‘To check on my animals. They’re better company than you are.’ He spat on the ground. ‘Whore!’
Now he was out of the door, she couldn’t get dressed fast enough. ‘Wait!’ She ran after him. ‘WAIT!’
‘Look, Grandad.’ Seeing the woman running towards the field, one shoe on and the other in her hand, the child was curious. ‘There’s a lady, and she’s only got one shoe on.’
The old man turned his head to see. He had already noticed Clem striding away and suspected the woman wouldn’t be far behind. ‘Don’t worry about it,’ he told young Cathleen. ‘I dare say she’ll be gone soon.’
As with all children her attention soon wavered. Looking to where Danny and Emily were working on the swing, she asked hopefully, ‘Do you think Danny’s finished my swing yet?’
‘Go and see, why don’t yer?’
‘I can’t – Danny told me not to go near until he called.’
Welcoming the idea, he answered with a hug. ‘Quite right too, lass. You could likely get caught with one o’ them timbers and we wouldn’t want that now, would we, eh?’
He glanced across to where Danny was putting the final touches to the swing. ‘I reckon it might be all right now, though,’ he observed. ‘Why don’t yer go and see? I’m sure it would be safe.’
She slid her tiny hand in his and, tugging hard, entreated him to go with her.
‘No, lass. You go. I’ll just sit here and wait for your grandma to come back.’
‘Are you merry?’
He laughed at that. ‘Why d’you ask?’
‘’Cause Grandma said when you drink that Ederber wine, you get too merry and then you fall over.’
‘It’s true enough,’ he admitted. ‘I might well fall over if only she’d give me a big enough measure to mek me merry, but there’s no fear o’ that. So no, I’m not all that merry at the minute.’ He winked. ‘It’s grand to be out in the fresh air though, and I’m very grateful for that.’
‘Did Danny carry you all the way down?’
‘Almost.’
‘Did it hurt?’
‘Only my dignity.’
‘He’s nice, isn’t he?’
‘Yer right, lass, he is.’
‘I’d like him for a daddy.’
‘Would you now?’
‘Will you ask him, Grandad? Will you ask him if he’ll be my daddy?’
‘No, lass. It’s not for me or you to interfere, sweetheart. It’s for your mammy and Danny to decide.’ Thomas gave her a knowing wink. ‘I’ve a feeling they’ll work it out, lass.’
Leaping up, she threw her arms round his neck. ‘I love you, Grandad.’
Tears filled his old eyes. ‘Oh, an’ I love you, child. You’re a joy to be with.’ With great difficulty he lifted her down. ‘Go on then. See if your swing’s ready.’
‘If it is, you can have a go on it, Grandad. It won’t break. Danny says it’ll be strong enough to take an elephant.’
‘Are you saying I’m heavy as an elephant?’
‘No, but you can have a swing if you like.’
The old man chuckled aloud. ‘I’d best not, but thank you all the same. Now go on. Be off with yer.’
Just then Danny called her name. ‘Cathleen! Your swing’s ready if you want it.’
Thomas Isaac smiled as she chased over to try out her new swing. ‘By! You’re a lovely, bonny lass.’ Like everyone else, he had come to cherish the child. ‘I can’t even begin to remember what life was like afore you came.’
Wearied by the sun and his long conversation with Cathleen, he closed his eyes and let his mind drift.
When a moment later Aggie arrived from the kitchen with a brew of tea for him, he was dropping off to sleep. ‘Dad, here’s your tea.’ Her kindly voice gentled into his dreams.
‘Thank you, lass.’ Wide awake now, he sat up and took his tea.
‘Nodding off, were you?’ She sat beside him and leaned back, sighing. ‘I feel a bit like that myself.’
‘Aye well, it’s been a busy day for you and Emily, putting on the picnic besides all your other chores. You did us proud, lass. Everybody seemed to enjoy theirselves.’
Aggie thanked him. ‘It were worth it, just to see Emily and Danny in each other’s company. I’m hoping things might happen there, aren’t you?’
‘Aye, and so is young Cathleen from what she said.’
‘What did she say?’ Aggie sat upright.
‘She said as how she wanted him for a daddy, and would I ask him, please.’
‘Aw, bless her heart. She thinks the world of him. Danny and Emily getting wed would be by far the best thing for that little mite.’
‘I agree, but what about John Hanley? Emily still cares deeply for him, as you well know.’
Aggie did know, only too well. ‘It’s been too long,’ she replied thoughtfully. ‘If he were coming back, he’d have done so afore now.’ She turned to look at him. ‘Don’t you think so, Dad?’
He nodded. ‘You’re right, it has been too long. I reckon our Emily would do well to forget him. There’s the child to consider now.’ He smiled. ‘By! She’s a knowing little thing. Never misses a trick.’
He pointed to the field-gate. ‘Just now she saw one o’ Clem’s ladyfriends running across the field. She had one shoe on an’ one shoe off. I didn’t see her at all, until Cathleen told me.’
Aggie’s expression darkened. ‘I wish to God he’d go away and leave us alone. He’s a bad influence. Cathleen’s of an age now where she watches everything. It worries me, Dad. I want shut of him.’ Her voice dipped. ‘I hate him. I’ve allus hated him!’
Sensing her darkening mood, he said pacifyingly, ‘He’ll be gone soon enough, I expect. A man like that doesn’t put down roots and he knows he’s not wanted here. Nobody wants to stay for ever, where they’re not wanted.’
Aggie didn’t believe that, although it would be wonderful if one morning she woke up and he was gone. ‘He won’t leave without his blood-money, and we’ll never have enough to pay him off, so I shouldn’t count on him going if I were you.’
For a moment they lapsed into silence, quietly watching the girl as she swung high underneath the apple tree. After a while their moods lightened. ‘She’s a bonny lass, don’t you think, Dad?’
Grandad was already smiling at her antics. ‘Bonny and loving. And I’ll tell you another thing, lass. John Hanley caused an upset when he went away like that, but we can be grateful for what he left behind. God only knows we’ve had our troubles, and still have.’
His voice broke with emotion. ‘That little lass is like sunshine after rain. She’s the best thing that’s happened to this family in many a day.’
Aggie saw how emotional he was, and placing her hand over his, she told him softly, ‘You’re thinking of your own son, aren’t you?’
The old fella wiped away a tear. ‘Aye, lass. More to my shame. After what Michael did, I should wipe him outta my mind for ever.’
‘He’ll be back,’ she promised. ‘He’ll be back, and we’ll all be glad to see him.’
‘Not me! You’ll never see the day when I forgive him for what he did. He left you when you had nobody else to carry the burden. He’s a coward through and through, and I want no truck with him. Not ever!’
The sound of Cathleen’s laughter caused them to turn and look. ‘She’s happy enough,’ he said. ‘None of the troubles have touched her, thank God.’
‘No, and if I have my way they never will.’
‘Then you must pray that Emily puts aside her fondness for John, and takes Danny as a husband. That way they’ll both be safer.’
Some small distance away, Clem and his woman were also alerted by Cathleen’s laughter. In the middle of an argument about the money, he paused to look across to where Cathleen was sending herself higher and higher on the new swing. ‘She’s a pretty little thing, don’t yer think?’ he said proudly.
Lately he had enjoyed taking more notice of his bastard child. He took notice of her now; of the way her baby legs were now longer and finer, and how her skirt rose provocatively above her knees every time she swung downwards. He saw the sweet, laughing face and the long hair, and was moved to say out loud, ‘She’s a damned good-looking kid.’
The woman thought the same, and said so. ‘One of these days there’ll be men crawling all over this place, wanting to be with her, and showering her with presents.’
Watching Cathleen now, he was riddled with jealousy. ‘Over my dead body!’
‘It’s not up to you,’ she jibed. ‘It’s up to her father.’
‘Shut your mouth, bitch.’ He raised his fist. ‘Or d’yer want me to shut it for yer?’
Curious at his reaction, and realising she had touched a nerve, she laughed. ‘Got you on the raw, have I?’ she taunted. ‘Sorry you never had a child yourself, is that it?’
Enraged, he took her by the shoulders, his eyes boring into hers. ‘If you know what’s good for you, you’ll get on your way right now – afore I help you along with the toe of me boot.’
‘I’ll gladly be on my way!’ She held out her hand. ‘Just give me my money.’
Throwing her aside, he paused, his eyes drawn to the necklace round her throat. ‘Looks to me like you don’t need any money.’
‘What do you mean?’ His mood unnerved her. ‘I’ve earned every penny of what you owe me, and I want it.
Now,
if you please!’
‘If you’re so desperate for money, why don’t you sell that!’ His wicked gaze focused on the necklace; a sparkling thing with a single hanging jewel. ‘Looks to me like it’s worth a bob or two.’
Beginning to think he was entirely mad, she put her hand over her necklace. ‘It was a gift. I’m not selling it. I want the money you owe me. Just hand it over and let me go.’
Eager to be gone, she was half-tempted to leave without her money, but her pride kept her there a moment too long, because suddenly he snatched at the necklace and ripped it from her neck.
‘If you value this trinket so much, you’ll have to go fishing for it.’ And to her horror, he threw it as far into the field as he could, laughing when it landed face-up in a boggy dip. ‘You’ll need to get your feet wet, though.’
‘You bastard!’ Pummelling him with her fists she was taken by surprise when he merely smiled and walked off.
For a moment she stood there, her attention divided between him and the necklace. ‘GET IT BACK, YOU BASTARD!’ When he took no notice but kept right on walking, she made to go through the gate, but finding it locked had to scramble over, unaware that he had stopped only a few feet away, hidden behind the trees, out of sight yet able to see everything.
The bulls were lazing not too far away. Now, sensing that their territory was being invaded, the larger of the two rolled over and up, to emerge agitated, from the thicket. The other looked on, but made no immediate move.
The woman was only a short distance from the gate when she saw the beast regarding her with its bright, angry eyes. ‘Oh, dear God!’ The bull held her gaze for that split second before she turned to run, and then it was after her, its long strides covering the ground with amazing speed.
She had managed to make it to the gate when its thick short horns jabbed at her body, mangling her dress and slicing her leg from knee to ankle. Terrified and bleeding badly, she forced herself upwards, loudly yelling for help, and fearing for her life as the bull prepared to come at her again.
As she clung on, her senses beginning to slip away, she saw Clem looking across. ‘Help me!’ Sobbing, more afraid than she had ever been in her life, she implored him: ‘Please help me!’
With a hostile stare, he coldly abandoned her.
Only feet away now, the maddened creature pawed at the ground for a second or two before charging towards her, intent on finishing her off. Weakening by the minute, she summoned every ounce of strength, trying to pull herself over the top of the gate. It was too late. She felt the butt of the bull’s head against her leg, the sharp sear of pain, and a feeling that it was all over for her.
‘
Hang on to me!
’
Hearing her cries, Danny reached down and snatched her away. ‘It’s all right,’ he told her. ‘You’re safe now, miss.’
In the farmhouse, Aggie set Cathleen a task in the bedroom. ‘You fold the towels and put them in a neat pile,’ she instructed, ‘while I find the lady a suitable dress to wear. It won’t be as fine as her own, but it’ll get her home with dignity.’
‘What’s dignity?’
Aggie thought on that for a moment. ‘It’s when you feel right, and you know others feel the same about you.’ That was as far as she could explain it.
‘Who hurt the lady?’ All Cathleen knew was that when they heard the cries, Danny had run to help. ‘Was it the bull? Did she go in the field?’
‘Yes, she did!’ Aggie wagged a finger. ‘It was a foolish thing to do, and now you know why I’m allus telling you never to go anywhere near that place.’
‘I don’t, Grandma.’ The child’s eyes grew big with fright. ‘I don’t want the bulls to get me.’
‘That’s right, lass. So you think on. Stay well away from there.’
Downstairs, Emily washed and cleaned the wound. ‘It could have been worse,’ she observed. ‘If you hadn’t been so near to the gate, that bull would likely have finished you off in minutes.’ Going carefully, she dabbed at the wound and staunched the bleeding. ‘Whatever possessed you to go into that field?’
‘It was
him
.’ Grateful for all they had done for her, the woman, whose name was Ruby, couldn’t help but wonder why decent folks like these allowed a man like Clem Jackson to live anywhere near. ‘He deliberately threw my necklace into the field, then watched while I tried to get it back.’ It was hard to believe, even of him, but, ‘He hid behind the trees and watched while that beast tried to kill me.’ She started to cry.
Emily and Danny exchanged glances. It was a hard way for this woman to find out what Clem was really like, Emily thought. God forgive her, but she herself still harboured murder in her heart for what he had done to her.
On hearing what had happened, Danny went out looking for Clem. He searched the outhouse and the barn, and walked the whole way round the perimeter of the farmyard. But there was no sign of him.
Passing the field for the second time, he saw the necklace glittering in the mud; not too far away, the bull was keeping watch. ‘Hmh! I’m certainly not going in there to rattle him again,’ Danny said aloud. He knew if he did, he would be taking his life in his hands.
He thought it out, noticing two things in the meantime. Firstly there was a tree whose branches overhung a small area close to the bog. And secondly, the overhanging branches appeared stout enough to hold his weight.