by Joan Jonker
Charlotte put her hand on her friend’s arm. ‘Are you going out tonight, Poppy?’
‘No, I hadn’t planned to.’
‘Then why don’t you come with me and Andrew?’ Charlotte was delighted Poppy had no plans, for if she had they would spoil her own cunning plot. ‘Come out with us to celebrate your achievement. We’re only going for a drive and a drink, but we’d like you to come, wouldn’t we, Andrew?’
Poppy didn’t wait for Andrew to answer. ‘That’s very kind of you, but I won’t come. I don’t have the right clothes to go to the places you two probably go to, and I’d feel uncomfortable.’
Andrew turned in his seat. ‘Poppy Meadows, I never thought you were a snob! You do surprise and disappoint me.’
‘I’m not a snob!’ Poppy told him. ‘I’m just being truthful! And I’d rather be truthful than feel out of place.’
‘Poppy’ Charlotte said, ‘we’re only going to a pub for a drink, and neither Andrew nor myself will be changing out of the clothes we’re wearing now.’
Poppy felt stupid. She’d really had the wind taken out of her sails. ‘You two are going to a pub for a drink? You’re pulling my leg.’
‘Actually it’s an inn,’ Andrew said, ‘but most people would call it a pub. Charlotte and I went for a run in the country one night, and we came across this place. It looked like a picture postcard, so we went inside out of curiosity. And we fell in love with the place. It’s hundreds of years old, stone floor, log fire, lantern in the window, and the only customers were farmers just in from the fields. They were drinking jugs of ale, and they made us very welcome. The landlord told us the history of the inn, and it’s unbelievable. There are no mod cons, and they don’t sell fancy drinks, but we loved it. So much so, we took our father, and like us, he loved it. It’s just as it was hundreds of years ago, so if you do come, don’t expect comfortable chairs, or posh glasses, because you’ll be disappointed.’
‘It sounds wonderful,’ Poppy said. ‘And do you really not have to dress up?’
You’d be out of place if you did. The farmers come in straight from the fields, smelling of earth and animals. But they make us welcome, and are happy to see us.’
‘I go one day through the week,’ Charlotte said, ‘to buy fresh chickens and eggs that my father has ordered for our kitchen. And the order is appreciated, because farmers don’t earn much money.’
You’ve talked me into it,’ Poppy said. ‘It sounds wonderful, and just the right way to end a perfect day. But how do I get there?’
Andrew’s heart was beating fast, and although his sister had lied about them going out that evening, for they’d never even discussed it, he could have kissed her. ‘It’s half past five now, so shall we make it half seven? We’ll meet you here if that suits you?’
‘That gives me plenty of time to tell my mam and David my good news, have my tea and make myself look presentable. But I warn you, Andrew, if I see anyone in this place tonight wearing a tiara, I’ll never speak to you again.’ With that Poppy scrambled out of the car, blew a kiss and ran the few yards to her front door, leaving behind a very happy man, and his cunning, but loveable, sister.
‘You’re just in time, sweetheart. I’ve made a cup of tea for meself and there’s enough in the pot for you.’ Eva reached for a cup hanging from a shelf in the kitchen. ‘You’re a little early tonight, aren’t you?’
‘A bit, that’s all. Is David in yet?’ Poppy didn’t want to tell her news twice; she wanted to see the reaction on both faces at the same time. ‘Actually, I got a lift home, Mam. That’s why I’m early. Charlotte’s brother drove me.’
‘Ooh, ye’re coming up in the world, sweetheart, I hope all the neighbours saw you.’
‘I shouldn’t think so, Mam. He just stopped the car at the top of the road and I jumped out.’ She heard a key in the lock and said, ‘Here’s David, so I’ll put a drop of water in the kettle and he can have a cuppa with us.’
‘It’s not worth it, sweetheart. I’ll have the dinner ready soon.’
‘No, I’ll make a full pot of tea, Mam. Leave the dinner for now, I’ve got something to tell you. And I talk better with a cup of tea in front of me.’
David poked his head in. ‘I’m with you, sis. I could murder a cup of decent tea. And while you’re making it, tell us what the something is you have to tell us.’
Eva was setting the cups and saucers on the small table in the kitchen. ‘Yer sister came home in a car tonight, David, right to the top of the street. She’ll be the talk of the neighbourhood.’
David raised his brows. ‘Who was the knight in shining amour?’
‘Just carry the cups through, David, and once we’re settled I’m going to give you and Mam a shock.’
‘Oh, not a shock, sweetheart,’ Eva said, pulling out a chair with one hand, while trying not to spill the tea in her other. ‘A pleasant surprise I’d like, but not a shock.’
They were all seated when Poppy said, ‘Well what I have to tell you is a bit of both. So make yourselves comfortable, and I’ll begin at the beginning.’
Poppy was halfway through her tale, and there’d been various exclamations from her mother and brother, when there was a knock on the front door. ‘Oh, no, who the heck is that.’ David scraped his chair back and made for the door. ‘I’ll get rid of whoever it is.’
‘Oh, no, you won’t get rid of whoever it is,’ Marg said, pushing David out of the way. ‘First Poppy gets out of a posh car at the top of the street, and has all the curtains twitching. Then we hear screams and shouts coming through the wall. So I’ve come to see what’s going on.’
Eva couldn’t contain her pride and pleasure. ‘Our Poppy’s got herself a new job, Marg. She’s a private secretary now, earning good money.’
‘Ooh, er,’ Marg said. ‘Was that her new boss what brought her home in a posh car?’
Poppy got in before her mother could answer. ‘They were two friends who drove me home, Charlotte and Andrew. Your Sarah knows them. And so the neighbours will have more to talk about, they’re picking me up in the same place at half seven. They’re taking me for a drink to celebrate my good fortune.’
‘Oh, I’m delighted for yer, queen, and yer deserve it. I won’t stay, seeing as you’ll need yer dinner making if ye’re going out later. But before I go, just out of motherly concern, what’s this bloke like that our Sarah keeps talking about? She calls him Jim, and she seems smitten. Is he a good bloke?’
‘Marg, he’s lovely. I’m very fond of Jim. You certainly don’t need to worry about Sarah where he’s concerned.’
‘That’s good enough for me, queen. And I’m delighted for yer, I really am. Enjoy yer night out. Ta-ra.’ Marg went out as quickly as she came in.
‘I’ll see to the dinner while you get yerself ready, sweetheart. It’s good of your friends to take you for a drink to celebrate.’
‘I don’t think they’d mind if you came along, David,’ Poppy said. ‘Unless you’ve got something else to do?’
‘I won’t come tonight, sis,’ David told her. He’d known for a while that Charlotte had high hopes for her brother and Poppy. And he’d seen for himself the longing in Andrew’s eyes when he looked at his sister. So he wasn’t going to hinder the flow to true love. ‘I’ve promised to go for a game of cards.’
‘I’ll hog the bathroom for half an hour then, save me rushing at the last minute.’ Poppy got to the bottom of the stairs, remembered something and backtracked. ‘Oh, I got my week in hand, plus my wages, so I can pay you the money back now.’
David reached for a cushion off the couch and threw it at her. ‘It’s very bad manners to return a present. An insult, in fact.’
‘I wouldn’t insult you or Mam for the world. But I will treat you when I’ve saved a few pound. The Meadows family is spreading out. Tomorrow, when my feet are back on the ground, we’ll decide whether our first buy will be a television or having a telephone installed. So give it some thought before then. Right now it’s me for the bathroo
m, then our dinner, and then out to celebrate.’
‘Do you want to sit in the front, Poppy,’ Charlotte asked, ‘or in the back with me?’
‘So there’s no sign of favouritism, I’ll sit in the front going, and the back on the way home. Sitting in a car is a novelty to me, and I’ll see more sitting in the front.’ This cheered Andrew and his sister, and the drive to the country inn was a pleasant one. It certainly was for Poppy, who couldn’t take in the many events of the day. There was too much happening at once. But she’d go over it all when she was snuggled up in bed later.
Andrew came to a stop outside the inn, and turned to Poppy to see her reaction. ‘Well, Poppy, what do you think?’
She grabbed hold of his arm without thinking. ‘Oh, it’s like a picture of a magic house, the kind you see in fairy tale books.’
‘Wait until you see inside.’ He helped her out of the car, then opened the back door for Charlotte. ‘I don’t know how the landlord keeps it going. They don’t get enough customers to make it pay.’
‘It’s been in his family for generations, he told me,’ Charlotte said.’I had a good talk to him when I came to pick up the chickens and eggs last Wednesday. He can remember his grandfather, who lived to be ninety, and then his dad took over. And he’s got a son of fourteen, who will take over when he retires.’
‘Come on, let’s go in,’ Andrew said. ‘I’m sure Poppy will find it very interesting.’ And he wasn’t disappointed when he saw the expression on her wonderful face. ‘It is just like a fairy tale,’ she said softly. ‘Like the ones I remember from the books my mam used to read to me when I was a little girl.’
Then the silence was broken when the farmers and landlord welcomed them with smiles and raised tankards. Andrew ordered sherry for Poppy and Charlotte, beer for the farmers and landlord, and just half a pint for himself, because he’d be driving home in the dark and he wasn’t used to the strong ale.
Poppy was glad she’d agreed to come, for it was so relaxing, with the log fire, the lanterns and the happy, friendly farmers. And hearing of the history of the inn, she was very impressed. But what struck her most of all was the ease with which Andrew and Charlotte mixed with the farmers, drank from glasses that seemed as old as the inn itself, and sat on seats that were worn with age. Andrew was like a different person from the one she thought she knew. The farmers, with their country accents, and jokes about the antics of their pigs and chickens, had them all laughing. But it was Andrew who held Poppy’s attention. With his head thrown back and his hearty laughter, she was seeing him in a different light.
When it was time to leave, Poppy was sad, but Charlotte told her they’d bring her back very soon. And before they left Andrew ordered a round of drinks for the farmers and the landlord and thanked them for their hospitality.
When they were outside, Andrew held the car door open, and asked, ‘Well, Poppy, are you glad you came?’
‘Oh, yes, I wouldn’t have missed it. How stupid I would have been to have turned down your invitation.’ To his delight and surprise, she kissed his cheek. ‘Thank you for taking me.’ Then she hugged Charlotte. ‘You have given me a perfect end to a perfect day.’
‘Are you sitting in the front or back?’ Charlotte asked. ‘I don’t mind where I sit.’
‘We’ll both sit in the back, eh?’ Poppy said. ‘I want to go over everything that has happened to me on this wonderful day, and I’m sure Andrew would be bored by my voice going on non-stop. It would put him off me for life.’
‘Oh, I don’t think you could do anything that would put my brother off you,’ Charlotte told her.
‘Well, I’m not taking any chances, so I’ll sit with you in the back. I won’t be so talkative after today, for there’ll never be another day when so many nice things happen to me.’
Andrew slid into the driver’s seat. ‘Oh, yes there will, Poppy,’ he said. ‘I can promise you that.’
Chapter Twenty-Six
Poppy came down the stairs on the Saturday morning rubbing the sleep from her eyes. ‘Ooh, you should have called me, Mam. I didn’t hear the alarm going off.’ Yawning, and stretching her arms over her head, she said, ‘I slept like a log. I don’t even remember putting my head down on the pillow.’
‘It was an exciting day for yer yesterday, sweetheart,’ Eva said. ‘And you were late getting to bed.’ Bustling into the kitchen, she called, ‘I did look in on yer earlier, but yer were sleeping like a baby and I didn’t have the heart to disturb yer. Sit yerself down and I’ll make yer a cup of tea before yer get washed and dressed.’
Poppy pulled out a chair and sat down at the table. ‘David must be in a good sleep. There’s no sound from his room.’
Eva came to stand at the kitchen door. ‘David went out at half past seven this morning, sweetheart. You remember him telling us his boss was planning on opening a new depot? Well, they’ve been a while getting it ready, but there’s some equipment being delivered today, and his boss asked David if he’d work this morning to organize the setting up of the office. Once it’s open, and the depot stocked, then David will be in charge.’
The kettle began to whistle, and Eva hurried to turn the gas off. ‘I’ll make the tea, then we can talk.’
Poppy went to stand by the kitchen door. ‘It’s been a good week for the Meadows family, Mam.’ She yawned again, before chuckling. ‘The way we’re going on, we’ll be able to afford a television and have a telephone installed. That would give Tilly Mint across the road something to talk about.’
‘I don’t care what Florrie Lawson says about us, as long as she doesn’t knock and ask to use the phone, or come and watch television.’ Eva poured milk into the cups, then passed one to her daughter. ‘Sit down, and we can have a natter. It’ll do you good to wind down after the hectic day yer had yesterday. You enjoyed yerself last night, I could tell when yer came in. And I got to thinking how funny it was that after being knocked over by a bloke, and calling him for everything, yer should end up being friends with him and his sister. Life can be very unpredictable when fate steps in.’
Poppy nodded. ‘The day it happened, and my raincoat got torn, I was as mad as hell with both brother and sister. But I have to admit that my vanity brought on the temper. They were dressed like toffs, and they’d ruined the only coat I possessed. My pride was hurt. And if anyone had told me then that I would one day be friends with them, I’d have said they were mad.’ Poppy smiled as she continued, ‘How Charlotte wormed her way into my life, I will never understand. But I’m glad she did, for she’s a little love, and I’m very fond of her. You would love her, for she’s always got a smile on her face, and her eyes are filled with mischief.’
‘And her brother, Andrew?’ Eva had heard from David that there was romance in the air. ‘Do you get on as well with him as you do with his sister?’
There was a slight hesitation before Poppy answered. ‘I was wrong about both of them, Mam. They are toffs, and they do wear clothes we could never afford, but they are not snobs.’ She drained her cup before steering the conversation in a different direction. ‘Do you feel like coming into town with me? I want to look around the shops and I don’t fancy walking round on my own. I’ll mug you to a cup of tea in Reece’s.’
‘What do yer want in town?’
‘I was thinking I’ll need a couple of skirts and blouses to start my new job. I need to look smart all the time, and ring in the changes every few days. At the moment I haven’t got a skirt to my name, or a decent blouse. So will you come with me for company? And two heads are always better than one.’
Eva nodded as she reached for her daughter’s cup and saucer. ‘Yeah, it’ll be a change for me, and the fresh air will do me good. You get ready, sweetheart, while I make us a couple of rounds of toast. They’ll keep us going until dinnertime. But I don’t want to be out too long, for David will want a meal when he gets home. We’re having bacon, sausage and egg today, a nice quick meal. And I’ve got a piece of lamb for tomorrow.’
‘I�
��d better put my skates on then,’ Poppy said. ‘I’ll just have a wash and clean my teeth. I can have a bath and wash my hair later.’
Eva went to the bottom of the stairs and called up, ‘Have yer got enough money for the things yer need to buy? If not, I can let yer have a few bob.’
‘I’ve got plenty, Mam. I don’t intend buying any expensive clothes. More along the lines of cheap clothes that look expensive.’ Poppy came out on to the landing, and was laughing as she looked down on her mother. ‘As long as I look like Miss Efficiency, no one will know my clothes came from a stall in Paddy’s market.’
‘Don’t knock Paddy’s market, sweetheart, because I was glad of it when money was tight.’ Eva waved a hand. ‘Will yer stop talking or we’ll never get out.’
David heard the key in the door and quickly sat down and opened the paper he’d bought on the way home. He’d only been in five minutes, but he was going to pretend otherwise, for a bit of fun. ‘Where on earth have you two been? I’ve been home for ages, and I’m starving with hunger. It’s coming to something when a working man’s been slogging his guts out for hours, and he comes home to an empty house.’
‘I’m sorry, son.’ Eva slipped her coat off and hung it up in the hall. ‘I went into town with Poppy, and we didn’t notice the time flying over. But I’ll soon have the dinner on the go, and as we’re having an easy meal, with bacon, sausage and egg, it’ll be ready in no time.’
Poppy gripped her mother’s arm. ‘Just a second, Mam. I think someone is pulling our legs.’ She raised her brows at her brother. ‘Don’t you be having Mam feeling sorry for you. I can read you like a book. It’s the twinkle in your eyes that gives the game away. Just how long have you been home?’
David chuckled. ‘Five minutes before you.’ He folded the paper and threw it on the couch. ‘If you can read my face, Poppy, why can’t I read yours?’
‘Because I’ve got an open and honest face, that’s why. And for your cheek, you can make me and Mam a cup of tea. I’ve been dragging her all round town, and I bet her feet are killing her. So be a gentleman, and make the ladies a cup of tea.’
