Kingdom's Dream (35 page)

‘That's what friends are for, isn't it?'

‘Where's Jayne? I thought she was coming with us?'

‘She's going as a guest of the bank, and she's thrilled to bits about it. Now, the carriage is waiting. Come along, Sion, we'll try to get as near the front as we can – we might even see Mr Brunel himself, if we're lucky.' He looked down at Llinos. ‘And afterwards we'll be celebrating with the public breakfast and we'll certainly meet him there.'

‘Oh, good,' Llinos said, without enthusiasm. ‘Where is it being held?' She had hoped to be back at home within the hour.

‘Mr Edgington of London has provided an enormous tent,' Eynon replied. ‘There's to be a great feast with dishes to tempt even the most jaded palate. Lamb and collard veal as well as beef will be served, not to mention lobster and oysters straight from Oystermouth village.'

‘It sounds wonderful,' Llinos said absently, but she knew she would not be able to eat a thing.

The drive through Swansea would normally have left her gasping with pleasure: flags fluttered from rooftops, and streamers hung from upstairs windows giving the town a festive air. But without Joe to share it with her she felt numb.

‘Look, Uncle Eynon.' Sion pointed to a group of bandsmen dressed in red jackets piped with white braid. ‘Aren't they grand?'

Llinos could think of nothing but Joe. Her world was incomplete without him in it. Even when he had been far away in America, she'd known he was thinking about her, loving her.

Sion took her hand, and it was as if he sensed her grief. ‘Papa would have wanted you to enjoy today,' he said gently. ‘You know he's looking down at you, keeping you safe.'

‘You're like an old man,' she said. ‘You've got a wise head on young shoulders.' But the child's words comforted her and her spirits lightened. For his sake she would try at least to give the impression that she was enjoying herself. ‘I'm glad you brought me out, Eynon,' she said brightly. ‘I think I'm going to enjoy today, after all.'

Dafydd took Serena's arm and led her towards the tent where the festive breakfast was laid out. He was bored with her already, but she would do until something better came along.

He smiled thinly. His wife would not expect to see him there, and certainly not with his mistress. That would take the smug look off her face. She had forgotten that, as an important businessman, Dafydd would have received an invitation and today, even though he was not a shareholder, he intended to make the most of the occasion to speak to some influential people. He would buy his way into the Great Western Railway, whatever it cost him.

‘Oh dear,' his mistress moaned, ‘do we really have to suffer the indignation of pushing through these crowds of common people?'

‘Be quiet, Serena, or I'll begin to wish I hadn't bought you. We'll make our way round the back of the tents – it should be less crowded there.'

‘But the ground is damp and my shoes will be ruined.'

‘Oh, for heaven's sake!' He stared down at her. ‘You're becoming a bore.'

She opened her mouth to reply but shut it again as three burly men barred their way.

‘Can I help you, gentlemen?' Dafydd said mildly, but his shoulders were tense: he sensed that these men meant trouble. By heading off the main track he'd laid himself open to any footpad who happened to be waiting for good pickings. He glanced around him but there was no escape. He could hear the crowds that thronged the field – women's laughter, the shouts of children – but realized that no one would hear him if he called for help.

‘What do you want?' he demanded, but no one spoke. The first blow felled him and he lay in the dust, trying to clear his head. ‘What's this all about?' He wiped the blood from his mouth just as another blow caught him in the ribs.

‘If it's money you want, take it.' He fumbled for his wallet but one of the men kicked it out of his hand.

‘You bastards!' Dafydd said, feeling his lip swell to twice its normal size. ‘Tell me what you want and I'll give it to you.' He tried to get up but his feet were kicked from under him and he fell heavily to the ground. He twisted and turned but the silent beating went on remorselessly until, at last, Dafydd gave up the unequal struggle.

He must have passed out because it was some time later when he opened his swollen eyes and peered round him. His attackers had gone and so had his mistress. He staggered to his feet, ignoring the curious looks that came his way, and slowly made his way home.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Katie stood at the edge of the crowd, straining to see if the train was coming into the terminus. Work on the Swansea station was not yet completed, but banners hung everywhere and some of the crowd were waving flags excitedly. She sensed someone beside her and looked round quickly. ‘Oh, Rhiannon, it's you.'

‘Hello, Katie. On your own, then?'

‘Yes, I am, and you know why, don't you, Rhiannon?'

‘Aye, ‘spects I do. Lor', that Bull, he's a demon for getting up early, always has been.'

‘I know you're doing your best to take him away from me,' Katie said, ‘but I heard this morning from one of the maids that you're not living with Bull at all. You're working for Mr Cookson, the engineer.'

Rhiannon looked away sheepishly. ‘Well, that don't stop me seeing Bull, does it? I think my boy's had a change of heart now, see. No fault of yours, mind, it's just that I know what pleases Bull.'

Katie felt a dragging sense of despair, but before she had time to say anything a man came rushing along the track shouting at the top of his voice: ‘Accident! Up the line! A man and a boy are trapped! Someone come and help!'

He caught sight of Rhiannon and grabbed her arm. ‘Come quickly, it's Bull,' he said. ‘There's been a fall of earth between Landore and Swansea, and he's caught up in it.'

Katie froze. ‘Is he all right?' she called over Rhiannon's shoulder, but the man ignored her. His sympathy was for Rhiannon, who had been Bull's woman for a long time.

‘You'd better get up there, Rhiannon,' he said. ‘The engine with the directors on board will be coming in about one o'clock and you'll never get past the crowd then.'

Katie had a sudden picture of Mrs Mainwaring at her husband's funeral. She saw again her drooping shoulders, and in that moment she was more frightened than she had ever been in her life.

‘I'm coming with you,' Katie said. ‘Don't try to stop me, Rhiannon, because I'm coming whatever you say.'

‘Be quick, then.' Rhiannon began to run along the trackside pushing her way between the crowds. Katie followed in her wake, easily keeping pace, fear wrapping itself around her like a cloak and sweat beading her brow. ‘Please, God, let him be alive,' she murmured over and over again.

She gasped as the huge fall of earth came into sight. The navvies, dressed incongruously in their Sunday best, were digging feverishly. Seth O'Connor was among them, covered in earth, and she ran as close to him as she dared.

‘Seth, what's happened?' she called, and the Irishman looked up sharply.

‘Get away from here, Katie Cullen. God only knows what we're going to find.'

‘Tell me what's happened, please, Seth.'

He came to her then, rubbing the sweat off his brow with his sleeve. His face was red and he was breathing heavily.

‘A little boy was playing here,' he gasped. ‘We saw the earth on the bank start to slide and Bull jumped forward to save him. The last we saw of him was half an hour ago when the earth covered them both. Put yourself in mind of it, Katie. The chances are that both the boy and Bull are goners.'

‘No!' Katie scrabbled at the earth with her bare hands. Somehow she knew in her heart that Bull was nearby.

‘Go back, Katie! ‘Tisn't safe here, colleen.' Seth tried to drag her away. ‘Stand over there with the other women – we'll get him out, I promise you.'

‘Seth,' Katie looked at him, her eyes pleading with him to listen to her. ‘Bull is under here, I just know in my bones he is. Please, Seth, will you dig this part of the earth for me?'

He nodded and carefully put his spade into the soft earth. ‘If he's here I'll find him, don't you fret.'

After several agonizing minutes Katie heard the spade strike something metallic and Seth looked up at her. ‘'Tis a bit of piping. It might just be . . .' His words trailed away as an answering knock sounded on the pipe.

‘Over here, boys!' Seth called excitedly. ‘There's someone alive down here.' He glanced at Katie. ‘Don't get your hopes up too high, love, it might just be the little boy.'

Slowly the men began to uncover the pipe. ‘Look, boys,' Seth called. ‘A man would get air to breathe through the pipe and some of the timbers under here are poking through the earth.' His voice rose. ‘It looks as if Bull had a chance to save the boy before the earth covered him.'

Katie clasped her hands together. ‘Mother Mary, keep Bull safe! I don't care what he's done or who he wants, just let him be alive and I'll never ask for another thing as long as I live.'

With painful slowness the pipe was uncovered. Seth grasped the end of a piece of timber and hesitated. ‘We got to do this carefully, boys,' he said, ‘or we could cause another fall of earth.'

Slowly the timbers were raised and a cheer went up from the men. Katie strained to see but the navvies crowded round, only too willing to help.

‘Here's the child!' One of the navvies lifted the boy and wiped the earth from his face. He was passed carefully from man to man until he was in the arms of his weeping mother.

A loud cheer went up from the navvies, and Katie almost stopped breathing as Bull was pulled from the earth. He stood up, brushed the dirt from his face, and Katie felt as if her heart was melting inside her.

‘Thank you, Mother Mary, thank you, thank you,' she whispered. Then she watched as Rhiannon pushed forward. The crowd of men parted to let her get to Bull and he hugged her, but his eyes were scanning the crowds. When he saw Katie he put Rhiannon aside and came towards her, his arms outstretched. Beneath the earth that grimed his face and matted his hair, he was smiling.

‘My little love,' he said. ‘I knew you'd be here for me.' He put his arms around her and she closed her eyes, loving him so much it hurt.

‘Thank God you're alive. I was so afraid I'd never see you again.'

‘Oh, you can't get rid of Bull Beynon that easily,' he said. ‘I had to live to make you my wife. You will marry me, won't you?'

Over his shoulder, Katie saw Rhiannon, head bent as she walked away, but her heart was so full of gladness that all she could think of was Bull, here in her arms, safe and well and needing her.

‘Go on, Katie Cullen!' Seth shouted. ‘Put the man out of his misery! Say you'll marry him.'

Katie's voice shook as she answered him: ‘I'll marry you, Bull, my sweetheart. How could I say no when I love you so much?'

Seth O'Connor began to clap and the other navvies joined in. They crowded around Bull and Katie, slapping Bull on the back and heaping congratulations on them.

From the distance came the whistle of the train bringing the directors into Swansea. Bull looked up, his arm still round Katie's waist. ‘Come on, boys, we're not going to miss the greatest spectacle of our lives, are we? Get down to the station and catch a look at the great man himself.'

He took Katie's hand and ran with her towards the station. As she struggled to keep up with him, her heart sang with joy. Bull was alive, and he was hers for now and for always.

Breathless, she came to a stop beside him. She could see the colourful uniforms of the band, the mayor standing at the edge of a red carpet and, in the crowd of dignitaries on the platform, Mr Morton-Edwards with Mrs Mainwaring and her little boy. Then Jayne Buchan pushed forward, impeccably dressed as always. Katie looked down ruefully at her own earth-spattered skirts. But that didn't matter. She slipped her hand into Bull's and he squeezed it gently. ‘Any minute now, Katie.' She knew by the excitement in his voice that he was happy to be here with her to see the majestic engine come into sight. She stood on tiptoe but then, laughing, Bull lifted her in his great arms so that she could see over the heads of the crowd.

Slowly, the gleaming engine came into view. Steam billowed from the funnel like a pale cloud in the sunshine and sparks fell like stars into the grass.

A great cheer went up from the crowd as the train ground to a halt. Men with tall hats stepped from the carriage, and the mayor of Swansea, his gold chain gleaming, was shaking the hand of one.

‘That's Brunel himself,' Bull said, and Katie looked at the man who had made the Great Western Railway possible and saw that he was ordinary, stocky, broad-shouldered, not a patch on her Bull.

The band struck up, and Katie felt a catch in her throat as the procession moved away from the platform. Bull put her down and Katie curled into his arms. ‘You must be very proud,' she said, looking up into his dirty face. ‘You've been part of all this from the start.'

‘Katie, at this moment I'm a happier man than the great Isambard Kingdom Brunel himself. His dream has come true. He's brought the Great Western into Swansea. But my dream, from the first moment I met you, was to make you my wife.' He bent towards her and a shower of earth fell from his hair on to her face, but Katie didn't notice for Bull's lips were claiming hers, and her heart was singing because this was the happiest day of her life.