Coming Home by Gwen Kirkwood Read Free Book Online Page A

see he’s still the same, and when I remember how frustrated I used to get, I can understand father looking so tired and weary. I’m almost glad we’re being sent to Palestine after all. It will give me time to think about my future. Maybe my CO is right, perhaps I should make a career in the army,’ he added bitterly.
    ‘ Oh no, Steven! No, you’d never be happy away from the land and your animals.’
    ‘ We’ll have to see about that.’ He had spoken on the spur of the moment, and with bitterness. He frowned when he saw her face. ‘I didn’t mean to upset you, Mother. I’ve never wanted to make a career in the army but I see now that Fred and I would never get on together at Willowburn, not even if Father did make us equal partners. In fact I expect that’s what Fred is afraid of. I should have known how it would be, especially after he’s had things his own way for five years.’
    ‘We understand how you feel, laddie.’ His mother sighed. ‘I don’t trust Fred. I think he’ll keep making threats whenever your father willna let him have his own way. I wish he’d never made him a partner.’
    ‘ I don’t think he’ll make father sell up to pay him his share so long as he’s sure I’m not coming back to Willowburn,’ Steven said slowly. ‘He knows which side his bread is buttered.’
    ‘ I suppose you’re right. He would like everything in his name, including the tenancy. He’s not satisfied with just a share, he wants it all. He wouldn’t get that if he left, would he?’ Steven saw she looked happier with that idea. ‘I doubt if the land agent would grant him the tenancy anyway. He must notice things have deteriorated.’
    ‘I hope Father would never leave everything in Fred’s name for your sake, Mother.’ He looked at her with concern. Willowburn was her home too and her life.
    ‘Don’t you worry about me, Stevie. I’ve survived worse blows than anything Fred could do.’
    ‘ You mean when you were widowed?’ Steven asked curiously. His mother had often talked about her childhood but he knew nothing of her life before she had married his father, except that she had been married young and lost her husband. ‘Was it very bad?’ he asked softly.
    ‘ It seemed liked the end of the world at the time.’ Hannah’s eyes held a faraway look. ‘Tom was far too young to die.’
    ‘ Tell me about it. How did he die?’
    ‘ He was at the mill that day. He worked there during the week. A man drove in with a wagon. Something startled the horse. It bolted. The wagon tipped over and pinned Tom underneath. It was so simply done and so final.’ Her voice shook but she raised her chin and carried on. ‘It was an accident and I had to accept it was God’s will but we had only been married two years. I was twenty one. I wanted to die too.’
    ‘ Oh Mother…’ Steven laid his hand on hers; they were clasped together on her knee. She gave him a wavering smile.
    ‘ It’s all right, laddie. I got over it in time and at least we had two wonderful years together. That’s more than some people will have had during this awful war.’
    ‘ I suppose so,’ Steven agreed doubtfully. ‘Where did you live then?’
    ‘ We had a smallholding, not far from Willowburn. It was only six acres but Tom used all his savings to buy it and he worked four days a week at the mill. We had some pigs and I kept a lot of poultry and a house cow. We grew vegetables for sale. And we had two bee hives and sold the honey. It was hard work but we made a living and we were happy. We had both known Eddy and his family for years and I was delighted when he married my cousin, Eleanor. Her mother had died when she was ten so she had often stayed with us. We were nearly like sisters. Her father was a horrid man so she liked to get away.’ She sighed heavily but Steven remained silent, hoping she would tell him more.
    ‘ When Tom was killed, Eleanor and Eddy couldn’t have been kinder, or more helpful, but it was not the