pursed his lips. ‘I didn’t know your address. How would it have found you?’
‘Everybody on Sandside knows me.’ Except the postman, she thought. We hardly ever get letters.
He took hold of her hand. ‘I’m here now. Are you pleased to see me?’
‘Yes,’ she murmured. ‘I am; it’s just been a long time.’
‘Have you reached sixteen?’ His eyes stayed on her face.
She nodded. ‘Last month.’
Jeannie suddenly dropped his hand. Ethan was striding towards her from the harbour. Her mother always said that he looked like a Viking and he does, she thought. He wore a beard in the winter; it was thick and fair, and his long hair was the same.
‘Jeannie?’ Ethan spoke to her but looked at Harry. He towered over the two of them.
‘This is Harry Carr, Ethan,’ she said nervously. ‘He’s a fisherman from Hull.’
Ethan put out his large hand to shake Harry’s. ‘Looking for work?’ he asked and his eyes were like steel.
‘No, no. Just here for ’day. Ship’s laid up till tomorrow.’
That’s what he said last time, Jeannie recalled. Does he lose pay when that happens? To her knowledge, Ethan was never without work. If his boat needed repair then he usually worked on it himself.
Ethan nodded and turned back in the direction from which he had come. ‘See you later, Jeannie?’ There was a question mark hovering and she gave a slight nod.
‘Is he your feller?’ Harry asked, gazing at Ethan’s broad back.
‘I’ve known him since we were bairns,’ she said casually. ‘We’re really good friends.’
‘Aye.’ Harry looked at her. ‘I can see that. But he thinks you’re his girl.’
She laughed, nervously. ‘I don’t think so. He’s a bit shy is Ethan. He probably feels comfortable with me.’ Those were her mother’s words coming out of her mouth. In truth she still didn’t know what to make of Ethan and his feelings towards her.
‘So are you mine?’ he asked, drawing her close.
Jeannie felt her body melting, her legs weak and her mind numb. She nodded. ‘I said I’d wait, didn’t I?’ she said softly. ‘And I have.’
He bent and kissed her cheek. He smiled. ‘Good. Come on, let’s tek a walk.’
She held his hand along Sandside and didn’t really care who saw them; they stopped for a plate of cockles which Harry chewed and then spat out. ‘Yuck,’ he said. ‘Never did like them.’
Jeannie laughed; her spirits had been raised sky-high. ‘Staple diet on Sandside. Cockles and crabs – and herring, of course.’
He put his arm round her. ‘We won’t live in Scarborough then. We’ll have to live in Hull.’
She felt as if the breath was drawn from her body. ‘What do you mean?’
‘When we get married.’ He grinned down at her.
‘You’ll have to ask my mother first.’
‘All right. Now?’
‘No – not today! I’ve got to think about it.’
‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘But don’t tek ower long. I’m an impatient man. I want you, Jeannie,’ he said softly. ‘Don’t mek me wait.’
Her mind worked swiftly. Her mother wouldn’t be pleased. She’d want to know all about him and what his prospects were, but Jeannie was determined to marry him. She thought of St Mary’s church up by the castle. That’s where she’d like to be married. A simple wedding, of course: they wouldn’t have much money. She imagined coming out on Harry’s arm and seeing her home town spread out below.
‘I won’t. I want to marry you, Harry,’ she said shyly. ‘Would you like to take a walk up to the castle? There’s a fine view from up there. You can see the North Bay as well as the South.’
‘All right,’ he agreed. ‘But I mustn’t miss my train. I’m catching an earlier one. I’ve been hanging around all afternoon looking for you.’
‘Are your friends with you?’
‘No.’ He seemed to hesitate. ‘I came on ’spur of ’moment this time. They’re all in work.’
She looked questioningly at him.
‘What I mean is,’ he qualified,
‘Everybody on Sandside knows me.’ Except the postman, she thought. We hardly ever get letters.
He took hold of her hand. ‘I’m here now. Are you pleased to see me?’
‘Yes,’ she murmured. ‘I am; it’s just been a long time.’
‘Have you reached sixteen?’ His eyes stayed on her face.
She nodded. ‘Last month.’
Jeannie suddenly dropped his hand. Ethan was striding towards her from the harbour. Her mother always said that he looked like a Viking and he does, she thought. He wore a beard in the winter; it was thick and fair, and his long hair was the same.
‘Jeannie?’ Ethan spoke to her but looked at Harry. He towered over the two of them.
‘This is Harry Carr, Ethan,’ she said nervously. ‘He’s a fisherman from Hull.’
Ethan put out his large hand to shake Harry’s. ‘Looking for work?’ he asked and his eyes were like steel.
‘No, no. Just here for ’day. Ship’s laid up till tomorrow.’
That’s what he said last time, Jeannie recalled. Does he lose pay when that happens? To her knowledge, Ethan was never without work. If his boat needed repair then he usually worked on it himself.
Ethan nodded and turned back in the direction from which he had come. ‘See you later, Jeannie?’ There was a question mark hovering and she gave a slight nod.
‘Is he your feller?’ Harry asked, gazing at Ethan’s broad back.
‘I’ve known him since we were bairns,’ she said casually. ‘We’re really good friends.’
‘Aye.’ Harry looked at her. ‘I can see that. But he thinks you’re his girl.’
She laughed, nervously. ‘I don’t think so. He’s a bit shy is Ethan. He probably feels comfortable with me.’ Those were her mother’s words coming out of her mouth. In truth she still didn’t know what to make of Ethan and his feelings towards her.
‘So are you mine?’ he asked, drawing her close.
Jeannie felt her body melting, her legs weak and her mind numb. She nodded. ‘I said I’d wait, didn’t I?’ she said softly. ‘And I have.’
He bent and kissed her cheek. He smiled. ‘Good. Come on, let’s tek a walk.’
She held his hand along Sandside and didn’t really care who saw them; they stopped for a plate of cockles which Harry chewed and then spat out. ‘Yuck,’ he said. ‘Never did like them.’
Jeannie laughed; her spirits had been raised sky-high. ‘Staple diet on Sandside. Cockles and crabs – and herring, of course.’
He put his arm round her. ‘We won’t live in Scarborough then. We’ll have to live in Hull.’
She felt as if the breath was drawn from her body. ‘What do you mean?’
‘When we get married.’ He grinned down at her.
‘You’ll have to ask my mother first.’
‘All right. Now?’
‘No – not today! I’ve got to think about it.’
‘Fair enough,’ he said. ‘But don’t tek ower long. I’m an impatient man. I want you, Jeannie,’ he said softly. ‘Don’t mek me wait.’
Her mind worked swiftly. Her mother wouldn’t be pleased. She’d want to know all about him and what his prospects were, but Jeannie was determined to marry him. She thought of St Mary’s church up by the castle. That’s where she’d like to be married. A simple wedding, of course: they wouldn’t have much money. She imagined coming out on Harry’s arm and seeing her home town spread out below.
‘I won’t. I want to marry you, Harry,’ she said shyly. ‘Would you like to take a walk up to the castle? There’s a fine view from up there. You can see the North Bay as well as the South.’
‘All right,’ he agreed. ‘But I mustn’t miss my train. I’m catching an earlier one. I’ve been hanging around all afternoon looking for you.’
‘Are your friends with you?’
‘No.’ He seemed to hesitate. ‘I came on ’spur of ’moment this time. They’re all in work.’
She looked questioningly at him.
‘What I mean is,’ he qualified,
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