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Authors: Gwen Kirkwood
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consternation came into the tailor’s crinkly eyes.
‘Pardon me, ma’am, for interrupting.’ They all turned. ‘I’m Foster from Braeheights Farm. Ye’ll ken ma bairns attend the school. My lads told me you had both left the schoolhouse Thursday night, without warning. They thought your bairn wouldna be going backto school. She was a friend tae my ain lassie, so I’m offering her a wee job up at the farm. She’ll have a roof and enough to eat. Molly would like the company.’ He glanced behind him. They all looked at Molly then. She was hanging back, glowering at the ground as though her life depended on it.
‘Molly? We know Molly well,’ Mary said eagerly. ‘So you’re her father?’
‘That’s right, ma’am. Our Molly works at home now. There’s plenty to do with the bairns and the animals. Your lassie needs a place and we could use another wee maid.’
‘Why er … well yes, I suppose….’ Mary frowned uncertainly. In the dim recesses of her mind she had visualized teaching Janet herself. She had not considered them living apart, or Janet earning her living, not yet. But Andrew’s future must come first.
‘Got on well together at school, our Molly and your wee lass,’ Mr Foster went on in a jocular tone. Janet was looking at Molly, wondering why the older girl refused to meet her eyes, why she was so intent on scuffing the earth with her best Sunday boots. ‘You’d like to come and live with us, wouldn’t you, lassie?’ Janet looked past him to Molly. Just for an instant she saw Molly raise her eyes and look at her intently. She was astonished to see a swift shake of her head, before her chin sank once more onto her skinny chest. Mr Foster caught Janet’s startled glance and turned his head towards Molly, a fierce frown drawing his bushy brows together. ‘She’s having a bit o’ a sulk. She’ll be happier if she has a wee friend up at the farm for company.’ He moved close to Molly’s side, his large hand grasping her shoulder in an iron grip. She seemed to cringe. ‘Won’t you? Tell them you’d like your wee friend frae the schoolroom to keep ye company.’ His grip tightened and Molly glanced up briefly.
‘Aye, I’d like that,’ she muttered, and lowered her head.
‘Well, Mistress Scott, what do ye say? I havena all day to wait. The lads stay with their grandmother in the village on schooldays so I could take your lass back to the farm with Molly and me in the trap now. Molly can find her an apron or two. I’ll be back next week to collect her ain things.’
Mary bit her lip and looked at Janet. They only had the fewclothes they had managed to carry away the night they left the schoolhouse.
‘It would save the wee maid a long walk up to our place. It’s a fair distance, even wi’ the pony and trap. The wife was brought up in this parish, see, and she likes the bairns to come back for the school and the kirk. Ye’ll need tae make your mind up,’ he added brusquely.
Janet’s eyes filled with tears but she looked at her mother bravely. She knew in her heart there was no choice. Mr Cole had no room for her and she could not stay with Peggy Baird indefinitely. She was homeless. ‘I’ll g-go with Molly,’ she whispered.
Mary hugged her close. ‘You’re a good bairn, Janet,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll make it up to you when Andrew comes home. He’ll get a fine job and we’ll buy you all the books you want.’
‘Yes, Mama.’
‘Here, lassie.’ Mary pulled off her own cloak. ‘Take this. Ye’ll need it more than me.’
‘B-but, Mama….’ She looked up at her mother’s thin, pale face, at her shoulders already hunched and shivering in the cold air.
‘I’ll get a lift with Mr Cole in his trap,’ Mary whispered hoarsely. ‘I’ll be there long before you reach the farm. Anyway, you might need it to warm you in your bed….’
Janet nodded, unable to speak now over the hard lump in her throat. Mr Foster ushered her impatiently towards his waiting trap.
‘Pardon me, ma’am, for interrupting.’ They all turned. ‘I’m Foster from Braeheights Farm. Ye’ll ken ma bairns attend the school. My lads told me you had both left the schoolhouse Thursday night, without warning. They thought your bairn wouldna be going backto school. She was a friend tae my ain lassie, so I’m offering her a wee job up at the farm. She’ll have a roof and enough to eat. Molly would like the company.’ He glanced behind him. They all looked at Molly then. She was hanging back, glowering at the ground as though her life depended on it.
‘Molly? We know Molly well,’ Mary said eagerly. ‘So you’re her father?’
‘That’s right, ma’am. Our Molly works at home now. There’s plenty to do with the bairns and the animals. Your lassie needs a place and we could use another wee maid.’
‘Why er … well yes, I suppose….’ Mary frowned uncertainly. In the dim recesses of her mind she had visualized teaching Janet herself. She had not considered them living apart, or Janet earning her living, not yet. But Andrew’s future must come first.
‘Got on well together at school, our Molly and your wee lass,’ Mr Foster went on in a jocular tone. Janet was looking at Molly, wondering why the older girl refused to meet her eyes, why she was so intent on scuffing the earth with her best Sunday boots. ‘You’d like to come and live with us, wouldn’t you, lassie?’ Janet looked past him to Molly. Just for an instant she saw Molly raise her eyes and look at her intently. She was astonished to see a swift shake of her head, before her chin sank once more onto her skinny chest. Mr Foster caught Janet’s startled glance and turned his head towards Molly, a fierce frown drawing his bushy brows together. ‘She’s having a bit o’ a sulk. She’ll be happier if she has a wee friend up at the farm for company.’ He moved close to Molly’s side, his large hand grasping her shoulder in an iron grip. She seemed to cringe. ‘Won’t you? Tell them you’d like your wee friend frae the schoolroom to keep ye company.’ His grip tightened and Molly glanced up briefly.
‘Aye, I’d like that,’ she muttered, and lowered her head.
‘Well, Mistress Scott, what do ye say? I havena all day to wait. The lads stay with their grandmother in the village on schooldays so I could take your lass back to the farm with Molly and me in the trap now. Molly can find her an apron or two. I’ll be back next week to collect her ain things.’
Mary bit her lip and looked at Janet. They only had the fewclothes they had managed to carry away the night they left the schoolhouse.
‘It would save the wee maid a long walk up to our place. It’s a fair distance, even wi’ the pony and trap. The wife was brought up in this parish, see, and she likes the bairns to come back for the school and the kirk. Ye’ll need tae make your mind up,’ he added brusquely.
Janet’s eyes filled with tears but she looked at her mother bravely. She knew in her heart there was no choice. Mr Cole had no room for her and she could not stay with Peggy Baird indefinitely. She was homeless. ‘I’ll g-go with Molly,’ she whispered.
Mary hugged her close. ‘You’re a good bairn, Janet,’ she whispered. ‘I’ll make it up to you when Andrew comes home. He’ll get a fine job and we’ll buy you all the books you want.’
‘Yes, Mama.’
‘Here, lassie.’ Mary pulled off her own cloak. ‘Take this. Ye’ll need it more than me.’
‘B-but, Mama….’ She looked up at her mother’s thin, pale face, at her shoulders already hunched and shivering in the cold air.
‘I’ll get a lift with Mr Cole in his trap,’ Mary whispered hoarsely. ‘I’ll be there long before you reach the farm. Anyway, you might need it to warm you in your bed….’
Janet nodded, unable to speak now over the hard lump in her throat. Mr Foster ushered her impatiently towards his waiting trap.
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