So Shall We Stand by Elyse Larson

Author:Elyse Larson [Larson, Elyse]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: FIC042030, FIC027050
ISBN: 9781441233608
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Published: 2012-11-26T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-One

Sunday morning Nella attended church in the village, and after dinner, while all the Land Girls enjoyed a rare afternoon rest, she called for Ember. She wanted to stretch her legs and, with the dog for company, felt she could safely walk the open path down the hill to the shearing barn.

She found the booths still standing, but the leaves on the decorative branches had dried and shriveled, and the brightly colored Westmoreland banners had been removed. Despite some preliminary cleanup, bits of litter spattered the trampled grass.

Nella strolled toward the pit where the beef had roasted. As she passed the door of the shearing barn, she knew what had brought her down the hill to the barn instead of to the meadows on the other side of the manor.

“Ember, heel.” The dog fell in step at her side, and together they entered the cavernous building and crossed the broad floor over to the stage. Nella climbed onto the stage and went to inspect the back section that had fallen on her. A metal panel of lights and amplifying speakers had added weight to the heavy panel. It looked like the section had been constructed to be all one piece, so it must’ve come down as a single huge chunk. A few splinters showed where it had pulled away from the floor planks. Thompkins had repaired the panel by bracing it with angle iron, fastened securely with screws. Nella couldn’t picture how it could’ve fallen to hit her in the manner she remembered.

She walked behind the stage. The light from the small windows didn’t penetrate the gloom back there. Since she couldn’t see well, she felt her way along the ends of the planking until she located the same splintered area she’d seen before. Her fingers told her less than her eyes had, so she gave up and headed back outside.

When Nella stepped out the door, she almost collided with a huge man. She jumped back. “Oh!”

Ember gave a bark, then wagged her tail.

The man kept his large pale eyes fixed on her. Dressed in shabby overalls and shirt, a crumpled old cap, and farmer’s high-top shoes, he looked out of place on the Westmoreland Estate. She’d seen his likes in the London slums when she’d been to the city.

“I’m sorry. You startled me,” she explained.

The man made no response. He just kept staring at her.

“Did you come to the festival yesterday?” He looked as if he’d slept in the woods all night. Bits of lichen clung to his shirt sleeves and were caught in his long graying hair.

He raised his hands and pointed to his mouth, then his ears, and shook his head.

Sign language? Deaf? And was he mute too? Suddenly his behavior made sense. Nella wondered if he could lip-read. She touched the corner of her mouth with one finger and asked slowly, “Can you tell what I am saying?”

He grunted and hesitantly nodded.

“Very good. I’m glad. Do you live in the village?” She gestured toward West-Holding. She found she had to make gestures to get across her message.

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