Read Online Land Girls by Angela Huth - Free Book Online

their energy for supper.
    If we’re this fagged, what must poor Mrs Lawrence be?’ asked Ag. ‘Up before us, never a moment off her feet. And now cooking. Perhaps we should go down and help.’
    ‘ Couldn’t, ’ sighed Prue. ‘Twenty-four cows milked dry first day – ninety-six teats non-stop, you realize? That’s me for day one. Finished.’
    None of them moved, despite the guilty thought.
    ‘We should be less stiff in a week or so,’ said Ag, rubbing a painful shoulder, ‘able to do more.’
    ‘ More? ’ giggled Prue. ‘We’re land girls, not slaves, I’ll have you know.’
    ‘I liked the day,’ said Stella, sleepy. ‘I liked the walk to get Noble, and then getting into a terrible muddle with the harness.’
    ‘Mr Lawrence can’t keep his eyes off you,’ said Prue, after a while.
    ‘What?’
    ‘Haven’t you noticed?’
    ‘Don’t be daft.’
    Ag laughed. ‘Your imagination, Prue,’ she said, from her end of the room. ‘I think Mr Lawrence is so giddied by our presence he doesn’t know where to look. He’s not used to women on the farm, or anywhere. But you can tell about him and Mrs Lawrence: soldered for life, I’d say. They don’t have to speak, or even look. They’re bound by the kind of wordless understanding that comes from years of happy marriage. My parents were like that, apparently.’
    Prue sat up. She pulled the pink bow from her hair. ‘Don’t know about all that,’ she said. ‘My mum and dad love each other no end, but they don’t half scream at each other night and day. Do you think we stay in these things for supper? I bloody stink . Cow, manure, Dettol – you name it, I reek of it. As for my nails …’ She looked down at her hands. ‘What are we going to do about our nails?’
    ‘Give up,’ said Stella, smiling.
    ‘Not bloody likely. Land girl or not, I’m going to keep my nails, any road. Anyhow, what did you two think of him?’
    ‘Who?’ asked Ag.
    ‘Joe, of course.’
    ‘Seems nice enough. Shy.’
    ‘ Nice enough? Are you blind? Don’t you recognize a real smasher when you see one? He’s something, Joe, don’t you realize, quite out of the ordinary ? No easy fish, I reckon, but I’ll take a bet. Joe Lawrence and I won’t be too long before we make it.’
    She looked from Stella to Ag, trying to read their reactions.
    ‘There’s Janet,’ Ag said at last, ‘isn’t there?’
    Prue giggled. ‘Janet? Did you take a look at her photo? She’s not what I’d call opposition.’
    ‘But they’re engaged,’ said Stella.
    ‘Long time till the spring.’ Prue continued to study her nails. ‘Anyhow, I’ll keep you in touch with progress, if you’re interested.’
    ‘Immoral,’ said Ag, half-smiling.
    ‘Are you shocked?’
    ‘Rather.’
    ‘All’s fair in love and war’s my motto. And this is a war, remember? Don’t know about you two, but I’m getting out of these stinking breeches. Green skirt, pink jersey, lashings of Nuits de Paris , whatever Mr Lawrence says, and Joe’ll be beside himself, you’ll see.’
    While the other two laughed, Prue took a shocking-pink lipstick from a drawstring bag and concentrated on a seductive outline of her mouth. ‘I’ve never gone for anyone so huge. What do you bet me?’ She challenged Stella, the most likely to take on the bet. But Stella’s mind had wandered far from Joe.
    ‘The only bet I’m interested in,’ she said, ‘is whether or not I get a letter from Philip tomorrow. But probably he won’t have time to write for ages.’
    She wanted to begin the letter she had composed that morning. But tiredness overcame her good intentions.
    By the time Prue had chosen the right pink from a row of nail polishes, and delivered her opinion about the hopelessness of men when it came to letter-writing, Stella was asleep. Ag, too, lay with her eyes shut and made no response. Pretty queer bunch, the three of them made, Prue couldn’t help thinking, as she dabbed each nail with the brush of flamingo