by Linda Finlay
‘Just checking on the weather,’ he said quickly, avoiding her eyes. ‘Thankfully, the snow’s almost gone so a brisk walk to the farm will do the boys good. Who knows, it might even use up some of their excess energy? I’ll see you later,’ he added, hurrying over to the doorway.
‘Right, come along, boys,’ he called. ‘Time to get going.’
‘And me,’ Kitty cried, drying her hands on the tea towel.
‘Wouldn’t you prefer to stay and get on with your needlework?’ Sarah teased, placing her cup and saucer beside the sink.
‘Sooner pull all me teef out,’ Kitty muttered. ‘Besides, it gives me time to be with Luke,’ she added, grabbing her brother’s arm and dragging him towards the front door. ‘Honestly, sir, you’d fink the world revolves around blinkin’ sewin’,’ she said dramatically, rolling her eyes. However, Harry was too busy scanning the road for sight of a cherry-red hat and muffler to pay any attention.
‘Hurry along, please,’ he said, his voice coming out sharply when he could see no sign. Then, just when he’d given up, there she was, running breathlessly towards them. His heart skipped a beat.
So, that was the way the wind blew, Sarah thought, watching from the window. It seemed the new mistress was uppermost in everybody’s affections these days. Still, she was far too busy to waste time on futile thoughts, she chided herself, not wishing to admit to feeling more than a little jealous.
‘Goodness, I thought I was going to miss you all,’ Sheena gasped. ‘Nanna had to have her dressings changed and the nurse took for ever.’
‘Well, you’re here now,’ he grinned. ‘Right, let’s move it,’ he called, urging the crocodile of pupils down the hill.
If Harry thought he’d have a chance to talk to the mistress on the journey, he was soon disappointed.
‘’Ere, miss, come and walk with us,’ Kitty called. ‘This is Luke, me bruvver.’ Smiling apologetically at Harry, Sheena went to join them.
‘Hello, Luke,’ she said, beaming down at the little boy. ‘I hear the farm is a great place to spend Saturday afternoons.’
‘Not half,’ he replied, coming to life. ‘It’s my favourite time in all the week. We used to live on a farm, you know.’
‘I’ve already told her that, stupid,’ Kitty said.
‘And jolly nice it sounded, too. Well, I’ll just go and say hello to the others,’ Sheena said, quickly moving to the back of the queue where Solomon was gloomily dragging his feet.
‘Don’t you enjoy the farm, Solomon?’
He stared at her for a moment then shrugged.
‘Well, I’m looking forward to seeing the animals,’ Sheena said brightly. ‘Ah, look, we’re at the gate now. Well, will you look at that?’ she cried, pointing to the open barn where a sow was on her side, piglets squealing and jostling to reach her teats.
‘Why’s that one all by itself?’ Solomon asked, frowning at the tiny pink body alone in the corner.
‘I think it’s the runt of the litter, Solomon,’ she explained. ‘The mother can only feed so many and the weak one is unlikely to survive anyway so …’
‘You mean it’s going to die?’ he asked, tears pooling his dark eyes.
Sheena sighed and put her arm around him.
Just then Farmer Jim limped towards them, pointing with his stick.
‘Best leave old Patsy be,’ he muttered. ‘She’s right possessive of her weans.’
‘Hello, Jim, this is our new mistress, Miss O’Reilly,’ Harry introduced. ‘Hope you don’t mind but the kids have been cooped up all week so I’ve brought them out for a walk. Anything you’d like them to do whilst they’re here?’ he asked casually. The farmer gave Harry a knowing look.
‘Well, they could tidy up the yard and ’appen young Kitty could ’elp the missus in the dairy. Good little worker, that one. Cors, Bess just happens to have made some of her jam buns in case you were passing, like. Come on then,’ he grunted, hobbling towards the pupils who were making faces at the cows. Knowing the visit had been planned, Sheena looked at Harry in surprise.
‘It’s a ritual we go through. Saves his pride,’ he whispered.
‘Ah, got you,’ Sheena smiled. ‘What a kind heart you have, to be sure, Master Higgins.’
Harry beamed, his chest almost bursting with pride at her words.
‘But what about that little piggy?’ Solomon cried, tugging at Sheena’s elbow.
‘Don’t fret, boy, it’s nature’s way. Survival of the fittest,’ the farmer told him. ‘Might seem ’ard, but it’s better than him ’anging on then a rat goin’ for his throat. You can come and ’elps with the muck. All young boys likes an excuse to get dirty.’
As Kitty disappeared into the dairy with Bess, the boys, Harry and Sheena cleaned out the stables and shippon, then put fresh bedding down for the cattle and the farm’s old horse. Although Jim helped at first, he tired quickly. Seeing him struggling, Harry suggested he went indoors and had a rest.
‘Make the most of it whilst we’re here, Jim,’ Harry told him. The man gave a token protest then nodded.
‘Got some paperwork to see to, any’ow,’ he muttered.
‘How does he keep going?’ Sheena asked, watching as, leaning heavily on his stick, he limped towards the farmhouse, faithful collie at his heels.
‘Sheer determination,’ Harry replied. ‘With no offspring to take over, he knows once he gives up, the farm will have to be sold.’ Then seeing the boys staring in their direction, he called, ‘Right, you little lot, no slacking now.’
‘Come on, we’ll clear the path so Jim doesn’t slip,’ Harry suggested to Sheena. They set about shovelling the compacted mud and ice from the track up to the farmhouse. Although the afternoon was brisk, they were soon warm from their exertions. After a while Harry stopped and smiled at Sheena.
‘What are you grinning at?’ she asked, resting her arms on her spade. Instead of answering, he took out his kerchief and, leaning forward, carefully wiped a smudge from her cheek. Then he removed a twig from her hat and held it up.
‘I’ve heard of having a feather in your cap but never a twig,’ he teased.
‘Well, at least I’ve not got cow dung all over myself,’ she retaliated. He grimaced down at the dark brown mess on his trousers. ‘I’d better clean up before Bess calls us indoors for tea,’ he said, making for the trough. Then he stopped and frowned. ‘Where’s Solomon?’
Sheena stared around at the group of boys who, having tidied up, were now engaged in a game of tig. Solomon wasn’t with them. Remembering the pigs, she ran towards the barn and spotted the boy crouched on the straw, the tiny runt cradled in his arms.
‘It’s not breavin’ proper,’ he whispered, his bottom lip trembling. ‘Make it breav, miss.’
Sheena stared down at the lifeless body. ‘I’m afraid he’s gone, my angel,’ she whispered.
‘But I wanted to take ’im back with us, feed ’im and make ’im grow strong.’
‘He was never going to be strong, Solomon,’ Harry said, appearing next to them and kneeling down beside the boy. As if sensing danger, the sow grunted and lumbered to her feet, weans squealing in protest.
‘Quick,’ Sheena cried, jumping up and pulling the boy away. With another warning grunt, the sow lunged at them. ‘Come on, Solomon,’ she urged, edging backwards until they were outside the barn, slamming the half-door shut behind them.
‘Didn’t know pigs were dangerous,’ Harry muttered.
‘Mother’s instinct. She was just being protective,’ Sheena said. ‘I think we’d better see to this little chap before we go indoors,’ she added, gently stroking the pink body.
Moments later they stood around a fresh hole in the earth that Harry had dug.
‘Why are we putting ’im in the ground?’ Solomon asked, tearfully.
‘To bury the body. It’s what happens when someone dies,’ Sheena told him. The boy looked at the mound of earth and began trembling.
‘Come on, old chap, be brave,’ Harry said, putting his arm around him.
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‘We’ll make a cross out of sticks then say a prayer to wish him a safe passage to heaven,’ Sheena told him as she gently placed the body in the ground. ‘Then whenever you visit you can say hello to him and tell him what you’ve been up to.’
Solemnly, the boy stared at the grave. ‘Is that what ’appened to me father, then?’
Harry stared at Sheena then cleared his throat. ‘Yes, he’s been buried, too, Solomon,’ he said quietly.
‘So ’e’s not just been dumped outside the ’ospital in the road?’
‘No, he’s sleeping peacefully in his grave like this little chap.’ They watched as Solomon digested this information. ‘So I can go and talk to ’im then? Only I got somefink I must tell ’im,’ the boy muttered.
‘I’ll see if I can find out exactly where your father’s grave is, Solomon. Now shall we say a prayer for this little fellow before we go in for tea?’ The boy nodded and Harry murmured a few words. Then, each taking a hand, he and Sheena led him towards the farmhouse.
‘Kitty and I saw what you was doin’ when we came out of the dairy, so we brought the others in. Thanks for seein’ to the little runt. At least Patsy’s got six strong ’uns left,’ Bess sighed, greeting them at the doorway. ‘You must be hungry after all your hard work, young man. Saved you the biggest jam bun, I have,’ she added, leading Solomon into the warmth of the kitchen.
‘Will he be all right?’ Sheena asked.
Harry stared over to where the boy was licking the jam out of the centre of the cake and smiled. ‘I’m sure he will. Although when I told him his father wasn’t still lying in the hospital bed, he was so upset I didn’t elaborate. Clearly, I should have explained the body had been buried, albeit along with all the others in the paupers’ grave,’ he sighed.
‘You mustn’t blame yourself, Master Higgins,’ she murmured, patting his arm. ‘What if we make a cross and place in under the apple tree at Red Cliffs? Solomon said he had something to tell him so it would give him somewhere to do that.’
‘Good idea. Then maybe he’ll get whatever’s bothering him off his chest.’
‘Here we are, tea for the workers,’ Bess said, handing them two steaming mugs. ‘The boys have finished their drinks and have taken the rest of the cakes outside.’
‘You spoil them, Bess,’ Harry said.
‘I can’t tell you what a relief it is to have your ’elp, Master Higgins,’ Bess sighed, and glanced over her shoulder to where Jim sat staring forlornly into the fire, his unlit pipe by his side. ‘I’ve told him to sell up but he refuses, stubborn old fool,’ she muttered, the tender look in her eyes belying her words.
‘So, you’re the new mistress, then?’ she asked, turning her attention to Sheena.
‘I am. I’ve only been at Red Cliffs a week, but everyone has been so kind.’
‘That Miss Sullivan’s a good woman, taking on the school like that,’ Bess murmured.
‘I was thinking, Bess,’ Harry said. ‘It’s time these boys had a proper lesson on procreation so if you have no objection I could bring them along on Wednesday afternoon. Of course, they’d do some chores in return. That’d be only fair,’ he added, then took a sip of his tea.
‘You’re a good man, Harry Higgins,’ she murmured, patting his arm. ‘Tell Mrs Daws I’ll be sure to ’ave some of my best brawn and bacon for her. The ’ens are on the lay so there’s some eggs for you to take today, and Kitty’s got a surprise as well.’
‘Them layers’ll be ready for you to take back come Wednesday,’ Jim grunted. ‘That Kitty picked out the best for you. Knows her stuff, she do.’
‘His legs might be no good but ’e’s still got ears like a bloomin’ elephant.’
‘I ’eard that, an’ all, Bess,’ Jim muttered.
Kitty was beside herself with excitement as they wended their way back to the school. She was carrying a parcel wrapped in muslin but refused to say what was in it.
‘I got to show Mrs Daws first,’ she insisted. ‘I just love it at the farm. It’s like our old ’ome, ain’t it, Luke?’
‘Yeah, loved it there,’ he agreed.
‘Still, you’re happy at Red Cliffs?’ Sheena asked.
‘Yeah, and we get fed every day,’ he smiled.
‘I love it there, too,’ Kitty agreed. ‘Apart from the soddin’ sewin’.’
As Harry opened his mouth to reprimand her, the tray of eggs toppled precariously and he decided to let it go. He’d be sure to make vocabulary the first lesson tomorrow, he vowed.
‘Well, I’d better be making tracks or Nanna will wonder where her supper is,’ Sheena said as soon as they reached the school gates. ‘I’ve had a wonderful afternoon,’ she added, smiling up at Harry. ‘See you on Monday.’
Pip opened the gates and as the boys surged through, Harry watched Sheena disappearing down the lane until her cherry-red hat was a speck in the distance.
‘Hope you’ve had a good afternoon, Pip,’ he said brightly, turning back to the school. To his surprise, the usually cheery boy frowned.
‘You has a visitor in the house, Master Higgins. She’s been yelling at the top of her voice this past hour and poor Miss Sullivan is at ’er wits’ end.’
Mindful of the eggs, Harry hurried as quickly as he could around the side path. He heard the screeching before he’d even opened the door.
‘I tells you, them blinkin’ kids is mine and they’re comin’ back with me now.’
‘What on earth’s going on?’ he asked Mrs Daws.
‘It’s that Mrs Bawden. She says she’s come to take Kitty and Luke home with her,’ the housekeeper announced tearfully.
12
‘Where are Kitty and Luke?’ Harry asked, carefully putting the tray of eggs on the table.
‘In the dining room, and I’ve sent the rest upstairs. I thought it best to keep everyone out of the way until you got things sorted,’ Mrs Daws murmured. ‘That woman’s a nasty bit of work, Master Higgins. You won’t let her take them away, will you?’
Hearing the anxiety in the housekeeper’s voice, Harry patted her shoulder. ‘I’ll go and speak to her. Ask April to keep the others occupied. You know how nosy they are when they sense something is going on,’ he added, raising his brows as the woman’s voice became louder.
Sarah looked up in relief as he entered the office. Harry could see by her wayward hair that she’d been running her hands through it and the atmosphere in the room was frostier than the weather outside.
‘This is Mrs Bawden and she’s …’ she began.
‘An’ you are?’ the woman cut in, turning in her chair and giving Harry an insolent look. She was wearing a thick coat that was unbuttoned to reveal a low-cut top. Her lips were painted vivid red. Fighting down his distaste, he smiled back politely.
‘This is Master Higgins,’ Sarah introduced, a stickler for politeness at all times.
‘Can’t yer speak for yerself then, Master ’Iggins? Or do you let this busybody do everything for you?’ She gave a harsh laugh, her expression leaving him in no doubt as to the meaning of her words. Knowing it would do no good rising to her bait, Harry clenched his fists at his sides and counted to five.
‘Good afternoon, Mrs Bawden. I understand you have come to enquire about Kitty and Luke.’
The woman gave another shrill laugh, which reverberated around the room, rattling the cups on the tray.
‘There’s posh. I ain’t come to enquire,’ she said, making quotation marks with her fingers. ‘I’ve come to fetch ’em.’ As she stared at him defiantly with eyes the same grey as Kitty’s, his heart sank. There was no denying they were related. ‘So, Master ’Iggins, what does you do here exactly?’
‘Master Higgins teaches the children, Mrs Bawden,’ Sarah explained.
‘Oh, I gets it. He’s your fella, eh? Blimey, girl, there’s more to you than I thought,’ the woman chuckled. ‘So you gets money off the Authority for the kids, then shack up together in this grand ’ouse. Coo, nice work if you can get it.’
‘T
hat’s a preposterous thing to say,’ Sarah gasped.
‘Yes, really, Mrs Bawden, it’s not like that at all,’ Harry protested, going hot under the collar.
‘P’haps it’s the girls you like,’ the woman sniggered. ‘Young flesh right on yer doorstep …’
Harry held up his hand. ‘That’s quite enough. It’s Kitty and Luke we should be discussing,’ he said quickly, noticing the bright colour suffusing Sarah’s cheeks.
‘Nufink to discuss,’ Mrs Bawden snapped. ‘They’re my kids and I’ve come to take ’em ’ome.’ She jumped to her feet. ‘Right now. Where are they?’
‘Mrs Bawden, your children have been here for some months now. They have settled in well and made friends. You can’t just abandon them and then come back here demanding their return,’ Sarah replied.
‘I bleedin’ well can. I’m their mother.’
‘But the children were homeless. I believe you and their father separated and …’ Sarah began.
The woman narrowed her eyes. ‘Well, I got a new father for them, ain’t I? And a new ’ome, so go and get them or I’ll ’ave the law on yer.’
‘I’ll ask them if they want to see you,’ Harry said, edging towards the door. Quick as a flash the woman followed him and he had no alternative but to lead her down the hallway. Mrs Daws, hands on hips, stood guarding the entrance to the dining room.
‘Out of my way, old witch,’ Mrs Bawden snarled, pushing past her. ‘There you are, me darlin’s. Mummy’s come to take you ’ome,’ she crooned.
The two children clung to each other, eyes wide with fright.
‘Well, look at you in your fancy clothes. Never seen you in a smock like that before, our Kitty, and as for that fancy waistcoat, Luke, that should fetch a few pennies. Well, come on, I ain’t got all day.’
‘We want to stay here,’ Kitty declared, jutting out her chin defiantly.
‘I said move,’ the woman snapped.
‘You can’t make us,’ Kitty cried.
‘Blinkin’ well can. I’m yer mother. Now come ’ere, the pair of you,’ the woman said, grabbing them both by the arms.
‘But we got our lessons to learn, ain’t we, Luke?’ Kitty said, pulling away and turning to her brother. The boy nodded and gripped his sister’s hand tighter.