Daughter of Dark River Farm (25 page)

‘There are lots of people to care for you there.’ I directed my words at the little girl, but I was saying it for Frank’s benefit. ‘Mrs Adams, who’s the farmer. Then there’s me, of course, and Belinda. And there’s Sally and Lizzy too.’ I didn’t mention Jessie; I still bubbled with anger at the way she’d betrayed me to my mother. ‘You’ll especially like Lizzy,’ I went on, ‘she’s very kind. And Evie will be home soon.’

Frank sat upright then. ‘Evie Creswell that was? Will’s wife?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘I didn’t know they were living down there too. Will didn’t say.’ He looked more relaxed. ‘And this Lizzy? She’s Evie’s friend?’

‘Yes. She used to be her maid, before the war.’

Now his mood was unmistakeably lighter. ‘I’ll be blowed,’ he said quietly. ‘Lizzy…’ He frowned, trying to remember. ‘Parkins? Parker!’

‘You know her?’

‘I do. She may not think too highly of me,’ he said, and his expression was clear and warm now. He looked as he must have done in his carefree days. ‘But she’s all right in my book.’

‘High praise,’ I said, somewhat drily, and he grinned.

‘She’s a good girl, from what I remember. The last time we met I frightened her quite a bit, but she was kinder to me than she’d reason to be.’ His voice lowered again, and trailed away in remembrance, then he looked up at the sound of the whistle. ‘I’m glad we at least tried to get Amy back to her real family,’ he said. ‘It’ll be something to tell her later on. But if I’m completely honest I’m happier seeing her off with you, and staying with Miss Creswell and Lizzy, than I would have been to see her here, never mind the posh frocks and fancy-mannered folk.’

‘Are you saying Evangeline Creswell-that-was doesn’t have good manners?’

Frank looked embarrassed, then caught sight of my raised eyebrow, and smiled. The train was pulling into the station now, and he sobered, looking down at his daughter. ‘I’ve been thinking, sat here,’ he said. ‘When the war’s over, I’ll sell the shop, and I’ll come for Amy. I can take her to Canada, to my parents.’

‘That might not be for years,’ I said. ‘She’d be well settled by then, and Canada’s a long way.’

‘Then I’ll move to bloody Devon,’ he said grimly. ‘Either way, I’m selling up the minute I can.’

‘I’ll write to you with the address,’ I said. ‘I haven’t got anything to write it on here.’

He nodded. ‘And I’ll send money whenever I have it.’

A sudden, long-missed feeling of well-being crept over me. This man might have been something of a rogue in the past, and even a thief, but he loved his daughter and would clearly do anything to keep her safe. To me, and to Amy, that was all that mattered. I waved goodbye as the guard’s whistle sounded, settled Amy on the seat next to me, sent a silent wish for peace to poor, sweet Lawrence, and turned my thoughts towards home.

Chapter Fourteen

We alighted from the train in the predawn, and slept for a couple of hours, huddled together in a field. Then Amy let me carry her most of the rest of the way to arrive at Dark River before the sun had properly risen. We were footsore and exhausted. Frances took one look at the two of us and asked no questions, but whisked Amy away to bathe and feed her.

‘Bed,’ she flung back over her shoulder at me, in her usual, no-words-wasted way, but I almost wept to hear her voice. I gave her a watery smile of gratitude, and fell, fully clothed into my bed five minutes later just as Belinda was getting up to start work. She too left her questions, for which I was grateful, and had simply bent to whisper, ‘Welcome back,’ and pat my shoulder, before leaving the room with a quiet, blessedly familiar click of the door latch.

Much later I blinked awake and glanced at the window; the sun had already moved around to the front of the house, which meant it was almost teatime. I couldn’t remember sleeping so long, so deeply, with neither disturbance nor dreams. A sudden, very loud shriek from downstairs made me jump, then smile, and I washed quickly and changed my clothes, pulling the first thing I could find from the suitcase Frances had brought up sometime during the day and left opened on Sally’s bed. It was one of my favourite skirts, taken to Oaklands to wear with pride at dinner, but had never been taken out of the case. Here at the farm it had seemed smart and respectable, as it had even in Ecclesley, but at Oaklands it had merely looked shabby and even embarrassing. I tucked in my blouse and fastened the belt, and smiled at my reflection.

‘Welcome back,’ I echoed Belinda’s words, and went downstairs to see who had tried to take Amy’s spoon away.

Lizzy looked up as I went into the kitchen. She had Amy on her lap, and a strange smile on her face. ‘Everyone’s dying to know who this is, you know,’ she said.

‘But not you?’

‘I know perfectly well who it is. We’ve met, haven’t we, Amy?’ She was rewarded with a shy smile, and I felt something in me melt. ‘I’m just curious as to what on earth she’s doing here.’

‘When Frances comes in, I’ll tell you,’ I said, checking the teapot. ‘It’s a long story.’

‘Pour me one please, if you wouldn’t mind,’ Lizzy said. She lifted Amy off her lap and stood up. ‘I’m glad you’re back; we’re short-handed now. Sorry to say this when you’ve just got up, but Sally’s left.’

‘Left? Why?’ I hadn’t been particularly close to Sally, but she was a quiet, dependable sort, a familiar face, and I’d miss her calm, hard-working and friendly presence around the farm.

‘She went to train as a nurse after her brother was badly hurt,’ Lizzy said. ‘Brought it all home to her a bit, I think.’

‘Oh that’s awful. Is he all right?’

‘They think he will be, but it’ll take an awfully long time. He lost both legs, and part of his jaw, but they can work such miracles now. He’s convalescing at Exeter.’ Her voice trembled a little as she went on, ‘Evie wrote to tell me about Lawrence.’

I felt the sting of tears again. ‘He was angelic,’ I said quietly. ‘A lovely, lovely boy.’

‘He was. Evie once said, before the war of course, that he wasn’t the bravest of soldiers. Just a turn of phrase, but it stuck in my mind when I heard he’d joined up.’

‘He once told me he’d not been of particular help to you when you needed him.’

‘It wasn’t his fault. How’s Will about it? He and Lawrence were always good friends.’

‘I didn’t see him much before I left,’ I said. I hated keeping things from Lizzy, but I’d done enough damage. ‘He’d been confined to bed. I think they’re planning on coming back soon.’

‘Yes, I understand Lady Creswell is going to stay with her parents for a while,’ Lizzy said, accepting her tea and taking a sip. ‘Oh, that’s lovely, thank you. I don’t know how, but Belinda always manages to make it taste of wet compost, even when all she’s done is pour what’s already made.’

I laughed, and the solemnity retreated. ‘And how is Bel?’

‘Still trying to avoid Seth Pearce.’ Lizzy grinned. ‘He’s completely smitten, the poor lad.’ She looked over at Amy, who was wandering towards the door. I started towards her, but Lizzy held up a hand and spoke quietly. ‘Let her go, Skittles. She can’t hurt herself. This is the first interest she’s shown in looking around.’

‘She’s an odd little thing,’ I said. ‘I suppose it’s because of the life she’s led. Perfectly fine whoever she’s with, but hardly a smile to be seen.’

‘She’s started to smile since she woke up earlier,’ Lizzy said. ‘Not much, but she seems to have relaxed a little bit.’

‘As long as she has her spoon,’ I pointed out, and Lizzy nodded.

‘Ah, yes. That gave me quite a jolt, but it was the way I recognised her for certain.’

I looked at her questioningly, and, with one eye on the small, stockinged foot that was stretching experimentally over the threshold, she explained. ‘Ruth came back to Oaklands last year, trying to sell information about…’ She stopped herself, but I shook my head.

‘I know about the Tingtang Star.’

‘Kalteng!’ she said, just as Lawrence had, and I smiled, but swallowed a sudden lump in my throat. ‘Well, anyway, she brought Amy with her—though I didn’t know that was her name until Frank told me—and Ruth was getting above herself with her demands, so I gave Amy that spoon, just to show her how easy it would be to have her accused of theft. Slightly underhand, I grant you, but since it was Ruth who’d seen me in prison for her crime I felt it was justified.’

‘And you let her take it away?’

Lizzy shrugged. ‘It was just a spoon, and the child seemed to like it.’

‘Do you think she remembers you?’ I craned my neck around, tensing as I saw the second foot follow the first, and Amy’s little hand relinquish its hold on the door jamb.

‘I shouldn’t think so. All I did was give her some bread and honey, and that spoon, and then they were gone again. I saw Frank not long afterwards, and he told me Ruth had refused to let him see her.’

I gave up trying not to worry, and followed Amy out into the yard. Lizzy came too. ‘Frank remembers you fondly, you know,’ I said.

‘Does he now?’ She looked bemused. ‘I broke into his home and hid under the stairs. I can’t think why he’d think well of me!’

‘He said you were kind to him.’

Amy was walking more quickly now, and her unshod feet didn’t flinch from the stony ground of the yard. I couldn’t help wondering how often she’d gone without shoes before, and how toughened up her little feet must be. And if her feet were tough, what about her heart? I ached at the thought of what she must have seen and lived through. The sudden and familiar low call of a wood pigeon made me look up, and I took in the view of the brown-and-green moors, the huge, open sky, and the woodland in the distance. When I looked back at Amy again she was stooping to pick up a handful of dirt and study it, and the ache turned into a little squeezing feeling of relief that she would have the chance to put it all behind her, and that her future no longer held the same threat it had only yesterday.

‘I think this will be a good place for her,’ I said. ‘You do think Frances will let her stay, don’t you?’

‘If you’re the one who’s asking?’ Lizzy said with a faint smile. ‘Of course she will.’ She hesitated then, and cleared her throat. ‘Sweetheart, I know why you’re doing this.’ She came closer and hooked her arm through mine. ‘It’s not something you ever need to talk about, but…’ she hugged my arm ‘…I know, that’s all.’

I was about to reply, when I noticed Amy lifting the dirt, inevitably, to her mouth. ‘Amy! No!’

Startled, she dropped the dirt, but she didn’t cry. Instead she sank silently to her heels and put her arms over her head. I’d taken two steps towards her, and was about to seize her grubby hand but just stopped myself in time. I shoved my hands beneath my own armpits, and turned helplessly back to Lizzy, who bit her lip, and I could see her eyes glistening.

‘She’ll be fine, in time,’ she said gently. ‘Don’t worry, Kitty. You did the right thing bringing her here, but it’ll take a while.’

‘I must write to Frank, and tell him the address. He’s promised to send money when he can, but he’s also trying to put aside enough to be able to take her somewhere safe.’

‘Give the letter to me and I’ll post it for you in the morning. I’m going to the village myself.’

I smiled my thanks and turned back to Amy, who was slowly dropping her arms from their protective position, and had looked around, relieved to see Lizzy and I talking amongst ourselves and apparently paying her no further attention. She remained squatting, her spoon still clutched in her hand, and began to dig at the loose layer of soil and small stones, soon absorbed in her game.

‘Look at that,’ Lizzy mused with a smile. ‘Best Creswell silver too.’ I gave a little snort, and Lizzy turned to go back indoors. ‘I’ll keep an eye on Amy from indoors, but give Belinda a shout, would you? She’s supposed to be cleaning off the tools in the barn.’

‘Supposed to be?’

‘She should have finished ages ago, and I’ve seen neither hide nor hair of her all afternoon.’ Lizzy raised her eyes briefly to the sky and tutted, and I smiled, enjoying the familiarity of it all.

‘I’ll send her in.’

Crossing the yard, I turned back to check Amy was still happily engrossed in digging, and my attention was caught by a movement by the fence. Nathan! What in blazes was he still doing here? We’d been longer at Oaklands than we’d planned, and he should have left Devon long ago; no-one’s Blighty leave was this long. I made up my mind to ask Belinda, but as I pushed open the barn door I was distracted and amused by the sight of a guilty Belinda leaping to her feet from the pile of now-cleaned sacks.

‘I’m just… Oh, it’s you.’

‘Yes, it’s me. Lizzy wanted me to call you. Surely not dozing, were you?’

She looked sheepish. ‘I was disturbed in the early hours,’ she reminded me. Then she grinned and came over, flinging her arms around me and dancing me around in a little circle. I couldn’t help laughing. ‘Come on, I’ve got Amy to see to!’

‘Oh, yes! You must tell me all about her,’ she said, letting go of me and picking up her discarded pullover.

‘Bel, why is—’

‘Oh. Wait. Why does Lizzy want me?’ she asked, cutting off my question about Nathan.

I blinked. ‘Uh, I don’t know. She just asked me to call you.’

We emerged into the late afternoon sunshine, and I found my eyes immediately seeking out Amy despite Lizzy’s promise to watch her from the kitchen window; instinct was quick to take hold.

‘Did she say anything about going out?’ Belinda persisted.

‘Out where?’

‘The sawmills.’

‘No, I told you she didn’t say why she wanted you.’

‘I bet she wants me to go,’ she muttered. ‘Why can’t you go?’

‘I’d be happy to,’ I said, ‘if I knew what you were talking about.’

Bel draped her jumper over her face and groaned. ‘She’s always trying to get me to go. It’s because of Seth.’

‘Seth now, is it?’ I said, amused. Then I remembered something, and brightened. ‘Does this mean Frances agreed to that suggestion of his? Bel…have we got a horse now?’

‘You could say that,’ she grunted, still from beneath her pullover. ‘He’s more or less ours whenever we want him, except we haven’t borrowed him yet.
I’m
not going out there again, and Jessie can’t ride. Now we’re to start paying him, and Lizzy’s got such a romantic soul she’s bound to make
me
go.’