Gregory lost his temper. Following Grendon back into the cowshed, he swung the bottom of the two-part door shut, and bolted it on the outside. When Grendon came back, he did not budge.
“Joseph, what’s got into you? Why are you suddenly so heartless? Surely your wife needs you by her?”
His eyes had a curious blind look as he turned them at Gregory. He held the pitchfork before him in both hands almost like a weapon as he said, “I been with her all night, bor, while she brought forth her increase.”
“But now”
“She got a nursing woman from Dereham Cottages with her now. I been with her all night. Now I got to see to the farmthings keep growing, you know.”
“They’re growing too much, Joseph. Stop and think”
“I’ve no time for talking.” Dropping the pitchfork, he elbowed Gregory out of the way, unbolted the door, and flung it open. Grasping Gregory firmly by the biceps of one arm, he began to propel him along to the vegetable beds down by the South Meadows.
The early lettuce were gigantic here. Everything bristled out of the ground. Recklessly, Grendon ran among the lines of new green, pulling up fistfuls of young radishes, carrots, spring onions, scattering them over his shoulder as fast as he plucked them from the ground.
“See, Gregoryall bigger than you ever seen ‘cm, and weeks early! The harvest is going to be a bumper. Look at the fields!
Look at the orchard!” With wide gesture, he swept a hand towards the lines of trees, buried in the mounds of snow-and-pink of their blossom. “Whatever happens, we got to take advantage of it. It may not happen another year. Whyit’s like a fairy story!”
He said no more. Turning, he seemed already to have forgotten Gregory. Eyes down at the ground that had suddenly achieved such abundance, he marched back towards the sheds.
Nancy was in the kitchen. Neckland had brought her in a stoup of fresh milk, and she was supping it wearily from a ladle.
“Oh, Greg, I’m sorry I ran from you. I was so upset.” She came to him, still holding the ladle but dangling her arms over his shoulders in a familiar way she had not used before. “Poor Mother, I fear her mind is unhinged withwith bearing so many children. She’s talking such strange stuff as I never heard before, and I do believe she fancies as she’s a child again.”
“Is it to be wondered at?” he said, smoothing her hair with his hand. “She’ll be better once she’s recovered from the shock.”
They kissed each other, and after a minute she passed him a ladleful of milk. He drank and then spat it out in disgust.
“Ugh! What’s got into the milk? Is Neckland trying to poison you or something? Have you tasted it? It’s as bitter as sloes!”
She pulled a puzzled face. “I thought it tasted rather strange, but not unpleasant. Here, let me try again.”
“No, it’s too horrible. Some Sloane’s Liniment must have got mixed in it.”
Despite his warning, she put her lips to the metal spoon and sipped, then shook her head. “You’re imagining things, Greg. It does taste a bit different, ‘tis true, but there’s nothing wrong with it. You’ll stay to take a bite with us, I hope?”
“No, Nancy, I’m off now. I have a letter awaiting me that I must answer; it arrived when I was in Norwich. Listen, my lovely Nancy, this letter is from Dr. Hudson-Ward, an old aquaintance of my father’s. He is headmaster of a school in Gloucester, and he wishes me to join the staff there as a teacher on most favorable terms. So you see I may not be idle much longer!”
Laughing, she clung to him. “That’s wonderful, my darling!
What a handsome schoolmaster you will make. But Gloucester that’s over the other side of the country. I suppose we shan’t be seeing you again once you get there,”
“Nothing’s settled yet, Nancy.”