‘Jack, she’s a child. What in heaven’s name are you thinking? Have you not seen the way he looks at her?’
But her father remained unmoved.
Three weeks later Molly packed her bag and said goodbye to Will, whose knees dug into her back at night. She took him to school for the last time, and hugged him at the door. ‘Be good, and we will see each other very soon. In the meantime, send me letters, fine letters in your best hand. Someone will read them to me.’
‘Bye, Molly,’ he said, ‘I’ll miss you.’
‘Hush now.’ She gently disentangled his arms from around her waist. ‘And don’t you forget to say your prayers.’
Later that morning a storm came, and as the thunder crashed around the house, she worked herself into an anxious frenzy. Her mother tried to gather her in her arms, but Molly pushed her away. ‘Why didn’t you stop this? Don’t look so bloody stricken. You could have stopped him! He went and sold me like one of his bloody pigs! You know what’s going to happen to me, and yet you let him send me away?’
‘I tried, my love,’ her mother pleaded.
‘You should have tried harder! You said you would take a beating for any of us, but that was a lie.’
When Mrs Johnson pulled back her sleeve, the truth was revealed in the bruise that swelled beneath her skin. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said sadly. ‘You know your father when his mind is made up, and I have this to show for it. I couldn’t push it, my love.’
‘It’s all right, Ma, don’t cry. I’m sorry.’
‘I love you, Molly,’ she said at last. ‘I want only the best for you. I’ve tried to persuade myself that something good’ll come of it.’
‘What good? What possible good?’
‘You will be in charge of her ladyship’s clothes. You will mend and embroider, and you will dress her hair. You are a smart girl and you will be doing what you really love. Perhaps this is a path to a better future and we’ve got it wrong. It is quite possible that Sir William is honest in his offer.’
‘You and I both know what he wants.’ Molly buried her head in her mother’s chest. She inhaled her comforting smell, and cried.
‘If there’s any trouble, you come home. I will deal with your father and be damned with the consequences.’
‘Don’t let anything happen to Will.’
‘Of course I won’t. I love him too. I love you all so much, God help me, so I do.’
Molly broke away and opened the door to find her sisters listening at the keyhole. ‘Stop gawping, girls, and come and see me off.’
They walked outside. It was Friday, baking day, and the sweet smells made her homesick before she had even left. As the coach clattered away down the street, her little sisters faded into the distance. She waved her handkerchief and she shut her eyes. ‘Please, God, keep Will safe.’
11
On a dull spring morning, Mr Godwin taught Latin in the schoolroom. Although his teaching did not inspire in Dorothy the same enthusiasm as lessons with her former governess, it did at least provide some distraction. She was returning a book to the schoolroom shelf when she heard wheels clattering on the cobblestones outside. She rushed to the window, hoping for a visitor, but with a sinking heart she saw her father. She wondered what sort of mood he would be in. She returned to her desk, piled her books together and walked over to her brother.
‘It’s only Father,’ she said. ‘Will you help me with my translation later?’ They chatted as they went downstairs. When they arrived in the drawing room, their father was already there, standing in front of the chimney breast, his hand resting on the large stone mantel. To the children’s surprise he had a smile on his face.
‘Well, have you nothing to say to your father?’ he asked.
‘Hello, Father,’ they said in unison.
‘Good morning, William,’ said Lady Keyt as she came into the room. ‘I hope you have had a pleasant journey?’
‘Yes, thank you.’ He kissed her quickly, and
But her father remained unmoved.
Three weeks later Molly packed her bag and said goodbye to Will, whose knees dug into her back at night. She took him to school for the last time, and hugged him at the door. ‘Be good, and we will see each other very soon. In the meantime, send me letters, fine letters in your best hand. Someone will read them to me.’
‘Bye, Molly,’ he said, ‘I’ll miss you.’
‘Hush now.’ She gently disentangled his arms from around her waist. ‘And don’t you forget to say your prayers.’
Later that morning a storm came, and as the thunder crashed around the house, she worked herself into an anxious frenzy. Her mother tried to gather her in her arms, but Molly pushed her away. ‘Why didn’t you stop this? Don’t look so bloody stricken. You could have stopped him! He went and sold me like one of his bloody pigs! You know what’s going to happen to me, and yet you let him send me away?’
‘I tried, my love,’ her mother pleaded.
‘You should have tried harder! You said you would take a beating for any of us, but that was a lie.’
When Mrs Johnson pulled back her sleeve, the truth was revealed in the bruise that swelled beneath her skin. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said sadly. ‘You know your father when his mind is made up, and I have this to show for it. I couldn’t push it, my love.’
‘It’s all right, Ma, don’t cry. I’m sorry.’
‘I love you, Molly,’ she said at last. ‘I want only the best for you. I’ve tried to persuade myself that something good’ll come of it.’
‘What good? What possible good?’
‘You will be in charge of her ladyship’s clothes. You will mend and embroider, and you will dress her hair. You are a smart girl and you will be doing what you really love. Perhaps this is a path to a better future and we’ve got it wrong. It is quite possible that Sir William is honest in his offer.’
‘You and I both know what he wants.’ Molly buried her head in her mother’s chest. She inhaled her comforting smell, and cried.
‘If there’s any trouble, you come home. I will deal with your father and be damned with the consequences.’
‘Don’t let anything happen to Will.’
‘Of course I won’t. I love him too. I love you all so much, God help me, so I do.’
Molly broke away and opened the door to find her sisters listening at the keyhole. ‘Stop gawping, girls, and come and see me off.’
They walked outside. It was Friday, baking day, and the sweet smells made her homesick before she had even left. As the coach clattered away down the street, her little sisters faded into the distance. She waved her handkerchief and she shut her eyes. ‘Please, God, keep Will safe.’
11
On a dull spring morning, Mr Godwin taught Latin in the schoolroom. Although his teaching did not inspire in Dorothy the same enthusiasm as lessons with her former governess, it did at least provide some distraction. She was returning a book to the schoolroom shelf when she heard wheels clattering on the cobblestones outside. She rushed to the window, hoping for a visitor, but with a sinking heart she saw her father. She wondered what sort of mood he would be in. She returned to her desk, piled her books together and walked over to her brother.
‘It’s only Father,’ she said. ‘Will you help me with my translation later?’ They chatted as they went downstairs. When they arrived in the drawing room, their father was already there, standing in front of the chimney breast, his hand resting on the large stone mantel. To the children’s surprise he had a smile on his face.
‘Well, have you nothing to say to your father?’ he asked.
‘Hello, Father,’ they said in unison.
‘Good morning, William,’ said Lady Keyt as she came into the room. ‘I hope you have had a pleasant journey?’
‘Yes, thank you.’ He kissed her quickly, and
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