Kate Hannigan_A Novel by Catherine Cookson

Author:Catherine Cookson [Cookson, Catherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Romance
ISBN: 9781451660135
Google: SA5DNaZJHCQC
Goodreads: 11471125
Publisher: Simon Schuster
Published: 1950-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

7

The Belt

Rodney opened the gate which led from the lane, and walked up between the frost-painted shrubs of the lower garden and across the glassy lawn of the upper to the house. How different it all looked after only ten weeks! Different, but as formal; absence could do nothing to soften its formality, either inside or out. The difference lay, he thought, in his seeing it after a complete break; for nine years he had merely felt it, without seeing it.

Mary opened the door to him: ‘Why, sir, we weren’t expecting you. The mistress is in Newcastle; she went right after lunch, and she won’t be back till tea-time.’

‘That’s all right, Mary. I’ll have a bath and something to eat in the meantime…How are you?’ ‘Oh, fine, sir.’

Mary watched him as he walked up the stairs…Coo! he didn’t arf look funny without his beard…barelike! But the khaki suited him all right. Well, that would mean another one for dinner tonight…But cook wouldn’t mind; fair daft about him, she was…be dashing upstairs as soon as she knew, seeing her ladyship wasn’t in…I wonder if she’ll be pleased! The thought brought an inward smirk…See, what did I tell you! she said to herself, as cook hurried up the stairs as fast as her lack of breath allowed.

Rodney called ‘Come in!’ to the knock on his door. ‘Hallo, cook, it’s good to see you!’ he said.

‘Oh, sir, and it’s good to see you…I am glad you’re home for Christmas, sir.’

‘So am I, cook, and I’m as hungry as a hunter. Can you do anything about it?’

‘I’ll soon fix that…Do you like the life, sir?’ she asked.

‘Oh, it’s all right, cook; you get a bit bored at times, you know; nothing much to do…likely to be more next year!’

She nodded. Yes, when we went over the water there would be more, not arf there would. But she would see he had a good Christmas, for her part, anyway; might be his last, you never could tell. He wouldn’t like it when he knew there was a high falutin’ dinner tonight, with that band of conchies! What else were they, with all their palavering and reading parties, when poor lads were roughing it in the trenches and being knocked off like flies?…‘Well, I’m glad you’re home, sir,’ she said. ‘And I’ll have a meal ready as soon as you are; say half an hour?’

‘Fine!’ He grinned engagingly at her. ‘I’ve missed your cooking.’

‘Go on, sir!’ she said, smiling back at him…Ah, it was nice to have him home; he was human, he was…‘I’ll get Mary to light a fire, this room’s like ice,’ she said.

‘Thanks, cook.’

‘Look, sir, there’s a good fire in the mistress’s room. Why don’t you dress in there after your bath, sir, till this warms up?’

‘All right, cook; don’t you worry. I’ll pick the warmest spot. Trust me.’

Mrs Summers went out, leaving him strangely comforted, with the new sensation of being fussed over.

As he lay in his bath, luxuriating in the pinescented

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