The Flyer by Stuart Harrison Page B

enough of them motors to make it worth my while, I’ll be dead,’ he joked.
    Over the following week Reynolds’ cough improved, and when it was time for William to return to Oundle his father was feeling much better. As they drove to the station they talked about what William would do at the end of term now that he wasn’t going to Oxford. William tried to reassure him that everything would be alright, and that he would think of something.
    ‘You just look after yourself,’ William said.
    They shook hands on the platform, and when the train pulled away from the station William leaned out of the window and waved until his father was out of sight. Alone in the carriage, he gazed out of the window at the passing fields. Part of him was looking forward to going back so that he could see Emmaline again, but during the past few days he’d become increasingly anxious. It had been terrible being unable to write to her, and after three weeks he was convinced that she would have forgotten him, or even worse - that she had somehow discovered the truth about him before he could tell her himself, and now she despised him.
    When the train arrived at Oundle station he looked eagerly out of the window to see if Emmaline might be waiting for him on the platform. He was disappointed that she wasn’t there, as he’d told her before he left which day he would be returning. He was sure it was a sign that she was lost to him, and as he walked into the town he felt miserable. A black mood descended over him. He wished he’d never seen Oundle. The constant loneliness he’d endured over the years he’d been there seemed pointless now. As did everything he’d learnt. Without money none of it meant anything.
    He was close to the square when he saw Emmaline walking towards him. His spirits soared for a moment, and then plummeted again when she faltered as soon as she saw him. There was no happiness in her expression, only a kind of trepidation at having to face him. There wasn’t much else he could do but continue and so he tried to put on a brave smile.
    ‘Hello,’ he said when they met.
    Her eyes darted from his. ‘Hello.’
    ‘How are you?’
    ‘I’m very well, thank you. Did you enjoy your holiday?’
    Her manner was polite, but no more than that and he saw at once what would happen. They would exchange bland pleasantries and go their separate ways, and he would never know what had changed her mind about him. He shook his head.
    ‘Not really. I couldn’t stop thinking about you.’
    To his surprise, Emmaline suddenly smiled. ‘Did you really? I thought you would have forgotten about me.’
    ‘I could never do that.’
    ‘I’ve been worrying continuously. I thought you’d meet some girl at home who’s far cleverer and prettier than me.’
    ‘I’ve never met anybody even half as pretty as you,’ he told her. He was deliriously happy, and it struck him that the misery he’d endured while he was away was almost worth it just to feel like this. ‘Where are you going?’ he asked.
    ‘To the station. I’ve been looking for you on every train from Brixworth.’
    ‘Shall I walk you home?’
    ‘Yes. But let’s go by the river where it’s quiet.’
    As soon as they were within the shelter of the trees they fell against one another and kissed.
    ‘I could kiss you all day,’ Emmaline said when they parted.
    He kissed her again and decided that he would tell her about Oxford tomorrow.
    Several weeks of the summer term passed. They met as often as they could, but time was always short and William never felt it was the right moment to tell Emmaline the truth. As time went by she talked increasingly about introducing him to her father, but William always found a reason to put the occasion off. One day she told him her birthday was approaching and she’d asked her father if she could invite a friend for lunch.
    ‘Do you mean me?’ he asked her, alarmed.
    ‘Yes, of course. I’ve already told my aunt that I’ve met a young