Free Winners and Losers by Linda Sole

either. It is a trust to be handed on to future generations.’
    â€˜Rubbish,’ Frances said. ‘Vane brainwashed you, Emily. If I were you, I should sell everything, invest the money and do something with your life. If you don’t, you may wake up one day and find it is too late.’
    â€˜Is something wrong, Frances?’ Emily felt chilled as she saw the expression in her sister’s eyes.
    Frances got up and walked to look out of the window at the garden. The window was slightly open and the smell of roses wafted in on a slight breeze. Emily shivered suddenly, feeling the goose pimples rise.
    â€˜No, nothing is wrong,’ Frances said at last and turned to face Emily. ‘I just think you are wasting your life there . . .’
    Emily had a vague feeling all was not well with her sister, but, whatever it was, Frances hadn’t wanted to tell her. Emily hadn’t pushed her, but now she was wondering if she ought to have asked more questions. Her hand strayed to the phone, hovering as she thought about ringing Frances, and then the door opened.
    â€˜The Vicar is here, Lady Vane. He doesn’t have an appointment but he says it is important.’
    â€˜Show him in, Martha.’ Emily placed Alice’s letter in her leather folder and stood up to greet her unexpected visitor. Frances was fine. She was worrying for nothing . . .
    Connor watched as Dan, Alice and Sally drove off in his car. It would be more comfortable for them on the long drive down to Cornwall, and the van was better for farm business. Connor didn’t mind taking it when he went into Ely. It wasn’t as nice as his Austin, but it didn’t matter.
    It was surprising how empty the house felt with all the kids gone, and now Dan and Alice were on their way with Sally. He had the place all to himself for a whole week. Alice had been worried about how he would mange, but Connor could fry a bit of bacon or boil an egg – and he would buy fish and chips in Ely after he’d been to the club. He was looking forward to the meeting that week, because there was a new band performing. It was the first time they had booked the Bad Boys but Connor had been told they were good. They were a Rock ’n’ Roll group who sang rhythm and blues, which was Connor’s favourite music. He had been a huge fan of jazz and blues when he was growing up, but Rock ’n’ Roll was the latest big thing in America. In England, a journalist had shortened the name Edward to Teddy and now the fashion for Edwardian-style clothes that the young men were wearing had branded them as Teddy Boys.
    Emily had laughed when she’d asked if Connor was a Teddy Boy, thinking it funny. He had said that he would be if he could afford it, because no one knew that he had one of the narrow-fitting jackets and a pair of black drainpipes in his wardrobe. Somehow he’d never found the courage to come downstairs wearing them when Alice and Dan were around, but he would wear them this evening – as well as the ‘brothel creepers’,which were his pride and joy and were hidden in a box at the top of the wardrobe.
    Connor was whistling as he went outside to start mucking out the cowsheds. Tonight he was going to dress the part and ‘strut his stuff’ at the club. He grinned as he imagined himself doing the Lindy Hop with the girl of his dreams – even though it was very unlikely that she would be there. He doubted very much if Sarah Jenkins had ever been to a jazz club in her life, which was a pity because he really liked her. He couldn’t afford to get married for years, but he thought he would like to marry a girl like Sarah when he did. He often wished he could meet her somewhere, though she probably wouldn’t look at him. As Tiddy had said, it would take six months’ wages to pay for one of the dresses she liked to wear.
    Connor thought about what he might do if he left Daniel. He would