Dreams Can Come True by Vivienne Dockerty Read Free Book Online Page B

her. He had haunted the station every day, until someone told him at the pub’ that Hannah had finished at the school in Chester. It appeared she was now at home helping her mother.
    He had then taken to hanging around Selwyn Lodge’s stables, hoping he would see her saddling up to take a ride on her pony, but he got threatened with a pitchfork by a great giant of a man. Eddie decided to call it a day after that.
    His father had got fed up with his moody son, and asked around his customers if they knew of any jobs. So now Eddie was a labourer, working for Jimmy Pearson. Jimmy was a builder and Eddie was going to learn the trade. It was hard, back-breaking work, especially that first winter when the ground was hard with frost and it was his job to dig out the footings for the houses that his employer was to build. They were terraced dwellings at the far end of Town Lane and at first Eddie was hopeful that he would see his loved one. Selwyn Lodge was just a walk down the hill; perhaps one morning she would ride his way.
    It was one beautiful morning in late February that he saw Hannah again. He was taking a break from being shown how to set the bricks that were to be laid on top of the foundations. It had taken all the day before for the cement to dry, so there was a bit of catching up to do that Saturday. The sun shone weakly through the clouds that were coming in over the River Dee. For some reason he felt cheerful. Was it because spring was on its way, as he listened to a chirruping blackbird on the wing?
    She was driving the family carriage, a highly polished black barouche. Eddie looked first to see if there was a passenger sitting inside. No, he breathed thankfully, Hannah was alone.
    He ran at the side of the carriage for a few minutes before she reined the horse to a stop.
    “What are you doing, Eddie?” she asked in exasperation. “You’ll have my father after you if you keep on plaguing me. You’ve not been forgiven for causing a holy war, saying what you did.”
    “Oh, Hannah,” said Eddie. “I didn’t know that your family hadn’t told yer. I just want to see yer again. To tell yer how sorry I am.”
    “Well, here is not the time or the place. I accept your apology, but I have been told not to speak to you again. I must get on now. I have just taken my mother to Clatterbridge. She has a presentation to make to the Board there and I must pick her up again at one. Then this afternoon I must get ready. I am attending a ball at the Grosvenor Hotel. It is a farewell dinner for Jeremy Adshead, amongst many. He’s leaving to do a tour of duty in India. I’ll be staying over at Causey Hall and it will take hours to look my best.”
    “You will always look the best ter me, Hannah. You’re looking yer beautiful best at the moment. Please say yer’ll meet me again. Could yer come to Lilac Cottage again next Sunday?”
    “No, Eddie. Will you not take no for an answer? Anyway, I couldn’t possibly. We will be going away at Easter time and I’ve a lot of packing to do.”
    “Please, Hannah.”
    But this time in answer to Eddie’s pleading, she snapped the reins for the horse to go forward and he was left standing alone in the lane.
    It had been arranged that Jack would drive Michael and Hannah to Causey Hall, then the young people would be ferried to the hotel in Chester by the Adsheads’ liveried carriage. An old aunt would travel with them, rather deaf, but capable of overseeing the three excited girls.
    Hannah’s gown was in a saffron-coloured satin. It was low on the shoulders, with short sleeves covered in three-layered lace. The bodice was pointed, over a short skirt trimmed with buttercup shaped flowers: underneath was a floor-length skirt decorated with flounces and frills. Cecelia, her friend, had on a white satin gown in a similar fashion, but with a sash of emerald green pinned across her breast.
    Florence, Cecelia’s sister, wore a dress of burnished gold that seemed to show off the streaks of