by Sharon Booth
Beth smiled at her. 'Why don't you nip across and see how he's getting on? I'm sure he'd be glad of the support.'
'Oh, I couldn't. I need to watch the children, and besides, he has Mickey and Adey for support.'
Beth hesitated for a moment before leaning in. 'I think he'd appreciate your support, too.'
'You-you do?'
'Yes. And, anyway, I'm here to keep an eye on the children, aren't I?'
Eden flushed. Beth was so nice. How could she tell her that she didn't feel able to leave Eliot's kids in her care? She didn't want to hurt her feelings, and she had no idea what the problem was between her and Eliot. Unless it was guilt because they really had had an affair, although she found that increasingly difficult to believe. Nothing added up.
Beth sighed. 'You don't want to go against Eliot. I understand that. On the other hand, if you decided to stretch your legs, take George in his buggy, perhaps, and left the girls competing here, and I happened to be sitting watching them in the crowd, well, you've hardly done anything disloyal there, have you?' She winked at Eden, and suddenly it seemed like the best plan ever.
'Thank you, Beth,' Eden said, strapping George back into his buggy. 'You're very kind.'
'And very understanding,' said Beth, folding her arms. 'Don't forget that.'
You know, don't you, thought Eden. You know exactly how Eliot makes me feel. Was it that obvious? Did he know? Why the hell hadn't he done anything about it, then? Unless, of course, he didn't feel the same. Oh, crikey.
She almost changed her mind, but decided she was made of sterner stuff. Besides, she really wanted to see Eliot in his white coat.
Rushing over, she pushed the buggy through the crowds, using it as a weapon to force the more stubborn onlookers to make way for her, and finally came to rest by the rope that fenced off the showing ring.
'Wondered how long it would take thee, lass.' Mickey grinned at her, holding up a hand when she started to make her excuses. 'I'm saying nowt. None of my business. I take it the lasses are all right?'
'Fine. Still competing.' She hesitated a moment then confessed, 'Beth's watching them.'
He nodded. 'Nowt wrong with Beth. Nice lass. Things'll sort themselves aht, reet enough.'
Eden wasn't sure what he meant by that, but she had no inclination to get into the matter at that moment. After all, she'd just caught sight of Eliot standing by Gideon, and she didn't think she could breathe and speak at the same time.
The white coat contrasted sharply with his dark curls and she thought he made all the other competitors look plain and nondescript. If it had been him who was being judged, he'd have walked it, and would have been carrying off the trophy already, but, unfortunately, it wasn't. It was all about Gideon, and Eden found she was gripping Mickey's arm, as the judges walked over to examine Fleetsthorpe's prize tup.
They seemed to take ages, stepping back to look at the poor animal, prising open his mouth to check his teeth, running their hands down his legs and along his back, and even checking his testicles. Probably a good thing it wasn't Eliot being judged, then, thought Eden. Gideon was patient and stood calmly beside Eliot. Evidently, the endless halter training had paid off.
'What do you think?' she whispered.
Mickey sucked in his breath then let it out in a low whistle. 'Buggered if I know. If it were down to me, I'd go for ours, or that Herdwick of Pete Blake's. Good looking tup, that. It will be close, I reckon.'
George clapped his hands. 'Daddy!' he called.
Eden hoped he wouldn't distract Eliot. Not during such a nail-biting moment. 'God, I can't stand this,' she said, as the judges moved off and examined the next ram. 'This is agony. How much longer?'
'Eeh, you're tougher than that, surely.' Mickey frowned. 'Looks like I were reet.'
'What do you mean? Right about what? Oh.'
The judges evidently agreed with the old shepherd's opinion, as they had selected both Gideon and the Herdwick for further examination. Eden didn't know whether to close her eyes or turn her back, as they made both Eliot and Pete Blake walk the sheep up and down in front of them before lining them up again for another quick check.
'Oh, hell's bells. I feel sick.'
'Best get used to this,' said Mickey comfortably.
Eden stared up at him, wondering what he meant and why she would have to get used to it, but at that moment, there was an outbreak of applause. She turned back to see the judges shaking hands with both farmers. 'What happened? What did I miss?'
'How did tha miss it? Bloody hell, lass, we won! Gideon is the Skimmerdale champion!'
'Oh, my God!' Had she screamed that out loud? She had an awful feeling she had, as everyone turned to look at her, but they were all laughing, so she decided it didn't matter, and she hadn't committed some awful sheep showing faux pas.
'Wait here,' said Mickey.
'Can't I come with you?' she pleaded on seeing Eliot moving Gideon out of the ring toward the pens.
'Best not. It will be barmy back there, and there's the whole disinfectant thing, and with that buggy ... Lad'll be out reet enough. I'll feed and watter them all and send him out to thee. Wait over there.' He nodded toward the secretary's tent. 'That's where he'll have to go for the cup and all the other stuff later on.'
'What other stuff?'
Mickey beamed at her. 'Gideon won best aged ram, as well as champion Swaledale. There'll be a trophy, a sash, and a rosette, as well as prize money. Then there's all the rosettes and prize money the lamb, the gimmer and the shearling won.'
'Crikey. How much did they win?'
Mickey stroked his chin thoughtfully. 'All told, about a hundred and sixty quid.' He obviously saw the disappointment in her face and laughed. 'It's not the prize money on the day that counts, lass, it's what comes after. With all this to advertise, they'll fetch a grand price at the sales. This has been a good day for Fleetsthorpe. A bloody grand day.'
As he hurried off, Eden turned the buggy and began the difficult job of manoeuvring the contraption, with a wildly bouncing George, through the crowds. Finally, she reached the edge of the hordes of people, who seemed intent on standing there forever, discussing the judges' decision and the merits and faults of the various sheep. She pushed the buggy, with some hardship, over the rough grass and eventually made it to the secretary's tent, where she leaned on the handles and took a deep breath.
She was wondering how Libby and Ophelia were getting on, and thinking that, really, she ought to be getting back to them, when she caught sight of Eliot walking towards the tent. He looked up, and as his gaze landed on her, his face broke into a wide smile.
Forgetting everything else, she ran towards him and threw her arms round his neck.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her off her feet, spinning her round and laughing. 'He did it!' he cried.
'He did! You did!'
She kissed him on the cheek, and he held her for a moment, until they heard George yelling for his father.
Immediately, Eliot placed her back on the ground, where she put her arms by her sides, blushing furiously. 'We did it, Georgie,' he said, rushing over to the buggy and planting a kiss on the little boy's head. 'What do you think of that, then?'
'Want biscuit,' said George.
'Well, that's brought me back down to earth,' said Eliot, laughing. 'How are the lasses doing?'
'Still competing, I think. Are you coming to watch them?'
'You bet I am.'
'Eliot!'
They both turned at the call, and Eden tried to hide her frustration on seeing Daisy approaching them. The poor woman looked tired and drained. She deserved compassion, not impatience.
'Daisy. We were just going to watch the girls,' Eliot said. 'They're in the gymkhana.'
'Can I have a word with you? In private.'
Eliot glanced at Eden. 'Well, I —'
'Please. It's important.'
Eden took the handles of the buggy. 'It's okay. Catch us up when you can.'
He nodded. 'I won't be long,' he murmured.
Eden pushed George back towards the gymkhana ring. Whatever Daisy wanted, it sounded important. She felt disgusted with herself for wishing that the woman would leave Eliot alone. Maybe she was turning into Honey, after all. Well, that would soon be at an end. It was almost September. The time she had left in Skimmerdale could suddenly be counted in days, not weeks. Her time with Eliot was almost over.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Eliot studied Daisy's face and felt his heart go out to her. She was pale, with dark shadows under her eyes, and she'd obviously been crying. She'd been through hell, and where had he been? After everything she'd done for him, he'd left her to it. He was disgusted with himself.
'What can I do for you, Daisy?' he said gently. 'Is it the farm? Are you wondering what to do with it? Do you need help?'
'It's not the farm.' She rubbed her face, and he saw there were tears in her eyes. 'I don't give a damn about the place. I'm not staying there a moment longer. No doubt Tom will want to sell it as soon as possible, but that's between him and the old man. I don't much care, to be honest.'
'Your father's still of sound mind. Tom wouldn't force him to sell it, and no one can turf you out of there, if you've nowhere else to go.'
'I'll find somewhere. I'm working and I'm not completely incompetent, you know.'
'Of course you're not!' He ran a hand through his hair, wondering what she wanted from him. He didn't know what to say.
'I saw you,' she said suddenly. Her voice was choked with emotion, and the tears spilled onto her cheeks.
'Saw me? What do you mean?'
'You and her. Running towards each other like you were in some soppy film. Saw you pick her up, and I knew.'
His face burned, but he shrugged. 'Knew what? We were just happy that Gideon won the championship cup.'
'Bollocks.' She almost spat the word at him. 'You know what's happening, don't you? You're doing it again. Falling for the same old crap as last time. What the hell is wrong with you?'
'That's enough, Daisy,' he said. He didn't want to hear all this. Not today, at least. Let him have one day without worrying, without thinking.
'It's not enough! Don't you get it? Why can't you see?' She began openly sobbing, and he looked round nervously, not wanting their conversation to be overheard.
'Daisy, please don't.' Tentatively, he put his arm round her, but before he knew what was happening, she had thrown herself at him and locked her lips on his. He didn't want to hurt her, but he couldn't do this. He pulled away, shocked.
She grabbed his arm. 'I can make you happy,' she told him. 'Please, Eliot. You know it's always been you, don't you? There's never been anyone else for me.'
'I —' He didn't know how to respond. The awful thing was, he knew it was true. She'd never shown the slightest interest in any other man. If only he could feel the same about her, but he couldn't. He was even more certain of that fact now.
'I won't have Dad to worry about anymore. I can devote myself to you and the bairns. I can look after you, keep your house for you, make sure you're all fed and safe. I'd love to do that. It's all I've ever wanted.'
He knew that, too. He'd known it ever since Jemima died. She'd been waiting to step into her shoes, and it would have been easy to say yes, to make sure he never had to worry about his children again. Yet, he hadn't been able to do it. He didn't love Daisy. He would never love Daisy.
'I'm sorry,' he murmured. 'I'm so sorry.'
'She's just another Jemima!' There was panic in Daisy's eyes, her voice increasingly shrill. 'You're making exactly the same mistake. Falling for another rich woman, who won't be happy when the money runs out and she realises that she's stuck on a sheep farm, with no fancy shops or posh parties to go to. You'll go through the same pain again. She'll break your heart, like that bitch did. I warned you then, and I was right. Listen to me, please.'
'All right, that's enough,' he said, his voice harsh. 'I'm sorry, Daisy, but that's it. I don't want to hear any more.'
'Of course you don't, because you know I'm right, and it scares the shit out of you. You're on the road to heartbreak, yet again, and you won't admit it. You think you love her? You thought you loved Jemima and look how that turned out!'
'I've never said I love her,' he said, trying to stay calm. 'Nothing's happened between me and Honey, I swear it.'
She wiped her tears and sniffed, looking at him with desperation in her eyes. 'But you want it to, don't you?'
He didn't answer her. He didn't know how to. What did he want, anyway?
She gave a bitter laugh. 'Can't deny it, can you? You're a fool, Eliot Harland. She'll make your life hell. Well, good luck with it, 'cos you're going to bloody well need it.'
She turned away.
'I'm sorry, Daisy,' he said quietly, his eyes wet with tears. 'I wish I could tell you what you want to hear.'
'But you can't.' She drew herself up, refusing to turn back to him. 'We're done, Eliot. You've made your choice. And God help you.'
****
Eden gave Eliot an anxious smile as he edged his way along the bench and sat beside her. 'Everything okay?'
He nodded. 'All sorted. How are they doing?'
'Just about to start the last race. You're just in time.'
She wasn't fooled, despite his assurance. She could see that, whatever Daisy had wanted to talk to him about, it had shaken him. He looked tense. She felt sorry for Daisy, of course she did, but she wished he could have had one day to enjoy the glory of success, without having to deal with anything negative for a change. Hadn't he been through enough?
The Gretna Green race began, and beside her, Eliot made a visible effort to relax as Libby galloped wildly down the field, while Ophelia hopped impatiently at the far end, waving her arms and shrieking at her sister to hurry up. Her heart soared when he laughed with the rest of the crowd at the chaos that ensued, as several children tried to scramble up on their ponies behind their partners. The poor animals stood patiently as the kids tried desperately to heave themselves up, while the children who were already mounted screamed at them to get a move on and stop being so pathetic. She felt a ripple of delight when she realised that Eliot couldn't wipe the proud smile off his face when Ophelia landed in the saddle behind her sister. The girls had obviously practised hard and had figured out a system. Ophelia used Libby's foot as a stirrup and sprang up that way, keeping a tight hold on Libby's shirt. Libby just about managed to stay seated, and then the two of them were off, streaking away down the field, with another two ponies a short distance behind them and the others still stranded at the far end.
'Go on, go on,' she heard him muttering, then he jumped to his feet and cheered when they passed the finishing line in first place.
'What a day,' said Eden, laughing.
'You're not wrong there,' he said, reaching out to tickle George's chin.
'Biscuit?' asked George, hopefully.
'Time for home,' said Eliot, with some relief.
It was ages, however, before they were ready to leave. The sheep couldn't be moved until the show finished, so they had to hang around. Mickey drove Flora home and offered to take the girls with him, but they refused point blank to leave without their father, and Eden said she would stay, too, so Mickey headed back, leaving Adey to help Eliot with the sheep when the time came.
The girls were thrilled with a yellow rosette and a red rosette, which, they assured their father and Eden, was just the start of a flourishing equine career.
'What about you?' said Eliot suddenly. 'How did the cakes go?'
'Crikey, I forgot all about them!' She had, too. 'I'd better go and find out.'
'Bet Mrs Edwards won,' said Ophelia confidently. 'You can't fight the system.'
'Why is it, whenever that child speaks, I hear Mickey's voice coming out?' demanded Eliot. 'Have a little faith.'
In the event, however, Ophelia was right. The infamous Mrs Edwards had claimed first prize for her Victoria sponge, as she appa
rently did every year. However, Eden's own effort had come third, and her carrot cake had come second in that class, so she was delighted.
'You were robbed,' said Libby. 'No one could beat your cake.'
'Told you it was a fix,' said Ophelia.
'Someone gag that child before we're all arrested,' said Eliot, before dashing across to the secretary's tent to collect his winnings.
By the time the show was closing, they were all exhausted. Loading the boot with the trophy, the sash, the rosettes, and all the other assorted items they'd brought with them, including George's buggy, seemed to take forever. George was fast asleep in his car seat by the time Eliot and Adey had loaded the sheep into the trailer and got clearance to leave. Adey shook Eliot's hand and waved goodbye to Eden and the children. His father had come to collect him, so he wouldn't be travelling with them. The girls were yawning when the car finally pulled out of the showground, and they began the journey home.
Home, thought Eden, who'd grown increasingly melancholy as the show began to wind down. This event had been a marker in her time at Fleetsthorpe. Now it was over, time would fly by. She would be back in the Cotswolds before she knew it.
The car trundled slowly along the roads. The children were all asleep within minutes, and Eliot was obviously concentrating on the road ahead, his hands tight on the steering wheel, a frown on his face. Eden looked out of the window, watching with a lump in her throat as they passed through the countryside. She had never seen a more beautiful landscape. It filled her with wonder and joy, and she suddenly couldn't imagine ever wanting to be anywhere else.
As they began winding their way down Mikkel Rigg, she bolted up. 'Can we pull over here? Just for a moment?'
Eliot glanced at her. 'Why? Are you all right?'
'I'm fine, but —' She sighed. 'I want to take it in. This view, I mean. Just for a moment, while the children are all asleep. Please?'
