‘He died three years ago.’
‘I’m sorry to hear it.’ Evelyn didn’t think he sounded sorry. ‘I attended his bible classes for a time, but I found the preaching hard to stomach in the end. Has your mother remarried?’
Drake shook his head.
‘Why did she move to Piggy Lane?’
‘Father had died and the rent was cheaper. One day I will buy my mother a house which will be twice as big.’
‘She will have a long wait, boy. As an apprentice you are expected to live here — in the bothy. How would your mother feel about that?’
‘She expects it. She will leave fresh eggs on your doorstep each week, as a way of a thank you, if you take me on.’
‘I don’t take bribery, Vennor.’
‘I meant no offence, sir.’
Timmins cut off the head of another flower then turned back to the boy. ‘There will be a fee up front.’
‘I know, sir.’
‘The wages are low, starting at three shillings a week. If you do well they could rise to four.’
‘It’s still a wage, sir. I would do it for nothing.’
‘Which would make you a fool.’ Timmins frowned. ‘But you are no fool, are you, Vennor? I see something in you that I can’t quite figure out. I’m not sure if you have a stubborn streak or you are resilient. One you must tame, the other you must nurture.’ Timmins nodded decisively. ‘We will see how long you last. Collect your things, boy. You can start tomorrow.’
‘Thank you, sir. You won’t regret it.’
‘I will be the judge of that. Now go. I have work to do.’
Evelyn smiled as she watched Drake leave. He was in a hurry, afraid, perhaps, that if he lingered the offer would be snatched back again. Evelyn had no such fear. She had known Timmins all her life. He was reliable and as good as his word, so she was confident the apprenticeship position was Drake’s.
She hugged her knees. The thought of seeing the boy again conjured up a feeling of nervous excitement she did not fully understand and made her feel a little nauseous.
Timmins picked up his shovel and turned it in his hands, preparing to slice it into the soil.
‘Your mother has gone, Miss Evelyn,’ said the head gardener quietly, without taking his eyes from the spade in his hand. ‘Your governess will be wondering where you are. I have no wish to lose my job by being party to your absence. You’d better go back inside.’
Evelyn guiltily rose up from her hiding place. A dead leaf fell from her dishevelled hair and her dress became snagged on a thorn. Evelyn carefully untangled herself, nervously glancing up at him and pricking her finger in the process. The head gardener appeared not to have noticed, preferring to concentrate on his digging, but as Evelyn walked away she felt sure she had seen a faint smile upon his lips.
Chapter Two
Drake slowly opened the door and paused on the threshold of his home. They had moved to the house shortly after his father had died and over the last few years he had grown accustomed to its small size and blind to its flaws. Now that he had seen Carrack House, albeit from only the outside, he viewed his home with different eyes. He was reminded how old and basic it was, with only two rooms downstairs and two bedrooms upstairs. On the other side of the house was a small backyard, where the ground turned hard and slippery with ice during the winter. At the far end was the privy, a small brick building housing nothing more than a wooden bench with a hole cut in it, placed over an ash pit, which needed emptying every day. The yard backed onto farmland. It was there, on a small fenced off area, the farmer allowed his mother to keep a few hens. His mother was proud of her hens, for the eggs earned her a few pennies and kept food on their table. However, despite lacking in grandeur, the old house was tidy and homely, with home-made curtains at the window, a rug made out of rags by the fire and his mother where he knew he would find her, on her hands and knees scrubbing the floor with vigorous, well-practiced strokes.
The floor always got a good cleaning when his mother was anxious, whether it needed it or not. She found the chore oddly comforting and he, in turn, found his mother’s predictable behaviour equally so. His mother, sensing she was not alone, looked up at him and sat back on her heels.
‘Well?’ she asked anxiously, brushing a stray hair away from her cheek with her forearm.
He smiled and offered her his hand, which she accepted. She stood; hope lighting up her eyes as she waited for his answer. Her patience quickly ran out.
‘What did Mr Timmins say?’ she pressed.
Drake turned away and sat down at the table. His mother eagerly followed, wiping her hands on her apron before sitting opposite him. She pushed a plate of bread towards him and waited patiently for his reply as Drake cut himself a slice.
‘He has agreed to take me on,’ he said, spreading the bread with butter.
‘He has?’ His mother looked quite shaken with the news. It was as if she couldn’t quite believe it.
