‘I think I’ll go to bed now. Goodnight Daisy.’ She kissed Daisy’s cheek and whispered, ‘Thank you.’
Daisy sat alone in the cold kitchen thinking of her aunt’s sad story. She knew that Aunt Pat feared losing Grandma, which had caused her to open her heart and reveal the love she still had for her lost beau and baby son.
T he next morning was even colder and Daisy dressed in her thickest jumper and winter coat. ‘I’ll boil some water on the Primus and take tea to Aunt Pat and Grandma,’ she told Bobby who was reluctantly climbing out of bed.
‘Do you know how to use the Primus?’
‘I helped Aunt Pat last night.’ She wanted to share with Bobby the story that had unfolded, but Aunt Pat had confided in her. Anyway, it wasn’t something, Daisy guessed, that a boy would understand.
When Daisy turned on the tap in the kitchen, no water came out. There were icicles hanging from the window. Bobby joined her and tried again, but it was no use.
‘The pipes must be frozen,’ he said.
Aunt Pat came in to the kitchen. ‘Grandma is very sick,’ she mumbled, shivering in her dressing gown.
‘I’ll go for the doctor,’ said Bobby at once.
‘I’ll come too,’ said Daisy.
Aunt Pat nodded. ‘Dr Norton lives in the lane near Mr Webber. Hurry please.’
Though they took care to wrap up warmly, when Bobby opened the front door a gust of icy wind almost blew them over.
This was a very unexpected turn of events.
Despite her shorter strides Daisy kept up with her brother. The landscape could have been a scene from one of the school’s geography books; Iceland, or Greenland, or Finland, the countries marked with a deep blue star to indicate their low temperatures.
‘We’ll take a short cut I know,’ said Bobby, heading off at a pace. The narrow lane soon became a wind tunnel, twirling around them as they ran, forcing her to stop and bend sideways to remove the stitch in her side. The hedgerows had spidery frozen icicles woven into their branches and the trees made violent creaks.
‘Where are we?’ Daisy puffed unable to feel her nose and lips any more. She looked around, not recognising any landmarks.
‘Mr Webber’s farm is close by, I think,’ panted Bobby, stopping to gasp a breath. His cheeks were bright red under his woollen hat. ‘Dr Norton’s house must be down that lane.’
‘Do you know for sure?’
‘Not really.’
Daisy pointed to a gravel path leading off into a clump of woods. ‘Could it be down there?’
Bobby looked uncertain. ‘I don’t know.’
Daisy hugged herself, trying to stop her teeth from chattering. If they took the wrong road, they could be lost for hours.
A howling gust of wind made her stumble once more.
‘You should have stayed with Aunt Pat,’ Bobby cried above the wind. ‘This is no job for a girl.’
‘Don’t call me a girl.’
Bobby blew air through his cold lips. ‘Daisy, you can be so - ‘ A loud, chugging noise drowned out their quarrel. From a rough track to their left came the familiar sight of a blue tractor.
‘Hello you two!’ Mr Webber drove alongside them. The black, smelly smoke from the tractor engine blew in their faces. ‘What are you doing out in this weather?’
‘Grandma’s not well,’ Bobby shouted. ‘We’re looking for the doctor’s house.’
‘The stove’s broken,’ yelled Daisy. ‘And the pipes are frozen.’
‘I’ll see what I can do,’ Mr Webber yelled back. ‘Follow the track there and get yourselves up to the farmhouse. I’ll fetch the doctor first.’ The farmer revved up his engine. It gave an enormous pop.
‘I told you so,’ said Daisy as the tractor trundled away. ‘We almost got lost.’
Bobby turned his back on her.
She suddenly felt guilty. He had looked after her in the best way he could, even if he’d nearly led them on a wild goose chase.
CHAPTER 30
MRS WEBBER GAVE them cocoa to drink as they sat in the farmhouse kitchen. Their wet clothes aired above them on the wooden dolly and something delicious simmered in a pan on the stove.
The farmer’s wife dried her hands on her apron and sat down on a wooden stool. ‘Now, tell me what happened?’
‘Grandma’s ill and we ran out of coal,’ explained Bobby. ‘Aunt Pat sent us to find the doctor. I took a short cut but nearly got us lost. Then Mr Webber came up on the tractor.’
‘And the stove doesn’t work either,’ said Daisy. ‘It made a loud noise and puffed out soot.’
‘Don’t you worry my dears,’ said Mrs Webber. ‘Bill will sort it all out. Now, sit at the table and I’ll dish up. Those empty stomachs of yours need filling.’
‘Do you think Mr Webber found the doctor?’ Bobby asked as he ate.
‘No doubt about that.’
All Daisy could think of was Grandma and Aunt Pat; they were alone and hungry in the freezing house. She put down her spoon.
‘Now, now,’ scolded Mrs Webber, ‘what’s this? Lost your appetite?’
Daisy nodded as tears filled her eyes.
Mrs Webber sat beside her. ‘You’ve got to keep your spirits up. Your gran don’t want to see you looking poorly.’
Daisy sniffed. ‘Grandma said she’d never felt so cold.’
‘There’ll be lots like her this winter. It’s bitter out there.’
‘Will she get better?’
Mrs Webber smiled. ‘Dr Norton will see her right. Now come along and get that hot broth down you.’
Daisy did as she was told. Mrs Webber’s cooking was delicious. She only wished that Grandma and Aunt Pat could enjoy it too.
T hat afternoon, there was the sound of an engine outside. A gust of cold wind sprayed icy raindrops over the kitchen as Mr Webber and the doctor helped in two bedraggled figures.
‘Grandma, Aunt Pat!’ Daisy ran to hug them. She could only see her grandmother’s bleary eyes moving under her woolly hat. Aunt Pat was wearing a scarf tucked into her coat collar.
‘Oh, you poor souls!’ exclaimed Mrs
