Read Online Strawberry Fields by Katie Flynn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katie Flynn
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school holidays lacks purpose, Sara,’ he said severely, which Sara thought supremely unfair, since any purpose she had in mind was immediately squashed by either one or other of her parents. ‘You need employment – the devil finds mischief for idle hands, you know.’
But though it was a shame that he had managed to turn a treat – which was visiting the park – into a duty, Sara was still grateful to him. He took very little notice of her as a rule, now he had twice done something which had, in its way, made things easier for her. She still remembered his approval of Nanny, his making it plain that he thought she was in the right rather than his wife.
And today is sunny; we’ll have a really good time and Mother won’t be able to stop us by saying Jane has work to do, because Father’s orders are paramount, Sara thought gleefully, quoting, in her mind, the very words her mother used when it suited her to blame her husband for some irksome order or other. She fastened her back suspenders, not without difficulty, for they were small, fiddly things, straightened her skirt and was standing with one foot in a pom-pommed slipper and the other still clad only in a black woollen stocking, when the door opened and Jane came into the room. She was carrying a tray with Sara’s breakfast egg, a plateful of bread and butter and a mug of milk on it, and whilst she transferred the contents of the tray to the schoolroom table, she announced in a mournful voice that she would have to go downstairs at once, to see the missus.
‘Why, Jane?’ Sara asked idly, picking up her teaspoon and tapping the brown egg thoughtfully upon its bald cranium. ‘Does she want us to go shopping with her? Oh, don’t let’s! Father said I might play in the park, or – or go for walk by ourselves.’
‘It ain’t that, Miss Sara,’ Jane said unhappily. ‘My little brother Freddy just come to the back door. Mam’s been took bad, she’s in the Stanley ’ospital, they say it could be ’pendicitis. And if it is, someone’s gorra look after the littl’uns.’
‘Oh, I see,’ Sara said rather blankly. She had been really looking forward to getting out of the house for a while, but now she felt ashamed that she had never thought to ask Jane about her family, but the girl had only recently been promoted to take care of her, Phyllis having left for a livelier household with more children – and more money, she had told her charge. ‘Well, I’m awfully sorry your mother’s ill, Jane, but of course your first duty is to her. You’d best go off, then.’
And Jane, having set Sara’s breakfast down upon the table, promptly went, to return presently saying in a tone of hushed excitement: ‘Madam says I may go home and see how things are. I’ll not pack, since it may be a false alarm, but Madam says as how she’ll see to you this morning, Miss.’
‘That’s kind of her,’ Sara said glumly. She could imagine few worse fates than being ‘seen to’ by her mother on a snowy morning. ‘I hope you find your mother much better, Jane.’
‘Thank you, Miss,’ Jane said buoyantly. ‘Mind, a few days at home’s a bit of a treat . . . in a way, acourse,’ she added hastily, plainly feeling that she was being tactless in making such an admission. ‘It’s always nice to see me brothers and sisters.’
As she spoke she was taking her navy-blue coat and her matching hat with the pale green ribbon off the hook behind the nursery door and slipping them on. Sara could see that the maid was enjoying even the thought of going back to her home, and envied her. If only I had brothers and sisters, how pleasant being without Jane could be, she thought wistfully. There would be more than one, then, to plead with Mother and Father, or even to defy them! Perhaps a brother would always be able to get round Mother, like Christine Andrews says her brother can, or a sister could actually enjoy shopping, and do it instead of me. And then all the brothers
But though it was a shame that he had managed to turn a treat – which was visiting the park – into a duty, Sara was still grateful to him. He took very little notice of her as a rule, now he had twice done something which had, in its way, made things easier for her. She still remembered his approval of Nanny, his making it plain that he thought she was in the right rather than his wife.
And today is sunny; we’ll have a really good time and Mother won’t be able to stop us by saying Jane has work to do, because Father’s orders are paramount, Sara thought gleefully, quoting, in her mind, the very words her mother used when it suited her to blame her husband for some irksome order or other. She fastened her back suspenders, not without difficulty, for they were small, fiddly things, straightened her skirt and was standing with one foot in a pom-pommed slipper and the other still clad only in a black woollen stocking, when the door opened and Jane came into the room. She was carrying a tray with Sara’s breakfast egg, a plateful of bread and butter and a mug of milk on it, and whilst she transferred the contents of the tray to the schoolroom table, she announced in a mournful voice that she would have to go downstairs at once, to see the missus.
‘Why, Jane?’ Sara asked idly, picking up her teaspoon and tapping the brown egg thoughtfully upon its bald cranium. ‘Does she want us to go shopping with her? Oh, don’t let’s! Father said I might play in the park, or – or go for walk by ourselves.’
‘It ain’t that, Miss Sara,’ Jane said unhappily. ‘My little brother Freddy just come to the back door. Mam’s been took bad, she’s in the Stanley ’ospital, they say it could be ’pendicitis. And if it is, someone’s gorra look after the littl’uns.’
‘Oh, I see,’ Sara said rather blankly. She had been really looking forward to getting out of the house for a while, but now she felt ashamed that she had never thought to ask Jane about her family, but the girl had only recently been promoted to take care of her, Phyllis having left for a livelier household with more children – and more money, she had told her charge. ‘Well, I’m awfully sorry your mother’s ill, Jane, but of course your first duty is to her. You’d best go off, then.’
And Jane, having set Sara’s breakfast down upon the table, promptly went, to return presently saying in a tone of hushed excitement: ‘Madam says I may go home and see how things are. I’ll not pack, since it may be a false alarm, but Madam says as how she’ll see to you this morning, Miss.’
‘That’s kind of her,’ Sara said glumly. She could imagine few worse fates than being ‘seen to’ by her mother on a snowy morning. ‘I hope you find your mother much better, Jane.’
‘Thank you, Miss,’ Jane said buoyantly. ‘Mind, a few days at home’s a bit of a treat . . . in a way, acourse,’ she added hastily, plainly feeling that she was being tactless in making such an admission. ‘It’s always nice to see me brothers and sisters.’
As she spoke she was taking her navy-blue coat and her matching hat with the pale green ribbon off the hook behind the nursery door and slipping them on. Sara could see that the maid was enjoying even the thought of going back to her home, and envied her. If only I had brothers and sisters, how pleasant being without Jane could be, she thought wistfully. There would be more than one, then, to plead with Mother and Father, or even to defy them! Perhaps a brother would always be able to get round Mother, like Christine Andrews says her brother can, or a sister could actually enjoy shopping, and do it instead of me. And then all the brothers
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