Oblivious to the rumblings of unrest throughout the spring of 1937, Daisy continued her course at Studley. Johnny visited regularly, arriving on his motorcycle in a roar of exhaust fumes. She said nothing at home about their growing friendship, but one day towards the end of her second term, on a deceptively mild March day, Luke arrived unexpectedly on his motorcycle.
He parked his machine on the driveway next to another motorcycle and knocked on the door.
‘Granddad gave me the day off.’ He grinned at her and jerked his thumb over his shoulder. ‘Nice motorcycle parked there. Whose is it?’
Daisy sighed inwardly, but managed to keep a welcoming smile plastered on her face. ‘Come in, Luke. We’ve just had lunch, but I have to get back for a one-to-one with my tutor this afternoon.’
‘Oh, sorry. I should’ve let you know I was coming. When will you be free?’
‘About five, if you can stay that long.’
‘Of course. No good coming all this way to—’
She led the way into the room where the students were allowed to entertain their visitors. Nearby was a small kitchen where they could make tea, coffee and snacks. Luke paused in the doorway as he scanned the room and saw who was sitting at the table.
‘What’s he doing here?’ he muttered.
Daisy glanced back at him. ‘Visiting – just like you. Come in. I want you to meet my friend, Gill.’
Reluctantly, Luke went into the room and shook hands with Gill, but the two young men only nodded curtly to each other.
‘Hello, Luke,’ Gill said. ‘Pleased to meet you. Daisy’s told me all about you and your brother, Harry.’ She patted a seat at the side of her. ‘Come and sit by me and tell me how things are on the farm.’
With another swift glance at Johnny, Luke sat down, whilst Daisy murmured, ‘I’ll make us some more tea.’
‘I don’t work on the estate,’ Luke said. ‘Not exactly. My granddad runs a small business in the village. Wheelwright, blacksmith and carpentry. But a lot of our work comes from Mrs Maitland’s estate.’
Gill’s eyes widened. ‘Estate? Daisy didn’t tell me it was an estate. I thought she just lived on a farm, like I do.’
‘There is a farm, of course, but there are gardens, orchards and grounds around the hall.’
‘The hall? She lives in a hall?’
Johnny, listening to the conversation, frowned but said nothing. Obviously, Daisy hadn’t wanted her new friends to know about where she came from, but now Luke was truly letting the proverbial cat out of the bag.
Daisy came back into the room carrying a tray with four cups of freshly made tea and a plate of biscuits. Gill glanced up at her. ‘You’re a dark horse, Daisy Maitland. You didn’t tell me you lived in a big house surrounded by gardens and grounds and a farm.’ Then she grinned. ‘Why ever didn’t you say? Now I can’t wait to visit.’
Daisy set the tray down carefully on the table and met her friend’s gaze and drew in a deep breath. ‘You’re welcome any time.’
Luke looked contrite. ‘I’m sorry, Dais. I didn’t mean . . .’
Daisy merely shrugged. ‘It’s all right. We’ve already said we’ll visit each other in the summer holidays. She’d have found out then. Besides,’ now she smiled, ‘from what Gill says, her dad’s land is bigger than the area we actually farm.’
‘But we don’t live in a grand hall,’ Gill laughed. ‘Just a draughty old farmhouse that comes last on the list when it comes to spending money. But, d’you know what? I love it. Once I’ve finished this course, I’m off back home like a rat down a drainpipe and I don’t intend to leave it again. I’ll be ploughin’ and sowin’ and reapin’ and hoein’ and I’ll be as happy a pig in muck. Aye, and we’ve got some of them, an’ all.’
Johnny relaxed a little, but now he felt uncomfortable. Luke and Daisy had such a long history that he was beginning to think that perhaps there was a tacit understanding between them. He stood up. ‘I’d better be getting back, Daisy. Don’t want to be on a charge.’
‘I’ll see you out.’
‘Cheerio, Gill,’ Johnny said, giving her a little wave, but to Luke he only nodded again.
As he started his machine, Johnny smiled at Daisy, his eyes searching her face, vainly trying to find something in her eyes that would give him even a glimmer of hope. But, as always, there was her lovely smile and her eyes twinkled with her love of the life she had. Whether there could ever be a place for him in that life, he couldn’t tell.
Now, he thought, I know exactly how Uncle Mitch feels about Pips.
When Daisy returned to the others, it was to find Gill, resting her elbows on the table, her chin cupped in her hands as she gazed at Luke with a rapt expression on her face whilst Luke was telling her about working for his grandfather alongside his stepfather and his half-brother.
Daisy picked up her books from the dresser. ‘I’ll be back in just over an hour.’
Luke glanced up and nodded, whilst Gill waved her hand airily. ‘Don’t rush, Daisy. I’ll look after him. I’ll make us a snack for when you get back.’
When Daisy returned just before five, it was to find Luke and Gill still sitting at the table, talking and laughing together.
‘Oh sorry . . .’ Gill leapt up. ‘I meant to make a few sandwiches, but we got talking. I don’t know where the time’s gone. You sit down with Luke, Daisy.’
‘We’ll come into the kitchen so that you can talk to us too.’
Daisy and Luke, with a fresh pot of tea between them, sat at the small kitchen table and talked whilst Gill busied herself cutting bread, but Daisy could tell she was listening to their conversation.
‘So, how’s everyone at home?’
‘Fine.’
‘And Harry?’
‘A pain, as usual, though I have to admit, he’s shaping up at work quite nicely now he’s full time. He works mostly with Sam in the blacksmith’s at the moment, but he’s going to learn the other side of it too.’ Luke grinned. ‘He’s good at making coffins.’
Len was also the undertaker for Doddington and the nearby villages.
‘And he gets on all right with Granddad?’
Luke pulled a face. ‘Sort of. Granddad never lets him forget that he’s not family and that the business will be mine one day – never his.’
‘And what does Harry say to that?’
‘You know how cheeky he is. He just says that I would never sack my half-brother and then Granddad says, “Don’t be too sure about that,” and so it goes on. It’s a sort of banter between them, but there’s this underlying truth behind it. It’s just Granddad’s way of keeping him in line, I suppose.’ Luke sighed. ‘But I wish he wouldn’t keep reminding Harry that he’s not his family. It makes me feel very awkward at times. After all, he is my half-brother and everyone else treats us equally, they always have done, but Granddad won’t even get him a motorcycle like he got me.’ He grinned. ‘Mind you, Harry can be quite determined when he wants to be. He’s squirrelling away every spare bit of cash he earns. In two years’ time, he says, he’ll be able to come and see you on his own motorcycle.’
Daisy laughed. ‘But I’ll be home by then.’
Luke stared at her for a moment before saying slowly, ‘Of course you will. I bet he hasn’t thought of that.’
‘Then don’t spoil it for him. He idolizes you, Luke, and wants to emulate you. Let him save up and get his motorcycle.’