The Journey (8 page)

At that moment, Mary returned with the tray. “Here we are!” Setting it on the coffee-table, she handed each of them a mug and pointed to the plate of chocolate slices. “Help yourselves,” she told them.

Over the next half-hour, the conversation centered on Ben and his farming.

“So you’ve found a new way of life, is that it?” Lucy was ever inquisitive.

“It’s certainly a very different world from the one I knew,” Ben answered. “As you said yourself, London is busy and demanding. I used to get up at seven, struggle into the office …” He had expected her to interrupt, and she did.

“What work did you do?”

“I’m an architect by trade.”

Lucy was impressed. “And were you good at it?”

“Yes—or so I’m told.”

“And was it your own business?”

“It was, but I eventually went back to work for the local council in my home town.”

“Mmm.” She glanced at Mary, who was trying desperately to bring that particular conversation to a halt. “So you’re not short of a bob or two then?”

“Mother, please! No more questions, or I’m sure Ben will never want to set foot in this house ever again.”

Lucy addressed Ben. “
Have
you had enough of my questions?”

He gave her a half-smile. “Look, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll tell you all I think you should know, and then there’ll be no more need of questions.”

Lucy agreed. “So, you were saying … you got up at seven and struggled into work.”

“That’s right. Then I worked until eight or nine at night and struggled home again.”

“Hmh! It’s no wonder your marriage broke up.”

“MOTHER!” Mary gave her a warning glance.

Lucy closed her mouth and listened.

Curiously relieved that he was finding it easier to talk about his troubles, Ben went on, “One night I got home and found my wife in bed with my ex-partner, Peter. Apparently they’d been having an affair for almost a year.” He gave a sad little smile. “So, you could be right. Working all those hours probably was the reason for my marriage break-up.”

Lucy couldn’t help but make a comment. “I hope you leathered him good and proper?”

“Oh, I was tempted, but it would have solved nothing. My wife wanted out, and I said yes.” Dropping his gaze to the floor he said in a small voice, “I think the love had long gone, on both sides. By the way, you were right, Lucy. I am worth a bob or two. But that means little when your whole life has been turned upside down. I didn’t want to stay in London, so I packed a few things and set off. I looked far and wide before I found this lovely part of the world, and now I’m settled and content.”

He laughed. “I’m a farmer and proud of it. These days I’m up in the fields checking my sheep at five in the morning, and often fall into bed just before midnight, but I’ve never been happier in my whole life.”

There was a lull, before he asked, “So, Lucy Solomons … I hope that’s told you enough to be going on with?”

His hostess gave a long, contented sigh. “Even
I
am satisfied with that,” she said. “Thank you, lad. It’s been a lovely day today, all due to our having met you. And now, I really must go up the wooden hill to Bedfordshire!”

I
t was striking eleven when Lucy announced she was ready for her bed. As she got out of her chair, Mary handed her the walking-stick and Ben hurried to open the drawing room door for her. “I’ll take you up, Mother,” Mary offered.

“No, you won’t!” Waving her stick at Mary, she ordered, “You stay here with Ben. I’m perfectly capable of taking myself up the stairs to bed without your help.”

Knowing how stubborn her mother could be, Mary did not argue, but walked on with her to the bottom of the stairs. “Leave me be, lass!” Lucy was growing agitated. “Don’t make me out to be a useless old biddy who can’t even climb a few stairs.”

In fact, if truth be told, Lucy was beginning to feel the worse for wear. The wine, and the long evening, and her fall in the churchyard, had all caught up with her. Halfway up the stairs, she suddenly took a dizzy spell; aware that the two of them were watching from the foot of the stairs, she clung onto the bannister and braved it out. “Go on, be off with you!” she complained impatiently. “You’re making me nervous.”

Regaining her composure, she set off again, but when the dizziness returned with a vengeance, it seemed as though the treads were moving beneath her feet and the whole flight of stairs was spinning round. As she felt herself flailing, she could only think of Barney, and them …
and them.

Mary’s voice lifted her senses. “It’s all right, Mother, I’m here.” She had run up the stairs in a trice and caught the fainting woman. For a moment, she staggered; her mother a dead weight in her arms.

Mary was glad to let Ben take over. Sweeping Lucy into his arms, he followed Mary’s directions and took Lucy straight into her bedroom, where he laid her on the bed.

“Please, Ben, run and tell Arthur what’s happened, will you? He lives in the cottage at the side of the house—you can’t miss it.” Mary wondered how she could sound so calm, when her insides were in turmoil.

By this time Lucy was shifting in and out of consciousness.

“Tell him what’s happened,” the girl said. “He’ll know what to do.” Lately, she and Arthur had been so worried about Lucy that they were ready for any event.

Startling them both, Lucy took hold of Mary’s cuff. “No ambulance … no doctor,” she pleaded. “Promise me!” And she was so agitated, Mary could do no other than promise.

In a quiet voice so her mother would not hear, Mary spoke to Ben. “Tell Arthur … no ambulance, but he’s to fetch Dr. Nolan as quick as he can.”

Ben was already across the room. “Don’t worry.” Though from the pallor of Lucy’s skin and the labored breathing, he knew Mary had cause to be anxious.

Although it was midnight now, and the whole village was asleep, Arthur was still up and dressed. On hearing the news, the little man was beside himself with worry. “I knew something like this would happen,” he said as he bolted out of the door. “I could see it coming, but like the stubborn devil she is, she would never admit she was ill.”

Climbing into the big black car, he asked of Ben, “Go back to Mary. Tell her I’ll be as quick as I can.”

He was as good as his word. No sooner had Ben returned to the house where Mary had got Lucy into bed and was now bathing her face with cool water than Arthur came rushing in with the doctor in tow.

Somewhat revived, Lucy was determined to fight him off. “I told you, I don’t need a doctor. GET AWAY FROM ME!”

Dr. Nolan was equally adamant. “You won’t get rid of me so easily this time, Lucy.” Having suffered her temper once or twice before, he had finally learned how to handle her.

Turning to Arthur and Mary, he told them, “She might cooperate more readily if you were to wait downstairs.”

Reluctantly they did as he asked, and as they went they could hear Lucy ordering him out of the house. “Just leave me be! I’m not ill!”

The pair lingered on the stairs. “Sounds like she’s getting her second wind,” Arthur joked, then glanced at Mary, his eyes swimming with tears. “Do you think she’ll be all right?” he asked the dear girl beside him, his voice choked.

The little man had never been afraid of anything, but losing Lucy filled him with terror. For the past twenty years and more, he had seen life through her eyes, laughed with her, cried with her, and through it all, he had loved her from afar.

The ironic thing was, in the same way that he had loved her, Lucy had loved Barney. Yet Arthur consoled himself with the belief that she had a different, special kind of love for him. It was that which kept him close to her, and always would.

“I hope so.” Mary’s thoughts were on a par with his. She felt sick to her stomach. “She’s fought with poor Dr. Nolan before and sent him packing,” she reminded him, crying even as she joked. “But this time, he’s as worried about her as we are.”

Each wondering what the outcome of this night would be, they continued down the stairs in silence.

They were still silent and somber as they came into the drawing room. “How is she?” Ben had not known Lucy long, but already she had won a place in his heart.

“We’ll know soon enough,” Mary said quietly. She lingered at the door, her eyes searching the upper levels.
Dear God, let her be all right,
she prayed.
Don’t take her from me yet.
Somewhere in the back of her mind she had always known there would come a day when she would lose the light of her life. But not yet, dear Lord. Not for many a year to come.

The waiting seemed to go on forever, until at last the doctor walked briskly into the room. “She’s sleeping now,” he told them all. “I’ve given her a sedative.” His long thin face broke into a weary smile. “She’s hard work,” he said, “but I got the better of her in the end.”

“What’s wrong with her?” Mary cared nothing for his smile.

The smile fading, he took a moment to consider his answer. “I can’t be sure … I’d like to take a blood sample and have some tests done in the hospital labs.”

“What sort of tests?”

“Well,” he answered cautiously, “she’s unusually tired, and complaining of breathlessness: this could point to anemia. She seems to have little strength.” The smile crept back again. “Though she did manage to fight me off once or twice.”

Knowing how all three of them were hanging on his every word, he continued in a more serious note, “I’m a little concerned about her heart and blood pressure, but I can’t be sure about anything until we do those tests. For that I’ll need her to come into hospital overnight.”

At the mention of hospital, Arthur turned pale. “But she will be all right, won’t she?”

Careful now he answered, Dr. Nolan momentarily lowered his gaze. Lucy Solomons was a legend in this hamlet; despite her reclusive nature, she had made many friends and as far as he knew, no enemies. She was generous, funny, honest and outspoken, and he understood why these good people should be so concerned. However, at the moment, he could only make a guess at her underlying condition. She was ill, though. There was no denying that.

“Had she not worked herself into a state, I would have admitted her to hospital tonight,” he said. “As it is, and because she’s calmer now, there’ll be nothing lost if we leave her till morning. She needs plenty of rest. Let her sleep, that’s the best medicine for now. I’ll be back first thing.”

“But
will
she be all right?” Like Arthur, Mary was desperately seeking reassurance.

“We can only wait and see.” He chose his words wisely. “I would rather not speculate, though I won’t deny that your mother is ill,” he said kindly. “She’s very weak and, as you saw for yourself, her breathing was labored.”

Before they could question him further, he put up a staying hand. “Once we get her into hospital, we’ll know more.”

As he left, he said, “You may look in on her, of course … I would want you to do that. But she must
not
be disturbed. Rest is the best thing for her just now.”

With the doctor gone, the mood was solemn. Ben felt as though he was intruding, but when he suggested leaving, Mary persuaded him to stay awhile. “I’ll go and check on Mother. Arthur can put the kettle on, if he doesn’t mind?” The little man nodded his agreement and set off for the kitchen. Mary then turned to address Ben. “We can all keep each other company for a while, unless you really want to leave?”

She thought of how he had come here to Knudsden House in good faith, to return her mother’s bag, and had been quizzed relentlessly about his personal life; on top of that he had been made to think he was duty bound to ask her out one evening. Any other man would have been long gone, but she truly hoped he would stay; his presence gave her so much comfort.

“I’ll stay as long as you like.” Ben did not hesitate. “There’s nothing urgent waiting at home.” He had only offered to leave out of consideration, and was delighted that she felt need of him.

“I won’t be long.” While Ben went to join Arthur in the kitchen, Mary ran upstairs and crept into her mother’s bedroom. She gazed down on Lucy’s sleeping face. In the gentle light from the bedside lamp, her mother looked so much younger; her skin was clear and smooth as alabaster, and her lashes lay like spiders’ legs over the slight curve of her cheeks. Her long hair was loose about her shoulders and her wide, pretty mouth was ever so slightly turned up at the corners as in a half-smile.