was a bit hasty yesterday,”’ he ses. “If you can get the motor put right, Eland, you can have your job back.” So I told him that ya stepdad reckoned he could fix it, and Squire said, “Godfrey’s word is good enough for me. He’s a good mechanic.”’

Kate’s heart warmed to the Squire for his praise of her stepfather.

‘Squire said,’ Danny’s even teeth shone white in the darkness as he grinned, ‘ya dad’s so clever with mechanical things he’s wasted on a farm, even though he comes in handy when we get a problem with the machinery. He put his hand on me shoulder as I was coming out and said, “You could do a lot worse than learn from Jonathan Godfrey.” Oh, Katie, I’m that glad to get me job back, I can tell you.’

Kate let out a long sigh too. ‘Well, that’s all right then.’ She moved closer to him, her mouth curving into a smile. ‘So when do I get another drive?’

‘You don’t!’ he replied shortly and then, obviously hearing the mischief in her tone, he reached out to grab her arms. ‘Oh, you tease, you . . .’

Kate dodged his grasp and squealing with glee, she began to run, across the lane and into the trees on the dunes, glancing back over her shoulder, inviting him to chase her.

Danny was not one to refuse such an invitation. Underfoot, twigs cracked whilst overhead, roosting birds fluttered from their resting place as the two youngsters, their laughter echoing in the stillness of the night, chased each other up and down the dunes like a couple of young puppies.

‘Sssh,’ Danny said, stopping suddenly. ‘What was that?’ They stood listening.

Distantly, they heard Esther’s voice, ‘Kate – Kate!’

Grabbing Danny’s hand, Kate whispered, ‘Come on, let’s go to the beach.’

‘You sure, Katie? You’ll only mek ya mam madder than ever.’

But Kate was already dragging him up the slope and down on to the marsh. Then they were running towards the easterly dunes, splashing through the creeks in the darkness, skirting the deeper streams. They knew every inch of the marsh and could quite literally find their way in the dark.

Laughing, they flopped down at last in the sandy hollow in the dunes that was their special place. They lay on their backs, close together, just staring up at the vast expanse of darkening sky above them, listening to the musical lap-lap of the waves, somehow louder in the darkness.

Danny raised himself on one elbow and leaned over her. She could feel his breath, soft upon her face. ‘When are we going to get married, Katie?’

She touched his face and, with gentle fingers, traced the outline of the features she knew – and loved – so well. She had always loved him. He had been part of her life always, and that was the way she wanted it. It was what they both wanted; to be part of each other’s lives for ever.

‘As soon as you like, Danny. But I’ll have to leave me job. Mr Reynolds dun’t – doesn’t . . .’ she corrected herself. Since her recent promotion she was more than ever conscious of the strong dialect in her speech and was making a determined effort to correct it. She had never felt her speech to be a defect until she had been ridiculed for it at the school in Lincoln. Sometimes, in the dead of night, she still shuddered at the memories of that time and her private humiliations were locked away in the depths of her soul.

‘Mr Reynolds’, she was saying now, ‘doesn’t employ married women. I’d have to leave if we got married.’

‘Well, I’d want you to anyway.’ His head came lower until his mouth brushed her lips. ‘You’ll have plenty to do looking after me – and the kids!’

Kate giggled and then was lost as his butterfly kiss became more demanding. His arms were around her and he was pressing his strong, muscular body against her. Now she felt his urgency; felt the heat and desire in his kiss.

‘No, Danny, no. We mustn’t.’ Kate pulled away from him suddenly and sat up. She sat with her arms wrapped around her knees drawn up to her chest – a chest that was no longer childishly thin; now her breasts were firm and rounded – and desirable! And Danny wanted her, she knew.

Miserably she buried her face in her skirt. Now Danny would be angry with her, might even hate her, she was thinking. All young men got angry if you didn’t let them – well, do things! At least that was what Sheila, one of the young girls in the workroom, said. Sheila was a pert, petite blonde, who wore make-up and high-heeled shoes and short skirts; she seemed to have a different boyfriend every week.

But Esther’s warning sounded in Kate’s ears so clearly, she might have been standing over them. ‘Dun’t let him touch you – promise me!’

‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered. ‘But I dun’t want to – to . . .’

She felt Danny’s touch on her arm and he sat up at the side of her. ’Tis me who should be saying sorry. You’re right. We mun’t spoil it. We should wait till we’re wed.’

She reached out to him in the darkness. ‘Oh, Danny,’ she breathed. ‘I was afraid you’d be cross, that you wouldn’t understand . . .’

‘Kate – I love you, really love you. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you, or – or upset you.’ The grin widened, cheekily, ‘But I dun’t reckon I can wait for ever.’

‘Oh Danny, nor me. Nor me.’

She held his beloved face between her hands and gently kissed his lips.

‘Just where do you think you’ve been, Miss? Do you know what time it is? It’s half-past ten.’ Her mother was waiting at the open back door as Kate came across the yard. Silhouetted against the light from within, Esther stood with her feet set apart and hands on hips. It was a stance that meant trouble.

‘Hello, Mam,’ Kate said happily. Not even Esther’s anger was going to be allowed to spoil things. Danny loved her – and he had got his job back. The Squire had kept his promise. Danny didn’t know she had a hand in it – but that was the way she wanted it. She loved him too much to belittle him. She would always let him think that he had regained his job because the Squire valued him and not because she had pleaded his cause.

In her joy, Kate grasped her mother round her slim waist and drew her outside. In the darkness she whirled her mother round the back yard in a merry jig.

‘Stop it, Kate . . .’ but Esther was laughing in spite of herself. ‘Do stop – I’m getting a stitch in me side.’ Kate stopped and let go of her. Esther leaned against the pump in the yard, holding her side. ‘What’s got into you, girl? You’re as daft as a brush.’

Kate stretched her arms skywards and threw back her head. ‘I’m happy, Mam, that’s all. Danny’s not going to get the sack and me dad’s going to get the job of repairing the Squire’s motor. So he’ll be happy with his head stuck under a motor car.’

Esther snorted. ‘Aye, I might have known – just when harvest is upon us.’

Kate smiled, “Night, Mam.’ And before Esther had a chance to berate her daughter further for her lateness, Kate gave her a peck on the cheek and ran indoors. She was up the stairs, through the nursery where Lilian now slept, and into her own small back room before her mother had got her breath back.

Harvest was upon them. Every evening and on her time off from work, Kate hurried into her outdoor work clothes and ran to the fields. Here, the old traditions survived. Neighbour helped neighbour at harvest and the horses from Brumbys’ Farm were in demand.

‘I’m not having them new-fangled tractor things in my fields.’ Esther vowed, and Kate would see her stepfather smile fondly and hide his disappointment. ‘It’s bad enough at threshing with the steam engine . . .’

Kate listened to the conversations that were repeated every year and smiled, winking at her stepfather behind her mother’s back, knowing he looked forward to the winter days when the huge machine would come into their yard to start the threshing.

‘Why don’t you persuade Mam to get a tractor?’ Kate encouraged her stepfather as they walked out to the fields. ‘She would if she knew it would make you happy.’

Jonathan smiled. ‘Maybe I will when the horses get too old . . .’

‘Oh, there’s Danny,’ Kate said suddenly, feeling the familiar ripple of pleasure as she saw him standing high on top of the wagon, spreading the sheaves as they were passed up to him by the men below. In the early evening sun, his muscular body, stripped to the waist, glistened with sweat. She began to run, and then, remembering suddenly, glanced back over her shoulder. ‘Don’t you forget, Dad, when the horses go – it’s a tractor we want.’ She wagged her finger at him and grinned.

Jonathan smiled too, but then he glanced at Danny and back at her, and she saw the smile fade from his face. ‘Kate . . .’ he began, but, filled with the desire to be with Danny, she waved and said, ‘See you later, Dad,’ and was gone.

Through the bright days of late summer, the two young people were filled with happiness, revelling in the secret they shared, planning their future.

‘Mebbe Squire would let us rent a farm of our own one day.’

The look in her eyes softened lovingly. ‘Is that what you really want, Danny?’