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Authors: Lily Baxter
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about to commence.’
Forgetting her irritation, Miranda smiled. Perhaps she had misjudged him, she thought, giving him a sideways glance as he concentrated on the road ahead. He was not handsome like Jack, who had the archetypal good looks of a film star, but Raif Carstairs had a strong profile, a determined chin and a twinkle in his dark eyes. He had taken off his peaked cap, revealing a high forehead and wavy brown hair. He seemed to sense that she was staring at him and he took his eyes off the road long enough to give her an encouraging grin. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get them there, although I have a nasty feeling this contraption is being held together with string and rubber bands.’ He swore softly beneath his breath as he crashed the gears. ‘Sorry. I forgot I had a lady in the cab. I’m not used to driving a truck, but let’s hope it doesn’t conk out before we get you home.’
‘You’ll have plenty of people to get out and push.’ Miranda leaned out of the window as they pulled out on to the Esplanade. ‘There they are.’
He indicated and drew the cumbersome vehicle to a halt at the kerbside. Miranda jumped down to the pavement. ‘This is the best we could do, Granny.’
Maggie did not look too impressed. ‘Is it safe? And who is that man?’ She squinted short-sightedly at Raif as he climbed out of the driver’s seat, pausing for a moment to put on his cap.
‘It’s Flight Lieutenant Carstairs, Granny. He gave Rita and me a lift when the wheel came off Tommy’s cart.’
Maggie’s lips tightened into a thin line of disapproval. ‘So that’s the fellow.’
‘How do you do, Mrs Beddoes?’ Raif tipped his cap, but his smile faded as he met her ice-cool gaze.
‘How do you do?’ She turned to Miranda, lowering her voice. ‘That contraption doesn’t look roadworthy.’
‘It’s probably the last vehicle in town, Granny. I think you ought to thank Mr Carstairs for putting himself out like this.’ Flushing with embarrassment, Miranda shot a sideway glance at Raif but if he had heard he did not seem unduly put out by her grandmother’s ungrateful reaction.
‘I’m glad to be able to help in an emergency,’ he said smoothly. ‘But I think we’d best get the women and children on board as quickly as possible, don’t you?’
Maggie answered with an almost imperceptible nod of her head. ‘I suppose so.’
He moved swiftly to the rear and opened the tailgate. ‘I’m afraid this isn’t exactly the height of luxury, but we should be able to get everyone in.’
Maggie peered into the truck. ‘Whoever used it last didn’t bother to clean up after them.’ She beckoned to Tommy who was leaning against the railings with Rita at his side. ‘Make yourself useful. There’s a pile of sacks in the far corner. Climb up and spread them on the floor so that the ladies have something to sit on.’
Tommy scowled at her. ‘I ain’t here for me health, missis. What’s in it for me?’
‘Nothing, but you might get a better character reference when you next come up before Major Beddoes if you do as I ask.’
He sidled across the pavement and climbed into the truck. When he had finished Miranda was quick to observe that Raif slipped him a florin for his pains and Tommy sauntered off to get his cart.
With Raif’s help they managed to get the women and children settled, with Miranda and Rita the last to clamber onto the truck. Maggie sat in the cab with Raif and they set off for Highcliffe with everyone clinging on for dear life.
Halfway along the beach road Rita decided that the older children would benefit from a singsong and after a lot of encouragement she had them carolling ‘Ten Green Bottles’ at the tops of their voices. Miranda had never experienced anything like it and was frankly embarrassed by such loud behaviour in public. She was uncomfortably aware that they were receiving some strange looks from people walking or cycling home from work. By the time Raif pulled up outside
Forgetting her irritation, Miranda smiled. Perhaps she had misjudged him, she thought, giving him a sideways glance as he concentrated on the road ahead. He was not handsome like Jack, who had the archetypal good looks of a film star, but Raif Carstairs had a strong profile, a determined chin and a twinkle in his dark eyes. He had taken off his peaked cap, revealing a high forehead and wavy brown hair. He seemed to sense that she was staring at him and he took his eyes off the road long enough to give her an encouraging grin. ‘Don’t worry. We’ll get them there, although I have a nasty feeling this contraption is being held together with string and rubber bands.’ He swore softly beneath his breath as he crashed the gears. ‘Sorry. I forgot I had a lady in the cab. I’m not used to driving a truck, but let’s hope it doesn’t conk out before we get you home.’
‘You’ll have plenty of people to get out and push.’ Miranda leaned out of the window as they pulled out on to the Esplanade. ‘There they are.’
He indicated and drew the cumbersome vehicle to a halt at the kerbside. Miranda jumped down to the pavement. ‘This is the best we could do, Granny.’
Maggie did not look too impressed. ‘Is it safe? And who is that man?’ She squinted short-sightedly at Raif as he climbed out of the driver’s seat, pausing for a moment to put on his cap.
‘It’s Flight Lieutenant Carstairs, Granny. He gave Rita and me a lift when the wheel came off Tommy’s cart.’
Maggie’s lips tightened into a thin line of disapproval. ‘So that’s the fellow.’
‘How do you do, Mrs Beddoes?’ Raif tipped his cap, but his smile faded as he met her ice-cool gaze.
‘How do you do?’ She turned to Miranda, lowering her voice. ‘That contraption doesn’t look roadworthy.’
‘It’s probably the last vehicle in town, Granny. I think you ought to thank Mr Carstairs for putting himself out like this.’ Flushing with embarrassment, Miranda shot a sideway glance at Raif but if he had heard he did not seem unduly put out by her grandmother’s ungrateful reaction.
‘I’m glad to be able to help in an emergency,’ he said smoothly. ‘But I think we’d best get the women and children on board as quickly as possible, don’t you?’
Maggie answered with an almost imperceptible nod of her head. ‘I suppose so.’
He moved swiftly to the rear and opened the tailgate. ‘I’m afraid this isn’t exactly the height of luxury, but we should be able to get everyone in.’
Maggie peered into the truck. ‘Whoever used it last didn’t bother to clean up after them.’ She beckoned to Tommy who was leaning against the railings with Rita at his side. ‘Make yourself useful. There’s a pile of sacks in the far corner. Climb up and spread them on the floor so that the ladies have something to sit on.’
Tommy scowled at her. ‘I ain’t here for me health, missis. What’s in it for me?’
‘Nothing, but you might get a better character reference when you next come up before Major Beddoes if you do as I ask.’
He sidled across the pavement and climbed into the truck. When he had finished Miranda was quick to observe that Raif slipped him a florin for his pains and Tommy sauntered off to get his cart.
With Raif’s help they managed to get the women and children settled, with Miranda and Rita the last to clamber onto the truck. Maggie sat in the cab with Raif and they set off for Highcliffe with everyone clinging on for dear life.
Halfway along the beach road Rita decided that the older children would benefit from a singsong and after a lot of encouragement she had them carolling ‘Ten Green Bottles’ at the tops of their voices. Miranda had never experienced anything like it and was frankly embarrassed by such loud behaviour in public. She was uncomfortably aware that they were receiving some strange looks from people walking or cycling home from work. By the time Raif pulled up outside
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