‘I’m guessing you’ve both listened to old Ivy? About bloody time, if you ask me. Lord, how long would the pretence have gone on for, if I hadn’t visited?’ Ivy looked across at Lucy as she entered the kitchen. ‘So, you’ve won the heart of my dearest friend – you make sure you look after it. Because Adam wouldn’t be able to cope with it being broken again. And you, old devil, make sure you do right by Lucy. Not that you wouldn’t, because you are not that sort. Once you love somebody, you give them your heart and soul. I know that all too well, after you lost Mary.’
‘I never thought I’d love again. But you were right. Lucy has meant more to me with each day, and seemingly the feeling has been mutual.’ Adam reached for Lucy’s hand and they both stood and looked at one another.
‘I promise I’ll look after him. He is all I have ever wanted and, no matter what people say, I will always love him,’ Lucy whispered as Adam squeezed her hand tightly.
‘Well, this is lovely to see, I think. I take it that you’ve changed your mind about me, Lucy, now that I’m not a threat, but work for the good of people and don’t prey on people’s insecurities?’ Ivy smiled. ‘Well, I can see I’m no longer wanted here. I’d only get in the way, so it’s a good job I’m going home tomorrow. I’d hate to play gooseberry between you two love-birds,’ she said and looked at them both.
‘Don’t go because of us two. You are already leaving too soon, although I understand that you must feel lost without your husband by your side. I know I would. I hope we can prove to be good friends in the future.’ Lucy left Adam’s side and went and gave Ivy a tentative hug.
‘I’m sure we will. I’m just glad I have made you two see what was plain to anyone who saw you both together. Now it is up to you two where you go next. But I must return. I promised Hugh I would return at least by Sunday to help him at the workhouse, so I must be true to my word.’ Ivy laughed. ‘You make a very handsome couple. I can see a grand wedding in a short while, and I’m never wrong.’
23
Lucy had felt as if she could explode with the joy she was feeling. She had hugged her pillow and whispered Adam’s name to herself over and over again. He did love her, he’d told her so. And now she just had to hide her feelings from her parents, until she had summoned up the courage to tell them the truth. Her feet felt as light as air as she made her way down to the family kitchen, where Susie and her mother were still in their nightclothes and setting the breakfast table for the day.
‘Does that man really want you to work for him on a Saturday? I don’t know what he finds for you to do, up at that farm of his. But there’s plenty you could turn your hand to here,’ Dorothy moaned at her, as Lucy quickly buttoned on her boots and pinched a bit of bread from the bread-board to eat for her breakfast as she walked up to the farm.
‘I always work Saturdays. And besides, today Ivy is returning to Kendal, so I need to say my goodbyes to her,’ she said, with her mouth full of the first bite of bread.
‘“Ivy” is it now! First, it was “Miss Thwaite”, then it was “that bloody woman” and now it’s “Ivy”. You sound like best mates – I never saw that coming at the beginning of the week.’ Dorothy wet the end of a tea towel from the warming kettle and wiped Susie’s face free of the jam that she’d managed to smear on it, while eating her breakfast. ‘You are a mucky pup, Susie Bancroft, and you should still be in your own bed. No more of this crawling in between me and your father once you are awake – you are too old for that now.’ She glanced at Lucy, who was busy making sure her hair was in the right place before going out of the door.
‘I’d still have been asleep, if it wasn’t for our Lucy. She was pretending to kiss the pillow and whispering a name,’ Susie mumbled as she ate her breakfast.
‘Did she now? Well, you put the pillow over your ears next time and get back to sleep. And you, our Lucy, make less noise. Who was the fella she was trying to kiss?’ Dorothy asked Susie, then turned to Lucy and decided to question her. ‘I thought you reckoned nowt to Reggie Ellwood, and that he was just going to be friends?’ Dorothy pried.
‘It wasn’t Reggie, it was—’ Susie replied, but never got the chance to finish her sentence before Lucy stopped her in her tracks.
‘You be quiet, our Susie. I was doing no such thing and if I was, I must have been dreaming. Reggie is only a friend, and that’s the end of it. Now I’m going, else I’m going to be late, and Ivy is to catch the coach back to Kendal at ten.’ Lucy glared at her younger sister as she made for the back door, hoping that Susie wouldn’t say any more about her behaviour when she had gone.
‘Aye, I suppose we will see you when you can fit your family in,’ Dorothy sighed.
Lucy pulled the back door closed and set out to walk up the moorside lane to Black Moss. She scowled and groaned; she did have time for her family, it was just that life was better with Adam. He was, and had, everything she had ever dreamed of. And now that she knew how he felt about her, she
