Lintwood Farm Chapter 25

Chapter 25

"So how are things with Antony" Ellie asked Jennifer as they went through paperwork for the shop

"What do you mean" Jennifer asked

"Well you've been spending a lot of time together over the past few months and I can tell you like him" she looked at Jennifer

"Well, ok, I like him, I really like him but I don't know if he likes me" Jennifer said

"Of course he likes you" Ellie said

"How do you know" she asked

"Well, one, I can tell by the way he looks at you, two, he spends a lot of time here, three, he finds any excuse to come to the shop, four, why wouldn't he and five, he told us"

"What when and who's us" Jennifer asked surprised at what she had just heard

"In the living room the day Patrick was born, everyone but you, Ian and Auntie Maria were there" Ellie looked at her "Jenny you should tell him how you feel, it could be the best thing to ever happen to you"

"I know, I really like him, I'll think about it" they continued with their work,

"Where's Patrick" Jennifer asked

"With my Mum, she'll bring him through when he needs feeding"

     "Ellie, Patrick needs feeding" Nicky brought Patrick though an hour later

"Thanks Mum" Ellie took her son and started to feed him, Bonnie had followed her grandmother through with Meg in tow

"Mummy, Patic started crying" she told her mother

"I know darling, he's hungry at the moment"

"How much have you got left to do you two" Nicky asked

Not much, I can finish it on my own" Jennifer replied

"Great, I'm going to do some laundry, I'll also wash today's dirty nappies to save you the trouble later" Nicky told Ellie

"Thanks Mum" Nicky left the room. A short time later Ellie burped her son,

"I'm going to take the kids into the living room and make a fire, are you going to be ok" Ellie asked Jennifer,

"Done, I'll join you for a bit, cup of tea" Jennifer put all the paperwork back into the right folders and went to make a pot of tea. They sat in the living room, fire roaring, playing a game of cards while Patrick slept and Bonnie sat on her Mother's knee, Ellie notice a newspaper dated at the end of January lying under the coffee table, she picked it up,

"Auschwitz has been liberated, how did I miss this" she looked at Jennifer

"Yes it has it was only a few weeks after Patrick was born, you were asleep when Dad brought the paper home. I think there's still one active, hopefully they will liberate that one too"

"Yeah hopefully. Maybe this war is finally nearly over" Ellie said looking at the paper

"I hope so, I can't stand carrying this around anymore" Jennifer held her gas mask up which was in its box,

"I know and Chrissie has left hers lying around again" Ellie held up Chrissie's gas mask "Can you watch Patrick and Bonnie whilst I got give it to her"

"Sure"

"Thanks Jenny" Ellie got up, put her coat on and went out to the Chicken run,

"Chrissie Pickard" Ellie stood at the gate to the run holding a cardboard box with a piece of string. Chrissie sighed and walked over to get it,

"I thought you wouldn't find it" she took it and put it around her shoulder

"You know you need to wear it until the war is over"

"But I'm sick of wearing it" Chrissie complained

"You're not the only one" Ellie turned and went back into the house. Five minutes later Maria walked into the house

"Hello everyone, how are we all" she said as she sat in the armchair

"We're great thanks, how are you Auntie Maria" Ellie replied

"I'm very well, I've found a place for my new pub" Maria told them

"Ooo where" Jennifer asked

"That big abandoned house, you know the one that burnt down just after you moved here Ellie"

"Oh yes, the one just down from the bus stop. But Auntie Maria that's been completely damaged, you'll have to knock it down and start from scratch" Ellie expressed

"That's what the Mayor said, but he said it was a great idea and I should talk about it at the impending meeting that's still waiting for a date to be set"

"Well we will have to wait for the war to finish first, there is no point starting something if it's just going to get blown up" Ellie told her Auntie

"Good point" Jennifer said

"Where's your Mother" Maria asked

"Doing the laundry" Ellie told her

"Oh really, I should have brought mine" Maria smiled, Ellie and Jennifer laugh.

     "Oh is that the time, I should get dinner on" Ellie said a few hours later. She was still sat in the living room with Jennifer and Maria, Bonnie had been playing on the floor, Patrick lying in Ellie's arms, she got up and made her way towards the door,

"Here let me take him off you" Maria stood up and took Patrick from Ellie's arms

"Thank you Auntie Maria"

"I'll bring him though when he's hungry" she sat back down and rocked Patrick back and forth. Ellie went into the kitchen and made dinner, a beef stew that smelt delicious. She set the table even a place for Maria who didn't stay for dinner often anymore, since the farm had been fully restored Maria had been off doing her own thing. As soon as dinner was ready she called everyone though, Ian and Louis where a bit late due to being in the fields.