Free Coming Home by Gwen Kirkwood Page A

it could be years before Steven could afford a wife. First love could hurt so much.
    ‘ I’ll have a wee nap while you two are out,’ Mr Oliphant said, ‘then we can have a chat when you come back, Steven. Eh, but it’s good to have you here, laddie.’
    ***
    Natalie Turner couldn’t believe her eyes as she turned from preening in front of her mirror and glanced out of her bedroom window. Steven and Megan were strolling up the sloping field where the cows were grazing. Why wasn’t Steven getting ready for the dancing? She stared incredulously. They stopped every now and then to talk. How easily they laughed together. Even from a distance Natalie could sense the warmth and companionship between them but she couldn’t believe any young man could prefer a walk with the daughter her father’s herdsman rather than go dancing with her. Fury swelled in her chest, her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in a thin line. Steven Caraford hadn’t been given a choice, that had to be the explanation. Chrissie Oliphant had not passed on her invitation. She’d deliberately kept it to herself. Silently she vowed to have her revenge. The Oliphants needed reminding they were only employees and employees could lose their jobs, and be made to move on.
    ***
    It was a beautiful summer evening and Steven felt calmed by the sights and sounds around him. Megan’s easy companionship was like balm to his troubled spirit. They had known each other too long and too well for any pretence between them. Even their silences were comfortable and he gave a sigh of contentment.
    ‘I can’t wait to be finished with the army and start living my own life back here in Scotland, even if there’s no place for me at home.’
    ‘But you have done well in the army, Steven.’
    ‘I only did what scores of others have done,’ he said simply. ‘I didn’t do it for promotion. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to be a Corporal.’ He gave a wry grin. ‘One good thing though, the pay went up from three shillings a day to four and three pence and it hasna been so bad; the others didn’t seem to bear any resentment.’
    ‘ I’m sure your fellow soldiers respect you.’
    ‘ I hope they do because the C.O. hinted I could be in line for promotion to Sergeant now we’re being sent to Palestine. I was too disappointed at not being demobbed to pay much attention. All I’d thought about was getting back to Willowburn.’
    ‘ I know. Your letters told me that, Stevie,’ Megan sympathised, ‘but perhaps your mother is wise. You would have hated constant quarrels. I think you will be happier farming on your own, even if you do have to start off small.’
    ‘ Ye-es, the more I think about it I think you’re probably right,’ he sighed. ‘It was a shock to find I wasna welcome though. One good thing, if I do get made a sergeant I’d get double what I earned as a private and I have even more incentive to earn extra money now. It will be a long struggle but I think I should enjoy the challenge and the freedom to make my own decisions.’
    Steven helped Megan over the fence into the wood where they had spent so may happy hours as children. It was inevitable that their thoughts should turn to Sam. They sat for a while on the little hill in the middle of the wood. It had been a fortress and a pirate ship, a desert island and a castle under siege. In fact, in their childish imagination, it could have been anything.
    ‘ Poor Megan,’ Steven grinned, lifting her hand and stroking her fingers, ‘we always left you to tag along, didn’t we? Come on we’d better make a move. Race you to the edge of the wood.’
    ‘ Oh,’ Megan gasped, as they reached the far side, ‘I’d forgotten we’d have to cross the burn and they’ve taken away the planks we used to use.’
    ‘ We’ll just have to jump across then,’ Steven grinned. ‘We had to face worse obstacles than this in the army.’
    ‘ It’s all right for you with your long legs,’ Megan said indignantly,