Chapter 5
5
Libby shivered in the cool autumnal breeze and decided to quickly change out of her flight attendant’s uniform and into something warmer in order to watch the inaugural journey of Bob and Eddie’s steam engine.
She glanced down, reminding herself that it would be the last time she wore the uniform. There was a mixture of sadness for her lost job but equally a sense of relief that perhaps the days of mixed up sleep patterns were finally behind her.
Her walk led her along the platform and past the end of the station where Harriet’s lavender spa was situated. Then the platform backed onto the picket fences of the gardens of cottages on Railway Lane. A glance over to the lavender fields on the opposite side of the track showed the mist was hugging the cold ground. Autumn had definitely arrived.
It was one of Libby’s favourite times of the year and yet the all-encompassing dread of having to tell her father what had happened was stressing her out. He would be worried and, no doubt, once more disappointed in her behaviour.
As she came upon the very last cottage along the short row, she let herself in through the rickety white picket gate that led to the back garden. Expecting to find her father in his usual place at the kitchen table at that time, such was his rigid routine, she was surprised to see him standing behind the picket fence. He was wearing his smart overcoat, gloves and scarf in deference to the cool morning air.
‘Good morning, Dad,’ she said, going over to give him a kiss on the cheek.
‘Good morning, Elizabeth,’ replied Philip, the only person to have ever called her by her full name. ‘I saw your suitcase in the hall. Glad to see you safely back from your travels once more,’ he added, giving her a gentle pat on the back with his good hand.
His entire right-hand side of the body had been almost destroyed by the stroke that had so nearly killed him. It had been over ten years and most people would no longer be able to see the slight droop of his face on one side. Libby would always be able to tell, though, and when her father was overtired, he slurred his words ever so slightly.
He had slowly regained partial use of his right arm and leg, but it had been the depression afterwards that had devastated his career as a headmaster. Her father had always been highly intelligent, focusing all his time on educating both his pupils and himself. Libby knew that the embarrassment of having to give up his job had never left him.
He still took his daily walk to keep his muscles and body moving, but he always made sure that it was at first light when there was hardly anyone else around. He barely left the house for the remainder of the day, with only Radio 4 for company. He read the newspaper all morning and then a book in the afternoon. During the summer months, the garden would keep him occupied. But the winters were the longest time for them both.
This year, though, when winter arrived, she wouldn’t even have her work to take her away.
‘I was waiting to catch a view of the steam engine,’ he replied. ‘You’ve arrived home just in time.’
Libby looked out along the tracks to where the steam engine stood, proudly waiting for its big moment in the spotlight. The front of the engine was black, along with the short chimney from which steam was beginning to rise. The main barrel shape of the engine was red, along with the small square driver’s cab at the back, where Bob, Eddie and Ethan could be seen moving about.
‘I’ll just go and get changed quickly,’ Libby told him before rushing up the garden path and through the back door into the small kitchen.
Even now, despite having been away for one night, she could still make out the sweet smell of chocolate in the air. What had started as a hobby had grown into a passion, one which she could lose herself in. It wasn’t bringing them in any money, except a small amount which Libby had made from selling her home-made truffles at Platform 1. People seemed to enjoy the different flavours she liked to experiment with, such as raspberry or praline, but most of all, she enjoyed the process. The alchemy that happened when she melted the chocolate and immersed herself in the creative process. She could forget all her worries. Forget everything, except the magic.
Libby headed through the front room. None of the cottages along Railway Lane were very large, but they all shared a certain charm, with the exposed brickwork and cosy fireplaces. There was just enough space for a modest sofa and an upright winged back chair that her father sat in each evening.
There was no hallway to speak of, merely a patch of worn carpet with a couple of hooks for coats. The stairwell was narrow and steep, but thankfully her father seemed able to manage.
At the top, there was a small landing, from which led the two bedrooms and a bathroom. Libby headed into her bedroom to get changed, carefully hanging up her uniform in the wardrobe and wondering whether it would have to be returned to the airline at some point.
She checked her emails and sank down onto the bed as she read the one from her supervisor. It was all very formal, very finite, she realised. It really had happened. She hadn’t imagined it after all. She was out of a job. It was a mess and she had no idea how to make her life better.
After going back downstairs, Libby grabbed her coat from the hook before going outside to join her dad.
She cleared her throat as she went to stand next to him, knowing she couldn’t put off the moment any longer.
‘Dad, I’ve got something to tell you,’ she began, giving him a tentative look. She felt all of ten years old again when she had to tell him that she had lost her bike in a ditch and it was in pieces.
He raised his eyebrows at her but didn’t reply.
‘So, er, they’ve announced a whole load of redundancies at work and I’ve been laid off,’ she said, her words coming out in a rush. ‘With immediate effect.’
‘I see.’ He looked a little alarmed as the silence stretched out between them.
‘But don’t worry,’ said Libby, giving him one of her wide smiles. ‘They’re going to give me almost a month’s pay due to my years of service and I’ve got lots of feelers out for the next job. I’ll get one in no time.’
‘Of course you will,’ he replied, looking relieved.
Libby’s smile grew rigid as she tried to maintain it. ‘Just thought I’d better keep you in the loop, as it were. Now, what about this train?’
Thankfully, at this precise moment, the loud toot-toot of the steam engine whistle rang out and she was able to step forward with her dad to concentrate on the train as a plume of smoke rose up into the air.
‘It’s certainly been a labour of love for Bob and Eddie,’ he murmured.
Her dad had been to school with Bob and knew the family very well. Not that her dad ever socialised these days, with Libby always making an excuse for him whenever they were invited anywhere.
‘You don’t want to stand out on the platform and watch?’ she asked, looking back up towards the station, where a small group of people were beginning to gather.
Her dad shook his head. She wasn’t surprised.
‘Still, we’ll get a good view here, won’t we?’ she said, gesturing at the low fence, over which they would get a grandstand view of the steam engine.
It was only a little white lie about finding another job, she told herself as they stared down the line back towards the station. Her dad didn’t need to know about her two written warnings. And surely she’d find a job quickly, wouldn’t she?
But the twinge in the pit of her stomach reminded her that her whole career might be over and she had no idea how she was going to earn a living from now onwards.