Chapters (73)
- Cover
- Dedication
- PART ONE
- ONE
- TWO
- THREE
- FOUR
- FIVE
- SIX
- SEVEN
- EIGHT
- NINE
- TEN
- ELEVEN
- PART TWO
- TWELVE
- THIRTEEN
- FOURTEEN
- FIFTEEN
- SIXTEEN
- SEVENTEEN
- EIGHTEEN
- NINETEEN
- TWENTY
- TWENTY-ONE
- TWENTY-TWO
- TWENTY-THREE
- TWENTY-FOUR
- TWENTY-FIVE
- TWENTY-SIX
- TWENTY-SEVEN
- TWENTY-EIGHT
- TWENTY-NINE
- THIRTY
- THIRTY-ONE
- THIRTY-TWO
- PART THREE
- THIRTY-THREE
- THIRTY-FOUR
- THIRTY-FIVE
- THIRTY-SIX
- THIRTY-SEVEN
- THIRTY-EIGHT
- THIRTY-NINE
- FORTY
- FORTY-ONE
- FORTY-TWO
- FORTY-THREE
- FORTY-FOUR
- PART FOUR
- FORTY-FIVE
- FORTY-SIX
- FORTY-SEVEN
- FORTY-EIGHT
- FORTY-NINE
- FIFTY
- FIFTY-ONE
- FIFTY-TWO
- FIFTY-THREE
- PART FIVE
- FIFTY-FOUR
- FIFTY-FIVE
- FIFTY-SIX
- FIFTY-SEVEN
- FIFTY-EIGHT
- FIFTY-NINE
- SIXTY
- SIXTY-ONE
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Keep Reading …
- About the Author
- Also by Barbara Taylor Bradford
- About the Publisher
‘Aye, I do. Two brothers. Winston, who wants to join the Royal Navy, and me dad won’t let him go yet. Me mam’s not well, and Dad says if Winston runs off, it’ll be the last nail in her coffin.’ Emma let out a sigh, and finished, ‘And there’s me younger brother, Frank, who’s clever. He’d like ter be a writer on a newspaper. One day. But I don’t know how he’ll manage that.’
‘He could go to night school, like I did,’ Blackie said swiftly, wanting to cheer her up. She suddenly looked so sad.
Instantly, a smile flashed across her face. ‘Will yer tell me how ter make that happen later?’
‘It’ll be my pleasure, Emma. I want ye to know I’ll help ye any way I can.’ He looked down at her and added, ‘I believe we’re going to become good friends, and that pleases me.’
‘And it pleases me, too. I’ve never had a real friend before, and I’m glad it’s you, Blackie O’Neill.’
FIFTY-ONE
The two of them walked towards the crest of the hill in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Emma was dwelling on her mother’s ill-health; Blackie was focusing on the repair work he had to do at Fairley Hall: chimneys, flues and some outside walls between the stables. Five days’ work and several extra, if needed. Good money though. That was important.
Unexpectedly, Emma laughed and started to run, shouting over her shoulder, ‘I’m going ter yon gate.’
He smiled as he watched her flying across the field. When she arrived at the white-painted gate, she unlatched it, stood on it and swung forward, laughing once more as she went backwards and forwards, enjoying herself.
When Blackie joined her, he said, ‘Here, let me give ye a good push!’ He did this several times, delighted that she was having fun in a girlish manner.
A few moments later, she jumped off the gate, and said, ‘We got ter get moving, Blackie. I don’t want ter be late.’
‘How far is the Hall?’ Blackie asked, striding out beside her.
‘Ye’ll see it in a few minutes, when we get ter that moor in front of us.’
Silence fell between them once again. Several times he glanced down at her and saw that her face was now set in more serious lines. And he thought she even looked a bit anxious. But he made no comment. After all, they had only just met a short while ago.
After climbing up the hill, they were finally on top of the moor which overlooked a small valley. Emma looked out across the River Aire below, and then turned to face Blackie. ‘That’s where they live!’ she exclaimed, pointing to a house in the valley.