Red Hawk Rising

by Peter William Hall

  “He’ll let you do that for the next hour, m’dear,” said the man. He wore a seaman’s jersey and trousers with the bottoms rolled up above his ankles. The faced was seamed with age but the eyes sparkled under shaggy eyebrows. His sailor’s cap sat on the back of his head in a jaunty way.

  “Well, we wouldn’t want to spoil him, would we!” replied Alice as she straightened up.

  “Hello, Mr McCrae,” said Andy. “Do you still go out fishing?”

  The older man stopped and looked hard at Andy. “Are you young Andy Hill?” he asked. Andy smile and nodded. “Must be ten year since I saw you last,” was the reply. “You’ve certainly changed since then.”

  Andy shook his hand and introduced Alice to him. “Mr McCrae taught me the finer points of sea fishing,” Andy explained. “We used to go offshore in his boat.” They turned and walked back along the beach with the older man, all the while he and Andy reminiscing and telling stories. Alice thought it wonderful to be finding out so much. As they reached the gap in the dunes, Andy looked at his watch and saw the thirty minutes was nearly up. They waved goodbye to Mr McCrae and headed back towards the bowls club, both pleased with the time alone and the encounter with the old fisherman. Not seeing his parents, Andy motioned for them to walk back to the corner with the main street. They saw his mother walking down the street towards them with a carrier bag and waited for her. Tony Hill’s Wolseley appeared from a side street and turned down toward them, stopping to pick up Margaret Hill on the way.

  When the car reached them they climbed in and Margaret said, “A change of plans. We’ll go to Craster so that I can get some kippers and fresh crab for this evening’s meal. We can get afternoon tea there.” Tony turned the car around at the bottom of the street and drove towards Lesbury to take the coast road north to Craster. Ten minutes later they pulled up outside a smokehouse and shop to buy the kippers. They waited in the car while Margaret went in and bought the kippers. Next they drove to the small harbour to buy the fresh crabs. Tony parked the car and they all got out. Alice marvelled at the small harbour with its sea walls to protect the fishing boats. How could such a small place be so famous for its kippers and crabs, she wondered. Crab pots were piled high on the sides of the harbour and men were busy preparing their boats for the night’s fishing. One of the cottages had a counter at the front door with crabs piled up for sale. The fisher-wife sat on an old wooden chair behind the counter, knitting while she waited for customers. She wore a grey woollen sweater and a black oilskin apron over her black skirt. Her sleeves were pushed up above the elbow. Margaret walked up to the counter and greeted her. Alice followed, really interested in this scene. Father and son Hill stayed at the harbour, studying the boats. The fisher-wife stood up and put her knitting aside. Margaret noticed the pattern of the knitting and commented on it, which pleased the woman and a conversation started while Margaret looked at the crabs. While the selection was going on, down at the harbour a voice called out, “Hallo-o-o, Mr Hill. Are you looking for some fish?” Tony turned in the direction of the voice and saw it was one of his clients. He waved back and the client waved for them to come down to the boat.

  The two men needed no second bidding. “Hi, Dick. This is my son, Andy,” said Tony Hill as they got near the boat.

  “Nice to meet yer, lad,” said Dick. Tony asked how the fishing had been lately. “Not bad. Not bad. Would be nice if ‘twer better,” replied Dick. Andy eyed off the boat, a typical old Northumbrian coble but well maintained. The design handled the rough weather of the North Sea very well.

  The sound of a female voice floated down from the quayside, “I might have known!” It was Margaret Hill in teasing form.

  Tony waved back and said, “We’d better go, Dick. Nice to see you again. The missus has done the shopping for seafood.” The men shook hands and Tony and Andy climbed back up to the quayside to join the women.

  “There’s a cafe just up the road, Tony, we can get afternoon tea there.” They all walked up the street. To the north of Craster the remains of Dunstanboro’ Castle stood out against the skyline, originally built on a promontory atop the cliffs.

  “It’s a nice walk along the cliffs to the castle,” Andy said to Alice. “Perhaps we could do it together one day.”

  Alice squeezed his hand and said, “That would be nice.” They all entered the little cafe.

  The rest of the day passed quietly. Andy opted to stay home that evening as it was his first day with his parents and that was the purpose of this weekend leave for him. Alice understood and was happy to learn more about Andy and his parents. She noticed real similarities between the Hills and her own family and this gave her a comfortable feeling. The four of them played cards in the dining room, mainly gin rummy, and then about 9.00 p.m. Tony and Margaret Hill excused themselves and said that they wanted an early night. It was their way of letting the young couple have time alone. After his parents had gone upstairs, Andy put a Frank Sinatra record on the radiogram in the sitting room, switched the table lamps on and the main light off. “What are you trying to do?” Alice asked Andy with a smile.

  “I thought we could turn the rug back and have a slow waltz together. Would you care to dance?” he asked with a slight bow. Alice got up and helped Andy turn the rug back and came into his arms for a slow waltz to the crooner. She could feel his heart beating as he held her close. The light gave Alice’s auburn hair a tint that made her seen even more attractive to Andy and her perfume heightened his desire. His feelings were growing strong and then he remembered his promise to Alice’s father. The music ended and Andy suggested a walk in the garden. It was a clear moonlit night and he felt that the night air might cool his ardour down somewhat. Alice nodded and they went out by the French windows in the dining room. The moon was nearly full and its craters were clearly visible. The moonlight lit up the garden and house with an eerie glow. There was an arbour at the end of the long lawn and they went in and sat looking at the night sky. Alice cuddled into Andy and he put his arm around her. She let out a contented sigh. It was a beautiful evening. They sat there for a while listening to the night sounds. A jay called an alarm somewhere over in the trees beyond the garden and an owl glided past as it looked for prey. A slight breeze rustled the leaves in the trees. The evening grew cooler and they went back into the house. Alice turned to Andy to kiss her. She appreciated him not making a pass at her and guessed the real reason for going out into the garden. She shivered with pleasure at the thought that he wanted her but knew they must wait and see how their relationship developed. Andy kissed her gently and asked if she would mind if he headed up for bed. It was about 10.00 p.m. and he was suddenly feeling rather tired. They went upstairs together and parted outside Alice’s bedroom door with a goodnight kiss and hug. After a visit to the bathroom Andy was soon in bed and quickly fell asleep. In her room, Alice lay awake for a while reflecting on the day. To her, it had been pretty special. She felt good about the blossoming romance and that this man could be the one she would marry. Alice fell asleep feeling very contented.

  Saturday morning (1st) dawned fine. Andy got up early and used the bathroom before the queue formed. Like most homes, it had only one bathroom. He was relieved that it had a shower — something that Andy had got used to in the RAF and overseas. Most English homes still needed to catch up. Heading downstairs, Andy made himself a mug of tea and headed out into the garden. The air was cool and fresh. There was some cloud that could bring showers but it looked as though it could be generally fine. Down the garden, the leaves of the beech tree were turning golden and would soon start to fall. The hazel tree was laden with nuts and Andy saw movement in the tree. It turned out to be a red squirrel — an uncommon sight farther south in England these days. Behind him, Andy heard a window opening and turned round to see Alice smiling and waving from her bedroom. He smiled and waved back, wondering what the plans were for today.

  At breakfast, Tony Hill said to Andy, “I’ve got to go to the office this morning until lunchtime. If y
ou drive me down you can have the car and take Alice sight-seeing. Be back about one to pick me up for lunch. Suit you?” Andy just grinned and nodded his head in agreement.

  After breakfast Andy suggested to his mother that she go with them if she wasn’t busy. “No, I have some things to do but as long as you visit a bakery for me, I would rather stay home,” his mother replied.

  Andy nodded. “Let me know what you want me to buy,” he said, “and we’ll get it for you.” Turning to Alice, Andy asked, “Coast or country?”

  “Let’s go coast,” she replied.

  Andy nodded and asked, “What about Bamburgh?”

  “That sounds nice,” was the reply.

  From his study, Tony called out, “Andy, we leave in ten minutes.”

  “Okay, Dad, we’ll be ready,” Andy replied and he and Alice headed upstairs to get ready.

  After dropping his father off at his office, Andy drove through town, past the castle and headed north on the A1. Turning off at Adderstone, he drove toward the coast and Bamburgh. Sitting next to him, Alice was visibly excited. The castle stood out above the town and against the skyline. It looked impregnable. Parking the car, Andy picked up his camera, a Zeiss, and helped Alice out of the car. The castle was closed to the public but Andy insisted on taking a photo of Alice beside the castle wall. Then they headed down the sand dunes to the beach below. The sea was a gentle swell with the sound of the waves breaking on the shore. Seagulls fought over some scraps on the beach and others wheeled overhead. It was a clear day with a pale blue sky and a weak sun. Seawards, they had a good view of the Farne Islands and, to the north, Holy Island with its castle very visible. They walked holding hands and Alice felt as though she would burst with happiness. Andy regaled her with stories of King Oswald and St. Aidan in the glory days of Northumbria. Alice already knew the history but was happy to listen to Andy telling her about it. As he talked, Andy looked at Alice and felt pride in having her beside him. They got to the northern end of the beach and Andy got Alice to stand on a rock so that he could photograph her with the Bamburgh castle behind her. The sea breeze flattened her dress against her, accentuating her figure and Andy photographed Alice brushing her hair back from her face. She was the picture of happiness.

  “Want me to photograph the both of yer?” a voice called from behind Andy. He turned to see a man and his wife walking toward them.

  “That would be great, thanks,” replied Andy. He handed his camera to the man with a, “Do you know how to handle one of these? The settings are correct.”

  “Aye, lad, ah do,” he replied in a strong Northumbrian accent. He showed Andy his own camera and that they were birdwatchers. Andy jumped the rocks to stand beside Alice and put his arm around her waist, partly for balance.

  “Ready, then?” was the query. “Smile!” and the man took the photo. Andy offered to return the compliment which the couple accepted and they went and stood on the same rock. Andy noticed that the camera was a Leica, one of the best makes of camera around. He checked the settings and took their photo, afterwards complimenting the man on his camera.

  The man smiled his appreciation. “Aye, it does a good job.” The two couples exchanged pleasantries and each went on their own way. Alice said that she wanted a photo of Andy and he showed her the focus and set the camera, then went and stood with a background of the sea and Holy Island. Alice insisted on taking two photos of him, one full length and one head and shoulders. She felt pleased with herself. They climbed up the dunes and sat for a while looking out to sea, both feeling content with each other’s company. An open coble packed with tourists chugged out towards the Farne Islands from Seahouses. Out at sea, a large freighter was heading for the Tyne. It was a peaceful scene. Andy looked at his watch and said that they had better get moving. He helped Alice up and they headed for the road and to find a baker’s shop. There wasn’t one in Bamburgh so they drove down to Seahouses and found one near the front. Andy had his mother’s list and fortunately was able to get what she wanted. The seafront was busy with tourists, mainly weekenders from Newcastle, so they decided to head back to Alnwick and let Andy’s mother have the bakery products well before lunchtime.

  It was about 12.15 p.m. when they returned to the house, much to Margaret Hill’s surprise. “We thought you might want these things before lunch, Mum,” said Andy.

  Margaret smiled her appreciation. “That’s thoughtful of you, son,” she said.

  “Can I help you with lunch preparations?” Alice asked.

  “Yes, that would be nice,” replied Margaret and both thinking it would be a good way to get to know each other better. “Andy, would you slip down to the grocer’s and get me half-a-pound of sliced ham? I don’t think I’ll have enough for lunch,” Margaret asked. Andy agreed and headed out of the house. “That’s good,” thought Margaret, “now Alice and I can chat freely.” After getting the ham and delivering it to the house, Andy went down to pick his father up from the office. He went in to the reception area and saw his father’s office door open. No other staff were in. “Come in, Andy, and have a seat while I finish up,” his father called out. Andy went in and sat down. “Nice girl you’ve got there,” his father said. “Do you think it’ll get serious?”

  Andy replied, “I haven’t known her long, Dad, but I think it could do. She’s different to others I’ve been out with.”

  “H’mm. Is she, now? Well, don’t try anything with her, is my advice. She’ll respect you all the more for that. Besides, I‘d like to keep our friendship with the Waltons,” Tony Hill commented.

  “I hear you, Dad. I got much the same thing from Mr Walton,” Andy replied.

  “Good thing. You take note,” was his father’s response. They chatted on and Andy was pleased at how relaxed his father was. They hadn’t always found it easy to communicate. Perhaps his father was mellowing, he thought.

  After lunch, Margaret Hill asked Andy what time he had to leave in the morning.

  “About 10.30 a m., Mum. I’ll have to change at Alnmouth but that connects with a slow train to Newcastle and I can then catch a train that stops at Doncaster. You know what it’s like on a Sunday,” Andy replied.

  “Could Alice travel with you in the morning instead of going home tonight?” his mother asked.

  Andy looked surprised and hesitantly said, “Yes, I suppose so.” He looked askance at Alice. She smiled and said she would like that.

  “Good,” said Margaret, “we can ‘phone your parents and see if they agree.”

  Andy thought, “The two mothers appear to have already decided our fate. I hope it works out if they have,” but he just smiled. Margaret telephoned the Waltons and Judith Walton answered. A discussion between the two women followed and then Margaret held the telephone out to Alice. Her mother asked how she was enjoying the weekend and then asked about changes of clothing. She would let Alice know the train time to Corbridge when they met this evening.

  Alice hung up the telephone and turned to face the others with a big smile on her face. “Thank you, Mrs Hill,” she exclaimed. “That’s so good of you.”

  Margaret smiled back, “My pleasure,” she said.

  “Could I hand wash some clothes, please?” asked Alice.

  Tony Hill spoke up, “Come on, Andy, let’s leave the girls to it,” and he got up and headed for the door. Andy followed his father out. As they got outside the house, Tony Hill said, “Don’t worry, son, you are now learning how things tend to be arranged. It’s not worth fighting and it’s better to just go along with it. I’m a great believer in things working out.”

  Andy was surprised to hear his father talking like that; it was a new experience for him. “What brought this on, Dad?” he asked.

  “This is the first time that your mother has taken to a lady-friend of yours,” his father replied with a smile. “Let’s take a walk,” he said as he headed for the garden gate.

  In Corbridge, John and Judith Walton were getting ready to drive up to Morpeth. John planned to drive up thro
ugh Stamfordham to Belsay and then across to Morpeth. It would be a more pleasant drive than going through Newcastle and up the A1. “What time do you think Anne will be back, John?” his wife asked.

  “Well, they’ve gone to the Coast and I think they plan to go dancing at the Spanish City so it could be midnight. We’ll be home by then, if that’s what you are worrying about,” replied her husband.

  “That’s okay then,” said Judith. “Margaret Hill certainly seems to have taken a shine to Alice. I’m so pleased.”

  John gave her a warning look and said, “Don’t push this romance along too fast. Alice and Andy haven’t known each other that long. Let them take their time.”

  Judith coyly replied, “I don’t recall you taking your time.”

  “I’d better just go and check the car before we leave,” was the reply. Judith smiled to herself, knowing he had already checked the car earlier. They departed about 4.30 p.m., allowing them to have a relaxed drive. John was in a dark business suit and Judith wore a cocktail dress with a wrap. They felt that they should dress for the occasion.