Blood Brothers Read online

  ‘So, you really think she’s the right one for our son?’

  Remembering what he had witnessed that night a year ago, Tom chose his words carefully. ‘Well now, I don’t have a crystal ball, but I would say Alice has the true makings of a farmer’s wife.’

  He paused, remembering how calm and helpful Alice had been when they had had a bad incident with a month-old foal. ‘D’you recall how that young postman ran to tell us how Alice was in trouble and needed help? Youngsters from the town had smashed part of the fence down at the far field, and one of the foals had got caught up in it?’

  Nancy recalled it vividly. ‘Its mother was running crazy, and wouldn’t let anyone near.’

  He reminded her, ‘I reckon that mad mare would have killed anyone who went near her young ‘un. The vet couldn’t get anywhere near until Alice calmed the mare long enough for him to tend the foal.’

  Nancy remembered it well. ‘She’s certainly got a way with animals. She’s not afraid of hard work neither. All in all, I think you’re right. Young Alice will fit in with the family very nicely.’

  She added reluctantly, ‘I’m not sure Joe approves of her though.’

  Tom was surprised. ‘What put that idea into yer head?’

  ‘I might be wrong,’ she replied thoughtfully, ‘only I got the feeling that he would rather she wasn’t here, that’s all.’

  Tom was quick to dispel her fears. ‘Honestly, Nancy. Fancy thinking our Joe would take a dislike to a girl who wouldn’t harm a fly! I expect he had his head so full of adventure, he didn’t even notice her!’

  Nancy seemed relieved. ‘Yes, that must have been it. Forget what I said.’

  Tom watched her as she ambled across the room. Leaning her elbows on the window sill, she gave a soft laugh. ‘Hey! Wouldn’t it be something if he turned up with a girl on his arm?’

  ‘I shouldn’t think our Joe will bring a woman home just yet,’ he told Nancy now. He then muttered under his breath, ‘Why would he do that, when the girl he fancies is right here?’

  Tom had long suspected that was why Joe had gone away: because he had fallen for his brother’s woman, and he couldn’t deal with it. Neither could Tom, for it was a terrible, shameful thing.

  All the same, Tom understood how sometimes love grabs you when you least expect it, and no one could control who they fall in love with.

  He didn’t blame Joe. He didn’t blame anyone; though he had secretly admired his son for doing the right thing in putting a distance between himself and Alice.

  He felt a sense of unease. ‘I hope to God our Joe’s over her. If not, it could really put the cat among the pigeons!’ he whispered to himself.

  ‘What was that you said?’ Nancy swung round.

  ‘What?’ Pretending he was deep in his newspaper, Tom looked up, ‘I didn’t say anything!’

  ‘I thought you said something about a cat among the pigeons?’

  ‘Naw. Yer must be getting old. Hearing voices in yer head now is it?’

  Sighing, Nancy ambled back to her chair. ‘I’m all wound up,’ she said, ‘I’ll be all right when Joe gets here.’

  As Nancy sipped her tea, Tom took a moment to look at her. As a girl she was much like Alice: the same long brown hair and inquisitive mind. She hadn’t changed that much, he thought. Yes, she was plumper, and the dark hair was sprinkled with grey, but when she smiled, the years flew away, and it was the girl he saw.

  Laying his hand on hers, he kissed her tenderly on the cheek, and never said a word. He didn’t have to, because she knew already.

  ‘You’re an old softie, that’s what you are.’ She smiled up at him, ‘And you’re right about our sons. They are different; I’ve always thought Joe took after you, and Frank is more in the nature of your father. He’ll see a lamb all caught up and rescue it, but it’s not the lamb he’s rescuing, it’s the money it’ll fetch at market.’

  ‘Well o’course! He’s a farmer, and that’s how any farmer would think, even though he’s not altogether conscious of it.’

  ‘I know that, but what I’m saying is, Joe would rescue the same lamb yes, but only because it pains him to see it caught up. The money it might bring at market wouldn’t even enter his head.’

  Tom nodded. ‘Aye well, there yer have it. You see, our Frank has the same attitude as my own father, and there is nothing wrong with that! It shows he’s a hard-headed businessman. He sees everything in black and white, while Joe takes time to see the shades and the colours.’

  ‘Oh, and you don’t?’ She smiled knowingly.

  ‘Give over, woman. I’ve no time for all that!’

  Embarrassed, he grabbed his newspaper and hid behind it. ‘I need some new specs,’ he grumbled. ‘The print on the pages gets smaller by the minute!’

  Gently, Nancy drew the newspaper away. ‘You don’t fool me, Tom Arnold.’ She knew him like she knew herself.

  Feigning anger, he wagged a finger. ‘Look! It’s hard enough to keep a family going if the crops are ruined or you lose an animal. Survival! That’s the thing, and don’t you be mekking any more of it!’

  Snatching his newspaper he again buried his head in it. ‘Go on! Away to the window and watch for Joe!’

  As she prepared to move away, he caught her by the arm. ‘I hope you know how much I love you, and how lucky I am to have yer,’ he declared stoutly.

  ‘Right, well just you remember that when you’re yelling at me.’

  Her comment made him smile. ‘When have I ever yelled at you?’

  ‘Hmm. Have you got all day?’

  Chuckling, he folded the newspaper and laid it on the arm of the chair,

  A few minutes later, after returning from her disappointing vigil at the window, she came to sit beside him. ‘It’ll be so good to have our Joe home.’

  Having settled herself into the chair, she sipped her lukewarm tea, while at the same time observing the state of the painted walls. ‘How long is it since these walls were painted?’ she asked.

  ‘Long time.’ Tom peeked over his newspaper. ‘Six or seven years…maybe more.’

  Tom had to agree the place was looking the worse for wear, but he would never admit it.

  ‘Folks might think it all a bit jaded, that’s all I’m saying,’ Nancy pointed out.

  ‘What folks think is no concern of ours.’ Tom declared. ‘You need to remember, this place doesn’t belong to us. I’m sure that tight-fisted landlord won’t be shelling out money if he can help it, and we certainly can’t afford to redecorate. Not with the wedding coming up an’ all.’

  ‘Ah, well, not to worry, eh?’ Nancy was a sensible woman, and right now she had more important things on her mind. ‘Let’s just hope nobody comes back here after the celebration.’ She gave him a cheeky wink. ‘If they do, they’ll have to accept us as we are. As long as the wedding goes without a hitch, it doesn’t really matter.’

  ‘There won’t be any hitches,’ he promised cheerfully. ‘Not with you in charge, and half the village wanting to help.’

  Nancy gave no reply to that, although she knew from experience that things could go so easily wrong. In her usual forthright manner, she had learned to take nothing for granted.

  She proudly informed him, ‘Everything has been well organised. Flowers are arranged and paid for. The band is booked, and the suits for you and the boys are hanging in the closet; though Joe’s might need a tweak here and there, depending on whether he’s changed his shape since we last saw him.’

  Tom was duly impressed. ‘Sounds to me like you’ve thought of everything.’

  ‘I hope so. I’ve gone over the menu for the meal, and now there’s just the wedding-cake. Seeing as I’m baking it, the cost is half what it would have been if I’d ordered one.’

  She gave a little scowl. ‘It’s as well I’m doing the cake, because even Alice had to admit that her mother is a terrible cook. Apparently, she can’t even produce a proper Yorkshire pud!’

  Tom chuckled. ‘There y’are y’see. It’s just as
well you’re available then, isn’t it?’

  In fact, Nancy felt well pleased with herself. ‘Mind you, Alice’s mother played her part in helping Alice choose the flowers. Though she wasn’t able to make Alice change her mind about having wild flowers in amongst the tulips and such. To be honest I reckon a mixture of colourful wild flowers will look absolutely gorgeous!’

  There was one other thing. ‘In the end though Alice didn’t get much of a say in the wedding dress, she did manage to lose the idea of frills and bows like her mother wanted. Instead the dress will be sewn with daisies and forget-me-nots…all made out of silk and satin.’

  Tom smiled in agreement. ‘Alice is a simple country girl at heart,’ he said softly. ‘She won’t have her head turned by expense and fancy, and I’m proud of that! If you ask me, she’ll walk down the aisle looking like a million dollars!’

  Nancy’s thoughts had already turned again to her youngest son. ‘Everything is ready now.’ She glanced anxiously towards the window. ‘All we need is for Joe to show his face.’

  Having had enough of the cold tea, she was quickly away, watching at the window again. ‘He’ll not show while you’re watching,’ Tom groaned. ‘Anyway, I thought you had umpteen jobs to get done?’

  ‘They can wait.’ She ran her finger over the smeared window. ‘Tom Arnold!’ Swinging round she confronted him. ‘You promised faithfully you would clean the windows, and they’ve not even been touched!’

  ‘Sorry, love. I’ll do it later.’ Shame-faced, he buried his head in his newspaper. ‘Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll get on with it…soon as I’ve chosen the winning horses.’

  Minutes passed, and still there was no sign of Joe. ‘You’re right again,’ she muttered. ‘A watched kettle never boils.’

  Just then she caught sight of Alice. ‘Oh, look!’ Pointing as though Tom could see from across the room, she told him, ‘There’s Alice. For a minute I thought it might be our Joe coming out of the barn.’

  ‘Give over, woman! If he is on his way back, he’d hardly make the barn his first stop, now would he?’

  Returning to his newspaper, he blocked his ears to Nancy’s running commentary. ‘No doubt she’s off to collect the early apples. They’re keepers d’you see? If you leave them too late the insects burrow in, and they’re not worth tuppence. But pick them before they ripen and they’ll come up a treat after a few weeks in the barn.’

  ‘Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs.’ Tom had to put her right. ‘I were collecting keeper-apples when you were still in nappies.’

  ‘Oh, dear me I forgot!’ She gave him a derisory glance. ‘There’s nothing you can teach me about farming is there, eh?’

  ‘Nope.’

  ‘So, what about the potatoes last season? I suggested we get the potato crop in before the rains came, and you argued that the weather would be absolutely fine for at least another week. Two days later the skies burst open and it poured for days. So thanks to you we lost half the crop.’

  He suffered her teasing for the next few minutes, while intermittently nodding and grunting, as though he was paying attention. If she paused he’d look up and say, ‘Really…well fancy that!’

  ‘I feel awful now.’ Nancy returned to the wedding. ‘I promised Alice I’d give her a hand with bringing the apples in, but there’s been so much on my mind I completely forgot.’

  ‘She won’t mind.’

  In spite of his concerns with regard to Joe, he truly believed that in Alice, Frank had found himself the makings of a fine wife.

  Alice had just placed the last of the keepers into the basket when she saw Joe going into the barn. She called out after him. Collecting the basket, she ran out of the orchard and along the shingle path to the big barn.

  At the doorway she peered inside, and there was Joe, tenderly stroking the injured bird. ‘We’ll get you right,’ he told it softly. ‘You’ll soon be able to spread your wings and soar through the skies where you belong.’

  Suddenly aware of someone watching him, he turned quickly. ‘Hello, Joe,’ she said softly. Putting the basket to the ground, Alice came forward, her face bright with a smile. ‘I wasn’t sure it was you at first. I only ever saw you the once, and then you were gone. That was a year ago now, wasn’t it?’ She remembered their first meeting, how quiet and shy he seemed, and how each time she glanced up, he was looking at her. There was something about Frank’s younger brother that made her nervous. For a long time after he left, she found herself missing him.

  For a moment, Joe didn’t say anything. Instead he thought of that fateful day when Frank brought her home, and how he couldn’t take his eyes off her. And yes, it may have been a year ago, but to him it was like only yesterday.

  So many times of late he had hoped that when he saw her again things might be different, but they weren’t. The feelings he had then were still there, haunting him. The very sight of her made his heart beat faster, and his throat was so dry he could hardly breathe.

  ‘Alice!’ He felt foolish, not really knowing what to say. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.’

  Closing the distance between them, she smiled up at him. ‘That’s because you were so intent on comforting the bird.’

  Reaching out, she stroked the bird along its velvet, feathery neck. ‘He’s a falcon, isn’t he?’

  ‘That’s right,’ Joe confirmed. ‘I don’t think he’s long out of the nest. Maybe he hasn’t yet learned the art of diving for his prey.’

  ‘What’s wrong with him?’ Whenever a creature was hurt, Alice felt it deeply. Sometimes, when she was worried or feeling lonely, the creatures gave her a great sense of peace and time-lessness.

  Even as a child, she had always felt far safer with animals than with any human – including her parents.

  She thought of her mother, always arguing and fighting, thinking only of herself. She was a cold person, cold and selfish. Yet she could not hate her, nor could she love her. That was her deepest regret.

  ‘Is he badly hurt?’ She turned her attention to the falcon.

  ‘His wing is damaged, but I think he’ll be okay,’ Joe assured her.

  Alice glanced along the run of stables where the two work-horses had their heads over the doors and were looking out. ‘You could put him in the empty stable.’

  Joe had already seen that possibility. ‘I’ll need to protect him from the cats and foxes.’ He looked about him. ‘There should be an old cage in here. It used to belong to my pet rabbit when I was a boy.’

  ‘I know it!’ Excited, she ran the full length of the barn and there, behind some old corn barrels, she located it: a small, wooden box with a door at the side. ‘Here it is!’ Pulling it out, she stood it on the barrel. ‘It doesn’t look broken or anything.’ She continued to examine it as Joe made his way down.

  ‘It’s perfect!’ Placing the fluttering bird in Alice’s safe hands, Joe quickly filled the cage with a bed of hay, then he rummaged about until he found a suitable piece of cane, which he used for a splint. Skilfully shaving off the sharp edges, he then snapped off a length of bale twine and while Alice held the bird close, he secured the splint along the falcon’s damaged wing. ‘That should hold.’

  Collecting the bird from Alice, he placed it in the cage and secured the door. He then searched for something to fill with water. ‘This’ll do!’ After unscrewing the deep lid from the top of an old storage jar, he went to the side of the barn where he washed it out under the tap, then he filled the container with water and placed it inside the cage near to the falcon.

  ‘Oh look!’ Alice was thrilled when the injured bird shuffled slowly along and, stretching out to reach the water, took a drink.

  ‘That’s good!’ Joe was relieved. ‘He’ll be fine now. I’m just wondering…maybe he’d be safer inside the house until his wing is mended?’

  ‘No!’ Alice rejected the idea. ‘I know he might be safer,’ she agreed, ‘but he would be so unhappy. He should never be put inside. Make him safe out here, where h
e won’t be too afraid. Please, Joe?’

  When Joe looked down into those strong, blue eyes, he was deeply moved. ‘You’re absolutely right,’ he told her. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’

  Quickly, he created a large harness out of a length of steel strapping. That done, he then secured it round the cage, and strung the cage from the rafters. ‘That way, it’ll be even more difficult for the foxes and cats to get at him.’

  Together they went out of the barn and into the bright sunlight. There was something unique between them: a friendship born from shared experience.

  Or something else, which was destined to have far-reaching and tragic consequences.

  Inside the farmhouse, Tom was at the end of his tether. ‘Will you come away from that damned window. You’re making me nervous, to-ing and fro-ing, grumbling and muttering!’

  He gave her an ultimatum. ‘Either you find something else to do, other than stand at the window fretting, or I’m off out down the pub to find a bit o’ peace…’

  Nancy was past listening, because now she was hopping up and down on the spot, shouting at the top of her voice. ‘He’s here!’ With a screech of delight, she was out the door, leaving Tom with a parting rebuke, ‘I said he’d be here and I was right!’

  Ambling to the door he watched as she ran headlong into Joe’s open arms. ‘That’s put a smile on her face.’ He observed Joe’s tall, capable figure, and that easy manner he had, and he felt proud. ‘Your mother’s missed you, son,’ he whispered. ‘We all have.’

  He remained at the door for a moment, a smile on his face as he watched Joe swing his mother round in a hug. ‘It’s damned good to see you, Joe,’ he nodded his head. ‘When all’s said and done, it’s only right that you should be here to stand beside your brother.’

  He began his way down the path, his gaze intent on Joe and Alice as they talked and laughed together.

  Seeing them so close and natural had a deep, unsettling effect on him. Instinctively, he glanced towards the fields, looking for his eldest son; relieved to see that Frank was nowhere in sight, because if he had been, he would not have failed to see the magnetism between these two.