The Last Train Home

Chapter Forty-Eight

After introducing Juliet to the other horses, I secured her in the stable and joined Barbara in the kitchen to prepare a picnic for our trip to the lake.

There wasn't much to it other than a few sandwiches, some ginger beer and a birthday cake that Barbara had made by saving up her sugar rations. I helped to pack the small wicker basket and fold up the frayed gingham blanket that would protect us from the grass. Jonathan grabbed a few towels from the linen cupboard as well and sat them on top of the basket which contained the picnic.

"Do we have everything?" Barbara asked, triple checking the basket.

"Yes, I believe so," Jonathan said. "Are you wearing your swimming costume, Sybil?"

"It's under my dress."

Barbara furrowed her eyebrows at me. "That cannot be comfortable."

"It's not, but it's practical." I shrugged.

"You're a strange one, Syb, you really are."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

Jonathan laughed and grabbed the basket before Barbara could, causing her to frown a little. With the basket packed, Goose attached to her lead, and my swimming costume making my dress look a little odd, we set off towards the lake to meet the others.

Rather than take the tractor, Jonathan decided it would be better for us to walk and Goose was more than happy to comply. She sniffed everything she could get close to and tried to eat every blade of grass we came across. Several times she just stopped and I had to give her a light tug on her lead in order to get her moving again, although I couldn't blame her for being so curious. Neither of us had ever gone down to the lake before, although I had ventured a little further out than she had, but I understood the excitement. I had never been to a lake before.

We walked across open fields and rolling hills, the terrain changing constantly until the backs of my legs burned from the effort of climbing all the hills. Jonathan and Barbara didn't seem all too bothered by the hills but they had climbed them countless times in the past and I hadn't. The sun beat down on us and felt stronger due to the lack of cover from trees. Sweat dripped down my face and even down the back of my swimming costume which made an already uncomfortable situation that much worse. All I could do was hope the walk was worth it, just as Alec said it would be.

Eventually, the hills flattened out and we walked across the large, open patch of land with a few trees and bushes dotted about the area. I could hear loud voices as we moved across the open field and, eventually, a large lake came into view. By the edge of the lake, I could make out Eva, Enid and Mark playing around by the water with Mark on the verge of pushing them both in. Off to the side, and looking a little awkward, stood Alec. We were the last ones to arrive.

"We thought you might have forgotten, or gotten lost," Mr Thompson said when he saw us approaching.

"Not at all. Someone didn't want to get out of bed this morning." Jonathan looked at me.

"That's not true. He's lying."

Mr Thompson laughed. "Happy Birthday, Sybil."

"Thank you, Mr Thompson."

"Sybil! Finally!" I turned to see Mark, Enid and Eva tearing across the grass with menacing grins on their faces. "Time for your birthday present."

"Don't even think about it, Mark."

"Come on, Syb, birthday punches are a tradition!"

"A painful one. You're not coming anywhere near me." I slowly backed away and Goose stepped in front of me, almost trying to stare Mark down so he wouldn't get too close.