Barnaby shook his head. ‘I don’t think Louisa has been well enough to give it much thought yet,’ he admitted.
‘Hm, I heard she had a really bad time of it at the birth.’
He nodded. ‘Yes, she did, she can’t even remember it – she was semi-conscious by the time he arrived.’
‘Poor soul, let’s hope she picks up soon,’ the woman said sympathetically. She took the now slumbering child from his arms, crooning to her as she gently laid her in her cot, forgetting that Barnaby was even there.
Once downstairs he ran his hand distractedly through his hair as he thought of the forthcoming visit he would pay to Amber that evening. He hoped she would accept the job he had offered. The Temples were long-term friends of his and he knew that she would be well looked after with them, even if the position was only temporary. It would certainly beat gutting herrings!
*
It was dark that evening when Barnaby reached Arguments Yard and when he tapped on the door of Amber’s home, she almost instantly answered it and stepped outside to speak to him, explaining, ‘Me dad an’ me brothers are in an’ I don’t want ’em askin’ too many questions. Shall we walk, else we’ll be settin’ the tongues waggin’.’
She pulled the thick woollen shawl draped across her shoulders more tightly about her and he noticed that she must have bathed since she got home from her last day with the herring girls as her hair was still damp.
When he said nothing, she seemed to think she owed him some sort of explanation and went on, ‘If me dad saw you here, he’d start to ask too many questions. For instance, why are you botherin’ to do this for me? An’ I think we both know what he’d do if he knew the answer to that, don’t we? He’d kill you stone dead as soon as look at you!’
Barnaby felt the heat build in his cheeks. He wasn’t used to being spoken to this way by people he employed and yet he didn’t retaliate because he knew he deserved it.
‘But let’s face it, surely anything has got to be better than gutting herrings,’ he said quietly.
Amber sniggered bitterly. ‘Oh aye? So you think it were fun when I worked in the laundry at the house, washin’ all your dirties, do you?’ She would never have dared speak to him in such a way before this but now she felt she owed him nothing and she certainly had nothing to lose. But then her voice softened a little as she asked tentatively, ‘Have you heard how me baby is?’
Avoiding her eyes, he strode on beside her until they came to the harbour where they stood watching the waves slap against the quayside. It was yet another foggy, murky night and bitterly cold. ‘I can promise you that she is doing very well indeed and being very well cared for,’ he said quietly and just for a moment he saw pain flash in Amber’s eyes as she glanced at him. But almost instantly her chin was up again and he asked, ‘Have you given any thought to the job I offered you?’
She snorted. ‘I’ve thought o’ nothin’ else an’ yes, I’ll take it. It’ll do me good to get away from here for a while.’
‘Good.’ He nodded. ‘But I did make it clear that this was only a temporary position? The Temples’ two boys are going away to boarding school in the New Year when they return from London so they’ll have no need of a nanny then.’
She shrugged. ‘When one door shuts another door opens so they say, so I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.’
She had guts, he had to give her that, he thought admiringly, staring at her from the corner of his eye. Most girls would have folded after what he had put her through. A picture of her as he had last seen her, bending over the barrels of herrings within days of giving birth to their daughter, flashed before his eyes and he couldn’t help but compare her to his wife who had never done a day’s work in her whole life.
‘Then perhaps you could present yourself at the Temple residence tomorrow morning at ten o’clock when Mrs Temple will receive you to tell you what your duties will be and provide you with suitable clothes.’
Her face flamed as she glanced down at her shabby skirt.
‘They live—’
‘I know where they live,’ she cut in ungraciously. ‘About half a mile further on from Greenacres.’
‘Yes. Now, is there anything else I can help you with?’
She glared at him as she held something towards him and he automatically took it from her. Glancing down, he was shocked when he realised it was the roll of notes he had given her when he had visited her at her uncle’s, as well as the golden guinea he had given her to get rid of the unborn baby.
‘But I gave you this as—’
‘I don’t want your money,’ she said proudly, her glorious eyes flashing. ‘It goes against the grain to take this job, seein’ as you arranged it, but then some of us have to work for a livin’. We ain’t all married into money.’
She saw him flinch. Everyone knew that Louisa had brought the money to the marriage. Admittedly Barnaby had already owned two fishing trawlers when he met her, but Louisa’s father had provided the money that had helped him to build his businesses up.
‘Then I shall put it away and should you ever need it you only have to say.’ He slipped the money into his pocket and as Amber turned to walk away, he called, ‘Would you like me to see you home?’
She stopped abruptly and there was a sneer on her face as she turned and answered, ‘Why? Are you worried someone might take advantage o’ me?’ She gave a mirthless laugh that made his blood run cold. ‘I reckon it’s a bit late to be worryin’ about that, don’t you?’ And with that she walked away, leaving him standing there shamefaced.
She was walking along Church Street when she saw Bertie Preston swaggering towards her and she gave a silent groan. After having to speak to Barnaby Greenwood, he was just about the last person she wanted to see that evening, but he had seen her so there could be no avoiding him.
‘’Allo me lovely.’ As he drew level with her, he reached out in a familiar fashion to twist one of the curls lying on her shoulder around his finger and she instantly stepped back.
