Setting the record straight

Brenda drove slowly along the winding lanes. The dogs had been tossed around quite enough for one night. As soon as they arrived at Grange Farm, Soppy jumped out and attended to the dogs who had travelled with Steele. They were shivering and whimpering in the cold, having been tied up to the back door of the barn.

Brenda sat quietly for a few minutes trying to take stock of the evening's events. She was exhausted and ached from the crash. Her head was pounding and all she wanted to do was have a hot bath and go to bed. The rumblings from her tummy told her that she was also hungry.

One of the dogs in the back began whining pathetically. The noise broke into her thoughts. She got out, opened up the rear door and peered in. The dogs wagged their tails and stared up into her face with their large brown eyes. She led them all to the barn.

Soppy had just finished dealing with the first set. He had rubbed them down, fed and watered them. He grinned broadly at Brenda:
"Soon 'ave 'em all settled, then us can go to Mrs 'annaford and get 'e sorted."

As they were dealing with the last four dogs, Brenda decided to ask the question that had been on her mind for sometime.

"Harry, why doesn't Mrs Hannaford like me?" She held her hand up to stop him denying it. "No, Harry, I know she doesn't. I can see it on her face."

"Tain't 'e, Brenda. Tis just," he paused. "Tis just she thinks you'm spying for Redbourne. She don't like that. She says you'm tellin' tales on 'er and me."

"Spying for Redbourne." Brenda was shocked. "My God, Harry, you don't think that, do you?"

"Dunno. Usually, Mrs 'annaford knows what's what."

"Well, this time she doesn't know! This time, she's got it all wrong!" She shook her head. "I'm going to have to put her right, Harry."

The kitchen was warm. A fire crackled in the range. On top, a large tureen of soup was bubbling. Freshly baked bread stood on the kitchen table, an inviting smell wafting round the cosy room.

"Wherever you been?" Mrs Hannaford asked anxiously. "You should've been back long ago." She peered at Brenda. "Oh my Lord! What's 'appened to 'e? Let me see." She examined Brenda's head closely. Then she fetched her medical box from the top of the sideboard. She dabbed iodine onto the cut which caused Brenda to cry out in pain. "Hush now!" Mrs Hannaford said. "Tis better us gets it clean." Then she put a large plaster across the cut.

The three of them sat round the table and Mrs Hannaford served out the soup and bread. Soppy began relating the events of the evening, sparing no detail. All the while, Mrs Hannaford watched Brenda closely, observing the exhaustion on her face.

"You've got me all wrong, Mrs Hannaford." Brenda said, at last. "I'm no more a friend or ally of Redbourne than you or Harry. But when you find yourself without a husband, no job, no money and rent to pay - then needs must. I was beaten unconscious, threatened and frightened sick. What could I do but try to get a job with Redbourne, he owed me, after all. What my husband did for him, I don't know, but Redbourne owes me and I'm going to make sure he pays." She looked over at Mrs Hannaford who was staring fixedly at her soup. "I know you don't like or trust me. I don't expect you to like me, why should you? You don't know me. But, I promise you I am not here to spy on you or Harry. I'd never do that."

"I don't think she would, Mrs 'annaford." Soppy butted in. "You should 'ave seen 'er with that Davey bloke. 'e treated 'er real bad - worse than 'e treats the dogs. Redbourne weren't any better to 'er either."

Mrs Hannaford kept her own council. She brought out a huge apple pie and cut three slices. Then she covered each slice with thick, rich custard before handing them out.

The meal continued in silence. Brenda let the warm sweet custard soothe her. She sat back and closed her eyes. For the first time that day she relaxed. Mrs Hannaford watched her and began to wonder whether her first impressions had indeed been wrong.

Nightmare Drive

Charlie Davey was visibly staggering as he approached the shooting brake. Brenda and Soppy had already loaded the dogs into the back and Soppy had put down three straw bales for them to rest and travel more comfortably. Then, he had gone to the van that Steele was driving to settle the other dogs in there.

Brenda sat hunched up in the front of the shooting brake, leaning as far away from the driver's seat as possible. Davey climbed in and slammed the door. Then, starting up the engine he began driving out of the Halfway track at an alarming speed. Once they reached the high-hedged lanes, the dogs began barking because the brake swerved round the bends and they were thrown against the bales.

"Bloody dogs! Shut up! Shut up!" Davey yelled and banged the dashboard. The smell of beer was almost overpowering.

Brenda reached for the dashboard to steady herself. In an instant, Davey noticed and grinned:
"What! What! Scared are we? Scared? I'll show you what's bloody scary, darlin'"

He pressed the accelerator down hard and swerved into the next bend. The rear wheels began spinning on the greasy damp surface and the brake went into a skid. With horror, Brenda saw the bank coming at them. She braced herself as they slammed into it.

Some seconds later Brenda stirred, blood was trickling down her forehead and nose. The dogs were whimpering in the back. She looked across towards Davey. He was slumped across the steering wheel and was unconscious. A deep gash ran across his face. Blood flowed from it onto his jacket. Getting out of the car, Brenda opened up the rear door. The straw bales had protected the dogs from the hard sides of the brake but they were shivering and sounded quite piteous. She stroked them in turn and spoke gently to them.

Car headlights rounded the corner, Redbourne was at the wheel, Tracey perched on the seat next to him. The car stopped and Redbourne got out.

"What the hell's going on here?"

As he approached the brake, Steele's van also rounded the bend and came to an abrupt halt. In a flash, Soppy was out and running over. Brenda was relieved to see him.

"Is Midnight okay? What about Pippa and the others?"

"They're frightened but those straw bales saved them from anything worse than being shaken about." Brenda said.

"What about you?" Soppy asked. "You've cut your 'ead quite badly." He reached out and touched her gently, evident concern in his blue eyes.

"I hadn't noticed, too shocked, I suppose, and worried about the dogs."

For Soppy, that was the turning point in his attitude towards Brenda. That she was concerned for the dogs' welfare, when she herself had been hurt, said it all for him. He would tell Mrs Hannaford she was wrong about Brenda. If she cared for animals, she was alright by him.

Steele and Redbourne, meanwhile, had been taking a closer look at Charlie Davey. Steele could not have cared less about the dogs and he turned angrily on Soppy and Brenda.

"What about Charlie, eh? Not bothered about him?" Steele was almost snarling.

"He was blind drunk and driving like a madman, He could have killed us all."

"Drunk? Not Charlie. He can hold his drink. You must've upset him, you bitch!"

"Shut up, Ted." Redbourne said. "He needs to see the Doc and pretty quick. I can't take him, I'm going with Tracey to a drinks party, one I can't afford to miss. You'll have to get him there. Take the dogs back to the farm, drop them off, then go on to McBride's place. I'll phone him and tell him to get to his surgery." He turned to Soppy. "You and Brenda get the brake out of the hedge and get back to the farm."

"I can't drive, Mr Redbourne." Soppy said.

Redbourne muttered a stream of obscenities and slammed a fist into his palm.

"I'll drive." Brenda said. Redbourne looked at her in surprise.

"You? Can you drive?"

"I drove munitions trucks during the war. So, yes, I can drive." Her tones were sardonic and bitter.

"Fine then! You drive. Okay, Ted, get on with it, let's put Charlie in the van and you set off. I'll get to a phone and tell McBride that you'll be there in about three-quarters of an hour." He turned to look at the dogs in the shooting brake. "Dogs alright? Bloody hope so! Don't want to loose any dosh on them. What do you think, Soppy?"

"Won't know till I get a proper look back at the farm."

"Give them a rub down and make sure they're fit to run at the next meeting." Soppy bristled. He didn't need to be told how to look after the dogs. But he said nothing. "Well, we'll all be off now. You two make bloody sure you get back in time to see to the dogs in Ted's van."

Soppy and Brenda watched the two vehicles disappear. As Redbourne's car passed, Tracey gave her a disdainful glance before saying something that made Redbourne laugh.

It was cold, it was drizzling and Brenda was shaking with shock and anger. Tracey's look was the final straw. Steele drove passed giving a dagger's look at her and Soppy.

"How'm you goin to get out of the bank?" Soppy asked.

Brenda took in a deep breath and tried to smile:
"With difficulty, Harry. But it would be a great help if you directed me from the side and watched out for any cars that might co0me round that bend."

"Right you are." Soppy was pleased to be useful.

Brenda doube de-clutched and gingerly put the brake into reverse. Slowly by several manoeuvres, she got the vehicle onto the lane. In the mirror, she could see the relief on Soppy's face. He climbed in beside her and smiled.

"Nice bit of drivin, Brenda. Didn't know you was so good at it! You could drive my tractor at the farm."

Brenda realised that coming from him, this was a real compliment and it made her feel a whole lot better about herself. Damn Redbourne, Steele and Davey and damn that stuck-up Tracy. Brenda decided she would stick it out and see them all to hell and back. She pressed gently on the accelerator and drove them back through the dark lanes.