Classic Bestsellers from Josephine Cox: Bumper Collection. Josephine Cox
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of paraffin. After that he would make his way to Tooley’s Café for an early lunch, and, hopefully, a glimpse of Amy and the boy.
On the other side of the market, Amy had pulled Johnny into a nearby doorway. ‘The wind’s getting up strong,’ she said, fastening the top button on his coat. ‘We don’t want you catching a chill, do we, eh?’
The boy stood patiently while she tightened his belt and drew his cap down low over his forehead. ‘Are we going to see Daisy?’
‘Later,’ she answered. ‘First I need to get a few things from the market. We won’t stay out long, though. It’s much too cold for a bairn like you.’
Glancing up at the dark clouds, she tutted. ‘If I’d known it was going to be as bad as this, I’d never have brought you out.’
‘I like coming out.’ Johnny slid his hand into hers. ‘I don’t like it when you leave me behind.’
‘Well, that’s all very flattering, lad!’ Stepping out on the cobbles again, Amy tickled him under the chin. ‘I thought you liked staying in the shop.’
‘I do,’ he said, ‘but only when you’re there.’
She laughed. She really enjoyed Johnny’s company, and whenever she could, she would take him with her, if only to give Maureen time to visit her husband in prison – a secret between them – or to hunt for some suitable job to which she could take Johnny, and which continued to be difficult to find.
‘Come on now, Johnny.’ Grabbing him by the hand Amy tugged him out of the doorway. ‘Let’s get the shopping done, then we can go and see Daisy.’
They hadn’t gone far when they came face to face with Luke. He had purchased his paraffin and was also on his way to Tooley’s Café.
‘Hello, young man.’ He addressed himself to Johnny, but it was Amy he really wanted to speak to.
Johnny was thrilled to see him again. ‘Oh, Amy, look!’ He began jumping up and down on the spot. ‘It’s the man.’ He stopped jumping to ask Luke wondrously, ‘Have you got your friend with you?’ He stared about. ‘Can I see?’
Luke shook his head. ‘I’m sorry, son,’ he smiled. ‘She won’t come out of the forest. She doesn’t like people very much.’
‘She might like me?’ Johnny’s face had fallen with disappointment. ‘I won’t frighten her.’
‘I know that,’ Luke acknowledged. ‘As a matter of fact, if she was ever going to make a new friend, I’m sure it would be you,’ he humoured the little fella. ‘Only she won’t come out of the forest, you see, not for anybody.’
Johnny’s disappointment melted into a bright, eager smile. ‘We can go to her.’ He looked up at Amy with pleading eyes. ‘We can, can’t we, Amy? We can go to her, and she’ll make friends with you as well?’
Amused, and pleasantly comfortable in Luke’s company, Amy refused. ‘I’m sorry, Johnny. We can’t go to the forest,’ she told him gently.
‘Why not?’
‘Well, for a start, we haven’t been invited, and it’s rude to invite yourself.’
‘Consider yourself invited,’ Luke interrupted; though why he had said that, he didn’t know, because he had never yet invited anyone to the cabin, and had no intention of doing so. And yet here he was, inviting Amy without a moment’s hesitation. Suddenly, and quite unforeseen, he realised that, if he could manage to persuade her to visit, in a strange kind of way he would be living his dream – or at least beginning to. From an inauspicious start suddenly this Tuesday would indeed be special.
‘See, Amy!’ The boy was delighted.
Amy was flustered. ‘It’s very kind of you,’ she told Luke, before addressing Johnny. ‘Sorry, sweetheart, but we can’t go. I haven’t done my shopping yet. And, anyway, your mammy will be expecting you back soon.’
‘Mammy won’t mind,’ his face dimpled into a mischievous little grin, ‘so long as you don’t run away with me.’
Amy laughed. ‘No, I won’t do that,’ she promised. ‘But I do need to go and see Daisy … I told her I’d be there, and you know how she watches for us.’
Having pleaded with Amy and got nowhere, Johnny turned to Luke. ‘Please, Mr … tell her, will you?’ he urged. ‘It’ll be all right … tell Amy it’ll be all right.’
Luke put out his arms in a gesture of hopelessness. ‘It looks like your Amy doesn’t want to come to my log cabin.’ He turned to her. ‘We’re not ganging up against you. Only, like Johnny here, I really would like you to come back with me, if only so you could meet my special friend.’ Gesturing to the paraffin, he added hopefully, ‘I’ve got my paraffin, so I can promise you the best cup of tea you’re ever likely to get.’
Dangerously tempted, Amy looked from one to the other. ‘I don’t know … I did promise Daisy …’ The Tuesday man had such a gentle but sad face, and he was so good with Johnny that Amy instinctively felt safe with him. Besides, hadn’t he already saved the little boy from serious harm?
‘Please Amy! Please!’ The boy’s voice cut through her thoughts. ‘Daisy won’t mind, I know she won’t.’
Sshing him, she asked Luke, ‘If we were to come with you – and I’m not saying we will – we’d need to be back here within a couple of hours.’ I must be crazy, she thought. What am I thinking of? Yet she really did want to go.
Excited by the possibility of having her near for even a short time, Luke answered assuredly, ‘Fifteen miles either way, and twenty minutes at the cabin. There’s time enough.’
‘Oh, please, Amy!’ Sensing that she might be weakening, the boy couldn’t keep still.
‘I don’t even know your name,’ Amy told Luke. ‘We’ve hardly met.’
‘You can call me Ben.’ Though he had impulsively invited Amy and the boy to his sanctuary, he wasn’t yet ready to let his name be known. ‘I’m quite amiable, and I really do make the best cup of tea in Lancashire. Moreover, I’ll have you both back here so you’ll still have time to do your shopping and see your friend Daisy. But, it’s up to you. If you agree to come along, that would be wonderful. If you refuse, I would understand, and there would be no hard feelings.’
‘Are you sure it would be all right for me and Johnny to come to your cabin?’ Amy asked worriedly. ‘What would people say?’ She was thinking of Jack and Daisy in particular.
‘None of their business,’ he answered firmly. ‘Besides, you and the boy are the only two who know about my hideaway, and I would ask that you don’t divulge it to anyone.’
Amy readily agreed to that. ‘As you say, it’s none of their business. In any case, from what you say, I expect we should consider ourselves highly honoured. Should we?’
When she softly laughed he laughed with her. ‘You most certainly should!’ he declared. ‘And when you see my humble cabin, I hope you’ll give me your honest opinion.’
His laughter felt companionable to her and, warming to him by the minute, she conceded, ‘All right! Me and little Johnny would be happy to come with you, as long as you get us back here within two hours.’
‘Agreed.’ His whole face lit up and Amy knew he was genuinely delighted. Gesturing towards the perimeter of the marketplace he told them grandly, ‘Your chariot awaits.’
As they climbed into the car, Johnny was excited, and Amy was amazed at such luxury: smooth carpet and red leather seats, and even a soft blue rug to cover their knees. She’d already begun to realise that Luke was not in any way an ordinary working man, despite his workaday clothes. His voice was a bit posher than her father’s or Jack’s, and his hands were smooth, with neat nails.
‘This is a