Chapter 40

That afternoon Mr. Brasher opted to go to a preserved railway known as the South Devon Railway. Abby questioned him about this and decided that it would be well worth a visit at some time, as from his description it reflected more closely the sort of railway that had existed here in the valley. She wanted to talk to James about the opportunity that Mr. Brasher's comments had suggested. She telephoned Lyney House and having no answer decided that he was probably out and about on Cassie. An impish smile crept over her face, as she thought that if she were to drive down to the station again, he would probably turn up. She was right. It was soon after she got there that she saw him riding along the track from the direction of Huish Coppice. His smile told her how glad he was to see her. Having dismounted he came close, but made no further move to greet her. Abby was not going to allow this. She moved up and raised her face to meet his lips.

"I thought we were not going to do this."

"I don't care." She replied. "Now kiss me properly." After a few minutes when neither of them could speak as their mouths were otherwise pleasantly engaged. James stepped back.

"Whew! You meant that." Abby had a very happy smile on her face.

"We are a very close Brother and Sister." this was said with laughter in her voice. "I did want to see you, so I thought that if I came here alone, you may well have turned up."

"I see. Am I that predictable then?"

"Oh no. Well only when I want you to be. I just think about you and you get a message."

"You witch." He grinned as he said this. Abby had a secret smile.

"Am I?" He nodded. "How nice. I never thought I could be a witch."

"Yes. A witch and a hussy. You deserve a good spanking."

"Ooh! That might be nice. I may let you do that, one day." They both laughed at the thought.

"Now why did you send me the message?"

Abby explained what Mr. Brasher had said about the Beef. "He thought that if his committee agreed they would want regular supplies. Could that be done?" James gave this some thought.

"Most of the regular slaughter is taken up by Butchers in the area, but I would think that they could increase production. But you had best talk to Roger, Harry, Nat, and Abe about it. They really are the ones who would be involved."

"Would they want to talk about it?"

"They would, but it is going to be difficult for you. Farmers are stubborn, independent blokes. You are a relative newcomer to the valley. Roger and Harry would be alright. But I think that Nat and Abe may not want to listen."

"Nat and Abe?" Abby queried.

"Nathaniel Gaunton and Abe Stone."

"Well you could talk with them, couldn't you?" He shook his head.

"No. I am the Landlord. They would view it as interference from the Squire. They have to be persuaded. Your best bet would be to talk to Sam first of all, then try and get Roger and Harry on your side. If they then chat to the others, it will not look so much as if you are interfering."

"I was going to talk to Sam anyway. If he doesn't come in tonight, I will drive down to Gallow Farm and see him."

"I wouldn't wait until tonight. Go down and see him now, he'll be around the farm somewhere." She agreed.

"I'll go down now."

"Right, I'll ride that way as well. I won't get involved, but if I can add anything I will be there."

Abby found Sam without difficulty. He took her into the cottage, where Mavis, ever pleased to see Abby made tea. Sam nodded his head wisely as Abby explained.

"I wondered why he questioned me so much about the farming here. Now it all falls into place."

"What do you think, Sam? I spoke to James and he said he would not get involved."

"Well we would be fools if we didn't explore any avenue that could give us a better income." He drank some tea before continuing.

"Let me get Roger in, see what he thinks." He went off to find his son. Mavis had listened carefully to what Abby had to say.

"Men! Always have to have a conference. It sounds like a great chance to me. But they will have to talk about it, look at it every way, and take so long that it will be months before they do anything." She was dying to ask Abby how she and James were getting along, but mindful of the talk that Sam had with her, she held her tongue. Sam had said nothing about the chat that he and Abby had. Preferring to let her think, like Mary, that any gossip now was likely to upset Abby.

Roger took little convincing. Even so he looked to his father for his agreement. "I like the idea, Abby. What should we do next?" Abby waved her hands defensively.

"Oh no. It's nothing to do with me. Mr. Brasher spoke to me about it and I am merely passing the message on." Roger didn't agree.

"You have to get involved, Abby. I like the idea, and I am happy to talk to the others. But we are all independent businesses. That's no good for your Mr. Brasher. He needs one point of contact. You are the obvious person." Abby shook her head again.

"But I know nothing about selling Beef, and I would imagine that Lamb, Pork and Chicken would also come into it. I don't know what prices should be charged, how the stuff is shipped, whether we have to go through a Wholesaler, what certificates are needed, nothing."

"That's no problem, we sell direct to Butchers in the area, so there is little difference to selling to what to all intents and purposes is a Catering establishment. The slaughter house in Paverton is registered, so all carcasses are certificated. Prices? Well I don't know what they are paying in London, but I am willing to bet that it is more than we get around here. I reckon that Farmers Weekly will be a good guide though." Abby wondered if she should protest again, then thought that she would make a concession.

"Well I am not saying I will do it, but I will have a look to see if I can access the information, and think about it. But I am new here. It doesn't seem right that I should interfere." Out of the corner of her eye, Abby saw Sam smile. He was a wily old Fox, and saw that Abby was making them come to her, rather than being seen as a newcomer trying to organise everyone. Roger promised to talk to the other farmers as soon as possible. Abby asked him if he thought that Mr. Brasher could have a joint or two to take with him.

"That's no problem; I'll get a couple of Top and Hips down from the Cold Room in Paverton." He turned to Mavis.

"I'll have a quick cup of coffee, Mum, then I shall have to be off." Abby took her leave, giving Mavis a kiss on her cheek, and walked outside to see James just arriving.

Sam, who walked out with Abby to see her off, greeted James. "Hello again, Mr. James. If you came for the conference, you're too late. It's all settled. But Roger is trying to persuade Abby to be our contact with Mr. Brasher. She's reluctant, so you will have to convince her." James dismounted and murmured to Sam.

"Sam, if you continue to talk with your tongue in your cheek, you are going to bite it off!" Sam grinned.

"Abby played a blinder." He turned to Abby.

"But you are going to have to keep it up. Nathaniel and Abe will be the difficult ones." James nodded.

"We will have to be careful with them. Try and make it look as if it's their idea. Are you leaving now, Abby?"

"Yes. But before I go, can I ask you both something? Is there any chance that you could be with me tomorrow? I have decided to open the Goods Shed, and I would appreciate you both being there." For neither one was there a conflict. Nothing would have kept either away.

Abby drove down to the station with Mr. Brasher, arriving just a few moments after Sam. Abby had already given Mr. Brasher the keys to the station, and after greeting Sam in his normal courteous manner, he went off to browse around the platform and station building wallowing in nostalgia. Sam's first words to Abby confirmed that Harry Webster was all for the idea of selling to Mr. Brasher's Club.

"He reckons we can get a much better price per carcass. Roger has gone to see Abe, and Harry is going to put the idea to Nathaniel. It seems to me that we are going to need your business brain before too long." Abby demurred.

"I don't know Sam. My business brain as you put it was trained in a very different business than Farming."

"Don't underestimate yourself, Abby. Commerce is commerce, whatever the product may be. Roger and Harry will talk the others round, and we will need someone slightly detached from us to handle the organisation, else there will be arguments galore." They were diverted by the arrival of James in his battered old Land Rover.

"Morning." He smiled, and without thinking gave Abby a kiss. Sam had the biggest smile on his face, so pleased that they felt they had no reason to hide their feelings from him. It didn't concern him at all that their parentage was in question. As far as he was concerned there was no possibility that they were brother and sister.

"I have brought some tools. I noticed that the door had been boarded up."

"Well I am glad the Army taught you to think ahead, Mr. James." Sam wanted to keep this a light as possible for Abby's sake.

"Yes, but it didn't teach me to keep my boots polished. Did it Abby?' This was lost on Sam, until Abby explained about the Porter at her Flat, and his comment to James. Sam understood the joke, and immediately compared his boots with those of James.

"Well it would appear that I didn't learn that lesson either, but then it was sixty years ago, so I claim old age as an excuse."

They strolled casually over towards the Shed, passing the station house on the way. Sam and Harry had fenced off a large area, installed a five bar gate, and gravelled the enclosed area. Abby was impressed.