‘Well, it shouldn’t be. We should fight it.’
Grace turned, saying urgently, ‘You can’t fight this, Caroline. It’s bigger than us. If you try, people will just tear into you and destroy your life. Believe me, I’ve seen it.’
‘I remember what you told me about that other girl,’ Caroline said awkwardly. ‘But this isn’t the same. There’s no one on this farm who would treat you badly. Not even Violet. She’s got a good heart, for all her sharp ways.’
‘What about the boys in the village who gave me a hard time? Have you forgotten about them? All it would take is one word in the wrong place, and we wouldn’t be able to walk down the village street without folk staring at us.’
‘Let them stare!’ Caroline cried passionately.
‘You’re only saying that because you don’t know how awful it feels.’ Grace shook her head grimly. ‘No, you’d leave, and I’d never see you again. Is that what you want?’
Caroline blenched. ‘Of course not. But I love you, and you love me. Why shouldn’t we be together? It’s nobody’s business but ours.’
Grace laced her fingers with Caroline’s. ‘Maybe one day, yes. But not right now. Not while we’re still working as Land Girls. After we leave here, we could get a flat together. Maybe in a big city where people don’t look too closely at young women living together.’
Caroline flushed. ‘I would love that.’
‘But we’d still need to be careful. Wherever we live, there’ll always be people pointing fingers, saying nasty things, getting us sacked from our jobs. It’s a hard road to follow. Are you sure you wouldn’t rather settle down with some nice fella and have half a dozen kids?’ Grace met her eyes. ‘I wouldn’t blame you.’
‘But I’d blame myself.’ Caroline bit her lip. ‘I can’t believe you’re willing for that to happen rather than stand up and fight.’
Grace groaned. A tear squeezed out from under her eyelid, running down one dark cheek. ‘You don’t understand … My whole world fell apart last time. But it’s not just about me, love. It’s about you too. I couldn’t protect my girlfriend, and I had to watch while she was hounded, while she had stones thrown at her, and there was nothing I could do about it. I don’t want to see you hurt like that.’
‘Did you love her as much as you love me?’ Caroline whispered.
Grace sighed. ‘I thought I did. But I love you to bits, Caroline, and it feels more powerful than it was before.’
Caroline nodded, understanding. ‘Yes, Selina was everything to me. It broke my heart when she left. But thenI met you …’ She smiled. ‘I love you more than I ever loved Selina, I see that now. Only, you say we can’t even act on it.’
Grace’s lips twitched. ‘Oh, we can act on it,’ she whispered. ‘We just can’t be caught, all right?’
After a last kiss, they headed back down to the farmhouse, strolling hand in hand until the first bend. Then, by mutual silent agreement, they let go and walked the rest of the way without touching.
Caroline hated the necessity for hiding their love. But Grace was right. She had declared her love to Selina and somehow escaped intact, never punished for the things she’d said so openly. Next time, she might not be so lucky.
A fortnight after Mrs Newton had been so thoroughly kissed in front of everybody in the village, she announced to the household that she and Bernard Bailey would be getting married in August, and invited them to toast their happiness with a glass of her home-made sloe wine. It ended up being more than one glass, of course, and the evening turned raucous, and Grace jumped up and gave them a few songs. ‘A proper little songbird,’ Mrs Newton said admiringly, and Caroline couldn’t help feeling proud of her girlfriend, even if she had to keep it hidden.
Late the next day, her head hurting from too much sloe wine, Caroline was weeding tender young plants with the other girls when she heard a car horn. ‘Hello, someone’s pulled up in the farmyard,’ she said, frowning as she straightened up. ‘I didn’t know Violet was expecting visitors.’ But as she shielded her eyes against the late-afternoon sunshine, squinting at the car, she froze in horror. ‘Oh no!’
Grace was beside her in an instant. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘My parents …’ Caroline’s stomach churned with fear. She’d boldly walked out at Christmas after her parents had tried to tell her how to live her life. But much of that had been bravado. Deep down, she was still apprehensive about defying them. And now they’d driven all the way from London to Cornwall to see her. But whatever for?
Her father opened the back door of the car, and she was relieved to see her grandmother climb out, leaning on a stick and studying the farmyard with an interested eye. So Gran was well, at least.
‘I’d better find out what they want.’ Caroline took a deep breath, determined not to let them bully her into going home again. Though she doubted they’d be impressed by her unfeminine appearance. The sun had been beating down on her all day in the fields, and she was hot and sweaty, and probably covered in dirt too.
‘I’ll stay here and keep working.’ Grace took up her hoe again, a grim expression on her face that Caroline recognised. Grace was keen not to do anything that might jeopardise Caroline’s reputation, even if it meant saying nothing while she was dragged away. ‘It’ll be safer that way.’
‘Oh no, you don’t.’ Seizing the hoe from Grace’s hand, Caroline threw it unceremoniously to the dirt, then pulled her towards the farmhouse.
‘What are you doing? They’ll see us holding hands,’ Grace hissed, trying to pull free. But Caroline only tightened her grip, walking more quickly. ‘Have you lost your marbles? Look, it’s your dad … He’s coming this way. Please, Caroline, let me go.’
Caroline paid no attention. ‘Hello, Dad,’ she said coolly, and dragged Grace forward. Her mother and grandmotherstared across the car bonnet at them both, eyes wide. ‘Hello, Mum. It’s good to see you looking so well again, Gran.’
‘It’s good to see you too, love,’ Gran said, smiling, though her curious gaze was on Grace. ‘And who’s this?’
‘This is my girlfriend,’ Caroline said firmly. ‘Grace Morgan from Liverpool. Grace, this is my mum and dad, and my gran.’
