your way or you will be late for school.’ Six-year-old Beth sidled up to Janet and put her hand in hers.
‘Can’t I stay here with Janet today? She could help me with my numbers.’
‘No, Beth, you cannot stay at home today, but it is Saturday tomorrow and you will be at home then. Now off you go.’
‘You said you had a letter for your mother, Janet,’ Fingal reminded her.
‘Oh yes! I forgot about Mr Cole’s letter last night, Mama.’
‘No wonder, lassie. So did I.’ Mary took the letter and slit open the envelope.
‘I wonder what Mr Cole means by this,’ she said aloud. ‘He says he has a proposition to put before me now that his wife is so frail. He says he will speak to me after the kirk on Sunday. He goes on about the little room at the back of the tailor’s shop being little more than a cupboard but he assumes Janet will be lodging in the schoolhouse for the winter with the other pupils.’
‘No! No, Mama.’
‘No!’ Fingal moved swiftly to put a protective arm around her shoulders, his young face filled with concern.
‘I couldn’t send you back, lassie, even if I wanted to.’ Mary spoke wearily. ‘I can’t afford to pay the dominie’s fees. I can’t make head nor tail o’ Mr Cole’s letter.’
‘Well, it’s only two days until the Sabbath, Mary,’ Peggy Baird said. ‘You could bide here until you have talked with him. Iwouldn’t be surprised if he’s wanting you to keep house for him and look after his wife.’
‘Do you think we could stay here in the stables until then?’
‘We’re pleased to help. You could share the bairns’ bed. Mother would have given you a bed but Fingal is sleeping in the bedroom. He’ll stay with her again tonight. When he is not here I stay with Father at night. Mother doesn’t want to leave Mr Saunders in the lurch. She worked at Crillion Keep before he inherited it and he kept her on as housekeeper. Mrs Mossy is a good cleaner but she is a hopeless cook.’
‘I didn’t realize your father was so bad, Peggy. Maybe I can help while I am here? I could give your mother a rest. I’m used to nursing after – after caring for Billy.’
‘Would you do that?’ Peggy’s eyes brightened. ‘I remember Doctor Carr saying how well you cared for Billy. I don’t know when Mother last had a proper sleep. Father canna help himself and he’s a heavy man to lift.’
‘I’ll go over to the cottage, then. It will be a relief to know I can help.’
‘Eat up some breakfast first then, Mary. You look tired to death.’
Janet had already washed her hands and face in the pail of water Fingal had drawn from the well. It was stingingly cold but it banished the sleep from her eyes and made her feel alert and alive. The exhaustion of the previous evening vanished when she had eaten the large bowl of porridge.
‘It looks to me as though you’re both fading away. Did the dominie no’ feed ye well?’
‘He’s the meanest, most miserable man you could ever imagine,’ Mary declared.
‘Can I go and help Fingal at the stables now?’ Janet asked eagerly.
‘Aye, away ye go, lassie,’ Peggy said fondly. ‘He was aye pleased to have your company and ye’ll take his mind off his own worries. He’ll need to return to Edinburgh tomorrow.’
‘How will he get back?’ Mary asked.
‘Joe Nairn, the carrier, has promised to lift him to the crossroads when he takes a load o’ wood over to The Place. He said he’dask one o’ the carters to take Andrew as far as Moffat and maybe he’ll be lucky and get a lift or two for the rest o’ the journey.’ She sighed. ‘He’s a good laddie, but he’s worried about my stepfather and mother being in the Coachman’s Cottage. He is going to talk to Mr Saunders when he and Donald have finished the horses.’
Fingal was concerned for his mother and he made his way up to the big house to discuss the situation with Josiah Saunders.
‘I know the cottage is tied and intended for the head coachman,’ Fingal
‘Can’t I stay here with Janet today? She could help me with my numbers.’
‘No, Beth, you cannot stay at home today, but it is Saturday tomorrow and you will be at home then. Now off you go.’
‘You said you had a letter for your mother, Janet,’ Fingal reminded her.
‘Oh yes! I forgot about Mr Cole’s letter last night, Mama.’
‘No wonder, lassie. So did I.’ Mary took the letter and slit open the envelope.
‘I wonder what Mr Cole means by this,’ she said aloud. ‘He says he has a proposition to put before me now that his wife is so frail. He says he will speak to me after the kirk on Sunday. He goes on about the little room at the back of the tailor’s shop being little more than a cupboard but he assumes Janet will be lodging in the schoolhouse for the winter with the other pupils.’
‘No! No, Mama.’
‘No!’ Fingal moved swiftly to put a protective arm around her shoulders, his young face filled with concern.
‘I couldn’t send you back, lassie, even if I wanted to.’ Mary spoke wearily. ‘I can’t afford to pay the dominie’s fees. I can’t make head nor tail o’ Mr Cole’s letter.’
‘Well, it’s only two days until the Sabbath, Mary,’ Peggy Baird said. ‘You could bide here until you have talked with him. Iwouldn’t be surprised if he’s wanting you to keep house for him and look after his wife.’
‘Do you think we could stay here in the stables until then?’
‘We’re pleased to help. You could share the bairns’ bed. Mother would have given you a bed but Fingal is sleeping in the bedroom. He’ll stay with her again tonight. When he is not here I stay with Father at night. Mother doesn’t want to leave Mr Saunders in the lurch. She worked at Crillion Keep before he inherited it and he kept her on as housekeeper. Mrs Mossy is a good cleaner but she is a hopeless cook.’
‘I didn’t realize your father was so bad, Peggy. Maybe I can help while I am here? I could give your mother a rest. I’m used to nursing after – after caring for Billy.’
‘Would you do that?’ Peggy’s eyes brightened. ‘I remember Doctor Carr saying how well you cared for Billy. I don’t know when Mother last had a proper sleep. Father canna help himself and he’s a heavy man to lift.’
‘I’ll go over to the cottage, then. It will be a relief to know I can help.’
‘Eat up some breakfast first then, Mary. You look tired to death.’
Janet had already washed her hands and face in the pail of water Fingal had drawn from the well. It was stingingly cold but it banished the sleep from her eyes and made her feel alert and alive. The exhaustion of the previous evening vanished when she had eaten the large bowl of porridge.
‘It looks to me as though you’re both fading away. Did the dominie no’ feed ye well?’
‘He’s the meanest, most miserable man you could ever imagine,’ Mary declared.
‘Can I go and help Fingal at the stables now?’ Janet asked eagerly.
‘Aye, away ye go, lassie,’ Peggy said fondly. ‘He was aye pleased to have your company and ye’ll take his mind off his own worries. He’ll need to return to Edinburgh tomorrow.’
‘How will he get back?’ Mary asked.
‘Joe Nairn, the carrier, has promised to lift him to the crossroads when he takes a load o’ wood over to The Place. He said he’dask one o’ the carters to take Andrew as far as Moffat and maybe he’ll be lucky and get a lift or two for the rest o’ the journey.’ She sighed. ‘He’s a good laddie, but he’s worried about my stepfather and mother being in the Coachman’s Cottage. He is going to talk to Mr Saunders when he and Donald have finished the horses.’
Fingal was concerned for his mother and he made his way up to the big house to discuss the situation with Josiah Saunders.
‘I know the cottage is tied and intended for the head coachman,’ Fingal
Similar Books
