tractor and came towards them, smiling broadly.
‘My, but you’ve grown up a fine woman, Katie Fairfax!’ he said in his musical voice, taking her hand.
‘It’s a long time since anyone called me that, Bob. It’s good to see you again. I hope the family are all well?’
‘Megan is looking forward to meeting you and those lads of mine can’t wait to meet young Rose but don’t worry, I’ll keep my eye on them,’ he laughed, turning to Rose. ‘She must take after her da, Katie, but you’re a fine-looking girl just the same and very welcome, Rose.’
Rose blushed as she smiled at him. He took her case and effortlessly stowed it on the back of the cart.
‘Cause quite a stir in the village with those looks, she will, Katie,’ he said quietly to Kate. ‘Now, I’ll give you a hand up.There’s clean straw and a rug over it so you should be comfortable. We’ll get back quicker than you would if old Glyn Morgan had come to fetch you in that little trap of his, the pony’s nearly as old as he is and can’t even manage a trot these days.’
To Kate’s relief they were both quite comfortable and as they drew out of the town and into the countryside she began to look forward to seeing Tregarron and Gwen again. Meanwhile Rose clung quite happily to the side of the cart, eagerly anticipating her first sight of the village.
When finally they reached the place where the road forked Kate pointed left. ‘Down there is Bob’s farm. They call that part of the road the “Garn”, it more or less goes in a complete circle around the village.’
‘So we’re here?’ Rose asked, noting a fine house with a yard behind it and a board which proclaimed it belonged to ‘Jenkins’s Builders & Carpenters’.
‘We are. There’s the school and chapel over there and beyond that is the forge, then over there is the lane that leads to the mill,’ Kate informed her gaily, thinking the place had hardly changed at all over the years.
Small cottages lined the road and then there was a butcher’s shop, a general store and finally the post office. ‘That must be Gwen’s cottage, just beside the shop,’ Kate said as the tractor slowed down and finally stopped. Bob jumped down and came to help them down.
Rose looked curiously at the small stone cottage; it looked just like something you saw on the lid of chocolate boxes, shethought. It wasn’t thatched though, the roof was of slate, but the windows were small and there was a miniscule garden in front full of flowers and a climbing rose around the front door, laden with deep pink blooms.
Gwen Roberts appeared in the door of the post office, a neat navy shop coat over her white blouse with its cameo brooch pinned at the neck, her brown hair confined tidily in a small bun, her dark, bird-like eyes full of delight. ‘Kate! Ah, isn’t it lovely to see you,’ she exclaimed as she hugged Kate and then turned to Rose. ‘And you too, Rose, how are you feeling now,
cariad
? Come on into the shop till I finish sorting out Mrs Davies’s parcel, then I’ll close up for lunch and we’ll get Rose settled and have a bite to eat.’ She turned to her brother. ‘Bob, will you wait for a cup of tea?’
‘No thanks, Gwennie, luv. Megan will have the dinner ready for us. No doubt I’ll be seeing you again soon, Rose, and it was a real pleasure, Katie, to see you. Megan said be sure to tell you to call in if you’re passing by.’ He waved as he climbed back on to the tractor and Kate and Rose followed Gwen into the shop.
Rose was introduced to old Mrs Davies who inspected her closely from head to foot. The whole village was aware that the girl from Liverpool who had recently been poorly was arriving today and she was pleased she was the first to see her. Then Gwen put the ‘Closed’ sign on the door and they went next door.
‘Oh, it’s lovely, Gwen! Haven’t you got some nice things? I remember that clock, didn’t your mam have it in the hall atBryn-y-Garn?’ Kate asked,
‘My, but you’ve grown up a fine woman, Katie Fairfax!’ he said in his musical voice, taking her hand.
‘It’s a long time since anyone called me that, Bob. It’s good to see you again. I hope the family are all well?’
‘Megan is looking forward to meeting you and those lads of mine can’t wait to meet young Rose but don’t worry, I’ll keep my eye on them,’ he laughed, turning to Rose. ‘She must take after her da, Katie, but you’re a fine-looking girl just the same and very welcome, Rose.’
Rose blushed as she smiled at him. He took her case and effortlessly stowed it on the back of the cart.
‘Cause quite a stir in the village with those looks, she will, Katie,’ he said quietly to Kate. ‘Now, I’ll give you a hand up.There’s clean straw and a rug over it so you should be comfortable. We’ll get back quicker than you would if old Glyn Morgan had come to fetch you in that little trap of his, the pony’s nearly as old as he is and can’t even manage a trot these days.’
To Kate’s relief they were both quite comfortable and as they drew out of the town and into the countryside she began to look forward to seeing Tregarron and Gwen again. Meanwhile Rose clung quite happily to the side of the cart, eagerly anticipating her first sight of the village.
When finally they reached the place where the road forked Kate pointed left. ‘Down there is Bob’s farm. They call that part of the road the “Garn”, it more or less goes in a complete circle around the village.’
‘So we’re here?’ Rose asked, noting a fine house with a yard behind it and a board which proclaimed it belonged to ‘Jenkins’s Builders & Carpenters’.
‘We are. There’s the school and chapel over there and beyond that is the forge, then over there is the lane that leads to the mill,’ Kate informed her gaily, thinking the place had hardly changed at all over the years.
Small cottages lined the road and then there was a butcher’s shop, a general store and finally the post office. ‘That must be Gwen’s cottage, just beside the shop,’ Kate said as the tractor slowed down and finally stopped. Bob jumped down and came to help them down.
Rose looked curiously at the small stone cottage; it looked just like something you saw on the lid of chocolate boxes, shethought. It wasn’t thatched though, the roof was of slate, but the windows were small and there was a miniscule garden in front full of flowers and a climbing rose around the front door, laden with deep pink blooms.
Gwen Roberts appeared in the door of the post office, a neat navy shop coat over her white blouse with its cameo brooch pinned at the neck, her brown hair confined tidily in a small bun, her dark, bird-like eyes full of delight. ‘Kate! Ah, isn’t it lovely to see you,’ she exclaimed as she hugged Kate and then turned to Rose. ‘And you too, Rose, how are you feeling now,
cariad
? Come on into the shop till I finish sorting out Mrs Davies’s parcel, then I’ll close up for lunch and we’ll get Rose settled and have a bite to eat.’ She turned to her brother. ‘Bob, will you wait for a cup of tea?’
‘No thanks, Gwennie, luv. Megan will have the dinner ready for us. No doubt I’ll be seeing you again soon, Rose, and it was a real pleasure, Katie, to see you. Megan said be sure to tell you to call in if you’re passing by.’ He waved as he climbed back on to the tractor and Kate and Rose followed Gwen into the shop.
Rose was introduced to old Mrs Davies who inspected her closely from head to foot. The whole village was aware that the girl from Liverpool who had recently been poorly was arriving today and she was pleased she was the first to see her. Then Gwen put the ‘Closed’ sign on the door and they went next door.
‘Oh, it’s lovely, Gwen! Haven’t you got some nice things? I remember that clock, didn’t your mam have it in the hall atBryn-y-Garn?’ Kate asked,
Similar Books
