A Mother’s Gift: Two Classic Novels. Josephine Cox
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Название: A Mother’s Gift: Two Classic Novels
Автор: Josephine Cox
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Зарубежные любовные романы
isbn: 9780008171773
isbn:
And so, while Vicky set about helping Lucy, Barney rode into the village of Comberton on his bicycle to fetch the doctor.
By the time Vicky had bathed the wound on Lucy’s head, changed her into one of her own nightgowns, and tucked her up in bed, Lucy was more alert, though still dizzy and not yet able to focus properly. ‘Jamie!’ Her first concern was for her son.
Vicky quietened her. ‘He’s fine,’ she said. ‘If you want, I’ll ask Barney to go over and bring him to you, but for now, he’s safe with Tillie, isn’t he? She’s taking good care of him.’
Subdued, Lucy cast her mind back to when she fell. ‘I was running …’ she tried to explain. ‘Edward … he …’ She raised her head a short distance from the pillow and dropped it again as though it was too heavy for her shoulders. ‘He was behind me when I fell.’ She tried to look into the room. ‘Where is he?’
Vicky had no idea who this Edward was. ‘I don’t know,’ she replied kindly. ‘I expect he won’t be far away.’
Lucy despaired. ‘He’s gone, hasn’t he?’ she whispered sadly. ‘He’s gone – and he’s never coming back.’ In her deepest heart she had always known he would be gone at the first opportunity, but she had so much wanted to be wrong. Her heart and her head had been at odds about Edward from the day he had set his sights on her. It was so hard to give up hope, to see things as they really were.
‘I can’t answer that,’ Vicky answered softly. ‘We’ll find your Edward, I’m sure, the minute Barney comes back.’
However kindly her intention, Vicky’s assurances gave Lucy small comfort. Desolate, she closed her eyes and let the sleep roll over her. He was gone. Edward was gone; and it had all been too good to be true. He hadn’t even seen their son.
When Dr Lucas arrived he gave Lucy a swift yet thorough examination. ‘There doesn’t seem to be any lasting damage,’ he concluded, ‘though I would prefer her not to be too active, for at least a week.’
He handed Vicky a bottle of dark brown liquid. ‘Bathe the wound in this morning and night, but it must not be covered … fresh air is the best thing. Light food, and a little exercise, but she must rest. A week of that, and I expect her to be good as new.’ Having given his diagnosis and delivered the prescription, he bade them goodbye. ‘You know where I am if you should need me,’ he declared, in that abrupt manner of any good doctor.
Afterwards, while Vicky went downstairs to put the kettle on, Barney told Lucy what the doctor had said. ‘It might be best if you stay here with us for the week,’ he suggested, and Lucy thanked him. ‘If it isn’t too much trouble?’ she said tearfully.
‘No trouble at all,’ he promised. With a smile he added, ‘With three offspring and yon Jess, I can’t deny we’re a noisy family at times, but I’ll make sure you’re not too disturbed. One of us’ll nip over to the squire’s tomorrow morning and let ’em know you’ve had a little accident so they won’t expect to see you again for a few days, all right?’
Lucy thanked him again, and when he left her to rest, she cried until she thought her heart would break. Edward was gone, and with him, her own chance of a proper family. Her son would never know his father, and she would never experience the true happiness that she had witnessed between Barney and his Vicky.
Those two had something beautiful, a very special belonging that she could never even hope for.
IT WAS ONE of the happiest weeks Lucy had ever known. Having worked at the squire’s house for some time now, she had come to know the countryside well, but she had never lived as close to nature as she had done this past week. She loved it all: the sound of the pigeons cooing at early morning, the dew glistening on the grass and the sun coming up over the hill, sending out warmth and light, and making the heart feel good. After a couple of days, her concussion had passed, but the kindly doctor advised her to stay where she was. Bridget and Tillie had brought Jamie up to Overhill Farm and enjoyed some country hospitality. Out here, the shortages and hardships of the town-folk had, to some extent, been kept at bay.
In the evening she could see the lake in the distance, shimmering and twinkling under the moonlight. It was all a new and wonderful experience and she found herself waking earlier than she had ever done. At 5 a.m. she would run to the window where she would see Barney’s familiar figure as he went away to check his flock, the dog beside him and his master’s merry whistle echoing through the quiet morning air.
Later, when she was pushing Jamie on the old swing in the orchard, it was a pleasure to see Barney and his sons as they worked the fields, always with the dog running behind, and the lovely Vicky, busy all the day long, collecting eggs, tending her washing, cleaning house and baking treats for her large, loving family; ever busy, ever noisy, just as Barney had promised.
Barney and Vicky had three children. Thomas, at seventeen, was a serious and hardworking young man. Like the others he was devoted to his father who, in his eyes, could do no wrong. A handsome fellow, with sincere eyes and dark hair, he burned with ambitions of one day owning his own farm, unlike Barney who managed Overhill Farm for the wealthy local landowner Leonard Maitland, who lived at The Manse, down in the village.
Along with his brother Ronnie, Tom helped Barney run the farm; the two sons did all the basic tasks, like feeding the many animals, collecting food from the supplier, taking produce to market and chopping trees, selling some wood and logging the rest for the home fires. In addition it was their responsibility to generally maintain the house and buildings.
Winter or summer, there was always work to be done, and come harvest it was all hands that could be spared.
At fifteen, Ronnie was two years younger than his brother. With wild fair hair and his father’s blue eyes, he was accident-prone, fun-loving, sensitive, sincere and fiercely loyal. When he flirted outrageously, which was often, the girls fell at his feet. Though he loved his mother dearly, he was devoted to Barney, attempting to emulate him in everything he did.
Quiet and thoughtful, Susie was the only girl. Thirteen years of age and looking like a smaller replica of her mother, she adored her parents – especially Barney, who called her his ‘little angel’.
Susie loved to do things for her daddy. She would polish his Sunday shoes before they all went to church; make daisy chains for him when they were picnicking, run and meet him when he came home of an evening. She would scold him when she thought he was not looking after himself and, except for when she was learning the art of hat-making under the scrutiny of an old eccentric by the name of Doris Dandy, over in Everton, she was never far from her daddy’s side.
‘I’d rather farm than make hats,’ she told him once, and because he wanted her to acquire a regular skill that would stand her in good stead for the rest of her life, he would hear no more of such talk.
Lately, having become increasingly curious about the deeper things of the heart, Susie would often corner her daddy to discuss the mysteries and meaning of life. Sometimes out of his depth, Barney would talk and listen, and they would each learn from the other.
As for Lucy, in the short week she had lived under their roof, she had come to care deeply for Barney’s family. Everyone who knew them had a good word to say for them. The love and support they all СКАЧАТЬ