closed her book. ‘Now …’
‘No he didn’t,’ said Ronnie Sidney.
‘Yes he did, Ronnie. He killed Sir Neville.’
‘Duh!’ said Alan Deakins. A few children laughed.
Ronnie shook his head. ‘Sir Neville was married. He loved his wife. Horatio should have killed her. That would have hurt Sir Neville more and been better revenge.’
Mrs Jennings was taken aback. ‘Well, I don’t know about that, Ronnie …’
‘It would.’
Alan blew a raspberry. More giggling. Catherine told him to be quiet.
‘Yes, well, perhaps you’re right, Ronnie. Now for the rest of the lesson I want you all to draw pictures of Sir Neville’s castle.’
Five minutes later all heads were bent over pieces of paper, Ronnie Sidney’s included. Mrs Jennings watched him. His comments had taken her aback but perhaps it wasn’t really so surprising. She knew he read a lot with his mother. Perhaps they had started looking at Shakespeare. The tragedies, possibly. Though Ronnie was too young to really appreciate it he would have understood something. He was a bright boy, after all, who learned his lessons well.
She began to think about what she would cook for supper.
September 1954.
‘Anna,’ said June Sanderson, ‘there’s something we need to discuss.’
‘Have I done something wrong?’
‘Far from it. I have a proposal to put to you.’
The two of them sat in June’s kitchen. Albert was upstairs, showing Ronnie recent additions to his stamp collection.
‘I have a cousin. Barbara Pembroke. I think I’ve mentioned her.’
‘The one who’s moved to Oxfordshire?’
‘That’s right. A town called Kendleton. She has a house by the river.’
Anna nodded.
‘I’ve told Barbara about you. About how highly Albert and I think of you. Barbara’s an old lady. Her health isn’t good. She has a weak heart and doesn’t have long to live.’
Another nod. The eyes were confused.
‘And she’s lonely. She has no family near by. Her only son is working in America and she’s looking for someone to act as a companion. Live in the house with her. Just keep her company. There’d be a little housework, but not much. She’s a wealthy woman who already has a cook and a cleaner. A gardener too. There’s even a nurse who visits her regularly. It’s companionship she’s after.’
‘And you thought of me?’
‘She’d pay well, Anna. Very well for the right person. She’s a good woman. A little set in her ways perhaps, but kind. And …’ June hesitated, choosing her words carefully. ‘And generous. A woman who would remember a good companion in her will.’
‘I see.’
‘I know you want to get away from here. Build a new life for yourself. Have a home of your own. This could be the means to achieve that.’
Anna put down the tray she had been polishing. ‘Do you think she’d want me?’
‘You’d need to meet her, of course. But I’m sure she would. As I said, I’ve told her all about you. Sung your praises.’ Another laugh. ‘Cutting off my nose to spite my face, really, as the last thing I want is to lose you.’
Anna’s expression became wistful. ‘When I was a child, just before the war, my parents took my brother and me for a holiday on a narrow boat. We went through the London canals and out into the country. It was a wonderful holiday. The weather was glorious and we helped to work the lock gates. We passed through Oxfordshire and it was beautiful.’
‘It still is. The Chilterns. The Goring Gap. Oxford itself. Home of the best university in the country.’
‘Better than Cambridge?’
June looked indignant. ‘A thousand times better.’ Then she smiled. ‘But my brother and Albert were at the same Oxford college. The two of them became friends and that’s how we met, so perhaps I can be allowed a little bias.’
Anna smiled too. ‘I think so.’
‘It’s a very different world from here.’
Anna’s eyes began to shine. ‘The sort of world I want for Ronnie. Somewhere green and
‘No he didn’t,’ said Ronnie Sidney.
‘Yes he did, Ronnie. He killed Sir Neville.’
‘Duh!’ said Alan Deakins. A few children laughed.
Ronnie shook his head. ‘Sir Neville was married. He loved his wife. Horatio should have killed her. That would have hurt Sir Neville more and been better revenge.’
Mrs Jennings was taken aback. ‘Well, I don’t know about that, Ronnie …’
‘It would.’
Alan blew a raspberry. More giggling. Catherine told him to be quiet.
‘Yes, well, perhaps you’re right, Ronnie. Now for the rest of the lesson I want you all to draw pictures of Sir Neville’s castle.’
Five minutes later all heads were bent over pieces of paper, Ronnie Sidney’s included. Mrs Jennings watched him. His comments had taken her aback but perhaps it wasn’t really so surprising. She knew he read a lot with his mother. Perhaps they had started looking at Shakespeare. The tragedies, possibly. Though Ronnie was too young to really appreciate it he would have understood something. He was a bright boy, after all, who learned his lessons well.
She began to think about what she would cook for supper.
September 1954.
‘Anna,’ said June Sanderson, ‘there’s something we need to discuss.’
‘Have I done something wrong?’
‘Far from it. I have a proposal to put to you.’
The two of them sat in June’s kitchen. Albert was upstairs, showing Ronnie recent additions to his stamp collection.
‘I have a cousin. Barbara Pembroke. I think I’ve mentioned her.’
‘The one who’s moved to Oxfordshire?’
‘That’s right. A town called Kendleton. She has a house by the river.’
Anna nodded.
‘I’ve told Barbara about you. About how highly Albert and I think of you. Barbara’s an old lady. Her health isn’t good. She has a weak heart and doesn’t have long to live.’
Another nod. The eyes were confused.
‘And she’s lonely. She has no family near by. Her only son is working in America and she’s looking for someone to act as a companion. Live in the house with her. Just keep her company. There’d be a little housework, but not much. She’s a wealthy woman who already has a cook and a cleaner. A gardener too. There’s even a nurse who visits her regularly. It’s companionship she’s after.’
‘And you thought of me?’
‘She’d pay well, Anna. Very well for the right person. She’s a good woman. A little set in her ways perhaps, but kind. And …’ June hesitated, choosing her words carefully. ‘And generous. A woman who would remember a good companion in her will.’
‘I see.’
‘I know you want to get away from here. Build a new life for yourself. Have a home of your own. This could be the means to achieve that.’
Anna put down the tray she had been polishing. ‘Do you think she’d want me?’
‘You’d need to meet her, of course. But I’m sure she would. As I said, I’ve told her all about you. Sung your praises.’ Another laugh. ‘Cutting off my nose to spite my face, really, as the last thing I want is to lose you.’
Anna’s expression became wistful. ‘When I was a child, just before the war, my parents took my brother and me for a holiday on a narrow boat. We went through the London canals and out into the country. It was a wonderful holiday. The weather was glorious and we helped to work the lock gates. We passed through Oxfordshire and it was beautiful.’
‘It still is. The Chilterns. The Goring Gap. Oxford itself. Home of the best university in the country.’
‘Better than Cambridge?’
June looked indignant. ‘A thousand times better.’ Then she smiled. ‘But my brother and Albert were at the same Oxford college. The two of them became friends and that’s how we met, so perhaps I can be allowed a little bias.’
Anna smiled too. ‘I think so.’
‘It’s a very different world from here.’
Anna’s eyes began to shine. ‘The sort of world I want for Ronnie. Somewhere green and
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