Road to Berry Edge, The Read Free

drink with the best of them, but Nancy had seen his black Irish eyes shining with merriment, and his white even teeth, his handsome face and thick dark curls. He was a catch, a steel melter, he made good money. Vera had introduced them and Nancy thought that Sean McFadden had the warmest wickedest eyes she had ever seen.
    He had asked her to go for a walk with him the following day, which was Sunday, and then he took her back for tea to his mother’s house. Nancy wasn’t expecting that. Their house was immaculate and the sandwiches were small and cut into diamond shapes. The teacups had roses on them. Nancy had been very afraid that she would spill her tea.
    Michael was there. He looked so much like his brother that Nancy was taken aback at the resemblance. He had fine dark straight hair, but apart from that he could have been Sean. In the front room, wanting something to say, Nancy admired a carved wooden horse on the mantelpiece, one of several carved animals in the room. Sean said grudgingly, ‘Our Michael made it. They don’t give him enough to do down the Diamond pit, he has time for such foolishness at home.’
    â€˜It’s lovely, Michael,’ Nancy said, wanting to touch but not doing so under Mrs McFadden’s hawklike gaze.
    That summer when Sean was free they went out together. They spent time walking when it was fine, having picnics on the riverbanks in Durham or going around the shops where he bought her small presents which Nancy tried to refuse.
    One day in September, when she was alone and her father was at work, there was a knock on the back door. When she opened it, Michael stood there.
    â€˜I brought you a present,’ he said, offering the package in his hands.
    â€˜A present for me? You’d better come in,’ Nancy said.
    He followed her into the kitchen. Nancy glanced hastily around, wondering if it was nearly as clean as his mother’s kitchen would be. She took the package and thanked him, and asked him to sit down. She unwrapped the package. It was a wooden horse, beautifully carved and polished.
    â€˜Oh, Michael, it’s lovely. You did this for me?’
    â€˜You liked them, nobody ever said anything before.’
    Nancy made tea.
    â€˜Are you thinking of marrying our Sean, Nancy?’ he asked after they had talked generally.
    â€˜He hasn’t asked me but I hope he will. Why?’
    â€˜Nothing, I just wondered.’
    â€˜You don’t like each other, do you?’ Nancy said, realising the truth.
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Why not?’
    He looked directly at her. His eyes were not wicked like Sean’s; they were hard and dark and clear.
    â€˜I’m not going to call our Sean to you, Nancy. We’re brothers, we fight.’
    â€˜I know that. I know he has bad points, he goes to the pub too often and he - he swears. But I care about him.’
    Nancy saw Sean that Sunday. He lay on the rug in her front room and went to sleep, but when she came back infrom washing up he opened his eyes and said, ‘Where did you get that carved horse?’
    â€˜Your Michael gave it to me.’
    Sean opened his eyes wide.
    â€˜Our Michael did? I thought … When?’
    â€˜Tuesday, he came over.’
    â€˜Nobody told me. So that’s it.’ Sean sat up. ‘It’s our Michael you want really, not me,’ and he laughed and pulled her into his arms. ‘I think he fancies you, I really do think so.’
    â€˜Don’t you like him, Sean?’
    â€˜He’s always trying to tell me what to do, ever since my dad died. He’s only a year older than me and he’s got no right to come round here making up to you.’
    â€˜He wasn’t making up to me.’
    â€˜What else do you call it when he gives you presents? If it was anybody else, that’s what you would call it, the dirty sod,’ and Sean got up and took the wooden horse from the dresser and threw it into the fire.
    Nancy was