A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore

Author:Helen Dunmore
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Mystery, Adult, Historical, War
ISBN: 9780754016557
Publisher: Penguin Adult
Published: 1995-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

I didn’t turn when I heard the door open. Let him be the first to speak. But it wasn’t his voice.

‘Catherine!’

It was Livvy. I’d never seen her dirty before. There was mud on her face and the front of her riding-skirt. And something darker, rustier –

‘Rob!’

‘Cathy, there’s been an accident.’

Even then part of my mind registered that she called me Cathy because he did. She had no right: it was what my family called me. Then her words sank deep into the space that had always been waiting for them. Of course he was dead. I got up slowly, looking away from her. My hands stuck out in front of me, pointing like signposts.

‘I’ll go and tell Grandfather,’ I said, ‘you sit by the fire.’

‘What do you mean? I haven’t even told you what’s happened yet.’

‘He’s dead,’ I said, ‘isn’t he? Isn’t that what you came to tell me?’

‘No, of course he isn’t dead. Really, Cathy, you do make things difficult. He’s had a fall.’

She was in charge, and strong. ‘You’re the one who ought to sit down, Cathy. You look awful. He put Starcrossed at a hedge and he shied. Something ran under his hoofs. I think it was a stoat. Horrible little beast.’

‘Did you jump it?’

‘For goodness’ sake what does it matter? They’re bringing him home on a gate, he’ll be here in half an hour. You’ll have to send for Dr Milmain.’

‘I’ll tell Grandfather,’ I said again. She was tugging off her gloves, finger by finger, looking down. Had she jumped off the mare, forgotten about herself and run to him? The rust on her dress was where his blood had fallen. Had she laid him in her lap and cradled him to her? I went out of the room to find my grandfather, but he was already coming down the stairs. Livvy’s news had flown round the house. He brushed past me and went straight to Livvy. He put his hand on her shoulder and she lifted her face to him, letting tears come now, letting them hang and not fall so that her wide pale eyes were more beautiful than ever. He wiped a smear of mud off her forehead.

‘Poor child,’ he said.

‘His leg’s broken,’ said Livvy, ‘the bone came through his skin,’ and a little shiver went over her face like wind on water.

‘John’s already gone for Dr Milmain,’ said my grandfather. He took no notice of me at all. His eyes were fixed on Livvy, attentive, hard, considering.

‘They had to shoot Starcrossed,’ said Livvy. ‘His leg was smashed.’

‘We shan’t let them shoot Rob,’ said Grandfather. ‘We’ll have him as good as new for you.’

He spoke to Livvy as if she were his daughter. There was no space for me in that room, and I didn’t want to be there. Livvy smiled up at my grandfather. You fool, I thought, can’t you see it means nothing. You’re money Rob might get hold of, that’s all. Don’t think you’ve charmed him. But she was bound to think it, since it was what she always did wherever she went.

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