‘Coming right up, ladies.’
As he strode away Chrissie couldn’t hide her amusement any longer, and laughed quietly. ‘I would never have believed it,’ she gasped. ‘He’s waiting on everyone like a perfect servant.’
‘As I’ve said before, he’s a charming man and quite a catch for some young girl.’
‘I’m sure he has plenty of girls from titled families eager to wed him.’
‘No doubt, but he’s managed to avoid them so far. I’m pleased you came back, my dear, it has been a little dull without you.’ Elsie beamed at her and began to tuck into her plate of food.
Everyone threw themselves into the evening, and it was full of laughter, singing and dancing round the fire. It was the kind of celebration to make you forget your worries, and that’s just what Chrissie did.
Chapter Thirty-Three
The next morning there was a lot to do and Chrissie was up at dawn to help with the clear up after the celebration, making sure everything was pristine again and not one piece of litter left on the beach. Some of the men weren’t at their best after drinking too much home brew, but they pitched in, knowing the work had to be done as they intended to move on the next day. The major would leave them then, and that would be for the best. The man joining in the fun last night had been very different from the one she had first met, and it would be dangerous to come to like him too much. He could now return and tell his father that she was all right, and that would be the end of it.
Gazing across the field where they had put the horses, she was surprised to see he was already there brushing the animals. They were being stroppy and she laughed to herself as they pushed and shoved him playfully.
‘They are a handful, aren’t they?’ Sandy stood next to her, watching the scene.
‘It’s just their way of having fun, and they know they can get away with it because he loves them, but they immediately obey when he gives them an order in his best military voice.’
‘He isn’t doing that this morning.’
‘Perhaps he’s like the rest of you and drank too much last night,’ she teased.
He grinned but didn’t comment. ‘Ah, looks as if he’s given up and is coming over here.’
She watched him stride towards them, and couldn’t help noticing how smoothly and elegantly he moved for such a big man.
‘Help me exercise those beasts, Chrissie. A good gallop along the beach will settle them down.’
‘I can’t at the moment. There’s a lot to do so we’re ready to move in the morning.’
‘We can manage,’ Sandy told her. ‘We can spare you to help the major with his horses.’
The look she gave him told him clearly that she would be having words with him later, and that made him chuckle. ‘Off you go.’
‘Good – thanks, Sandy.’ Harry gazed down at her as she fell into step beside him. ‘I take it you can ride with a saddle?’
‘Of course I can. Sir Stuart Gretham taught me.’
‘Hmm,’ was the only reply he made.
The horses stood quietly while they were saddled, but as soon as the major gave her a bunk-up on Red, and then mounted Midnight, they pranced with excitement.
‘I think they can smell the sea.’ All the youngsters were running beside them, laughing and calling out to her as they cantered over the rise.
With a long stretch of sandy beach in front of them they gave the horses their heads and let them thunder along. Chrissie’s dark hair was streaming out behind her and she shouted for joy at the wonderful feeling, making Red kick his hind legs in sheer exuberance.
On reaching the end they reined in and turned to make a more leisurely canter back. Halfway along the animals decided they wanted to paddle, splashing through the water’s edge almost like small children enjoying a day at the seaside.
She laughed at their obvious enjoyment. ‘Have they ever seen the sea before?’
‘Midnight has, but only from a ship, and he didn’t care for that too much. Red has never been near the sea before.’
She reached across and patted the black horse’s neck. ‘My poor boy, you did have a rough time, didn’t you, but you’re quite safe now, so you can forget all about the terrible war.’
They stopped, and the horses contentedly let the small waves splash against their legs and she gazed out to sea, drinking in the beauty and peace of this place. Being mounted on Red again only increased her pleasure in this moment.
‘Come back with me, Chrissie.’
His softly spoken words brought her back to the present. Turning her head to look at him, she said, ‘No.’
‘Why? You obviously love the estate and adore these animals. Talk to me and tell me your reason for refusing.’
‘You wouldn’t understand.’
‘When I finally reached home I was filled with anger and grief, and wasn’t thinking straight. I had to shut down my feelings because the pain was too great. I cared for nothing and no one, but I’m not that person any longer. I’m trying to heal some of the hurt I caused. Do you know you’ve haunted my nightmares and daytimes since I sent you away?’
‘That doesn’t make sense.’ She gave him a startled look. ‘You had every right to dismiss one of your staff, especially one who had been engaged while you were away. You took one look at me, didn’t like what you saw, and so sent me on my way.’
‘I didn’t like anyone at that point, and I was even fighting with my father, and that is something I have never done in my entire life before. I took my fury out on you, a young girl who only wanted to work and make a place for herself away from the squalor of the slums. We were in London recently and I visited where you had lived.’
‘Why on earth did you do that?’
‘I wanted to see where you had come from, and what had made you set out on your own to make another life away from everything you had ever known. It didn’t take me long to understand why. I met Bob and Gladys and had tea with them.’
She turned sharply in the saddle to face him. ‘How are they? Did you see Bessie?’
‘Yes.’ He grinned. ‘I had a ride in the cart, and Bessie’s fine. The children take good care of her.’
‘It’s good to know I gave her to the right family.’
‘You did.’ He then told her what had happened when he had been walking along the streets.
Totally bemused by what she was hearing, she said, ‘I don’t understand why you did such a daft thing. The upper class don’t visit that kind of place.’
‘I wanted to try and understand you, what made you the way you are, and why you were so desperate to live in the country. My father had told me what he knew about you and I wanted to see for myself. When I left there, I had a better understanding of what was driving you.’ He gave a wry smile. ‘There, I’ve told you how I feel, so won’t you tell me why you won’t come back with me?’
‘Because it will always be in my mind that you’ll send me away again, and I’m not going to live like that. When I do stop moving on I want to be absolutely certain that I can make a home there.’
‘I won’t ever do that again.’
‘That’s a bold statement, and one you might not be able to keep. But suppose I believe you. Will you give me back my job as stable lad?’
‘No.’
‘A scullery maid?’
‘Certainly not!’
‘What then?’
‘You come back and stay as our guest.’
For a few moments she stared at him in complete disbelief, and then burst in to helpless laughter. ‘Oh, my, Red, your master does have a sense of humour after all.’
Still laughing she urged the horse out of the sea and trotted back to the camp.
Harry watched her disappear over the rise, and could still hear her laughter. He patted Midnight. ‘Well, my boy, we made a real mess of that, didn’t we? Most girls of humble birth would have jumped at the invitation to be a guest at a fine mansion. Father and Stuart were right; she isn’t like most girls, and I must remember fla
ttery will be useless, but don’t you worry now. We are not giving up; we just need to rethink our strategy. I’d also better write to Father and let him know I won’t be back for a while. This could take some time.’
He rode back to the camp with a smile on his face, and realised he was enjoying the challenge she presented. It was a long time since he’d felt so light-hearted.
Several of the men greeted him, clearly amused and curious. ‘Enjoy your ride, Major?’
‘Exhilarating,’ he told them. ‘Do you need any help?’
‘We’ve got to change a wheel on Elsie’s home and could use the help of a strong man.’
‘I’ll be right with you. Just give me time to wash the salt water off Midnight.’
‘We’ll do that,’ three young boys called out eagerly. ‘It’s all right, cos he likes us.’
‘Right, in that case I’ll leave it to you.’ He dismounted, watched them lead his horse away, and then turned to the men. ‘Let’s get that wheel changed.’
‘Did you manage to persuade our girl to go back with you?’ Sandy asked, as they made their way over to Elsie’s home.
‘What do you think?’ he said with a wry grin.
‘From the way she was laughing, I would say you failed.’
‘I did. I misjudged her, but won’t do that again.’
‘You haven’t got much time to convince her because we’re moving on in the morning.’
‘I’m coming with you – if you’ll let me. If not, I’ll just follow behind because I’m not leaving without her.’
‘We’ll have to ask Pa about that. Pa!’ he called. ‘The major wants to travel with us for a while. Will that be all right?’
‘As long as you do your share of work, young man. We don’t take passengers.’
‘I’ll be happy to.’
Pa nodded. ‘Then you can come with us.’
‘Thanks.’
The wheel was soon changed, and after a few more jobs everything was ready for the next day. In a smaller way it reminded Harry of preparing the brigade to move out, and he found the atmosphere and physical exercise comforting. Being here was helping to clear his mind and he hadn’t even had a nightmare last night.
‘Help me back in, Harry,’ Elsie asked when he strode by a couple of hours later.
‘Up you come,’ he said cheerfully, lifting her off the chair and carrying her in to the home.
‘You’ve been working hard, so would you like a cup of tea?’
‘No, thanks, I must go and check that my horses are happy.’
‘Chrissie will have made sure they are.’ The elderly woman gave him a penetrating look. ‘Are you leaving tomorrow?’
‘Not without Chrissie.’
‘She doesn’t want to go with you.’
‘I know that, but I promised my father I’d try and bring her back. I made a lot of mistakes when I finally arrived home, and I’m trying to make amends, if I can.’
‘The best thing you can do for our girl is ride away in the morning and leave her to get on with her life.’
He shook his head. ‘I can’t do that.’
‘Why?’
‘That is a question I can’t answer. I just know I won’t leave without her.’
‘Then you have a problem, dear boy.’
‘One of many, Elsie. One of many.’
The next morning they were soon hitched up and on the road, with Chrissie taking over again as Elsie’s driver. When she looked round at the colourful procession there was a huge smile on her face, and the disappointment of the last few weeks began to fade away. Maybe all her dreams had just been silly girlish fancies, and perhaps this is where she really belonged.
‘Good to be on the move again.’ Elsie came and sat beside her. ‘And to have you back, my dear. We’ve missed you.’
‘It’s lovely to be back, and I might be staying this time.’
‘Do you think so? What about your dream of finding a permanent place to make your home?’
‘I’ve come to the conclusion I might have been wishing for something that isn’t to be, and isn’t right for me.’
‘I wouldn’t dismiss it so easily. Why don’t you just wait and see how things work out?’
She glanced at Elsie, curious. ‘Aren’t you going to tell me what I should do?’
‘I wouldn’t dream of it, my dear. You must make up your own mind.’
Chrissie laughed. ‘That doesn’t sound like you. What are you up to?’
‘Nothing, dear,’ she said innocently. ‘Isn’t it a lovely day? We are heading for a nice seaside town and will need a fortune-teller.’
‘Ah, I wondered when that was going to come up, and of course I’ll be happy to do it again.’
Elsie patted her arm. ‘You’re a good girl.’
‘Good morning, ladies, it’s another beautiful day.’ The major appeared beside them, riding Red this time.
‘Good morning, Harry,’ Elsie replied brightly. ‘It’s lovely to have my driver back, and she’s just told me there’s a chance she might be staying this time.’
‘Oh, a very slim chance, Elsie.’
‘You are quite determined to take her away from us, then?’
‘My resolve is unshakeable. Good morning, Chrissie,’ he said pointedly as she hadn’t responded to his greeting yet.
She reached out and patted the horse. ‘Morning, Red, will you kindly take your master away, because he’s spoiling my day.’
‘It’s a good thing she isn’t in my brigade, or I would have to put her on a charge for insubordination,’ he told the animal.
She smiled sweetly. ‘Now I’m not working for you I don’t have to watch my words.’
There was a rumble of laughter coming from Elsie, and she sighed. ‘Please go home, Major. You don’t belong here, and you are wasting your time.’
‘You don’t belong here either, and in your heart you know it – and I never waste my time.’ With a slight bow he urged Red forward and cantered to the front of the line.
‘It’s only a cold lunch today, so I think I’ll go and start getting it ready.’ Elsie made her way carefully inside while Chrissie stopped for a moment to allow her to move. She disappeared, still chuckling to herself.
By evening they had reached the field they always used within easy reach of Bournemouth, and they all set to work getting everything ready for the public to visit in the morning. When the tent was erected, Chrissie thought back to the first time she had done this and how frightened she had been, but she wasn’t a bit concerned this time. She was relaxed and even looking forward to it again. Elsie had taught her to be observant, and it was amazing how much you could tell about a person by studying their actions and movements.
‘I’ll use the crystal ball you gave me,’ she told Elsie.
‘You should, my dear, it’s yours and will respond to you now.’
She gave her an amused glance, and the elderly woman smirked. ‘If you look hard enough you might see your future in there.’
‘I don’t want to know. I’m quite happy to let the future take care of itself.’
‘It will come as a nice surprise, then. Now, we always get a lot of customers here, so are you going to wear a nice colourful outfit this time, as expected of a fortune-teller?’
‘Why not? We wouldn’t want customers to be disappointed, would we?’
‘Certainly not. Let’s go and see what we can find in the trunk for you to wear.’
Elsie had been right, and the next morning the people poured in, eager to buy the goods made by the Travellers, and see what else there was to amuse them. There was plenty. Sandy was juggling and entertaining them with card tricks, there were rides for the children on the smaller horses, and food of all kinds for sale. There was laughter coming from all parts of the field, and Chrissie was happy and relaxed when she took her place in the tent.
One of the boys standing guard at the flap poked his head in. ‘You ready, Miss Gloria? There’s a long queue out here.’
‘All
ready. Send the first one in, Pete.’
There was a steady stream of customers and she only managed to snatch half an hour for lunch. It was late afternoon before things eased off. Thinking that might be all for the day she stretched to ease the aches from sitting for so long, when Pete looked in with a huge grin on his face. ‘One more for you, Miss Gloria.’
‘Send them in.’ She took a deep breath, hoping this would be the last customer today. When the man strode in and sat opposite her at the table, she looked him up and down. ‘What are you doing in here?’
‘I’ve come to have my fortune told, Miss Gloria.’ He placed a gold coin in front of her. ‘Is that enough?’
‘That’s too much, and I’m not going to tell your fortune, anyway.’ She pushed the coin back.
‘Why not?’
She sat back, closed her eyes for a moment and couldn’t decide if she was exasperated or amused. He was such a difficult man to deal with, but she was certainly seeing another side of him since he had arrived at the camp. It was proving difficult not to like him, but her instincts were telling her to keep away from him because he would cause her trouble, and she’d had all the trouble she could handle just lately.
‘Nice bright outfit you’re wearing.’
His soft voice brought her out of her reverie, making her open her eyes and give an inelegant snort. ‘You mean gaudy, don’t you?’
‘No, I don’t. It’s appropriate for what you are doing. Now, I’ve paid you and want my fortune told.’
Oh, why not, she thought. If he wanted to play games then she would oblige. She reached out and took his hand, studying it carefully and tracing the lines. ‘You’ve had a lot of trauma in your life, but that is now over and from now on I can see only peace and happiness for you. There’s one big decision you are going to have to make, so choose carefully because much of your happiness will depend on the choice you make.’
‘When am I going to be faced with this dilemma, and what is it?’
‘It is already with you.’ She sat back. ‘That’s all I can tell you.’
‘Hmm. Aren’t you going to look in your crystal ball?’ He pulled another coin out of his pocket and placed it on the table.
When Midnight Comes Page 25
