Chapter Twenty-Six
‘Oh, I say,’ Caroline gasped, nudging Grace in the ribs. ‘Will you look at that?’
Grace, who along with everyone else had been fascinated by the spectacle of Mrs Newton and Mr Bailey embracing passionately in full view of the whole village, chuckled behind her hand. ‘I know … Hilarious, isn’t it? You don’t expect people that age to go around kissing in public, do you?’
Perplexed, Caroline wrinkled her nose. ‘Sorry? Oh, not those two … I meant Tilly and her boyfriend, Benny.’ She pointed across the green to where Tilly was once again holding hands with a sturdy-looking, dark-haired boy about her own age.
‘They’ve been going steady a while now. She’s awfully young to be getting serious over a boy. ’
‘What are you, her mum?’ Smiling, Grace turned her face to the sun. ‘Anyway, they’re only holding hands.’
‘I suppose you’re right.’ But Caroline wished secretly that she was allowed to hold Grace’s hand in public, just as Tilly was allowed to hold Benny’s.
It was a beautiful June day and there was barely a breath of wind stirring the trees about the green. The distant church bell rang the half-hour as a gang of small children dashed past, giggling madly, no doubt for the same reason that had left Grace grinning.
Caroline admired Grace’s profile. ‘I wish I was good at drawing like Joan.’
‘Joan?’ Grace’s brows tugged together.
‘One of our former Land Girls. You’ve met her, remember?
She left to marry Arthur Green and they’ve just had a baby.
Look, they’re over there.’ Caroline nodded to the young couple, chatting animatedly to the Reverend Clewson and his wife.
Joan had a summer glow, cradling her baby in her arms, while Arthur looked happier than she’d ever seen him.
Married life clearly suited them, though the two rarely left their cosy cottage these days to venture into the village, and hadn’t called at the farm in ages.
‘Joan loves drawing, and Arthur’s an artist. They used to go out sketching together on the cliffs.
I’ve never been terribly good at drawing, but looking at you … ’
‘Hush, will you?’ Grace was frowning. ‘Here comes Joe.’
Caroline felt a stab of frustration, but didn’t have time to say anything as Joe ambled towards them, his daughter riding on his shoulders.
‘I’m taking Sarah Jane back home,’ the farmer told them cheerfully.
‘There are still a few jobs to do before supper time, only I’ve given the other farmhands the afternoon off.
If you don’t mind, could you round up Tilly and get yourselves back up the hill?
I’d like you two girls to check on the new sheep up in the top pasture, to see how they’re settling in.
And Tilly can feed the pigs and chickens, as usual. ’
‘Yes, Mr Postbridge,’ Grace said without expression, and waited until he’d set off across the green again before turning to Caroline with a worried expression.
‘I hope he didn’t overhear us. I wish you’d be more discreet, and pay attention.
Folk don’t like it when girls get too close to each other. Not like we are.’
Caroline felt a flicker of rebellion but decided not to get into a row over it. Grace was right to be cautious when they were out in public, after all.
She beckoned Tilly, who abandoned Benny with a quick smile and came hurrying across to them instead. ‘Are we heading back now?’ the younger girl asked.
‘What do you think? Can’t have us Land Girls enjoying ourselves for long, can we?’ Grace pulled a face. ‘Mr P says you’re to feed the pigs and chickens, and we have to check on the ewes.’
‘Looks like you were having a good time over there,’ Caroline said with a wink. ‘When’s the engagement?’
Tilly flushed almost as red as her hair. ‘Don’t be silly,’ she chuckled. ‘It’s only Benny. We’re just messing about, that’s all.’
‘Don’t mess about too much with boys,’ Grace reminded her. ‘You know what they say … If you can’t be good, be careful.’
‘And if you can’t be careful, find a vicar!’ all three girls chanted together, and then burst out laughing, for it was a saying much favoured by Mrs Newton.
Tilly sobered up quickly, though. ‘Honestly though, we were only holding hands.’
‘Yes, and as Mrs Newton’s always saying, we all know where that leads,’ Grace told her loftily, and strode away with her hands in the pockets of her mustard breeches.
Tilly glanced at Caroline as they hurried after her. ‘Are you and Grace getting along better these days?’ she whispered.
‘Let’s just say, we’re not being good, but we are being careful,’ Caroline whispered back, though rather wishing they didn’t have to be quite so careful.
At the farm, Tilly peeled off to collect the pigswill bucket, and the other two continued up the track to the top field.
They paused at the final bend in the track, where they could hear the sea breaking against the cliffs ahead, and Caroline spotted a skylark high above in the bright blue sky.
At least, she thought it must be a skylark.
They could only see a dark dot against the sun. But the bird’s song was breathtaking.
‘Beautiful,’ Grace murmured as they stopped to listen. Warily, she checked the track towards the farmhouse, nestled in the distance, and then the empty fields around them, before her hand crept out and took Caroline’s. ‘Should be safe enough now. It’s just you and me out here.’
‘I don’t know why you get so worried,’ Caroline told her. ‘I’m sure Joe wouldn’t throw us out if he knew.’
‘But Violet might. She’s got a conservative mind, that one. Besides, she won’t be in a mood to put up with anything that feels dangerous right now,’ Grace said wisely.
They walked in silence for a while, holding hands, their shoulders brushing. ‘What do you mean?’ Caroline asked.
‘Well, she’s preggers.’
Caroline stopped dead, staring. ‘I beg your pardon?’
‘Mrs P … She’s expecting another baby.’
‘How can you know?’
Grace gave one of her rich, earthy laughs. ‘Bless you, Caro, you’re such an innocent. Why do you think she’s been filling out lately? Have you ever seen her eating more than her ration?’
‘That’s hardly proof.’
‘All right, then.’ Grace considered for a moment.
‘When I first came to the farm, I thought Violet didn’t know how to smile.
She was always frowning and snapping at everyone.
Now she’s all sweetness and light. She even offered me a second helping of pudding the other day, without me even asking for it.
And poured cream on top as well. Love does that to people. ’
‘Love makes you give people extra pudding and cream?’ Caroline demanded, incredulous.
‘Yes, because it puts you in a good mood. Makes you want to be generous and kind.’ Grace pulled Caroline close. Her smile was infectious. ‘It makes you want to do this …’ And she kissed Caroline on the lips.
Caroline closed her eyes, and listened to Grace’s heart beating against hers. Up above, the skylark sang divinely. Sheep baaed in the distance. A slight breeze off the sea stirred her hair.
‘See what I mean?’ Grace pulled back, smiling into her eyes.
Caroline sighed. ‘Yes, maybe I do.’
There was a slight noise in the distance, and Grace released her at once, striding on up the track without looking back.
Glancing over her shoulder, Caroline could see Joe in one of the lower fields, starting the tractor. Swiftly, she followed Grace uphill. ‘He won’t have seen us. He’s too far away.’
‘I know,’ Grace admitted. ‘But that was stupid of me. We need to be more careful.’
Reaching the top field, they climbed over the five-bar gate.
The sheep that had arrived to replace livestock lost during the snows were grazing quietly in the sunshine.
They seemed to have adjusted well to their new surroundings, despite having come all the way from South Devon where the winter had not been as devastating to farm stocks.
‘They seem happy enough up here,’ Grace muttered, studying the sheep. But she looked tense, hands once again in her pockets.
‘It’s not right,’ Caroline complained bitterly. ‘Why should old Mrs Newton get away with kissing her boyfriend in front of everyone, but we can’t even hold hands in the middle of nowhere?’
‘That’s just the way of the world,’ Grace said, though her eyes were miserable.
‘Well, it shouldn’t be. We should fight it.’
Grace turned, saying urgently, ‘You can’t fight this, Caroline. It’s bigger than us. If you try, people will just tear into you and destroy your life. Believe me, I’ve seen it.’
‘I remember what you told me about that other girl,’ Caroline said awkwardly. ‘But this isn’t the same. There’s no one on this farm who would treat you badly. Not even Violet. She’s got a good heart, for all her sharp ways.’
‘What about the boys in the village who gave me a hard time? Have you forgotten about them? All it would take is one word in the wrong place, and we wouldn’t be able to walk down the village street without folk staring at us.’
‘Let them stare!’ Caroline cried passionately.
‘You’re only saying that because you don’t know how awful it feels.’ Grace shook her head grimly. ‘No, you’d leave, and I’d never see you again. Is that what you want?’
Caroline blenched. ‘Of course not. But I love you, and you love me. Why shouldn’t we be together? It’s nobody’s business but ours.’
Grace laced her fingers with Caroline’s. ‘Maybe one day, yes. But not right now. Not while we’re still working as Land Girls. After we leave here, we could get a flat together. Maybe in a big city where people don’t look too closely at young women living together.’
Caroline flushed. ‘I would love that.’
‘But we’d still need to be careful. Wherever we live, there’ll always be people pointing fingers, saying nasty things, getting us sacked from our jobs.
It’s a hard road to follow. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather settle down with some nice fella and have half a dozen kids?
’ Grace met her eyes. ‘I wouldn’t blame you. ’