One Moonlit Night by Rachel Hore

Author:Rachel Hore
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2022-05-12T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-four

Norfolk

August 1941

On the first afternoon of the harvest at Knyghton Maddie took Grace down to the farm to watch the great machine cut and bale the corn, though not for long, for the air was full of dust and Grace complained of it prickling her eyes. They were walking back to the house when Maddie glimpsed the purposeful figure of Susie Welbourne in her overalls whizzing over the bumps in the lane towards them on her bicycle.

‘It’s quite a sight, the binder, isn’t it?’ Susie called, braking as she came near. ‘I’ve come to help.’ She wore a scarf tucked round her head with a few fair curls pulled out rather fetchingly in front.

‘Lyle will be glad to see you,’ Maddie replied. ‘It’s been awfully tense the last few days with him worrying about the weather, when to start. I never realized it was such a difficult decision.’

‘Of course. It’s the culmination of so much hard work.’ Susie smiled at Grace. ‘What did you think, young one? She’s not old enough to ride on top yet, is she?’ she asked Maddie, who shook her head.

‘It hurts my ears and my eyes,’ Grace said.

‘She’s sad about the animals, too,’ Maddie whispered. They’d seen mice, rabbits and birds fleeing the carnage.

‘I’m sure they’ll be all right,’ Susie said brightly to the little girl. Maddie pressed her lips together. She’d heard tales of small creatures being marooned in the middle of harvested fields and shot for sport, though she’d seen no evidence of this casual brutality here. Of course, she knew they had to hunt rabbits, which did awful damage to the crops. She thought of her illustrations of animals dressed as people and guessed that she’d never be cut out for farming. The likes of Susie and Lyle had no time for sentimentality.

‘It’ll be all hands on deck round here for the next few days,’ Susie said, staring over Maddie’s shoulder at the distant farmyard. ‘I’m surprised Lyle hasn’t got you involved.’

‘He knows I’d not be much use,’ Maddie laughed. ‘Making tea is about my limit, and I can’t even do that easily without someone to watch Grace.’

Susie’s lips curved in a supercilious smile. ‘Ah, speak of the devil and he appears.’

Maddie turned and together they watched Lyle close the farmyard gate and walk towards them.

‘I don’t suppose,’ Susie murmured, ‘there’s any word of your husband?’

Maddie’s heart was pierced by the woman’s tactlessness. She gave a quick shake of her head and hoped that Grace hadn’t heard mention of her father, but Grace was kneeling in the grass playing some private game with a handful of pebbles. Was the woman warning her off Lyle by reminding her that she was married? If so it was cruel and entirely unnecessary.

As they waited for Lyle, Grace tired of her game. She came and tugged at Maddie’s hand. ‘Can we go now, Mummy?’

‘In a moment. We must say hello to Uncle Lyle. You’re very grubby, dear.’ She bent to brush at Grace’s hands and knees with a handkerchief while the little girl whimpered.

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