Josephine Cox Sunday Times Bestsellers Collection

‘They can have it then!’ Kicking the rug at her feet, Susie folded her arms and slumped into a chair. ‘Because I don’t want to go.’

Gesturing for the others to leave the room, Barney went and sat on the arm of her chair. ‘What is it that worries you?’ he asked gently. ‘Is it because you’ll be leaving your friends behind? If it is, you can always keep in touch. You can write to each other and later, maybe, they can even come and visit.’

‘How can they?’ Now the tears were falling. ‘America is the other side of the world!’

‘Naw … you’ve got that wrong, pet.’ Sliding his arm round her shoulders, he drew her close. ‘I won’t deny it is a long way,’ he coaxed, ‘but it’s not the end of the world. Look at Mr Maitland – he’s gone over and come back twice this year, hasn’t he?’

Susie looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. ‘I’m frightened, Daddy.’

It cut him to the quick to see his daughter upset like this. ‘There’s nothing to be frightened of.’ Barney put his hand under her chin and raised her face to his. ‘Do you think me and your mammy would want to take you, if we thought you’d come to any harm?’ He smiled his reassurance. ‘Trust me, we’ll take good care of you, my darling.’

Kissing the top of her head, he drew her closer. ‘When you’ve seen the ships going away, how many times have you said to me that you’d love to be on one of them? Well, now you can!’

Looking up, she gave a shaky smile. ‘I didn’t think it could ever really happen.’

‘Well, now it has. Look, we can sail off to America and try to make a new life, and if it doesn’t work out, Mr Maitland has promised to pay our fare back. But we have to give it a chance, because everybody is so excited to be going, and like Thomas said, it’s a wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. And later, when we’ve saved enough money, we can come back for a visit. Would you like that?’ With the tip of his finger he wiped away the tears that quivered on the end of her lashes.

‘I think so.’ At last a brighter smile. ‘Yes, Daddy, I’d like that.’

Barney nodded. ‘Then that’s what we’ll aim for – saving enough money between us to come back for a visit.’

‘Do you promise?’

He hesitated, that small grain of dark instinct holding him back. ‘I promise I’ll do my very best.’

‘So will I,’ she said eagerly. ‘You said Mr Maitland told you I could get work with one of the hat-shops, and they would teach me the trade?’

‘Yes. That’s what the man said all right.’ Barney was relieved to see a glimmer of enthusiasm. It would break his heart to force her into something that made her desperately unhappy.

‘Maybe one day, I might have my own shop in Boston?’

Barney laughed. ‘You might at that,’ he said. ‘Work hard and save, and who knows what the future holds?’ For all of us, he added silently. He only hoped his health would hold up through the trials and thrills that lay ahead.

Having placed herself where they could not see her, Vicky watched from the doorway. Deeply moved by Barney’s understanding of his daughter’s fears she had wiped away a tear or two, but now that she could see how Barney had somehow managed to dispel Susie’s fears, she crept quietly away.

Once Susie had run off to tell Vicky how she meant to have her own shop in America, Barney let himself slide down into the chair, where for a time he sat, lost in thought and deeply disturbed. Giving a long, shivering sigh, he instinctively placed a hand on his heart. ‘No, Susie lass, none of us knows what the future holds.’ A dark premonition rippled through his soul.

He was startled when his wife came rushing in. ‘Barney Davidson, you could charm the birds right out of the trees!’ She threw herself into his lap. ‘One minute she’s refusing to go, and now she’s full of dreams. Somehow she’s got the idea into her head that she’s going to own a string of shops, right across America!’

Barney smiled contentedly. ‘Let her dream,’ he murmured, drawing her into his embrace. ‘If we don’t have dreams, how can they ever come true?’ His own dream had come true, the day he met this darling woman.

Content to be silent, husband and wife sat awhile together. It was a moment of quietness in a love that was both deep and fulfilling; one of those rare and precious moments that each of them would cherish to the end of their days.

The following morning, when Lucy was told the news by an emotional Vicky, she didn’t know whether to be thrilled for the Davidsons, or sad for herself. ‘It’s a wonderful opportunity,’ she said, suppressing her fears. ‘You must go, Vicky, you and Barney, and the family.’

While Vicky was explaining how it all came about, Barney strolled into the kitchen. ‘Hello, Lucy, love. Vicky’s told you then?’ He had been concerned as to how the young woman might take the news.

She ran to hug him. ‘I’m so excited for you!’ she told him sincerely. ‘But I’ll miss you all so very much.’ The tears were close but she would not let them be seen, not now, not when these good folk were so looking forward to their new adventure. ‘Whatever will I do without you?’ At the back of her mind she couldn’t help but wonder where she and her boy might live.

‘We’ll miss you too – dreadfully.’ Vicky looked at Jamie and her lips quivered. She hugged him, then opened the kitchen cupboard so he could sit and play with the saucepans and wooden spoons.

‘Well, I’ll tell you one thing, Lucy girl.’ Barney sat her down. ‘You won’t need to worry about being out of work. I’ve just come from giving our answer to the boss, and I’ve spoken to him about you. He says you’ll have work with whoever buys the farm, he’ll make sure it’s written into the contract of sale.’

It was a great relief to Lucy. ‘Oh Barney, how can I ever thank you?’ She felt quite weak at the knees. Without a job and a home, she and Jamie would be in dire straits.

‘Don’t thank me,’ he protested. ‘Thank the boss, and thank the fella who’s buying the farm. It’s good news all round. The Land Agent has already been out this morning to tell him he’s got a buyer, agent who’s been looking for such a property as this, and because he means to grab this place afore anybody else, and prevent it being split up and sold off he’s offered fifty guineas above the asking price.’

Vicky was amazed. ‘Good Lord! And did Mr Maitland accept it?’

‘He most certainly did.’ He gave an aside wink to Vicky, who was thrilled to hear Lucy would not be put out of work. ‘What’s more …’ Barney’s smile grew wider as he looked at the two women in turn, ‘… Mr Maitland says Lucy can stay in the cottage,’ he told them, ‘ … it’s because he’s got such a good price, and I’m to tell you straight off, he’s not selling the cottage with the farm. Because it’s such a tiny place with so much that needs doing, it has little or no value so neither Mr Maitland nor the agent could see it as making any difference to the value of the overall holding. It’s all been agreed.’

Unable to keep the news any longer, he blurted it out with a shout of triumph. ‘It’s yours, Lucy girl!’ he laughed with the sheer joy of it.

He drew in a long breath and blowing it out through his nose he took hold of Lucy by the shoulders, his voice lower, more intimate. ‘Now then, what have you to say to that, eh?’

For the moment Lucy could say nothing because not only had the news rocked her to the roots, but she was completely lost for words.

Instead she stared at Barney with big shocked eyes, her lips quivering, and her heart pounding ten to the dozen. ‘I can’t … believe it,’ the words stumbled out. ‘The cottage … is it really mine?’

‘That’s right, Lucy girl … it’s yours. Mr Maitland says to tell you he’ll be along to see you shortly, and that you’re not to worry, because everything will be done legal.’

‘This calls for another celebration!’ Rushing to the cupboard, Vicky took out the best glasses and a bottle of her homemade wine.

Barney raised his glass. ‘To our new life – and to Lucy, our dear friend who, along with young Jamie here, will never again be without a roof over her head.’

It was the most bitter-sweet emotion for Lucy. She found it hard to believe her own good fortune, but while she was thanking the Good Lord, she paused again to think of how it would be when Barney and his family were gone.

Even in the midst of her joy, the thought of losing them forever was a sad, lonely thought.

‘Are you all right, Barney?’ It was two o’clock in the morning when Vicky woke to find herself alone in bed. Half-asleep and bleary-eyed she rolled sideways, looking towards the window, where Barney’s shadowy figure was just visible in the dim light. ‘What’s wrong, pet, can’t you sleep?’

Still breathless from the chest pains which had woken him, Barney sshed her. ‘Go back to sleep, love.’

‘I can’t. Not until you come back into bed.’

In the past weeks, Barney had learned to hide his pain and put on a brave face; it had become like second nature to him. Taking a deep breath, he painted on a smile and managing the few paces to the bed, he climbed in. ‘Now will you go to sleep?’ He wriggled down the bed, avoiding touching her, having stood at the window for some time, he had become chilled.

Instinctively, she turned and wrapped her arm around the girth of his belly. ‘Brrr!’ she shivered. ‘You’re freezing! How long have you been stood there at the window?’

‘Not long,’ he lied. ‘Now go to sleep.’

Worry marbled her voice. ‘Are you all right?’

‘I’m fine.’

‘Are you worried about moving to Boston? Is that what woke you?’

‘No. I think it was a touch of indigestion.’ Before she could protest, he added, ‘I ate a bite from a cooking apple, and you know how sour they are.’