Autumn Leaves at Mill Grange by Jenny Kane (the little red hen ebook .txt) 📗

boots. ‘No, Tina. You’re the first one who’s ever made me want to stay in one place. Ever.’

Feeling bad for doubting him, Tina rested a hand in his. ‘So then, tell me, who wrote the letters?’

‘You can read them if you like. I wanted to show you, but I was afraid you’d think I was silly or weak. Like him.’

‘Him?’ Tina was confused – she’d been sure the writing was feminine.

‘They’re from my mother.’

Tina’s eyes brightened. ‘But that’s lovely. I’d love to have a mum I could write to.’

Sam picked the letters off his lap, holding them in mid-air, not sure if he really did want Tina to see them or not. ‘I know I’m lucky to still have my parents but, my father…’

‘You’ve said before that he can be difficult.’

‘Difficult!?’ The shouted word rebounded around the garden, making Tina jump. ‘Sorry. Father thinks me worthless. I told you. He hasn’t said a word to me since I left the—’

‘Sam.’ Gently lifting his chin, Tina held his gaze with her own. ‘I know you can’t tell me where you were, when you got trapped in that fire. And I know you can’t tell me who you were with, or even which section of the services you were in, but I’m not a fool.’

Reaching out, Sam twirled Tina’s nearest pigtail around his fingers. ‘I can see why you play with these when you’re anxious. Very therapeutic.’

‘You’re sidestepping the issue, Sam.’ Tina pointedly freed her hair from his hand. ‘Can we at least allocate a name to your former life? Even if it’s only roughly true, so army or marines? I’m sure it’s not usual for the RAF or navy to send personnel inland in a manner that would have led you to where the accident happened.’

‘Accident?’

‘It was not your fault. Therefore, it was an accident; even if I’m interpreting accident in the broadest term of the word.’

Taking back the plait, Sam said, ‘I love you, Tina Martin.’

‘And I love you, Sam Philips, but you’re avoiding the point. I’m tired of saying “in the forces”. It’s like being cut out of part of your life.’

An exhalation of breath escaped from Sam’s lips. ‘I can’t say. Official secrets and stuff, but I will eventually.’

‘When?’

‘My agreement runs out in thirty years.’

‘And you’ll tell me then, when we’re in our sixties?’

‘Promise.’

Tina laughed. ‘And you’ll still be putting up with me then will you?’

Putting an arm around his girlfriend, Sam gestured towards the garden and woodland before them. ‘That’s ours, can you believe it? And if you think for one second that I consider it mine and not ours, then you’re wrong. If you can stand it, I’d like you to stay here with me until we’re old and grey.’

Tina turned to Sam; her heart was suddenly beating very fast. ‘Ours? Forever?’

‘If you’ll put up with me.’

‘Always.’ Tina kissed him hard, unsure if he was proposing or reinforcing the fact that he loved her.

The letters slipped to the ground, the light slap they made as they hit the gravel reminding them of how they’d come to be sat on the bench in the first place.

‘Aren’t you pleased to hear from your mum?’ Tina picked the envelopes up and handed them back to Sam.

‘I don’t know.’ Sam ran a finger over the handwriting. ‘She was a good mum to me. None of this ferrying me off to a nanny or governess, even though that’s what Father wanted.’

‘You were sent to boarding school though.’

‘And it broke her heart. I’ll never forget her waving me off, her lips clamped together so she didn’t cry. I admired her self-control and her bravery. I still do.’

‘So why not reply to her, or have you?’

He shrugged. ‘The letters all say the same thing. They’re invites to go home for a visit.’

‘That’s good, isn’t it?’

‘My father will be there. If I’m on their land, he’ll insist I follow their rules; including going inside to eat and sleep.’

‘But if you went soon, before the weather changed, you could have a family picnic, and if you just stayed the day then…’

Sam was shaking his head, a sad sheen to his eyes. ‘You don’t know him, Tina. Lord Malvern is not someone you say no to. Ever.’

‘Your mother must love him.’

‘Yes.’ Sam sighed. ‘I’ve never understood that.’ He was quiet for a moment. ‘Another thing I don’t understand is how these got here.’

‘What do you mean?’ Tina shifted uncomfortably.

‘I have never told my parents where I am. So how did Mum know to send these here?’ His brow furrowed. ‘Father must have sent his spies out to check up on me.’

‘Why would he do that?’

‘He’s done it before. Trying to control my life, making sure the Old Boys’ Network keeps watch; checking I haven’t done anything else to bring shame on the family name.’

‘Sam, it wasn’t like that, I’m sure that—’

Sam’s head snapped up. ‘What do you mean, it wasn’t like that?’

Tina felt the temperature between them drop. ‘When you told me about your parents before you bought the house; how your mum was okay, but your dad was difficult, I thought…’

‘You told them?’ Sam’s voice was so quiet it came out in a series of hushed breaths. ‘You told my parents where I live?’

Tina stuttered, ‘It’s n-not like you think, it was more that I…’

Sam was no longer listening. He stood up, incomprehension etched across his face. ‘How could you do that, when you knew…? My father, if it wasn’t for him…?’

‘If it wasn’t for him what?’ Tina sighed. ‘Please, Sam. Tell me. I need to know!’

But Sam didn’t answer. Instead he turned towards the woods; breaking into a run as he disappeared between the trees.

Four

September 2nd

Sophie poked at her plate of scrambled egg and bacon. The smoky aroma would normally have her gobbling down her breakfast as if she was starving, her unladylike manners causing her father to hide a smile behind his newspaper and her mother to tut.

This morning, after a sleepless night torn between remembering how Shaun had patted her