‘As you wish, it was just an idea. I was only trying to help,’ Jasper said with a small smile. He had planted the seed and now all he had to do was sit back and let it grow.
Abi stood up and brushed her skirt down, saying glumly, ‘I suppose I should show my face at the cottage; they’ll be wondering where I am. I can’t believe that awful little place is going to be my home from now on.’
Jasper offered his arm and once she had taken it, they began to stroll along in the warm sunshine. All around them the world was springing to life and lambs frolicked close to their mothers in the fields, but Abi didn’t notice any of it. Her attention was focused entirely on the man by her side and her heart began to thump. Jasper was outrageously good-looking and even though he was her cousin she couldn’t help but feel attracted to him. She could feel the warmth of him through the sleeve of his smart jacket and colour rose to her cheeks as she wondered what his skin would feel like.
He in turn was thinking of Emmy. Admittedly Abi was more of a classic beauty; she was petite and her figure was rounded, whereas Emmy was taller and her figure was almost boyish, but even so there was something about her that set his pulse racing.
And so they moved along, neither aware of the other’s thoughts, until eventually the cottage came into view. After Jake’s hard work on the outside, it looked like something out of a picture book with the smoke drifting lazily from the newly swept chimney into the pale-blue sky but Abi curled her lip at the sight of it.
‘I don’t know how I’m going to bear living here,’ she groaned.
Jasper squeezed her hand. ‘Well, think about the job I told you about,’ he said persuasively as they walked towards the garden gate.
‘Will you come in?’ she offered.
Jasper shook his head. ‘No, thanks all the same. Mother will be wondering where I am and I’m sure you need some time to settle in.’
‘I shallneversettle here,’ Abi snorted derisively and flinging the gate open she marched up the path.
‘Ah, Abigail, here you are. I was beginning to get concerned,’ Dorcas greeted her the second she set foot in the room. Much as her mother had done, Abi glanced around and frowned. As far as she was concerned, no amount of fancy furniture or rugs could make it look any more than what it was: a lowly little cottage.
‘I went for a walk with Jasper,’ Abi informed her imperiously as she removed her bonnet and tossed it on to a chair. ‘Where’re Emmy and Hetty?’
‘In the yard doing the laundry.’
Abi screwed her nose up in disgust but wisely said nothing, and it was just as well for at that moment Emmy came in wiping her hands on a large apron she had tied about her waist. Her face was flushed and some of her hair had escaped from its pins and curled around her face. Her sleeves were rolled up to the elbow and Abi was horrified at the sight of her.
‘Why, you look just like a servant,’ she spat in disgust but instead of being angry Emmy grinned.
‘And so will you before much longer,’ she said coolly. ‘There’s far too much to do with four of us here for Hetty to manage everything on her own so we’re all going to have to muck in and help her, I’m afraid. And you can start by putting the kettle on and making a cup of tea. I’m sure we’re all ready for one.’
‘Call Hetty to do it,’ Abi said coldly but Emmy stared her out.
‘As I told you, Hetty is busy elsewhere, unless of course you’d rather go and finish the laundry?’
There was something in Emmy’s voice that made Abi cross to the kettle and fill it from the pump handle on the sink, although she was mumbling under her breath the whole time and she was clearly not pleased.
‘I’m glad none of my friends from school can see me now,’ she grumbled as she slammed the kettle on to the range. ‘I’d be a laughing stock and all because of our selfish father. How could he do this to us?’
Once again Emmy was instantly on the offensive. ‘Father must have been in turmoil to go off as he did,’ she scolded, heedless of the fact that her mother was listening avidly. ‘And it might do you good to remember that we’re still much better off than some.’
Abi and her mother glanced at each other, but sensing that Emmy was near to the end of her tether they both wisely remained silent.
It was mid-afternoon when they had their first visitor and when Hetty opened the door and Dorcas saw who it was she flushed to the roots of her hair with shame. Even so, her manners prevailed and she said graciously, ‘Hello, Sybil, won’t you come in? Would you like some tea?’
Sybil stepped inside and looked around as if there was a bad smell under her nose, then grimaced as she took in some of the fine carpets and pieces of furniture. ‘I see you have made yourself comfortable, Dorcas,’ she said patronisingly as she removed her white cotton gloves. ‘And no, thank you, I won’t take tea. I’ve actually come to deliver a message from Bernard. He asked me to tell you that from now on we shall supply you with milk, eggs and meat whenever any of the animals are slaughtered. I’ve no doubt that will be a great help to you?’
The words were threatening to choke her but nonetheless Dorcas managed a smile and said politely through gritted teeth, ‘That is most kind of him. Do thank him for me. And thank Jake too. His help in moving all our belongings in has been invaluable.’
As Sybil took a seat in the wing chair to one side of the fire, she looked mildly surprised. ‘Oh, I wasn’t aware that he had been helping. He didn’t mention it.’
‘Well, he certainly has helped and we are most grateful to him,’ Dorcas told her.
Sybil inclined her head and glanced around again before enquiring, ‘I don’t suppose there has been any word from Gerald?’
Dorcas flushed again as she shook her head, noting Sybil’s expression. Just for a second Dorcas was tempted to forget her manners and swipe the smirk from her face, although she didn’t of course. She was painfully aware that they were beholden to her brother and her sister-in-law while she and her daughters lived in their cottage and she couldn’t afford to make things any worse than they already were – although as far as she was concerned, it was hard to imagine how theycouldbe any worse.
‘Do you think you will be comfortable here?’
