have wanted you to work for nothing. They have their pride. I had told them that you wished to try out your independence, that you were a young woman with modern ideas! That’s right isn’t it? And your inherent good nature took over when you discovered that they could not afford anyone else. But you will find that not only are you giving something to those dear sisters and their pupils, but will gain great satisfaction for yourself in doing so.’
I hope she’s right, Amelia thought the next morning as she prepared herself. She dressed in a plain gown and fastened her thick hair into a coil in the nape of her neck. But I am determined that I will not be persuaded to stay for longer than I said.
‘What time do we go, Aunt?’ she asked as they finished an early breakfast. ‘I forgot to ask.’
‘The pupils arrive at nine,’ her aunt replied. ‘But I am not coming. I have other business toattend to. Patrick will take you as near to St Sampson’s Square as he can get and then come back for me as I need the carriage this morning. You can find your own way from there, can you not?’
Amelia looked at her blankly. She could hardly take her maid Nancy to accompany her, what would she do all day? She swallowed. She had wanted freedom and now it seemed that she was about to get it.
‘Look for the Roman bathhouse, dear,’ her aunt advised, ‘then Finkle Street and Back Swinegate is just behind. It’s quite easy to find.’
So unused to travelling alone, Amelia immediately became lost within the alleyways and lanes surrounding the market; but to her delight, rather than feeling perturbed at being alone for the first time in a strange place, she actually revelled in it. She dawdled her way past the shops, but hurried past the taverns and through the alleyways, though they were so thronged with hurrying people she didn’t feel nervous, and quite by chance, rather than design, she found herself outside the door of the Misses Fieldings’ house.
She could hear chanting coming from inside the door as she knocked with the shiny brass knocker, and realized that the pupils were learning their numbers tables by rote. She smiled to herself as she remembered doing the same thing with her governess at home in Holderness.
‘Oh, Miss Linton,’ Miss Harriet greeted her. ‘We had quite given you up and thought you had changed your mind about coming.’
‘I’m so sorry I’m late,’ Amelia began guiltily. ‘I’m afraid I got lost.’
‘It doesn’t matter in the least,’ Miss Harriet assured her. ‘Just so long as you are here now. It’s very easy to become lost within York if you don’t know it. But it won’t take you long to find your way around.’
The day passed quickly. She was introduced to the children, a mixed class of three boys and five girls. Two of the girls were the fee-paying pupils and Amelia sat with them and Miss Harriet behind the curtain and listened to them read, and then gave them a subject for a story which she asked them to write in their own words and which she would comment on the next day. Then she sat with Miss Fielding whilst she taught the remaining children simple arithmetic.
She watched the children as they chanted. Apart from the fee-paying pupils they were poorly dressed and two of them, a boy and a girl, were in very thin clothes and not wearing shoes, even though the day was cold. The little girl kept curling and uncurling her toes and Amelia resolved to ask Ginny if she had kept any of Lily’s old shoes or if she had already given them away to the village children. Rarely was anything wasted in the Linton family. Their mother said she remembered well enough abouthard times and so any spare clothing, blankets or shoes were given to the poor.
Amelia beckoned to the girl when the lesson was finished and Miss Fielding had gone out of the room for a moment. ‘What is your name?’ she asked.
‘Moira, miss.’ She had pale gingery-coloured hair which looked as if it hadn’t ever
I hope she’s right, Amelia thought the next morning as she prepared herself. She dressed in a plain gown and fastened her thick hair into a coil in the nape of her neck. But I am determined that I will not be persuaded to stay for longer than I said.
‘What time do we go, Aunt?’ she asked as they finished an early breakfast. ‘I forgot to ask.’
‘The pupils arrive at nine,’ her aunt replied. ‘But I am not coming. I have other business toattend to. Patrick will take you as near to St Sampson’s Square as he can get and then come back for me as I need the carriage this morning. You can find your own way from there, can you not?’
Amelia looked at her blankly. She could hardly take her maid Nancy to accompany her, what would she do all day? She swallowed. She had wanted freedom and now it seemed that she was about to get it.
‘Look for the Roman bathhouse, dear,’ her aunt advised, ‘then Finkle Street and Back Swinegate is just behind. It’s quite easy to find.’
So unused to travelling alone, Amelia immediately became lost within the alleyways and lanes surrounding the market; but to her delight, rather than feeling perturbed at being alone for the first time in a strange place, she actually revelled in it. She dawdled her way past the shops, but hurried past the taverns and through the alleyways, though they were so thronged with hurrying people she didn’t feel nervous, and quite by chance, rather than design, she found herself outside the door of the Misses Fieldings’ house.
She could hear chanting coming from inside the door as she knocked with the shiny brass knocker, and realized that the pupils were learning their numbers tables by rote. She smiled to herself as she remembered doing the same thing with her governess at home in Holderness.
‘Oh, Miss Linton,’ Miss Harriet greeted her. ‘We had quite given you up and thought you had changed your mind about coming.’
‘I’m so sorry I’m late,’ Amelia began guiltily. ‘I’m afraid I got lost.’
‘It doesn’t matter in the least,’ Miss Harriet assured her. ‘Just so long as you are here now. It’s very easy to become lost within York if you don’t know it. But it won’t take you long to find your way around.’
The day passed quickly. She was introduced to the children, a mixed class of three boys and five girls. Two of the girls were the fee-paying pupils and Amelia sat with them and Miss Harriet behind the curtain and listened to them read, and then gave them a subject for a story which she asked them to write in their own words and which she would comment on the next day. Then she sat with Miss Fielding whilst she taught the remaining children simple arithmetic.
She watched the children as they chanted. Apart from the fee-paying pupils they were poorly dressed and two of them, a boy and a girl, were in very thin clothes and not wearing shoes, even though the day was cold. The little girl kept curling and uncurling her toes and Amelia resolved to ask Ginny if she had kept any of Lily’s old shoes or if she had already given them away to the village children. Rarely was anything wasted in the Linton family. Their mother said she remembered well enough abouthard times and so any spare clothing, blankets or shoes were given to the poor.
Amelia beckoned to the girl when the lesson was finished and Miss Fielding had gone out of the room for a moment. ‘What is your name?’ she asked.
‘Moira, miss.’ She had pale gingery-coloured hair which looked as if it hadn’t ever
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