Finders and Keepers (16 page)

‘Yes.' The dog's teeth were no longer sunk into his leg, but Harry could still feel its jaws closed around his ankle. Anxious to diffuse the tension, he forced a smile, but it wasn't returned. The boy was younger, smaller and lighter than him, but he suspected that his physical inferiority wouldn't stop him from throwing a punch any more than it had his sister.

‘What you doing here?'

Harry crossed his arms across his chest because it was the least hostile stance he could think of adopting. It was still raining steadily but he was so wet anyway it simply didn't matter. ‘I drove Miss Adams and Martha up here from Craig-y-Nos. Martha's had an accident -'

‘What kind of accident?' The boy's face was so close, Harry could feel the warmth of his breath.

‘A road accident,' Harry answered evasively. ‘But she's going to be fine. Miss Adams is with her now.'

‘If you brought her home, what you doing lurking in the yard?'

‘I came out to look for you,' Harry explained patiently. ‘Your sister said you'd gone down the mountain track to look for Martha.'

‘If you had been looking for us we would have seen you on the mountain. You're a thief, that's what you are,' the boy declared angrily. He looked for confirmation to the younger boy, who nodded vigorously.

‘I've only just left the house, so I hadn't time to go down the track.'

‘You were looking for chickens and eggs to steal.'

‘If I was looking for things to steal, I'd sneak into the yard, not drive my noisy car in so you'd hear the engine.' The dog's jaws tightened on his leg and Harry leaned against the Crossley for support. The boy appeared immune to both sense and argument, and he braced himself to receive another bite.

‘Only a bloody toff talks the way you do and wears clothes like that!' David took aim and sent a stream of spittle towards Harry's feet. It hit the toe of his shoe on the foot the dog was holding. ‘If you're not here to steal, then the agent must have sent you, and everyone knows he's a bloody thief.'

‘No one sent me. And I haven't a clue what agent you're talking about. I told you I drove Martha home -'

‘Liar!' The boy finally lashed out and punched Harry in the stomach. The dog growled and closed his jaws.

Harry had been expecting the bite. He'd even had time to tense his muscles to receive the punch, but he didn't bargain for the force the boy used or the strength that was surprising in someone so small and slight. He groaned involuntarily as he straightened his back and the dog tightened its grip.

‘David, Matthew, is that you I hear talking?' Diana interrupted from the back door.

‘Miss Adams?' Both boys turned to her.

‘Call Merlyn off Mr Evans, David, there's a good lad. Mary needs you two inside.'

‘Did you come here with him, Miss Adams?' The older boy poked a grimy finger into Harry's chest.

‘Yes, David, I did.' She put up her umbrella and, stepping carefully again, crossed the yard to the car.

‘He,' David jabbed Harry again with his finger, ‘said that Martha's had an accident.'

‘She has, but she's all right now. And I'll be up in the morning to make sure she stays that way.' She looked at Harry. ‘Are you all right, Mr Evans?'

‘I will be when he calls his dog off,' Harry muttered between clenched teeth.

‘David?' She appealed to the boy.

‘Good dog, Merlyn, heel.'

‘Thank you,' Harry breathed gratefully, rubbing his ankle. He believed that Diana Adams was actually enjoying his discomfort.

Diana turned back to David. ‘I'll pick up the eggs for the sanatorium every day until Martha's well enough to come back to work.' She glanced from him to Matthew. ‘Both of you had better get inside and change quickly before you catch cold. Mary's enough on her plate with nursing Martha. And Luke's teething has given him a slight fever. Go on, off with you.'

David finally opened the back door and ushered Matthew into the house, but gave Harry one last antagonistic glare from the doorstep before slamming it shut.

‘Thank you,' Harry murmured. ‘Two attacks from two Ellises in as many minutes are as much as I can cope with.'

‘He hit you?' Diana asked.

‘I know better than to tell tales after I've played with rough boys in the school yard,' Harry rejoined flippantly.

‘Did he hurt you?'

‘Not anywhere that can be seen.' He picked a dock leaf from a clump that was growing at the foot of a horse's mount and wiped his shoe.

‘You should pick another and wipe your face.'

‘Is that medical advice?'

‘It's a foolish doctor who dismisses all the old country remedies out of hand. And the Ellis boys aren't vicious, just over-protective towards their sisters.' Diana opened the car door and climbed inside. She shook her umbrella, closed it and set it at her feet.

Harry winced when he sat beside her. ‘After seeing the children, I wouldn't like to meet the parents.' He ran his hands through his hair brushing out as much water as he could.

‘They have no parents, Mr Evans.'

‘They run the farm themselves?'

‘They have done for the last year. Although it's anyone's guess as to how much longer they'll be able to carry on. It's common knowledge in the valley that they owe a fortune in rent.'

‘So that's why the boy accused me of being sent by the agent,' he mused. ‘But they're so young.' He started the car and drove out of the yard.

‘I wouldn't let them hear you say that should you ever meet them again. Mary's nineteen, David fourteen, and they consider themselves quite grown-up enough. Given the responsibilities they have taken on, they have every right to. I've seen farmers in better circumstances than the Ellises give up and take their families to the workhouse.'

‘Did their parents leave them?'

‘In a manner of speaking. They are both dead. You've a dog-bite that could turn septic and from what I saw of your face in the kitchen, your cuts need to be properly cleaned and dressed. So you'd better drive me back to my house so I can do just that.'

He lifted his hand from the wheel and fingered his throat and face. ‘I've had worse and lived.'

‘I dare say, but if they get infected, they'll spoil your pretty looks.'

‘Pretty?'

She smiled mischievously. ‘I've forgotten how touchy men can be about that word. I meant handsome.'

‘Really?' he enquired sarcastically.

She dropped her mocking tone. ‘We seem to have got off on the wrong foot, Mr Evans.'

‘If we have, do you think that is my fault or yours?'

‘I'd say about fifty-fifty.'

‘I'm big enough to apologize for misjudging you earlier.' He dropped down a gear as they descended the steep hill. ‘It's obvious from the state of that kitchen that those children are living hand-to-mouth and you only employ Martha to make sure that some money goes into the house.'

‘I'm amazed you thought my father capable of exploiting a child after seeing our work at the sanatorium.'

‘I was upset, angry and feeling guilty after the accident. I'm sorry for what I said. What more can I do other than apologize?' he asked.

‘Nothing this evening, Mr Evans. Turn right into the drive just before the hospital entrance. I'll dress those cuts for you and tend to any other injuries you've sustained, including the ones that can't be seen – that's if you're not too embarrassed to take your shirt off in front of a female medical student.'

Chapter Seven

Mary ladled out three bowls of soup. She set two in front of her brothers and mashed the vegetables in the one she had poured for herself with a fork, before taking Luke from David.

‘So, the toff came in here.' David lifted a spoonful of soup to his lips and blew on it to cool it.

‘How many times do you want me to tell you that he did?' Mary sat opposite her brothers and settled Luke on her lap.

‘You haven't told me what he had to say for himself.'

‘Not much.'

‘So why did you let him in?'

‘I told you,' she reiterated impatiently. ‘He carried Martha in. Miss Adams said his name was Mr Harry Evans and he's related to one of the patients in the castle.'

David took the crust from the loaf she had sliced and dunked it into his soup. ‘He's rich. You only have to look at his clothes to see that. And he had a car.'

‘I saw it.' Mary handed Luke a finger of bread, but he screwed up his eyes and threw it down in a fit of temper.

‘Martha said it costs a lot of money to keep someone in Craig-y-Nos.'

‘I suppose it does.' She was too busy fighting to keep Luke on her lap to pay much attention to what David was saying.

‘So if he does have a relative in there, he must be paying a lot of money to Doctor Adams.'

‘I suppose so.' Ashamed of the way she'd flown at him, the last person Mary wanted to talk about was Harry Evans. She dipped a teaspoon into the soup, lifted out a thin portion and held it to Luke's lips. He pushed it aside with his fist and shook his head vigorously from side to side. ‘Come on, darling,' she coaxed, ‘you have to eat. If you don't, you'll be ill.'

‘As he's rich, he should pay for knocking Martha down in his car.' David tore the rest of his bread into pieces and dropped them on top of his soup.

‘He offered. I threw his money back at him.'

‘What did you do that for?' David retorted angrily.

‘Because I didn't want him to think that he could buy us. Like … like …' she faltered, not wanting to say anything that would make her brother hate the agent any more than he already did.

‘Like bloody Bob Pritchard, with his endless “generous” extensions on our rent arrears?' he growled.

‘Language!' Mary glanced at Matthew who was sitting low on the bench. His mouth was barely level with the table, and although he was eating, it was obvious from his eye movements that he was listening intently to every word that was being said.

‘Well, I'll tell Miss Adams when she comes tomorrow that we
do
want Mr Harry Evans's money,' David declared feelingly. ‘It's only right that he pays Martha's wages until she can work again. And we'll take whatever else he's willing to give us.'

‘Martha's wages, maybe, but I don't think we should take anything else off him. Not for an accident. It's not as if Miss Adams will charge us anything for seeing to Martha.' Mary gave up trying to feed Luke. She held a cup of water to his lips and he drank greedily. When he had finished, she lifted him on to her shoulder and held him there with one hand, freeing the other so she could eat.

‘What was he doing driving up here in the rain and mist anyway?' David helped himself to another slice of bread.

‘How should I know?' Mary answered irritably. Luke was so hot; his tiny body burnt hers, even through the layers of clothing that separated them. She couldn't bear the thought of him and Martha both being ill at the same time. As it was, she was behind with the cheese and butter making, and she needed to kill and pluck at least a dozen chickens before the next market day. And there was Dolly … would the poultice work? She gripped her spoon tightly. It simply had to! She looked at David. He was holding his spoon over his bowl, apparently deep in thought. ‘Is the supper all right?'

‘Yes. Why shouldn't it be?' he snarled.

‘No reason. You're not still thinking about that man, are you?'

‘A toff like him could do a lot for us.'

‘Like what?' she questioned cautiously.

‘He could look at the agent's books for one thing, and tell us if Bob Pritchard is really diddling us.'

‘I can't believe that you'd want to talk to a total stranger about our private affairs.'

‘Why not? He owes us something for knocking Martha down. I told you, Mary, I've had just about all I can take from …' he saw fire flash in her eyes and tempered his language, ‘the agent.'

‘And what would you do if Mr Pritchard refused to show him the books?'

‘He wouldn't dare refuse a toff.'

‘Maybe not, but he'd be angry with us afterwards for asking Mr Evans to do it. You know he would. And then he'd take it out on us. He could evict us. Promise me you won't say a word to Mr Evans about it, Davy?'

‘Only if you promise to tell Miss Adams that we want him to pay Martha's wages until she can work again. As well as take anything else he offers,' he added strongly. ‘Promise?' he repeated when she didn't answer.

‘I promise,' she answered reluctantly. She moved her head back and looked at Luke. ‘I'll take him up and tuck him in between Martha and me. If either of them is ill in the night I want to be on hand to see to them.'

‘And tomorrow?'

‘I said I'd talk to Miss Adams, didn't I?'

David knew better than to push his sister further than she was prepared to go. He finished the soup in his bowl and left the table. ‘I'll check on Dolly. If she's all right I'll clear up here and put Matthew to bed if you want to stay with Martha and Luke.'

‘Thanks, Davy.'

‘And don't worry about the morning milking, stay with Martha.' He reached across the table and ruffled Matthew's curls. ‘It's time this one took over. I'll soon teach him to get the cows in and milk them by himself.'

Matthew bristled with pride, but all Mary could think of was David's threat to join the army. Didn't he realize there was no way that he could train six-year-old Matthew to replace him on the farm? No more than she could do his work as well as her own.

The bathroom in the Adamses' house was cold, and Diana's fingers were even colder. Harry shuddered when she unfastened his collar and tie, opened the top buttons on his shirt and bathed the cuts on his throat.