Barrier Read online

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No, no, you had to ask. Come, the sun’s going down, and you’re probably hungry.”

  Inside, the house was easily the most cramped yet cosy space I had ever set eyes on.

  The entire downstairs could not have been much larger than our common room inside Boundary. The thick walls were crisscrossed with timber beams, the low doorways causing Gregory and Andrew to bend their heads to avoid scraping them. In the kitchen, the quarry-tiled floor was worn by many generations of feet. The furniture was basic, with a pine Welsh dresser displaying an assortment of odd dishes, and two worn armchairs sat on either side of an old cooking range. A ceramic sink with a wooden draining board stood in one corner, while in another the narrow staircase wound upwards to a dark second floor.

  What drew my eyes was a handmade table that seemed to swallow all remaining floor area, for upon it was a delicious supper that smelled simply heavenly. Everyone sat down around it, chatting, waiting for Julia and I to sit down before beginning.

  “Cor, what we got ’ere, Aunt Jule?” Kitty asked, nearly drooling as she surveyed the steaming pots. “I ain’t eaten properly in days. Food’s gettin’ so bloody scarce in the cities.”

  “No swearing at the table please, Kitty,” Julia scolded. “We’ve got roast parsnips, pork, and the garden veggies. I’ve got a pie in the oven for pudding too.”

  I sat down, awkwardly wedged between Charlie and Anna on a stool that seemed seconds away from shattering underneath me. Kitty was opposite, stuffing carrots into her mouth before they even touched the plate, rather like how Penny… No. I wasn’t there anymore. I wouldn’t lose myself in pretending.

  “Harriet, could you flick the light on please?” Julia glanced up from spooning peas onto James’s plate. “Dark at six o’clock. Winter isn’t waiting for the war to end.”

  I flinched as the bulb above our heads whined before flickering on, casting a steady light about the place. Bulbs weren’t as homely as candles, also the science behind electricity blew my mind, but I understood that it must be much safer than having small fires everywhere.

  “It won’t be much longer until we’re short on food too,” Andrew mused. “We’ll be reduced to curds and cabbage by Christmas, that’s what they say. Our food stocks are running low.”

  “I hate cabbage,” James offered.

  “Cabbage don’t taste like nothin’.” Kitty winced, prodding her pork thoughtfully. “Can’t really like it or dislike it.”

  “I’m not worried about you fussing, Kitty,” Andrew chortled. “You’d eat a gallon of uncooked worms if that was all that was available. It’s old picky-pants over there, and our new schoolgirl who I think might struggle a bit when we’re stuck chewing roots.”

  I felt my face burn red. Staring at my plate, feeling glances ricochet off me from all over the table, that familiar longing to be amongst my old friends again resurfaced with vengeance.

  “Don’t listen to him,” Anna whispered. “He’s just trying to get your attention.”

  Andrew’s cheeks burned a bright red, and he didn’t speak for the rest of the meal.

  “More parsnips, Evelyn?” Julia asked.

  “Actually, Mrs Pearson, I’m quite tired from the journey today. Would you mind if I turned in for the night? The food really is lovely, but I’m nearly falling asleep at the table,” I admitted, hoping I wasn’t sounding too overly polite. I meant it, of course, but I couldn’t forget the mimicry of the girls at my schools. ‘Sickly sweet’, they’d jeered.

  Julia stood up, wiped the corners of her mouth with a napkin, and excused herself. I did the same, legs shaking a bit as I stood up.

  “You know I was only joking,” Andrew muttered as I rounded the table to the staircase. He leaned forward so that only I could hear.

  I gave a stiff nod, saying nothing, wondering again how I was appearing to them.

  Up the creaking staircase, I was shown a tiny room that was more like a cave than bedchamber. It had a peculiar window that touched the floor and rose to about knee-length, so that one would have to kneel to see out of it. With only a wardrobe for furniture bedsides the bunk bed, it felt claustrophobic compared to the hall-like room I had slept in during my school time.

  “It’s all we can squeeze you into, I’m afraid,” Julia said, reading my expression. “This used to be where Robbie and Peter slept…but you’ll share with Kitty now. She’ll chat until her breath runs out, but her heart is in the right place.”

  “You’ve a lovely family.”

  “Yes. I’m lucky. Anyway, enough of the chat…I’ll be serving breakfast at six o’clock on the dot so we can start our chores nice and early. You can start out doing mainly domestics in the house with me. We’ll see how the boys do outside before we assign positions. Besides, the surveyor, Mr Farrington, is coming tomorrow so it might postpone things a little bit.”

  “Is there much dirty work to do then?” I wrinkled my nose, thinking of the animal smell and muddy fields outside.

  “Oh, yes. Even in the autumn and winter.” Julia laughed, and bent down pulling the curtains for me so that the room was thrown into a dim, pinkish light. “Bathroom is the third door to your left. And remember you can only fill the bath tub with a maximum of five inches of hot water. Goodnight!”

  I waved her away with a tired smile, exhaling slowly when the door shut. It was going to be a long, long war.

  I changed into my nightdress, and tiptoed over to the bathroom with my little soap bag. It was a freezing room, tiny and slightly mouldy around the edges, so I didn’t linger for too long.

  As I tied curlers into my hair, jumping slightly as Kitty pounded on the door, a peculiar thought floated through my drowsy mind.

  Farrington?

  Somewhere in the darker recesses of my memory, an alarm bell was ringing.

  No, it couldn’t be. I was overreacting. By the time I’d jumped into bed, I’d pushed the thought straight out of mind, deciding it was nothing more than a coincidence

  Chapter Three

  Beatrix, our housekeeper, had always told us that we could sleep in until whenever we wanted, as our bodies knew exactly how much rest we needed. Being unceremoniously awakened by Kitty’s rough drawl wasn’t exactly the best way to wake up, and I felt my head pound as all the events of the past day came rushing back to me.

  “That ain’t funny, Anna! It’s bloody freezin’, I could o’ gone into shock, you know!”

  “Shut up, Kitty! If Mum catches you swearing when James can hear you, she’ll have your guts for garters!”

  “Stuck-up cow,” Kitty snarled, slamming the door behind her as she stomped into my room. She had flung a towel around herself, her hair lying in soaking wet rattails, and her teeth chattering in her jaw. “Could o’ told me she’d just wasted all the water, but no, just stood there watchin’ whilst I nearly die of—hey, aren’t you awake yet, Evelyn? Breakfast is going to be finished if you don’t hurry up.”

  I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, shivering as feeling crept into my toes. Peeling away the blanket, I swung my feet onto the carpet and forced myself to stand up. What I saw nearly made me jump back in bed; Kitty had dropped her towel and was rooting around in her suitcase for a dressing gown, stark naked.

  “Sorry.” She shrugged, seeing my mortified expression. “Want me to get changed in the bathroom?”

  I nodded stiffly, squeaking, “I think that would be best, if you don’t mind.”

  She left with a handful of clothing and a hairbrush, and I quickly shut the door behind her.

  That was another thing that had been difficult to adjust to. Inside Boundary, we’d worn corsets and full skirts and collars that had covered our necks. We’d had gloves and bonnets, petticoats and stockings, and the boys had worn waistcoats, jackets and proper trousers. Here, I wore shirts (shirts!) tucked into knee-length skirts with stockings and cardigans. Propriety just didn’t matter quite so much as it had, which took a lot of adjusting to.

  Behind the curtains, th
e sun had risen slowly over the rolling horizon, bringing with it a soft glow that lit all the frost-encrusted trees and fields with gold. Everything was fresh, new, and peaceful, and for a moment the scene mesmerized me, having only woken up to two different views in my entire life. There was no better distraction.

  After brushing my black curls into position and fastening all my buttons, I opened the door again. Harriet was standing outside the bathroom, a glassy expression on her face. Anna was bickering with Kitty inside over a hairbrush, and from downstairs I could hear Andrew arguing with Julia, and James shouting something over and over again.

  “It’s a madhouse,” Harriet whispered, not looking at me and directing her voice to the wall. I paused, unsure if I was meant to respond. “They’re not happy you’re here. You’re making them angry.”

  “You mean your family?” I frowned, confused. “I…I was under the impression Julia wanted me to come. I thought she needed the help.”

  “No. I mean the Others,” Harriet corrected, blinking rapidly as if there was something in her eye. “They’re not here now, but they were watching you last night. They were here a few minutes ago. They aren’t happy you’re here.”

  “Who are the Others?” I asked, a shiver creeping down my spine. “I don’t understand.”

  Harriet opened her mouth, finally turning to me, but at that moment the bathroom door opened and Anna came storming out, fuming.

  “…Not like she lives here, self-entitled—Harriet? Are you all right?”

  “They visited Evelyn a few minutes ago,” Harriet explained. “You know, the Others. Don’t tell me I’m crazy again, I’m trying to help.”

  “I’m going to have some breakfast,” I offered awkwardly, seeing Anna’s face fall even further. “Thank you for your help, Harriet.”

  I felt the twins’ eyes on my back as I crept down the stairs. Harriet had a point: what sort of madhouse had I walked into?

  The smell of fried eggs greeted me as I walked into the kitchen, and thankfully everyone had settled their arguments and had sat back down. Julia gave me a tight, but still warm smile, flipping an egg onto a plate and setting it down on the seat between Andrew and James. The older men were out in the fields already, I learned, preparing for the surveyor.

  “Hello, Evelyn. Sleep well?”

  “Yes. Well, I got a very interesting wakeup. But the room is perfect, thank you.”

  “Harriet?” Julia asked, amused. “Ignore her. She’s looking for attention, has been ever since Robbie and Peter left for war and I…anyway, just ignore her. She’ll try to scare you by acting all spooky, but there’s no substance behind what she says and she’ll go back to normal once she realizes you’re not falling for it.”

  “Thanks.” I offered a forced smile. “I guess I’m just on edge already about trying not to mess up here.”

  “Oh, you won’t mess up, not with Mum organizing.” Andrew chuckled. “She’s determined to prove to the men that she’s capable of controlling everything.”

  “Until your father gets home, at least,” Julia reminded him, gently pushing a fidgety James outside. “Are you all right to work outside today, Andrew? Greg, Pat, and Charlie are going to do a general tidy up for when the surveyor arrives, and the girls won’t be able to tend to the animals by themselves. Get James to feed the chickens, then—”

  “Cows, horses, and pigs. I know, Mum.” Andrew laughed, limping over to the sink. “I suppose you’ll want me to show Evelyn the ropes?”

  “No, we’ll start her off inside for now. I need help doing the chores.”

  “All right. I’ll go get the girls.” He seemed a little disappointed. I waited until everyone had left, then turned to Julia. “Can I help you with anything?”

  “Dishes first. I can wash if you dry.”

  She handed me a tea towel that smelled strongly of milk, and began piling plates onto the counter in front of me. I stared at them for a few minutes, trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing, and then tentatively began to wipe them with the towel so that the bubbles vanished and they looked somewhat dry.

  “You realize you have to do each plate individually,” Julia pointed out, and I couldn’t tell what the expression was on her face: either amusement or disbelief. She picked up the first plate, and showed me the puddle of water trapped between the stack.

  Blushing furiously, appalled that I couldn’t do something that simple without help, I began drying them properly. It was a tedious task, and twice they nearly slipped out of my hands, but after probably half an hour I was rewarded with a pile of clean, dry dishes all ready for their next use.

  “I’ve finished!” I called, pleased, wiping my hands and even going so far as to put them away in the correct cupboards.

  “Perfect!” Julia exclaimed from upstairs. “Now we’ll just have to work at speed. I’m just cleaning the bathroom. It looks like a whale was splashing around in here after those girls! Then I’m going to pop to town and get some things for lunch, so would you be a sweetheart and put the laundry out to dry?”

  “Hang out the…” I trailed off, trying to figure out what that could possibly mean, yet too proud to ask.

  Julia rushed past me down the stairs, pinning her hair up as she went. “I’m going to have to make a rule about bathroom cleanliness,” she muttered, pulling on a coat and grabbing a handbag. “Do you know what you’re doing, then? Or do you want me to show you quickly before I go?”

  “I’m fine,” I lied, cursing myself the second I’d said the words.

  Julia raised an eyebrow, studying me for a moment before buckling her shoes and plodding outside towards the car.

  I waited until the drone of the engine had grown faint before collapsing into a nearby chair, running a hand through my hair. What was I doing here? I didn’t know how to do anything, including handle my host family, and on the first day had succeeded in making a fool of myself. I felt stupid, I felt useless, and I had no idea what in the world ‘putting out the laundry’ entailed.

  Don’t cry. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.

  I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand, going back to step one. Laundry was dirty clothes that had been washed—that much I did know. As for putting it outside, there was only one place that she could be referring to.

  I found the hamper of neatly folded, damp clothing on the cellar stairs, so I hauled it over to the side door, even though my back felt as if it was going to snap from the weight. From the doorway, I could see it was warming up outside, with the frost already beginning to melt thanks to the morning sun, but I couldn’t help shivering under my thin cardigan. In front of me, there was nothing but a muddy garden and beyond it acres upon acres of barren farmland. I could hear the others chatting around the other side of the house, where the animal barns and paddocks were, so I was glad to be out of sight around this side.

  I took an uncertain step, and the mud squelched as my foot made contact. Other foot, right foot, left foot…it was painstaking work, trying to wade through the sticky mud and carry the hamper at the same time, and by the time I reached the yard again, I was wheezing from lack of breath and had sloshed dirt all the way up the back of my skirt.

  Right. I did a quick scan to try and figure out where I was supposed to put the clothes, and my eyes were drawn to a thin wire pulled tightly between the side of the house and a concrete post about ten feet away. If I hung the clothes over this wire in a certain way, then maybe, just maybe, they would dry from exposure to this crisp air.

  There was a worn paper bag in the hamper, containing a multitude of wooden clip things, so I moved them out of the way before pulling out the garments one by one. They were damp and heavy under my fingers, and when I reach up to hang them over the wire, they bunched up in a way that would keep them wet for ages.

  On my tiptoes, not quite tall enough to reach the wire with ease, I flung the next shirt over the wire and pulled it flat. I felt stretched, and a little dizzy from having my head tilted back for so long. To make matters worse, ther
e were another thirty pieces to go.

  “This is why people have housekeepers,” I muttered with a touch of bitterness. Boundary truly was a world away.

  Minute by agonizing minute, I pulled out the clothes on the line in what I hoped was the proper fashion. It took me over an hour to empty the entire basket onto the line, and towards the end everything became rather clumped up. I wiped my hair from my face, turning over the hamper so that I could sit down upon it for a minute.

  My head fell into my hands, my eyes closed, and for a moment I think I dozed off.

  Then a dull splat shattered through my dreams, and I snapped bolt upright. Every single item had slipped off, and was now lying in the defrosted muck, ruined. Every. Single. One.

  “Oh no,” I moaned, jumping up and running over to where the largest pile was. Julia was going to be so mad!

  My foot caught in the mud, and I tripped over before even realizing what was going on. I gave a small gasp of disgust, jumping back up again and wiping the soggy dirt on my apron.

  Mud had saturated the clothes, now completely encrusted and dried in crinkled positions.

  I twirled a strand of hair as I always did when I got frustrated, then jerked my hand away when I realized it was covered with sludge from the ground. I was filthy.

  “Come on, come one,” I begged the clothing, as if it would all spring back up on the line again, clean as before. “Please!”

  I picked up a pair of trousers, trying to convince myself that a simple brushing off would do the trick

  “Urgh!” I squealed in annoyance. I flung them back onto the ground and crossed my arms, wincing as the mud began seeping through my dress.

  Then I realized I was being watched.

  This day just kept getting better.

  “You know, Evelyn, talking to clothing has got to be a sign of madness,” Andrew observed, a hint of a smile curling upon his lips. “Just because Harriet has imaginary friends, it doesn’t mean you need to compete with her.”