Freedom's Land (3 page)

She frowned, opened her mouth as if to speak then shut it again.

‘Say it! Tell me I’m a fool to dream like this.’

She sighed. ‘All right. You’re a fool, Andrew Boyd. But not for dreaming of a better life for yourself and the lads – for dreaming of going to Australia with that Betty. I never believed
she
was the right woman for you, never. She only wanted you because you’re tall and good-looking.’

He could feel himself flushing at this compliment. They weren’t given to tossing praise at people in his family.

‘And can you really imagine her on a farm? I can’t. She’s such a frivolous piece, I’d feel sorry for any man she married and when it was you, well, I was that upset. She won’t stay faithful, you know. That sort never do.’

He stared at her in shock. ‘You never said anything.’

‘When you got engaged, I bit my tongue many a time, because you seemed happy.’ Another hesitation, then she laid one hand on his arm, looking up at him earnestly. ‘Are you sure it’s over with Betty?’

‘Quite sure.’

‘Then why don’t you marry someone else? There are other women who’d jump at the chance of wedding a decent fellow like you, yes, and they’d go to Australia with you in a blink.’

‘Now you’re talking nonsense. Let alone I can’t just walk out on to the street and ask a stranger to marry me, there’s not many who’d want to leave their families and go to live on the other side of the world.’

‘There might be.’

‘You know of someone?’

‘No. But I could ask the curate’s wife for you. She knows everyone in this part of town, Mrs Reddish does. I could go and see her about it.’

‘Don’t be daft!’

‘What’s daft about it? You’ve got problems and getting wed would solve them.’

He couldn’t think straight, he was so surprised by this suggestion. Maybe that’s why he agreed that Lyddie should speak to the curate’s wife.

But after she’d gone out, he wished he hadn’t. He couldn’t do it, he just couldn’t attempt anything as intimate as marriage with a complete stranger. Still, he consoled himself with the thought that no decent woman would be that desperate and he wasn’t interested in women who weren’t decent.

He was horrified when his sister came back looking smug. ‘Never say you’ve found someone!’

‘Of course I haven’t, you fool. But Mrs Reddish thinks she might know someone. The woman’s a widow and a hard worker. It seems life’s dealt her a few blows lately. She’s got a daughter, though, so I’m to let the curate’s wife know if that puts you off. But if you
are
interested, you could meet the woman and see if you’d suit.’

‘I’m not interested. I don’t know what got into me earlier even to consider it. It’d never work.’

‘Mrs Reddish thinks it’s the perfect solution for both of you. She says if she was twenty years younger, she’d go out to Australia like a shot.’

‘The only sort of woman who’d accept an offer of marriage from a complete stranger is a lunatic.’

‘Or one who’s desperate to give her child a better chance in life,’ Lyddie said quietly. ‘You’re not the only one to want that, you know, Andrew. Meet this woman, at least, before you say no.’

‘Don’t push me, our Lyddie.’

‘Someone has to. You’ve been restless ever since the war, but your wife was dying and you stayed in your old job for her sake. I respected you for that.’ She linked her arm in his. ‘It’d cost nowt to meet this woman and see if you take to one another. Go on, give it a try, love. To please me.’

And some madness made him agree.

She stood on tiptoe to kiss his cheek. ‘I’ll go back and tell Mrs Reddish straight away.’

When the door knocker sounded that evening, Norah was in the kitchen, sitting with a cup of tea she’d just made, toasting herself by the fire. Her mother had moved out this afternoon and most of the furniture had gone with her, so the house no longer felt like home. And now that Janie was in bed, the place was quiet – far too quiet.

She was surprised to find the curate’s wife at the door.

‘Can I have a word, Norah?’

She realised she’d been staring rudely. ‘Sorry. I’m a bit – preoccupied at the moment.’

‘No wonder.’

When they were sitting in the kitchen, she poured Mrs Reddish a cup of tea and waited to find out what she wanted.

‘I know you’ve got to break up your home and find lodgings, dear.’

‘Yes.’

‘I may have a better answer to your problems.’

And hens might bark, Norah thought, but tried not to show how much she doubted this because Mrs Reddish was a kind woman, a sincere Christian who’d helped a lot of people, unlike the vicar’s wife, who was a stuck-up snob.

The other hesitated. ‘It’s – a bit of a drastic solution I’m offering, Norah, so I’ll just come straight out with it. I know a man who wants to go and live in Australia. They’re giving away land to ex-servicemen out there, you see. He’s a widower with two lads. He’s just broken up with a young woman he was engaged to, and a good thing too, because she’s a flighty piece. But he can’t go to Australia unless he has a wife to work alongside him and – and well, I thought of you.’

If a flaming devil had jumped out of the fire and started dancing on the table, Norah would have been no more surprised than she was by this suggestion. Struck dumb, she could only gape at her visitor.

‘I know it’s a bolt from the blue, but it’d solve both your problems.’

‘Are you – serious about this?’

‘Yes, of course I am. You don’t think I’d come here if I wasn’t.’ Mrs Reddish waited and nudged gently, ‘Well? Are you willing to consider it?’

Norah should have said no straight off because it was a ridiculous idea. But she’d felt so low tonight at the thought of going into lodgings that heaven help her, she couldn’t dismiss it out of hand. ‘I don’t know. I can’t seem to take it in.’

Mrs Reddish clasped her hand and looked earnestly into her eyes. ‘Let’s concentrate on the facts. That’s always a good way to start. The man is a widower with two sons. He was engaged to that Betty Simpson, who works in the draper’s shop, but she wouldn’t go to Australia with him so they broke up.’

Norah glanced across at the mirror and let out a snort of derision. ‘Well, he wouldn’t even look at a plain maypole like me after her. I know her by sight. She’s the prettiest lass in town.’

‘And one of the silliest, too. It’d have been a disastrous match. He’s not only got a good brain, but he’s a sensible, caring sort of man who wants to give his sons a better life than they could have here. If you married him, you could do the same for your daughter.’

‘I can’t—’

‘Shh! Don’t say no. Think about it overnight.’

‘But I—’

Mrs Reddish stood up. ‘I’m not listening to anything you say now. Consider your future carefully, then come and see me first thing tomorrow morning if you’re interested in pursuing matters, in which case, don’t bother going to work. We’d need to act quickly, before you lose your home and he loses his chance of a place on this scheme. Just remember: he needs you as much as you need him, so it’d be an equal bargain.’

And she was gone, leaving Norah so astounded she stood there in the hall for ages before the cold draught from underneath the front door made her shiver and she went back to her place in front of the kitchen fire.

It
was
a ridiculous idea.

Wasn’t it?

Andrew slept badly. Why was he letting his cousin push him into this? And why was he getting so het up? He was probably worrying for nothing because what sensible woman would agree to go out to Australia with someone she hardly knew?

Only – what if this one did say yes? Where would that leave him?

He was being stupid.

No decent woman would possibly agree to it.

And anyway, they had to meet first and they might not like one another, probably wouldn’t.

No, it was the daftest idea he’d ever heard of.

When he went downstairs, the boys were eating their breakfast. Lyddie beckoned to him and said in a low voice, ‘Mrs Reddish sent a message round. You’re to stay home from work this morning. If you don’t hear anything by midday, it means the woman isn’t interested. If she is, Mrs Reddish will send for you to meet her.’

All the air seemed suddenly to vanish from the room.

‘Did you hear what I said, Andrew?’

‘Yes.’

‘Will you do it?’

He shrugged, couldn’t frame a single word, it all felt so unreal.

Lyddie gave him a strange look, but didn’t say anything else. Luckily it was a fine day, so after the lads had gone to school, he got out his tools and went into the back yard to repair a chair he’d bought for pennies, a fancy rocking chair that had been damaged. It always soothed him, working with wood did. He should have gone into carpentry, not metal working.

By morning Norah had decided to tell Mrs Reddish she couldn’t possibly consider her offer. But then the woman from across the road came over to look at the furniture that was left. She lingered to study Norah’s sofa. ‘I think I’ll take this off your hands as well, but I’m not giving you more than three shillings for it.’

Three shillings for a sofa like this! And the pitiful offer came from a woman who was comfortably off, with a husband and three grown children in full-time work. Norah’s gorge rose and she couldn’t,
she just could not
, give her sofa away so cheaply. She’d set fire to it, rather. ‘I’ve another offer to consider, so I’ll let you know.’

‘Take it or leave it now.’

‘Then I’ll have to leave it.’

The woman sniffed. ‘Some people don’t know how to accept help.’

‘And some people don’t know how to offer it generously.’There was a moment’s silence, the visitor glaring at her, and Norah was sorry she’d lost her temper. ‘I’ve got to go out now, I’m afraid. I have to see someone.’

‘I wondered why you weren’t at work. I hope nothing else is wrong?’

‘No.’ Norah held the door open. She couldn’t dredge up a smile, however hard she tried. When she’d closed the door, she let out a little growl of anger and stared blindly at the wall for a few moments, then straightened her shoulders and muttered, ‘Why not?’

To be offered so little for the sofa was the final straw. What had she to lose by going round to see Mrs Reddish? She could always say no to the man, if she didn’t like the look of him.

And if she did like him, did want to go further with this . . .?

She blushed, then clicked her tongue in exasperation. She’d think about that if it happened. Her dad had always said, ‘Never meet trouble till it knocks on your door.’ Eh, she missed his kindly wisdom, she did that. What would he have said now? The answer popped straight into her mind:
Find out more, Norah love. Don’t do owt till you know what’s involved.
So she would do just that.

She changed into her Sunday clothes and put on her best hat. After checking her appearance in the mirror she set off.

Halfway there she stopped, suddenly afraid. Was she making a fool of herself? Then she started walking again. She was just going to find out a few more details today, that’s all. No need to get her knickers in a twist.

And anyway, no one would know about this except the curate’s wife, who knew how to keep things to herself.

Mrs Reddish took her into the little sitting room at the back of the shabby curate’s house behind the church. Norah sat nervously on the edge of the chair, wishing she hadn’t come.

Mrs Reddish looked at her, eyes narrowed. ‘You still haven’t made your mind up, have you?’

‘No. I don’t even know why I’m here today. Begging your pardon, but it’s a daft idea. This man might be anything, a wife beater, a drunkard, a—’

‘I know his family because his cousin is a regular attender at our church and his sons come to Sunday school. They look happy when they’re with him and his love for them shines out. He’s well thought of by his employer, too. I knew his first wife because I used to visit her when she was dying and she could say nothing but good about him and the way he was looking after her.’

‘Oh.’

Mrs Reddish passed across a crumpled piece of paper. ‘Early this morning he brought this round for you to look at. It’s information about the scheme he wants to join in Australia. I’ll leave you to read it while I make us a cup of tea.’

Norah read the pamphlet carefully, then read it again. It did sound a good opportunity for an energetic man. But it’d be hard work for everyone concerned. Well, she wasn’t afraid of hard work.

But she was afraid of saying yes out of desperation and then regretting it bitterly for the rest of her life.

She looked up as the door opened again.

Mrs Reddish was carrying a tray. She set it down and smiled at Norah. ‘A cup of tea?’

‘That’d be lovely.’

Not until she’d eaten a small currant bun and accepted a refill of her cup did Norah speak. ‘I – don’t know what to say. I came here thinking I’d probably refuse the offer, but I’ve looked at the pamphlet and – you’re quite sure about his character?’

‘Yes.’

And suddenly a wild longing to escape from a bleak future swept through Norah and she spoke recklessly, before she could change her mind. ‘All right. I’ll do it!’

After that things moved so quickly she could only sit in cold terror as Mrs Reddish took over.

Someone knocked on the front door and Andrew, who’d been lost in thought, jumped in shock at the sharp sound. He heard his cousin answer it, then the door closed and she came into the front room.

‘Mrs Reddish has sent word for you to go round to her house. The woman is waiting for you there, wants to meet you.’

It was the last thing he’d expected. He didn’t know whether he was happy about this or not, but he was definitely nervous.

‘Oh, Andrew, I’m so glad for you.’ Lyddie came and gave him an awkward hug, her belly coming between them, reminding him that he had to find a new home quickly before the child was born, as well as everything else.