Josephine Cox Sunday Times Bestsellers Collection. Josephine Cox

he slipped into a shallow, unsettled slumber, where he dreamed of ships sailing away and his family always just out of reach, and when he woke with a start, Vicky was already out of bed and dressing. ‘Wake up, Sleepyhead,’ she teased him. ‘It’s time to start the day.’

      As she went out of the room, she called over her shoulder, ‘By the time you get downstairs, I’ll have the ham and eggs on your plate ready and waiting.’

      As always, Vicky was as good as her word.

      Twenty minutes later, the whole family was tucking into one of Vicky’s renowned and substantial cooked breakfasts.

      Thankfully, the endless chatter pushed Barney’s worries to the back of his mind; while enjoying a generous helping of Vicky’s speciality, he took a discreet look around the table. There were Ronnie and Thomas, arguing as usual, this time about which one of them might beat the other in a horse-race. ‘You’re even frightened to jump the brook at the narrow end,’ Ronnie tormented his brother, ‘but not me! I’m not afraid to jump my horse over anything.’

      ‘That’s only because you’ve got the best horse,’ his brother replied. ‘You ride the mare, and she has the heart of a lion. You know how scared of water the stallion is.’

      Ronnie sniggered. ‘It’s not the stallion that’s scared, it’s you!’

      Thomas put down his knife and fork. ‘Right, little brother! What about a race – across the wide end of the brook and up to the far end of Down Field?’

      ‘What? Not likely! You’ve got to be out of your mind. Down Field is full of potholes.’

      Whereupon Vicky cautioned them, and the subject was dropped.

      Barney loved family mealtimes, when everyone sat down together and talked, when laughter and noise and arguments happened, and you felt as though you belonged to something very special.

      He watched Vicky forking the two extra ham slices onto Ronnie’s plate and smiled to himself. She was the bedrock of this family. She was his first reason for living.

      His gaze wandered to Susie, and his smile became a burst of laughter. ‘What in God’s name is that on your head?’

      ‘She thinks it’s about to rain,’ Ronnie teased.

      ‘No!’ Thomas had another idea. ‘She’s worried the ceiling might fall in, that’s what it is.’

      Indignant, Susie defended her new creation. ‘It’s my new design,’ she explained. ‘Miss Dandy said I should take home this material and make a hat, the like of which has never been seen before.’

      ‘Is that so?’ Trying his damnedest not to laugh, Barney looked at the hat; it was a sickly green, with a white feather sticking out of the top and a brim so wide that Susie’s little face was almost hidden. He tried to think of something constructive to say, and came out with: ‘Well, I’ve never seen anything like it before, and I don’t suppose anyone else has.’

      ‘So do you think she’ll be pleased?’

      ‘Well …’ He huffed and puffed, and didn’t know quite what to say. ‘I just think she’ll be amazed!’

      ‘Flabbergasted, more like!’ Ronnie commented.

      ‘You’ve done well.’ As always, Thomas was supportive. ‘Not everyone could make a hat like that.’

      Suddenly Vicky was rocking in her chair, helpless with laughter, tears running down her face. ‘Oh, darling girl.’ She couldn’t speak for laughing. ‘It’s the most comical hat I’ve ever seen.’

      Open-mouthed, everyone stared at her. ‘MUM!’ Thomas was shocked. Barney could hardly believe his eyes and Susie was close to tears. Ronnie, however, like his mammy could see the humour in what was the worst example of hat-making there could ever be. His face began to crumple and then he hooted and now he was laughing so hard he was bent double over the table.

      ‘You’re horrible!’ Hurt, Susie stared from one to the other. ‘It took me half the night to make this!’ But in that moment when she got up to storm off, the hat fell over her eyes and she couldn’t see where she was going.

      In a moment the place was in uproar, with everyone shrieking with laughter; and now even Susie saw the funny side. ‘I bet you lot couldn’t make a hat like this!’ she spluttered, and they all agreed wholeheartedly.

      The meal ended as always, with good humour, and a short discussion as to what part each man would play in the day’s labours. ‘Right! I’ll leave you to it then,’ Barney said. As he went out, Lucy came in. ‘Morning, lass.’ Like the rest of the Davidson clan, he had a real soft spot for her.

      ‘Morning, Barney!’ Before Lucy had even got her coat off, Vicky had poured her a cup of tea and was already taking Jamie’s coat and leggings off.

      Barney gave Lucy a cheery parting wink and went merrily on his way, while behind him, Susie lost no time in telling Lucy how cruel they had all been about her beloved hat.

      Taking the horse and cart, Barney went to Casey’s Farm by way of the back lanes. He had arranged to meet Adam there, to help him repair the tractor. A small, nondescript place, the farm was situated some three miles away.

      As they ambled along, Barney talked to the old shire-horse as usual. ‘Don’t you go taking off at a gallop!’ he warned him, even though at thirty years old, the elderly horse did not have a gallop left in him. Content to be with his master, he pricked up his ears and listened to what Barney had to say, and understood not a single word.

      On approaching the track that led to Casey’s Farm, Barney spied his friend about to slide under the tractor. ‘Adam, hang on a minute!’ he bawled. When the little man appeared not to have heard him, he shouted again, this time louder. ‘ADAM! WAIT A MINUTE!’

      This time, Adam heard. Scrambling to his feet, he waited for Barney to bring the horse and cart to a halt. ‘You’re late,’ he grumbled. ‘I expected you half an hour since.’

      Barney jumped down from the cart. ‘What the devil d’you think you’re doing! You know how dangerous it is to be getting underneath a tractor without anyone else about.’

      ‘Old Casey needs this oil leak plugged before he can use the tractor,’ Adam explained. ‘And being as he’s got mountains o’ stuff to shift before the weather turns, he needs it right now.’

      ‘In that case, first we’ll get it jacked up proper, afore somebody gets hurt. If we get a move on, it shouldn’t take above an hour. Besides, I’ve an appointment this morning and I don’t want to be late.’

      They completed the task within the hour and now, all that was left was for Adam to tidy away the tools and such. ‘Leave it to me now, Barney. I’ll finish up later, after you’ve gone off to your appointment,’ Adam told him. ‘The old fella’s left the kitchen open for us to get a drink and a wash, so we’ll away in, eh?’ He led the way. ‘I appreciate you helping me out on this one,’ he said as they went along. ‘I’d never have done it on my own.’

      ‘It’s no trouble.’ These two were always there for each other, and it had been that way for many years. ‘That’s what friends are for.’

      Washed and thirsty, Barney sat himself at the table while Adam mashed the tea.

      ‘You look tired, matey.’ Adam put the teapot on the table, together with a plate of sandwiches. ‘Mrs Casey made these afore she went to the shops,’ he explained. ‘The Caseys are not a bad old couple, but if you ask me, it’s time he called it a day. He doesn’t walk so good these days, and his sight isn’t what it was, but he still refuses to retire gracefully.’ Seating himself in the chair, he passed the bowl of sugar to Barney. ‘He’s much like you – work is his life. I dare say he’ll not stop till he drops!’

      When Barney seemed to be deep in thought, his friend delivered a torrent of questions. ‘What’s wrong? Didn’t you sleep well? Are you worrying