that.
‘Here.’ She stripped the blankets from the bed, folded them and gave one each to Mary and Nell and kept a third for herself. ‘We’ll likely need these and they’re ours anyway.’
They picked up their parcels and went down the stairs. Phoebe was standing in the hall.‘Where are you going to go?’ she asked quietly as Eve met her eyes.
Eve did not answer this. What she did say was, ‘I shall send for my father’s trunk later.’ She reached for her hat and coat hanging on one of the pegs in the hall and passed Mary hers. Nell had kept hers on since coming home from church.
‘Here.’ Phoebe held out a handful of coins. In answer to Eve’s raised eyebrows, she said awkwardly, ‘It’s your wage for last week which you gave me on Friday. I - I thought you’d need it.’
Eve stared at her. She was not going to refuse the money, they would need it. Besides which, she had earned it. She took the coins without comment, slipping them into the pocket of her coat.
‘Are you going to the vicarage?’ Phoebe was blocking their path to the front door. ‘Because if you say anything about Josiah to the vicar I’ll do what I said, Eve. I mean it.’
Still Eve said nothing, staring into the face of the woman she had thought of as a friend until today. Phoebe’s tone became soft, almost wheedling. ‘Try to understand.’
‘What do you want me to understand?’ Eve pushed roughly past her and opened the front door, gesturing for Nell and Mary to step down into the street.‘That you’re protecting him knowing he’s done such a terrible thing? Because you do know, don’t you, Phoebe? Am I supposed to understand that you’re prepared to lie, to see me in gaol and Mary and Nell in the workhouse rather than speak the truth?’
Phoebe’s face was stiff, her voice low but hard now. ‘We took you in when you had nowhere to go. Don’t forget that.’
‘And you were paid for your trouble.You had the best of my parents’ things and my wage each week. You haven’t lost by it.’
They exchanged one last look and then Eve turned and followed Mary and Nell. The door banged shut behind her as she joined them on the pavement.
Chapter 4
They had reached the end of the street before Nell said, ‘ Are we going to the vicarage, Eve?’
Eve shook her head but did not speak. Most folk were home from church now and although the street was not as crowded with bairns playing their games as on a weekday, there were still enough around to gape at them as they walked along carrying their parcels. She purposely did not glance at the houses they passed. She didn’t want to risk catching anyone’s eye.As they turned into Front Street and the Methodist chapel came into view, she saw Mr and Mrs McArthur standing talking to the new parson at the door to the chapel and kept her head down, breathing a sigh of relief once they were out of earshot. She didn’t know what she would have said to anyone if they had stopped her. She needed to think things through before she talked to anyone.
‘Where are we going then?’ Nell’s voice was small and choked.
‘Don’t cry, not now, neither of you.’ Eve glanced at them once before staring ahead. Their frightened faces pained her. ‘Wait till we get clear of any houses and into the country and then we’ll talk.’
‘Why aren’t we going to the vicarage?’
Eve swallowed deeply. The question was understandable but all she wanted was to get somewhere quiet and find out exactly what had gone on with Mary. She was sick with fear at what Josiah might have done. As calmly as she could, she said, ‘There’s no point, Nell. The vicar - well, I know his views. He wouldn’t take us in. He would be of the opinion the workhouse is there to cater for such a situation and we should be grateful for it. He’s on the Board of Guardians.’
Nell said no more.
They walked steadily for some time and it said much for Mary’s state of mind that she never spoke once, not even to complain
‘Here.’ She stripped the blankets from the bed, folded them and gave one each to Mary and Nell and kept a third for herself. ‘We’ll likely need these and they’re ours anyway.’
They picked up their parcels and went down the stairs. Phoebe was standing in the hall.‘Where are you going to go?’ she asked quietly as Eve met her eyes.
Eve did not answer this. What she did say was, ‘I shall send for my father’s trunk later.’ She reached for her hat and coat hanging on one of the pegs in the hall and passed Mary hers. Nell had kept hers on since coming home from church.
‘Here.’ Phoebe held out a handful of coins. In answer to Eve’s raised eyebrows, she said awkwardly, ‘It’s your wage for last week which you gave me on Friday. I - I thought you’d need it.’
Eve stared at her. She was not going to refuse the money, they would need it. Besides which, she had earned it. She took the coins without comment, slipping them into the pocket of her coat.
‘Are you going to the vicarage?’ Phoebe was blocking their path to the front door. ‘Because if you say anything about Josiah to the vicar I’ll do what I said, Eve. I mean it.’
Still Eve said nothing, staring into the face of the woman she had thought of as a friend until today. Phoebe’s tone became soft, almost wheedling. ‘Try to understand.’
‘What do you want me to understand?’ Eve pushed roughly past her and opened the front door, gesturing for Nell and Mary to step down into the street.‘That you’re protecting him knowing he’s done such a terrible thing? Because you do know, don’t you, Phoebe? Am I supposed to understand that you’re prepared to lie, to see me in gaol and Mary and Nell in the workhouse rather than speak the truth?’
Phoebe’s face was stiff, her voice low but hard now. ‘We took you in when you had nowhere to go. Don’t forget that.’
‘And you were paid for your trouble.You had the best of my parents’ things and my wage each week. You haven’t lost by it.’
They exchanged one last look and then Eve turned and followed Mary and Nell. The door banged shut behind her as she joined them on the pavement.
Chapter 4
They had reached the end of the street before Nell said, ‘ Are we going to the vicarage, Eve?’
Eve shook her head but did not speak. Most folk were home from church now and although the street was not as crowded with bairns playing their games as on a weekday, there were still enough around to gape at them as they walked along carrying their parcels. She purposely did not glance at the houses they passed. She didn’t want to risk catching anyone’s eye.As they turned into Front Street and the Methodist chapel came into view, she saw Mr and Mrs McArthur standing talking to the new parson at the door to the chapel and kept her head down, breathing a sigh of relief once they were out of earshot. She didn’t know what she would have said to anyone if they had stopped her. She needed to think things through before she talked to anyone.
‘Where are we going then?’ Nell’s voice was small and choked.
‘Don’t cry, not now, neither of you.’ Eve glanced at them once before staring ahead. Their frightened faces pained her. ‘Wait till we get clear of any houses and into the country and then we’ll talk.’
‘Why aren’t we going to the vicarage?’
Eve swallowed deeply. The question was understandable but all she wanted was to get somewhere quiet and find out exactly what had gone on with Mary. She was sick with fear at what Josiah might have done. As calmly as she could, she said, ‘There’s no point, Nell. The vicar - well, I know his views. He wouldn’t take us in. He would be of the opinion the workhouse is there to cater for such a situation and we should be grateful for it. He’s on the Board of Guardians.’
Nell said no more.
They walked steadily for some time and it said much for Mary’s state of mind that she never spoke once, not even to complain
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