Again, Dorcas plastered a false smile to her face. ‘Oh, I’m quite sure we shall be, just as soon as we have settled in.’
‘And is there any sign of jobs for the girls yet?’ Sybil asked, driving the knife in even further.
Dorcas looked slightly taken aback. ‘Not as yet; we haven’t really had time to think about it.’
‘Hm, and I’ve no doubt it won’t be an easy task finding them posts when they have no experience at anything.’
‘I dare say something suitable will turn up,’ Dorcas said. ‘But there’s no rush as yet.’
Sybil, who clearly had no intention of staying, rose then and began to draw her gloves back on. It was uncomfortably hot in the small room but she realised that they had to have the fire on to cook.
‘Just so long as you don’t leave it until your money runs out,’ she said as a parting shot and with a sickly sweet smile, she made for the door, saying, ‘Good afternoon, dear.’
‘Good afternoon.’ Dorcas watched her leave and once she was out of earshot she growled, quite uncharacteristically, ‘Stuck-up oldcow!’
Hetty had just entered the kitchen and she quickly lowered her head to hide her grin. It was the first time she had ever heard her mistress curse.
Sybil, meanwhile, was making her way home to the roomy farmhouse with a smug expression on her face as she thought,How the mighty have fallen!
Chapter Ten
Four days after they had moved into the cottage, Jake came to say his goodbyes before he returned to London to finish his training.
As usual, Dorcas was seated regally in her chair beside the fire and from what Emmy had told him he gathered she had barely left it apart from to go to bed. Abi had also taken to staying in the room she had to share with her sister and he rightly guessed it was so that while she was up there she wouldn’t be called upon to do any work. It was a damned shame, he thought, that everything should be left up to Hetty and Emmy, although he hadn’t heard either of them complain. When he left after his brief visit, Emmy followed him to the gate and as they stood there with the warm sunshine beating down on them, he suddenly realised how much he was going to miss her.
‘You really should put your foot down and make those two pull their weight,’ he commented.
Emmy merely smiled ruefully. ‘I think there’s very little chance of that ever happening. But anyway, I hope not to be here much longer. I shall have to start to look for a job soon and so will Abi. But thanks again for all your help, Jake. As I’ve said before, I don’t know how we would have managed without you. Your mother must be sad to see you go again.’
‘I doubt that very much. As long as she has Jasper to pamper, she’s happy. He’s always been the favourite.’
‘So, when will we see you again?’ she asked.
‘I dare say I shall be back in the summer sometime, but I can’t say for sure when. I wanted to say, please be careful when you take a position .?.?. What I mean is, make sure that it’s somewhere safe. Oh, and here’s my address; I thought you could perhaps write and keep me up to date with how you all are and what you’re up to.’ He fumbled in his pocket and handed her a piece of paper and for no reason that she could explain, Emmy felt herself flush.
‘I will. Goodbye for now and take care.’ She stood back, a lump rising in her throat as she watched him walk away.
The next two weeks as they settled into their new home were not easy. Both Dorcas and Abi complained constantly about anything and everything, and now that they were living in such confined quarters, Emmy sometimes felt like screaming at them, although she managed to stop herself.
One day early in April as Hetty was preparing to catch the cart to Nuneaton Market Place, Abi suddenly decided to go with her.
‘Anything is better than having to sit around this dump,’ she said caustically and off she sailed to get ready.
When she appeared some minutes later in her best bonnet and all her finery, Hetty looked slightly worried. ‘I ain’t sure that’s the right outfit fer walkin’ round the market in, miss,’ she said as tactfully as she could.
Abi waved her hand airily. ‘And how would you have me dress then?’ she snapped. ‘One has to keep up appearances.’
Hetty shrugged and after she had collected her wicker basket, they set off to wait for the carrier cart at Astley crossroads.
When the cart pulled up, Abi was already complaining about the dust on the bottom of her fine gown but Hetty was unsympathetic and hopped into the back, leaving Abi to struggle up alone.
There were two farmers’ wives already seated on the hard wooden bench seats and they watched with amusement as Abi flopped down beside them.
‘Surelythere is a more comfortable way of getting into the town?’ Abi grumbled as the cart set off, bouncing along the uneven lanes. This was a very far cry from the fine carriage she was used to travelling in.
The farmers’ wives exchanged a glance. The news of the Winters’ downfall had spread through the town and the surrounding villages like wildfire and they had already guessed who Abi was.
By the time they reached Market Place, Abi’s bottom was sore from bouncing up and down on the hard wooden plank seat and she was sure she would be bruised.
