Pips’s fears for the future only grew as 1937 progressed. Young men from all over the world, who saw themselves as some sort of crusaders, had joined the Spanish Civil War, some to fight on the side of the International Brigade against the rise of Fascism, whilst others fought for General Franco’s Nationalists in order to halt the spread of Communism.
‘Did you see that our government has warned that anyone enlisting in the Spanish war will face two years’ imprisonment? Has George said anything?’ Robert asked Pips when she visited at Easter.
Pips shook her head. ‘You know he doesn’t tell me much, but he’s spending longer and longer hours at work. Sometimes, he doesn’t get home until after midnight.’
‘I’m not surprised. It’s getting serious. Did you hear about the Mediterranean being mined?’
‘Yes, one of our liners was damaged in February off the coast of Spain, wasn’t it?’
Robert nodded solemnly. ‘Luckily, it managed to get to the nearest harbour, but just think what that could mean to shipping in general.’
‘At least we’re building up our navy now. Do you think this civil war is going to escalate and involve other countries?’
Robert shrugged, but could not answer her.
Pips forced a smile. ‘Let’s change the subject. Have you done today’s crossword in the Telegraph?’
‘Yes. In twenty minutes. You?’
‘All but one. I just can’t get it.’
‘Which one?’
‘Ten down. Five letters and the clue is “exasperated”.’
Robert chuckled. He loved to get ‘one up’ on his clever sister. ‘I thought that clue was one of the easiest.’
‘Oh phooey to you,’ Pips laughed. ‘Go on, tell me the answer.’
‘Heggs.’
‘What? How do you get that?’
‘Eggs – aspirated.’
There was a moment’s silence as Pips digested the answer. ‘Oh yes, dead easy,’ she said sarcastically. ‘Now, tell me about Daisy. I tried to ask her about college this morning but she was in such a hurry to go out riding. How’s she getting on?’
Robert chuckled. ‘Extremely well, as you might expect. Top of the class as usual. We’ve got her friend Gill coming to stay with us next week and then they’ll go back to college together. We can’t wait to meet her.’
‘What about Johnny? Does he still visit?’
Robert laughed. ‘Oh yes. You should see him and Luke together. They’re like a couple of fighting cocks skirting round each other.’
‘Oh dear. They don’t actually fight, do they?’
‘No, but I sometimes think they’d like to. The daft thing is that Daisy doesn’t seem particularly interested in either of them in a romantic way. She’s just concentrating on getting her degree.’
‘She must notice it, though.’
‘I’m sure she does. Perhaps she’s rather enjoying the attention.’
Pips laughed. ‘There is that.’
When the time came for Gill’s visit, Jake drove Daisy to the station to meet her.
‘Sorry about all the luggage,’ Gill laughed as she helped Jake heft her suitcases and boxes into the back of the car. ‘But we’re going straight back to Studley from here, aren’t we, so I’ve had to bring everything.’
‘That’s all right,’ Daisy said, hugging her. ‘Come on. I can’t wait for you to meet everyone. Aunty Pips is still here, though Uncle George has had to go back to London.’
The Maitland family couldn’t help but like Daisy’s friend. She was wide-eyed with wonder at the hall and its lands. ‘And you’re going to inherit all this one day, Daisy? Oh my, I didn’t realize I’d got such a grand friend.’
‘I do hope that’s not how we come across, Gill,’ Henrietta chuckled.
Gill was thoughtful for a moment before saying candidly, ‘Actually, no, you don’t, although I expect the villagers treat you with the deference you deserve.’
Henrietta wrinkled her forehead thoughtfully, trying to see her family through the eyes of a stranger. ‘My family have always been at the heart of the village and all our employees are local. I’m pleased to say they feel able to come to us in times of trouble and we do our best to help.’
‘We’ve got a sort of lord of the manor where we live – Mr Jeremy Hainsworth. We call him “Lord Bunny” because he’s always out shooting rabbits on his land. I’m sorry to say, though, he’s a bit aloof.’ She grinned at Henrietta. ‘I bet you’re not.’
‘Heavens, no!’
‘There’s one thing I’m working on, though. He owns an aeroplane and I’ve been pestering him to take me up in it.’
‘You’ll have to come and stay with us in London and we’ll take you to Brooklands,’ Pips said. She had stayed on especially to meet Daisy’s friend.
‘Oh, I’d love that. I know Daisy’s having lessons.’
Henrietta’s head shot up. ‘Is she now? I didn’t know that.’
‘Oops. Sorry, Daisy, have I put my size six wellies right in it?’
But Daisy only laughed and shrugged. ‘Granny knows I go flying when I’m with Aunty Pips. It’s only a natural progression that I should want to learn to fly too.’
Henrietta gave an exaggerated sigh. ‘Do you have to do everything your aunt does, Daisy?’
‘Pretty much, Granny, yes.’
‘Well, I’m glad you don’t go car racing. That would worry me, though I don’t suppose flying is much safer.’
Daisy wrinkled her forehead. ‘Strangely, I’ve never taken to the racing. But flying – oh Granny – up there amongst the clouds, it’s absolute heaven. You feel so free. Uncle Mitch says there’s nothing like it.’
‘I’ve no intention of finding out for myself, not at my advanced age, but I think I can understand what you’re saying.’ Henrietta rose from the dinner table. ‘And now we’ll retire to the parlour and you can tell me more about your father’s farm, Gill. I’m really interested, and tomorrow Daisy can show you around our estate.’
As they left the Great Hall and moved to the parlour, Gill squeezed Daisy’s arm and whispered. ‘And the village too. I want to see Luke. And I absolutely must meet the one you call “the pain”.’
‘So, this is all going to be yours one day?’ It was not Daisy to whom Gill was speaking, but Luke, as she stood in front of the workshops belonging to Len Dawson.
He grinned as he came to stand beside her, looking at his inheritance through her eyes. ‘That’s what me granddad says.’
Gill was quite serious as she said, ‘I wish we had someone like you at home. We have to travel miles to a wheelwright and then to the blacksmith in the opposite direction. It’s a real pain.’ She smiled and turned towards him. ‘And talking of “pains”, where is he, then?’
Luke nodded to where sounds of hammering against an anvil came from the next-door workshop. ‘Working with me stepdad, Sam. I’ll get him.’
Moments later, a young man with curly fair hair and blue eyes, and the cheekiest grin Gill had ever seen, sauntered towards them. He was nothing like Luke, but then, Gill remembered, they were half-brothers, sharing a mother, but not a father.
‘Hello, Dais, and you must be Gill,’ he said, his eyes twinkling mischievously. ‘We’ve been hearing a lot about you from Luke. I reckon you’re getting your nose pushed out of joint with our Luke, Dais, but then, it’s me you’re goin’ to marry, in’t it?’ He held out a grimy hand towards the newcomer.
Luke looked acutely embarrassed, but Gill only threw back her head and laughed as she took Harry’s hand without a moment’s hesitation whilst Daisy smiled and said, ‘Not until the sun shines both sides of the hedge at once, Harry Nuttall.’
It was a Lincolnshire saying that meant ‘never’, but Harry didn’t take her reply seriously. In fact, it seemed he never took anything very seriously.
As they walked home together, they met Kitty Page walking home after her day’s work at the hall. Though some of the other staff lived in at the hall, Kitty still lived at home with her parents.
‘Hello, Kitty.’ Daisy smiled. ‘How are you?’
‘Very well, Miss Daisy, thank you.’ The girl nodded a greeting to Gill.
‘Are you enjoying working at the hall?’
‘Oh yes, miss. Everyone’s so kind.’ She glanced further down the lane. ‘Have you seen Harry?’
‘Yes, he’s still at work.’
‘Oh good. I didn’t want to miss him. Mrs Bentley’s teaching me to cook when she’s time and I’ve made Harry a cake. Your granny knows about it, miss,’ she added hurriedly.
‘May we see?’
Kitty lifted the tea towel that covered the chocolate cake nestling in the bottom of her basket.
‘That looks delicious. Lucky Harry.’
‘Mrs Bentley made one for your afternoon tea, miss.’
‘Then we’d better get home before we miss it. ’Bye for now, Kitty.’
As they walked on, Gill said, ‘Are you going to marry one of them, Daisy? Because I think you’ve got a rival for Harry’s affections there.’ Gill glanced back over her shoulder to see Kitty heading towards the blacksmith’s workshop.
‘Heavens, no, but it’s been a long-standing joke between us. We’re the very best of friends, of course. Always have been since we were kids, but Luke is my cousin. If anything, I look upon them both as my brothers.’
‘They don’t look very alike, do they?’
‘Luke is like the Dawson family, but Harry has got the same curly fair hair as his mother, Peggy.’
‘I think you’ll find that beneath all that larking about, Harry is very serious.’
‘Oh heck! I hope not. I wouldn’t want him to break poor Kitty’s heart. She’s been following him around ever since she was a little kid. D’you really think he’s serious about me?’
‘I do, but what I don’t know at this precise moment is just how serious Luke is about you.’
‘Oh Lor’. I think the sooner we get back to college the better.’
Gill chuckled. ‘But before you know it, you’ll be back here permanently. Don’t forget that and then there might be fireworks.’
Soon after the two girls returned to Studley for the summer term, Jake took Henrietta and Edwin to see them. The Maitland family had taken to Gill and Henrietta invited her to join them for ‘luncheon’, as she called it. Jake was a little overwhelmed eating in a restaurant, but Henrietta would not hear of him not joining them. ‘You’re part of our family, Jake.’ Then she turned to Daisy. ‘I’m very impressed with Studley. You made a wise choice, Daisy. Now what are we all going to eat . . .?’
Both girls worked hard and came out with the highest marks in their group at the end of their first year at the college. During the summer holidays of 1937, the two girls spent a lot of time together, first at Gill’s home, where Daisy met her parents. Bill Portus was a huge man, jovial and welcoming, with a round, florid face. His wife Mabel was small and thin, but Daisy couldn’t remember ever having met anyone with quite so much energy. She was never still and hardly ever sat down to relax, yet she never seemed to get tired.
Every day, Gill and Daisy helped on the farm and in the evening sat talking to Gill’s father about farming and their own hopes for the future. And then it was time to head to Lincolnshire and do much the same there. They ended their long holiday with a trip to London, where Pips took them both to Brooklands and Gill flew for the first time.
‘There’s no race meeting,’ Pips told them as they took the train to Weybridge. ‘But Mitch has arranged for you both to have flights with Jeff.’
He was waiting for them when they arrived and he took Daisy up first to give her an impromptu flying lesson. And then it was Gill’s turn.
Daisy and Pips stood side by side as the aircraft took off and climbed higher and higher.
‘She didn’t seem nervous, did she?’
Daisy shook her head. ‘Not much fazes Gill, Aunty Pips. Oh my!’ Daisy giggled. ‘He’s looping the loop with her.’
‘Oh dear. I do hope she’ll be all right.’
‘She’ll love it. I promise you.’
And she did. When the aeroplane landed, Gill climbed out and came running towards them. ‘Now I know why you are always going on about it, Daisy. It’s fantastic. Oh, I do wish Lord Bunny back home would let me fly his plane.’
‘Maybe he will one day.’
Gill snorted. ‘Highly unlikely. I’ve been asking him to take me up since I was about twelve.’
Pips, walking between them, linked arms with them and said, ‘You can come down here whenever you can, Gill. Mitch will always arrange a flight for you.’
Gill nodded. She didn’t like to say that she couldn’t afford frequent trips and she was too proud to accept their charity. This one had been Pips’s treat.
‘Now, let’s go and find Mitch in the clubhouse,’ Pips said. ‘I think Milly’s here today somewhere.’
‘Oh good. You’ll like Aunty Milly, Gill,’ Daisy said. ‘She’s a scream.’