He grinned and lifting one of the larger ones he slung it across his shoulder and carried it outside.
The cart was almost fully loaded when Dorcas appeared in a smart claret-coloured two-piece velvet costume and a matching hat trimmed with peacock feathers that danced with each step she took. ‘The rest of my bags are on the landing,’ she told one of the men imperiously. ‘And just mind you don’t scratch the leather when you are loading them; they were very expensive.’
‘We can give you a lift to the cottage, Aunt Dorcas, if you don’t mind riding on the front of the cart,’ Jake told her.
Dorcas visibly cringed. ‘Do you mean to say your father hasn’t sent the carriage for me?’
‘I’m afraid not, but it’s a lovely day, although it is a bit windy so you might have to hold on to your hat.’
When Emmy saw the mischievous twinkle in Jake’s eyes it was all she could do to keep a straight face. Like herself he was probably thinking what an unlikely outfit her mother had chosen to wear but he was too much of a young gentleman to comment on it.
‘In that case I suppose I have no choice.’ Dorcas swept past them with her nose in the air and they both peeped round the door to watch as one of the workers manhandled her up on to the bench seat.
‘Just mind where you are putting your hands, my man,’ Dorcas scolded as the man put his hand on her rear and gave her a push up, and Emmy couldn’t help but giggle, although she was painfully aware that she had precious little to be happy about. For the first time in her life her future was suddenly uncertain. Added to that, she was about to turn her back on the place she had always called home. But worst of all was the constant worrying about her father.
‘How will you be getting to the cottage, Emmy?’
‘What? Oh, sorry, Jake, I was miles away.’ His voice had brought her back to the present. ‘I shall walk over shortly, thanks, but I need to stay here for a while and make sure everything is ready for the bailiffs to come in.’
Abi appeared in a similarly inappropriate outfit to her mother’s and asked, ‘So how are we to get to the cottage? I’m ready to go.’
‘I’m afraid you’re going to have to walk with Hetty,’ Jake apologised. ‘The cart is fully loaded now.’
‘Walk!’ Abi looked horrified as she glanced down at the soft velvet skirt she was wearing, but then with a resigned sigh she stormed past them, closely followed by Hetty who winked at Emmy as she passed.
Suddenly the house was empty and as Emmy walked from room to room a lump formed in her throat. All her memories had been made here and it struck her just how different her life would be from this day on. Tomorrow the vultures would descend, valuing all the furniture and the treasures that her mother had collected over the years. Pulling herself together with an effort, she took a deep breath. It was no good crying over things that could not be changed. From now on they were all just going to have to make the best of things; it wasn’t as if they were going to be homeless and sleeping on the streets, and after all the hard work that she, Jake and Hetty had done on the cottage it was very comfortable. There were so many people so much worse off than them, including the staff that her mother had had to let go; Emmy knew many of them well and she was going to miss them. She doubted her mother would see it that way, though.
Once again, she thought of her father and her heart ached. Was he somewhere sleeping rough with no place to call home? She could only imagine that he must have been in a desperate state to disappear as he had, but then her father had never been a strong man and had given in to her mother’s every whim for as far back as she could remember, which she supposed was probably what had helped to bring them to this state. Why hadn’t he put his foot down and curbed her mother’s spending when the business wasn’t doing so well? With a sigh she descended the stairs and after one last glance around the roomy hallway, she stepped outside, locking the front door behind her. It was time for their new life to begin.
When Emmy arrived at the cottage, she found Jake unpacking the few last-minute things her mother had insisted they brought with them, and after giving him a smile and a nod she entered the kitchen to find her mother sitting on the little gilt-legged sofa crying softly. Hetty was busy laying the Turkish rugs across the quarry tiles but there was no sign of Abi.
‘She met Master Jasper and they went off together for a walk,’ Hetty explained when Emmy asked where she was.
Emmy sighed. ‘So, Mama, what do you think of it now after all our hard work?’ Emmy asked cheerfully as she removed the pin from her hat.
Her mother gave her a fierce glare. ‘What do Ithinkof it? Why, Ithinkit looks like a farm labourer’s cottage,’ she answered ungratefully and instantly the smile slid from Emmy’s face. It seemed that all the hard work she and Hetty had put into making it homely counted for nothing, but knowing her mother as she did she supposed she shouldn’t have expected any more.
‘Well, I’m sure you’ll get used to it eventually,’ she said curtly as she went to throw another log on to the fire.
Jake had just entered the room and sensing the tense atmosphere he said hastily, ‘Right, this is the last of the stuff. I’ll get off and leave you to get settled in but if there’s anything you need just pop across to the farm.’
He quickly placed the last of the things on the table but Dorcas didn’t even acknowledge him as she sat staring moodily into the fire.
With a nod at Hetty he hurried outside, closely followed by Emmy who was mortified at her mother’s behaviour.
‘I’msosorry, Jake.’ She looked on the verge of tears as she gently laid her hand on his arm. ‘I’m afraid this way of life is going to take Mama some getting used to but that doesn’t excuse her awful behaviour. I really don’t know what we would have done without you these last few days and I can’t thank you enough.’
As he stared down at her small hand resting on his arm a flush rose in his cheeks and his heart gave a funny little flip. ‘It was my pleasure,’ he assured her. ‘And don’t forget if there’s anything you need .?.?.’
‘I won’t.’ She smiled and watched as he nimbly climbed up on to the driver’s seat and lifted the reins. She had spent more time with Jake over the last few days than she had in years. Normally the Winters and the Chetwynds only got together for family occasions and it came to her that she was going to miss him when he went back to medical school.
He raised his hand as he set the horse in motion and she stood and waved until he was out of sight before turning slowly and making her way back into the cottage. Everything had happened so quickly since her father went missing that she hadn’t really had much time to think about it, but now suddenly it hit her. This would be a completely new way of life for all of them and somehow, they were going to have to get used to it.
Once Emmy was back inside, Hetty closed the door firmly behind her then crossing to the corner of the room she opened a cupboard door and withdrew some towel-wrapped parcels.
‘I managed to get these out, look,’ she told them as she unwrapped them one at a time and laid them gently on the table. ‘Me brother Micky will know who to take them to an’ they should fetch a good price.’
‘That’s some of my Meissen,’ Dorcas exclaimed. ‘I remember them being very expensive when I bought them.’
