Lily’s War (7 page)

Lily had given little thought to Easter which was weeks away, and was a little suspicious as to why her aunt should be planning a family get-together. Was it to do with what Matt had said? ‘Dad too?’ she enquired.

William pushed his trilby to the back of his head. ‘Dora didn’t say not, lass. Perhaps she’s thinking it’s time to make up their quarrel.’ He winked. ‘Now open the back gate and you can give me a hand with them cows.’

‘Will you be staying for a cuppa?’

‘No, lass. I’ve got a man coming to see a horse so I can’t be wasting time.’

She paused only to place the heavy parcel on the kitchen table and hurried through to the back, cheered by her uncle’s arrival. Moving cows was always a performance when William came instead of the herdsman because he refused to use an halter, believing his voice had the same power over cows that the Pied Piper’s had had over children and rats.

‘Mind that tail!’ he roared, waving his blackthorn stick over the backside of one replacement cow. Its hooves clattered and slipped on the damp cobbles and its thickly fringed eyes were nervous as Lily dodged out of the way past the brick-built midden. William herded it into an empty stall, singing a Tex Ritter song, and Lily gave the cow a pat.

‘Now for the difficult part,’ she said, her eyes gleaming as she closed the door.

‘Nothing to it, lass.’ He winked and turned to Bluebell. ‘Come on, me beautiful girl.’

Bluebell responded to the touch of his stick on her rump. Lily swiftly slipped a rope halter over the other cow’s head and headed for the open gate. Bluebell slowly followed Lily and the other cow along the back entry and into the street but she baulked at climbing the ramp into the lorry. She stood scenting the air. Perhaps it was the grass in Sheil Park situated across the road from the top of the street she could smell, because the next moment she was off, trotting in that direction.

Swiftly Lily unlooped the halter from the other cow and gave chase, watched by several interested neighbours as she swung the rope around her head and lassooed the cow. It was a skill which William had taught her and Ben. She panted and heaved on the rope. Then she heard her name called and, turning, saw Matt standing next to William. Her heart jolted but she waved matter-of-factly. He came strolling towards her, dressed in clerical black, his sunburnt face split by a smile. Instantly she was conscious of the dirt on her cheek and her working clothes, but his grey eyes were warm, and almost appreciative, she thought with relief, as if he was really pleased to see her.

The recalcitrant cow was led on to the lorry. William lifted up the tailboard and shot the bolts. ‘I’ll have to be going.’ He squeezed Lily’s shoulder and whispered in her ear, ‘I like him but we need you here. You’re a good sensible lass, see you stay that way.’ For a moment she could not think what he meant. He turned to Matt. ‘Nice meeting you, parson.’

Matt cocked an eyebrow. ‘I wish you meant that, Mr Thorpe.’ He held out a hand. William hesitated a second then shook it heartily before climbing into the cab and driving off.

Apprehensively Lily turned to Matt. Had he told William about his proposal of marriage? She hoped not. William might tell her father and Albert would be furious at not being told first. He would be furious anyway, she thought.

Matt smiled down at her and from a pocket took out a handkerchief. ‘You’ve a smudge on your cheek.’

‘I’m a mess,’ she said ruefully. ‘If you’d come when I expected—’

‘You look fine.’ He took her chin in his hand and wiped the dirt from her cheek. ‘Shall we have a cup of tea? I’m desperate for a drink.’

‘What made you late?’ She could feel the heat rising in her face and wondered if any of the neighbours were watching. She cleared her throat. ‘I’m sorry, Ben had to go without you.’

‘It was unavoidable.’ He went to pocket his handkerchief but she took it from him. ‘Let me wash it.’

His fingers folded over hers and he said wryly, ‘I can only stay ten minutes, then I’ll have to be off.’

She wondered what had gone wrong but asked him to excuse her and to make the ten minutes a quarter of an hour, please, before running upstairs.

Lily stared at her reflection, wanting to look her best for him. How could he bear looking at her in this state? It would be a wonder if he didn’t change his mind. Apprehension gripped her and she knew then how strong was the attraction between them. She undressed and washed sketchily. She put on her best dress and dragged a comb through her dishevelled curls. Now her eyes were all sparkly. Alive! Is this how they had looked to Uncle William after Matthew had come? He had been warning her. ‘You’re a sensible lass,’ she whispered to her reflection. ‘Don’t forget, and keep your feet firmly on the ground.’ But hadn’t she been doing that all her life?

She walked sedately downstairs, remembering Daisy saying that morning ‘If wishes had wings.’ There was a part of her that was soaring up and away, part that wanted to stay put.

Matt was standing in front of the fire, but turned as Lily entered and came towards her. She realised he looked weary as well as sombre. ‘What is it? What’s happened?’ Without a second thought she went into his arms.

He said against her ear, ‘The vicar had a heart attack during the night. He died a couple of hours ago.’

‘How awful! What about his wife? Is someone with her?’

‘The curate’s wife.’ He rubbed his cheek against her hair and kissed her left eyebrow. ‘Poor Richard! He doesn’t know if he’s coming or going. He’s having to see to all the arrangements so I’ve volunteered to do some of his sick calls.’

‘Do you know your way around?’

‘Not well enough.’ He hesitated. ‘I’ve offered to stay on for a while and help Richard until a new incumbent is found.’

She felt a kind of relief but wondered how he really felt about staying. Her eyes searched his face. ‘Will you like that?’

‘It’ll be a new experience. Don’t go away.’ He drew her back into his arms with a sigh. ‘It’s comforting like this and I feel like being comforted. I’ve never worked as a parish priest before.’

‘A different thing altogether, I should imagine.’

‘Yes. I’ve never stayed in one place long. Only when Dad was ill and I stuck with him in Sydney. After he died I had to get away. A year ago I came in contact with the bush brothers for the first time in years. Their lifestyle drew me. I’m still only with them on approval, you might say, and I don’t always behave the way I should. Perhaps through all this God could be saying it’s time for something different again?’

‘In what way different?’ she said cautiously, wondering what it might mean to her.

‘I can’t say. I’ve learnt that sometimes you’re only shown one step at a time.’ He released her abruptly and ran a hand over his hair, his grey eyes uncertain. ‘How about that cup of tea?’

‘Are you hungry?’

‘I haven’t eaten since last night.’

‘Then you must make time to eat.’

‘Yes, Lily,’ he said meekly.

She laughed, stopped worrying, cut the string on the parcel William had brought and lit the oven.

‘Would you like me to show you the parish?’ she asked ten minutes later as she poured tea. ‘It’ll help you to make up for the time you’ve spent here.’

‘I thought you’d never offer.’ His tanned face was suddenly alight with laughter and she felt a queer catch at her heart.

‘I want to be of help to you,’ she said slowly, putting the teapot on its stand.

He caught hold of her hand and kissed it. ‘The first visit is to a Miss Fletcher.’

‘Her father’s the cobbler. They live over the shop. No problem there, except—’

‘Except what?’

Lily frowned. ‘Miss Fletcher loves nothing better than other people’s business. If I go in with you she’ll gossip.’

He stopped nibbling her fingers. ‘Did I stampede you last night? Have you had second thoughts?’

‘I wasn’t sure if you’d changed your mind.’ She felt unusually shy. ‘We haven’t known each other long.’

‘How long does it take to know something feels right?’ He pressed her hand between both of his. ‘I felt something there between us the moment I first saw you.’

‘I was attracted to your voice even before I set eyes on you.’ She hesitated. ‘Then when you took what I said about the kipper in the right spirit, I liked you a lot.’ Her voice trailed away at the pleasure in his eyes and suddenly she knew it was all right.

‘There’s no need for us to rush into marriage,’ he said.

‘No.’ She was relieved he understood and impulsively leaned forward and brushed his lips with hers. He caught her to him and kissed her deeply. Eventually they drew apart and she said unsteadily, ‘Best eat your pie or we’ll never get round the parish, and I’ve got to be back for the milking.’

He smiled and did as he was told.

By the time Lily arrived back Albert and Ben were home. ‘Where’ve you been?’ grunted her father. ‘No cup of tea waiting for us and it’s been a lousy day. Mrs Jones told us you went off with the preacher.’

‘Stop moaning, Dad!’ Ben glanced up from the newspaper. ‘Our Lil’s entitled to see who she likes.’

‘I want to know why she was with him?’ muttered Albert, draining his cup. ‘She knows my feelings about his sort.’

‘You’re narrow-minded, Dad,’ she murmured. ‘And Ben’s right, I can see who I like. But if you must know, the vicar dropped dead and Matt came to tell me. He’s staying on at the church to help.’

‘I’m not happy about him calling here,’ said Albert, scowling.

‘Be unhappy then,’ said Lily, catching hold of her apron and pulling it off its hook. She opened the back door and walked out, wanting to slam it, but Ben was right behind her.

He waited until they were halfway down the yard before saying, ‘You’re made up he’s staying, aren’t you?’

She hesitated, wondering whether to tell him of Matt’s proposal but decided it could wait. ‘I suppose I am,’ she murmured. ‘I like him a lot.’

‘It’s more than that you feel.’ He looked slightly unhappy. ‘But he’s educated, Lil. Think what you’re doing.’

She was irritated by his drawing her attention to something she knew but did not want to think about. ‘I am bright enough to have noticed that,’ she flashed back. ‘And to know men don’t like women who are too clever! I’m also smart enough to have kept this dairy and household going for years. I read about things! We can communicate.’

‘I didn’t mean you were stupid,’ said Ben, flushing. ‘I’m just saying he’s used to a different way of living than ours.’

‘Thank God,’ she muttered. ‘I could do with a change.’

Ben’s expression was suddenly gloomy. ‘There’s no talking to you.’

‘No, there isn’t! Now let’s get on with the milking and don’t say a word to Daisy about Matt or bring him up while Dad’s there. I can do without his remarks at the moment.’

Lily need not have worried about her father. When they went back inside the house he had vanished and so had a large portion of one of the hotpot pies.

‘He might have waited till Saturday to get drunk,’ said Ben, slumping wearily into a chair.

Lily tapped her fingers on the table. ‘You don’t sound surprised. Has he got money?’

‘Uncle William gave him two days’ pay.’

‘Damn him! He could have handed some of it over.’ She felt angry, considering the way she had to be careful with every farthing if she was to save for a rainy day.

‘Too late now,’ muttered Ben, yawning. ‘Better not tell our Daisy or she’ll hit the roof.’

But Daisy had other things on her mind when she arrived home. ‘The King and Queen are coming to Liverpool for the Grand National.’ Her heart-shaped face was alive with excitement. ‘Not that I’ll get to see them. Now there’s a man who knows his duty to his country, not like old Eddie with his fancy woman.’

‘I suppose Eddie really loves her?’ murmured Lily, adding thoughtfully, ‘Which would you choose if you had to? Duty or love.’

Her sister hesitated. ‘I suppose love, if I’m honest.’

‘Aye. You’d leave the duty to me,’ said Lily drily.

‘You are the eldest,’ said Daisy, frowning.

‘So was Eddie.’

Daisy shrugged, took off her scarf and sat down. ‘Let’s forget it. What’s for tea?’

Lily put a plate of pie in front of her and said no more, but she did not forget the conversation. There were times when she really did get fed up with being taken for granted.

On Sunday Lily and the two younger Thorpes were late getting to church because Daisy had decided to come, having discovered Matt’s identity from her younger sister.

‘Will the vicar be in Heaven by now?’ whispered May as they crept into church, sketchily crossing themselves before sitting in a back pew.

‘Shush,’ hissed Lily, kneeling and burying her face in her hands so she wouldn’t have to answer more questions. She was irritated, having determined to be early so as to sit at the front for a better view of Matt. Trust Daisy to think choosing the right hat was more important than getting to church on time.

She sat back and gazed down the long length of the aisle through a haze of incense. Hadn’t she known it would be crowded with the vicar dying? Strange that. It wasn’t as if they’d be seeing him. Morale booster for the curate, she supposed.

Richard was reading the lesson and Matt was sitting in a great carved chair in the chancel between the choir stalls. He looked distant, apart, and Lily’s heart misgave her. She did not know that man. How could she have said she would marry him? She kept glancing at him as she went through the ritual of singing, praying, chanting. Then it was time for him to ascend into the pulpit. He stood there, his eyes reaching out over the congregation, searching, seeking, and suddenly she knew he was looking for her. Perhaps he was nervous? What had he said the day the vicar had died? ‘I feel like being comforted.’ He must have had quite a lonely life, wandering from place to place.

Matt began to speak in that powerful voice that sent delicious shivers down her spine. He spoke of Jesus turning his face resolutely towards Jerusalem. He spoke of a chosen destiny and yet of God being a God of surprises. ‘Some of us like to know more or less what we’ll be doing this time next week – next month. We like our lives to run like clockwork. We prefer things to happen the way we want, but it’s God who is the initiator and we who are the followers.’ A pause and Lily held her breath, not caring that May was scuffing her best shoes on the pew in front but Daisy did and kicked her feet down. Then she nudged Lily. ‘Nice voice. No wonder you’re struck.’