Nancy nodded. ‘Me and Alice were about to get dinner on the table,’ she said. ‘So you’ve at least an hour before you’re needed. Why don’t you go and rest your gammy leg while you’ve got the chance?’
Tom didn’t need telling twice. ‘Good idea!’ Coming to the table, he collected his newspaper and went away.
Nancy groaned. ‘He spends more time with his precious four-legged nags than he does with me! I swear…if there was a fire and he had the chance to save one thing, it would be his blessed newspaper!’
Nattering to herself, she turned away and set about making the dinner.
Before she even got started, Alice was right beside her. ‘I’ll do the potatoes if you want?’ she told Nancy, and Nancy was only too pleased to be rid of the tedious task. ‘Good girl!’ she said. ‘You do that, while I make a start on the apple pie.’
Through the kitchen window she could see Joe disappearing over the headland. ‘I do hope he decides to stay,’ she murmured to herself, ‘I’ve missed him so.’
She had fully enjoyed her little chat with Alice, though she wondered if she had imparted a little too much. All the same, she had said nothing that should worry Alice. It was true! Frank did adore the ground Alice walked on, and according to what Alice had told her, she felt the very same towards Frank. It was a comforting thought.
All she wanted now was for her youngest son to stay with the family. Once Frank and Alice were wed, and moved out, this delightful farmhouse would be a lonely place; especially with Tom always hiding behind his blessed newspaper!
She looked out the window again. There was no sign of Joe at all now.
Joe took the long road, up the rise and down alongside the brook to the bottom field. He had no wish to soak himself by paddling through the brook. He thought of Alice and smiled. ‘No doubt Alice would have gone straight through the water.’
He saw himself in Alice; a free spirit. No one should ever shackle her, he thought. No one should ever deaden her spirit and break her heart, and most of all, no one should ever change what and who she was. That would be unforgivable.
In his mind he went over the events of the past year. He thought of how his own spirit had been broken; though here and now, among the fields and trees with only the soothing sound of nature in his ears, at long last he was beginning to heal.
Pausing in his stride, he glanced up at the shifting skies. ‘You helped me,’ he murmured, as though to some unseen presence. ‘You helped me stay strong, when life became impossible.’
This past year there had been many bad times when he was close to despair. But day by day he had forced himself to look forward. He thought of his family, and especially Alice, and somehow, through those dark days and nights, he had managed to survive.
Thankfully it was over now, and this beautiful place where he had grown from boy to man, was slowly reaching out, to strengthen his faith, and purpose. Giving him the ability to rise above anything that life might test him with.
He rested a moment, up there at the top of the world. He felt such peace, and a sense of joy that he had not felt for a long time.
Back there, when he had sat with his father and talked of days gone by, Joe had come dangerously close to confiding in him. There was one moment of madness when he felt the need to open his heart and reveal the truth. But he couldn’t. It would have destroyed his father, who was a man of principle; a simple, uncomplicated man, who would never understand.
Joe was glad he had resisted the need to confide his secret, because to do that would be to relieve his own guilt, and that was no reason to hurt someone you loved.
As he rounded the spinney, he heard what sounded like a cry for help, and then angry shouting that grew louder as he came near. ‘Who the devil’s that!’ Taking off at the run, he came to a clearing where he saw Frank standing over someone or something on the ground. Holding what looked like a chain, he was lashing out like a madman. ‘Frank!’ He was horrified when he realised it was Jimmy on the ground, crouched on his knees with his two arms crossed over his head, while Frank swung the chain at him, again and again.
Horrified, Joe broke into a run. ‘Frank…what the hell d’you think you’re doing!’
Frank took no notice. Instead, he lashed out again and again, screaming and shouting like someone demented.
‘Stop it, Frank!’ Joe was almost on him. ‘DON’T BE A DAMNED FOOL! LAY OFF HIM, FRANK…FOR GOD’S SAKE LEAVE HIM BE!’
Launching himself at Frank, he threw him aside. ‘What’s wrong with you, have you gone mad?’
With difficulty he managed to keep his brother away while helping Jimmy up off the ground. Bloodied, and crying like a baby, Jimmy clung to Joe. ‘He went crazy…tried to kill me!’ When Frank made a threatening move towards him, Jimmy cowered away. ‘It weren’t my fault! Don’t let him get near me.’
Each time Frank made a move towards Jimmy, Joe came between them. ‘What’s this all about?’ he asked Jimmy. ‘You said it wasn’t your fault? What did you mean?’
‘I tried to mend it, but the chain came off in my hands. It weren’t my fault. The tractor’s old and knackered. It wants breaking for spares, that’s all it’s good for!’
With blood running down his arm and an open gash across his cheek, he was shaking, his eyes wide with terror. ‘It weren’t my fault,’ he kept saying. ‘It weren’t my fault.’
When Frank started towards him again, Joe took Jimmy out of his reach. Behind him Frank began pacing back and forwards like a trapped animal.
Relieved that Jimmy had managed to protect himself from serious injury, Joe told him worriedly, ‘You need to get those cuts seen to. I’ll help you. Just hang on a minute…I need to have a quick word with Frank.’
Jimmy shook his head. ‘I’m all right. I don’t need no help!’ He glanced nervously at Frank, who was now leaning forward on the tractor, thumping his clenched fists against the engine cover. ‘It’s him as needs help!’ Jimmy cursed. ‘Bloody lunatic, that’s what he is!’
‘Leave him to me,’ Joe calmly advised. ‘And listen, Jimmy, I’d appreciate it if you didn’t let Mum or Dad find out about this.’
Jimmy frowned. ‘Don’t worry! I’m not likely to go about telling everybody how I cowered on the ground while Frank Arnold gave me a thrashing!’
He cast a hateful glance towards Frank. ‘You should watch him, Joe! I’m sorry, I know he’s your brother an’ all, but…’ he dropped his voice to a whisper, ‘…sometimes, it’s like he’s not right in the head.’
Joe gave him a gentle but firm warning. ‘It’s not wise to say those things, Jimmy.’
Jimmy nodded. He had got the message.
Realising how things could easily kick off again, Joe told him, ‘If you’re sure you don’t need me, it might be best if you go now, and get that gash seen to.’ That was the one injury that worried him. The rest seemed superficial, but the gash was deep and long. ‘Look! I’d rather make sure you get back; if you’ll just wait on a minute, I need to have a quick word with Frank.’
He saw how Frank was deeply agitated.
He knew the signs.
‘Thanks all the same, but I’d rather go on my own.’ Jimmy ran his fingers along the gash. ‘Look! It’s already stopped bleeding.’
Joe conceded, ‘All right, but mind how you go. Oh, and it might be best if you stay away altogether, for now. I’ll come and find you when things have calmed down.’
‘What about me wages?’ Jimmy demanded. ‘I’m due a week’s wages? I can’t live without no money, can I?’
Joe