Escape to the Country (9 page)

She blinked. How could he help with her problems. Then the penny
dropped.

"The rain. There's nearly as much of it inside Jayne's room as
outside. It's worse in some ways as it keeps on dripping after the
rain has stopped and it smells awful and stains her clothes and the
walls and everything."

"Oh dear. I knew the thatch needed attention, but had no idea
the problem was as bad as that."

"No, well you wouldn't. I don't suppose even Gilmore-Bunce does
really, because Jayne didn't make much of a fuss. I told her she
should have been more assertive."

"Trouble is, there aren't so many people who do thatching
anymore. It's not going to be easy to get the thatch replaced
quickly."

"I suppose not," she admitted grudgingly. Yet another black
mark she'd wrongly put against Gilmore-Bunce. "Actually,
flooding in is an exaggeration, but there is a leak in her bedroom
and some of her clothes got damp."

"How about covering the roof with a tarpaulin sheet? It'll look
awful, but perhaps be better than nothing?"

"Could that be done quickly?"

"Yes, I'll make sure it is."

"Thanks, that's wonderful. Thanks very much, Duncan."

He looked surprised.

Leah blushed. "When you helped me out last time, I mentioned you
to my aunt. She asked around and found out there was a new man who'd
started and learnt your name. I'm afraid she's a bit nosy."

"Don't worry, Leah. We're all a bit like that round here,"
he reassured her. He smiled, but didn't say anything else, so she had
no reason to stay.

"Well, thanks again."

As she walked home with Tarragon she realised he'd used her name.
Obviously Jayne wasn't the only one who'd been asking around.

"Here boy," she called Tarragon. "Have some chews."

Chapter 6

A few days later, Leah finished washing up and stood at the kitchen
window looking out at Jayne who was standing in the yard as though
she were waiting for someone. Leah hoped it was because she could see
or hear Duncan coming to fix the roof. Leah rushed back downstairs
after changing into more flattering and less smelly clothes, combing
her hair, adding another coat of lipgloss and applying mascara, to
see Jayne still in the yard.

Assuming Jayne was waiting for Duncan had just been wishful thinking
brought on by her desire to see him she realised. Leah went out to
her.

"Jayne, are you OK?"

"What? Oh, yes, yes, of course."

"It's just that you've been stood there for a long time."

"Have I? Yes, sorry I suppose I have. I was just thinking."
She gave an unconvincing laugh. "Nothing to do but think around
here these days. We've done a brilliant job catching up with all the
little jobs that had sort of got missed lately. I'm so glad you're
here, lovey."

Despite her smile, it didn't seem that Jayne was completely happy.
Leah was sure something was worrying her and guessed the last comment
wasn't just because of the work Leah had done.

"Jayne, what's wrong?"

"As we've caught up, I've got time to give you a milking
lesson," Jayne said briskly.

Leah allowed her to change the subject. "But you don't usually
start until about four."

"No, but I finish by quarter past."

"You think it'll take me nearly two hours to get the hang of
it?" Leah asked and gave a mock pout.

"You'll see. Come on." Whatever had been worrying Jayne,
she seemed to have put it out of her mind.

Rosemary didn't seem to mind being brought in early for milking and
stood quietly eating as Jayne positioned the stool and bucket for
Leah. Jayne crouched down by Leah's side and grasped one of
Rosemary's teats.

"Put your finger and thumb around the top, like this."

Leah copied Jayne's example.

"You need to squeeze quite hard with the first finger, then
gradually curl your other fingers round and squeeze each in turn so
you push the milk from the top to the bottom of her teat."

Jayne demonstrated, sending a warm stream of milking gushing into the
bucket, then another and another.

Leah tried. Nothing happened.

"Squeeze harder." Jayne showed her again.

"I don't want to hurt her."

"You won't. Remember how hard the orphan lambs sucked on your
fingers when you were a kid?"

"Yes. It felt as though they were trying to swallow me whole."

"Well, just imagine how hard a calf would suck."

Leah tried again. A few drops of milk were released.

"Better, but hold really firmly at the top. More of it is going
back into her udder than is coming out the end which won't be
comfortable for her."

"Sorry, Rosemary," Leah said and had another try. After a
few more attempts she managed to create a jet of milk almost as
impressive as Jayne's effort.

"Yay! I can do it!"

"Keep going."

Jayne worked on two teats, while Leah concentrated on the one nearest
to her.

Leah continued until her arm began to ache. "This is harder work
than I thought," she admitted.

"Harder than you realise. How much milk do you think you've got
there?" Jayne nodded towards the bucket.

"About a gallon?"

Jayne blew into the bucket creating a hole in the froth on the top.

"About half a gallon," Leah amended. "How much does
she give each day?"

"Four gallons."

"You're going faster than me and doing two at once, so I've
managed about a pint?"

"Yes. Well, nearly that much."

"Then for goodness sake, take that food away from her! She's
making more faster than I can get it out of her."

"Don't panic. Once I've got as much as we need, I let the calves
in with her and they take the rest."

"We've got nearly enough now, haven't we?" Leah asked
hopefully.

"Yes, that's plenty if you've had enough. I give the pigs any
that's left over, but they don't really need it."

"I'll just have a quick go doing it two handed, just to see if I
can." She could, just about, although the efforts of her left
hand produced very little and she couldn't get into a steady rhythm.

"You're doing really well for a first lesson," Jayne
assured her.

"A natural, I'd say."

At the sound of Duncan's voice, Leah leapt to her feet, almost
knocking over the milk bucket in her surprise. She began the
introductions.

Jayne strode over and grabbed Duncan's hand. "Lovely to meet
you, I've heard so much about you."

"You have?" He looked confused, but pleased.

"Fancy a cuppa?" Jayne asked.

"Thanks, but I can't stop. I just called in to say we've got
hold of the tarpaulin to patch up your roof. I could put it on
tomorrow if that's convenient?"

"It is. The afternoon would be best."

"That's fine for me. I'll let you get on with your milking."
He nodded at Jayne and winked at Leah. "If I can't find you,
I'll know where to look."

Jayne giggled as he walked away.

"It's not funny," Leah said.

"What isn't?"

"He was laughing at how slow I was with the milking."

"You think so? I thought he meant he'd hope to find you in the
hay barn."

Leah giggled too. "I don't think so." She sat back on the
stool and had another try at milking two-handed. As she squeezed the
teats she wondered how long Duncan had been watching and what he'd
really thought.

Once Leah felt she'd progressed as well as she could for the first
lesson, they let the calves in with Rosemary and took the milk away
to strain and chill it.

"Leah, there's something I, er..."

"What?"

"I've got a doctor's appointment tomorrow. It's probably
nothing, but I'd got myself into a bit of a state about it."

It didn't seem likely Jayne would get into a state over nothing. "Do
you want me to come with you?"

"No," Jayne snapped. She sighed. "Sorry. I'd rather
not talk about it, not until I know what exactly is wrong."

"OK." She couldn't force Jayne to confide and didn't want
to upset her by trying.

"Besides, I'm going just after lunch and might not be back by
the time Duncan arrives. It would look very rude if neither of us was
here."

It would a bit, particularly as Jayne had suggested what time he
should come. Was that was done to distract Leah from worrying about
the doctor's appointment, or just a ploy to allow Leah and Duncan to
spend some time together? Either Jayne was playing matchmaker, or was
desperately concerned about her health - or possibly both.

Leah helped Jayne to bundle up herbs and load eggs into the pick-up
before she left for the doctor's. Although they'd already completed
all the morning tasks, Leah planned to look busy and competent when
Duncan arrived. She filled bags with loose hay in the barn as that
was a task she was unlikely to mess up. They looked so soft and
comfortable that she was tempted to lie on them for a little rest.
She blushed as she wondered what Duncan would think if he arrived to
find her sprawled out on the hay. She'd carried the first bag over to
the lambs' pen just as he arrived.

Attached to the front of the tractor were what looked like the tines
from a forklift truck and on them was a huge roll of bright blue
plastic.

"Hi, Leah," he called. "I've come to sort out the
roof. Jayne about?"

"No, she's gone to the doctor's."

"Jayne? I've never known her to be ill."

"Never?" How long had he been working at home farm? Three,
four weeks?

He looked embarrassed. Maybe he'd done so much asking around about
her, he felt as though he knew them both better than he did? That
made her want to rescue him from his discomfort.

"I know what you mean though, she doesn't seem the sort to get
ill, does she? It's just a routine check thing though, nothing to
worry about," she added, hoping it was true.

"That's good. If you're willing to give me a hand, we can get
the roof patched up before she comes back."

"I can try, what would I have to do?"

"Just work the hydraulics on the tractor to lift me and the
tarpaulin up onto the roof." He pointed at the blue plastic.

"Hydraulics?"

"You just push a lever, it's easier than changing gear in a car.
Come on, I'll show you."

She climbed up into the tractor cab and sat in the seat. Tarragon
tried to follow.

"I think I'd better put him inside, I don't think he'll be much
help."

She took the dog into the cottage and came straight back to resume
her seat in the tractor.

Duncan stood on the step and showed her how to raise and lower the
forks. The levers did look rather like a gear stick and just had to
be pushed forward or back.

"Do it very slowly, if it jerks too much I'll fall off. As it
goes up, use this one here to keep them level."

"I'd better practice before you get on."

"Go on then."

She could have found the right lever and pushed it in the correct
direction without him taking her hand and guiding it, but she didn't
like to say so. His touch was warm and gentle and she felt a thrill
that wasn't entirely due to managing to control the unfamiliar
equipment.

Her first efforts to raise and lower the forks were a bit jerky, but
she soon managed to manoeuvre them reasonably smoothly.

"Excellent. Now this one," he lifted her hand onto a third
lever, "is to slide the forks out. You'll need to do that once
I'm up above the roof."

"You're going right up there?"

"That's where the hole is."

A good point, but it seemed awfully high and rather dangerous if he
had to rely on her to raise him safely.

She practised using all three levers until she was sure she could
manage.

"That's it, you've got the hang of it. If you make a mistake
when I'm up there, don't panic, just let go of everything and either
wait until you remember what to do, or yell to me for instructions,
OK?"

"Got it."

"Great. We just need to get the tractor into position. Scoot
over a bit and I'll move it forward."

He slid onto the seat beside and her and put his arm round her to
grip the wheel.

"Ready?"

She was more than ready.

He touched her leg to indicate she was to use the clutch. The tractor
crawled forward. She was impressed it could go so slowly, especially
as she was in no hurry to get there which would mean she'd no longer
be able to lean back against his chest with his arm wrapped around
her or feel the warmth of his thigh pressed against hers.

Leah looked down at the gear lever. "Crikey, how many gears has
this thing got?"

"Eleven forward and four reverse in both upper and lower ratios.
It's in the lower ratio now and on flat ground like this it could
easily pull away in sixth."

"This is sixth gear?" Surely if it were moving any slower
it would be stopped?

"No, first." Obviously he wasn't in any more of a hurry
than she was.

Once the tractor was close enough, Duncan jumped down. "Just do
exactly what you practised. I'll point up or down to show you what I
want."

"I'll try to get you in exactly the right position."

"Sounds fun." He winked at her, then jumped down and
climbed onto the roll of blue tarpaulin.

Duncan gave her a thumbs up. She smiled and returned the gesture
before realising he was probably indicating for her to lift him up.
She put her hand on the lever and pulled gently. The forks and Duncan
rose slowly. She noticed she'd have to straighten him up at just the
point he held out a hand and wobbled it to indicate that's what he
wanted her to do.

Leah found it easy to interpret Duncan's hand signals and translate
them into the appropriate movements of the levers. She did feel a
little nervous when he was above the cottage roof and she had to
extend the forks. He looked vulnerable and was trusting her not to
let him fall.