The Long Walk Home
Page 34
‘Yes.’ Her eyes were merry. ‘I can’t imagine what my mother would think if she saw me; but I love it. Do you think I would make somebody a good wife, Mikey?’
He was completely thrown by her remark. She was joking, of course. ‘Yes,’ he parried hoarsely. ‘I think mebbe you would.’
‘Well, I’ve had to learn to be economical,’ she said, ‘because there’s been very little money.’ Her cheeks flushed as she spoke. ‘All of my allowance goes on the house and the children’s needs.’
‘So you’d have to marry a man of substance, Ellie, if you wanted luxuries.’
She considered. ‘I suppose so. But then,’ she said light-heartedly, ‘I’ve never had those anyway. My father was never lavish or extravagant with material things, though perhaps my mother might have liked him to be, so I wouldn’t miss what I’ve never had.’
‘Ellie,’ he said slowly. ‘Erm, where is everybody?’ He didn’t want to be disturbed.
‘Mary and Rosie are giving the children their supper and Grandfather is in his room having his. Why?’
‘I, erm, I wanted to tell you what happened at work today.’
‘Oh!’ She made the tea and put the teapot on the table and brought out a cake tin. ‘Come and sit down and have a slice of currant loaf. I didn’t make it,’ she confessed. ‘Mary did.’
‘Will you listen to me, Ellie?’ he said, putting his hand over hers. ‘Leave that for a minute. I’ve summat to tell you. Something,’ he said, when he saw the tilt of her eyebrows. ‘Something really important.’
She gazed at him earnestly. ‘Tell me?’ she asked, and moistened her lips with her tongue. ‘Or ask me?’
‘Tell you,’ he said. ‘I’ve been made manager of ’company. Bert Straw is leaving and I’m to have his job! It’s been offered and I’ve accepted and it’ll be announced on Monday. It’ll mean an increase in salary and I’m to have my own office with my name on ’door.’ His eyes gleamed. ‘Bert told me weeks ago that he was recommending me and I’ve been keeping it under my hat in case it didn’t happen. But it has,’ he crowed jubilantly. ‘It has!’
‘Oh, Mikey!’ Her voice was husky. ‘I’m so proud of you. I knew you would do well, and so did Grandfather. He said you were very resourceful and bound to succeed in whatever you did.’
‘Did he?’ Mikey was astonished.
‘Yes,’ she answered softly. ‘He has a great regard for you.’
Mikey considered. The one stumbling block that he thought was in front of him; was it crumbling away? ‘Really?’
‘Yes.’ She smiled. ‘Really! Ever since you took up his offer of education, and studied at the Mechanics’ Institute.’
Mikey nodded. ‘I couldn’t have done it without his help in providing me with a tutor to get me started. I’ll be forever grateful to him.’ He gazed at her. ‘You must tek after him, Ellie, and not your mother or father at all.’
‘I hope so,’ she said softly. ‘He’s a good person.’
‘Ellie,’ he said. ‘Now I want to ask you something. I’m in a position to ask you a question now. I’ll be earning good money as manager. Enough to support a wife and family.’
‘Yes?’ she breathed. ‘So what are you saying, Mikey? Or asking, I mean?’
He stood up and came round to where she was sitting at the other side of the table. He reached for her hands and pulled her to her feet.
‘I’m asking you, Miss Kendall, if you will do me ’great honour of being my wife? Subject to your grandfather’s approval, o’ course!’ he added anxiously.
‘Oh, but he does approve, Mikey,’ she whispered. ‘I’ve already asked him if he does.’
‘You’ve asked him?’ His heart beat faster as he drew her close. ‘Why did you ask him that?’
‘Because I had decided that as it was your coming of age tomorrow, I was going to throw away convention and ask you to marry me! That’s why I’m baking! I’m making a celebration cake for a birthday or an engagement or both. I asked Grandfather’s opinion and he said that although it was unheard of in his day, times were changing. And he also said’ – she laughed softly and put her arms round him – ‘he said that I should do it now because as you were such a good catch you were sure to be snatched up very soon.’
Mikey bent to kiss the tip of her nose, then each cheek, and finally, something he had wanted to do for a long time, her lips.
‘I don’t believe a word you are saying, Miss Kendall,’ he murmured. ‘I think you’re mekking it up! But I don’t care. I love you.’
‘And I love you, Mikey – my rabbit boy.’ She looked deeply into his eyes and remembered how she had looked into them all those years ago when they were only children. He had reassured her then, as he’d looked back at her, that all was well. And now she knew that it was.
THE END
About the Author
Valerie Wood was born in Yorkshire, where she still lives. Her first novel, The Hungry Tide, was the first winner of the Catherine Cookson Prize for Fiction.
For more information on Val Wood and her books, see her website at www.valeriewood.co.uk
Also by Val Wood
THE HUNGRY TIDE
ANNIE
CHILDREN OF THE TIDE
THE ROMANY GIRL
EMILY
GOING HOME
ROSA’S ISLAND
THE DOORSTEP GIRLS
FAR FROM HOME
THE KITCHEN MAID
THE SONGBIRD
NOBODY’S CHILD
FALLEN ANGELS
THE LONG WALK HOME
RICH GIRL, POOR GIRL
HOMECOMING GIRLS
and published by Corgi Books
TRANSWORLD PUBLISHERS
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THE LONG WALK HOME
A CORGI BOOK: 9780552156790
Version 1.0 Epub ISBN 9781409080879
First published in Great Britain
in 2008 by Bantam Press
a division of Transworld Publishers
Corgi edition published 2009
Copyright © Valerie Wood 2008
Valerie Wood has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work.
This book is a work of fiction and, except in the case of historical fact, any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
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