Twisted Strands (6 page)

‘What?’ Eveleen was startled.

‘Oh yes,’ Mary waved her hands airily. ‘That’s her answer to everything when she can’t get her own way. She’d get a good hiding and told to be grateful she
has a home if I had my way, but Josh is too soft with her. And as for Andrew when he comes, well, he treats her as if the sun shines out of her.’ Then, suddenly, Mary smiled and she put her
arm through Richard’s and walked with him towards the house. ‘But never mind that wilful little tyke. I’ve a batch of scones just out of the oven spread with jam and fresh
cream.’

Richard glanced back over his shoulder and pulled a comical face of resignation. Eveleen nodded, but stayed where she was. As soon as they were out of earshot, she turned to Josh. ‘Now,
tell me. What has been going on?’

Josh ran his hand worriedly over his balding pate. His closed his eyes for a second, sighed and shook his head. ‘Oh, Evie, I’m out of me depth, mi duck. They just seem to be clashing
all the time. It’s becoming a battle of wills.’

Eveleen put her hand through his arm and together they walked into the field and down towards the beck.

‘I was like that at her age. Mam and me had some right old battles, I can tell you, with my poor dad in the middle of it all and Jimmy smirking on the sidelines and fuelling the fires
whenever he could.’

‘Aye. You were always a good lass and loyal to your brother, but he wasn’t always the same to you, was he?’

‘No,’ Eveleen replied shortly and then deliberately brought the conversation back to Bridie, her immediate concern. She didn’t want to think about Jimmy just now. ‘Has
something caused this bother between Mam and Bridie?’

Josh shook his head helplessly. ‘Not that I know of, but then I’m not around them all the time. I don’t know everything that passes between them, but I can feel
something’s not right.’

‘Mm, so can I and I’ve only been here a few minutes.’

‘She ran off the other day and hid in the woods. It wasn’t until I went down to the Mortons and asked young Micky if he knew where she might be that she was found.’

‘And you don’t know why she did that?’

‘It seemed to start from last Sunday when Andrew visited. They were talking about Flawford. Yer mam and Andrew, I mean. Mary asked after her own mother and Bridie got very indignant. It
seems she hadn’t realized that she had a great-grandmother still alive.’

‘Ah,’ Eveleen said, understanding at once. There was a pause and then she prompted, ‘Was that all it was?’

Josh frowned. ‘I think so and yet I can’t see why that was enough to make her run off the next day, even if she was upset at not being told. Can you?’

They had reached the bank of the stream and stood watching the clear water babbling over rocks and boulders. They were silent for a few minutes, each thinking their own thoughts, then Eveleen
said slowly, ‘It’s maybe only because she’s growing up. She’s almost thirteen and I can well remember thinking that because I was a working girl and earning a wage, I was a
grown-up.’ She sighed. ‘It’s a difficult age and Mam never was very good at understanding. Especially girls,’ she added wryly.

‘Your mother’s a wonderful woman,’ Josh declared stoutly.

‘I know.’ Eveleen squeezed his arm. ‘And you make her so very happy. Nevertheless there’s a “but” in there, isn’t there, Josh?’

The big man sighed, but could not deny her words. ‘I think Bridie could have overheard us talking.’ He bit his lip, hesitant to be disloyal to his wife, yet Eveleen ought to know.
‘Maybe she got the idea Mary has had her here on sufferance. But . . .’ he added swiftly, leaping to Mary’s defence, ‘she didn’t mean it that way. I know she
didn’t. Mary loves the child. We both do.’

Eveleen patted his hand. ‘I know you do. I’m sure it’s all a storm in a teacup. Bridie can be a bit wilful, I expect. Come on, let’s go back and have some of those
delicious scones of Mam’s.’

Later Eveleen and Richard took Bridie for the promised jaunt in the new motor car, but above the noise of the engine talk was impossible and besides, Eveleen comforted herself,
the child seemed happy enough now.

As they chugged along the lane, Bridie bounced up and down excitedly in the back seat, waving regally to anyone they passed and squealing with laughter when they passed an open-mouthed Micky
Morton.

‘Go up the hill, Uncle Richard. Past Fairfield House.’

Richard, with a brief glance at Eveleen, turned the motor to the left and up the lane towards where Fairfield House, the home of the Dunsmores, stood on the left-hand side.

Years ago all the land around had belonged to the Dunsmore estate. Eveleen’s grandfather, Ben Hardcastle had worked for the Dunsmores and had lived in the tied dwelling of Pear Tree Farm.
Walter, Ben’s son and Eveleen’s father, had worked for the estate all his life, yet only days after his death the family had been turned out of their home and had been obliged to find
refuge with Mary’s estranged family in Flawford.

It had been an unhappy time for the Hardcastle family. Eveleen, young and in love with Stephen Duns-more and believing that he returned her love, was bitterly hurt by the young man’s
callous rejection of her and her family. It had been years before Richard’s tender devotion had driven away the demons that haunted her because of it.

But Bridie knew none of this. Pear Tree Farm and the few acres surrounding it now belonged to Josh and Mary Carpenter. The young girl, innocent of the hurts of the past, had no cause to think
any worse of the Dunsmore family than that they were the ‘posh folks who lived at the big house’. All she knew was that her friend, Micky, and all the Morton family worked on the
estate, their homes owned and their lives ruled by Stephen Dunsmore.

And so she was oblivious to Richard’s anxious glances towards his wife, of Eveleen’s hands, resting in her lap, clenching involuntarily. All Bridie wanted was to ride past the big,
wrought-iron gates and show off Uncle Richard’s fancy new motor car.

Richard took the car up the steep hill beneath the overhanging branches of Bernby Covert. At the top of the hill, he turned the car and they hurtled down again, Bridie shouting with delight. The
tension left Eveleen’s face and she clutched at her hat and laughed aloud too. But as they approached the gate to Fairfield House again, a horse cantered out, the rider unprepared for a
horseless carriage rocketing down the hill towards him. Richard operated the brakes. The car slithered and shook and the horse whinnied and reared and then leapt over the hedge into the field
opposite the driveway and galloped away, terrified by the noisy monstrosity. Halfway across the field, the rider was unseated and fell heavily to the ground where he lay motionless.

The car came to a shuddering halt and Richard cut the engine. At once Bridie was climbing out of the back seat. ‘That was Mr Stephen. He might be hurt.’

‘Bridie—’ Eveleen began, but at once Richard put his hand on hers. Quietly he said, ‘We must see if the fellow’s hurt, my darling. But Bridie and I will go. You
stay here.’

Already Bridie was running to the gate into the field a little further down the lane. Richard followed her, his long legs loping easily over the ground. Eveleen remained motionless in the car,
her heart pounding, afraid to even look across the field towards where Stephen Dunsmore lay.

When Richard reached the prone figure, Bridie was already squatting beside him. ‘Mr Stephen. It’s me, Bridie. Are you hurt? Shall we fetch help from the
house?’

To Richard’s immense relief the man on the ground groaned loudly, rolled over and sat up slowly. He felt his head and then carefully all over his body. Richard stood watching. He had not
even spoken to the man, leaving Bridie to play nursemaid.

‘Can you stand up, Mr Stephen? Lean on me.’

The man looked up at Richard. ‘What the hell do you think you were doing driving that monstrosity about the countryside like a maniac?’

‘I’m sorry,’ Richard said curtly, ‘but you came out of that entrance without looking.’

‘I don’t expect to have to look on my own property.’

‘I believe the lane is a public highway,’ Richard said evenly.

Now the man was scrambling to his feet, hanging so heavily on Bridie’s outstretched hand that he almost pulled the girl over. ‘Is it, by God? We’ll see about that.’

Once Stephen was on his feet, Bridie retrieved his riding hat and whip, lying a few feet away on the ground, and silently handed them to him.

Stephen, his fair hair blowing in the wind, took it and glanced at her. His blue eyes sparked and his face was red with anger. ‘Thanks,’ he said curtly. ‘Oh, it’s you.
The Carpenters’ little bastard granddaughter, eh?’ His lip curled and he turned towards Richard, staring at him. ‘And I see who you are now.’ His glance went beyond the two
of them towards the motor standing in the lane.

He smiled maliciously. ‘And the lovely Mrs Stokes, no less.’ He pulled on his riding hat and slapped his whip against his leg. ‘Well now, perhaps we’ll say no more about
it if you’ll allow me to greet your delightful wife, whom I remember so
very
well.’

Puzzled, Bridie glanced between the two men. For a brief moment she thought Richard was going to punch Stephen in the face. She saw that his hands were clenched and he seemed to be having
difficulty in keeping them firmly by his side.

‘I don’t think that would be a very good idea,’ he said tightly. ‘I’m relieved you’re not hurt and I apologize that I was the cause of your horse being
startled. But now we’ll bid you good day.’

‘Not so fast,’ Stephen said through thin lips and he strode away towards Eveleen.

‘Damnation take the fellow!’ Richard muttered and hurried after him, Bridie running alongside to keep up.

As they reached the motor, Bridie saw Stephen doff his hat, bow in an exaggerated manner and say with heavy sarcasm, ‘Well, well, well. Mrs Stokes. And how
are
you, my
dear?’

Bridie glanced towards her aunt. Eveleen’s cheeks were flaming, but her eyes were so cold and hard that Bridie gasped aloud. Eveleen’s mouth was tight and she stared straight ahead,
not even glancing at the man standing beside the vehicle. When she spoke, the tone of her voice matched her expression. ‘I’m extremely well, thank you, Stephen.’

Richard lifted Bridie into the back seat and then moved to the front of the motor to swing the starting handle. As the engine burst into life and Richard climbed into the driving seat, Stephen
moved back a pace and raised his hat once again, sarcasm in every movement.

As they drove home, no-one spoke, but even at her young age, Bridie could feel the tension between the two adults in the front seats.

‘I’m just glad he wasn’t injured,’ Richard said. ‘Or we might have been facing a lawsuit.’

Eveleen gave a very unladylike derisive snort and muttered, ‘Knowing him of old, you still might be.’

‘Oh, darling, please don’t let him upset you. Not now.’ They were standing alone together in the yard back at Pear Tree Farm. Richard put his arms around her. ‘It’s
all a long time ago and . . .’

Eveleen was stiff, unyielding in his embrace. ‘Richard, he . . .’ Then suddenly the tension went out of her and she sagged against him. ‘Oh, I suppose you’re
right.’ She looked up at him and then, standing on tiptoe, kissed his cheek. ‘What would I do without you?’ she whispered.

Watching the tender scene from the scullery window, Bridie felt very envious and, suddenly, so very lonely.

‘Where has the dratted child got to?’ Mary was angry.

‘Maybe she’s gone to round up the cows for evening milking,’ Josh said calmly.

‘And when did she ever do anything useful of her own accord?’ his wife snapped back.

Eveleen and Richard were ready to leave, but Bridie was missing. No-one had seen her since their return to the farm after their drive.

‘She’ll be hiding in the woods again. Well, she can stay there all night as far as I’m concerned.’

‘Oh, Mam,’ Eveleen said at once. ‘You can’t do that. It might be April, but the nights are still cold.’

‘Your mam’s only threatening,’ Josh said. ‘She wouldn’t really want that.’

‘Wouldn’t I?’ Mary muttered morosely.

Josh looked helplessly at Eveleen and Richard for a moment. A look that said: See what I mean?

‘Do you want us to stay and help look for her?’ Richard asked.

‘No, no,’ Josh tried to smile. ‘We’ll find her. If she doesn’t turn up soon, I’ll get young Micky to look for her.’ His smile broadened. ‘He seems
to know all her hiding places.’

‘It’s ages since I saw the Morton family,’ Eveleen said. ‘We really must come and spend a day here and visit them. Anyway, we must get back now.’ She kissed her
mother and Josh and then the four of them went out into the yard. Mary and Josh stood watching as Richard started the car and, with everyone waving, drove out of the yard and up the rough cart
track towards the lane.

Above the noise, he shouted, ‘I don’t like leaving whilst Bridie’s missing. I hope she’s all right.’

Eveleen tucked her arm through his. ‘Josh will find her,’ she said confidently and then, changing the subject, she smiled winningly at him. ‘Now, before we reach the main
Nottingham road, are you going to let me have a little drive?’

Richard gave an exaggerated sigh as if he were the epitome of a henpecked husband. ‘Oh, very well then. I just hope the local bobby doesn’t catch us. You’re supposed to have a
licence.’

He brought the vehicle to a halt and they changed seats. He gave clear and detailed instructions, yet the motor car still spluttered and bucked under Eveleen’s efforts. But worse still,
she could not immediately get the hang of steering and the vehicle veered wildly first to the right and then to the left, criss-crossing the narrow lane and bouncing over the deep, muddy ruts on
the grass verge. Then they felt the vehicle begin to slide sideways into a shallow ditch. The motor car came to rest at a lurching angle, its nearside wheels firmly embedded in the water.

Richard hung onto the side to prevent himself being flung from the vehicle, whilst Eveleen could not help letting out a cry of alarm.