The Loner (28 page)

As soon as she saw Frank and Dave enter the barn, she came rushing over. ‘It’s coming together a treat,’ she said excitedly. ‘All we want now is for the lanterns to go up and the barn to be dressed; the food is my concern, and I promise, it will be the best feast you ever laid eyes on!’ At the mention of food, she caught hold of a workman hurrying past. ‘I forgot to say, the trestle tables need putting up in the far corner. The food must be kept out of reach of children and gluttons, until I give the nod.’

Before rushing away, the workman assured her it would be done.

‘You’re a bully!’ Frank loved every minute of it. ‘Look at him run, poor devil.’

Maggie tossed him a withering glance. ‘If you don’t want me to organise the party, it’s still not too late for
you
to take over,’ she snapped. ‘There’s still a few days left. See if you can do any better, why don’t you?’

‘Hey!’ Frank apologised. ‘Don’t be so damned touchy, woman.’

‘Am I in charge or am I not?’

‘Do you want to be in charge?’

‘That’s a silly question,’ she retorted. ‘Haven’t I done it every year so far, and don’t you know that very well, you old fox!’

‘Whatever you say.’ Frank assumed that he was forgiven. ‘By the way, Dave and I have been out to the far reaches.’

She melted with a smile. ‘Oh, Dave … did you see Blueberry Farm, love?’

‘Yes, I did,’ Dave acknowledged. ‘I think it’s such a shame that it ever got so neglected.’

‘That’s the master’s fault.’ Another mock-scathing glance at Frank, who by now was used to it. ‘But to give him his due, he has had his work cut out in building this place up to what it is.’ She went all dreamy again. ‘Oh, but isn’t Blueberry Farm the prettiest thing you’ve ever seen, and don’t you think it’s in the most magical spot?’

‘I do, yes.’

‘By the way, you’d best show your faces.’ She had a habit of changing the subject at the drop of a hat. ‘Lucy’s in charge of lunch today, and she’s been looking for the pair of you.’ With that, she bade them cheerio. ‘Got to go. Unlike you two, I’ve got work to do.’ As she walked away, Frank exchanged a knowing smile with her. She knew what he was thinking, for hadn’t they already discussed it earlier?

Dave had seen the discreet exchange between them, and chuckled to himself. It was never too late for love, he thought – and yet again his own thoughts were torn between Judy and Lucy.

But it was Lucy who came running to meet him. And it was Lucy who locked her arm in his as they walked on. It was a good feeling, but was it love?

Time would tell.

‘I’m not ready to go indoors,’ Lucy said. ‘Let’s sit in the summerhouse for a while, shall we?’

‘OK, but I can’t stay too long,’ Dave warned her. ‘I need a bath and a change of clothes.’ He grimaced. ‘Your dad’s taken me through woods and wilds today, and I’ve just forked over a huge muck heap. I’m sorry, Lucy, I must smell to high heaven.’

Lucy playfully sniffed the air. ‘I can’t smell anything, only the faint smell of roses.’

Dave laughed. ‘Little liar!’

‘All right then, we both stink. But there’s time enough to sit and talk for a few minutes, isn’t there?’

‘If you like.’ He was happy with that. ‘I don’t suppose half an hour would hurt.’

‘And what then?’

‘What d’you mean?’

‘After half an hour – what then?’

‘Well …’ Like any man, he could never understand a woman’s meaning. ‘Then I’ll walk you home, and I’ll go back to my room over the stables.’

‘And is that what you want?’

‘Not in the long term, no. But just now it’s all I’ve got. And like you say, there’s no rush to get back.’

‘So you’re happy to stay here in the garden, with me?’ She looked up at him, her eyes shining. With every passing day she loved him more. But she could never tell if he loved her the same.

‘Lucy, I’m more than happy to sit herewith you,’ he answered. ‘I love your company – you know that.’

‘So, would you be “more than happy” to put your arm round me?’

‘Now, why would I want to do that?’ He loved to tease her.

‘Because I want you to.’

‘That’s not a good enough reason.’

‘All right then, I’m shivering. And I need you to keep me warm.’

Without a word he slid his arm round her shoulders and drew her close. ‘Is that better?’

When she didn’t answer he gazed down on her face. ‘You’re not falling asleep on me, are you?’ he asked softly.

‘No.’

For a moment he was silenced by the dark uplifted eyes that gazed back at him. Then she whispered: ‘Dave?’

‘Yes?’

Giving no reply, she kissed him full on the mouth – a long, lingering kiss that woke too many emotions inside him, emotions that both frightened and excited him. Within them was guilt and passion. Guilt for this betrayal of Judy, and the passion of a youth wanting and needing to become a man.

They touched and fondled, and when the touching became a frantic need, they made love right thereon the floor of the summerhouse.

Both virgins, they followed age-old instincts to give and receive pleasure that was in turns wild and tender. And when it was over, they lay in each other’s arms, still breathless, softly kissing, elated by what had just happened.

‘Do you love me, Dave?’ Lucy asked, and he answered that yes, he did love her.

The floor of the summerhouse was cold, and he helped Lucy to her feet. He was feeling a double guilt now, shame burning in his blood. What had he done. The rush of guilt was replaced by a deep-down need to make amends. ‘Of course I love you, Lucy,’ he repeated. There could be no other answer. Not now.

Adjusting their clothes, they strolled on, hand-in-hand. ‘Are we engaged?’ The girl asked innocently.

Affectionately, he stroked her face and smiling down on her, he asked, ‘Is that what you want, my darling?’

Lucy nodded her head. ‘More than anything else in the world,’ she whispered.

He laughed softly. ‘Then yes, we’re engaged.’

‘Can I tell Father?’

Caution set in. ‘Let’s keep it to ourselves for a while, eh?’ he suggested. ‘We need to get used to the idea, and besides, you’ll want to choose a ring and all that.’ He blew out a sigh. ‘I hope you realise, it’s a big thing … getting engaged.’ Manlike, he dreaded all the fuss.

‘You’re not regretting it already, are you?’

He squeezed her hand. ‘No.’

‘I do love you so,’ she assured him. ‘I’ll make you happy, I promise.’

He sensed her panic and the guilt was tenfold. But why? he asked himself. Judy was long lost to him. She was in his past, and Lucy was in his present – and his future. So why did he feel like crying – as though he should have lost his virginity to Judy, not Lucy? He was being foolish, he knew. He must pull himself together; thank his lucky stars for this girl’s love.

‘I know you will,’ he answered. ‘I’ll do my best to make you happy too.’ Lucy was a wonderful young woman who loved him without reservation, and there was more than a measure of love in his heart for her. People had been happy on less and besides, he had given his word, and he would keep it.

Dave wondered if this strange apprehension he was feeling had anything to do with his parents. They had loved each other with insane passion, yet even that was not enough to prevent the tragedy that followed. Yes, perhaps he was afraid of love. So maybe what he and Lucy had would prove to be stronger in other ways. And so much easier to control.

Shivering, he hurried bride-to-be towards home, a welcome fire, and a long, hot bath!

‘Let’s get the do tonight out of the way,’ he said, ‘then on Monday morning we’ll go into Bedford and start looking for your ring. After that, you can tell the world. Does that suit you?’

Lucy was more than suited, and for the rest of the day she walked around on cloud nine.

Summoning three of the stable lads, she set them to work. ‘I’ve things to be doing myself,’ she said. ‘There’s all the food to be seen to yet. And think on,’ she warned. ‘I’ll be back in an hour, by which time I expect it all to be done and ready.’ With that she marched off, chuckling to herself as she recalled how the three of them had been hiding in the stables. ‘Lazy little hounds,’ she told herself. ‘Did they really think I didn’t know where to look for them?’

Her kitchen at The Willows was a hive of industry; there was Lucy shifting the freshly baked bread rolls onto a cooling tray; little Peggy Henderson from the village flitting in and out of the larder like a headless chicken, and the cat waiting at the door for any stray titbits.

As always, Peggy was fussing, talking to herself in frantic clucks as she darted to and fro. ‘Where’s the ham shank? It was here just now when I got out the cream jug … Oh dearie me, dearie me!’

‘Stop panicking!’ Maggie came in the door and straight off she saw how little Peggy had already put one ham shank on the butcher’s block ready for slicing. ‘Look behind you, hinny,’ she urged. ‘In a minute, it will bite you on the backside!’

Peggy began giggling uncontrollably. ‘Silly me,’ she chirped. ‘I must have taken it out earlier. There’s so much to do …you can’t think, can you?’

Maggie had an idea. ‘We’ve all been working our fingers to the bone, and we’re tired. I say we should stop for a few minutes and have one o’ my delicious scones, with a cup of tea – then we’ll get on with the sandwiches. What d’you say, eh?’

The girls were all for it. Lucy put the kettle on, while Maggie and Peggy got out the scones and cream, with a dish of straw berry jam made last summer.

No sooner was the table set for three, than the kettle was whistling and the tea was made, and they all sat down with a sigh of relief.

‘What’s tickling you, young lady?’ Maggie had already noticed how Lucy kept smiling to herself, and when she wasn’t smiling she was singing, and when she wasn’t singing, she was looking out the window. ‘As I recall, there’s only one thing that makes a young woman as happy as you seem to be, and that’s a young man.’ And the only young man she could match with Lucy, was Dave.

Lucy’s face grew pink. ‘I’m saying nothing,’ she remarked coyly. ‘You’ll know soon enough.’ And beyond that she would not be drawn.