calling out.
‘Don’t flap yer arms about and frighten it!’ Polly shouted after her.
The grey mare came towards them along the road, hooves slowly clip-clopping. Her ears were swivelling back and forth in a startled sort of way, perhaps because her rider, with no saddle, and no shoes on, was standing up on her back, holding the reins high, his boots slung over the horse’s withers with their laces tied together. He balanced, knees bent, concentrating hard, but as they came nearer he looked up, a smile spreading across his face.
‘Well I’ll be . . .’ Olive gasped. ‘It’s our Ned!’
Jess remembered hearing his name mentioned, Ned Green, the lad Olive had known since he was knee-high. He was now a fireman and Olive obviously thought the world of him.
Bert came out yawning and stretching his arms. ‘What’s ’e playing at! Awright, Ned, yer silly bleeder!’
Ned loosed a hand for a moment to wave. Jess found herself grinning. The sight cheered her up no end. She’d seen pranks like this back in the village but she certainly hadn’t expected anything of the kind in Allison Street. And what a lovely animal! Then she looked at its rider, drawn to him, curious, seeing a strong body, a face with a wide, smiling mouth and fair wavy hair.
‘Whoa there now, Bonney – eh, stop, yer daft wench!’
Bonney, who seemed to be enjoying her stroll in the sunshine, stopped with reluctance and Ned slid down to the pavement. Sis pulled his boots from off the horse and handed them to him.
‘Ta.’ He gave her a wink.
‘We thought yer was too good for us these days.’
Jess looked round, hearing the gruffness in Olive’s voice. To her astonishment her aunt looked quite dewy-eyed.
‘’Ow are yer, Auntie?’ He came over and kissed Olive’s cheek.
‘All the better for seeing you. Where’ve yer bin, yer bad lad?’
‘Sorry, Auntie – been busy.’
Everyone was trying to talk to Ned.
‘’Ow d’yer stay up there without slipping off?’ Polly said. Jess noticed she looked flushed, and saw Ernie watching her. ‘Whose ’orse is it?’
‘She’s from the fire station,’ Ned patted her. ‘I said I’d give ’er a bit of a walk.’
‘Can I ’ave a ride?’ Sis cried. ‘I’ve never been on an ’orse!’
Jess went and took Bonney’s reins since everyone else seemed to have forgotten that she could just walk off any time.
‘’Ello, gorgeous,’ she stroked Bonney’s nose. ‘Oh I’ve missed the likes of you, I ’ave!’
She stood letting the horse fumble in her hand with its lips, but soon her gaze was drawn to Ned. His eyes as he looked round at them all were full of affection and fun. He was wearing a white shirt, the top couple of buttons undone, and a worn-looking pair of trousers. As he stood down to lace up his boots she saw a stripe of his neck, between his hair and collar. The skin looked soft, edged by the thin down of hairs at the margin of his hairline. She felt intensely conscious of his every movement. The hairs on her own skin stood up, making her shiver.
Sis was still clamouring for a ride. Ned stood up and turned, and his eyes met Jess’s. To her embarrassment she found she was blushing until she turned hot all over. Her palms were turning clammy.
‘Who’s this then?’
‘This is Jessica, my niece,’ Olive said. ‘Our Jess. She’s come to stop with us.’
Her hand disappeared into his for a moment. His was very warm. ‘How long yer staying?’
Jess shrugged, giving a wry smile. ‘I don’t know!’
‘Nice to meet yer, Jess, anyway.’
‘’Ow d’yer get up ’ere?’ Sis was throwing herself excitedly at the horse’s flank, and kept sliding down again.
They all watched, laughing. ‘Give us a leg up, Ned!’
‘’Ere – I’ll show yer!’ On impulse, Jess, still holding the reins, led the mare alongside the front step, and from there she vaulted up on to Bonney, managing to fling one leg over, her dress riding up to show a length of bare thigh.
‘Oh
‘Don’t flap yer arms about and frighten it!’ Polly shouted after her.
The grey mare came towards them along the road, hooves slowly clip-clopping. Her ears were swivelling back and forth in a startled sort of way, perhaps because her rider, with no saddle, and no shoes on, was standing up on her back, holding the reins high, his boots slung over the horse’s withers with their laces tied together. He balanced, knees bent, concentrating hard, but as they came nearer he looked up, a smile spreading across his face.
‘Well I’ll be . . .’ Olive gasped. ‘It’s our Ned!’
Jess remembered hearing his name mentioned, Ned Green, the lad Olive had known since he was knee-high. He was now a fireman and Olive obviously thought the world of him.
Bert came out yawning and stretching his arms. ‘What’s ’e playing at! Awright, Ned, yer silly bleeder!’
Ned loosed a hand for a moment to wave. Jess found herself grinning. The sight cheered her up no end. She’d seen pranks like this back in the village but she certainly hadn’t expected anything of the kind in Allison Street. And what a lovely animal! Then she looked at its rider, drawn to him, curious, seeing a strong body, a face with a wide, smiling mouth and fair wavy hair.
‘Whoa there now, Bonney – eh, stop, yer daft wench!’
Bonney, who seemed to be enjoying her stroll in the sunshine, stopped with reluctance and Ned slid down to the pavement. Sis pulled his boots from off the horse and handed them to him.
‘Ta.’ He gave her a wink.
‘We thought yer was too good for us these days.’
Jess looked round, hearing the gruffness in Olive’s voice. To her astonishment her aunt looked quite dewy-eyed.
‘’Ow are yer, Auntie?’ He came over and kissed Olive’s cheek.
‘All the better for seeing you. Where’ve yer bin, yer bad lad?’
‘Sorry, Auntie – been busy.’
Everyone was trying to talk to Ned.
‘’Ow d’yer stay up there without slipping off?’ Polly said. Jess noticed she looked flushed, and saw Ernie watching her. ‘Whose ’orse is it?’
‘She’s from the fire station,’ Ned patted her. ‘I said I’d give ’er a bit of a walk.’
‘Can I ’ave a ride?’ Sis cried. ‘I’ve never been on an ’orse!’
Jess went and took Bonney’s reins since everyone else seemed to have forgotten that she could just walk off any time.
‘’Ello, gorgeous,’ she stroked Bonney’s nose. ‘Oh I’ve missed the likes of you, I ’ave!’
She stood letting the horse fumble in her hand with its lips, but soon her gaze was drawn to Ned. His eyes as he looked round at them all were full of affection and fun. He was wearing a white shirt, the top couple of buttons undone, and a worn-looking pair of trousers. As he stood down to lace up his boots she saw a stripe of his neck, between his hair and collar. The skin looked soft, edged by the thin down of hairs at the margin of his hairline. She felt intensely conscious of his every movement. The hairs on her own skin stood up, making her shiver.
Sis was still clamouring for a ride. Ned stood up and turned, and his eyes met Jess’s. To her embarrassment she found she was blushing until she turned hot all over. Her palms were turning clammy.
‘Who’s this then?’
‘This is Jessica, my niece,’ Olive said. ‘Our Jess. She’s come to stop with us.’
Her hand disappeared into his for a moment. His was very warm. ‘How long yer staying?’
Jess shrugged, giving a wry smile. ‘I don’t know!’
‘Nice to meet yer, Jess, anyway.’
‘’Ow d’yer get up ’ere?’ Sis was throwing herself excitedly at the horse’s flank, and kept sliding down again.
They all watched, laughing. ‘Give us a leg up, Ned!’
‘’Ere – I’ll show yer!’ On impulse, Jess, still holding the reins, led the mare alongside the front step, and from there she vaulted up on to Bonney, managing to fling one leg over, her dress riding up to show a length of bare thigh.
‘Oh
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