Poppy Day by Annie Murray Page A

Lor’!’ Olive laughed. ‘She’s a country wench this one, all right. Look at ’er go!’
    Jess clicked her tongue, digging her heels into Bonney’s sides. She quickly broke into a trot and Jess clung on, even though riding bareback was a slippery business.
    ‘That’s a girl!’ They trotted off along the street and under the railway arch where the sound of Bonney’s hooves echoed until they were out in the sun again, and round the corner. Jess didn’t want to stop. She loved the feel and smell of being on a horse again. But she turned Bonney round and trotted back. Her cheeks were pink, hair fastened back haphazardly so some of it hung loose on her shoulders, and she looked the healthy, country girl she was, the joy of it shining out of her. As she drew closer to them all she felt Ned watching her and her smile grew wider.
    ‘I wish I could go on all afternoon!’
    ‘We can see that!’ Polly laughed.
    ‘Oh let us ’ave a go!’ Sis was jumping up and down with impatience.
    Jess swung her leg over, ready to slide off Bonney as if she was a helter-skelter.
    ‘Can yer manage?’ Ned came and took her hand.
    Jess laughed. ‘Been doing it all me life – but ta any’ow. There–’ She pulled her skirt down. ‘I’m decent now!’
    As she reached the ground he caught her by the waist for a second to steady her. They held each other’s gaze for a moment, then Sis was once more trying to scramble up on to Bonney. Ned let go Jess’s hand, but Ernie had already taken pity on Sis and was hoisting her up.
    ‘I’ll help ’er!’
    Jess was full of energy, as if she was on fire. She ran up and down, leading Sis as she bumped about on Bonney’s back, shrieking that she was going to fall, giggling so much by the end that she did slither off the side. Bert had a go, clowning about, then Ronny was allowed to sit up on Bonney’s back for a moment.
    ‘Tek ’im off!’ Olive protested. ‘’E looks worried to death! Yer coming in for a cuppa tea now yer ’ere?’ She took Ned’s arm.
    ‘What’ll I do about Bonney?’
    ‘Oh I’ll hold her,’ Jess hooked the reins round her wrist and sat down on the step. The room was so small that she wasn’t left out by sitting down there. Ned sat at the table with his back to the range, the others round him except Polly who was brewing the tea. Jess listened to them talking. She sat quietly, watching him until she felt his eyes on her, watching her curiously for a moment, then glancing away. She couldn’t seem to stop looking at him.
    But after a few moments she heard Olive say, ‘So tell us all about it. Why daint yer bring Mary with yer? ’Ow long’s she got to go now? She got over feeling poorly?’
    Jess’s heartbeat began to pick up speed. She found herself thinking, no – oh please, she can’t mean . . .?
    ‘Oh yes, she’s got over that, but there’s only a few weeks left. She’s feeling it now, what with working and that – it’s taking it out of ’er. She’s gone to bed this afternoon.’
    Olive made sympathetic noises. ‘She still at Coopers?’
    ‘No – Griffiths. Been there a while she ’as now – over in Vittoria Street, making rings. Ain’t I told yer that?’
    ‘Not that I remember. Oh – so yer’ll be staying over that side now.’ She sounded disappointed. ‘I’d ’oped yer’d come back over ’ere so we’d see a bit more of yer.’
    ‘Oh, yer won’t catch Mary moving away from ’er mom,’ Ned said. ‘’Specially now, with the babby on the way.’
    Jess listened with part of her mind, but a shrinking, disappointed feeling crept through her. So Ned was married. How daft could she be, never thinking for a moment that he might be! But he had affected her so strongly – and the way he had looked into her eyes when he helped her off Bonney . . . But it must have been all in her silly, inexperienced imagination. She sat closed into her own thoughts, only half hearing now as Ned talked about the Fire Service, about Mary. Her