Read Fraser's Line for Free Online Page B

useable now,’ he said. ‘What was it that happened?’
    ‘A small boy appeared from nowhere, and went slap bang into me. But he’s run off, so he must be unhurt.’
    ‘I hope I catch him one of these days! I shall teach him some manners. Just when you were tired and wanted to get home. I do hope you are not injured.’
    He seemed so concerned that she set off in something of a daze, which she put down to the shock of having been sent flying. There were a few bruises, she discovered, but nothing serious.
    To her surprise she found she was now looking forward to going back, and she tried to work out how many days she should leave it. How long did it decently take to test jam? She didn’t feel she could rush back the next day. And how could she thank him for his kindness? Suddenly a flash of inspiration came – she would use two of the eggs to make him a cake! And she could put jam in the middle from the jar he had given her!
    She managed to wait three days, and after an early shift at the hospital she had time to come home and bake the cake. Thank goodness it turned out as it should – in fact it looked rather good. She got herself ready to leave, wanting to look as nice as she could, and, by the time she had changed her mind several times as to what to wear, the cake was cool enough to have the jam added. She wrapped it carefully, put it in her bicycle basket, and set off.
    Cycling as smoothly as she could in order not to jolt the cake, she was pleased that she had thought of the idea – until a chilling possibility suddenly hit her. Suppose he had a wife? She couldn’t possibly give him the cake then. Whatever would his wife think?
    By the time she arrived and was leaning her bicycle up against his shop, not only did he have a wife – but a baby, or two, had arrived on the scene also. Well, she had to go back and say thank you, and give her opinion on the jam. That was perfectly in order.
    Leaving the cake in the bicycle basket she pushed open the shop door. He looked up from serving a customer and his face was flooded with a look that seemed to say: ‘This is the moment I have been waiting for!’ But of course she was imagining it – a married man would not be thinking such thoughts.
    She stood and waited until the customer had left. He came towards her his face lit with a dazzling smile. ‘How good to see you again. I am so sorry for what happened. Were you much hurt?’
    ‘Oh no, only a few bruises – I think the bicycle came off worse than I did.’
    ‘I had been hoping you would come back – so that I could know you were all right. Did the eggs make it safely home this time?’
    ‘Yes, they did, and I came to say thank you for being so kind, and I did like the jam.’
    ‘The jam? Oh yes, the jam. I’m glad you thought it was good. Look, I am quite a handy person – would you let me look at your bicycle at the weekend and see if I could repair it a little?’
    ‘Oh no – I couldn’t possibly – you might…’ This was the moment to ask but she couldn’t think how to put it. ‘You might need to do other things with your time.’
    ‘Nothing that cannot wait a little longer.’
    She was no further forward. She found herself blurting out ‘Has your wife tried the jam?’
    He hesitated. ‘I’m not sure – I’d like to think she has.’
    She looked confused, and her smile disappeared. He stepped towards her.
    ‘Forgive me,’ he said, ‘I should not have said that. I have no wife. I live alone. You would not be taking my time away from anyone else.’
    ‘Oh,’ she said, ‘then I could have given you the cake!’
    It was his turn to look puzzled.
    ‘I made you a cake – I used some of the eggs and jam you had given me because I wanted to thank you – but I hadn’t stopped to think you might be married, I only thought of that on the way over, so when I got here I couldn’t give it to you.’ It all came out in a rush, and she was feeling rather silly.
    ‘You did that for me? That was