Blood Brothers

‘I know that, but what I’m saying is, Joe would rescue the same lamb yes, but only because it pains him to see it caught up. The money it might bring at market wouldn’t even enter his head.’

Tom nodded. ‘Aye well, there yer have it. You see, our Frank has the same attitude as my own father, and there is nothing wrong with that! It shows he’s a hard-headed businessman. He sees everything in black and white, while Joe takes time to see the shades and the colours.’

‘Oh, and you don’t?’ She smiled knowingly.

‘Give over, woman. I’ve no time for all that!’

Embarrassed, he grabbed his newspaper and hid behind it. ‘I need some new specs,’ he grumbled. ‘The print on the pages gets smaller by the minute!’

Gently, Nancy drew the newspaper away. ‘You don’t fool me, Tom Arnold.’ She knew him like she knew herself.

Feigning anger, he wagged a finger. ‘Look! It’s hard enough to keep a family going if the crops are ruined or you lose an animal. Survival! That’s the thing, and don’t you be mekking any more of it!’

Snatching his newspaper he again buried his head in it. ‘Go on! Away to the window and watch for Joe!’

As she prepared to move away, he caught her by the arm. ‘I hope you know how much I love you, and how lucky I am to have yer,’ he declared stoutly.

‘Right, well just you remember that when you’re yelling at me.’

Her comment made him smile. ‘When have I ever yelled at you?’

‘Hmm. Have you got all day?’

Chuckling, he folded the newspaper and laid it on the arm of the chair,

A few minutes later, after returning from her disappointing vigil at the window, she came to sit beside him. ‘It’ll be so good to have our Joe home.’

Having settled herself into the chair, she sipped her lukewarm tea, while at the same time observing the state of the painted walls. ‘How long is it since these walls were painted?’ she asked.

‘Long time.’ Tom peeked over his newspaper. ‘Six or seven years…maybe more.’

Tom had to agree the place was looking the worse for wear, but he would never admit it.

‘Folks might think it all a bit jaded, that’s all I’m saying,’ Nancy pointed out.

‘What folks think is no concern of ours.’ Tom declared. ‘You need to remember, this place doesn’t belong to us. I’m sure that tight-fisted landlord won’t be shelling out money if he can help it, and we certainly can’t afford to redecorate. Not with the wedding coming up an’ all.’

‘Ah, well, not to worry, eh?’ Nancy was a sensible woman, and right now she had more important things on her mind. ‘Let’s just hope nobody comes back here after the celebration.’ She gave him a cheeky wink. ‘If they do, they’ll have to accept us as we are. As long as the wedding goes without a hitch, it doesn’t really matter.’

‘There won’t be any hitches,’ he promised cheerfully. ‘Not with you in charge, and half the village wanting to help.’

Nancy gave no reply to that, although she knew from experience that things could go so easily wrong. In her usual forthright manner, she had learned to take nothing for granted.

She proudly informed him, ‘Everything has been well organised. Flowers are arranged and paid for. The band is booked, and the suits for you and the boys are hanging in the closet; though Joe’s might need a tweak here and there, depending on whether he’s changed his shape since we last saw him.’

Tom was duly impressed. ‘Sounds to me like you’ve thought of everything.’

‘I hope so. I’ve gone over the menu for the meal, and now there’s just the wedding-cake. Seeing as I’m baking it, the cost is half what it would have been if I’d ordered one.’

She gave a little scowl. ‘It’s as well I’m doing the cake, because even Alice had to admit that her mother is a terrible cook. Apparently, she can’t even produce a proper Yorkshire pud!’

Tom chuckled. ‘There y’are y’see. It’s just as well you’re available then, isn’t it?’

In fact, Nancy felt well pleased with herself. ‘Mind you, Alice’s mother played her part in helping Alice choose the flowers. Though she wasn’t able to make Alice change her mind about having wild flowers in amongst the tulips and such. To be honest I reckon a mixture of colourful wild flowers will look absolutely gorgeous!’

There was one other thing. ‘In the end though Alice didn’t get much of a say in the wedding dress, she did manage to lose the idea of frills and bows like her mother wanted. Instead the dress will be sewn with daisies and forget-me-nots…all made out of silk and satin.’

Tom smiled in agreement. ‘Alice is a simple country girl at heart,’ he said softly. ‘She won’t have her head turned by expense and fancy, and I’m proud of that! If you ask me, she’ll walk down the aisle looking like a million dollars!’

Nancy’s thoughts had already turned again to her youngest son. ‘Everything is ready now.’ She glanced anxiously towards the window. ‘All we need is for Joe to show his face.’

Having had enough of the cold tea, she was quickly away, watching at the window again. ‘He’ll not show while you’re watching,’ Tom groaned. ‘Anyway, I thought you had umpteen jobs to get done?’

‘They can wait.’ She ran her finger over the smeared window. ‘Tom Arnold!’ Swinging round she confronted him. ‘You promised faithfully you would clean the windows, and they’ve not even been touched!’

‘Sorry, love. I’ll do it later.’ Shame-faced, he buried his head in his newspaper. ‘Just give me a few minutes, and I’ll get on with it…soon as I’ve chosen the winning horses.’

Minutes passed, and still there was no sign of Joe. ‘You’re right again,’ she muttered. ‘A watched kettle never boils.’

Just then she caught sight of Alice. ‘Oh, look!’ Pointing as though Tom could see from across the room, she told him, ‘There’s Alice. For a minute I thought it might be our Joe coming out of the barn.’

‘Give over, woman! If he is on his way back, he’d hardly make the barn his first stop, now would he?’

Returning to his newspaper, he blocked his ears to Nancy’s running commentary. ‘No doubt she’s off to collect the early apples. They’re keepers d’you see? If you leave them too late the insects burrow in, and they’re not worth tuppence. But pick them before they ripen and they’ll come up a treat after a few weeks in the barn.’

‘Don’t teach your grandmother to suck eggs.’ Tom had to put her right. ‘I were collecting keeper-apples when you were still in nappies.’

‘Oh, dear me I forgot!’ She gave him a derisory glance. ‘There’s nothing you can teach me about farming is there, eh?’

‘Nope.’

‘So, what about the potatoes last season? I suggested we get the potato crop in before the rains came, and you argued that the weather would be absolutely fine for at least another week. Two days later the skies burst open and it poured for days. So thanks to you we lost half the crop.’

He suffered her teasing for the next few minutes, while intermittently nodding and grunting, as though he was paying attention. If she paused he’d look up and say, ‘Really…well fancy that!’

‘I feel awful now.’ Nancy returned to the wedding. ‘I promised Alice I’d give her a hand with bringing the apples in, but there’s been so much on my mind I completely forgot.’

‘She won’t mind.’

In spite of his concerns with regard to Joe, he truly believed that in Alice, Frank had found himself the makings of a fine wife.

Alice had just placed the last of the keepers into the basket when she saw Joe going into the barn. She called out after him. Collecting the basket, she ran out of the orchard and along the shingle path to the big barn.

At the doorway she peered inside, and there was Joe, tenderly stroking the injured bird. ‘We’ll get you right,’ he told it softly. ‘You’ll soon be able to spread your wings and soar through the skies where you belong.’

Suddenly aware of someone watching him, he turned quickly. ‘Hello, Joe,’ she said softly. Putting the basket to the ground, Alice came forward, her face bright with a smile. ‘I wasn’t sure it was you at first. I only ever saw you the once, and then you were gone. That was a year ago now, wasn’t it?’ She remembered their first meeting, how quiet and shy he seemed, and how each time she glanced up, he was looking at her. There was something about Frank’s younger brother that made her nervous. For a long time after he left, she found herself missing him.

For a moment, Joe didn’t say anything. Instead he thought of that fateful day when Frank brought her home, and how he couldn’t take his eyes off her. And yes, it may have been a year ago, but to him it was like only yesterday.

So many times of late he had hoped that when he saw her again things might be different, but they weren’t. The feelings he had then were still there, haunting him. The very sight of her made his heart beat faster, and his throat was so dry he could hardly breathe.

‘Alice!’ He felt foolish, not really knowing what to say. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there.’

Closing the distance between them, she smiled up at him. ‘That’s because you were so intent on comforting the bird.’

Reaching out, she stroked the bird along its velvet, feathery neck. ‘He’s a falcon, isn’t he?’

‘That’s right,’ Joe confirmed. ‘I don’t think he’s long out of the nest. Maybe he hasn’t yet learned the art of diving for his prey.’

‘What’s wrong with him?’ Whenever a creature was hurt, Alice felt it deeply. Sometimes, when she was worried or feeling lonely, the creatures gave her a great sense of peace and time-lessness.

Even as a child, she had always felt far safer with animals than with any human – including her parents.

She thought of her mother, always arguing and fighting, thinking only of herself. She was a cold person, cold and selfish. Yet she could not hate her, nor could she love her. That was her deepest regret.

‘Is he badly hurt?’ She turned her attention to the falcon.

‘His wing is damaged, but I think he’ll be okay,’ Joe assured her.

Alice glanced along the run of stables where the two work-horses had their heads over the doors and were looking out. ‘You could put him in the empty stable.’

Joe had already seen that possibility. ‘I’ll need to protect him from the cats and foxes.’ He looked about him. ‘There should be an old cage in here. It used to belong to my pet rabbit when I was a boy.’

‘I know it!’ Excited, she ran the full length of the barn and there, behind some old corn barrels, she located it: a small, wooden box with a door at the side. ‘Here it is!’ Pulling it out, she stood it on the barrel. ‘It doesn’t look broken or anything.’ She continued to examine it as Joe made his way down.

‘It’s perfect!’ Placing the fluttering bird in Alice’s safe hands, Joe quickly filled the cage with a bed of hay, then he rummaged about until he found a suitable piece of cane, which he used for a splint. Skilfully shaving off the sharp edges, he then snapped off a length of bale twine and while Alice held the bird close, he secured the splint along the falcon’s damaged wing. ‘That should hold.’

Collecting the bird from Alice, he placed it in the cage and secured the door. He then searched for something to fill with water. ‘This’ll do!’ After unscrewing the deep lid from the top of an old storage jar, he went to the side of the barn where he washed it out under the tap, then he filled the container with water and placed it inside the cage near to the falcon.

‘Oh look!’ Alice was thrilled when the injured bird shuffled slowly along and, stretching out to reach the water, took a drink.

‘That’s good!’ Joe was relieved. ‘He’ll be fine now. I’m just wondering…maybe he’d be safer inside the house until his wing is mended?’

‘No!’ Alice rejected the idea. ‘I know he might be safer,’ she agreed, ‘but he would be so unhappy. He should never be put inside. Make him safe out here, where he won’t be too afraid. Please, Joe?’

When Joe looked down into those strong, blue eyes, he was deeply moved. ‘You’re absolutely right,’ he told her. ‘I wasn’t thinking.’

Quickly, he created a large harness out of a length of steel strapping. That done, he then secured it round the cage, and strung the cage from the rafters. ‘That way, it’ll be even more difficult for the foxes and cats to get at him.’

Together they went out of the barn and into the bright sunlight. There was something unique between them: a friendship born from shared experience.

Or something else, which was destined to have far-reaching and tragic consequences.

Inside the farmhouse, Tom was at the end of his tether. ‘Will you come away from that damned window. You’re making me nervous, to-ing and fro-ing, grumbling and muttering!’

He gave her an ultimatum. ‘Either you find something else to do, other than stand at the window fretting, or I’m off out down the pub to find a bit o’ peace…’

Nancy was past listening, because now she was hopping up and down on the spot, shouting at the top of her voice. ‘He’s here!’ With a screech of delight, she was out the door, leaving Tom with a parting rebuke, ‘I said he’d be here and I was right!’

Ambling to the door he watched as she ran headlong into Joe’s open arms. ‘That’s put a smile on her face.’ He observed Joe’s tall, capable figure, and that easy manner he had, and he felt proud. ‘Your mother’s missed you, son,’ he whispered. ‘We all have.’

He remained at the door for a moment, a smile on his face as he watched Joe swing his mother round in a hug. ‘It’s damned good to see you, Joe,’ he nodded his head. ‘When all’s said and done, it’s only right that you should be here to stand beside your brother.’

He began his way down the path, his gaze intent on Joe and Alice as they talked and laughed together.

Seeing them so close and natural had a deep, unsettling effect on him. Instinctively, he glanced towards the fields, looking for his eldest son; relieved to see that Frank was nowhere in sight, because if he had been, he would not have failed to see the magnetism between these two.

As he got nearer to the little group, Tom continued to chatter to himself, his voice a mingling of sadness and anger. ‘I’m no fool, Joe. Don’t think I didn’t see how you were, the first time you saw Alice. I’m sure you didn’t mean it to happen. I know you would never do anything to hurt your brother. That’s why you put a distance between yourself and Alice, but I can see now, you still have feelings for her.’

His voice hardened. ‘Remember, son…Alice and Frank are to be wed on Saturday, and you’ll be there to hand over the ring. In the eyes of the Lord and all that’s legal, they’ll be man and wife, and like it or not, you’ll be expected to give them your blessing.’

There was nothing more he wanted than to have all his family together. But thankfully, that was not about to happen. Besides, with two men, living under the same roof and wanting the same woman? His old heart sank. That would be a recipe for trouble, and no mistake!

‘Tom!’ Alice came running up the path to meet him. ‘Look! Joe’s here!’ Taking him by the hand, they approached Nancy and Joe, Alice all the while chattering excitedly. ‘I knew he wouldn’t let us down.’

Thrilled that at long last he was here to be Frank’s best man at their wedding, Alice reached up to kiss him on the cheek. ‘I forgot to thank you, Joe.’

‘Joe found an injured falcon,’ she informed them. ‘He’s made it safe in his old rabbit hutch.’

Joe was quick to hug his dad. ‘It’s really good to see you and Mum,’ he said fondly. ‘You’re both looking well.’

‘So are you, son, and I’ll want to know all about your travels later on.’ For now, he was interested in Joe’s find. ‘What’s all this about an injured falcon?’

‘Looks like a young one,’ Joe explained. ‘We’ve put a splint on its wing and bedded it down with a dish of water.’ He glanced towards the barn, ‘Given a few days I reckon it’ll be just fine.’

Tom grinned. ‘You haven’t changed, son,’ he said fondly. ‘You always did have a soft spot for anything injured.’

Glancing at his parents, Joe thought they hadn’t aged a day since he last saw them. ‘Look, Dad…Mum, I’m sorry I couldn’t make it earlier…’ he apologised. ‘Only…I had things to do…’

‘We understand, Joe love, and it’s all right. All that matters is that you’re home for the wedding,’ Nancy said warmly.

‘I’m glad to be here,’ Joe answered, though having seen Alice again, he suddenly wasn’t so sure.

Just a short while ago, he had started to feel more confident about being here. Until Alice had kissed him. With the warmth of her lips still burning his face, he realised more than ever how coming back here was a bad mistake.

But it was too late now. For all sorts of reasons.

Not a man for hugging, Tom gave his son a fond pat on the back. ‘Come on in, son. You can tell us what you’ve been up to.’

As the two of them went ahead, Nancy and Alice followed just a few steps behind.

Once inside the farmhouse, there was a real air of excitement. ‘Shall I go and get Frank?’ Alice asked eagerly. ‘He’s setting out the fencing posts in the top field.’

Tom thought that was a good idea. ‘Although, that fence needs finishing, but I expect you’d best run off and fetch him. No doubt he’ll be keen to see his brother. Matter o’ fact, he might want to take him into Bedford.’ He noticed how Joe had only a canvas bag, which was strung over his shoulder and appeared to be half empty. ‘Happen Joe might need to buy a new shirt or two?’

Nancy was having none of it, ‘Frank is not taking him anywhere! At least not yet. Joe’s only just arrived. He must be worn out and hungry. Let him rest while I get us all something to eat.’

Turning to Alice, she informed her, ‘Oh, and by the way, Frank isn’t in the top field. I saw him earlier on. By the manner of his route, I imagine he was away to plough the rough area down by the brook.’

Alice thanked her. ‘I won’t be long,’ she promised. ‘I’ll tell him he’s to come home, and that we’re all taking time out for something to eat…is that all right?’

Nancy smiled. ‘That’s it. Oh, and don’t you forget what I said…no paddling in the brook. You might frighten the ducks.’

At that Alice laughed. ‘They don’t mind me,’ she said.

While Joe was watching the two women, Tom noticed how Joe’s gaze was instinctively drawn to Alice. Just before, when Alice thanked Joe with that innocent little kiss on the cheek, Tom sensed it had unsettled him.

It was nothing glaringly obvious, and it didn’t seem to have attracted anyone’s notice as such. Even Alice herself had not realised the effects of that grateful little kiss.

Tom had felt it though; just like before when Joe was first introduced to Alice. There was a kind of undercurrent; a strong, palpable presence that wrapped the two of them together and excluded everyone else from the room.

It was a dangerous thing, and one that deeply worried him.

It was painfully obvious to Tom that his youngest son still harboured strong feelings for his brother’s woman. If anything, his absence had only fuelled the need in him.

He was grateful that for the moment at least, both Alice and Nancy had failed to sense anything untoward.

The truth was, he didn’t really know how to deal with it, other than sending his son away; right now, with the wedding so near and everyone excitedly looking forward to it, that was no easy option. Besides, he didn’t have the heart to do such a thing.

All he could do was keep a close eye on things, because one thing was certain. Here was a worrying situation, which could easily escalate out of hand.

Emotions were powerful things. They could cripple a man.

And sometimes, however hard that man might try, it was hard to keep control.

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