A Second Chance (30 page)

Amy went on inside, and Frank led David away
from the house. He was quite certain they were being watched from
the kitchen; he chose to disappoint their audience by making sure
they were shielded from view by one of the sheds before he
halted.

He could not fault the shortness of David’s
hair. It had left the boy looking younger than ever, staring at
Frank with large, anxious eyes. ‘Well?’ Frank demanded. ‘What have
you got to say for yourself?’

He saw David frowning in concentration,
clearly going through words in his head. Frank suspected he had
been practising this speech with his mother.

‘I want to ask your permission,’ David said
carefully, ‘to marry Beth.’ He paused, waiting for a response; when
none came, he ploughed on. ‘I know I haven’t got as much money as
you, and my place isn’t very flash. But I want to look after Beth,
and I think I can. I’ll try my hardest to.’ When there was still no
reply, he added, ‘And there’s the baby. It’d be better if we were
married when the baby comes.’

David had clearly exhausted his arguments.
He stood and waited for Frank to speak.

‘I only want what’s best for her,’ Frank
said at last. ‘I want her to be happy. That’s why I’ve been trying
to figure out what’s the right thing to do. It seems to me there
isn’t a right thing any more, not with what you’ve done. So I’ve
got to pick the best choice of what’s left to me.’ He paused,
putting his thoughts in some kind of order. ‘Beth thinks she wants
to marry you. Maybe that’s the best choice. I don’t know. But what
with the baby and all, it doesn’t seem like I’ve got a lot of
options.’ He shook his head in defeat. ‘I’ll let you have a go at
making her happy. It’s beyond me.’

David took hold of Frank’s hand and pumped
it vigorously. ‘Thank you, Uncle Frank! I will, I’ll really look
after her.’

Frank let his hand be shaken briefly, then
retrieved it and pointed a warning finger at David. ‘I’ll tell you
this right from the start, boy—if you ever raise a hand to Beth,
I’ll fetch her straight back home, husband or no husband. And
you’ll never get near her again.’

David looked completely bewildered. Frank
saw realisation gradually dawn. ‘You think I’d hit Beth? I’d never
do that! I’d never want to hurt her.’ His expression grew wounded.
‘It’s because of Pa, isn’t it? Pa used to knock Ma around, so you
think I’d do the same to Beth.’

‘I didn’t say that,’ Frank said, fully aware
it was exactly what he had been thinking. ‘I just want my daughter
properly looked after. I’d say the same to anyone who came asking
for her.’

David looked away. ‘I bet you didn’t say
that to Richard,’ he said in a low voice.

Frank found himself unable to answer. They
walked back to the house in an uncomfortable silence.

*

Beth had joined Lizzie, Maisie and Amy in
the kitchen when Frank walked in followed by David. Her eyes went
straight to David’s, clearly trying to guess what had happened from
what she read there, but it was Frank who spoke first.

‘Well, I’ve said yes.’

He was promptly rewarded when Beth rushed at
him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her face
against his chest. ‘Thank you, Pa.’ She raised her face to show
eyes bright with happiness and unshed tears. Lizzie beamed at him,
and Amy smiled her gratitude as she slipped her arm through
David’s. For a brief few moments, Frank basked in the warmth of
their approval.

‘We’d better get on with sorting out this
wedding, then,’ said Lizzie. ‘We’ll have to see how soon we can
have it.’ She glanced at David, and at the sight of his serious
expression her smile slipped. ‘Cheer up, Dave!’ she said, stabbing
at his arm with her finger to punctuate her remark. ‘Anyone would
think we were planning your funeral, not your wedding!’

‘Sorry,’ David muttered.

‘How about you two go out on the verandah
for a bit while we decide what needs doing?’ Lizzie said. ‘Now
you’re properly engaged and all, you’ll want to see more of each
other.’

Beth and David went readily enough, leaving
Amy and Lizzie to talk of licences and banns and such matters,
while Frank sat and listened. They had only been gone a few minutes
when the back door opened and Rosie and Kate erupted into the room,
eager to talk about their day at school and demanding cuddles from
anyone who looked likely to sit still for a few minutes.

Lizzie let them prattle away while they had
their milk and biscuits, then she shooed them from the room. ‘Get
changed out of your school clothes, then you’ve got jobs to do.
There’s the parlour to dust—and you’ve got piano practice, Rosie.
Aunt Lily’s coming down tomorrow.’

Rosie pulled a face. ‘Where’s Beth?’ she
asked, obviously trying to put off both work and piano
practice.

‘Out on the verandah with Dave. They’re
having a talk. And don’t you go—Rosie!’ Lizzie called after the
retreating child.

‘I just want to say hello to Dave,’ Rosie
called back.

Frank was not surprised when Beth and David
came back into the kitchen a few moments later; Rosie’s noisy
presence must have quickly put a stop to any tender moments. David
still looked serious, and was as reluctant to meet Frank’s gaze as
Frank was his.

But Beth looked straight at her father. The
fear and unhappiness he had become used to seeing in her face had
gone, replaced by stern reproach. It was clear that David had
reported Frank’s words to her, with their implied slur against
David’s character, and equally clear Beth did not approve of what
her father had said. Frank had never seen Beth look so much like
her mother.

It was no use for Lizzie and Amy to attempt
to carry on a serious conversation with Rosie and Kate running out
to the kitchen whenever they could think of an excuse. Amy rose to
leave soon after David had come back into the room. There was an
awkward moment when David seemed about to offer to shake hands with
Frank, then pulled back.

Amy kissed Beth goodbye, and Beth turned to
David. She paused for a moment, then stood on tiptoe, pulled his
face down to hers and kissed him on the lips.

‘Beth!’ Lizzie said, visibly shocked. ‘You
don’t go doing that in front of everyone! You can just keep that
sort of thing for when you’re in private.’

‘I just wanted to say goodbye to my fiancé,’
Beth said, unabashed, though David was blushing and Amy was trying
in vain to hide a smile.

Rosie and Kate, who had managed to be in the
kitchen in time to witness the kiss, were staring wide-eyed at Beth
when the door closed behind Amy and David. ‘Well, you two, we’ve
got a bit of news,’ Lizzie told the little girls. ‘We’re going to
have a wedding. Beth and Dave are getting married, and you can be
bridesmaids again.’

‘Can I have a new dress?’ Rosie asked
promptly.

‘No, you can’t,’ said Lizzie. ‘We’ll use the
ones from Maudie’s wedding, and we’ll cut Beth’s down for you. Kate
can have your old one, and Maisie can wear the same dress she did
last time.’

If they were going to start on about
dresses, Frank thought, it was time to make himself scarce. He
remembered all too well the months leading up to Maudie’s wedding,
when the house had seemed full of pink satin and tempers had been
strained. He glanced over at Lizzie, and saw her eyes light up as a
thought struck her.

‘You can wear my old wedding dress,’ she
told Beth.

Frank recalled Maudie’s response to the same
suggestion. Before Beth had a chance to answer, he spoke.

‘She can have a new dress for it—she can
have all the same stuff Maudie had. I won’t have anyone saying I
did more for Maudie than I will for Beth.’

‘Frank, that’s all very well,’ said Lizzie.
‘But we won’t have as much time as we had for Maudie’s. We can’t be
sending away to Auckland and all that.’

‘It’s all right, Ma,’ Beth said. ‘I’d rather
wear your dress than have a new one. It’s like you’re saying you’re
happy that I’m going to marry Dave.’

‘Of course I’m happy about it. There’s no
reason I wouldn’t be.’ Lizzie and Beth both turned to Frank and
gave him a look that spoke volumes.

My darling Sarah
, Amy wrote.
At
last I have some proper news I can tell you. There’s to be a
wedding! Dave and Beth are getting married. It’s all been quite a
surprise to everyone, but with the two of them spending so much
time together while I was staying with you, they got to thinking
they’d like to be married. That’s why Davie wrote wanting me to
come home, because there was so much to be done in a hurry
.
They wanted to get married straight away once it was
decided.

It’s only going to be a very small wedding,
because they’re neither of them ones for a big fuss. Just family
and special friends, so of course you’re invited. I’ll understand
if you can’t come, I know you’ve a lot on with your business and
everything. But I thought I’d write as soon as it was settled,
because I knew you’d want to know about everything that’s
happened.

As much of what had happened as Amy felt
able to put in a letter, at any rate. She tucked the invitation,
written in Lizzie’s most careful handwriting, into the envelope
with her letter, ready to be sent off when she next went into
town.

Sarah’s reply came the following week, and
included a note addressed to David. David opened it with a certain
amount of trepidation when Amy passed it to him.

‘I suppose she’s telling me off.’

‘I shouldn’t think so,’ Amy said, smiling at
his expression. ‘What does she say?’ she prompted when she had
given him a few moments to read the note.

‘ “
Dear
Dave,”
 
’ he read aloud, ‘
 
“Marriage seems a rather extreme step to have
taken in order to get Amy away from me.” See? I told you she’d tell
me off.’

‘She’s just teasing, Davie.’

‘Maybe,’ David said, clearly unconvinced. He
looked back at the letter. ‘
 
“But I
wish you every happiness, and congratulate you on your excellent
choice of bride. I’m sorry that I won’t be able to attend your
wedding.”
 
’

Another piece of paper was tucked into
Sarah’s note; Amy watched as David unfolded it. He stared at it in
puzzlement, then his eyes widened. ‘She’s sent me some money. Ma,
she’s sent me fifty pounds!’

‘Fifty pounds!’ Amy echoed. ‘That’s nice,
isn’t it? That’ll be a real help to you.’

David held the cheque out in front of him,
looking as if he were afraid it might bite at his fingers. ‘I don’t
know if I can take this. I mean, I don’t really know her that well,
and it’s a heck of a lot of money. It doesn’t seem right to take it
off her.’

Amy studied his anxious face. David, she
knew, could have little idea of the life Sarah led in Auckland, or
the funds she had at her disposal. ‘I think you should. I think
Sarah would be quite hurt if you sent it back.’

‘But fifty pounds? I wouldn’t want her to go
short from giving it to me.’

‘I know it’s a lot to you and me, but it’s
different for Sarah. Honestly it is, Davie. If you’d seen her house
and everything you’d know.’

‘Why’s she sent me that much? It’s not as if
she’s family or anything.’

How much simpler it would have been if she
could tell him the truth. And how much more complicated. ‘Sarah’s a
good friend, and she’s been very good to me. She wants to do
something nice for you—she likes you really, you know.’ She placed
a hand on David’s arm. ‘You’d be able to buy some nice things for
Beth with the money.’

‘I suppose I would,’ David said
thoughtfully, and Amy could see that the matter was settled.

*

Susannah had not been enthusiastic when
Thomas had first suggested they get a house cow. It was only after
he had assured her that he would take entire responsibility for
looking after the animal that she had reluctantly agreed. Frank had
given him a Jersey who was past her most productive years, a steady
old matron who had adapted to her new home with every appearance of
contentment. Thomas had fenced off part of their long backyard, and
had built Blossom a byre.

The twice-daily milkings were the happiest
part of Thomas’s day. For a brief few minutes he would crouch on a
stool in the shelter of the byre, leaning his head against
Blossom’s warm flank; his nostrils full of the scent of cow, his
hands working at the task he had been familiar with almost since he
could walk, hearing the swish of milk into the bucket and Blossom
chewing her cud. If he closed his eyes, he could imagine himself
back on the farm; could almost believe that he might open them to
see his father smiling over at him.

And then if it were morning he would go
inside and put on a suit, and a shirt with a stiff, uncomfortable
collar, and prepare himself for another day spent within the brick
walls of the bank; or if it were evening, he would go in for his
dinner, and hope to find his mother in one of her easier moods.

September had brought mild days, but a chill
came with the evenings. Thomas was relieved to enter the kitchen
and feel the warmth of the stove. When his mother had dished up
their meal and taken her seat, Thomas noticed an open envelope
beside her plate, a sheet of pink notepaper jutting from it.

‘Who’s that from?’ he asked idly.

‘Your Aunt Constance. She says our mother’s
ill. Constance doesn’t expect her to recover.’ She said it without
any great show of concern, but Thomas knew she was sometimes
inclined to pretend an indifference she did not feel. On another
occasion, she might appear far more agitated than she actually was.
Reading his mother’s moods was never a simple matter, for all the
care he took over it.

‘Are you going up to see her?’ Thomas
asked.