A Kind Man Read Free Page B

ancient gravestones set out anyhow, like the sheep on the opposite hill. Ancient but for a handful. The village was all but gone save for three or four cottages. Now and then a person died but few were buried here.
    The first time she had ever come, quite by chance and years ago, Eve had felt a strange surge of rightness and belonging, something she had never known before. They went to church as a family for Christmas and Easter, she and her sister had been baptised and confirmed in the parish church in the centre of the town, a great, granite place with a chill in its bones. She had always felt a formal reverence and respect but never any closeness.
    So that when the time had come, she had unhesitatingly picked St Paul-Alone for the burial. There had never been a doubt, and Tommy had gone along with her wishes, knowing how she felt. He had a deep sense of what was good and even holy but no connection with any church or chapel.
    No one else was here. The sheeps’ cries and the bleating of the lambs came to her now on the wind. Another lark sang high out of sight.
    No one had understood why she had chosen this place and she had not felt able to explain, just insistedover and over again that it must be, and Tommy had agreed and stood by her even if he too had not fully understood. It was others who murmured together and felt resentful. She had ignored them and never for one moment regretted what she had done. Her feelings had been absolute and could not have been gainsaid.
    The path was grassy and dry. They had not had heavy rain for weeks. Her footsteps made a soft brushing sound as she stepped over the old, leaning gravestones, patched with yellow and grey sponge moss and lichen. Some had lettering too worn to be read, others had whole words obscured. Some she now knew by heart.
    Joseph Garnett. Born 1802. Died 1870 .
    And his wife Adeline .
    ‘And he shall stand at the latter day.’
    In loving memory of Samuel Pettifer .
    And of Mary Pettifer of this parish .
    And their children Maud, Archibald, Victoria .
     
    She stopped again to wonder as always who Mary Pettifer was, wife or mother or daughter, and why her dates of birth and death had not been carved.
    Surgeon Captain Makin Lownes ,
    a gallant officer and comrade .
    Born 1789. Died at sea, 1824 .
     
    One by one she counted them, read them, set them aside, and so, slowly, made her way to the far end.
    It was set a little apart from the old graves, but the stone no longer looked raw and smooth, the wind and rain that drove up the hill in winter had pitted and darkened it.
    There was a shallow rectangle cut from the grass and edged with more cut stone laid flat.
    Eve held her breath for a moment. Whenever she saw it again, at the moment she read the lettering, her heart seemed to stop in its beating. The first few times she had longed for it never to start up again.
    Jeannie Eliza Carr
    Aged 3 years
    Beloved daughter
     
    She knelt down and brushed a few leaves away, then laid the branches of white blossom carefully down on the grass.

5
     
    AT FIRST they had lived with Tommy’s mother in the terraces behind the works and Eve had dreaded it, being shy and not knowing how Rose Carr liked things and how she would fit into the household. But it was easy enough, though crowded. Tommy had a brother with whom he had used to share a room and Alan had had to move into the box room. He had not seemed to resent it, or even to notice, but Eve had felt uncomfortable and after a few months only they had moved out when one of the houses on the opposite side of the terrace came free. It was pleasant enough and she tried to make the best of it but it was dark morning, noon and night, because the works buildings loomed over it and, having a north aspect, no room was ever lightened by the sun.
    She was happy with Tommy Carr. He was indeed‘a kind man’, thoughtful, quiet, gentle, undemanding, eating anything that was put in front of him, tidy and clean, unwilling to put her to any