BooksBarbecue
Back Plough the Furrow
Chapters (53)
  1. Cover
  2. Title page
  3. Dedication page
  4. One
  5. Two
  6. Three
  7. Four
  8. Five
  9. Six
  10. Seven
  11. Eight
  12. Nine
  13. Ten
  14. Eleven
  15. Twelve
  16. Thirteen
  17. Fourteen
  18. Fifteen
  19. Sixteen
  20. Seventeen
  21. Eighteen
  22. Nineteen
  23. Twenty
  24. Twenty-one
  25. Twenty-two
  26. Twenty-three
  27. Twenty-four
  28. Twenty-five
  29. Twenty-six
  30. Twenty-seven
  31. Twenty-eight
  32. Twenty-nine
  33. Thirty
  34. Thirty-one
  35. Thirty-two
  36. Thirty-three
  37. Thirty-four
  38. Thirty-five
  39. Thirty-six
  40. Thirty-seven
  41. Thirty-eight
  42. Thirty-nine
  43. Forty
  44. Forty-one
  45. Forty-two
  46. Forty-three
  47. Forty-four
  48. Sow the Seed
  49. Reap the Harvest
  50. About the Author
  51. ALSO BY MARGARET DICKINSON
  52. Acknowledgements
  53. Copyright page

Robert Eland nodded and hurried away whilst Esther ran lightly upstairs to check on her sleeping daughter. Kate was not given to night terrors any more. Esther stood over the bed looking down upon the angelic face of her child. She bit the edge of her thumb and glanced around the room. The night-light! She dare not leave that burning. She put it out and then drew back the curtains. It was a clear, frosty night and the moonlight flooded the room. Kate would not be frightened now, even if she awoke.

Downstairs Esther checked that the fire in the range was out. Now everything was safe, she reassured herself. Within minutes she was half-running, half-walking up the lane towards the Grange and branching off towards Rookery Farm. The coldness of the night banished all sleep from her eyes. Ahead of her she could see the figures of the other men and women from the Point, all hurrying towards the glow in the sky that all farmers dread to see. As she neared the farm, she could smell the acrid smoke and see sparks showering into the night sky, dancing against the blackness and drifting dangerously towards the other stacks in the yard.

Between the burning stack and the well, they formed two chains, one to pass the water and one to return the empty containers for refill. They used anything they could lay hands upon. Two boys – Peter and Luke Harris – worked the well bucket, and the women and children made up the human chains, whilst Tom Willoughby and Robert Eland were nearest to the burning stack.

‘I don’t see Martha and that sister of hers taking their places,’ Esther remarked to the woman nearest to her and, turning to glance at her, found herself looking directly into the dark eyes of a familiar face illuminated by the flickering light from the fire.

Esther caught her breath. ‘Beth!’ The name escaped her lips before she could stop herself.

‘Hello, Esther,’ Beth said quietly. As she passed a full bucket of water to Esther, their eyes met and held for a moment, until Esther turned away briefly to pass on the bucket. Her gaze was drawn back to the woman at her side standing patiently waiting for the next bucket to reach her.

Esther searched about her mind for something to say. But it was Beth who asked, scarcely above a whisper, ‘Have you heard any news from him lately?’

There was no need to ask who she meant.