‘We’re going.’ Now Josh moved forwards and brushed passed Stephen, deliberately using his bulk to knock the young man off his balance.
Richard, still keeping tight hold of her, whispered, ‘Come, Eveleen. Your mother’s not here. We ought to press on anyway and we’re serving no purpose here.’
Suddenly her defiance deserted her and her spirit drained out of her. The worry over her mother and poor little Bridie, the return to her former home to find it empty and just as they had left it and to realize there had been no good reason for them to be turned out, then to come face to face with the man she had thought she loved – it was all too much. She hung her head in shame and defeat and began to sob.
Gently Richard turned her in his arms towards him. She buried her face against his chest and he held her tightly against him.
‘We’re going,’ he said above her head to Stephen. His voice was controlled, but Eveleen could feel the barely suppressed anger in him. ‘But you haven’t heard the last of this.’
‘Oh, I think we have. This is my land and you have no right to be here.’ Stephen’s lip curled again as he added scathingly, ‘Whoever you are.’
As he helped Eveleen climb into the trap which Fred had brought out from the barn, Richard said, ‘You drive, Fred.’ And he sat beside Eveleen and held her close as they drove away.
Fifty-Three
They had not gone far before Richard signalled to Fred to halt.
‘Now,’ he said to Eveleen, offering her a white, neatly folded handkerchief, ‘dry those tears and let’s try to think what we should do next.’
Eveleen drew in a shuddering breath, raised her head and took the handkerchief. She blew her nose and felt better though she knew the humiliation would stay with her for ever.
Richard, however, was sensibly concentrating on the task in hand and she must do the same. The longer her mother and Bridie were out in this terrible weather, the more danger they were in.
‘Is there anywhere else in Bernby where your mother might go?’ Richard asked.
‘I – I suppose she might go to Bill and Dorothy’s.’
‘Where’s that?’
‘If we go a little further on down this road it’s on the right. But it’s still on his land.’
‘Never mind about him. I haven’t time to deal with him today,’ Richard muttered, ‘else I would.’
Eveleen noticed that the other men exchanged a glance, but nothing more was said apart from Richard deciding, ‘Right, we’ll go and find Bill and Dorothy.’
As they rocked their way down the muddy cart track towards Bill Morton’s cottage, Eveleen saw their old friend emerge from the lean-to at the side of the house. As soon as they were close enough for him to recognize her, he hurried forward, reaching up his arms towards her, his face one big grin. ‘Eveleen, lass. By, but it’s good to see you. How are you?’ His voice faltered as, closer now, he could see her distress. ‘Oh, lass, whatever’s wrong?’
As they all climbed down from the cart Richard swiftly explained, his manner towards Bill at once entirely different from his attitude towards Stephen a few moments ago.
‘Eveleen’s mother is missing. She left home last night and we thought she might have come back home.’
‘It’s all she’s ever wanted,’ Eveleen hiccuped miserably as Bill hugged her. ‘I promised that one day I would bring her back, but . . .’
‘I know, love, and I know you did. But it all takes time. Poor Mary. She never was the most patient of women, was she? Now,’ he said briskly. ‘Come inside. All of you and have a hot drink and a bite to eat. You look starved to death, lass.’
As he ushered his unexpected guests inside the tiny cottage, he was calling to his wife, ‘Dorothy, Dorothy, look who’s here. Get that kettle singing, lass. We’ve guests for dinner.’
When Dorothy appeared she gave a squeal of delight and hugged Eveleen. At once she was making everyone welcome and fussing round them.
‘What a good job I’ve made a huge pan of stew this morning. I must have known.’
‘We don’t want to impose—’ Richard began, but his protestations were waved aside.
While they ate, Eveleen found herself bombarded with questions from Dorothy and Bill. The whole, sad story of their life since leaving Bernby was told and Dorothy reached out and touched Eveleen’s hand. ‘You poor lass. What a time you’ve had. And all that on top of finding your poor father dead in the beck.’ She glanced around at the strangers who had come into her home, but who she could see at once were trying to help the girl. ‘Life can be very cruel at times, can’t it?’ she remarked.
Back among people who had known her family well, Eveleen felt able to say, ‘Mam always blamed me for Dad’s death. She – she said my wilful ways had brought on his heart attack.’
‘That’s nonsense,’ Bill said at once. ‘You must never think that, love. Your dad must have had a weak heart. It ran in his family. His father died in just the same way.’ He glanced around, telling the three other men whom he presumed would not know. ‘Found in a field, he was, just like poor Walter. Besides,’ he went on, looking directly at Eveleen, ‘I remember your dad having funny turns now and then. When we were haymaking or harvesting. He often had to stop for a rest.’ He shook his head. ‘That wasn’t normal. Not for a feller of his age.’
Eveleen felt some of the guilt she carried for that event slide away, but now there was an even more pressing need for self-reproach.
‘I seem to bring trouble on everyone,’ she whispered. ‘On poor Rebecca, on my uncle and grandmother . . .’
‘That was Jimmy’s doing, lass, not yours. You can’t be held responsible for what he did. He always was a little rascal even as a young lad. It doesn’t surprise me one bit.’
‘But I am responsible for my mother being so unhappy that she walked out in the middle of the night.’
To this, no one around the table could think of a comforting answer.
‘We’ll organize a search all around this neighbourhood,’ Bill said a little later when the decision had been made that Eveleen and the three men should try a different route back towards Nottingham.
‘I’m sure that kindly farmer we met will keep a watch out for her,’ Richard said. ‘So we needn’t retrace ground we’ve already covered.’
Once more, arrangements were made for messages to be sent should there be any news.
Bill and Dorothy hugged Eveleen and told her not to worry. Then they shook hands with the three men and received their thanks with nods and smiles. Although the smiles were genuine, they were tempered by the anxiety that everyone was feeling.
Just where were Mary and the tiny baby?
Fred took the reins this time without being asked and Richard sat close to Eveleen. She leant against him, allowing herself to give in, just this once, she told herself, and enjoy the feel of his arm around her shoulders, the strength of him and the confidence and common sense he exuded. It was a relief to hand over, even if only for a short time, the heavy burden she had carried for so long.
She was weary, worn out with the responsibility that had been thrust on her young shoulders. She closed her eyes and her head drooped. As the trap rocked, Eveleen slept against his shoulder.
She woke with a start as the trap halted. ‘Mam?’ she began, for she had been dreaming about her mother and the child.
‘I’m sorry,’ Richard said at once. ‘We’re almost back at Nottingham and we’ve seen no sign of her. We’ve asked along the way, but nothing.’
Anguished, Eveleen said, ‘What do we do now? Call the police?’
‘Unless she’s been found, that will already have been done by now. I left word with my father.’
Eveleen felt a flicker of anger and opened her mouth to protest. She didn’t want Brinsley Stokes involved. If anyone was to blame for this, then it was him. He was to blame for all the unhappiness in her mother’s life.
But the retort died on her lips. At this moment, she should take any help she could get – where
ver it came from. She looked about her. They were indeed nearing the city, but she recognized that they were even nearer the village of Flawford.
‘We’re not far from my uncle’s,’ she said glancing at Richard. ‘I don’t think for a minute that she would go there, but—’
He took the words from her. ‘You think we ought to make sure?’
She nodded and, as Fred turned the trap in the right direction, Eveleen instinctively drew closer to Richard.
Fifty-Four
‘Gone? Gone where?’ Andrew’s face was white with fear. ‘And taken Bridie? My little Bridie? Oh, Eveleen, how could you let that happen?’
Eveleen’s shoulders sagged. Although she had not held out much hope that they would be in Flawford – she believed it was the last place her mother would come – she was still disappointed. And once more she was shouldering the blame.
Gently, because he could see the young man’s distress was genuine, Richard said, ‘It wasn’t Eveleen’s fault. Mary left in the night while Eveleen was asleep.’
Andrew glanced at her and then looked away. ‘I’m sorry,’ he muttered. ‘Of course it’s not your fault. I’m sorry, Eveleen.’
Eveleen nodded, but could not speak. Bridie was all Andrew had left of his beloved Rebecca. He was beside himself with anxiety. Now he was firing questions at them. Where had they searched? Had they called in the police? What were they going to do next and how could he help?
Richard answered him calmly, adding, ‘We should go now but we’ll let you know.’
‘Can I come with you?’
‘Of course you can. But what about your work?’
‘Sod that!’ Andrew said. He jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the workshops. ‘He can go hang, for all I care. There’s other jobs.’
Eveleen glanced up at Richard. As an employer, it was not the sort of reaction he would like, but she could see the sympathy for Andrew’s sentiments written in his features.
‘Come along then,’ Richard said briskly.
As they came out into the street and he saw Fred and the cumbersome figure of Josh already sitting in the trap, Andrew faltered. ‘Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize there were more of you.’ He thought quickly and then added, ‘Look, I’ll borrow my mate’s pony and trap. I’ll follow you. I know the way.’
Richard nodded. ‘Right, because I don’t think we should wait for you.’
‘No, no,’ Andrew urged. ‘You go.’ He gave Eveleen a quick hug and said, ‘I’ll be right behind you. I’ll come straight to your house.’
Eveleen nodded and climbed back into the trap. It was only as they moved away that she realized she hadn’t even asked after her grandmother and her uncle.
Although the police had been informed earlier in the day, Mary and the child had not been found nor had word come to the factory from those looking out for them in the countryside.
‘You’d better both go home and change into dry clothes,’ Richard said to Josh and Fred, but the two men glanced at each other. It was Josh who answered their employer but Fred nodded in agreement. ‘We’d sooner stay here, Mr Richard, thank you. There might be news. And if there is, this is where it’ll come.’
When Richard finally took Eveleen home, a pony and trap were standing outside the door. Eveleen felt a brief surge of hope and then she saw Andrew pacing up and down the yard. Behind him, Win was hurrying towards them.
‘Any news?’ she called out as Richard drew the trap to a halt and Andrew held out his hand to help Eveleen climb down.
Eveleen shook her head sadly and led the way into the house. She ran from room to room, leaving them to follow her inside.
‘Mam? Mam?’ But the house was still and silent.
She returned downstairs and sank into the chair at the side of the range. Win busied herself reviving the fire and setting the kettle to boil.
‘Now what do we do?’ Andrew, fresher than the others, who had been looking all day and half the previous night, was eager to carry on the search.
‘First,’ Richard said firmly, ‘Eveleen must rest. She’s exhausted.’ She felt them looking at her and knew her face was white, her eyes dark-rimmed with fatigue and worry. ‘And I’m going home for something to eat, a wash, a change of clothes and then, if there’s still no news, we’ll begin again.’
‘It’ll be dark by then,’ Andrew persisted. ‘We won’t find them in the dark.’
‘Well, we—’ Richard began but whatever he had been going to say was left unsaid. Someone was thumping urgently on the door and shouting.
‘Eveleen? Eveleen, they’ve found her.’
A rush of adrenaline brought Eveleen to her feet and running to the door. She flung it wide to see Fred standing there, leaning against the wall, his hand to his chest.
‘I ran – all the way – from the factory,’ Fred panted in staccato bursts. ‘Word’s just come – from that farmer. He’s found her.’
‘Who? Bill?’
‘No. That other one. Joe Elgin. That was his name, wasn’t it? The one that gave us breakfast. She was walking past his farm.’
‘Are they all right? Is Bridie all right?’ Andrew, having followed Eveleen to the door, asked urgently. Richard and Win were close behind him, craning to hear the news.
‘I must go to them,’ Eveleen said. ‘I’ve got to see for myself. The baby could have taken a chill. Anything.’
Without waiting for an answer, Andrew was already climbing into the pony and trap he had brought. ‘Come on, Eveleen.’
Richard moved forward. ‘Eveleen, you ought to rest.’
‘No, no,’ she argued. ‘I’m fine now. Honestly.’ Before anyone could stop her, she had climbed in beside Andrew.
‘Can’t you just have something to eat?’ Win called. ‘And you ought to change out of those wet clothes.’
‘Eveleen, wait—’ Fred was reaching out towards them, trying to delay them, but Andrew flicked the reins.
‘I’m fine,’ Eveleen insisted and, as they moved off, she called out, ‘Thank you. Thank you for everything.’
Turning the corner of the yard, they passed Josh, puffing and panting, on his way in. It took a moment for him to recognize them and then he began to wave his arms. Eveleen could see his lips moving, but above the rattling wheels she could not make out his words. He was shouting something and gesticulating that they should stop, but Andrew only drove the pony faster.
Eveleen smiled and waved and nodded, hoping that Josh would understand that they had already heard the good news.
As the trap was headed out of the city, Eveleen linked her arm through Andrew’s and hugged it to her. ‘Oh thank goodness they’re safe.’
Already she had forgotten her weariness and the wet clothes that clung to her and made her shiver from time to time. All she could think of was holding Bridie in her arms. She couldn’t reach her fast enough.
‘I just hope the babby’s all right,’ Andrew said. Eveleen smiled to herself. Andrew’s only thought was for the child. And then, guiltily, she realized that Bridie had been uppermost in her own thoughts too.
The journey seemed interminable but at last Eveleen was directing Andrew through the gates and into the Elgins’ farmyard. It seemed an age since she had been there and yet it had only been that morning.
The farmer was coming towards them. ‘She’s in the house with the missis,’ he said at once, without any greeting. ‘But we can’t get any sense out of her.’
‘She’ll be upset,’ Eveleen murmured as the farmer led the way to the house. ‘Is the baby all right?’
Joe Elgin stopped and put his hand on her arm. ‘I’m sorry, lass, but she had no baby with her.’
It was as if someone had knocked the breath from her. Eveleen’s whole body began to shake.
‘Oh dear God, no!’ Andrew ran his hand through his hair and his eyes were dark with fear.
Eveleen grasped the jamb of the open door for a moment’s support. Maybe that was what Fred, and then Josh, had been trying to tell them. She d
ragged in a deep, steadying breath and then forced her legs to move into the kitchen.
Mary was sitting in front of the range wrapped in a blanket. Mrs Elgin was bending over her, coaxing her to drink a steaming cup of tea.
‘Mam, oh Mam!’ Eveleen put her arm around her mother’s shoulders and hugged her. ‘Thank goodness you’re safe.’
Andrew, following her in, asked harshly, ‘Where’s the baby? Where is my Bridie?’
Eveleen knelt on the hearthrug and took her mother’s hands into her own. ‘Mam,’ she began, trying desperately to keep her voice calm as she looked into Mary’s vacant eyes. She knew from bitter experience that anger would only drive her mother deeper into the trance-like state she was in, or worse still, it might induce one of her bouts of near-hysteria. ‘Mam, where is Bridie?’
The vacant eyes focused on Eveleen’s face and yet the girl felt a shudder run through her. It was as if Mary did not even recognize her own daughter. ‘In a ditch,’ the poor woman murmured. ‘Born in a ditch. In the dark and the cold.’
Eveleen gripped her mother’s hands tighter. ‘Mam, that was a long time ago. Bridie’s fine. She – she—’ The lump in her throat threatened to choke her. Oh let her still be fine. Let her be safe, she prayed silently. ‘Bridie is Rebecca’s little girl. Mam, where is she? Where have you left her?’
Mary’s eyes were vacant again, seeing only into the past.
Joe Elgin filled the doorway. ‘I’ve got a search party out.’
Eveleen stood up slowly. It was no use. Mary was so sunk into her own little world that they would get nothing from her. But Andrew was not going to give up so easily. He bent over Mary, grasped her shoulders and shook her so hard that her head snapped backwards and forwards. ‘Where is she, you stupid, stupid woman? What have you done to my Bridie?’
‘No, Andrew, no,’ Eveleen cried, pulling at him, but it took the burly farmer to step forward and drag the distraught young man away.
‘That’ll do no good, lad,’ he said firmly, but with a gruff kindness in his tone. ‘Can’t you see, she’s in a bad way herself.’ He glanced at his wife. ‘I’ve sent word for the doctor. She needs help.’
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