'A missed blessing,' Elizabeth Ferguson announced, closing the rear door with an emphatic thump. 'Certainly in financial terms. You learn to drive, and then you have to buy a car. And then you have to pay to keep it on the road – not to mention the exorbitant price of petrol these days, thanks to a government that isn't in the slightest interested in rural areas.'
'Yes?' Anna said uneasily, thinking this was like listening to her father all over again. 'Actually,' she added, 'I do have a car. My late husband's. It's just sitting in the garage, doing nothing.'
'Depreciating by the minute! That's another cost.'
Elizabeth nodded and with a grim expression set off towards her brother's front door. How Daniel must look forward to his big sister's visits! Anna thought with a wry smile as she turned towards her own door.
Still, a little more of the jigsaw puzzle was in place now. Head injuries, though? That didn't sound good. Perhaps she could offer the Fergusons a bit of help once she'd learned to drive. She'd be able to collect groceries for them, if nothing else. Even she ought to be able to do that.
Now, stop it! she told herself sternly. That's enough negativity. Remember what Pippa said : I am a very capable person! Well, maybe. But she needed to learn to drive and get a job to prove it.
Chapter Ten
It was just after tea. Anna was sitting with the children, watching a TV programme about whales singing to each other and generally having a good time in the ocean. Well, Lisa, and to some extent Tom, was watching. But it had been a long, hard day, and Anna had given up really watching and listening. She was quite content just to be with the children, and to doze along in that not-really-quite-awake state that can be so pleasant when you're thoroughly tired out.
She heard Tom laugh out loud, and thought she heard Lisa chuckle. She smiled to herself, her eyes still closed.
Then it happened. There was a loud crash. A man was shouting. Smoke filled the air. Someone screamed. Voices all round her. The noise was overwhelming. She fell off the sofa. Someone grabbed her arm and, shouting, hauled her to her feet.
'Out! Outside – quick!'
'No!' she screamed.
Then she was coughing. She couldn't see. She was half-dragged, half-carried. She felt her legs trailing. Smoke. Terrible smoke. Coughing, coughing, coughing!
She was outside. She felt cold air rush into her throat and lungs. She was still coughing. Her eyes were streaming with tears.
The children! She screamed again. She struggled to her knees and then to her feet, in time to see Daniel Ferguson emerge from the front door with Lisa tucked under his arm. Tom was sprawled on the grass beside her. They were on the lawn at the front of the house.
Daniel lowered Lisa to the ground. 'Fire!' he gasped at her. 'In the kitchen!'
Fire? Anna stared, in a daze. Fire? Oh, no!
He threw a mobile to her and gasped, 'Call emergency!' Then he turned and dashed back into the house, slamming the door shut after himself.
She gaped for a moment, still coughing. Then her senses returned. She scrambled over to Tom and Lisa. They were both sprawled on the ground, crying. She gave them a quick hug and grabbed the phone.
Unable to think properly, she called Pippa's number and tried to explain. She broke off, coughing. She heard Pippa shouting questions at her.
'Emergency!' she croaked. 'Fire!'
Then the coughing started again, and she couldn't stop. She dropped the mobile and reached for the children.
'Stay here - together!' she gasped, her voice hoarse, her throat sore. 'I must … must help him.'
She staggered to her feet and stumbled towards the front door. A car screamed up the hill and screeched to a halt at the gate. She turned to look, still dazed. Derek leapt out.
'Wait!' he shouted. 'Anna, wait!'
She waited. He grabbed a rug out of the car and rushed towards her.
They entered the house together. Thick, black smoke billowed towards them. Engulfed them. Ahead, she saw a man emerge from the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind himself. Daniel. He had a cloth over his head. He staggered towards them, shouting. 'Out! Outside!'
They grabbed him by the arms and steered him out of the front door, all three coughing violently.
'Don't open the back door!' Daniel growled with what little voice the smoke had left him. 'The flames …. The ….'
He gave up, coughing and heaving for breath. Derek held on to him as he lowered himself to the ground.
'It's Daniel, from next door,' Anna gasped. 'What shall we do?'
'Wait!' Derek said grimly. 'It's all we can do. He's right. We can't go back in there.'
The smoke-blackened figure looked up. 'I broke the water pipes!' he wheezed. 'It might hold the fire back.'
Then he began coughing again, more seriously than ever.
Anna looked at Derek, who shrugged. 'The lads from the fire station will be here soon,' he said.
The local part-time firefighters, he meant. Anna looked at the smoke pouring from the kitchen roof, and wondered how much house would be left by the time they arrived. She began to weep.
Chapter Eleven
It could have been worse. That was what everyone said. Bill Meredith, in charge of the firefighters, said it was only the flood of water from the fractured pipes that had stopped the fire spreading to the rest of the house. Derek, even more logically, said what a good thing it was that her kitchen was a single-storey extension to the house, rather than an integral part of it.
'No amount of water would have saved the house then,' Derek said. 'The fire would have shot straight up through the ceiling before you even knew it had started.'
It was a gloomy diagnosis but Anna could see the strength of it.
'The water must have made some difference, though?' she suggested.
'Oh, yes! Given the layout of the house, that was what stopped the fire spreading, that and keeping the doors shut. That man certainly knew what he was doing.'
So Daniel had done the right thing, she thought wearily. His quick-thinking and experience had probably saved them all. How lucky they were that he had been in the garden when smoke started pouring out of the kitchen window. And how lucky he had had the wit to do something about it.
'Do you know yet how it started?' Pippa asked.
Anna shook her head. 'The firefighters said it was probably electrical, something to do with the socket for the cooker being so old. But they didn't really know.'
'Those older houses all want re-wiring,' Derek said. 'It's a wonder there aren't more house fires.'
'Lucky that man next door noticed something was wrong,' Pippa pointed out.
Anna nodded and shivered. She didn't like to think about the alternative. 'He was very brave, as well.'
'And sensible,' Derek added. 'Keeping the doors shut while he tried to do something. What a fire likes best of all is plenty of fresh air.'
'The place is a bit of a mess now, though,' Pippa said with a shudder. 'All that water everywhere.'
'It would have been worse without it,' Derek pointed out. 'A lot worse.'
Anna listened without commenting further. Somehow she couldn't think straight. She couldn't think at all, in fact. She was still dazed. All she knew was that her children were safe, here in Pippa's house. And so was she.
'He wouldn't go to the hospital,' Derek said, shaking his head. 'He should have but he refused point blank. Said he'd spent enough time in hospitals. All the same ….'
Anna came to with a jolt. 'Daniel?'
'If that's his name. He wasn't in very good shape either. But he just said he was going home. Insisted, in fact.'
Anna felt bad. She hadn't even wondered how Daniel was.
'What's the matter with him, anyway?' Derek asked. 'He looks terrible. His face ….'
'I'm not sure,' Anna said quickly. 'Some sort of injury when he was in the Army, his sister said. He got badly hurt.'
'Poor devil. Judging by his face, he's been in a fire before.'
'Of course!' Anna wh
ispered, aghast. 'Of course he has. We should help him.'
She stood up.
'Sit down!' Pippa said firmly. 'You're going nowhere tonight. Derek can check on him.'
'My house, as well,' Anna said with growing agitation. 'I must see to my house!'
'Tomorrow,' Pippa repeated firmly. 'We'll start things moving tomorrow.'
*
The next morning Anna left the children with Pippa and went up to the house with Derek.
Jack Bradbury, one of the part-time firefighters, was sitting outside in his car. He got out when they arrived. 'We've been keeping an eye on it,' he said. 'To make sure it doesn't come back to life.'
'Thanks, Jack.' Derek nodded and stared at the house. 'Is it out now?'
'Oh, aye. Completely dead.'
They both looked cautiously at Anna, who had said nothing so far. She was just staring at the ruined kitchen, roofless now, smoke-blackened joists open to the elements. She wiped away a few tears.
'It's just the kitchen, Anna,' Jack said softly. 'It's a mess, right enough, but it could have been worse. The rest of the house is all right. Just a bit of smoke damage that a coat of paint will put right.'
She turned towards him with a rueful smile, the best she could manage. 'You're right,' she said. 'It is a mess.'
'It could have been worse,' Derek reminded her, 'like Jack says.'
'The next person that tells me it could have been worse,' Anna warned, 'I'm going to give him such a clout!'
The two men chuckled with relief. Then they waited. It was her move.
'Oh, it's OK,' she said with a sigh. 'I know you're right, both of you. Come on. Let's have a look inside.'
'Thank you, Jack,' she added, turning back to the firefighter. 'I do appreciate what you and the other men have done.'
'That's all right, Anna,' he said awkwardly. He looked a little embarrassed as he added, 'It's what we do.'
She nodded and followed Derek towards the rear of the house.
The kitchen was a total ruin. You couldn't say anything else. There was no floor now. And only sky for a ceiling. The plaster from the inner walls had largely gone, too, exposing the bare brickwork. And everything wood or plastic had disappeared, leaving behind a tangle of bare metal and rubble. They stood and stared through the hole where the back door had been.
'It could do with a fresh coat of paint,' Derek said, breaking the silence. 'Jack was right.'
'Oh, Derek!' Anna laughed, almost hysterically. 'You fool!'
He grinned at her. She gave him a playful push.
'There's no point going in there,' he said. 'We'd just get filthy. Let's have a look round the front.'
They walked round to the front of the house and Derek gingerly pushed the door open. Anna stepped ahead of him, and in her anxiety and impatience almost fell into the hall. People had been right, she soon realised. It could have been worse.
There was smoke discoloration and a pungent stench in the hall. And the door leading off it to the kitchen was in a sad state. Otherwise, though, apart from the terrible smell, you would never have guessed what had happened at the rear of the house.
Some of the tension left her as she sped from room to room. No other damage that she could see. She sagged against the living room wall with relief.
'You all right?' Derek asked quietly.
She nodded. 'It's not so bad, is it?'
He shook his head and gave her an encouraging smile. 'Right, let's sort out what we're going to do.'
She was grateful for Derek's presence, and for his solid, practical nature. He soon had an action plan drawn up.
'First, find your home insurance policy, Anna, and get in touch with the company. Let them know what's happened. And get their permission for us to start clearing up.'
He glanced at his watch. 'Unfortunately, I can't stay myself. I've got a meeting I must go to. But that doesn't matter. I'll get in touch with Gerry Armstrong, the builder, and have him come up to tell you what's possible here. I'll also have a plumber come up to get the water back on.'
Seeing her uncertainty, he added, 'You'll have to manage without a kitchen for a little while but the rest of the house will be liveable in, if that's what you want to do. We can get you a microwave. Put it in the dining room, or somewhere, for the time being. And you'll have water. Everything you need, in fact.'
'Meanwhile,' he added, 'stay with us as long as you like. We're happy to have you.'
'Thank you, Derek. You and Pippa have been really kind. I don't know what I would have done without you.'
'You'd have managed perfectly well. I know you, Anna.' He glanced at his watch again. 'But I really do have to go now. Do you want to come with me?'
She shook her head. 'You go. I'll stay and find the insurance policy. Start things moving.'
'Good. I'll see you later.'
It didn't take her long to do what she needed to do. The insurance documents were in the drawer where they should have been. She rang the company. They were efficient. Someone would be there during the day to make a preliminary survey. And she could organise repair work as soon as she liked.
Suddenly she was free. She had nothing more to do for the moment. She could return to Pippa's, and to the children, and wait for Derek to let her know what he had arranged with the builder.
She stood in the living room and gazed out of the window at the huge buddleia that was now developing the purple spikes that would soon attract a myriad butterflies. The lawn needed mowing. The delphiniums needed support. The path wanted sweeping. Life was going on, kitchen or no kitchen.
She would return home in the next day or two, she decided. This was where she wanted to be. Derek was right. They could manage here. As soon as the water supply was restored they would come home.
She closed the front door behind her, out of habit giving an extra tug to make sure the sneck had caught properly. Then she smiled and shook her head, realising the futility of locking the front door when the back door no longer existed.
As she made her way to the gate, her thoughts turned to "Moorside", and the man next door. I must call, she thought with guilt at how long he had been out of her thoughts. I must see how Daniel is.
Chapter Twelve
No-one answered the doorbell. She rang it several times, with the same result. He was out, was the obvious conclusion to draw. For whatever reason, he wasn't at home.
But she didn't believe that for one moment.
She abandoned the front door and made her way round to the back of the house, anxiety building. She no longer cared about trespassing and invading someone's privacy. That was the last thing on her mind.
To her surprise, the lawn and the flower beds at the back of the house were neat and tidy, and colourful, as well. She paused for a moment and studied the massed ranks of lupins and delphiniums, geraniums and sweet williams. She smiled. All that nocturnal gardening! It had done some good.
No-one was about now, though. And there were no tools laid around. No spade carelessly tossed aside. No rake or even a trowel. No washing hanging to dry. No sign, in fact, that anyone lived here at all. Her anxiety heightened. She cast anxious looks around and made her way to the door to the porch at the back of the house.
She knocked but nothing happened, and she heard nothing. She grimaced, hesitated and eventually reached out for the door handle. It turned. The door was unlocked. It opened. Cautiously, she eased it open and called a greeting. No response.
Even more cautiously, but committed now, she made her way into the house. The old-fashioned kitchen with its black range for a fireplace and the heavy metal cupboards from the 1940's was neat and tidy, just as the Rutherfords had left it. Nothing out of place, and nothing changed. She glanced around quickly and moved on, heading deeper into the house.
She found him in the living room at the back of the house. The curtains were closed and the room dark. She wouldn't have realised anyone was there if he hadn't groaned.
She spun round and gasped. In the dim light she made
out a heap of something lying on the sofa. Her fingers found the light switch just inside the room. He groaned again when she switched it on.
'Daniel!' she gasped. 'What on earth's wrong?'
There was no need to apologise for her presence, or for anything else. She could see he was shivering, and he was still smoke-blackened from the night before.
She crossed the room and crouched down beside him. She laid the palm of her hand on his forehead. He was hot, burning. He began coughing. At least that stirred him. His eyes focussed on her.
'Are you hurt, Daniel?' she asked.
He just stared.
'I'll phone for an ambulance,' she said, making up her mind.
A hand reached out and grabbed her skirt as she stood up. 'No!' he whispered fiercely.
'You need help,' she said.
'No hospital!' he insisted.
'Your sister, then? I could call her.'
'No.'
He struggled to sit up. She helped him. He nodded his thanks.
He nodded his thanks.
She was at a loss as to what to do for the best. He was obviously quite poorly, but with what she didn't know. Breathing difficulties seemed a large part of it. Exhaustion, too, perhaps. Even the good side of his face seemed very drawn. Probably no injuries, though. Fractures, anyway.
But he was reviving, she realised with hope. He seemed a little better already, a little stronger.
She crossed the room to open the curtains. Then she returned to switch off the light. He gazed at the window, as if surprised to see so much daylight.
'I keep the curtains closed normally,' he said in a stronger voice, and more as an observation than a complaint.
'It's not a normal day, Daniel,' she said gently.
He nodded.
She sat down near him. 'Daniel, I came to thank you for what you did yesterday. You saved our lives – and the house. I'm sorry I just let myself in, but there was no answer and I was worried about you.'
'That's all right.' He shrugged. 'You've seen me anyway. You know what I look like.'
The Stranger Next Door Page 5
