Chapter  4

It was a cool, sunny, day in late autumn, around noon, when the stagecoach dropped James off at the Pump Rooms in Leamington Spa. 

From the Pump Rooms, he walked to the end of The Parade through the crowds of people shopping. He was much stronger now, but his tunic still sat a little loose on his shoulders. A group of children hauled bundles of wood and branches along the road, preparing for bonfire night. As he walked homewards, towards Leicester Street, a young dog skidded round a corner in front of him, a child ran past bowling a hoop along the pavement and horses and carriages clip-clopped their way along the broad streets. Walking along the pavements, dressed in his bright-red tunic, with his kit bag on his shoulder, he raised smiles and friendly nods from the people of Leamington and drew admiring glances from some of the bolder young ladies.

            He turned left into Suffolk Street, walked a few yards and then turned into the narrow cobbled alleyway that led up behind the houses. This route avoided his own house and took him straight to Kate's back door.

He had recovered well but his skull was misshaped at the back and he suffered frequently with blinding headaches, which often arrived without warning, leaving him weak and exhausted.

James longed to see Kate again and wondered why he had never had a reply to his letters. Perhaps she had not received them. Her only letter, before his accident, had seemed tense and repressed. Perhaps she was still furious at him for obeying his father and leaving her. But he had no option; he had thought she understood that, obviously not. He had misread her feelings and needed to make her see that he had been given an ultimatum by his father, and he had no choice in the matter. 

Tension clawed at the pit of his stomach as he arrived at the backyard door. It had been eight months... perhaps she had found someone else. With her bright blue eyes and long golden hair, her beauty was bound to attract other men and there would be no shortage of young suitors asking her to walk out with them. These thoughts had troubled him all through his convalescence, niggling at the hours spent with little to do but play cards in hospital and irritating him during his time at Midhurst, but now standing at her yard door, these feelings of misgivings were amplified. His hand went forward, trembling, thumb outstretched, to the latch on the yard door.

Would she greet him warmly? Had she missed him? Or would she be cold and offhand, or slam the scullery door in his face. His heart sank as he hoisted his kit bag up on his shoulder and pressed the iron latch on the yard door. Walking through the small yard to the scullery, he dropped his kit bag, removed his cap, smoothed his hair down, pulled at the bottom of his jacket and knocked on the scullery door.

            After a moment, he heard footsteps on the stone floor inside the scullery and Kate opened the door and stood there looking at him, her golden hair tumbling round her face in ringlets. It was a fleeting moment between sight and recognition but to James, it seemed an age.

"James? James! Is that you? Oh dear lord it is you!" She tried to straighten her hair, pressing down on the bone comb that held her ringlets back whilst smoothing her threadbare apron and saying, "I didn't expect you! But this is wonderful!"

In a split second her face registered surprise, consternation and delight.

She jumped up throwing her arms round his neck sending a searing pain through the back of his head making him wince but she was so ecstatic she didn't notice.

"What... are you home on leave? How long do we have together?"

"Calm yourself Kate." He laughed, the relief welling up inside him, and revelling in the welcome, he threw his arms round her slim shoulders.

"You've lost weight James. And your pallor... something's wrong isn't it my love?"

"I've left the army Kate."

"Oh... that's wonderful news but what's happened? What will your father say?"

"I haven't spoken with him..."

"Look at us... stood here on the back doorstep," her heart-shaped face looked up at him. "Where have you travelled from? Have you had a long journey?"

"Yes I am tired Kate. I have so much to tell you and my head aches. Are you alone?"

"Yes. Mam's away at the washhouse. She has washing to do for half of Leamington, she'll be away until dusk."

James followed Kate into the tiny scullery. A pile of folded bed linen sat on a sheet on the floor taking up about a third of the space in the small room. Several shirts hung over a clotheshorse, steaming in front of the black, iron, cooking range. A wooden rack, supported by ropes on pulleys, hung a few feet over the clotheshorse and the air in the scullery was warm and humid. She moved the clotheshorse to one side, ducked beneath the sheets and ladled some simmering pea soup into a bowl from the big black pot that sat on a gridiron over the coals. Placing the bowl on the small table, she cut a hunk of bread and brought a wooden chair from a corner of the room. James dropped his kit bag and seated himself.

Between mouthfuls of soup, he told Kate what had happened and by the time he had finished eating, he had told her everything. He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand and pushed the empty bowl away. "Dear God but that was good. I was ready for that."

"Oh my Lord," said Kate. "I all but lost you James." She stooped to put her arms round his neck, this time more gently, and kissed him full on the mouth at the same time tracing her fingers lightly over the back of his head. Savouring each other, they lingered, in each other's arms, before James broke away to kiss her softly on the forehead

"I have missed you so much Kate. I have thought about you every day and dreamed of you every night. I hope I didn't talk in my sleep," he smiled. "I wrote to you several times. Did you not receive my letters?"

"No my love. Nothing," she said grasping his big hand in hers. "I thought perhaps the cost of the halfpenny stamp was too much for you to bear," she said laughing.

"And I thought you were still angry with me for leaving you."

"Never mind. You are here now. What does your father say?"

"I haven't been home. I had to see you first. I can't tell you how much I have missed you. I don't care what my father says; I want to be with you..."

"James, you have to be careful of him. He mustn't know we are together again."

"I'll have to tell him. I cannot keep this secret Kate; I know what I'm to do. I've had so much time to consider."

"Leave it for a short while. Regain your fitness and get fully better. You're in no condition to quarrel with your father at present."

"But once he knows we are together again, he will realise sending me away hasn't worked. There is only one thing he can do now because of my injury and that is take me in to the family business, there is no alternative.

"You mustn't rush James. Less haste. The first thing to do is to get properly well," she kissed him again on the lips and he pulled her to him.

"When do the rest of your family return Kate?" he said.

"Father is working and living on a farm near the village of Wilmcote, over Stratford way. Leonard and Albert are working on the canals somewhere. Everyone else is away."

"Then we have time my sweetheart, much time." He slid a hand round her waist and drew her to him.

"Please James..."

"Shhh my darling let me show you how much love you..." he kissed her hard, pulling her down to the floor, his hand searching beneath her apron, and into her blouse, for the fullness of her breasts. She parted from his lips, smothering his face with kisses. "James, I have missed you so... you know I love you, but this is fearful, we mustn't... please..."

Her blonde ringlets fell forward over her face as the comb slipped from her hair and fell to the stone floor with a clatter. He swept the curls from her eyes and brushed his lips over her ear down to her throat, kissing her neck, and then back to her ear whispering "I love you." Her stomach churned with anticipation and her heart pounded against her ribcage. She pulled away, "James...you have been away too long... please... I have missed you so... I love you..." He enveloped her and she could feel him, even through her skirts and petticoats she could feel him, and his hand came away from holding her crushingly to him and followed the contour of her waste over her hip, down along the length of her leg. Her skin tingled as she felt his hand on her ankle and as he slowly lifted her skirts, she trembled and pulled him to her.