‘but she’s a lady , wouldn’t soil her hands with anything dirty like caring for a sick man, even if that man was her own brother. Anyway, Mam was with him when he died, then she cleared up after him and left him neat and tidy like, all ready for his burial. That sister of his would have had Mam do that and all if it was possible, and she’d never have paid her for her trouble.’ He turned to spit, then blushed violently again and muttered an apology.
‘It’s all right, Waldo. Please, go on.’
‘Well, Mam comes home and tells us all about what’s been happening.’
‘She came home to her family – to all of you – straight from tending the merchant?’
‘Aye. She were sick, my lady. She had these dreadful pains in her head – she thought it were demons poking around inside with red-hot pitchforks and she were sore afraid they’d come for her to take her down to the fires. We got Father Christian to come to her and he managed to comfort her a bit, although he couldn’t do nothing for her pain.’ He swallowed and then said starkly, ‘She died. Me dad had taken sick by then and he died too. Then me gran and me uncle’s wife’s mother died and all.’
Lost in the complexities of this apparently endless family, Helewise said, ‘You all live close together?’
‘Oh, aye,’ Waldo said resignedly. ‘Me dad and his brother, they built our house in the first place out of the old cottage and barn that their own parents left them. They both married, although Dad’s brother, he only found a wife a couple of years back, and their wives brought their mothers to live with them. Mam’s brother, too’ – he jerked his head in the direction of the Vale’s sleeping quarters – ‘that’s him in there; his name’s Jabez. He’s never been quite right in the head. Then Mam and Dad had me, me sister and me brother, and Dad’s brother’s wife had the twins. See?’ he concluded hopefully.
‘Er – yes. Quite a household,’ Helewise remarked. ‘Let me see . . . twelve of you.’
‘Not so many now,’ Waldo said sadly. ‘Four dead at home and one of the twins gone yesterday.’ Then, eyes on Helewise’s, he said, ‘We’re all on top of each other at home, see. Mam did her best to keep everything clean and tidy but she were away in Hastings more often than not, slaving away with all the worst of the chores for Master Kelsey and that bitch of a sister of his. Sorry, my lady.’
‘Never mind, Waldo.’ Perhaps, Helewise thought, she should pull the lad up for speaking in such a way of his mother’s employer, but then that mother had just died. It was surely charitable to make a few allowances for the poor boy. ‘Did – er – did none of the other women of the household try to help?’
Waldo gave a snort of disgust. ‘Not if they could think up a good excuse not to. Me auntie – that’s me dad’s brother’s wife – she still says she can’t do no heavy work, what with her just having had the twins, but they’re eight months old now so it’s not as if . . .’ He trailed off. Probably, Helewise decided, he was recalling that one of those twins was dead.
‘And what about the older women?’ she pressed, more with the intention of taking his mind off his grief than for any real desire to know.
‘The old auntie was no use to anybody, not unless you had a need for a spiteful and demanding crone who moaned all the hours she was awake and snored loud enough to wake the dead whenever she fell asleep. Me gran weren’t too bad. She’d try to do what Mam asked her to do, only she had the twisting pains in her hands and she never seemed to manage much.’ Waldo gave a sigh. ‘It’s mainly Mariah and me does the work when Mam’s in Hastings. Tam helps us when he has a mind to, but seeing as he’s only ten, he’s easily distracted.’
‘And what work did your father and your uncle
‘It’s all right, Waldo. Please, go on.’
‘Well, Mam comes home and tells us all about what’s been happening.’
‘She came home to her family – to all of you – straight from tending the merchant?’
‘Aye. She were sick, my lady. She had these dreadful pains in her head – she thought it were demons poking around inside with red-hot pitchforks and she were sore afraid they’d come for her to take her down to the fires. We got Father Christian to come to her and he managed to comfort her a bit, although he couldn’t do nothing for her pain.’ He swallowed and then said starkly, ‘She died. Me dad had taken sick by then and he died too. Then me gran and me uncle’s wife’s mother died and all.’
Lost in the complexities of this apparently endless family, Helewise said, ‘You all live close together?’
‘Oh, aye,’ Waldo said resignedly. ‘Me dad and his brother, they built our house in the first place out of the old cottage and barn that their own parents left them. They both married, although Dad’s brother, he only found a wife a couple of years back, and their wives brought their mothers to live with them. Mam’s brother, too’ – he jerked his head in the direction of the Vale’s sleeping quarters – ‘that’s him in there; his name’s Jabez. He’s never been quite right in the head. Then Mam and Dad had me, me sister and me brother, and Dad’s brother’s wife had the twins. See?’ he concluded hopefully.
‘Er – yes. Quite a household,’ Helewise remarked. ‘Let me see . . . twelve of you.’
‘Not so many now,’ Waldo said sadly. ‘Four dead at home and one of the twins gone yesterday.’ Then, eyes on Helewise’s, he said, ‘We’re all on top of each other at home, see. Mam did her best to keep everything clean and tidy but she were away in Hastings more often than not, slaving away with all the worst of the chores for Master Kelsey and that bitch of a sister of his. Sorry, my lady.’
‘Never mind, Waldo.’ Perhaps, Helewise thought, she should pull the lad up for speaking in such a way of his mother’s employer, but then that mother had just died. It was surely charitable to make a few allowances for the poor boy. ‘Did – er – did none of the other women of the household try to help?’
Waldo gave a snort of disgust. ‘Not if they could think up a good excuse not to. Me auntie – that’s me dad’s brother’s wife – she still says she can’t do no heavy work, what with her just having had the twins, but they’re eight months old now so it’s not as if . . .’ He trailed off. Probably, Helewise decided, he was recalling that one of those twins was dead.
‘And what about the older women?’ she pressed, more with the intention of taking his mind off his grief than for any real desire to know.
‘The old auntie was no use to anybody, not unless you had a need for a spiteful and demanding crone who moaned all the hours she was awake and snored loud enough to wake the dead whenever she fell asleep. Me gran weren’t too bad. She’d try to do what Mam asked her to do, only she had the twisting pains in her hands and she never seemed to manage much.’ Waldo gave a sigh. ‘It’s mainly Mariah and me does the work when Mam’s in Hastings. Tam helps us when he has a mind to, but seeing as he’s only ten, he’s easily distracted.’
‘And what work did your father and your uncle
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