A Christmas Wish for the Land Girls by Jenny Holmes

Author:Jenny Holmes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Transworld
Published: 2018-10-31T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

The work in the dairy was Joyce’s favourite part of the day at Black Crag Farm. For a start it was indoors, out of the constant, biting wind that chilled her to the bone; and, what’s more, the bulky bodies of the three Friesian cows gave off steaming heat in the enclosed space of the milking shed. Secondly, the work brought her into contact with Alma.

‘What’s going to happen with the weather today?’ Joyce asked her when she carried two pails of milk into the dairy on the day after the Christmas tree adventure.

Alma stood waiting, dressed in gumboots and heavy overcoat, a brown scarf tied around her head. ‘Laurence says there’ll be no more snow.’

‘Let’s hope he’s right.’ Joyce placed the pails on the stone table. ‘Those are the last two. We’re not back to a full yield yet, but we’re on the right track.’

‘Good. The disinfectant has done the trick.’

Work talk was interspersed with easy silences as the two women carried on with their tasks.

‘Are the cows still next door?’ Alma listened out for movement.

‘No. I took them back to the barn and gave them their silage. I haven’t mucked out the milking shed yet, though.’

‘There’s no rush. By the way, Laurence told me that he saw you up on the fell yesterday. He asked me who you were with. I said I hadn’t the foggiest.’

Joyce grinned. ‘I was with Evelyn and Brenda. We were carting the blessed Christmas tree to the church hall. That was high jinks, I can tell you. Mr Bradley had the dogs with him. Flint saw fit to pay us a visit.’

‘They were bringing sheep off the high fell but the snow got too bad. He says you and he will have to go back for them later today.’ Alma pressed the switch to operate the sterilizing and bottling machine. Glass chinked as the conveyor belt started to move. When she spoke again, she stood back from the machine and looked directly at Joyce. ‘Laurence said something interesting just now.’

‘What was that?’

‘He said he hoped you weren’t thinking of making a permanent move.’

‘To Acklam?’

‘Yes. He admitted he would miss you if you did.’

Joyce shot her a look of surprise. ‘Tell him not to worry. Two days a week doing forestry work suits me for the time being.’

‘And likewise,’ Alma went on, her cheeks reddening, ‘I would miss you too.’

Choosing her response carefully, as she would if she approached a deer in the wood, Joyce spoke softly. ‘Ta, that’s very nice of you.’

‘I mean it. Since you came to live here things have been much easier for me. I’ve had someone to talk to.’

‘Yes, I enjoy our little chats.’

‘Do you really?’ Alma shook her head in disbelief. ‘You’re not just saying that?’

‘No. I mean it.’

‘Even after the way I acted?’

‘I didn’t blame you for wanting to keep your distance. After everything that has happened to you in your life, it must take quite a while to trust a stranger in your midst. Anyway, that’s in the past.

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