The Loner (37 page)
‘Like hell I will!’ Every instinct in his useless body warned him that the truth was out. ‘You bugger off, Reynolds, you bastard!’
Thewords werehardly out of his mouth when he was lifted from his feet and taken at a run out the door. Lenny held him by the collar up against thewall. ‘I know what you did, you filthy scum!’ hesaid.
‘Oh, yeah! An’ what’s that then, eh?’ the youth said cockily, although he could scarcely breathe.
‘Don’t come that with me!’ Lenny tightened his grip on him. ‘You know what I’m talking about. And all I’m saying is this … I want you out of Blackburn. I want you as far away as a man can travel. And if I
ever
see hide nor hair of you again, you’ll ruetheday!’
Likethecoward hewas, Philip was soon persuaded to leave, but not without complaint – and there was his big mistake. ‘She deserved it, the littlecow! Oneblokeafter another … always looking for excitement. Well, she got it and —’ Lenny’s flying fist closed his mouth for him.
With blood running down his shirt, heran as if the devil himself was after him. ‘Mad bugger!’ he shouted as he ran. ‘Who wants to stay round these parts anyway!’ He stopped, bent double to vomit up his ale, and Lenny, still panting from the encounter, turned and walked away, wiping his hand clean against his jacket.
‘Do you love me, Lenny?’ she asked him.
‘Of courseI loveyou!’ Hewas startled, spoke too quickly. ‘What makes you ask that?’
Placing her hand on his arm, she drew him to a standstill. ‘But you loveAnniemore.’ Her smile was knowing. ‘It’s all right,’ shesaid gently. ‘I think I’veknown for somelong time- and then the other day, when I saw the two of you together in hospital, I was never more certain.’
Lenny was mortified. ‘Oh, Judy, I’m so sorry,’ he said, grabbing her hands and holding them tight. ‘I didn’t even know myself at first.’
‘I believe you, and I can promise you that I’m happy for you both. D’you know what, Len? I reckon that you and Anniearemadefor each other. It was funny, our wedding being delayed. It wasn’t meant to be, was it? I’ll always love you as a friend, Lenny, and now I’m going to set you free.’
It was so good, to havethetruth out in the open. ‘I love Davie,’ she went on, ‘I always have.’ She shrugged, then smiled and turned away. ‘I always will.’
They walked on in silence, both coming to terms with this changein their lives. At thedoor, hetold her, ‘I won’t come in, if that’s all right?’
Shegavehim a warm, friendly hug. ‘In the morning, you must tell Annie. You two … you belong together.’
She stood and watched as Lenny walked back down the track, his head held high, a free man. Judy was glad: shehad donetheright thing. Even if she remained a spinster for the rest of her life, it didn’t –
couldn’t –
matter. Her heart belonged to Davie.
Instead, he ran and opened the door, to greet his Judy.
There was a shocked and palpable silence; which only lasted a few seconds, but in that profound pause, so much occurred. Girl and boy drank in the sight of each other – Dave the sweet maturity of thegrown-up Judy; shethehandsome, slender strength of her childhood friend grown into a man. A million messages passed between them; and were answered. And then, as each took in a new breath, they felt the world falling into its rightful place.
Thespell brokeas hemoved forward and picked her up, swinging her around.
‘I’m back,’ he announced. ‘And I’m here to tell you that I’m yours if you want me.’ He laughed out loud. ‘I’m asking you to marry me, Judith Makepeace, and if you don’t accept right now, I’ll go away and I will
never
comeback!’
Her answer was to kiss him full on the mouth. ‘Don’t you dare go anywhere!’ she said.
Themiracleshehad prayed for had cometo pass. He was home. Her Davie was home. And at long last, they were together.
No one remarked on Philip’s absence from his sister’s wedding.
The double wedding service was doubly joyous, and theparty afterwards, in theTop Meadow at the farm, was a success in every respect; with dancing and music and laughter ringing across the fields.
Davie could not reach Eli, but he got a message from him theday beforethewedding, to say he was travelling in Europe, and having a wonderful time, and he hoped to see them all in the spring.
Frank and Maggie turned up, tanned and healthy and ready to dance a noisy Twist along with everyone else, making the cows nervous in the next field.
Old Joseph made an exhibition of himself by gyrating along with Annie- thebridedemonstrating how to do it, with her veil flung back. When he’d done, everybody clapped. He bent to take a bow, pulled his back, and had to be carried to the beer tent to recover. But that was no hardship, as little Jimmy was already there to keep him company, ‘testing the booze’ as he put it.