brought and lit the oven.
‘Would you like me to show you the parish?’ she asked ten minutes later as she poured tea. ‘It’ll help you to make up for the time you’ve spent here.’
‘I thought you’d never offer.’ His tanned face was suddenly alight with laughter and she felt a queer catch at her heart.
‘I want to be of help to you,’ she said slowly, putting the teapot on its stand.
He caught hold of her hand and kissed it. ‘The first visit is to a Miss Fletcher.’
‘Her father’s the cobbler. They live over the shop. No problem there, except—’
‘Except what?’
Lily frowned. ‘Miss Fletcher loves nothing better than other people’s business. If I go in with you she’ll gossip.’
He stopped nibbling her fingers. ‘Did I stampede you last night? Have you had second thoughts?’
‘I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind.’ She felt unusually shy. ‘We haven’t known each other long.’
‘How long does it take to know something feels right?’ He pressed her hand between both of his. ‘I felt something there between us the moment I first saw you.’
‘I was attracted to your voice even before I set eyes on you.’ She hesitated. ‘Then when you took what I said about the kipper in the right spirit, I liked you a lot.’ Her voice trailed away at the pleasure in his eyes and suddenly she knew it was all right.
‘There’s no need for us to rush into marriage,’ he said.
‘No.’ She was relieved he understood and impulsively leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers. He caught her to him and kissed her deeply. Eventually they drew apart and she said unsteadily, ‘Best eat your pie or we’ll never get round the parish, and I’ve got to be back for the milking.’
He smiled and did as he was told.
By the time Lily arrived back Albert and Ben were home. ‘Where’ve you been?’ grunted her father. ‘No cup of tea waiting for us and it’s been a lousy day. Mrs Jones told us you went off with the preacher.’
‘Stop moaning, Dad!’ Ben glanced up from the newspaper. ‘Our Lil’s entitled to see who she likes.’
‘I want to know why she was with him?’ muttered Albert, draining his cup. ‘She knows my feelings about his sort.’
‘You’re narrow-minded, Dad,’ she murmured. ‘And Ben’s right, I can see who I like. But if you must know, the vicar dropped dead and Matt came to tell me. He’s staying on at the church to help.’
‘I’m not happy about him calling here,’ said Albert, scowling.
‘Be unhappy then,’ said Lily, catching hold of her apron and pulling it off its hook. She opened the back door and walked out, wanting to slam it, but Ben was right behind her.
He waited until they were halfway down the yard before saying, ‘You’re made up he’s staying, aren’t you?’
She hesitated, wondering whether to tell him of Matt’s proposal but decided it could wait. ‘I suppose I am,’ she murmured. ‘I like him a lot.’
‘It’s more than that you feel.’ He looked slightly unhappy. ‘But he’s educated, Lil. Think what you’re doing.’
She was irritated by his drawing her attention to something she knew but did not want to think about. ‘I am bright enough to have noticed that,’ she flashed back. ‘And to know men don’t like women who are too clever! I’m also smart enough to have kept this dairy and household going for years. I read about things! We can communicate.’
‘I didn’t mean you were stupid,’ said Ben, flushing. ‘I’m just saying he’s used to a different way of living than ours.’
‘Thank God,’ she muttered. ‘I could do with a change.’
Ben’s expression was suddenly gloomy. ‘There’s no talking to you.’
‘No, there isn’t! Now let’s get on with the milking and don’t say a word to Daisy about Matt or bring him up while Dad’s there. I can do without his remarks at the moment.’
Lily need not have worried about her father. When they went back inside the house he had
‘Would you like me to show you the parish?’ she asked ten minutes later as she poured tea. ‘It’ll help you to make up for the time you’ve spent here.’
‘I thought you’d never offer.’ His tanned face was suddenly alight with laughter and she felt a queer catch at her heart.
‘I want to be of help to you,’ she said slowly, putting the teapot on its stand.
He caught hold of her hand and kissed it. ‘The first visit is to a Miss Fletcher.’
‘Her father’s the cobbler. They live over the shop. No problem there, except—’
‘Except what?’
Lily frowned. ‘Miss Fletcher loves nothing better than other people’s business. If I go in with you she’ll gossip.’
He stopped nibbling her fingers. ‘Did I stampede you last night? Have you had second thoughts?’
‘I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind.’ She felt unusually shy. ‘We haven’t known each other long.’
‘How long does it take to know something feels right?’ He pressed her hand between both of his. ‘I felt something there between us the moment I first saw you.’
‘I was attracted to your voice even before I set eyes on you.’ She hesitated. ‘Then when you took what I said about the kipper in the right spirit, I liked you a lot.’ Her voice trailed away at the pleasure in his eyes and suddenly she knew it was all right.
‘There’s no need for us to rush into marriage,’ he said.
‘No.’ She was relieved he understood and impulsively leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers. He caught her to him and kissed her deeply. Eventually they drew apart and she said unsteadily, ‘Best eat your pie or we’ll never get round the parish, and I’ve got to be back for the milking.’
He smiled and did as he was told.
By the time Lily arrived back Albert and Ben were home. ‘Where’ve you been?’ grunted her father. ‘No cup of tea waiting for us and it’s been a lousy day. Mrs Jones told us you went off with the preacher.’
‘Stop moaning, Dad!’ Ben glanced up from the newspaper. ‘Our Lil’s entitled to see who she likes.’
‘I want to know why she was with him?’ muttered Albert, draining his cup. ‘She knows my feelings about his sort.’
‘You’re narrow-minded, Dad,’ she murmured. ‘And Ben’s right, I can see who I like. But if you must know, the vicar dropped dead and Matt came to tell me. He’s staying on at the church to help.’
‘I’m not happy about him calling here,’ said Albert, scowling.
‘Be unhappy then,’ said Lily, catching hold of her apron and pulling it off its hook. She opened the back door and walked out, wanting to slam it, but Ben was right behind her.
He waited until they were halfway down the yard before saying, ‘You’re made up he’s staying, aren’t you?’
She hesitated, wondering whether to tell him of Matt’s proposal but decided it could wait. ‘I suppose I am,’ she murmured. ‘I like him a lot.’
‘It’s more than that you feel.’ He looked slightly unhappy. ‘But he’s educated, Lil. Think what you’re doing.’
She was irritated by his drawing her attention to something she knew but did not want to think about. ‘I am bright enough to have noticed that,’ she flashed back. ‘And to know men don’t like women who are too clever! I’m also smart enough to have kept this dairy and household going for years. I read about things! We can communicate.’
‘I didn’t mean you were stupid,’ said Ben, flushing. ‘I’m just saying he’s used to a different way of living than ours.’
‘Thank God,’ she muttered. ‘I could do with a change.’
Ben’s expression was suddenly gloomy. ‘There’s no talking to you.’
‘No, there isn’t! Now let’s get on with the milking and don’t say a word to Daisy about Matt or bring him up while Dad’s there. I can do without his remarks at the moment.’
Lily need not have worried about her father. When they went back inside the house he had
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