Free (3/20) Storm in the Village by Miss Read Page A

think it might be rather heavy for Tim Kelly.'
    'But it's so hot, my dear,' protested Miss Clare, 'and quite a pull up through the wood. And then you don't know where Mrs Chard lives, do you? She's collecting the jumble at her house.'
    Miss Jackson waved aside these little difficulties.
    'You can easily tell me, and I'd really like to go out for a little while. I wanted to collect some twigs for the nature table, in any case, and the wood will be quite cool for doing that.'
    Miss Clare was pleasantly surprised at her lodger's readiness to undertake this errand. The jumble sale was to take place on the following evening and she had promised Mrs Chard that her contribution would be delivered in good time.
    'If you're sure—'she began diffidently.
    'Quite sure!' replied Miss Jackson, putting her plate on the tray, and rising with unaccustomed animation. 'I'll just go and change into a cooler frock and then set off.'
    She ran into the cottage, omitting to carry anything with her, noted Miss Clare sadly. She saw her head bobbing about in the bedroom window as she opened and shut drawers. Miss Clare stacked the tea things methodically on the tray. The magnificent cake remained uncut and Miss Clare, though still a trifle hungry, would not think of broaching it for herself alone. The shade of Doctor Martin seemed to approach and speak to her. 'Eat something else, Dolly!' it said authoritatively. Obeying her conscience, and smiling as she did so, Miss Clare meekly ate the last slice of bread and butter before gathering up her tray and returning, across the shimmering lawn, to the kitchen whose cool shadows fell like a benison around her.
    She heard the girl above singing as she clattered about the ancient floorboards. Miss Clare washed the cups and saucers carefully in the silky rainwater, and dried them lovingly with a linen cloth that was thin but snowy-white.
    Miss Jackson burst in upon her as she was replacing the china on the kitchen dresser. Her lodger's face was shining, her hair carefully dressed, and she wore a becoming yellow cotton frock.
    'How pretty you look!' cried Miss Clare. 'Don't spoil that lovely dress picking twigs.' She indicated the parcel which stood on the kitchen chair.
    'Are you sure you can manage it?' she asked earnestly.
    Miss Jackson swung it up easily and made for the door.
    'Don't worry, I'll enjoy it! Just tell me where Mrs Chard lives, then I'll be off.'
    The two of them walked together to the shed to collect the bicycle and then to the front gate. Miss Clare gave her directions clearly and slowly. Miss Jackson appeared impatient to be off.
    At last she mounted the bicycle, waved erratically, and pushed steadily along the lane towards the rough track that led from the Fairacre road over the hill to the little valley where Springbourne lay.
    It was only when Miss Clare had settled herself once again in the deck chair that something occurred to her.
    The lonely track which Miss Jackson must traverse ran close beside the cottage belonging to John Franklyn.

    Hilary Jackson, with the sun full upon her face, zigzagged laboriously up the chalky cart track. She had to keep carefully to the middle of the pathway for the ruts made by farm carts and tractors were deep and dangerous. Ahead she could see the welcome shade of the wood. Behind her rose a light cloud of chalky dust sent up by her bicycle wheels.
    The path grew steeper, and some distance before it entered the wood the girl gave up pedalling and dismounted. It was very quiet. The fields sloped down to the Fairacre road which shimmered in the distance. The warm air was murmurous with the humming of myriad wings, and beside her, as she wandered with one hot hand on the handlebars, two blue butterflies skirmished together above the tall pollen-dusty grass.
    Her head throbbed with exertion but also with excitement. Very soon she knew she would be approaching the cottage where John Franklyn, the gamekeeper, lived. His daughter Betty was now safely with the