“I’ll drive up through Cambo and Rothbury. That will be easier than going round Newcastle and through Morpeth,” Andy replied.
“It’s a fine night so you shouldn’t have any problems. Take care of Alice,” John Walton said.
“Certainly, sir,” was the reply. Alice came out, accompanied by her mother. She hugged each of her parents and got into the car. Lance and Anne came out and waved as Andy drove off. Andy drove up the A68 and turned off at Colwell, then drove up through Cambo and, after passing through the village of Forestburn Gate, Andy pulled off the road and stopped the car. He turned off the headlights but left the engine running. Alice understood what Andy was doing for there was a tension that had to be expressed. Andy put his arms around Alice and kissed her. They stayed like that for what seemed a long time. No words were spoken. They pulled back a little and Alice’s eyes said so much that Andy had to kiss her again. When they stopped he noticed that the windows were steaming up and with a laugh pulled away from Alice. “Too much heat being generated in the car!” he exclaimed. The cold night air outside the car caused the condensation. He pulled his handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped the windscreen and the side windows clear. “We’d better get going, Alice,” he said as she gave a little giggle at the situation. Eventually they drove across the Coquet River and into Rothbury. At that time of the day the town was quiet. There was noisy laughter coming from one of the pubs as they drove through; smoked curled up from many of the chimneys in the town and the water of the river gurgled over the rocks as they drove by the Coquet. It was a popular spot with anglers who would drive up for a weekend of fishing. As they drove on, Edlington Castle loomed up on their left and it was quickly left behind. Eventually they drove into Alnwick. Andy pulled up outside his parents’ house and switched off the lights and the engine. It had been a pleasant drive up. He smiled at Alice and she squeezed his arm before getting out. The front door of the house opened and light streamed out over the pathway. Margaret Hill came out to greet them. Alice went through the gate that Andy had opened for her and, as she walked up the path, Margaret came forward and gave her a big hug.
“It’s so lovely to see you again, Alice,” she said.
“Thank you, Mrs Hill. It’s nice to be here again,” Alice responded. Andy followed them into the house carrying both their weekend cases.
The house was warm and felt cosy after the cold night air. Tony Hill stood in the hall and greeted them as they walked in. Andy put the cases down and shook hands with his father. They all moved into the sitting room where it was warmer. “I’ve got supper prepared,” said Margaret Hill and disappeared into the kitchen.
“Sit yourselves down,” said Tony Hill, “and relax.”
Margaret re-appeared wheeling a tea-trolley with scones and fruitcake and hot drinks. “The Horlicks is for Tony and me and the mugs of Ovaltine are for you two,” she exclaimed. “Help yourselves or you’ll go hungry.” While they ate, Tony Hill asked Andy about the drive up and how the car felt.
“It’s pretty good, Dad. As you know, the Rover 10 is a bit heavy on the steering but it drives well. I like it. The car is five years old but well maintained. You can have a look at it tomorrow.” Tony Hill nodded his assent. They all talked about plans for the weekend. It was agreed that they would spend the morning together and Andy and Alice head out on their own for the afternoon, joining his parents for dinner. After the supper, Margaret Hill said that she was retiring for the night and then looked meaningfully at her husband. He understood and said that he would follow her up shortly. Tony Hill cleared the supper things away and took the tea-trolley out to the kitchen. Andy and Alice could hear him rattling the dishes in the sink and then washing up the supper things. They sat quietly enjoying their own company. The lounge door opened and Tony Hill came in to say goodnight and then closed the door behind him and went upstairs.
As his footsteps receded, Alice moved closer to Andy and snuggled in, laying her head on his shoulder. She sighed in contentment. The fire sizzled and hissed as the flames attacked the coal and a lump split open. A flame flared up and a small piece of coal fell out of the grate and onto the tiled surround. It rolled over and was stopped by the brass fender. “I used to have to polish that thing to earn part of my pocket-money,” said Andy.
“It most likely did you good,” teased Alice. Andy turned to her, smiled and put his arm round her. She smiled back and lifted her face up to be kissed. Time passed as they were lost in each other’s company. The fire died down and the room started to get cooler.
Andy said, “It’s getting late. I think we had better go our separate ways.” Alice nodded, wishing they could just stay with each other on the settee. They drew apart and headed upstairs to their separate bedrooms, Andy giving Alice a goodnight kiss outside her bedroom door. He went into his room and closed the door; his thoughts were full of Alice and the JSTU was forgotten for a while.
Come Saturday morning and Margaret Hill wanted to go
