slow, heavy, dragging . . .
Panicking, Eve ran blindly out into the middle of the road, and straight into the path of a bicycle.
She heard a screech of brakes, and the next thing she knew she was sitting in the middle of the road, a tall shape bending over her.
‘Are you all right?’ a male voice asked.
‘I’m fine, thank you. Just a bit shaken, that’s all.’ Eve scrambled to her feet, brushing herself down.
‘I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t see you until it was too late. Did I hit you? I thought I was going slowly.’
‘Really, I’m quite all right. It was my fault for dashing out into the road.’
She paused, listening. The heavy, dragging footsteps had vanished. Just her imagination after all, she decided. And now the moon had emerged from behind a cloud, she could finally make out where she was, too.
‘It’s Eve, isn’t it?’
She looked up into the face of the stranger. In the dim, silvery moonlight, she could vaguely make out his tall, slim outline looming over her.
‘I’m Oliver – Reverend Stanton’s son? We met on Sunday at church.’
‘Oh, yes. Of course.’ She recognised him now she could just about make out his features in the gloom.
‘Perhaps I could walk you home, since we’re both heading the same way?’ Oliver offered.
‘Really, there’s no need.’
‘But it’s the least I can do, after giving you a scare like that—’
‘I said no!’ Eve cut him off, nerves making her abrupt. ‘Really, I’m fine,’ she said, more calmly.
‘Well, if you’re sure?’ She could hear from the faltering of his voice that she had offended him. But she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t imagine what her aunt would do if she turned up with a young man in tow. Even if it was Reverend Stanton’s son.
‘Quite sure, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be getting back. My aunt will be worried if I’m late.’
‘Of course. It was nice meeting you again,’ he called after her. But his voice was already lost in the distance as Eve hurried away.
Aunt Freda was waiting for her, sitting tall and gaunt in the high-backed armchair beside the unlit kitchen fireplace. She was half asleep, her Bible resting in her lap. But her eyes snapped open as soon as Eve walked in.
‘You’re late,’ she remarked.
‘I had to walk all the way back from my class, and I got lost in the dark.’
‘Got lost? I’ve never heard such nonsense. Surely you should know your way by now? Unless you’ve been up to no good,’ she said.
Eve thought guiltily about running into Oliver Stanton. She wondered if she should tell her aunt about it, but there was really nothing to tell.
Thankfully, for once her aunt changed the subject. ‘Now you’re back you can make yourself useful and put the kettle on,’ she said. ‘I have a slight headache.’ She pressed her fingers to her temples.
‘I’m sorry to hear that, Aunt. Shall I fetch you an aspirin?’
‘If I’d wanted an aspirin, I would have asked for one, wouldn’t I?’ Aunt Freda shot back. ‘Just make a cup of tea, and be quick about it.’
Eve picked up the kettle and filled it at the sink.
‘How much longer are these wretched classes going to go on?’ Aunt Freda asked. ‘You know I don’t approve of you being out until all hours.’
‘Tonight was the last one.’ Eve lit the gas and put the kettle on the hob to heat. ‘I start work at the hospital next week.’
She sensed it was the wrong thing to say. Aunt Freda was already vexed about her abandoning the shop to work as a VAD three days a week.
‘Yes, well, we shall have to see about that,’ she muttered. But before she could say any more, there was a loud knock on the front door that startled them both. Aunt Freda sat bolt upright in her chair. ‘Who on earth is calling at this time of night?’ she said.
‘I’ll go, shall I?’ Eve started towards the door, but her aunt put out a hand to stop her.
‘Certainly not. It’s my house, and I shall answer my own front
Panicking, Eve ran blindly out into the middle of the road, and straight into the path of a bicycle.
She heard a screech of brakes, and the next thing she knew she was sitting in the middle of the road, a tall shape bending over her.
‘Are you all right?’ a male voice asked.
‘I’m fine, thank you. Just a bit shaken, that’s all.’ Eve scrambled to her feet, brushing herself down.
‘I’m terribly sorry, I didn’t see you until it was too late. Did I hit you? I thought I was going slowly.’
‘Really, I’m quite all right. It was my fault for dashing out into the road.’
She paused, listening. The heavy, dragging footsteps had vanished. Just her imagination after all, she decided. And now the moon had emerged from behind a cloud, she could finally make out where she was, too.
‘It’s Eve, isn’t it?’
She looked up into the face of the stranger. In the dim, silvery moonlight, she could vaguely make out his tall, slim outline looming over her.
‘I’m Oliver – Reverend Stanton’s son? We met on Sunday at church.’
‘Oh, yes. Of course.’ She recognised him now she could just about make out his features in the gloom.
‘Perhaps I could walk you home, since we’re both heading the same way?’ Oliver offered.
‘Really, there’s no need.’
‘But it’s the least I can do, after giving you a scare like that—’
‘I said no!’ Eve cut him off, nerves making her abrupt. ‘Really, I’m fine,’ she said, more calmly.
‘Well, if you’re sure?’ She could hear from the faltering of his voice that she had offended him. But she couldn’t help it. She couldn’t imagine what her aunt would do if she turned up with a young man in tow. Even if it was Reverend Stanton’s son.
‘Quite sure, thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be getting back. My aunt will be worried if I’m late.’
‘Of course. It was nice meeting you again,’ he called after her. But his voice was already lost in the distance as Eve hurried away.
Aunt Freda was waiting for her, sitting tall and gaunt in the high-backed armchair beside the unlit kitchen fireplace. She was half asleep, her Bible resting in her lap. But her eyes snapped open as soon as Eve walked in.
‘You’re late,’ she remarked.
‘I had to walk all the way back from my class, and I got lost in the dark.’
‘Got lost? I’ve never heard such nonsense. Surely you should know your way by now? Unless you’ve been up to no good,’ she said.
Eve thought guiltily about running into Oliver Stanton. She wondered if she should tell her aunt about it, but there was really nothing to tell.
Thankfully, for once her aunt changed the subject. ‘Now you’re back you can make yourself useful and put the kettle on,’ she said. ‘I have a slight headache.’ She pressed her fingers to her temples.
‘I’m sorry to hear that, Aunt. Shall I fetch you an aspirin?’
‘If I’d wanted an aspirin, I would have asked for one, wouldn’t I?’ Aunt Freda shot back. ‘Just make a cup of tea, and be quick about it.’
Eve picked up the kettle and filled it at the sink.
‘How much longer are these wretched classes going to go on?’ Aunt Freda asked. ‘You know I don’t approve of you being out until all hours.’
‘Tonight was the last one.’ Eve lit the gas and put the kettle on the hob to heat. ‘I start work at the hospital next week.’
She sensed it was the wrong thing to say. Aunt Freda was already vexed about her abandoning the shop to work as a VAD three days a week.
‘Yes, well, we shall have to see about that,’ she muttered. But before she could say any more, there was a loud knock on the front door that startled them both. Aunt Freda sat bolt upright in her chair. ‘Who on earth is calling at this time of night?’ she said.
‘I’ll go, shall I?’ Eve started towards the door, but her aunt put out a hand to stop her.
‘Certainly not. It’s my house, and I shall answer my own front
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