***Chapter 12***

***Halcyon Days***

Despite their kindness as employers, Prudence and Arthur Maddocks never made any secret of the fact that they had little time and patience for children. Staff were strictly forbidden to have their offspring on the premises for whatever reason; employees were told they must make their own arrangements with carers for very small children and older siblings who might be sent with urgent messages from home had no choice but to kick their heels at the gates and gaze at the imposing notice "Strictly No Children Allowed" until Hargreaves deemed fit to see them. Failure to adhere to the no-children rule, Arthur informed new employees, could even result in dismissal. Children were a distraction and did not belong in a place where important matters of state were often discussed and government officials were likely to call at the drop of a hat.

But two small children did pass through the gates of Follyfoot Farm one cold November afternoon. They walked hand in hand with their father as the bells of the ancient church in Whistledown chimed in the distance and a fog rolled down from the Yorkshire Moors. Jimmy had sought and been granted such rare permission for them to be there.

Six-year-old Peggy Rose, who had unruly brown hair, wide blue eyes and pink cheeks, was normally a lively little chatterbox, but today she was uncharacteristically quiet. John James, or Johnjo as the family called him, a pale, serious child of three, still snorting asthmatically from a recent race his older sister had indulgently let him win, stared wide-eyed at everything: the clucking hens in the hen-house; the iced-over pond where a flock of birds squawked and squabbled over a bowl of freshly-provided water; the large, frightening man, possibly a giant, with the booming voice and wild eyes, who had the power to lock and unlock the Giant Gates…there were so many questions he wanted to ask, but whenever he looked at Peggy she still had her lips firmly clamped together and Johnjo always took his lead from his big sisiter.

Peggy just about stopped a song she'd learnt in school escaping from her throat. Dada had said they must be on their very best behaviour and Peggy interpreted "best behaviour" as staying silent although it was very difficult to keep her voice locked inside. But she couldn't help herself when she saw the magnificent black horse being led towards them.

"Oh! You're beautiful!" she cried, and she immediately let go of her father's hand to run towards Beauty, her small brother scrambling quickly after her. "We brought you a present! We made it specially!" she added, dancing and skipping with pure happiness, waving a paper bag full of finely chopped apple, carrots, beetroot and turnip under Beauty's nose.

"Me too!" Johnjo demanded, jumping up to snatch the bag, and narrowly missing knocking it to the ground in his enthsiasm

Davey lowered the reins. "One at a time, you's two. Littlest first so's me and Peg can make sure you do it proper." He winked at Peggy, being eldest of a large family himself and understanding the need to keep younger siblings pacified. "Now keeps yer palm flat feedin' Beauty, Johnjo, me lad. Just a little bit for now, mind, 'orses can't stomach too much veg in one go." He fussed around bossily, thoroughly enjoying the novelty of being in charge.

It was the start of a beautiful friendship, and not just between Beauty and Jimmy's little son and daughter, but for Peggy, Johnjo and Davey too. Although he still spent as much time as he could with Beauty, Jimmy had now been made official chauffeur, with a salary increase to reflect his new found status, and Eddie, almost crippled now with rheumatism, quite happily settled for "permanent light duties" (which inevitably meant nothing more strenuous than dusting the books in the manor's extensive library) especially as he took no drop in pay.

As a result, it was more often Davey than Jimmy who took Peggy and Johnjo out for a ride. The two children adored both Beauty and the affable older boy who gave them so much time and attention on their regular visits (as it did seem to be helping Beauty on the road to recovery, provided they stayed in the stables area, kept well away from the manor house and behaved themselves, they were welcome to visit again, Arthur told a delighted Jimmy, whose idea it had been).

Davey blushed to the roots of his sandy-coloured hair when, one summer's day as he lifted the youngsters down from Beauty's back, Peggy, now seven years old, and who'd been deep in thought for several minutes, her little face screwed up in concentration, announced he must be the cleverest person in the world after Dada.

"There's lots cleverer'n me, Peg!" Davey grinned, half flattered, half embarrassed at being called "clever" for the very first time in his life. "Mr Maddocks and Mrs Maddocks is both to do with Government, runnin' the country." He spoke reverentially, almost in a whisper, as the staff at Follyfoot, overcome with awe, were apt to do when speaking of their distinguished employers' achievemens.

Peggy looked unimpressed. "You and Dada know everything about horses and plants and birds and anyway me and our Johnjo run the country ALL the time, we're ALWAYS havin' races."

Jimmy had just arrived back from a driving job and overheard."Well said, Peg o'my heart!" He chuckled, ruffling his small daughter's curly head.

He tilted his chauffeur cap to wipe his perspiring forehead (for it was a very hot day and the band itched) and scooped Johnjo up into his arms while Beauty playfully nudged against him, seeking her usual head rub. Jimmy 's laughter however belied his concerns.

Beauty loved children, eagerly trotting up to greet Johnjo and Peggy whenever they visited, and he and Davey of course spent as much time with her as they possibly could. But it just wasn't enough. Horses were sociable creatures and pined when they were denied company. Arthur Maddocks however was adamant there would be no more horses at Follyfoot and very rarely came to the stables nowadays while Prudence still blamed Magic for her riding accident and never once came to see or ask how Beauty was faring. Jimmy had even tried the old trick of placing a mirror in the stable but he felt Beauty was no fool and her own reflection was scant comfort. He saw it in her eyes whenever he left her, and one night in particular, as he turned to bolt the stable door and the red glow of the lantern caught her sadly watching the shadows, a lump came to his throat and he thought what sad memories must haunt her dreams. Magic, the companion who never left her side, had gone forever. They could do everything for Beauty and yet they could do nothing.

There was no cure for a broken heart…