Read Online The Shadow of the Sycamores by Doris Davidson - Free Book Online Page A

recognition. ‘It was nice to speak to you,’ she had smiled, holding her hand out. ‘Will I see you again?’
    Roderick had lifted the veined hand to his lips. ‘Yes, of course. We will be back, be sure of that.’
    Janet had bent over to kiss her cheek. ‘I’m sorry I can only manage to come once a month, Mother.’
    The old lady’s eyes had clouded in puzzlement. ‘I don’t know who you are,’ she had stated, coldly, ‘so don’t pretend I’m your mother.’
    The leave-taking had not really upset them. In fact, they were relieved that she was happier now. ‘She will not miss us if we do not go every month,’ Roderick smiled. ‘She is living in a different world now, with people to look after her and attend to her every whim.’
    Janet nodded. ‘I wouldn’t have believed she’d be so at home. Did you see how her face lit up when Innes Ledingham came over to speak to her?’
    ‘I was meaning to ask about that. I didn’t know that it was he who ran the place.’
    ‘Neither did I,’ Janet smiled. ‘I got a right shock when I saw him.’
    ‘You had quite a tête-à-tête with him. What was that about?’
    ‘Nothing much. I hadn’t seen him for years and years but we were just speaking about Ma. He says she’s settled in fine, she’s well liked and she’s eating three good meals a day. So I needn’t have worried.’
    ‘I told you.’
    Janet didn’t want to tell him what had also transpired during her conversation with Innes, who had been a very close friend at one time. She’d even had the feeling that he was on the verge of courting her but she had met Tom Aitken and that was that. Anyway, Innes had gone away, down to England somewhere, and, the last she had heard of him, he was married. When she asked him how he came to be in charge of The Sycamores, he had just said that he loved the challenge. Then he had added, with a wry smile, that his biggest problem was getting staff.
    ‘Cleaning women are easier to come by but finding girls willing to tend to needful patients is quite difficult. Once they have been here for even a day, however, they find that they quite enjoy making life easier for those under their care. At present, I am looking for a young man who can turn his hand to anything, repairing doors or windows, fixing loose screws, a bit of painting – maintenance work in other words.’
    The upshot of this was that, on her recommendation alone, he had hired young Henry Rae without even seeing him. Janetpulled her cape closer round her as if hugging herself for being so clever. She pushed aside the thought that the boy may never return to Craigdownie – she had faith in him.
    Her first words to Maidie when she went into the kitchen were, ‘Is Henry back?’
    ‘Oh, Janet, it was awfu’! You werena long away when he turned up and Mr Legge gave him a right telling aff! And when he was finished ranting, he said Henry had better leave for there was no job here for him and Henry ran oot wi’ tears rolling doon his face.’
    ‘Oh. Lordy!’ Janet thumped down on the chair by the range with her hand on her chest. ‘The poor laddie and I wasna here.’ For a few moments, she breathed heavily, then gave her head a little shake and sat up straight. ‘Where is he, Maidie? Where did he go?’
    ‘I couldna tell you that, Cook, but I some think he went across to the bothy to collect his things.’
    Forgetting, in her anxiety for the boy, that some hours had passed since he learned the brutal news, Janet went out as fast as her tired legs would carry her and burst into the bothy without even knocking.
    ‘God a’michty, Janet!’ A startled Mick looked up from cutting his toenails. ‘I could’ve been changing my drawers.’
    ‘I wouldna have seen nothing I hadna seen afore,’ she barked. ‘Where is he?’
    ‘Where’s who?’ Understanding dawning, he said, ‘He’s nae here.’
    ‘I can see that. He took his things?’
    ‘Aye, afore we come in and I dinna ken where he went.’
    It was