Coming Home (20 page)

Ever
your
sincere
friend
,

Steven
.

P
.
S
.
I
had
a
surprise
visit
from
Natalie
.
This
is
the
third
time
she
has
called
on
her
way
home
from
her
work
in
Carlisle
.
Twice
I
was
working
in
the
fields
.
Mrs
McGuire
refused
to
tell
her
where
I
was
.
She
has
not
taken
to
Natalie
since
she
overheard
her
calling
Schoirhead
a
dump
.
I
am
invited
to
dinner
with
her
parents
next
Tuesday
evening
at
Martinwold
.
I
can’t
imagine
why
they
should
invite
me
.
I
am
not
looking
forward
to
it
,
but
the
food
should
be
good
!
If
it
is
not
too
late
when
I
leave
I
shall
try
to
call
on
your
parents
.
’

‘Oh no!’ Megan groaned aloud. ‘Natalie means to get him. If only I was finished at college,’ she wailed to Pauline, who was still her closest friend, in spite of the unfortunate episode with Derek. Apparently he had been transferred to another branch of the bank some distance away. Whether the transfer was automatic or whether he had applied for it Megan didn’t ask but she was relieved to know he would not be calling at the college unexpectedly.

‘It’s not so very long until the summer vacation,’ Pauline comforted. ‘I’ve got a job in a café so I can’t say I’m looking forward to all those weeks sweltering over teas and coffees. I need to earn some money though so it has to be done.’

‘Yes, I suppose I’m lucky being able to work for my parents,’ Megan said absently, her mind still on the Turners and their predatory daughter.

***

Steven discovered the invitation had been instigated by Mr Turner himself but Natalie had insisted on delivering it in person. Mrs Turner was an excellent cook and, judging by the three course meal she served, they didn’t seem greatly affected by rationing. Steven discovered they still had a live-in maid to help in the house. She came in to clear away the dishes but Mrs Turner beckoned Natalie to help her with the coffee and Steven guessed Mr Turner wished to speak to him alone.

‘
I feel I should keep an eye on your progress, Steven,’ he began and Steven felt himself stiffen at his patronising manner. ‘Natalie shows a lot of interest in your wee holding, and I did give you the reference to help you get your first tenancy.’ Steven squashed his irritation with an effort and answered his questions civilly. He didn’t mention his anxieties about the possibility of his cattle being affected by contagious abortion, or his anxiety concerning his father and Willowburn but he was not surprised to learn Murdoch Turner kept his own ear to the ground even on such matters

‘
I believe your neighbour is elderly and infirm?’

‘
Mr McGuire? I wouldn’t say he’s so old but he is crippled with arthritis.’

‘
He has difficulty getting his own work done though? He’ll not be fit to help you with haymaking then?’

‘
I wouldn’t expect him to help me.’ Steven frowned, wondering where this was leading.

‘
But you will need help. It’s important to get good hay and to be ready for the weather, if and when it comes.’

‘
Yes, I know that.’ Steven had wondered about the hay and harvest and he hoped Jimmy Kerr might lend a hand but he was only available at weekends and in the evenings. Although the change in the clocks meant it was light almost until midnight in midsummer it didn’t prevent the dew falling. His father had always warned against building damp hay into the stacks.

‘
Take my advice,’ Mr Turner went on. ‘Make enquiries about getting a POW to help.’

‘
A prisoner of war?’

‘
Yes. You’ll have to pay for the hours they work but the camp attendants drop them off at your farm in the morning and collect them at five o’clock. Some of them are good workers. I’ve had one or two myself.’

‘
Thank you, I’ll think about that. I imagine they’ll all be going home soon.’ He might mention the idea to the McGuires though.

‘
There’s another thing…’ Mr Turner broke into his thoughts. He sounded a little less assured now. ‘I was at a meeting a week ago. I ran into Mr Griffiths. You’ll know he’s the agent for the estate?’

‘
Yes of course. He’s the agent for Willowburn.’

‘
I understand he’s not happy with the way your brother is running the farm since your father had his stroke.’

‘
I’m not happy myself but it’s not my business so I keep quiet,’ Steven said stiffly. He was beginning to wish he’d never come. ‘If I criticised it would only make things unpleasant for my parents.’

‘
That’s more or less what I said to Griffiths.’ Steven stared at him, his eyebrows raised in question. Willowburn had nothing to do with Mr Turner – not unless he was on one of the committees which inspected the farms to see if they were producing as much as they should. Mr Turner met his gaze.

‘
You’re right, it’s none of my business, except that I wish you well Steven. Griffiths was wondering whether your father was likely to get well enough to manage the farm again?’

‘
That’s not very likely,’ Steven frowned. ‘He has made good progress but not to that extent.’

‘
That’s what he’d heard. He asked whether there was any chance of you retuning to Willowburn to take his place.’

‘
Why does he expect you to know that? Why doesn’t he come and ask me himself?’

‘
Don’t get angry, laddie. He knows I gave you a reference for the smallholding.’

Oh
yes, Steven thought angrily, you’ll have told half the county no doubt.

‘
So Griffiths knows I’m taking an interest in you.’

Steven
stared at him, then he gave a hollow laugh. ‘I’d never have left Willowburn in the first place if Fred and I could have worked together.’

Mr
Turner nodded. ‘I just thought I’d mention it. Griffiths will not let things go on as they are indefinitely. It puts his own job on the line if he doesn’t see the farms are kept up to standard.’ There was a warning note in his voice but before either of them could say anymore Natalie put her head round the door.

‘
Are you two going to sit at the table all night? The coffee is getting cold. Do hurry up and come through to the lounge, Daddy.’

‘
We’re coming now sweetheart,’ he replied genially and stood up, indicating Steven should precede him.

Afterwards
Steven wished Natalie had not interrupted at that moment. Would Mr Turner have confided more of the agent’s intentions? He would always wonder whether it would have made a difference if he had warned his father, or if he had dared to tell Fred he needed to pull up his socks and get on with farming instead of playing around with Edna.

Unknown
to him, or his parents, Griffiths had already spoken to Fred, who had treated his warning with arrogant nonchalance.

***

At the beginning of the summer holidays Megan was over the moon when she got her driving licence.

‘You’ll remember petrol is still rationed won’t you lassie. You’d better not plan too many visits to Steven’s place.’

‘Oh Dad, I was not planning any,’ Megan said blushing because that had been her main aim in getting her driving licence. She went off to bring in the cows for milking and Chrissie turned to her husband.

‘You shouldn’t encourage her to visit Steven, John. She might think you would approve of them getting serious.’

‘So I would. I can’t think of any lad I’d rather have for a son-in-law than Steven and they’ve always been good friends. I thought you liked him?’

‘I do. He’s a lovely lad.’ Chrissie sighed heavily. ‘But Megan has another year to do at college and then a year’s teaching practice before she can call herself a qualified teacher. I don’t want to see her throw away a good career to spend her life milking cows and looking after animals and having to scrape together every halfpenny before she can afford a new blouse. You said yourself Steven wouldn’t be able to afford to keep a wife for years yet.’

‘It was Steven who said that, I think. Anyway it depends on the wife. If it was someone like Natalie Turner I don’t think any ordinary farmer could afford to marry her. Megan’s different altogether. You can tell she loves him and she’d do anything to help him.’

‘
I know that, John,’ Chrissie sighed, ‘but I do want her to finish her training at least. She would always have that to fall back on if things went wrong.’

‘
I’m was not suggesting they should get married next week, or even next year,’ John Oliphant defended himself, ‘but money isn’t everything. We’ve worked hard all our lives but we’ve been together, working side by side and we’ve always looked after each other. I wouldn’t swap that for the richest wife in the country.’

‘
Oh John,’ Chrissie blushed and her eyes were bright. ‘That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said.’

‘
Is it? Then maybe I should be taking a leaf out of Steven’s book and practise my poetic skills, eh lass?’ he grinned almost boyishly. ‘Seriously Chrissie I’ve never fancied anybody else but you, love. Do you regret getting married so young?’

‘Of course not.’ Chrissie’s heart still beat faster at the look in her husband’s eyes and she went readily into his embrace when he opened his arms. ‘No,’ she whispered, ‘I’ve never regretted marrying you, John.’

Megan decided to pay Steven a surprise visit one evening to show him she had passed her driving test. When she arrived he had been haymaking and he was later than usual starting to milk his cows.

‘
How did you get here on your own?’ he asked in surprise, his eyes lighting up in welcome.

‘
I came to show you I’ve passed my driving test,’ she grinned. ‘Now Dad says I can come anytime so long as I don’t use all his petrol ration.’

‘
I wish I’d known, although I suppose I’d still have been working late tonight. I took Mr Turner’s advice and applied for a prisoner of war to help. The McGuires have got one too.’

‘
Are they good workers?’

‘
Yes, not bad. My man is called Johan. He’s little more than a boy to look at him but he’s strong and he’s enthusiastic.’

‘
Was he from a farm in Germany?

‘
No, but he’s eager to learn. He had been brought up in the country. He says he didn’t want to fight in the war.’

‘
The same as you and Sam then,’ Megan said wistfully. ‘There must have been thousands of men and boys who felt the same on both sides.’

‘
Aye, I reckon so. The McGuire’s man is called Otto. He’s an older man with dull sad eyes. He makes me sad to look at him,’ Steven added ruefully. ‘Johan doesn’t speak very good English yet but I gathered that Otto is missing his wife and his three wee boys – at least they were still schoolboys when he last saw them. He doesn’t know whether they are alive or dead and its two years since the war ended.’

‘
That must be awful,’ Megan said with sympathy. ‘At least we know what happened to Sam, and we know he had you beside him, even though he did die in a foreign country.’

‘
Yes, I shall always be glad I was at his side. He knew he was not alone.’ Steven nodded. ‘But I know what you mean, it must be awful not to know whether your family are alive or dead or what has happened to them.’