The Fleethaven Trilogy (120 page)

Always, when she asked about Esther’s early life, about
the Elands or even made tentative remarks about the
identity of her own father, her grandmother flew into a
temper and, as she grew older, Ella ceased to question. But
she never stopped wondering.

As the years flew by, one merging into the next, the
days filled with school work, homework and work on the
farm, Ella at thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, still felt as if Esther
treated her like a child; a child who must be protected and
guarded and kept in ignorance.

One day, I’ll find out what all the mystery is, Ella
promised herself, just as one day I’ll go back to Lincoln.
One day, I’ll go back home.

LINCOLNSHIRE, 1958

When the O level results came out in the August of 1958,
Rob had not achieved the grades he needed to get into the
farm institute.

‘I’ll have to do retakes,’ he told Ella dolefully. ‘It means
staying on at school another whole year.’

‘Poor old Bumpkin!’ Ella teased him. ‘Never mind, it’ll
soon go.’

‘It’s all right for you, Townie!’ he grumbled. ‘You’re a
clever-clogs.’

‘You’ll just have to work harder, that’s all. Not so much
“gallivanting”, as my gran calls it, eh?’

He smiled ruefully. ‘That’s what me dad ses.’

At sixteen, Rob was several inches taller than Ella,
having shot up in the last year so that Rosie despaired of
him – for ever growing out of his clothes. ‘I reckon he
keeps standing in the muck heap,’ Danny would tease, ‘to
mek hissen grow.’ Already his son was half a head taller
than Danny, but almost as broad-shouldered and strong.

‘Eh, but he’ll brek a few hearts,’ Rosie would say fondly,
her eyes following her son lovingly. Behind her back,
Danny and his mother, Grandma Beth Eland, would
exchange a look, but not a word was ever spoken.

‘Are they very disappointed?’ Ella asked him now.

He shrugged. ‘Don’t seem to be. I think Mum’s quite
relieved really that her little boy isn’t leaving home yet.’

Despite what Rob said, the autumn term in the fifth year at the grammar school was hard work for Ella.
O levels now loomed for her, too, the following June, and
decisions would have to be made about her future. Should
she leave school the next summer or stay on to do A levels
and maybe go on to university?

‘University? Huh!’ Her grandmother would sniff each
time the subject was raised. ‘What good’s a fancy education
for a girl? Won’t help you milk the cows and harvest the
corn, will it?’

‘But Aunty Lilian went. You didn’t stop her,’ Ella would
argue, standing toe to toe with her grandmother. At almost
sixteen, she was now slightly taller than Esther. Still
boyishly slim, Ella had changed little in appearance in the
five and a half years she had lived at Brumbys’ Farm,
except to grow taller. Her short hair curled tightly and her
skin, tanned to a smooth light brown from helping on the
farm, was devoid of the make-up with which her schoolmates
experimented. Only the birthmark marred her
complexion.

‘Aye, an’ look what’s happened,’ her grandmother
would fling back. ‘Dun’t want to know us now, does she?’
Her grandmother, too, was little changed: still slim and
lithe, a few more grey hairs and another line or two on her
face which, she assured Ella, were put there by all the
worry the girl caused her.

To her grandmother’s bitterness about Lilian, even Ella
had no reply for the fact was that Esther’s younger
daughter was a shadowy, distant figure, who had virtually
cut herself off from her family.

Ella would sigh and shake her head. ‘I don’t think you
can blame her going to university for that, Gran.’ But her
grandmother would carry on muttering dark threats about
‘folks getting above theirsens and despising their
upbringing’.

It was fortunate for Ella that she was a tough, healthy
child, for with the extra homework in preparation for
examinations and yet still expected to help on the farm, by
the end of the term, even she felt exhausted.

A glowing school report at the end of the autumn term
emboldened Ella to ask once more, ‘Can I go to Lincoln to
see Aunty Peg? After we break up from school?’

She still longed to be in the city again, especially just
before Christmas to see all the shops decorated, hear carols
sung and get caught up in the excitement of it all. So many
of her childhood memories were becoming hazy, she was
afraid she would lose them altogether.

‘Ya see Peggy when she comes here,’ Esther argued.

‘Let her go for a night or so, Esther,’ Jonathan said,
winking across at Ella from behind his newspaper. ‘Peg
would love to see her.’

‘But Peg’s at work all day. I dun’t like her wandering
the streets on her own . . .’

‘Gran, I’m almost sixteen . . .’ She paused and then her
blue eyes sparkled. ‘How about if I ask Janice to come
too? She’d love a trip to the city. I think she’d be able to
get time off work. They’re not very busy this time of
year.’

Janice had left school the previous summer to work in a
café in Lynthorpe.

Esther looked from one to another. ‘Oh, I see, ganging
up on me, are ya?’

Jonathan smiled gently. ‘Come on, love. Let the lass
have a bit of fun.’

Esther’s glance was going from one to the other as if
she were considering. Slowly, she said, ‘All right, then. Ya
can go, but there’s one condition.’

Ella’s eyes widened in delighted surprise. ‘What?’

Then, suddenly, Esther smiled. ‘Bring me a present. I dun’t often get a present from the big city.’ She put her
head on one side, considering, and said slowly, ‘D’ya
know, never in me whole life have I spent a penny on
something that wasn’t useful or – or sensible.’

Ella gasped. ‘Of course I will.’ Leaping up from the
supper table, she flung her arms around her grandmother’s
neck. ‘Oh, thank you, Gran, thank you.’

Esther wriggled under Ella’s embrace and murmured,
‘There’s no need for all that,’ but when Ella drew back she
saw that the older woman’s face was pink and she was still
smiling.

‘I’ll write to Peg tonight and ask if it’s all right for you
and Janice to go,’ her grandpa volunteered. ‘You could
stay two nights.’

On the morning of their trip as she waited in the yard
for Janice, Jonathan pressed some money into her hand.
‘Get something nice for your gran, something really pretty
and frivolous.’

Ella grinned up at him. ‘If she chunters at it being a
waste of good money, I’ll blame you.’

‘She’ll love it, I promise you. She deserves to be spoilt
for once.’ He chuckled. ‘But I’m sure she wouldn’t want us
to make a habit of it.’

She tucked the notes safely in her purse with her own
spending money as the Souters’ car swung in at the gate,
Janice’s excited face peering out of the passenger window.
‘Come on, Ella, we’ll miss that bus.’

‘’Bye Grandpa. See you Thursday night.’ Ella ran to
climb into the back of Mr Souter’s old car, wrinkling her
nose at the inevitable smell of chickens and sitting on the
edge of the seat to avoid the feathers.

‘Hang on to ya hats,’ Dick Souter called wheezily from
behind the wheel. ‘’Cos I’ll tek ya round corners on two
wheels.’

‘Oh, Dad,’ laughed Janice. ‘This car couldn’t possibly
go fast enough!’ But the next minute the two girls found
themselves rolling from side to side and hanging on for
dear life as Dick Souter, foot pressed to the floor, rocketed
them into town to catch the bus.

The journey took two and a quarter hours, but Janice,
excited at her first trip to a city, never stopped talking, and
Ella was quiet with her own thoughts; every mile was
taking her nearer and nearer Lincoln.

After all this time – six long years – she was going
home.

They got off the bus in Broadgate and walked along
Clasketgate into the High Street and to the large department
store where Peggy Godfrey worked.

‘Oh, look.’ Janice gripped her arm. ‘Look at all the –
the . . .’ her bright eyes flicked from side to side, fearful of
missing something ‘. . .
things
. Oh, isn’t it wonderful?’ She
walked through the departments, touching leather handbags
and gloves, leaning over the glass counters displaying
jewellery, holding her nose in the air and breathing deeply
near the perfume counter and staring in amazement at the
range of make-up, lipsticks, eye shadows. ‘Oh, look, do
look, Ella. I must buy some of this – and this – and oh,
look,
blue
mascara.’

They walked up the plush carpeted stairs to the ladies’
lingerie where Peggy was now the head of the department.

‘Ella!’

Tall and slim, in a navy costume, Peggy seemed to
change little through the years: perhaps there were more
grey strands in her hair, maybe there were a few more lines
on her face, but other than that she looked just the same
as Ella always thought of her. She came towards them now with outstretched arms. ‘My dear, I think you’ve grown
again since I saw you in the summer. You’re as tall as me
now.’

Peggy bent forward and kissed Ella’s cheek. ‘And this is
Janice?’ She held out her slim, well-manicured hand. ‘I’m
pleased to meet you, Janice.’

‘Hello, Miss Godfrey.’ But the girl’s eyes were darting
everywhere, wide with wonder at the models dressed in
flowing satin nightwear and frilly underwear.

Peggy smiled and asked, ‘Now, what do you want to
do? Do you want the house key to go home, or do you
want to leave your overnight cases with me and stay in the
town for a while?’

Before Ella could reply, Janice said, ‘Ooh, stay in town,
Ella, do let’s,’ and Ella nodded ready agreement.

Peggy laughed. ‘Now you’ve got here at last, you’re not
going to waste a moment, I can see. I tell you what. You
have a look round and I’ll meet you both at the High
Bridge café at one o’clock for lunch. I only get an hour so
you go in and get a table. It’ll be packed today with all the
last-minute shoppers.’

Ella nodded and handed over the small suitcase that
had once been her mother’s and Janice’s canvas bag into
Peggy’s safekeeping. ‘All right. See you later.’

The city was in festive mood: every shop window was
decorated with Christmas trees and festooned with paper
chains, red, silver and gold. On a corner near the Stonebow,
the Salvation Army band played carols and as they
stepped out of the double doors of the department store,
they were lost in the bustle of the crowded pavements.

Janice clutched Ella’s arm again; it was becoming rapidly
bruised with all the girl’s excitement. She was staring
at a model in one of the huge plate glass windows of the
store and watching a window dresser at work.

‘Isn’t that just the most wonderful dress you’ve ever
seen, Ella?’ Janice gasped.

It was a royal blue A-line dress that curved over the
model’s breast and into her slim waist and then out over
flounced petticoats. They stood gazing at it for a long time
and then Ella pulled her mesmerized friend away. ‘It’ll be
far too dear for the likes of us. Come on.’

‘No, no, look at the ticket. I’ve brought all me savings
to spend. If I . . .’ She licked her lips in anticipation. ‘If I
don’t spend so much on presents, I could get it. I’m sure I
could.’

Ella shrugged. ‘You do what ya like. It’s your money,’
she said, trying to stop the resentment creeping into her
voice as she thought of the meagre few pounds she had to
spend on presents for everyone she wanted to buy for;
precious little would be left for herself.

Then, giving herself a mental ticking off for such selfish
thoughts, Ella grinned, linked her arm through her friend’s
and laughingly dragged her away from the window. ‘Come
on, then, let’s do all your other shopping and see what
you’ve got left.’

With a lingering last glance at the dress, Janice allowed
herself to be led away.

They walked on up the hill and came to a large
bookshop. Inside they joined those browsing and Ella ran
her eyes along the shelves.

‘I ain’t never seen so many books in one place,’ Janice
said, gaping round, ‘’Cept in a library.’ There was a
bookshop in Lynthorpe but it was about a quarter of the
size of this one.

Rob was top of Ella’s list for presents, but she couldn’t
think what to get him. What did boys of sixteen aiming to
go to farming college want? she thought wryly. A book on
pig-killing, perhaps!

She came to the section devoted to books for men and
ran her eyes along the pictures and titles. There was a book
on traction engines which had been built in this very city
over the years, with pictures and details. ‘That’s perfect for
Grandpa,’ she murmured and picked it up, remembering
how he had told her that before coming to Brumbys’ Farm
he had worked in a factory building such engines. He
would love it. Next to it was the ideal gift for Rob; a book
about motorbikes. It even gave instructions on how to strip
down the engine. He was crazy about them, always talking
about the day when he would own one.

About as much chance as Janice buying that dress! Ella
thought with amusement, but she bought the book for him
all the same.

Then she chose a diary for Uncle Danny but could find
nothing she thought suitable in this shop for anyone else.
Still, that was three presents bought. She glanced around
for Janice to see her friend picking up a magazine on
beauty tips.

‘Have you bought any presents?’

‘Eh?’ The girl looked at her in surprise. ‘What? Oh no.
Plenty of time for that. I can always get them in Lynthorpe.’

Ella gave a click of exasperation. ‘But that’s why we’ve
come here, isn’t it? Christmas shopping? For other people?’
she added pointedly.

Janice grinned sheepishly. ‘Maybe. Maybe not. Aw,
come on, El, I’ve never been let loose in a place like this
before. I’ll just get something nice for Rob, I’m not
bothered about anyone else.’