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Authors: Margaret Dickinson
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they heard the sound of clopping hooves coming down the lane and turned to see Bridie running ahead of a man leading a huge shire horse towards them. Walking beside him was a
young boy about Bridie’s age.
‘It’s Ted.’ Eveleen clapped her hands. ‘And that must be his son, Micky. Oh, it’s ages since I last saw them.’
Richard smiled at his wife indulgently and, as she hurried towards them, her hands outstretched, he murmured wryly, ‘Ah well, it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.’
The motor had been pulled easily back onto the road and Richard, after a better inspection, declared that he thought no serious damage had been done. ‘Mind you, if a
wheel falls off between here and Nottingham, I’ll know who to blame.’
He held out his hand to Ted Morton. ‘Thank you so much for your help.’
‘Glad to be of service, Mr Richard,’ Ted said. Then he glanced at Eveleen and winked. ‘But you don’t have to cause an accident to get to see me, Evie. Come and visit me
and Alice soon, won’t you? And me mam and dad are always asking after you.’
Ted and Eveleen had grown up together and their fathers, living and working on the same farm estate, had been good friends. As a youth, Ted had flirted with her, but Eveleen had always managed
to answer his saucy comments with good-humoured banter.
She laughed now. ‘I see you haven’t changed, Ted Morton. But we will come and see you all. I promise.’
As they lay together in bed that night, their arms about each other, Eveleen said, ‘I don’t know whatever possessed my mother to say such a thing to poor Bridie.
Mind you,’ she added bitterly, ‘I ought to know.’
‘I can hardly believe she would say such a thing.’
‘Oh, she would. Believe me.’
‘I’ve never seen that side of your mother.’
‘You wouldn’t. You’re a man.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘My mother dotes on men of all ages. She’s no time for girls.’ Eveleen’s sigh came from deep inside. ‘If we had been lucky enough to have a son, she would have been
besotted with him. But a girl? No.’
Richard’s arms tightened about her. ‘Don’t say that in the past tense, my darling. There’s plenty of time.’
‘Is there? I’m the wrong side of thirty now.’
In the darkness, he kissed her forehead. ‘Remind me to order you that bath chair.’
Eveleen dug him in the ribs.
‘Ouch!’
‘Serves you right.’ She paused and then added seriously, ‘But I did take to heart what you said the other day. I’ve made plans to cut down my workload a little. I’m
giving Helen more responsibility.’
‘I’m glad. It might help her too.’
They were silent, each thinking about Eveleen’s friend. Shortly after their own marriage, Helen had begun walking out with a young man who worked in the factory. She had been ecstatically
happy and they had been planning to be married, when the young man had been taken ill. Consumption had been diagnosed and the last sight Helen had had of him had been waving to him through the
window of the hospital, where no visitors were allowed.
He had died during the week they had planned to be married.
‘She went through a dreadful time,’ Eveleen murmured, ‘but just lately she’s begun to look a little happier. I think she might have met someone else. She’s not
saying much, not even to me, but I can’t blame her for that. She must feel rather afraid to love again.’
‘Like someone else I know, though for a very different reason.’
Now Richard was kissing her mouth and all talk was stopped, except his murmured words of love.
Ten
‘Mam, we’ve been thinking. We’d like Bridie to come and stay with us for a holiday.’
They were visiting one Sunday and Eveleen broached the subject as she helped her mother to wash up after dinner.
Mary crashed a plate down on the draining board and glanced over her shoulder. ‘So that’s what the little madam’s been up to, is it?’
Eveleen kept her expression as
young boy about Bridie’s age.
‘It’s Ted.’ Eveleen clapped her hands. ‘And that must be his son, Micky. Oh, it’s ages since I last saw them.’
Richard smiled at his wife indulgently and, as she hurried towards them, her hands outstretched, he murmured wryly, ‘Ah well, it’s an ill wind that blows nobody any good.’
The motor had been pulled easily back onto the road and Richard, after a better inspection, declared that he thought no serious damage had been done. ‘Mind you, if a
wheel falls off between here and Nottingham, I’ll know who to blame.’
He held out his hand to Ted Morton. ‘Thank you so much for your help.’
‘Glad to be of service, Mr Richard,’ Ted said. Then he glanced at Eveleen and winked. ‘But you don’t have to cause an accident to get to see me, Evie. Come and visit me
and Alice soon, won’t you? And me mam and dad are always asking after you.’
Ted and Eveleen had grown up together and their fathers, living and working on the same farm estate, had been good friends. As a youth, Ted had flirted with her, but Eveleen had always managed
to answer his saucy comments with good-humoured banter.
She laughed now. ‘I see you haven’t changed, Ted Morton. But we will come and see you all. I promise.’
As they lay together in bed that night, their arms about each other, Eveleen said, ‘I don’t know whatever possessed my mother to say such a thing to poor Bridie.
Mind you,’ she added bitterly, ‘I ought to know.’
‘I can hardly believe she would say such a thing.’
‘Oh, she would. Believe me.’
‘I’ve never seen that side of your mother.’
‘You wouldn’t. You’re a man.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘My mother dotes on men of all ages. She’s no time for girls.’ Eveleen’s sigh came from deep inside. ‘If we had been lucky enough to have a son, she would have been
besotted with him. But a girl? No.’
Richard’s arms tightened about her. ‘Don’t say that in the past tense, my darling. There’s plenty of time.’
‘Is there? I’m the wrong side of thirty now.’
In the darkness, he kissed her forehead. ‘Remind me to order you that bath chair.’
Eveleen dug him in the ribs.
‘Ouch!’
‘Serves you right.’ She paused and then added seriously, ‘But I did take to heart what you said the other day. I’ve made plans to cut down my workload a little. I’m
giving Helen more responsibility.’
‘I’m glad. It might help her too.’
They were silent, each thinking about Eveleen’s friend. Shortly after their own marriage, Helen had begun walking out with a young man who worked in the factory. She had been ecstatically
happy and they had been planning to be married, when the young man had been taken ill. Consumption had been diagnosed and the last sight Helen had had of him had been waving to him through the
window of the hospital, where no visitors were allowed.
He had died during the week they had planned to be married.
‘She went through a dreadful time,’ Eveleen murmured, ‘but just lately she’s begun to look a little happier. I think she might have met someone else. She’s not
saying much, not even to me, but I can’t blame her for that. She must feel rather afraid to love again.’
‘Like someone else I know, though for a very different reason.’
Now Richard was kissing her mouth and all talk was stopped, except his murmured words of love.
Ten
‘Mam, we’ve been thinking. We’d like Bridie to come and stay with us for a holiday.’
They were visiting one Sunday and Eveleen broached the subject as she helped her mother to wash up after dinner.
Mary crashed a plate down on the draining board and glanced over her shoulder. ‘So that’s what the little madam’s been up to, is it?’
Eveleen kept her expression as
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