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Authors: Miranda Barnes
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much!' he said.
'What happened?' she asked. 'Do you want to talk about it? Can you tell me?'
He studied his hands. She wondered if she had gone too far, pressed too hard.
'A roadside bomb,' he said. 'The vehicle exploded and went up in flames. I was the lucky one. So they said. I got out alive.'
'This was in the Army?'
He nodded.
'Overseas?'
He nodded again and added, 'I can't tell you any more.'
'I don't need to know any more,' she assured him. 'It's in the past, anyway. It's the future that counts. You're finished with the Army now, aren't you?'
'Yeah. At least, they're finished with me. I'm no further use to them.' He shrugged. 'I was close to the end of my service anyway.'
He was carrying quite a load, she thought. Well, maybe he'd come to the right place to live if what he wanted was peace and quiet.
'People here will find out about you, you know.'
He looked startled.
'There's no need to hide yourself away. No point either. At the moment, you're a bit of a mystery. But once folk see you going about, they'll know who you are and soon get used to you.'
'Frightening the kids,' he said bitterly.
'Rubbish! Your face is a bit scarred, it's true, but who's going to worry about that once they get to know you? Come down to the village with me one of these days, Daniel. You'll see I'm right.'
He shrugged non-committally.
'I'll show you around,' she added. 'Take you to the village shop. Teach you how to buy a newspaper, and where to go for a stamp.'
He chuckled.
'OK? When you feel up to it?'
'I'll think about it.'
He walked with her to the front gate.
'There you are!' she heard a voice cry.
She turned. 'Lisa! And have you got Tom, as well?'
'We came to find you.'
'Well, you did. This is Mr. Ferguson ….'
'Daniel,' he said quietly.
'Hello, Daniel!' Lisa said brightly. 'Thank you for saving us all from the fire.'
'I must have frightened you, bursting in like that. I'm sorry.'
Lisa shook her head. 'It was exciting,' she said, 'and now we're getting a new kitchen.'
'Look on the bright side, eh?'
Laughter all round.
Tom, perhaps feeling a little out of it, said, 'Can we play in The Secret Wood again, Daniel?'
'The Secret Wood?' He looked at Anna.
'At the bottom of your garden,' she told him. 'The children used to play there.'
'Oh, yes. Of course you can now I've finished clearing up. I just wanted to make sure it was safe. It is now.'
'See?' Anna said quietly to him. 'That's three of us locals you've met now. Do you think you might grow to like us?'
He smiled. And it was good to see.
Chapter Fourteen
She was pleased and relieved that the children seemed to have no problem with Daniel, or with how he looked. She was also pleased by how he responded to them, and they to him. Surprised, as well. The children's ready acceptance of him as a new friend seemed to have given him the confidence to relax in their company. He could be quite funny at times. They liked that.
Besides, as she told him herself, he was a hero. That made a difference. He looked blankly at her.
'Lisa made sure all her friends knew who had rescued us from the fire. Those that Derek and Pippa hadn't told already. Within a day or two, everyone in the village must have known.'
'How embarrassing,' Daniel murmured. 'I did nothing. And the kitchen burned down anyway.'
'Only the kitchen, though. Besides, I know how much it must have taken for you to enter a house on fire. You're a hero to me, as well, Daniel Ferguson!'
'Just drop it,' he said curtly.
She did. But she knew he wasn't as offended as he made out.
Repair work on the house began very soon. Gerry Armstrong had taken one look and announced that there was no question : the ruined, smoke-blackened kitchen extension had to come down. The sooner, the better. What was still standing would only get in the way.
'Anyway,' he added with a cheerful grin, 'we can build you a better kitchen than the one you had.'
The surveyor from the insurance company agreed to the proposal
'What happened?' she asked. 'Do you want to talk about it? Can you tell me?'
He studied his hands. She wondered if she had gone too far, pressed too hard.
'A roadside bomb,' he said. 'The vehicle exploded and went up in flames. I was the lucky one. So they said. I got out alive.'
'This was in the Army?'
He nodded.
'Overseas?'
He nodded again and added, 'I can't tell you any more.'
'I don't need to know any more,' she assured him. 'It's in the past, anyway. It's the future that counts. You're finished with the Army now, aren't you?'
'Yeah. At least, they're finished with me. I'm no further use to them.' He shrugged. 'I was close to the end of my service anyway.'
He was carrying quite a load, she thought. Well, maybe he'd come to the right place to live if what he wanted was peace and quiet.
'People here will find out about you, you know.'
He looked startled.
'There's no need to hide yourself away. No point either. At the moment, you're a bit of a mystery. But once folk see you going about, they'll know who you are and soon get used to you.'
'Frightening the kids,' he said bitterly.
'Rubbish! Your face is a bit scarred, it's true, but who's going to worry about that once they get to know you? Come down to the village with me one of these days, Daniel. You'll see I'm right.'
He shrugged non-committally.
'I'll show you around,' she added. 'Take you to the village shop. Teach you how to buy a newspaper, and where to go for a stamp.'
He chuckled.
'OK? When you feel up to it?'
'I'll think about it.'
He walked with her to the front gate.
'There you are!' she heard a voice cry.
She turned. 'Lisa! And have you got Tom, as well?'
'We came to find you.'
'Well, you did. This is Mr. Ferguson ….'
'Daniel,' he said quietly.
'Hello, Daniel!' Lisa said brightly. 'Thank you for saving us all from the fire.'
'I must have frightened you, bursting in like that. I'm sorry.'
Lisa shook her head. 'It was exciting,' she said, 'and now we're getting a new kitchen.'
'Look on the bright side, eh?'
Laughter all round.
Tom, perhaps feeling a little out of it, said, 'Can we play in The Secret Wood again, Daniel?'
'The Secret Wood?' He looked at Anna.
'At the bottom of your garden,' she told him. 'The children used to play there.'
'Oh, yes. Of course you can now I've finished clearing up. I just wanted to make sure it was safe. It is now.'
'See?' Anna said quietly to him. 'That's three of us locals you've met now. Do you think you might grow to like us?'
He smiled. And it was good to see.
Chapter Fourteen
She was pleased and relieved that the children seemed to have no problem with Daniel, or with how he looked. She was also pleased by how he responded to them, and they to him. Surprised, as well. The children's ready acceptance of him as a new friend seemed to have given him the confidence to relax in their company. He could be quite funny at times. They liked that.
Besides, as she told him herself, he was a hero. That made a difference. He looked blankly at her.
'Lisa made sure all her friends knew who had rescued us from the fire. Those that Derek and Pippa hadn't told already. Within a day or two, everyone in the village must have known.'
'How embarrassing,' Daniel murmured. 'I did nothing. And the kitchen burned down anyway.'
'Only the kitchen, though. Besides, I know how much it must have taken for you to enter a house on fire. You're a hero to me, as well, Daniel Ferguson!'
'Just drop it,' he said curtly.
She did. But she knew he wasn't as offended as he made out.
Repair work on the house began very soon. Gerry Armstrong had taken one look and announced that there was no question : the ruined, smoke-blackened kitchen extension had to come down. The sooner, the better. What was still standing would only get in the way.
'Anyway,' he added with a cheerful grin, 'we can build you a better kitchen than the one you had.'
The surveyor from the insurance company agreed to the proposal
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