Josephine Cox Sunday Times Bestsellers Collection

‘Right then! You sit down and fill your plate while I have a quiet word with Lucy.’

‘Whatever you say.’ In fact, Adam was already privvy to the reason for Barney’s need to talk with Lucy in private.

Adam had known Barney for many years; in their childhood they had learned the times-table together; ridden side by side across the fields on whatever horse they could borrow; shot rabbits for the pot, and later sat many a while on the porch, exchanging tales of when they were lads. They knew each other as well as any brothers might, and loved each other the same.

Leaving the others to chat, Barney rounded the table and taking Lucy by the hand, led her out to the back porch. They sat on the bench and there, Barney spoke his mind. ‘There’s summat you need to think about.’

Lucy asked him what he meant. But she could never have imagined in her wildest dreams what he was about to say.

Barney continued, ‘I know it’s none of our business, but well … Me and Vicky have been talking and what we think is this: it’s not good to bring a child up in a house of women – if you know what I mean?’

Lucy had no doubts. ‘You mean women who entertain?’

Sucking in his lips he took a deep breath. Afraid she might have taken him wrong, he answered sincerely, ‘It’s not for me to judge other folks. All I’m saying is this: for little Jamie’s sake, and yours, it won’t be a bad thing when you move out of there.’

Lucy gave a wry little laugh. ‘It’s easier said than done.’ She shrugged her shoulders. ‘For a start, where would I go?’

He smiled. ‘So, you would leave if you only had somewhere to go. Is that what you’re telling me, Lucy?’

‘Oh, yes.’ Lucy was aware of her environment and knew as well as did Barney, that it was not a suitable place to raise a child. ‘If I had somewhere to go, I’d leave – though I have to say, I would miss Bridget and the girls. They’ve been such good friends to me.’

‘I know that,’ he agreed. ‘Haven’t they visited you time and again since you’ve been here? And haven’t I heard you laughing with them, when only hours before, you were fit for nothing? Believe me, Lucy, after you being so poorly, it did our heart good to hear you. Now then, lass, I want you to take this.’ Opening his hand, he revealed a heavy iron key lying in his palm. ‘Take it!’ he urged. ‘There’s no rush. Just give it some thought and let me know what you decide.’

Lucy was confused. ‘It’s a key.’

He chuckled. ‘Well, of course it’s a key!’

‘But where does it belong?’

‘It belongs to the little cottage at the other end of the brook. The one where Leonard Maitland’s gardener lived afore he threw him out for robbing him.’

Realisation began to dawn. ‘What? You mean, the pretty one with the thatched roof and the little garden which runs right down to the brook edge?’

‘Aye, that’s the one.’

She took the key, which weighed heavy in her hand. ‘So, this is the key to that cottage?’

Barney nodded affirmatively. ‘That one opens the front door. I’ve another for the back. If you decide it’s what you want, I’ll let you have the other key an’ all.’

The merest smile trembled on Lucy’s mouth. ‘But I don’t fully understand. Why are you giving me this key?’

Smiling into her inquisitive eyes, he explained, ‘The boss, Mr Maitland, and me had a little chat yesterday.’

‘About me?’

‘Sort of, yes. He was aware of your accident – you know how gossip flies around a village – and being the kindly gent he is, he took the time to ask after you. I told him the way things were, and he said if I thought it would help to offer you the vacant cottage, he wouldn’t mind one bit; though he would expect you to give him half a day’s work per week in lieu of rent … a bit of cleaning, that sort of thing. Besides, the cottage needed living in, that’s what he said, or it would fall to rack and ruin. Y’see, his new gardener has his own cottage and has no need of this one. In fact, the boss had a mind to sell it off with a parcel of land, but he never got round to it. Moreover, he mentioned as how it’s so tiny it wouldn’t fetch much in the way of cash.’

He took a breath. ‘To tell you the truth, Lucy, the cottage is of small interest to Mr Maitland, so it’s yours if you want it.’

Lucy gasped. ‘I can’t believe this is happening!’ Thrilled to her roots, she was astounded for the second time that evening. ‘The cottage is mine? Really? Are you sure?’

Laughing out loud, Barney squeezed her hand. ‘Well, aren’t you the cloth ears,’ he teased. ‘Isn’t that what I’ve just been saying?’

Lucy was speechless. And now the tears she had managed to hold back all day ran down her cheeks and all at once she was laughing and crying, and telling Barney, ‘I haven’t got a stick of furniture, but yes, oh, yes!’ She was beside herself. ‘We’ll move in as soon as possible. Never mind a bed. We’ll sleep on the floor if we have to.’

‘There’ll be no need of that. The cottage comes with its own furniture and such. Yon Adam has cleaned and aired the place all ready for you and young Jamie. All you’ll want is new bedding and certain silly bits and pieces a woman needs to keep her happy. And you needn’t worry about the bairn when you work the half-day for Mr Maitland, because Vicky’s already said she’ll be more than happy to keep an eye on him. And it goes without saying that when you’re working here for the rest of the week, the bairn is welcome as the day is long.’

And so it was settled. Lucy would move in within the next few days, and while she was getting organised, Barney would make sure the garden was cleared and all was spick and span for her and the child.

A few days later, Lucy was saying her goodbyes in Viaduct Street. ‘I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you’ve done for me.’ Emotion thickened her voice as she threw her arms round Bridget and hugged her so hard, the poor woman had to wrench her off.

‘Be Jaysus, will ye get offa me! Are ye trying to strangle me or what?’ Holding Lucy at arm’s length, she looked into those sincere brown eyes and thought how much she would miss this young woman; with her impromptu singing and bright, happy presence, the house would be all the poorer for her not being there.

‘I’m truly sorry to see ye go,’ she told Lucy now, ‘but I’m happy for you, so I am. You’ll have your own front-door key and Jamie will have his own little room, and when me and the girls come acalling, you’ll have fresh-baked muffins ready for us, and a big pot o’ tea waiting.’ She gave a wink. ‘Unless o’ course you’ve a drop o’ the good stuff hidden away in the cupboard for an old friend?’

With the sadness lifted, Lucy laughed out loud. ‘Oi will,’ she answered, mimicking Bridget’s strong Irish accent. ‘Sure Oi’ll have a little bottle tucked away and ye can drink to your heart’s content, so ye can.’

Bridget roared with laughter. ‘Ye sound more like me than I do me self. Go on, ye little divil, be off wit’ ye!’ She gave her another hug, and craftily dropped a couple of coins into the palm of her hand. ‘A little something to get ye started. Take care of yourself, m’darling,’ she said softly, and before she might start blubbering herself, she sent Lucy on her way.

A few minutes later, along with her few belongings and the child on her knee, Lucy settled herself in Barney’s wagon.

‘Any regrets, lass?’

The young woman shook her head. ‘Not a one.’ The only regrets she had were old ones, and now they didn’t seem to matter quite as much.

When he arrived at Bridget’s house, Barney had greeted Bridget and the girls with his usual friendliness, and now he was leaving with Lucy beside him, he said his goodbyes with the same warmth, for that was his manner.

‘All set, are we?’ He had witnessed the emotional scene between Lucy and her friends, but like Lucy, he knew her leaving was all for the best.

‘All set,’ Lucy replied, a brief rush of sadness clouding her face.

‘Then you’d best hold on tight because once I let this wild animal have its rein, there’s no telling where we might end up!’

His little attempt at making her laugh worked wonders, because she laughed so hard she couldn’t reply. Pleased with himself, he gave her a warming wink, gently slapped the horse’s great wide rump to drive the bumbling animal forward, and told her in that quiet, no-nonsense manner, ‘You did the right thing.’

And that was all he would ever again say on the matter.

As the shire ambled away down Viaduct Street, Lucy turned to look at the four women standing on the doorstep, and as they waved back, she blew a kiss. ‘I’ll miss you,’ she murmured.

Barney glanced at her. ‘There’s your past and ahead is your future,’ he said simply. Barney Davidson was known as a man of few words, but when he took a mind to speak, his few words said more than a vicar delivering a sermon.

As they meandered along, Lucy considered his wise words, and she knew he was right. After everything that had befallen her, this was the start of a new life, where she could put all the bad things behind her and start over again.

At long last, she had something to look forward to.

Once they were beyond the city roads and were heading towards Comberton, she watched Barney take the old briar-pipe and his baccy pouch from his waistcoat pocket; letting loose of the reins he gave the horse its head, and after carefully packing the pipe with the baccy he struck a match on the sole of his shoe and lit up. He then drew leisurely on the pipe, the twirls of smoke rising to slowly evaporate above his head.

Suddenly in the midst of his thinking, he turned to smile at Lucy in that comforting way of his. At the time, Barney’s wonderful smile merely warmed her heart, though inevitably bonding her to him.