had to go away, he wouldn’t be able to look after him, so I said I’d bring him back here until he could.’
A frown wrinkled her mother’s smooth forehead. ‘So Mildred really means James to go?’
‘She means it.’ Sammi gave her nose a huge blow on a handkerchief. ‘He was going off to York to see his drawing master, to ask if he could recommend what he should do.’ She cast a beseeching look at her mother. ‘Mrs Bishop in Tillington has just had another child, she always says she has enough milk for a houseful of babies. I thought we could ask her if she would nurse him? I’ll pay her out of my allowance, just until James finds a position, and then he’ll pay me back. He promised he would!’
‘You little minx! I can read you like a book. You’ve been planning this all the way home, haven’t you? This is what you had in mind the whole time!’ Ellen turned to the housemaid who had knocked and entered. ‘Ask Johnson to bring the carriage round again, please.’ She stood deliberating for a moment after the maid had left the room, and then pulled a cynical face. ‘I just hope you didn’t speak to your Aunt Mildred and Cousin Anne of Mrs Bishop and her ample milk supply. How very shocked they would be!’
Mrs Bishop was pleased to nurse the baby. ‘Bless thee, Mrs Rayner,’ she said, ‘tha’s saved my life. This little lass of mine is a right poor feeder; try as I might she won’t tek ’milk and I’m fair beside myself to be rid of it.’
Ellen Rayner hastily stood up and indicated to Sammi, who was hovering over Mrs Bishop’s large white breasts as the baby hungrily searched for her nipple, that they should go.
We’re known to be liberal, I know
, she thought,
but this, I think, has gone far enough
. ‘It won’t be for long, Mrs Bishop. The babywon’t be staying; he’s not our responsibility – but if you could nurse him until other arrangements are made?’
‘It’s not wise to give him more than one nurse, ma-am,’ Mrs Bishop settled back in her chair. ‘It unsettles ’em. Still, it’s up to thee, I’m onny ’milk nurse.’
Sammi sat beside her mother in the carriage and looked anxiously at her as Ellen put her head against the lace headrest and said quietly, ‘You know that your father will be angry with you?’
Sammi gave a little shrug and pressed her lips together. ‘He doesn’t stay cross for long, Mama. His humour soon returns.’ She knew that her father’s temper, as fiery as his greying red hair had once been, could always be turned to laughter and her advantage.
‘Not this time.’ Her mother gazed frankly at Sammi. ‘This time you’ve really gone too far. This latest escapade is just not acceptable.’
Her father was angry. Very angry indeed. But not just with her. He was angry with his brother Isaac, his sister-in-law Mildred, and with James for allowing Sammi to bring the child out to Garston Hall.
Sammi stood in front of him in the drawing-room with her eyes lowered and her hands behind her back as he spoke in bitter tones of his family shedding their responsibilities onto someone else.
‘Uncle Isaac and Aunt Mildred don’t actually know that he is here, Pa,’ she ventured when he finally paused for breath. ‘Uncle Isaac told James to find somewhere that would take him, and Aunt Mildred wouldn’t discuss it. Only James and Gilbert know he is here.’
‘So why did you bring him here?’ he roared, and she flinched.
‘I couldn’t bear to leave him,’ she whispered. ‘If he belongs to our family, he deserves more than those dreadful places.’
‘So James has been playing in the dirt and we’re left to pick up the pieces!’
‘William! William! That’s enough,’ Ellen chided her husband. ‘We don’t know what happened. The child’s mother is dead. There are things here that we might never know of, nor wish to know.’
‘Ring the bell, Ellen,’ he commanded, ‘and ask them to tell Johnson to bring the carriage round.’
‘But
A frown wrinkled her mother’s smooth forehead. ‘So Mildred really means James to go?’
‘She means it.’ Sammi gave her nose a huge blow on a handkerchief. ‘He was going off to York to see his drawing master, to ask if he could recommend what he should do.’ She cast a beseeching look at her mother. ‘Mrs Bishop in Tillington has just had another child, she always says she has enough milk for a houseful of babies. I thought we could ask her if she would nurse him? I’ll pay her out of my allowance, just until James finds a position, and then he’ll pay me back. He promised he would!’
‘You little minx! I can read you like a book. You’ve been planning this all the way home, haven’t you? This is what you had in mind the whole time!’ Ellen turned to the housemaid who had knocked and entered. ‘Ask Johnson to bring the carriage round again, please.’ She stood deliberating for a moment after the maid had left the room, and then pulled a cynical face. ‘I just hope you didn’t speak to your Aunt Mildred and Cousin Anne of Mrs Bishop and her ample milk supply. How very shocked they would be!’
Mrs Bishop was pleased to nurse the baby. ‘Bless thee, Mrs Rayner,’ she said, ‘tha’s saved my life. This little lass of mine is a right poor feeder; try as I might she won’t tek ’milk and I’m fair beside myself to be rid of it.’
Ellen Rayner hastily stood up and indicated to Sammi, who was hovering over Mrs Bishop’s large white breasts as the baby hungrily searched for her nipple, that they should go.
We’re known to be liberal, I know
, she thought,
but this, I think, has gone far enough
. ‘It won’t be for long, Mrs Bishop. The babywon’t be staying; he’s not our responsibility – but if you could nurse him until other arrangements are made?’
‘It’s not wise to give him more than one nurse, ma-am,’ Mrs Bishop settled back in her chair. ‘It unsettles ’em. Still, it’s up to thee, I’m onny ’milk nurse.’
Sammi sat beside her mother in the carriage and looked anxiously at her as Ellen put her head against the lace headrest and said quietly, ‘You know that your father will be angry with you?’
Sammi gave a little shrug and pressed her lips together. ‘He doesn’t stay cross for long, Mama. His humour soon returns.’ She knew that her father’s temper, as fiery as his greying red hair had once been, could always be turned to laughter and her advantage.
‘Not this time.’ Her mother gazed frankly at Sammi. ‘This time you’ve really gone too far. This latest escapade is just not acceptable.’
Her father was angry. Very angry indeed. But not just with her. He was angry with his brother Isaac, his sister-in-law Mildred, and with James for allowing Sammi to bring the child out to Garston Hall.
Sammi stood in front of him in the drawing-room with her eyes lowered and her hands behind her back as he spoke in bitter tones of his family shedding their responsibilities onto someone else.
‘Uncle Isaac and Aunt Mildred don’t actually know that he is here, Pa,’ she ventured when he finally paused for breath. ‘Uncle Isaac told James to find somewhere that would take him, and Aunt Mildred wouldn’t discuss it. Only James and Gilbert know he is here.’
‘So why did you bring him here?’ he roared, and she flinched.
‘I couldn’t bear to leave him,’ she whispered. ‘If he belongs to our family, he deserves more than those dreadful places.’
‘So James has been playing in the dirt and we’re left to pick up the pieces!’
‘William! William! That’s enough,’ Ellen chided her husband. ‘We don’t know what happened. The child’s mother is dead. There are things here that we might never know of, nor wish to know.’
‘Ring the bell, Ellen,’ he commanded, ‘and ask them to tell Johnson to bring the carriage round.’
‘But
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