by Anna Jacobs
When she went back and looked out again, she could see a car and two men, but she couldn’t make out many details because her eyes weren’t used to the darkness. One man was standing next to the car; the other was walking towards the cottage. He raised his hand to knock on the back door and she still couldn’t see clearly enough to be sure it was Mr Perry, so didn’t open the door. If he was knocking, he was coming openly. That was surely a good sign?
As if he’d read her mind, he went to stand in front of the kitchen window and tap on the glass to attract her attention. Then at last she could be sure who it was.
‘It’s him,’ Christopher said. ‘He’s come for us like he said he would.’
‘Yes. But stay where you are.’ She opened the door and Mr Perry slipped inside, his eyes searching her face.
‘Are you all right, Mrs Seaton?’
‘Yes. I’m glad you could come or I’d not have known what to do.’
‘I promised I’d help you. I always try to keep my word.’
‘Yes. Of course. Have you … managed to arrange something?’
‘I have. I telephoned Mrs Latimer and she’s happy for you and the children to go to Honeyfield House. She thinks it’s a good idea to have a sensible woman overseeing the cleaning and renovations, and will pay you a small weekly wage, plus board and lodgings for all three of you.’
Kathleen pressed one hand against her mouth to hold in a cry of relief. ‘Oh, thank heaven for that! I won’t let you down, I promise. Or her.’
‘I’m sure you won’t. Now, let’s see how much we can fit into the car. We should be able to get you three and quite a few bags and bundles into the back section. This is Barty, by the way. He’s a very good driver.’
She and the children got in and Mr Perry handed in all the bags she’d packed, then studied it and whispered, ‘We can fit more in if you don’t mind having things on your laps and round your feet. But you’ll have to be quick getting them.’
She was already edging out of the car. ‘I don’t care how we sit, how uncomfortable we are, but these are going to be all our worldly possessions. Children, I’m just going to get more of our things. You wait here and stay quiet!’
‘Don’t worry. I’ll keep an eye on them,’ Barty said.
Her heart was aching for their white anxious faces, which showed clearly now that her eyes were more used to the dim light.
Mr Perry followed her inside and she said, ‘Bedding.’ So they took the lamp upstairs and he helped her fold all her bedding.
‘Can I fit any more clothes in if I bundle them in sheets?’
‘Yes, of course.’
‘That’ll be a godsend.’
In the kitchen he paused. ‘Crockery is bulky and breaks too easily, but you could take your cutlery and metal things like pans.’
‘The pans are such an awkward shape …’
‘They can sit on the floor in the front by my feet. What else?’
It was an extravagance, but it’d lift her spirits once they were settled. ‘A few of my books?’
‘Of course. And grab any small items that can be crammed in, tea towels, tablecloths, whatever. I’ll take the bedding out while you’re doing that. We shouldn’t stay much longer, though.’
He returned to help her carry out the rest and she looked round, mentally saying farewell to her home. When she slid back into the corner of the rear car seat, she was surrounded by bundles and had a shopping bag of cutlery wrapped in kitchen linen on her knee.
Mr Perry dumped everything else in around her feet anyhow and asked, ‘All right?’ When she nodded, he turned to get into the front of the car.
Barty said in a low voice, ‘I think someone’s watching us, Mr Perry. I’m sure I saw movement in this back lane. Can you see anything?’
Kathleen heard this and her heart started thumping in apprehension. ‘Where?’
‘Three houses along.’
‘That’ll be Rhoda, my friend and neighbour,’ Kathleen whispered. ‘She watches everything that goes on in the street. She’s upset about us leaving.’
‘I think it’s more than that,’ Barty said. ‘There’s someone at the far end of the lane as well. But there’s only one way to find out for sure, set off and see if we’re followed.’
‘They’d have to have a car to do that. We’d hear it surely?’
‘Once we start our engine, we won’t be able to hear theirs. They won’t dare drive too close behind us because their headlamps would show, but they’ll be able to follow our headlamps because we’ll probably be the only people out in the country lanes at this time of night. I’ll stop later on and we can switch our headlamps off and watch out for them.’
‘Good thinking, Barty. Swing that cranking handle and let’s go.’
Kathleen was relieved when the engine started first time. She looked at the jumble of possessions around them and grimaced. Everything had been immaculate inside the car until they piled themselves and their things into it. She hoped Barty didn’t mind the mess too much.
She felt something wet drop on the back of her hand, then more moisture, but didn’t try to wipe away the tears because she didn’t want anyone to realise she was weeping, especially the children.
The tears soon stopped. She never allowed herself to cry for long because there were children relying on her and she couldn’t afford to give way to her troubles. She had somewhere to go tonight and someone to take her there, which was more than she’d expected. And possibly a job. She should be grateful for that. She was grateful. Very.
But still … she’d miss her home, her friends, her life in Monks Barton, miss them dreadfully, especially Rhoda.
Better not think of all she was losing. She’d had a little cry. That was enough weakness. She must look towards the future now.
She peered out of the car window but since it was a cloudy night with only a sliver of moon dipping in and out of the clouds, she couldn’t see much.
Beside her, Elizabeth sighed and leant her head sideways on a lumpy bundle, settling into sleep in an awkward position. Not long afterwards, Christopher gave way too, leaning on his sister’s back, one arm flung across her.
Nathan looked behind through the window between the front and back seats. Mrs Seaton was a brave woman, not weeping or complaining, just getting on with tearing her life apart.
He was glad Barty had had canvas sides made for the front so that the worst of the weather was kept off them, but he still found it a bit chilly, and though it was summer, could have done with gloves. Barty had made alterations to the window of the back compartment so that one half slid open across the other and the driver could talk to the people in the back. An enterprising man, Barty.
Mrs Seaton was still sitting bolt upright, wide awake, so Nathan slid the window open a little. ‘Why don’t you see if you can follow your children’s example and catch a nap?’
‘I don’t think I could sleep. I was wondering where we were going.’
‘To Honeyfield House, which is in a village of the same name on the borders of Gloucestershire and Wiltshire. I’ll tell you more about your new situation when we get there.’
‘It’s a lovely name for a house.’
‘It’s a lovely house, with a meadow of wild flowers in front of it instead of a lawn because no one’s been mowing it. That encourages the bees, I suppose. People around there are known for keeping bees to help pollinate their orchards and, of course, that gives them plenty of honey. I saw a lot of bees collecting nectar from the lawn of flowers when I went there.’
He waited and since she didn’t ask any more questions, he repeated, ‘See if you can sleep.’
He slid the window shut but glanced round a couple of times and saw her eyes close and stay closed, her whole body sag, in spite of her protests that she couldn’t sleep.
‘She’s a brave woman,’ he said to Barty.
‘Yes. Must be hard for her to leave her home and friends, and so suddenly too. They seem a nice pair of children. Quiet, though.’
‘It’s a good thing they are, given the circumstances.’
‘Mr Perry?’
‘Yes.’
‘While there’s just you and me to hear this: I’m certain now that whoever was watching the house from the end of the lane is following us. I’ve caught sight of flashes of light in the distance when we’ve made turns at the top of slopes. The only thing that could be at this hour is their headlamps. And of course they can see ours.’
‘Oh, hell.’
‘If it’s all right with you, I’m going to pull off into a carters’ stopping place behind some trees about half a mile from here. I’ll turn off our headlamps now and after we stop, I’ll turn off the engine, too. Then we’ll wait to see if anyone comes past.’
After they’d stopped, Nathan turned to check the three in the back and saw Kathleen jerk awake. He slid the window open. ‘We’ve stopped behind these trees because Barty thinks someone may be following us.’
‘Oh, no!’ She glanced at the children but they hadn’t stirred.
Barty got out of the car and went to stand behind a tree closer to the road to get a better view.
They could all hear it now, the sound of a motor car travelling along the road they’d just left. Gradually its lights came into view but the vehicle passed them without stopping.
Barty leant into the front of the car to tell them what he’d seen. ‘Four men inside it, I think. I suppose it could be a coincidence that they seem to be following us. They could be nothing to do with Godfrey Seaton, but I doubt it. No one goes for joyrides at this hour of the night. I’m going to take a detour down a side road. If they’re looking for us, we can’t fight off four of them, but I bet I know more about the country roads round here than they do. I’ll get us away, count on it.’
‘They can’t have any idea of where we’re going, Mrs Seaton,’ Nathan told her reassuringly. ‘Once we get away from them, you should be safe.’
‘But if they saw the number plate, they’ll be able to trace you,’ she said. ‘I was reading about it in the newspaper a few weeks ago. With only two letters and four numbers, those plates are easy enough to remember and then anyone can find out who the owner of the vehicle is. The person writing the article was very indignant about that, said it was an intrusion on a person’s privacy.’
Barty let out a snort of amusement. ‘Don’t worry, Mrs Seaton. I mixed up some mud and covered the number plates with it before we set off tonight.’
‘What a clever idea!’
He looked up at the clear sky sprinkled with stars. ‘Looks lovely, doesn’t it? People are hoping the good weather is going to continue, but the crops and gardens need rain. Anyway that’s neither here nor there at the moment. Trust me. I’ll get you and your children there safely. I’m going to keep the headlamps turned off, though. I can see well enough if I drive slowly. The moon is up, even though it’s only a quarter full.’
She nodded, but he hadn’t waited for her response. He crank-started the engine and got back into the car, driving out from behind the trees on to the main road again. A couple of hundred yards down the road he turned to the left. ‘This is a roundabout way to Malmesbury and I know how to skirt the town. I’ll light the headlamps again when we’re nearly at Honeyfield because it’s up a narrow, twisty old lane and I don’t want to land us in the ditch.’
When they stopped again at a slight rise, Barty climbed up a bank of earth and scanned the horizon in every direction. ‘There’s no sign of car headlamps anywhere and I couldn’t hear anything either. They could have stopped to see if they can spot our lights, but there’s nothing to see now. I think we’re safe.’
Nathan turned to smile at her. ‘There you are, Mrs Seaton.’ He could see the worry still etched on her face so changed the subject. ‘Your children are sound sleepers.’
Her face softened into a fond smile. ‘Yes. Once they get to sleep it takes a lot to wake them up. It’s better if they don’t know about us being pursued, though. Elizabeth is a worrier.’
They seemed to travel for a long time. Barty stopped twice more, but he couldn’t hear anything moving or see the lights of any other vehicles. Even the houses they passed were dark and silent.
Mr Perry told her softly at one of the halts, ‘I doubt anyone will be awake to notice us passing through.’
‘The only people out at this time will be poachers.’ Barty chuckled. ‘And they won’t want to admit where they’ve been.’
They skirted Malmesbury, once again using country lanes, and only then did Barty stop to light the headlamps. Sure enough a short time later their light showed a sign with the village’s name on it and Kathleen leant forward, trying to see as much as she could of what might be her new home.
‘That’s Honeyfield village ahead,’ Mr Perry said, ‘but we turn off to the right before we get into it. Honeyfield House is down a narrow lane and it’s the only house there, so it’s very private.’
‘Good.’
The lane had high hedges and was rather uneven, so she could see why they needed the headlamps here. The children woke up as the car jolted in and out of ruts and branches swished and clicked against the roof and windows.
‘What’s happening?’ Christopher asked, sounding anxious.
‘We’re nearly there. Shh.’
The house was a dark mass at the end of a short drive and there were no lights showing.
They drove round the back and Barty switched off the engine.
Kathleen let out a long sigh of relief. They’d got here.
‘I think I should go into the house first and wake Sal,’ Mr Perry said. ‘Would you mind waiting in the car with Barty for a few minutes? If she heard the engine, she’ll be worrying about who’s arrived in the middle of the night. We haven’t had a telephone put in here yet, so I had no way of warning her we were coming – but she’ll recognise my voice.’
He took out a key and went into the house. She heard him call out, ‘It’s only me, Sal! Nathan Perry. I’ve brought a lady and her children who need a place to stay. Mrs Latimer knows about it.’
He lit a gas lamp in the kitchen and it shone out brightly across the darkness outside. It seemed like a beacon of hope to Kathleen. She had a sudden warm feeling as if being made welcome. How strange!
Barty got out and turned off the headlamps.
A voice was speaking to Mr Perry from inside the house and he was answering, but Kathleen couldn’t hear what they were saying now that he had left the kitchen and presumably gone up the stairs towards the bedrooms.
When he reappeared in the kitchen doorway a couple of minutes later, there was a woman behind him, a very large woman who looked to be older than Kathleen, with a grey shawl round her shoulders and a mass of iron-grey hair streaming down her back.
His voice was louder than needed as he said, ‘Sal, this is Mrs Wareham, who needs a place to stay. Someone has tried to hurt her and her children.’
Kathleen realised she should have thought up a new name for herself. She turned to wake Elizabeth, but the jolting had woken them both up. She needed to warn them about the name change. ‘We’re here now. Wait until someone opens the car door and helps you out. And I forgot to tell you that we’ll have to change our name. Mr Perry has just said I’m Mrs Wareham, so that will be our new surname.’
‘And can we call ourselves Kit and Lizzie?’ Christopher asked at once.
‘If you like.’
Elizabeth was still struggling through the mists of sleep.
‘I never thought about having to change our names,’ Christopher said. ‘It’d have been more fun to choose a new surname ourselves.’
‘Never mind that now. Just remember you’re Kit Wareham. Now, we don’t want our possessions falling all over the muddy ground so get out of the car carefully.’ She wriggled out of her own seat, catching one of her bundles as it began to slide out after her.
She turned to help Elizabeth, who was yawning and still only half-awake, and found Mr Perry beside her.
‘I can carry her, if you like.’
‘Thank you. She’s not fully awake yet and she’s a bit big for me these days.’
‘I’m afraid there’s nothing ready for you here, but I’ll help you make up some beds and you can sleep for as long as you like tomorrow.’
‘It doesn’t matter about things being ready,’ she said. ‘We’ve escaped from that man and there’s a roof over our heads. Those are the main things we needed. I can’t thank you enough for helping us.’
‘Come and sit in the kitchen, while Barty and I unload your things. Sal, where can we put all their bundles? We had to leave in a hurry so just threw as many of their possessions as we could into the car.’
‘Put them in here, Mr Perry.’ She opened a door and showed them a small dusty room with only a table and wooden chairs in it. She noticed Kathleen shivering and added, ‘It’s a good thing I always leave the fire banked up. I can get it burning quickly and warm you up. Tell me if you hear crying. My baby’s upstairs.’
‘Sal just had a baby, a little girl,’ Mr Perry said with a smile.
Elizabeth brightened up at once. ‘Oh, I love babies. How old is she?’
‘Two days.’
‘Two days! You shouldn’t be looking after us, then, you should be resting.’ Kathleen exclaimed.
Sal laughed. ‘I’ve no time to lie around and I feel fine. I always recover quickly. I’ve had to. Who else will do the housework when you’re married to a farm labourer who’s out in the fields all day? He’s dead now or I’d not be in this mess.’
As Kathleen started to get up, Mr Perry put a hand on her shoulder and pushed her gently back on the chair. ‘You need to rest. Sal’s got me to help her. What do we do first, Sal? You’re in charge.’
She grinned at that and began giving orders. She was a quick worker and soon had a fire burning brightly in the kitchen range and a pot of tea ready. ‘I’m sorry I haven’t got anything to offer you to eat.’
‘I’ve brought some bits and pieces of food. There’s a loaf here and a jar of jam somewhere.’ Kathleen made sure the children ate something but didn’t feel hungry herself. After that she kept her hands round her cup, finding the warmth comforting.
