Read Online Above the Harvest Moon by Rita Bradshaw - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rita Bradshaw
Ads: Link
Jack’s lad?’
‘Aye, him.’
‘In what way?’
‘You think he’s brighter than average?’
Jake stared at Seamus. He didn’t understand where the conversation was going. Nevertheless, he considered the question for a moment or two before he said, ‘Aye, Daniel’s a canny lad, but more than that he’s one of them you can give a job to and know it’ll be done come hell or high water and done well.’
Seamus nodded. ‘I want you to start giving him a bit of responsibility over the others. He can take the load off your shoulders to some extent which’ll give you time to take on the accounts and office work.’
‘You do the office work.’
‘Aye, I know. Now I want to show you what’s what.’ As Jake went to speak, Seamus held up his hand. ‘Look, lad, I went to see the old quack afore Christmas after that last turn I had.’
‘That was indigestion.You’d just polished off one of Enid’s baked jam rolls single-handedly.’
‘Aye, well, I hadn’t let on to you but that wasn’t the first time I’d felt bad. Anyway, he says there’s something wrong with my ticker. Now don’t look like that, lad. I’m not about to pop my clogs, but I want to set certain things in order, just to ease my mind. For that reason I want you to know everything there is to know about the financial side of things, just in case you have to step in sharpish at any time. And if Daniel’s coming up alongside to do the sort of job you do now, a manager so to speak, it’ll be plain sailing rather than everyone disappearing up their own backsides. I can’t abide disorder. You know that.’
Jake’s face was ashen but his voice was quiet when he said, ‘Tell me exactly what the doctor said.’
Seamus took a swallow of his whisky. ‘Like I said, he reckons my heart’s none too good. Mind, I’m getting on a bit, like I told him. I’m no spring chicken.’
Jake didn’t return Seamus’s smile. ‘You should have told me before.’
‘Not at Christmas, lad. That’d have put a damper on things. But while we’re sitting quiet like this there’s something else an’ all. I want to tell you now so you’re prepared. I’ve made a will, it’s with me solicitors in Bishopwearmouth, Appleby and Jefferson, and I did it just after our Terence bought it at the Somme.You get the lot, lad. Farm, bit in the bank, the lot. Just so you know and there’s no mix-up. All right? I’ve got that nephew that came sniffing about when Terence died and I wouldn’t put it past him to try something. I told him then and I’ll tell you now, from early on I thought of you as a second son. You don’t always have to sow the seed that lands in your field.’
The burning in Jake’s eyes became unbearable and as the tears ran down his face he was aware of movement in the chair opposite. He felt the old farmer’s arms go round him and hold him tight. For the first time in his life he knew what it was to be hugged as a beloved son.
Chapter 6
Hannah was enjoying herself. The feeling of achievement that her mother had agreed to let her see in the New Year at Naomi’s was heady. Naomi’s four younger brothers were in bed but several of the neighbours were present, along with Larry and Hilda, Mr Wood’s children from his first marriage, and their spouses. Everyone was very merry, their jocularity only partly due to the beer and whisky which had been consumed.There was also a kind of defiance to the gaiety. Times might be bad, they might be in the grip of a slump that was worsening by the month with dole queues lengthening and a quarter of the country’s miners out of work, but they still knew how to enjoy themselves. The coal owners didn’t own their souls.
The front room was crowded and laughter filled the house. Mr O’Leary from three doors up had brought along his accordion and was doing requests. As one of the hits of the previous year, ‘Fascinating Rhythm’, bellowed
‘Aye, him.’
‘In what way?’
‘You think he’s brighter than average?’
Jake stared at Seamus. He didn’t understand where the conversation was going. Nevertheless, he considered the question for a moment or two before he said, ‘Aye, Daniel’s a canny lad, but more than that he’s one of them you can give a job to and know it’ll be done come hell or high water and done well.’
Seamus nodded. ‘I want you to start giving him a bit of responsibility over the others. He can take the load off your shoulders to some extent which’ll give you time to take on the accounts and office work.’
‘You do the office work.’
‘Aye, I know. Now I want to show you what’s what.’ As Jake went to speak, Seamus held up his hand. ‘Look, lad, I went to see the old quack afore Christmas after that last turn I had.’
‘That was indigestion.You’d just polished off one of Enid’s baked jam rolls single-handedly.’
‘Aye, well, I hadn’t let on to you but that wasn’t the first time I’d felt bad. Anyway, he says there’s something wrong with my ticker. Now don’t look like that, lad. I’m not about to pop my clogs, but I want to set certain things in order, just to ease my mind. For that reason I want you to know everything there is to know about the financial side of things, just in case you have to step in sharpish at any time. And if Daniel’s coming up alongside to do the sort of job you do now, a manager so to speak, it’ll be plain sailing rather than everyone disappearing up their own backsides. I can’t abide disorder. You know that.’
Jake’s face was ashen but his voice was quiet when he said, ‘Tell me exactly what the doctor said.’
Seamus took a swallow of his whisky. ‘Like I said, he reckons my heart’s none too good. Mind, I’m getting on a bit, like I told him. I’m no spring chicken.’
Jake didn’t return Seamus’s smile. ‘You should have told me before.’
‘Not at Christmas, lad. That’d have put a damper on things. But while we’re sitting quiet like this there’s something else an’ all. I want to tell you now so you’re prepared. I’ve made a will, it’s with me solicitors in Bishopwearmouth, Appleby and Jefferson, and I did it just after our Terence bought it at the Somme.You get the lot, lad. Farm, bit in the bank, the lot. Just so you know and there’s no mix-up. All right? I’ve got that nephew that came sniffing about when Terence died and I wouldn’t put it past him to try something. I told him then and I’ll tell you now, from early on I thought of you as a second son. You don’t always have to sow the seed that lands in your field.’
The burning in Jake’s eyes became unbearable and as the tears ran down his face he was aware of movement in the chair opposite. He felt the old farmer’s arms go round him and hold him tight. For the first time in his life he knew what it was to be hugged as a beloved son.
Chapter 6
Hannah was enjoying herself. The feeling of achievement that her mother had agreed to let her see in the New Year at Naomi’s was heady. Naomi’s four younger brothers were in bed but several of the neighbours were present, along with Larry and Hilda, Mr Wood’s children from his first marriage, and their spouses. Everyone was very merry, their jocularity only partly due to the beer and whisky which had been consumed.There was also a kind of defiance to the gaiety. Times might be bad, they might be in the grip of a slump that was worsening by the month with dole queues lengthening and a quarter of the country’s miners out of work, but they still knew how to enjoy themselves. The coal owners didn’t own their souls.
The front room was crowded and laughter filled the house. Mr O’Leary from three doors up had brought along his accordion and was doing requests. As one of the hits of the previous year, ‘Fascinating Rhythm’, bellowed
Similar Books
![Siren Unleashed [Texas Sirens 7] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting)](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/516047/thumbs/152x264/siren-unleashed-texas-sirens-7-siren-publishing-menage-everlasting.png)
