surplus parts at the end of the exercise.
“That’ll be up to the engineer. He might let you watch him work on our generator, but you mustn’t get under his feet.”
“Great!”
“Will he be having his meals with us?” Katherine asked.
“I’ll ask him to join us for dinner on his first night here,” her mother said. “After that, it will be up to him. He may prefer to dine alone in the cottage.”
Chapter 2
“I thought Dad was going to collect him,” Anne said.
“He'd intended to, but he has to help Mrs Davies with her gate. It has come off its hinges. If she doesn’t get it repaired, the sheep will be away. Take David with you.”
“Do I have to? He’ll talk our visitor to death.”
“Better than a journey in silence.” Her mother knew Anne was shy around strangers. “Go and call him—he’s in the barn.”
Anne knew better than to argue.
“David? Where are you?”
“Up here.” Her brother looked down from the hay loft.
“Come down. We have to go to the quay.”
“Is the engineer here?”
“His boat will be docking soon. Hurry up. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”
David needed no encouragement; he flew down the ladder.
“Can I drive?”
“No. You know what Dad said.”
David had recently been allowed to drive the horse and carriage, but only when under his father’s supervision. Anne was an old hand.
“Here. Put this on.” She passed him his coat. A storm was brewing.
“The sea’s rough today,” Anne said as they approached the small dock. “I hope he has his sea legs.”
“I can’t see the boat,” David was shielding his eyes from the rain as he stared at the horizon.
“It might have been cancelled.”
“Wait! There it is!” David pointed.
It took Anne a few seconds to pick out the vessel. The small boat ran between West Isle and the mainland twice a week—less frequently during the winter months.
“Oh dear.” Anne spotted a figure with his head hanging over the side of the boat. She tethered the horse, and then led David down the steps to the quayside where the boat would soon dock.
As the boat came nearer, Anne could see the young man more clearly. His face was ashen, and he appeared unsteady on his feet.
Once the boat had been secured, the young man climbed out. He had a small suitcase and a toolbox.
“Mr Riley?” Anne asked. He was the only passenger, so the question was somewhat redundant.
He nodded. His lips were pressed tightly together as though he feared he might be sick at any moment.
“Can I carry your toolbox?” David asked.
Without warning, the young man dropped his case and tool box on the quayside, and rushed to the end of the quay.
Anne and David exchanged glances, but didn’t speak, as they waited for the young man to finish being sick.
When he made his way back to them, some of the colour had returned to his face.
“Sorry about that.” He attempted a smile. “I haven’t been on a boat before.”
“Can I take your toolbox?” David repeated.
“Sure. Help yourself.”
David grabbed the handle, but couldn’t lift it more than a few inches off the floor.
“It’s too heavy,” he said, as it clattered back to the ground.
“It’s okay.” The young man smiled. “I’ll take it. I’m feeling much better now.”
“Shall I take your suitcase to the carriage, Mr Riley?” Anne offered.
“Call me Tom please. Mr Riley sounds like you're talking to my father.”
“I’m Anne, and this is David.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” He picked up the suitcase and tool box. “Did you say carriage?”
“Yes. It’s just up there.”
“As in horse and carriage? Not a car?”
“There are no cars on West Isle.”
“None?”
“They aren’t allowed on the island.”
“Will it be very bumpy? After that boat journey, I'm not sure...”
“I’ll take it slowly,” Anne promised.
Chapter 3
On the way back, Tom sat up front with Anne.
“Do you do a lot of travelling for your
“That’ll be up to the engineer. He might let you watch him work on our generator, but you mustn’t get under his feet.”
“Great!”
“Will he be having his meals with us?” Katherine asked.
“I’ll ask him to join us for dinner on his first night here,” her mother said. “After that, it will be up to him. He may prefer to dine alone in the cottage.”
Chapter 2
“I thought Dad was going to collect him,” Anne said.
“He'd intended to, but he has to help Mrs Davies with her gate. It has come off its hinges. If she doesn’t get it repaired, the sheep will be away. Take David with you.”
“Do I have to? He’ll talk our visitor to death.”
“Better than a journey in silence.” Her mother knew Anne was shy around strangers. “Go and call him—he’s in the barn.”
Anne knew better than to argue.
“David? Where are you?”
“Up here.” Her brother looked down from the hay loft.
“Come down. We have to go to the quay.”
“Is the engineer here?”
“His boat will be docking soon. Hurry up. We don’t want to keep him waiting.”
David needed no encouragement; he flew down the ladder.
“Can I drive?”
“No. You know what Dad said.”
David had recently been allowed to drive the horse and carriage, but only when under his father’s supervision. Anne was an old hand.
“Here. Put this on.” She passed him his coat. A storm was brewing.
“The sea’s rough today,” Anne said as they approached the small dock. “I hope he has his sea legs.”
“I can’t see the boat,” David was shielding his eyes from the rain as he stared at the horizon.
“It might have been cancelled.”
“Wait! There it is!” David pointed.
It took Anne a few seconds to pick out the vessel. The small boat ran between West Isle and the mainland twice a week—less frequently during the winter months.
“Oh dear.” Anne spotted a figure with his head hanging over the side of the boat. She tethered the horse, and then led David down the steps to the quayside where the boat would soon dock.
As the boat came nearer, Anne could see the young man more clearly. His face was ashen, and he appeared unsteady on his feet.
Once the boat had been secured, the young man climbed out. He had a small suitcase and a toolbox.
“Mr Riley?” Anne asked. He was the only passenger, so the question was somewhat redundant.
He nodded. His lips were pressed tightly together as though he feared he might be sick at any moment.
“Can I carry your toolbox?” David asked.
Without warning, the young man dropped his case and tool box on the quayside, and rushed to the end of the quay.
Anne and David exchanged glances, but didn’t speak, as they waited for the young man to finish being sick.
When he made his way back to them, some of the colour had returned to his face.
“Sorry about that.” He attempted a smile. “I haven’t been on a boat before.”
“Can I take your toolbox?” David repeated.
“Sure. Help yourself.”
David grabbed the handle, but couldn’t lift it more than a few inches off the floor.
“It’s too heavy,” he said, as it clattered back to the ground.
“It’s okay.” The young man smiled. “I’ll take it. I’m feeling much better now.”
“Shall I take your suitcase to the carriage, Mr Riley?” Anne offered.
“Call me Tom please. Mr Riley sounds like you're talking to my father.”
“I’m Anne, and this is David.”
“Pleased to meet you both.” He picked up the suitcase and tool box. “Did you say carriage?”
“Yes. It’s just up there.”
“As in horse and carriage? Not a car?”
“There are no cars on West Isle.”
“None?”
“They aren’t allowed on the island.”
“Will it be very bumpy? After that boat journey, I'm not sure...”
“I’ll take it slowly,” Anne promised.
Chapter 3
On the way back, Tom sat up front with Anne.
“Do you do a lot of travelling for your
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