by Rosie Harris
‘She will probably sleep once we get moving,’ Danny prophesied. ‘That’s what usually happens with young children, so I’m told. I’ve put a soft cushion and a blanket in there for her, and you can cover her up and make her comfortable if she nods off.’
Danny was quite right. Poppy did sleep for most of the journey. Although it was a long way, they only stopped once to have a break at a roadside café.
‘With any luck we should be in Shelston by midday,’ he said as they returned to the car.
It had been dull and overcast when they left Liverpool, but by the time they reached Shelston the sun was out and it was pleasantly warm, a perfect early-September day.
As they approached the village, Danny pulled into the side of the road. ‘Perhaps you and Cindy should change seats, Rebecca,’ he suggested. ‘You know where to go and you can direct me. Are we going straight to Cindy’s home?’
‘Cindy knows the way there as well as I do, probably better,’ Rebecca objected. But she followed Cindy’s example and changed seats.
‘I don’t want to go straight to the farm,’ Cindy said. ‘Can we go to your place first, Becky?’
‘Of course. That’s what I thought we would do.’
Seated next to Danny, Rebecca directed him off the main road and up the small side road to Woodside. When they had stopped at the café, she had quietly slipped away and telephoned her mother so she knew she would be there waiting for them.
Everything was as she had planned. Sandra welcomed Cindy with open arms and then turned her attention to Poppy, making a great fuss of the little girl as she led them indoors and into the kitchen where the table was already laid for a meal.
Within minutes Bill Peterson arrived home from the shop for his midday break, and by the time Rebecca had introduced him to Danny and Bill had made a fuss of Poppy, their meal was ready and waiting on the table.
‘Now, as you know, your dad and me have to get back to the shop. So I’ll leave you to take Cindy up to the farm,’ Sandra Peterson said as she and Rebecca cleared things away and tidied the kitchen.
‘Thank you, Mrs Peterson,’ Cindy said, giving Sandra a hug. ‘Would … Would you mind phoning my mum and telling her we’re on our way?’
‘Of course I will, if that’s what you want me to do. But she knows you are coming today, so wouldn’t you rather it was a surprise for her?’
Cindy looked hesitant then, after exchanging looks with Danny, she nodded and said, ‘Very well, we’ll do that.’
Ten minutes later they were all up at the farm. Rebecca went to knock on the door, but before she could reach it Mavis and Tom were out in the yard, holding their arms out to Cindy, hugging and kissing her and exclaiming how happy they were that she was back with them.
While all this was going on, Danny and Rebecca stood holding Poppy’s hands. She was staring mesmerized at what was happening, and when Cindy turned and held out her hand and called her name she clutched shyly at Rebecca and hid her face.
It took Rebecca a minute to persuade Poppy to go to her mother, and then when she did she grabbed at Cindy’s leg and buried her face against her.
Cindy picked her up and cuddled her, and gradually Poppy turned to look at Mavis and Tom and then quickly hid her face again.
‘Let’s go inside,’ Mavis suggested. ‘Perhaps she’ll feel more comfortable with us if we’re all sitting down.’
‘I think I know what will make her smile,’ Tom said as he left the little group and strode across to one of the barns.
By the time they were indoors and sitting down, he was back carrying a small bundle of fur, which he placed on the floor near Poppy. ‘There you are my little darling,’ he told her, ‘a baby like yourself. Someone for you to play with. Try stroking her.’
Poppy stared fascinated as the tiny bundle uncurled itself and moved towards her. Gingerly she stretched out a hand and touched its soft silky fur. The kitten purred and arched its back, then moved close to Poppy, waving its little tail like a flag.
Poppy scrambled down from Cindy’s lap and sat on the floor with the kitten, laughing as it began to climb over her and paw playfully at the tassel on the belt of her dress.
‘I think those two are going to be good friends, don’t you?’ Tom laughed, looking round.
He turned and held out a hand to Danny. ‘Rebecca said on the phone that you would be driving them down. That was very good of you. I wanted to come up to Liverpool the minute I heard that my Cindy had been found, and was safe and well, and bring her back here, but the missus persuaded me to have more sense. That’s the trouble with running a farm, you have to be there twenty-four hours a day in case something goes wrong with one of the animals. What do you do for a living, Danny?’
‘I’m a policeman,’ Danny told him as they shook hands. ‘My sister Grace has been Rebecca’s flatmate since she’s been up in Liverpool, so I got to know Cindy through them,’ he added.
‘It’s thanks to Danny that I was rescued and that I’m here now,’ Cindy told them. ‘I owe my freedom to Rebecca and Danny,’ she added, smiling at Danny.
‘Yes, we gathered from what Becky and her friend Nick told us that there has been a lot going on,’ Tom Mason said solemnly. ‘They told us all they knew but we will be looking forward to hearing more about it from you, Cindy, when you feel you are ready to talk about it. You seem to have been having a pretty harrowing time.’
‘Would you all like a drink?’ Mavis invited. ‘I was going to offer you tea, but you young ones might want something stronger.’
‘Tea would be lovely, Mrs Mason,’ Danny told her. ‘I have to drive back to Liverpool, so I had better not have anything stronger.’
‘You’re driving back right away?’ Mavis looked astonished.
‘Well …’ Danny hesitated.
‘You said you have three days off,’ Cindy reminded him. ‘Surely you can stay for a couple of days?’
‘We have a spare bed,’ Tom assured him. ‘Our son Jake has got himself married and left home, so you can have his room.’
‘Yes, of course. That came as rather a shock,’ Cindy admitted ruefully.
‘Well, if it won’t be putting you out, then I would happily stay overnight. It will give Cindy a chance to decide whether she is going to stay or come back to Liverpool.’
‘Oh, there’s no question of that,’ Tom said with feeling. ‘Now we’ve got her home, we have no intention of letting her out of our sight again.’
‘All my things and Poppy’s are up in Liverpool, I’ve only brought an overnight bag,’ Cindy told him.
‘Never mind about that, you are staying right here, my girl, and no argument,’ her father said firmly. He looked across at Rebecca. ‘You can sort out all her stuff and get it down here, can’t you, Becky?’
‘Yes, I suppose I can. I might be able to get Dad to come and collect me and take me to my new place in Blissford for the start of the new school term, and we can probably bring Cindy’s stuff with us.’
‘Or I can bring it down for you,’ Danny interposed. ‘I’d like to,’ he added quickly when he saw that Tom was about to decline his offer. ‘I’ll want to know how Cindy and Poppy are and make sure they’ve settled in.’
Forty-Three
For the next few days, life in their Liverpool flat was hectic for Rebecca and Grace. They had not only to pack up their possessions for their move to the new schools they’d been allocated to but also to pack up all Cindy and Poppy’s belongings ready for them to be taken back to Shelston.
Then the two of them cleaned, polished and dusted every inch of the flat in order to make sure it was in pristine condition for the end of the week, when they were due to hand the keys back at the end of their lease.
By the time bedtime came, both of them were so exhausted they were sure they wouldn’t be able to sleep. They had a final drink together, wished each other well, and promised to keep in touch and that they would meet up in Shelston at half-term.
‘That means Cindy as well,’ Rebec
ca said. ‘You don’t want to lose touch with her, do you?’
‘I think that’s unlikely,’ Grace said dryly, ‘especially since Danny will no doubt be visiting Cindy to make sure she’s all right.’
‘Well, if he comes to Shelston at half-term then you must come too,’ Rebecca insisted. ‘Promise now!’
The next morning, as the final parting came they both knew their lives were changing and that they could only hope the future would turn out well.
When Rebecca went home at half-term she not only found that Cindy and Poppy had settled in very happily, she also discovered that Danny was a regular visitor at the Masons’ farm.
Old Lizzie Smith had plenty to say on the matter when she met Rebecca.
‘That young policeman seems to be checking up on Cindy Mason almost every weekend. What sort of trouble has she been in that he needs to do that?’ she asked, her dark eyes bright with curiosity.
‘None at all, Lizzie,’ Rebecca told her sharply, ‘so watch your tongue!’
‘Well, then, why does he come down here so often?’
‘He’s a friend of Cindy’s, that’s why. He just happens to be a policeman.’
‘You can make it all sound innocent, Rebecca Peterson, but I spotted some of the details in the newspaper a few weeks back. Some scandalous goings on by the sound of it, and your friend Cindy was in the thick of it.’
‘If you want the details, Lizzie, then go up to the Masons’ farm and ask them about it,’ Rebecca snapped and pushed her way past, leaving Lizzie muttering until she was out of earshot about criminals and wrongdoers and young girls who went off the rails.
‘Lizzie Smith is a malicious old crone!’ she told her mother when she got home.
‘Take no notice of her, no one ever does.’
‘That’s the whole point, though,’ Rebecca argued. ‘People say they don’t take any notice of what she says, but you know as well as I do that they do listen and they always think there’s a grain of truth in what she says.’
‘That’s true enough, but don’t worry about what she’s saying about Cindy. Tom has spelled out the true story down at the Red Lion and it has circulated in the village. Everyone I’ve spoken to is as relieved as we are that she’s back home safe and sound.’
‘What about Poppy, though? What are they saying about her?’
‘That she’s an adorable little girl and everyone who has met her thinks so. I hear them talking among themselves in the shop while they’re waiting to be served and I’ve not heard one bad word either about her or about Cindy.’
‘So you think everything has settled down?’
‘Absolutely. And Mavis and Tom are like new people. They were so glum and miserable that folks were starting to shun them, but now they’re both back to their old selves.’
‘Do Tom and Mavis like Danny?’ Rebecca asked.
‘Very much. The same as we like Nick,’ Sandra said archly.
Rebecca felt the colour flooding her face.
‘He’s coming to work here all next week,’ Sandra added.
‘Really?’ Rebecca looked surprised. ‘Why is that?’
‘Your dad has a series of hospital appointments for tests on his heart. Now, tell me all about this new school, you haven’t said very much so far.’
‘I’ll do that when you tell me more about Dad. What’s wrong with his heart?’
‘Nothing you need worry about. We think he’s been doing too much recently, and he’s had one or two dizzy spells and small blackouts. He thinks it happens when he’s lifting carcasses and doing heavy jobs like that.’
The rest of her half-term holiday seemed to fly past but it was harmonious enough. While Nick was working in the shop, she saw a good deal of Cindy and Poppy. They had both settled happily at the farm, almost as if they had never known any other sort of life.
Cindy was helping her mother with the dairy work and the general running of things. Poppy loved it there and was fascinated by all the animals.
Tom was always picking her up and taking her to see a new-born calf or some other happening. The kitten that Tom had given her on her first day in Shelston had grown considerably but was still as playful as ever. It was Poppy’s constant companion and followed her everywhere.
Danny was a regular visitor and it was difficult to say who enjoyed his visits the most, Cindy or Poppy.
Rebecca was almost sorry when the half-term break was over and she had to return to Blissford. The only thing she had been disappointed about was the fact that Grace hadn’t found time to come with Danny, after all.
When she asked him why that was, he grinned broadly and explained that Grace had a new boyfriend and that he lived in Chester, where she was working. ‘I’m surprised she hasn’t told you about him. They went away on a short cruise for the half-term break.’
As Nick drove Rebecca back to Blissford, he told her he had some special news to tell her.
‘Oh yes, what’s that?’
‘I’ll tell you when we get to Blissford. We’re in good time, so let’s stop and have a drink before I take you to your lodgings.’
‘Why can’t you tell me now as we’re driving along?’
‘I need all my attention on the road,’ he told her, grinning.
Twenty minutes later, when they stopped at the Golden Crown, Rebecca turned to face him. ‘Come on, what’s your news?’
‘I’ve got a new job. I’ve been offered a partnership.’
‘You mean you won’t be travelling all over the place any more but settled in one town? That’s good, isn’t it? Where is it?’
‘It’s in a village, not a town.’
Her face fell. ‘Oh, only a small place.’
‘Yes, but it’s a very busy little shop.’
‘Are you happy about it? Is it far from here?’
‘I’m very happy,’ he told her, ‘and it’s not far from here.’
‘Come on, if we’re going to have that drink before you leave then we’ll have to hurry up.’
Inside the pub she found a corner seat while Nick ordered their drinks at the bar. When he brought the drinks over and set them down, she raised her glass. ‘To your new job and let’s hope it will be a success.’
He raised his glass and clinked it against hers.
‘You haven’t told me where it is,’ she reminded him.
He grinned. ‘Can’t you guess?’
She shook her head.
‘Your dad has offered me a partnership,’ he said quietly.
She stared at him wide-eyed. ‘Oh no!’ She put her glass down, her hand was shaking too much for her to hold it.
‘What’s wrong?’ Nick frowned. ‘I thought you’d be pleased. It means—’
‘It means that his heart problem is worse than my parents have told me,’ she said in a shaky voice. ‘Did you know he went to the hospital for a check-up? That’s why they asked you to come and work at the shop this week.’
‘Of course I knew. He was told he has to take things easier. His heart will be all right as long as he doesn’t overexert himself, so he has to stop lifting heavy things, like whole carcasses and so on.’
Rebecca took a drink from her glass and they stared at each other in silence for a while.
‘You are telling me the truth?’ she asked at length.
‘Yes,’ he said solemnly. ‘Your dad is going to be OK, especially if I am there to do all the heavy work and the butchering. It will mean your mother can ease up too. She won’t be needed in the shop if she doesn’t want to come in, because your dad will be able to deal with customers when I’m working out the back.’
‘So it means things are going to be better all round,’ Rebecca murmured. She drained her glass. ‘You’ll be there whenever I can get home,’ she added with a warm smile. ‘It might even be worth coming home at the weekends in future.’
Forty-Four
Rebecca found her new school at Blissford extremely challenging. Several times during her first week she was almost in tears from frustrat
ion.
Her class of twenty-eight pupils, all over eleven years of age, knew all the rules and regulations and, of course, the school layout too. They were also well aware that not only was she a new teacher in their school but that it was her first experience as a qualified teacher. Many of them played on this to undermine her authority.
She tried her best to deal with the many problems she came up against without resorting to going to the headmaster for help or advice. By the end of the first week she knew she needed guidance.
‘I’m surprised you’ve lasted this long,’ Tim Heath, the headmaster, told her, staring at her over the top of his horn-rimmed glasses. ‘Children can be very cruel and by the sound of things they have been testing you. From what I hear from your colleagues, however, you’ve done well. Don’t despair. Another few days, a week at the most, and you will have them under control and they’ll respect you all the more for not having brought me into the affray.’
Although Tim Heath was right, Rebecca found exercising her authority over an unruly class extremely exhausting.
Added to her tension was the fact that she had not been able to see Nick. He, too, was enduring a life-changing situation. When the agency he worked for learned that he was leaving them, they sent him to work out his month’s notice at a butcher’s shop a long way from home. As a result he was unable to visit Shelston, even for one night.
‘Never mind,’ he assured her when they spoke on the phone, ‘I’ll soon be in Shelston permanently and we’ll be able to see each other every weekend.’
‘By the look of things we won’t see each other until half-term,’ Rebecca sighed.
‘By then you will have resolved all your problems and I will be free and working with your dad,’ he consoled her.
Half-term couldn’t come soon enough, Rebecca thought, and wished she hadn’t been so adamant in telling her parents that she didn’t want to come home at the weekends, at least not for the first few weeks.
‘I’ll need the weekends to prepare lessons for the coming week,’ she explained. ‘It’s all pretty new to me, so it will probably take me quite a long time to do that. Once I get established, things will be easier.’
