A Second Chance (66 page)

Amy smiled. ‘He’s right, really. The only
way I can get Eddie to settle down for lessons and things is to
make sure he does lots of running around.’

She sat with Sarah at a pretty little bamboo
table under a gazebo entwined with climbing roses, a few blowsy
flowers still clinging on although the season was almost at an end.
Nellie, the maid, brought out a tray with tea things, including
several kinds of cake.

‘Plain cake, and seed cake, and currant
buns,’ Sarah said, pointing out each in turn. ‘Mrs Jenson said boys
like that sort of thing.’ She looked enquiringly at Amy, clearly
seeking approval.

‘I’m sure Eddie will like everything. He’ll
be happy, as long as there’s plenty to eat. You really don’t have
to go to any bother, Sarah.’

‘It wasn’t a bother,’ Sarah said. ‘It’s not
as if I had any involvement in the process, beyond asking Mrs
Jenson’s opinion. But I want Eddie to be happy here. I want him to
feel at home.’

As if he had sensed the arrival of food,
Eddie soon appeared, slithering down the trunk of the tree and
jumping from the lowest branch. Amy brushed leaves and twigs from
his hair and clothes as best she could. She was relieved to see
that Sarah seemed unperturbed by his less than pristine
appearance.

Eddie sat on the chair next to Amy’s,
swinging his feet to and fro as he munched on slices of cake and
gulped down lemonade. When he had had enough, he was off again,
prowling around the garden and looking speculatively at several of
the taller trees. He climbed one of them, and found he could
scramble from it to the next tree.

‘This is a good garden, Granny,’ he called
from his perch.

‘Mind you don’t break anything,’ Amy called
back. ‘I meant branches,’ she explained to Sarah. ‘Everything’s so
neat and tidy.’

Sarah smiled. ‘I doubt if he could do much
damage. I’m glad my garden meets with Eddie’s approval—I shall have
to tell the gardener.’

Eddie clambered down the tree and began
exploring the patch of grass that surrounded a small fountain. Amy
saw him bend down several times to pick up small objects. He came
back to the gazebo, and was about to spread out his finds on the
table.

‘Not on the nice tablecloth, Eddie,’ Amy
admonished. ‘Put them on the ground, we can see them all
right.’

He had found an acorn, some dried-up
berries, and the cast-off skin of what they decided was a
grasshopper. Sarah managed to appear more impressed by the finds
than Amy suspected she actually was, and told him he could have
them in his room if he wanted.

‘Eddie likes looking for interesting bits
and pieces,’ Amy said. ‘Rocks and things, too.’

‘Does he, indeed? Hmm, that suggests some
possible outings. I suppose the museum might be too dry for a child
his age?’

‘I don’t know,’ said Amy. ‘I’ve never been
to one.’

‘The butterflies and insects might interest
him, though,’ Sarah said, while Eddie sat at their feet arranging
his finds in several different configurations. ‘It’s very near
here, it wouldn’t be at all out of the way. And some of the beaches
might be good for rock hunting. I’ll look into it. There’s the
circus, of course, but that won’t be back till next year, I expect.
We might try a pantomime, though, if you think he’d like that—I
believe there’s to be a season of “Cinderella” shortly.’

At the sight of Sarah’s animated expression,
Amy abandoned any attempt to tell her not to worry herself over it.
Sarah was clearly enjoying making plans for Eddie.

The maid came out to clear away the remains
of their afternoon tea. ‘Nellie, tell Walter we’re ready for him,’
Sarah said. Amy almost thought she saw Sarah and Nellie exchange a
conspiratorial look. She wondered idly what the message to the
gardener’s boy might mean.

Eddie resumed his exploration of the garden,
and Sarah watched him for a minute or two. She glanced towards the
corner of the house, then stood up.

‘Come with me, please, Eddie.’

Eddie looked up from examining an insect
crawling on a leaf. ‘Why?’ he asked.

‘Eddie, do as Aunt Sarah says,’ Amy
admonished gently. She caught Sarah’s eye and looked her own
question; Sarah merely smiled, and inclined her head in an
invitation to follow her.

Amy took Eddie’s hand and led him in Sarah’s
wake. Just before the path disappeared around the corner leading to
the back garden, Sarah turned to face them.

‘Now, Eddie,’ she said, her serious tone
belied by the spark of excitement in her eyes, ‘I’ve work for you.
While you’re living here, you’ll need to do this almost every day.
It’s most important. Come and see.’ She slipped her hand through
Amy’s free arm and guided her around the corner.

Eddie stopped in his tracks, and Amy felt a
quiver of excitement run through him. Walter was standing in front
of the stables, his hand on the bridle of a chestnut pony.

‘This is Rufus,’ said Sarah. ‘It’s your job
to look after him.’

Eddie tugged his hand from Amy’s and
tottered like a sleepwalker up to the pony. He reached out a
trembling hand and stroked the glossy flank. The pony sniffed at
him, then gave a soft, breathy snort. Eddie turned to Sarah, his
eyes wide, and took great gulps of air before he was able to speak.
‘Is he… is he for me?’ he managed at last.

‘Yes, he is. You’ll need to exercise him,
and groom him, and so forth. You could go out with Walter when he
exercises the carriage horses, although you’ll need to get up early
in the morning for that.’

‘I can get up early.’ Eddie’s voice ended on
something like a squeak.

‘We shall see,’ said Sarah. ‘In the
meantime, I’m sure you’d like to take Rufus through his paces.’

Eddie nodded vigorously. Amy recovered from
her own shock at the extent of Sarah’s generosity, and gave Eddie’s
shoulder a small shake. ‘Eddie, say thank you to Aunt Sarah.’

‘Thank you,’ Eddie said at once. ‘Thank you
for the pony. Can I go for a ride now?’

Sarah nodded to Walter, who hoisted Eddie
bodily on to the pony’s back and adjusted the stirrups. He kept a
hand on the bridle and began leading Eddie slowly around the area
in front of the stables.

‘Sarah, that’s… that’s very good of you,’
Amy said as the two of them watched a delighted Eddie.

‘Well, from all you’d told me of Eddie, I
knew he’d never settle here if he didn’t have a horse to ride.’ She
turned to face Amy. ‘And I do want him to settle. I know that’s the
only way I’m going to be able to keep you here for any length of
time.’ Sarah smiled. ‘Though I must confess I find myself liking
Eddie on his own account. I’ve never had much to do with small
children—when I was teaching, I managed to confine myself to the
older ones. I thought they weren’t very interesting until they got
to eleven or twelve. But there’s something rather endearing about
this little imp.’

‘I’ve got very fond of him.’

‘Yes, I can see that.’ Sarah glanced over at
Eddie, who was trying to persuade Walter to release his grip on the
bridle. ‘Do you feel up to a walk in the park? I doubt if Eddie’s
going to be content with the back garden for long, and the park
should be fairly quiet this late in the afternoon.’

Amy assured Sarah she was quite capable of
such a stroll. Rather than have Amy change from her tea gown into a
walking costume, Sarah rang the bell for the maid and had her bring
their cloaks. She issued her instructions to Walter, and they all
set off on the short walk to the park.

They passed the statue of the young soldier
from the Boer War; she would show it to Eddie one day soon, Amy
thought to herself. She had taken him to see Malcolm’s monument in
Ruatane; he would probably find a statue even more impressive.

Sarah and Amy sat on one of the benches,
still arm in arm. Amy pressed against her, delighting in the
closeness. While they watched Eddie bring Rufus to a trot, then
urge the pony into a slow canter, they talked quietly of what had
passed during their time apart. There were matters that neither of
them felt able to discuss freely in a public place, even one that
was almost deserted, but a few careful words were all that was
needed for the other to understand.

The sun was getting low, the golden light of
late afternoon fading to a cool blue-grey. Walter, patiently
standing by one of the trees, was a barely glimpsed shadow, his
clothes much the same colour as the bark against which he leaned.
Despite her cloak, Amy gave a shiver.

‘Do you want to go back now?’ Sarah
asked.

‘Yes,’ said Amy. ‘I’ll have to get Eddie
cleaned up before he’s fit for dinner.’

When Eddie came past a few moments later,
she stood and waved to him. ‘Eddie, it’s time to go inside now,’
she called.

Eddie executed a neat turn and came back
towards her, the pony stepping tidily in a well-controlled walk. ‘I
don’t want to yet. I’m going to stay out here.’

‘No, you have to come in now,’ Amy said.
Something in the set of Eddie’s mouth made her heart sink a little.
She found his occasional bursts of real obstinacy difficult to cope
with even on the farm, where she felt herself to have a measure of
authority; she did not look forward to having to deal with one so
soon after their arrival at Sarah’s.

‘I won’t,’ said Eddie, a hint of colour in
his cheeks beyond what exercise and excitement had put there. He
jerked the reins irritably.

The pony was startled by the sudden
movement, but rather than reacting with a burst of speed it planted
its four feet firmly on the ground and came to a dead stop.

Sarah stepped past Amy and put a hand on the
bridle. ‘Hadn’t you better do what your grandmother tells you?’
Sarah did not raise her voice, or show the least trace of losing
her temper, but Amy would have cringed if that reproving tone had
been turned on her. ‘Rufus will still be here tomorrow, and you can
take him out again. Unless, of course, you’d rather I sent him
away?’ she added, fixing Eddie with a hard stare.

‘No!’ Eddie said, his eyes wide with alarm.
He glared back at Sarah, opened his mouth in what seemed destined
to be a disastrous attempt at rebellion, then abruptly shut it.
Eddie knew when he had met his match. ‘I’ll come back now.’

‘Good boy.’ Sarah released the reins, and at
the same time released Eddie from her stern gaze. ‘We’ll all go
back to the house now.’

She walked along at Eddie’s side, an arm
loosely around Amy’s waist. Amy saw Eddie send occasional covert
glances in Sarah’s direction, and she traced his thoughts in his
face. The remnants of indignation quickly faded, as he recalled
just who the source of the pony had been. He caught Sarah’s eye and
grinned at her, to be met by an answering smile.

When they reached the house, Eddie announced
that he had to tend Rufus before he could possibly go inside.

‘Not much needs doing, just taking off his
tack,’ Walter said, grinning at Eddie’s earnest expression. ‘I can
do that on my own.’

‘No, I have to do it myself. And I have to
groom
him,’ Eddie insisted.

Amy could see that the pony, whose coat
looked as glossy as ever after his stint in the park, was in no
need of imminent grooming. She could also see how eager Eddie was
to establish his claim to Rufus. ‘Let him, Sarah,’ she
murmured.

Sarah patted her arm and nodded. ‘Eddie’s
quite right. As I told him earlier, it’s his responsibility to look
after Rufus. Walter, show him where everything’s kept. You might
need to reach the odd thing down for him,’ she added more
quietly.

Eddie went off to the stables at the older
boy’s side, bristling with self-importance, both at his weighty
task and at the chance to associate with a big boy like Walter. Amy
smiled after him, happy to see Eddie so confidently making himself
at home. She turned, and followed Sarah into the house.

After taking off their cloaks they went
straight to Sarah’s study, where she was eager to show Amy some of
the books she had acquired during Amy’s absence. Amy soon found
herself with a tall pile of recommended volumes for bedtime
reading, and for their quiet evenings in the drawing room.

They were so absorbed in their discussions
that it was some time before Amy realised Eddie had been gone for
longer than it would reasonably take for him to tend the pony. She
left Sarah organising the books, and set out in search of him.

Walter was still in the stables, but he told
Amy he had sent Eddie back to the house some time ago. Knowing what
tended to drive Eddie’s movements, Amy headed for the kitchen.

There she found Eddie ensconced most
comfortably, seated on a high stool at the kitchen table with a
plate of various tidbits in front of him. He was holding forth to
Mrs Jenson and the kitchen maid, as well as Nellie, who had somehow
found it necessary to hover about in the kitchen rather than get on
with setting the dining table.

Eddie looked up and grinned at Amy. ‘I’m
telling them about coming up on the big boat.’

‘Quite the journey you had, Mrs Stewart,’
Mrs Jenson said, her eyes twinkling. ‘Pirates and sea monsters and
Lord knows what else.’

‘He’s as good as a play,’ said Nellie. The
little kitchen maid, Polly, simply stared wide-eyed at Amy, as if
wondering how she could have survived such adventures.

‘Master Eddie’s been good enough to let me
know his favourite puddings, too,’ said Mrs Jenson. ‘We’ll have to
see what we can do about that. You can leave him with me any
evening you and Miss Sarah want to go out—there’d be no risk of a
dull time for Mr Jenson and I with this fellow about! And he’s
already made friends with our Walter, he tells me.’

At Amy’s request, Nellie set about
organising hot water. Amy retrieved Eddie, ignoring his complaints
that he had not finished the story, and steered him upstairs. ‘You
need a bath before dinner,’ she told him.