Read Online Without a Mother's Love by Catherine King - Free Book Online
Authors: Catherine King
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that?’
‘No. And don’t you tell her now it’s not to be. It would have been sound business, though. I can’t run my forge without good coal and I’ll have to pay more to have it brought from Kimber Deep.’
‘The men were angry, Father. They threw stones at him. The constable was there.’
‘Aye, I expected that. And Hesley?’
‘He was hit, but he rode off. Lost a feed wagon, though. It caught light.’
His father gave a disapproving grunt. ‘Sit down, son. This bank business has affected me as well.’
Jared obeyed, fearful of what his father had to say.
‘Some of my investments have gone, and the money I owe to Sir William for my pig iron. But he is a fair man and I have a contract with the railway company for my castings. My reputation is good, so my forge will survive. But—’ He stopped and Jared sensed bad news. ‘I’m sorry, son, I’ll not be able to keep you at that school now. There’ll be no university either.’
For the first time that day Jared felt elated. He was tired of learning and anxious to be in the forge with his father. What could university teach him anyway? He needed to know how to make cast iron that was strong enough to carry a railway wagon. He tried to look dejected.
‘These things happen in business.You’d best learn it now as later,’ his father added.
‘Yes, Father. I can work for you instead. Let me start on the smelting. You need not pay me a wage. That’ll help, won’t it?’
‘Can’t be done. I’d have to lay somebody else off to give you a job, and it’s bad enough having to cut the wages of good men. Besides, after all this trouble some wouldn’t take kindly to my son labouring alongside them when their lads languish without work.’
‘I can look after myself, Father. I’m the fastest runner at school and I’ve learned to fight.’ He put up his fists.
‘Quite so, my lad. I’ll not have fighting in my ironworks. It never helps matters and the sooner you know that the better.’
‘But I must do something.’
‘What about learning to be a shipping clerk at the canal company?’
Not an office! Jared’s heart sank. ‘I want to be an ironmaster like you, Father.’
‘Aye, and I’m proud of you for that. But my plans were for you to help me run the forge when you’d finished at university, not to graft in the thick of the heat with the men.’
‘But I want to work at the furnace face, to cast the iron.’
‘You need an apprenticeship for that.’
‘Well, why not take me on, then?’
‘I’ve told you why. I’ve already got a lad, and a good one at that. Besides, you’ve got a sound head on your shoulders and there are other things for you to learn.’
‘What things?’
‘Well, the Swinborough ironworks are the biggest round here and Sir William has his coal mines too. He can always use a bright fellow like you. He’s called a meeting of his debtors tomorrow. I owe him, so I thought you could be of service to him.’
Jared’s eyes brightened. That was more like it. Proper men’s work. ‘Yes, Father. Where shall I be working?’
‘I’ll talk to Sir William after the meeting. His ironworks are in town but he has pits on his land, along the cut that goes up past Fordham before you get to Mexton.’
Jared nodded. ‘I know.You’d let me go down the pit, then?’
‘You won’t be doing that.You have to be born into mining. Sir William has men to run his transporting and his engineering. He’s up to date on these new steam engines. That’s what you need to learn about, my lad.’
Jared’s excitement mounted. ‘When can I start, Father?’
‘Steady on. I haven’t asked him yet. If he does take you, you’ll have to walk there and back every day because I can’t afford the horse I promised you for your birthday. I’m sorry, son.’
‘Oh.’ Jared was disappointed. ‘I could lodge over there, I suppose.’
‘Your mother wouldn’t like that.’
‘I’ll come home on Sundays.’
‘Let’s see what Sir
‘No. And don’t you tell her now it’s not to be. It would have been sound business, though. I can’t run my forge without good coal and I’ll have to pay more to have it brought from Kimber Deep.’
‘The men were angry, Father. They threw stones at him. The constable was there.’
‘Aye, I expected that. And Hesley?’
‘He was hit, but he rode off. Lost a feed wagon, though. It caught light.’
His father gave a disapproving grunt. ‘Sit down, son. This bank business has affected me as well.’
Jared obeyed, fearful of what his father had to say.
‘Some of my investments have gone, and the money I owe to Sir William for my pig iron. But he is a fair man and I have a contract with the railway company for my castings. My reputation is good, so my forge will survive. But—’ He stopped and Jared sensed bad news. ‘I’m sorry, son, I’ll not be able to keep you at that school now. There’ll be no university either.’
For the first time that day Jared felt elated. He was tired of learning and anxious to be in the forge with his father. What could university teach him anyway? He needed to know how to make cast iron that was strong enough to carry a railway wagon. He tried to look dejected.
‘These things happen in business.You’d best learn it now as later,’ his father added.
‘Yes, Father. I can work for you instead. Let me start on the smelting. You need not pay me a wage. That’ll help, won’t it?’
‘Can’t be done. I’d have to lay somebody else off to give you a job, and it’s bad enough having to cut the wages of good men. Besides, after all this trouble some wouldn’t take kindly to my son labouring alongside them when their lads languish without work.’
‘I can look after myself, Father. I’m the fastest runner at school and I’ve learned to fight.’ He put up his fists.
‘Quite so, my lad. I’ll not have fighting in my ironworks. It never helps matters and the sooner you know that the better.’
‘But I must do something.’
‘What about learning to be a shipping clerk at the canal company?’
Not an office! Jared’s heart sank. ‘I want to be an ironmaster like you, Father.’
‘Aye, and I’m proud of you for that. But my plans were for you to help me run the forge when you’d finished at university, not to graft in the thick of the heat with the men.’
‘But I want to work at the furnace face, to cast the iron.’
‘You need an apprenticeship for that.’
‘Well, why not take me on, then?’
‘I’ve told you why. I’ve already got a lad, and a good one at that. Besides, you’ve got a sound head on your shoulders and there are other things for you to learn.’
‘What things?’
‘Well, the Swinborough ironworks are the biggest round here and Sir William has his coal mines too. He can always use a bright fellow like you. He’s called a meeting of his debtors tomorrow. I owe him, so I thought you could be of service to him.’
Jared’s eyes brightened. That was more like it. Proper men’s work. ‘Yes, Father. Where shall I be working?’
‘I’ll talk to Sir William after the meeting. His ironworks are in town but he has pits on his land, along the cut that goes up past Fordham before you get to Mexton.’
Jared nodded. ‘I know.You’d let me go down the pit, then?’
‘You won’t be doing that.You have to be born into mining. Sir William has men to run his transporting and his engineering. He’s up to date on these new steam engines. That’s what you need to learn about, my lad.’
Jared’s excitement mounted. ‘When can I start, Father?’
‘Steady on. I haven’t asked him yet. If he does take you, you’ll have to walk there and back every day because I can’t afford the horse I promised you for your birthday. I’m sorry, son.’
‘Oh.’ Jared was disappointed. ‘I could lodge over there, I suppose.’
‘Your mother wouldn’t like that.’
‘I’ll come home on Sundays.’
‘Let’s see what Sir
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