Secrets in the Heather by Gwen Kirkwood

Author:Gwen Kirkwood
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Headline
Published: 2014-03-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twelve

One of the loveliest surprises at the beginning of the New Year had come from Mr Rennie. Andrew arrived with a box carefully strapped to his bicycle. Polly and Victoria were changing their clothes ready for Sunday morning service at the kirk.

‘Mr Rennie has decided to buy a new wireless now that we have electricity up at Langmune,’ Andrew announced. ‘He knows how much Victoria enjoys listening to the news when she’s at Langmune so he thought you might all like to have his battery wireless.’

‘Oh my word!’ Polly exclaimed, staring almost fearfully at the object Andrew was unwrapping.

‘That’s wonderful. How kind of Mr Rennie to think of us,’ Victoria said, her eyes shining with excitement.

‘I hope this accumulator battery has travelled all right,’ Andrew frowned, unpacking the oblong glass container. There is a spare one but I’ll bring it next time I come. You need to take these to Mr Crabb’s for topping up with acid, Mother. Mr Rennie had two so that he was never without the wireless. Once you get used to listening in you’ll not want to be without it either.’

‘I don’t know about that,’ Polly said doubtfully.

‘The man isn’t in the box, Ma. It’s only his voice. He’s not going to jump out and bite you,’ Andrew teased. Victoria could have hugged him. He looked young and happy and when he laughed she was sure her heart skipped a beat. He caught her gaze and raised his brows. She blushed shyly, and bit her lower lip.

‘So when are you coming up to Langmune again, Victoria?’

‘I shall have my usual day off again from Friday.’

‘Good. We’ll see you then shall we, so long as it’s not snowing?’

‘All right.’ She smiled. ‘It seems ages since I saw everyone up there. How is the new man? Has his son improved? Has his wife settled in?’

‘Humph,’ Andrew frowned. ‘They’re not turning out too well. I reckon Mr Rennie will be looking for a replacement come the May term.’

‘So soon? Oh dear. What …?’

‘You’ll see for yourself.’ He inclined his head towards his mother and she guessed he didn’t want to discuss problems at Langmune.

It was from the wireless that Victoria learned of the death of Rudyard Kipling whose books Sir William had loaned to her. She had derived real pleasure from some of his poems and stories. Only two days later this was followed by news of the death of King George on the twentieth of January.

Closer to home was Milly’s plight. Jem had agreed they must marry but he could not afford to rent a cottage of his own and the jobs for married farm workers wanting tied cottages had all been taken at the November term.

‘We’ll have to stay with his mother,’ Milly wept as she poured out her troubles to Victoria. ‘My pa is furious. He says we’ve made our ain bed and now we must lay in it. Ma keeps crying, saying I’ve brought shame to her family. My brothers wanted to fight Jem.’

‘Poor Milly,’ Victoria sighed, ‘perhaps they will not think it’s so bad once they see your baby.

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