Josephine Cox Sunday Times Bestsellers Collection. Josephine Cox

along the way, her life had gone very wrong, and now here she was, without a husband and Jamie without a daddy, and in a couple of weeks’ time, her dear friends would sail away and she would be left here alone.

      She worried about Barney. No matter how hard he tried to reassure her that things were fine with him, Lucy could not rid herself of a niggling doubt. Was he ill? Or was it, as he said, ‘summat and nowt’?

      Too weary and weighed down with regrets to make sense of it all, she undressed and, climbing into bed, drew the child to her. It was only a matter of minutes before she, too, fell asleep.

       Chapter 16

      WHEN, AFTER A fitful few hours Lucy woke, it was to hear the stairs creak as someone crept down them. Darting to the door, she inched it open and saw Vicky on her way down to the kitchen. She turned to see Lucy and hissed, ‘Go back to bed! It’s only half past five. I’ll call you in an hour.’ With that she continued on tiptoe down the stairs.

      Lucy went into the bathroom, had a wash at the basin and quickly got herself dressed. A look to make sure that Jamie was still deep asleep, and then she was down the stairs and after Vicky.

      ‘I thought I told you to go back to bed?’ Vicky already had the mixing bowl out and the flour jar in her hand. ‘You could have had another hour’s sleep.’

      Grabbing a pinafore, Lucy wrapped it round her. ‘While you’re doing the scones, I’ll make the apple-pies,’ she said, and before Vicky could answer, she was inside the pantry, collecting together all the ingredients.

      Over an hour later the men came downstairs, followed by a very sleepy Susie; the pleasant aroma of baking filled the air and Barney commented on the array of goodies covering the dresser. ‘By! There’s a table fit for a king,’ he said, licking his lips at the pies, cakes, scones and joints of meat ready for the slicing.

      Vicky scrutinised him. ‘Are you all right, love?’

      ‘’Course I’m all right.’ Barney’s heart turned somersaults. ‘Why wouldn’t I be?’ He had suffered another bad night, pacing the floor half the time or propped up against the pillow, massaging the ache in his chest.

      ‘No reason.’ Vicky shrugged her shoulders. ‘You seemed restless, that’s all.’

      ‘How d’you mean?’

      ‘Well, you shifted about a lot, turning this way and that.’

      ‘So, did I disturb you?’ He was afraid she might have seen him pacing the floor.

      Vicky chuckled. ‘You know me,’ she answered. ‘Once I’m out, it would take an earthquake to wake me. No, you didn’t disturb me,’ she assured him. ‘It’s just that when I got out of bed to visit the bathroom, you seemed a bit unsettled.’

      ‘I expect I was dreaming of all the things that could go wrong with this party.’ He looked round. ‘Where’s the birthday boy?’

      ‘Still fast asleep.’ Lucy poked her head out from the pantry. ‘So don’t you go waking him.’

      ‘And don’t you go worrying about things going wrong with the party!’ Vicky advised. ‘Because everything is in hand. It’s all been checked and double-checked; Jamie’s presents are all wrapped and ready, the birthday cake is setting and will be perfect for cutting tonight, the trimmings are up and the barn is all ready … or so you say!’

      ‘It is!’ Ronnie grumbled, falling into the room. ‘Apart from a few finishing touches which’ll only take a few minutes.’ Hunched in his chair, unshaven, unwashed and with his hair standing on end, he looked like he’d been fished out of the river.

      ‘Right!’ Clapping her hands together to release a flurry of flour, Vicky went to the tap and filled the kettle which she then put on the stove. ‘Lucy! A dozen rashers of bacon and a bowl of eggs, if you please. We’ve a hungry mob waiting to be fed.’

      ‘I’ll have three eggs if they’re going.’ That was Thomas, bleary-eyed and yawning.

      ‘God Almighty! Look at the state of the pair of you!’ Vicky laughed. ‘I hope you can both manage to recover for tonight.’ She did a little jig on the spot. ‘’Cause your mammy’s expecting you to give her a dance or two!’

      Lucy saw how Barney’s strained face lit in a smile at his wife’s antics. ‘There you go, Vicky.’ Placing the eggs and bacon on the side, she peeped again at Barney, and suddenly in that one precious moment, there was not another soul in the room but herself, and him.

      At 6.30 p.m. the first partygoer arrived. ‘I’m a bit early,’ Adam apologised. ‘Only I thought there might be summat I could do to help.’ In truth he had wanted a quiet talk with Barney.

      ‘You’d best come wi’ me.’

      Barney guessed the reason for his early arrival. ‘We’ll check the barn and see if I’ve forgotten anything.’ In his grey corduroy trousers, best blue shirt, and with his unruly hair tamed to a shine, Barney looked good.

      ‘The ladies are upstairs titivating theirselves and the boys are in the kitchen picking at the food.’ He chuckled. ‘If Vicky catches them, they’ll wish they’d never been born.’

      As they strolled to the barn, Adam asked, ‘How are you feeling, matey?’

      ‘If you mean am I looking forward to the party,’ Barney replied, ‘the answer’s yes. If you mean have I accepted what’s gone on with me …’ He shrugged his shoulders. ‘What choice have I got, old friend?’

      Saddened to his heart, Adam nodded. ‘And what will you do about America?’ He was reluctant to interfere but knew the dilemma Barney faced. ‘There’ll come a point when you have to tell the family.’

      ‘I’m dealing with it.’

      Adam sighed. ‘Remember, you’re not on your own, Barney,’ he said softly. ‘I’m here for you. Any time you want me, I’ll be here.’ When the tears filled his eyes he blinked them away.

      ‘I know.’ Throwing an arm round the little man’s shoulders, Barney walked him to the barn, where he threw open the door. ‘Well, what d’you think?’

      Adam was mesmerised. The barn was festooned with colour from one end to the other: paper chains and streamers hung across the roof and down the walls, and in between, strategically hung so as to be safe, were a dozen long lanterns, all lit and twinkling. The benches were set out; the food table was dressed in a long pink cloth, and the dance-floor stretched away as far as the eye could see.

      ‘It’s like Wonderland!’ Adam marvelled and Barney laughed. They went inside and walked round the floor. Then Susie came running in. ‘Mam says you’re to come and help carry the food,’ she said, and ran out again.

      For the next half-hour it was mayhem, with everyone trotting backwards and forwards with plates and dishes of food, cutlery and jugs, dodging each other and making a second and third trip, and when the long table was filled to bursting, the guests started arriving: the butcher and his wife; Doris Dandy from Everton, various villagers and others who had known the Davidsons for many years.

      Jamie was getting very over-excited; dressed in his best clothes and overwhelmed by all the noises and strange faces. Lucy let him enjoy himself for a half-hour or so, then she popped back to the farmhouse with him and put him to bed, waiting until he had fallen asleep before returning to the festivities.

      Leonard Maitland arrived alone, his attention instantly drawn to Vicky, who looked very fetching in her new cream-coloured skirt and pink lace blouse, with her hair loosely looped up on top of her head, and long wispy strands curling round her face. She was a picture of loveliness.

      There were two neighbouring farmers and their entire families, and finally, arriving in a flurry of excitement with one of her new girls trailing