having seen a tall, serious-looking young man working alongside him.
Helen continued hesitantly, her blush deepening. ‘We – we’ve been walking out together. About two months.’
‘And you never told me?’ Eveleen pretended mock indignation.
Helen shrugged. ‘After what happened before, I suppose I was a bit frightened to say much about it. In case, well, you know?’
Eveleen nodded and put her arm about Helen’s waist. ‘I know, love, I know,’ she said huskily.
In the last few weeks she had observed the change in her friend. Helen was a pretty young woman with fair hair, a small nose and, usually, a laughing mouth. She had always been Eveleen’s
staunch ally, but since the untimely death of her fiance´, the once bright, vivacious Helen had been subdued, the grief haunting her. Lately, however, the mischievous sparkle had come back
into her blue eyes and Eveleen had secretly crossed her fingers that the cause of it was some nice young man.
But now the bleak fear was back as Helen said softly, ‘It’s just the sort of thing Leslie’ll do. I just know he will.’
As Eveleen hugged her friend, trying to offer what comfort she could, she was nevertheless thinking: Yes, and it’s what Richard will do too.
Andrew arrived at the farm the following Sunday.
‘I’m volunteering,’ he told them proudly. ‘I’m off to fight for my country.’
The colour drained from Bridie’s face as she flung herself against him and wrapped her arms around him as if she would physically hold him there. ‘No, no. I don’t want you to
go. You don’t have to. I know you don’t. Josh said you wouldn’t have to go.’
Andrew was startled by her passionate outcry and even more surprised when her grandmother made no effort to restrain her. Instead Mary said, ‘The child’s right, Andrew. What on earth
do you want to go for?’ She glanced at Bridie. ‘She’s not got many of us in the way of family, poor kid. You’re family to her. As good as.’
Bridie lifted her head and stared at her. They were the kindest words she’d heard spoken about herself by her grandmother for a long time, indeed if not ever.
‘I feel I have to,’ Andrew said. ‘I want to. I want to get away from Flawford. I’ve lived and worked in that same little yard all me life. I want to see something of the
world.’
‘And you think going to war is a good way to see the world, do you?’ Mary countered.
‘I want to do something with my life. Something worthwhile.’
‘Oh aye.’ Mary was not going to give in. ‘Throw it away, more like.’
‘Well, wouldn’t it be a worthwhile cause? In the defence of one’s homeland?’
‘No, no, no !’ Bridie shouted and clung to him all the tighter. ‘I won’t let you go. I won’t. I won’t!’
‘Now, now, love . . .’ It was Josh who prised her clinging arms from Andrew. ‘Let’s sit down and talk about this quite calmly. You’ve got to respect a
fellow’s wishes. If Andrew feels it’s his duty to go—’
‘Duty! Pah!’ Mary was vehement. ‘It’ll be our Jimmy’s duty, I’d agree with you there. Though I wish it wasn’t so. But he joined up, signed on or
whatever they call it, into the Royal Navy and I daresay when you do that part of your pledge is to answer your country’s call if need be. But why you?’ She flung out her hand towards
Andrew. ‘Why civilians?’
‘They’re asking for volunteers,’ Andrew said. ‘There’s several of us going from the yard.’
‘What’s going to happen to my brother’s workshops then, if you young fellers all go rushing off to the war? Have you stopped to think of that, eh?’
‘Well.’ Andrew shrugged evasively. It was obvious that he had not. ‘There’ll be enough older men left. I expect the work’ll drop off anyway.’
‘That’s just where you’re wrong. What’s wanted might alter a bit, but you all make knitted garments, don’t you? Don’t you think there’s going to be a
heck of a lot of garments
Helen continued hesitantly, her blush deepening. ‘We – we’ve been walking out together. About two months.’
‘And you never told me?’ Eveleen pretended mock indignation.
Helen shrugged. ‘After what happened before, I suppose I was a bit frightened to say much about it. In case, well, you know?’
Eveleen nodded and put her arm about Helen’s waist. ‘I know, love, I know,’ she said huskily.
In the last few weeks she had observed the change in her friend. Helen was a pretty young woman with fair hair, a small nose and, usually, a laughing mouth. She had always been Eveleen’s
staunch ally, but since the untimely death of her fiance´, the once bright, vivacious Helen had been subdued, the grief haunting her. Lately, however, the mischievous sparkle had come back
into her blue eyes and Eveleen had secretly crossed her fingers that the cause of it was some nice young man.
But now the bleak fear was back as Helen said softly, ‘It’s just the sort of thing Leslie’ll do. I just know he will.’
As Eveleen hugged her friend, trying to offer what comfort she could, she was nevertheless thinking: Yes, and it’s what Richard will do too.
Andrew arrived at the farm the following Sunday.
‘I’m volunteering,’ he told them proudly. ‘I’m off to fight for my country.’
The colour drained from Bridie’s face as she flung herself against him and wrapped her arms around him as if she would physically hold him there. ‘No, no. I don’t want you to
go. You don’t have to. I know you don’t. Josh said you wouldn’t have to go.’
Andrew was startled by her passionate outcry and even more surprised when her grandmother made no effort to restrain her. Instead Mary said, ‘The child’s right, Andrew. What on earth
do you want to go for?’ She glanced at Bridie. ‘She’s not got many of us in the way of family, poor kid. You’re family to her. As good as.’
Bridie lifted her head and stared at her. They were the kindest words she’d heard spoken about herself by her grandmother for a long time, indeed if not ever.
‘I feel I have to,’ Andrew said. ‘I want to. I want to get away from Flawford. I’ve lived and worked in that same little yard all me life. I want to see something of the
world.’
‘And you think going to war is a good way to see the world, do you?’ Mary countered.
‘I want to do something with my life. Something worthwhile.’
‘Oh aye.’ Mary was not going to give in. ‘Throw it away, more like.’
‘Well, wouldn’t it be a worthwhile cause? In the defence of one’s homeland?’
‘No, no, no !’ Bridie shouted and clung to him all the tighter. ‘I won’t let you go. I won’t. I won’t!’
‘Now, now, love . . .’ It was Josh who prised her clinging arms from Andrew. ‘Let’s sit down and talk about this quite calmly. You’ve got to respect a
fellow’s wishes. If Andrew feels it’s his duty to go—’
‘Duty! Pah!’ Mary was vehement. ‘It’ll be our Jimmy’s duty, I’d agree with you there. Though I wish it wasn’t so. But he joined up, signed on or
whatever they call it, into the Royal Navy and I daresay when you do that part of your pledge is to answer your country’s call if need be. But why you?’ She flung out her hand towards
Andrew. ‘Why civilians?’
‘They’re asking for volunteers,’ Andrew said. ‘There’s several of us going from the yard.’
‘What’s going to happen to my brother’s workshops then, if you young fellers all go rushing off to the war? Have you stopped to think of that, eh?’
‘Well.’ Andrew shrugged evasively. It was obvious that he had not. ‘There’ll be enough older men left. I expect the work’ll drop off anyway.’
‘That’s just where you’re wrong. What’s wanted might alter a bit, but you all make knitted garments, don’t you? Don’t you think there’s going to be a
heck of a lot of garments
Similar Books
