"What the bloody 'ell did you think you were doing?! You could 'ave been bloody killed!"
Lily closed her eyes as her father paced around the kitchen and wrapped her hands around the mug of hot tea she had made for herself when she had returned home. A local farmer had kindly given her a lift and then agreed to collect her father who, upon returning home and hearing what had happened, had begun raging at her from the moment he stepped through the door. She knew that his reaction was only borne out of fear and concern, not to mention the consumption of a vast quantity of ale, but ten minutes on and it was starting to become irritating.
"I told you, I was trying to rescue an 'orse!"
"A bloody 'orse!" he shook his head. "A bloody 'orse! Do you think for one bloody minute that Lord Hulton would 'ave given two 'oots if you'd be killed rescuing 'is bloody 'orse? No, 'e wouldn't! Of all the bloody stupid…"
"You've made your point, Dad, all right?!"
"No, it's not bloody all right! I 'ave never 'eard of anything so fool'ardy in my life as a woman throwing 'erself into a river for an 'orse! I bet 'e 'ad something to do with this, didn't 'e?"
"Who?"
"Bloody Farnon, that's who! You would never 'ave done something so stupid 'ad 'e not encouraged you!"
"'e didn't encourage me! If anything, 'e told me to get back out of the water! 'e was the one who jumped straight in without a thought for 'imself!"
"So why did you 'ave to follow 'im? And what the bloody 'ell were you doing out that way with 'im anyway?!"
Lily sighed heavily, somewhat amazed it had taken so long to get around to Siegfried's involvement in the whole matter. "I gave 'im a lift up to the Calvert farm. Mrs Calvert 'ad a cow 'aving an 'ard time birthing a calf."
"You gave 'im a lift?"
"Yes, 'e'd 'ad a drink at the show and it seemed safer that I drive 'im there than 'e drive 'imself."
"Did it now."
"Yes, it did!" She glared at him. "And, for your information, I 'elped 'im birth the calf!"
Tom stared at her. "You 'elped Farnon birth a calf?"
"Yes!"
"You don't know 'ow."
"Well I do now!" Getting to her feet, she poured herself some more tea, shivering as she did so, despite the dry clothes and heat from the stove. "I'll be able to 'elp you in future if any of our beasts get into trouble, now I've seen 'ow it's done. You can call on me rather than Mr Dinsdale or the like."
"Now you listen to me, my girl. Your place is not in some cold, mucky cow shed, you 'ear? Your place is in 'ere, in the 'ome, keeping it nice, cooking our meals…!"
"Skivving after you, you mean!"
"Don't you speak to me in that manner!" he yelled, coming up close to her. "I'm your father!"
"That's right! You're me father, not me bloody gaoler!" The words had barely left her mouth when he backhanded her across the face, sending her stumbling into the table and the mug of tea in her hand crashing to the floor.
For a moment, there was nothing but stunned silence.
Lily felt herself start to shake, not from the cold this time, but from the shock of what had taken place. He had never raised his hand to her before, not once, even in the depths of despair and the grip of the demon drink, not even in the horrible days after her mother had died. She put her hand to her cheek, still stinging from the blow, and slowly turned to look at him. He looked stunned, as though confused by his own actions, and before she could say anything, turned and left the kitchen, slamming the door as he went. Mechanically, she retrieved the cup from the floor and wiped up the remnants of liquid that lay there, her hands shaking the entire time. She hadn't had the chance to start making proper preparations for that evening's meal and found, for once, that she had no great inclination to do so. Preparing a third mug of tea, she left the kitchen and climbed the stairs to her bedroom, biting her lip against the tears that were threatening to come.
It was only then, away from her father's rebuke, that she allowed herself to think about Siegfried. She wasn't sure what had happened to him after everything was over and done with and could only assume that he had, somehow, found a way back to the village. She could still picture the way he had looked at her, could still hear his voice telling her that he had been thinking about her and yet…it almost seemed as though he had been trying to convince himself that that was what he should say, that that was how he should feel. She couldn't help but think that, lovely as his affection might be, she would only want it if it was given freely, not out of some sense of doing what he thought was right. And she had been right in what she had said. He couldn't give her anything.
But when he had taken her in his arms and rubbed her body against the cold…she closed her eyes, smarting with tears that she wasn't sure whether to attribute to him or to her father.
An hour or so later, there was a knock at the door and Tom appeared, looking shame-faced and sober. "Wondered where you'd got to," he said.
"Where else would I be?"
He looked down at the floor and shuffled his feet. "I found a bit of cheese and 'am and…well…I've made us some supper, if you're 'ungry."
Her surprise at his revelation that he had even attempted to make some kind of a meal, was surpassed only by the grumble in her stomach indicating that it was far past the usual time for dinner. As she looked at him, so many thoughts ran around inside her head. She wanted to retort that he had never made a meal in his life before so why was he doing it now? She wanted to ask him why he had hit her. She wanted to tell him that, as a result, she was leaving and never coming back. She wanted to hear him say that he was sorry.
"I'll be right down," was what she chose to say, and he nodded and turned away, closing the door over as he did so. Having washed her face in the basin and brushed her hair, she made her way back downstairs to the kitchen to find that he had laid the table and put together something that resembled some sort of salad.
"It won't be as good as anything you could make but…well…" he gestured to the table.
"It looks fine, Dad, thank you."
"I'm…eh…sorry I 'it you," he said uncomfortably as they took their seats. "Won't 'appen again."
She felt her throat thicken slightly with emotion. "Good."
"Right then," he said, seeming somewhat cheerier for having gotten the apology off his chest. "Nowt to be said about it again then."
"No," she agreed. "Nowt to be said."
XXXX
"You are a brave man, Siegfried Farnon. A stupid one, but a brave one all the same."
Siegfried looked up as Mrs Hall put his plate down in front of him and frowned. "Brave and stupid? I fail to see how…"
"You could 'ave been killed, jumping into the water like that! What if you'd been swept away downriver? They might never 'ave found you."
"Well, thankfully, I wasn't."
"My brother, the hero of Darrowby," Tristan grinned. "I shall be dining out on this story for some time to come. As should you, big brother."
"I hardly think the tale is worthy of repetition," Siegfried replied.
"Of course it is!" Mrs Hall exclaimed. "It's not every day the local vet jumps into the river to save one of Lord Hulton's horses."
"Not every day he's accompanied by a local farmer's daughter either," Tristan winked.
"I never would 'ave thought it of Lily," Mrs Hall mused. "If you're brave and stupid, I don't know what it makes 'er."
"Surely by your logic we should both be considered brave and stupid."
"I would say she must be infatuated," Tristan remarked. "What woman indeed would throw herself into a freezing river if not because of her ardent desire for the man who has thrown himself in first?"
"Oh, Tristan, do behave!" Siegfried blustered. "I'm very grateful to Lily for what she did but I fail to see how her actions were borne out of anything different to my own, namely, concern for a helpless animal." To his relief, when he had looked the horse over, there had been no damage other than a few cuts and bruises and he had been grateful for a lift back to the village, once he had established that Lily had been otherwise attended to. "Perhaps helping birth Mrs Calvert's calf gave her a new sense of self-confidence."
"If you say so."
"Was she all right?" Mrs Hall asked.
"She seemed fine. Cold and wet like myself, but not injured, if that's what you mean." He focused on his plate, thinking back to the look on Lily's face when he had tried, once again, to explain his feelings. It never ceased to amaze him how inept he was when faced with her, and had it not seemed like a ridiculous idea, he might have considered sending her another letter.
"I'm stunned you let her help you birth a calf," Tristan remarked.
"And why is that?"
"Well, don't you always say that if you want something done right, you do it yourself?"
"It was a teaching context," Siegfried sighed. "Besides, I was there the entire time and I could have stepped in if there were any difficulties. Not to mention the fact that I simply asked her to pull the calf out when it was already halfway there, not perform surgery on the mother."
"Perhaps you could recruit her as your assistant then, if it was all done in a teaching context and not as a pretext to spend time with her."
"And what would be so amusing about that?" he asked, choosing to ignore the latter part of Tristan's remark. "She's eminently capable."
"She's not a vet," his brother stated the obvious. "She's not qualified."
"No, and neither are you…yet. Perhaps qualifications are overrated in this field."
Tristan stared at him, "Then why am I bothering to go to university?"
"Because you are. And because I promised Father that I would make sure that you completed your education. This was what he wanted. What we all want." He looked at his younger brother. "I'm sure you'll learn many things at university and not solely in connection with the treatment of animals." Tristan stared back at him and he could tell his younger brother knew what he was getting at. Good manners, discipline, hard work…all the things that seemed to be lacking so far.
"Well then, I'm sure we shall make a happy threesome," Tristan said.
"In what sense?"
"You, me and Lily. A happy threesome in veterinary practice."
"Oh Tristan, stop talking such nonsense and eat your dinner," Mrs Hall flapped. "Then your brother is going to sit down and rest. 'e's 'ad an 'ard and eventful day and there's still no guarantee 'e won't come down with pneumonia after all that time in the river."
"Yes," Tristan lamented, shooting his brother a look. "And wouldn't that be a shame."
31 August
Two days after the incident and Tom had never mentioned it again, true to his word. Every so often, Lily would steal a look at him throughout the day and remember the sensation of his hand across her face. She had never seen any evidence of it, but she couldn't help but wonder if he had ever struck her mother. It seemed unlikely, given how much he had loved her, but then she had been barely a teenager when her mother had died and there were, no doubt, so many things that her parents had hidden from her in those early years. Men hit women, it was a fact and something that no doubt occurred in more homes than she cared to think about, but she had never envisaged herself being one of those women. She wondered if Siegfried had ever hit his wife and then chastised herself for such foolish thoughts. He didn't seem the type and yet, did any man ever?
She knew there was little point in dwelling on it but, when she did, she found herself considering whether there would be more likelihood of repetition if she continued to stand up to her father and his plans for her. He had never struck her before, but then she had never spoken back to him in such a manner before, had never gone against what he thought she should do or how she should be, had never had a man show any interest in her…
She was pondering that final point when she heard the sound of a vehicle coming into the yard. She froze, momentarily wondering if it would perhaps be Siegfried and, if it was, what she would say to him. But when she looked out of the window, she saw a car that she didn't recognise and, opening the kitchen door, came face to face with a gentleman dressed smartly in a chauffeur's outfit. When he saw her, he smiled and touched his hat in greeting.
"Might you be Miss Lily Bailey?"
"Yes," she replied. "You are…?"
"Collins." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a white envelope which he handed to her. "Courtesy of Lord and Lady Hulton." Without waiting for a response, he touched his cap again and then turned to get back into the car.
Glancing down at the envelope in her hand, she saw her name and address embossed in neat calligraphy and, when she opened it, she found a stiff invitation card inside.
Lord Edward and Lady Margaret Hulton request the pleasure of
Miss Lily Bailey
To dine with them at Hulton Hall on Saturday 5 September 1931
Dress – Formal
RSVP Darrowby 347
For a moment, she was convinced there was some sort of mistake and she opened her mouth to question it, but the car had already turned and was making its way out of the yard. As she stared once more at the words in front of her, she sensed someone coming up behind her and, turning, saw her father peering curiously over her shoulder.
"Lord and Lady Hulton?" he said. "Inviting you to dinner? Well…wonders will never cease."
His tone made her bristle slightly, but she elected not to start an argument about it. "It's very kind of them to invite me."
"Thanks, no doubt, for what you did for their 'orse."
"No doubt."
Tom paused. "Are you going to go?"
"I don't see why not," she replied. "I'm not likely to be invited there for any other reason any other time, am I?"
"No…'e's…eh…got a son, 'asn't 'e? Lord Hulton."
"Yes, Hugh. 'e's a bit younger than me, mind."
"Well…if you are intending to run off and leave me, I'd rather you ran to Hulton Hall than Skeldale House."
His words brought her up sharply and she turned slowly to look at him. His expression was neutral, and she fought down the urge to issue a smart retort on Siegfried's behalf. Instead, she told him what she knew he wanted to hear, even if it perhaps wasn't quite the truth. "I'm not planning on running anywhere, Dad, as well you know." She looked back down at the card and her mind started to whirr over what she could possibly wear that would satisfy the request for 'formal' dress. Anything she might have felt appropriate enough to dine with Siegfried paled into insignificance when she considered dining at Hulton Hall.
"Your mother 'ad some nice dresses," he said, as though reading her mind. "Back from when we were courting. Not sure if any of them count as 'formal' but you could 'ave a look nonetheless."
She met his gaze and saw a look in his eyes that she couldn't quite identify. Wistfulness, pain, regret…? "Thank you," she replied softly. "I thought I might take a look."
"I'm sure you'll look very well, our lass," he said, his voice thick with emotion as he turned back towards the shed. "Very well indeed."
XXXX
"Well, isn't this quite the honour," Tristan commented, looking at the invitation delivered a few moments earlier to Skeldale House. "Supping with the elite, oh I say!"
"Don't be so juvenile," Siegfried replied, snatching the card from him and glancing at it again. He had been quite taken aback when Mrs Hall had returned from answering the door and presented him with him, telling him that it had been delivered by a man she had recognised as Lord Hulton's driver. Though he had perhaps expected some acknowledgement for what had happened the previous weekend, he certainly hadn't been expecting a dinner invitation.
Lord Edward and Lady Margaret Hulton request the pleasure of
Mr Siegfried Farnon
To dine with them at Hulton Hall on Saturday 5 September 1931
Dress – Formal
RSVP Darrowby 347
"I think it's a very kind gesture," Mrs Hall remarked. "And no less than I would expect from a man like 'is Lordship."
"Know him well, do you?" Tristan quipped. "Mrs Hall regularly dines in the upper echelons of society, Siegfried. I knew we'd landed on our feet when we employed her.
"Give over," she swatted at him playfully. "Think what you like, but 'is Lordship 'as a very good reputation around 'ere. 'e's a kind man, as 'is 'is wife."
"She's a kind man too, is she?"
"Tristan…" Siegfried sighed as his brother's insatiable need to make a joke out of every turn of phrase. "You think I should accept then?"
"Of course you have to accept! To refuse would be too petulant. Besides, I'm sure you're dying to see Miss Bailey in formal attire."
"Miss Bailey?"
"Well yes of course. Surely she will have been invited too, given the part she played in the daring rescue?"
Siegfried paused, thinking on his brother's words and inwardly chastising himself for not having considered that Lily might also have been the recipient of such an invitation. He certainly hadn't saved the horse alone and when he thought back on it, he couldn't help recall holding her, trying to keep her warm once they were on dry land again...
"Dining at Hulton Hall might also prove a business opportunity for you, big brother," Tristan broke into his thoughts again. "I'm given to understand that his stables are one of the best and most lucrative in the area. Perhaps his Lordship might be looking for a new vet to care for his horses."
That possibility alone was enough to drive Lily momentarily from Siegfried's mind. "Yes," he said, "he just might…"
"Well don't you go up there expecting 'im to offer you something like that," Mrs Hall warned. "'e's invited you to dinner to say thank you, that's all."
"Mrs Hall, I'm not entirely without manners, despite the impression my brother might give about our family, but I make no secret of the fact that horses have always been my passion."
"I can attest to that," Tristan remarked. "I'm sure if you could find somewhere where you only ever had to administer to horses, Siegfried, you'd be the happiest man I know."
"Yes…quite…" he found his mind wandering back to those months, terrible months, at Ypres, where he witnessed the sacrifices made by both men and steeds. At night, he recalled lying in his sleeping bag, thinking of home and how seeing Evelyn again would hopefully take away all of the horrors witnessed. Little had he known that his own horror had awaited him.
"Are you listening to me?" Tristan's voice brought him up sharply again.
"What? Yes, yes of course I am. But I doubt I'd have any practice at all if I only treated horses. Farm animals, of all shapes and sizes, are our bread and butter. You'd do well to remember that."
"Oh, how I long for a future where my every waking moment is spent with my arm up a cow's behind."
"Funnily enough," Siegfried replied, fixing his brother with a knowing look, "So do I."
