The Journey (28 page)

Once Susie had run off to tell Joanne how she meant to have her own shop in America, Barney let himself slide down into the chair, where for a time he sat, lost in thought and deeply disturbed. Giving a long, shivering sigh, he instinctively placed a hand on his heart. “No, Susie lass, none of us knows what the future holds.” A dark premonition rippled through his soul.

He was startled when his wife came rushing in. “Barney Davidson, you could charm the birds right out of the trees!” She threw herself into his lap. “One minute she’s refusing to go, and now she’s full of dreams. Somehow she’s got the idea into her head that she’s going to own a string of shops, right across America!”

Barney smiled contentedly. “Let her dream,” he murmured, drawing her into his embrace. “If we don’t have dreams, how can they ever come true?” His own dream had come true, the day he met this darling woman.

Content to be silent, husband and wife sat awhile together. It was a moment of quietness in a love that was both deep and fulfilling; one of those rare and precious moments that each of them would cherish to the end of their days.

The following morning, when Lucy was told the news by an emotional Joanne, she didn’t know whether to be thrilled for the Davidsons, or sad for herself. “It’s a wonderful opportunity,” she said, suppressing her fears. “You must go, Joanne, you and Barney, and the family.”

While Joanne was explaining how it all came about, Barney strolled into the kitchen. “Hello, Lucy, love. Joanne’s told you then?” He had been concerned as to how the young woman might take the news.

She ran to hug him. “I’m so excited for you!” she told him sincerely. “But I’ll miss you all so very much.” The tears were close but she would not let them be seen, not now, not when these good folk were so looking forward to their new adventure. “Whatever will I do without you?” At the back of her mind she couldn’t help but wonder where she and her boy might live.

“We’ll miss you too—dreadfully.” Joanne looked at Jamie and her lips quivered. She hugged him, then opened the kitchen cupboard so he could sit and play with the saucepans and wooden spoons.

“Well, I’ll tell you one thing, Lucy girl.” Barney sat her down. “You won’t need to worry about being out of work. I’ve just come from giving our answer to the boss, and I’ve spoken to him about you. He says you’ll have work with whoever buys the farm, he’ll make sure it’s written into the contract of sale.”

It was a great relief to Lucy. “Oh Barney, how can I ever thank you?” She felt quite weak at the knees. Without a job and a home, she and Jamie would be in dire straits.

“Don’t thank me,” he protested. “Thank the boss, and thank the fella who’s buying the farm. It’s good news all round. The Land Agent has already been out this morning to tell him he’s got a buyer, a gent who’s been looking for such a property as this, and because he means to grab this place afore anybody else, and prevent it being split up and sold off he’s offered fifty guineas above the asking price.”

Joanne was amazed. “Good Lord! And did Mr. Maitland accept it?”

“He most certainly did.” He gave an aside wink to Joanne, who was thrilled to hear Lucy would not be put out of work. “What’s more …” Barney’s smile grew wider as he looked at the two women in turn, “… Mr. Maitland says Lucy can stay in the cottage,” he told them, “… because he’s got such a good price, and I’m to tell you straight off, he’s not selling the cottage with the farm. Because it’s such a tiny place with so much that needs doing, it has little or no value so neither Mr. Maitland nor the agent could see it as making any difference to the value of the overall holding. It’s all been agreed.”

Unable to keep the news any longer, he blurted it out with a shout of joy, “It’s
yours,
Lucy girl!” he laughed with the sheer joy of it.

He drew in a long breath and blowing it out through his nose he took hold of Lucy by the shoulders, his voice lower, more intimate. “Now then, what have you to say to that, eh?”

For the moment Lucy could say nothing because not only had the news rocked her to the roots, but she was completely lost for words.

Instead she stared at Barney with big shocked eyes, her lips shivering, and her heart pounding ten to the dozen. “I can’t … believe it,” the words stumbled out, “the cottage … is it really
mine?
”

“That’s right, Lucy girl … it’s yours. Mr. Maitland says to tell you he’ll be along to see you shortly, and that you’re not to worry, because everything will be done legal.”

“This calls for another celebration!” Rushing to the cupboard, Joanne took out the best glasses and a bottle of her homemade wine.

Barney raised his glass. “To our new life—and to Lucy, our dear friend who, along with young Jamie here, will never again be without a roof over her head.”

It was the most bitter-sweet emotion for Lucy. She found it hard to believe her own good fortune, but while she was thanking the Good Lord, she paused again to think of how it would be when Barney and his family were gone.

Even in the midst of her joy, the thought of losing them forever was a sad, lonely thought.

“Are you all right, Barney?” It was two o’clock in the morning when Joanne woke to find herself alone in bed. Half-asleep and bleary-eyed she rolled sideways, looking toward the window, where Barney’s shadowy figure was just visible in the dim light. “What’s wrong, pet, can’t you sleep?”

Still breathless from the chest pains which had woken him, Barney sshed her. “Go back to sleep, love.”

“I can’t. Not until you come back into bed.”

In the past weeks, Barney had learned to hide his pain and put on a brave face; it had become like second nature to him. Taking a deep breath, he painted on a smile and managing the few paces to the bed, he climbed in. “Now will you go to sleep?” He wriggled down the bed, avoiding touching her, having stood at the window for some time, he had become chilled.

Instinctively, she turned and wrapped her arm around the girth of his belly. “Brrr!” she shivered. “You’re freezing! How long have you stood there at the window?”

“Not long,” he lied. “Now go to sleep.”

Worry marbled her voice. “Are you all right?”

“I’m fine.”

“Are you worried about moving to Boston? Is that what woke you?”

“No. I think it was a touch of indigestion.” Before she could protest, he added, “I ate a bite from a cooking apple, and you know how sour they are.”

“You shouldn’t eat them, then!”

“I know, but they looked so tempting.”

There was a groan. “Barney Davidson, will you never learn.”

“Go to sleep now, Joanne. It’s only three a.m.”

“And are you really not worried about moving to Boston?”

“No, why should I be?”

“No reason. I just wondered, that’s all.”

“Are
you
worried, sweetheart? You can tell me if you are.”

There came a sigh. “I would tell you if I was worried, but I’m not. To tell you the truth, I’m really excited! Oh, I know there are things and people here that I’ll miss, but who wouldn’t look forward to a brand new start? And like you said, it’s not the end of the world. Oh Barney! It will be such an adventure, and the children are all looking forward to a new life there … even our Susie, thanks to you.” She gave him a squeeze. “You’re such an understanding father, Barney. That little chat you had with her did all the good in the world.”

In that quiet, opportune moment Barney might have confided in her; he might have confessed how he had been suffering such pain of late, and how sometimes he could hardly stand up straight for the cramp in his chest. But when he turned to her, Joanne had rolled over onto her back and was fast asleep.

Barney did not sleep though. Instead he waited a while, then he slipped out of bed again and slumped into the chair, where he remained head in hands and his heart pounding, until the sun peeped over the horizon, then he got quietly back into bed.

Even then he did not sleep, but planned his day. This morning, he had to call in on Arthur. He had promised to lend his old pal a helping hand with the tractor he was working on. Afterward, he would go and see Dr. Lucas and tell him his troubles. Who knows? he thought hopefully. It might even turn out that he was worrying about nothing at all.

Finally he slipped into a shallow, unsettled slumber, where he dreamed of ships sailing away and his family always just out of reach, and when he woke with a start, Joanne was already out of bed and dressing. “Wake up, Sleepyhead,” she teased him. “It’s time to start the day.”

As she went out of the room, she called over her shoulder, “By the time you get downstairs, I’ll have the ham and eggs on your plate ready and waiting.”

As always, Joanne was as good as her word.

Twenty minutes later, the whole family was tucking into one of Joanne’s renowned and substantial cooked breakfasts.

Thankfully, the endless chatter pushed Barney’s worries to the back of his mind; while enjoying a generous helping of Joanne’s specialty, he took a discreet look around the table. There were Ronnie and Thomas, arguing as usual, this time about which one of them might beat the other in a horse-race. “You’re even frightened to jump the brook at the narrow end,” Ronnie tormented his brother, “but not me! I’m not afraid to jump my horse over anything.”

“That’s only because you’ve got the best horse,” his brother replied. “You ride the mare, and she has the heart of a lion. You know how scared of water the stallion is.”

Ronnie sniggered. “It’s not the stallion that’s scared, it’s you!”

Thomas put down his knife and fork. “Right, little brother! What about a race—across the wide end of the brook and up to the far end of Down Field?”

“What? Not likely! You’ve got to be out of your mind. Down Field is full of potholes.”

Whereupon Joanne cautioned them, and the subject was dropped.

Barney loved family mealtimes, when everyone sat down together and talked, when laughter and noise and arguments happened, and you felt as though you belonged to something very special.

He watched Joanne forking the two extra ham slices onto Ronnie’s plate and smiled to himself. She was the bedrock of this family. She was his first reason for living.

His gaze wandered to Susie, and his smile became a burst of laughter. “What in God’s name is that on your head?”

“She thinks it’s about to rain,” Ronnie teased.

“No!” Thomas had another idea. “She’s worried the ceiling might fall in, that’s what it is.”

Indignant, Susie defended her new creation. “It’s my new design,” she explained. “Miss Dandy said I should take home this material and make a hat, the like of which has never been seen before.”

“Is that so?” Trying his damnedest not to laugh, Barney looked at the hat; it was a sickly green, with a white feather sticking out of the top and a brim so wide that Susie’s little face was almost hidden. He tried to think of something constructive to say, and came out with: “Well,
I’ve
never seen anything like it before, and I don’t suppose anyone else has.”

“So do you think she’ll be pleased?”

“Well …” He huffed and puffed, and didn’t know quite what to say. “I just think she’ll be amazed!”

“Flabbergasted, more like!” Ronnie commented.

“You’ve done well.” As always, Thomas was supportive. “Not everyone could make a hat like that.”

Suddenly Joanne was rocking in her chair, helpless with laughter, tears running down her face. “Oh, darling girl.” She couldn’t speak for laughing. “It’s the most comical hat I’ve ever seen.”

Open-mouthed, everyone stared at her. “Mum!” Thomas was shocked. Barney could hardly believe his eyes and Susie was close to tears. Ronnie, however, like his mammy could see the humor in what was the worst example of hat-making there could ever be. His face began to crumple and then he hooted and now he was laughing so hard he was bent double over the table.

“You’re horrible!” Hurt, Susie stared from one to the other. “It took me half the night to make this!” But in that moment when she got up to storm off, the hat fell over her eyes and she couldn’t see where she was going.

In a moment the place was in uproar, with everyone shrieking with laughter; and even now Susie saw the funny side. “I bet you lot couldn’t make a hat like this!” she spluttered, and they all agreed wholeheartedly.

The meal ended as always, with good humor, and a short discussion as to what part each man would play in the day’s labors. “Right! I’ll leave you to it then,” Barney said. As he went out, Lucy came in. “Morning, lass.” Like the rest of the Davidson clan, he had a real soft spot for her.

“Morning, love!” Before Lucy had even got her coat off, Joanne had poured her a cup of tea and was already taking Jamie’s coat and leggings off.

Barney gave Lucy a cheery parting wink and went merrily on his way, while behind him, Susie lost no time in telling Lucy how cruel they had all been about her beloved hat.

Taking the horse and cart, Barney went to Casey’s Farm by way of the back lanes. He had arranged to meet Arthur there, to help him repair the tractor. A small, nondescript place, the farm was situated some three miles away.

As they ambled along, Barney talked to the old shirehorse as usual. “Don’t you go taking off at a gallop!” he warned him, even though at thirty years old, the elderly horse did not have a gallop left in him. Content to be with his mother, he pricked up his ears and listened to what Barney had to say, and understood not a single word.