Heart of Stone

Chapter 1

It had been a long walk from her house to the farm but it was something that the hard-working Patrice Baldwin did without complaint. Days spent on the farm was daily life for her now that her beloved husband passed away in the war. Her thoughts often turned to him, and the hope that his death had been quick and as pain-free as the world could manage for him.

Turning from the gravel road, Patrice began walking up the long path to the farmhouse. She'd say good morning to Mavis and then continue to search for Albert. He'd always have something for her to do before starting her usual job of picking fruit.

Gone were the days where she'd maintain the home while Eddie was at work. Her hopes and dreams of having a family with him were gone. They'd planned to start a family when he returned.

In desperate need of money, Patrice asked around when she was in town. Mavis offered to speak with Albert, knowing that he needed more help around the farm now that the labourers were fighting the war.

Patrice's time on the farm had been reasonable. It was not easy work, but Patrice was not about to shy away from a task, especially when she needed to feed herself and pay the bills.

Sighing heavily, Patrice looked at the fields on either side of the driveway. A heavy fog coated the land. The morning was cold, just another typical November day. As the frosty wind whipped past her legs, it curled around her tired body before tousling the dirty brown hair. She'd wrangled it into a plait, the only sensible choice when she'd soon have a hat on.

Patrice wished that Albert had been a little more liberal-minded and allowed her to wear pants. Apparently, it was all the rage now. The working women of this country were daring and pushed through the expectations for them and wore pants. At first, Patrice thought it was scandalous until she tried on one of Eddie's pairs. She was quite pleased with how comfortable it was and suggested them to Albert. Patrice believed that working in the field would be done quicker if she didn't have a cumbersome skirt and all the nonsense underneath getting in the way. A heavy scowl filled Patrice's face as she rolled her eyes. Albert was stuck in his rigid ways and refused to entertain anything that would cause trouble.

Mavis was on the front deck, flicking out a tablecloth. She smiled at Patrice when she waved. As the cloth lowered, Patrice saw Albert sitting at the small iron table.

"Ah, good morning Patrice," Albert said eagerly. "Have you heard the good news?"

A puff of smoke escaped as he pulled the pipe out and set it aside. Collecting the paper, Albert showed Patrice the front page.

Two words spanned the entire page. It was a simple banner that was open to misinterpretation. If it weren't for the images of people celebrating, Patrice might have questioned it.

IT'S OVER!

Patrice stopped in front of the wooden balustrade. As she reached to grip it, paint flecks dropped, showering down to the worn floorboards.

"It's over," Patrice whispered.

Her eyes darted up to Albert, who seemed rather pleased.

"This is not a lie?"

"A lie?" he scoffed loudly. "Foolish woman, the Daily Mail never lies. The war is over. We won. Anyway, I want you to move the cows into the lower field before you start. There's too much fog to be picking fruit at the moment."

"Sure."

Patrice stepped back, giving them a dutiful smile before continuing to the shed. Moving the cows was not an easy job, but Patrice didn't mind.

Albert rose early in the day to milk them. After that, they were always eager to get into the field. Usually, Albert moved them to the lower field himself but reading the paper seemed more interesting.