her thoughts clouded as she thought about the way he had treated her when he’d found her with child. The beatings and cruelty
that he and her mother had shown, and the death of the baby, had left her feeling bereaved of a family’s love, and it was at quiet times like these that she cast her mind back to those
terrible days. She brushed a tear from her eye as she pounded the dough; it was no good dwelling on the past. It was time to look to the future.
‘Morning, Daisy. Mmm . . . that bread smells good. And just listen to that.’ Jenny joined Daisy in the kitchen, still trying to pin her hair in place as she bent
down to smell the newly baked bread.
‘Here, let me.’ Daisy wiped her hands and helped Jenny place her pins in her bun on the back of her head. ‘Listen to what?’ she enquired, as she deftly placed the hair
pins in place.
‘Exactly – peace! Would you believe it? Jonathan is worn out from going rabbiting with his father, and baby Ben is dead to the world. Though what a difference in babies: Ben is so
good, compared to Jonathan, who was Satan, I’m sure.’
‘He was a handful, I’ll grant you that, but never Satan.’ Daisy smiled as she poured Jenny a cup of tea.
Jenny drank deeply and smiled. ‘What would I do, without you and Ivy? Two young boys take some looking after, and then there are all the lodgings to keep an eye on. At least, since the
navvies have moved on, our rooms are let to respectable workmen. But still, they take some upkeep.’
‘I’m sure you’d manage without either one of us. You can turn your hand to most things. I sometimes think it was out of pity that you kept me on.’ Daisy tested the water,
for she wanted to know how much Jenny relied on her. She was dreading having to tell her that she was going to be married and leave Gearstones Lodge.
‘Nonsense! I knew you’d be the wonderful cook that you are. Poor Ivy is sometimes quite jealous of your skills. She should know that I’d never see her out of a job, as
she’s a distant relation, but it’s your cooking that the lodgers always ask for.’
Daisy hesitated. ‘Oh! You might as well know, because I can’t keep my news a secret any longer.’ She clattered the spoon into her mixing bowl and slumped into a chair.
‘Bob will not be able to keep it to himself, anyway.’ She looked sheepishly at Jenny. ‘Bob and I are to be married. He’s got the signalman’s house at Blea Moor, and we
are to live there.’ She waited for Jenny’s response.
‘Oh, Daisy, that’s lovely news. There’s me, blurting on about how we can’t do without you, and all along you knew you wanted to tell me this. Congratulations, my love,
you’ll make him a happy man. He’s a bit steady, but he’s a good ’un, and there’s not many of them about.’ Jenny rushed over and hugged Daisy. ‘We’ll
have to make a special day for you. By heck, I’d better order some more ale. And of course you’ll have the reception here!’ She chuckled.
‘Trouble is, Jenny, I will be leaving Gearstones Lodge. I’ll need to look after my man.’ Daisy looked serious.
‘Aye, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, when have you set your wedding for?’ Jenny tried to skirt around Daisy’s departure.
‘We are going to see the vicar today, after dinner time, so I’ll know more then.’ She was surprised that Jenny was taking it all in her stride and felt that a weight had been
lifted. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll stay as long as you want me – that is, until you get a replacement – because I know you are run off your feet with the bairns, and the
number of guests you have lodging. I’m only living up the line, after all.’
‘Well, we’ll make it a wedding to remember. I’ll go upstairs and get dressed and tell Mike the news. He’ll be so happy for you.’ Jenny smiled before climbing back
up the stairs. Unbeknown to Daisy, she shook her head in disbelief when she was halfway up. Daisy was marrying a
that he and her mother had shown, and the death of the baby, had left her feeling bereaved of a family’s love, and it was at quiet times like these that she cast her mind back to those
terrible days. She brushed a tear from her eye as she pounded the dough; it was no good dwelling on the past. It was time to look to the future.
‘Morning, Daisy. Mmm . . . that bread smells good. And just listen to that.’ Jenny joined Daisy in the kitchen, still trying to pin her hair in place as she bent
down to smell the newly baked bread.
‘Here, let me.’ Daisy wiped her hands and helped Jenny place her pins in her bun on the back of her head. ‘Listen to what?’ she enquired, as she deftly placed the hair
pins in place.
‘Exactly – peace! Would you believe it? Jonathan is worn out from going rabbiting with his father, and baby Ben is dead to the world. Though what a difference in babies: Ben is so
good, compared to Jonathan, who was Satan, I’m sure.’
‘He was a handful, I’ll grant you that, but never Satan.’ Daisy smiled as she poured Jenny a cup of tea.
Jenny drank deeply and smiled. ‘What would I do, without you and Ivy? Two young boys take some looking after, and then there are all the lodgings to keep an eye on. At least, since the
navvies have moved on, our rooms are let to respectable workmen. But still, they take some upkeep.’
‘I’m sure you’d manage without either one of us. You can turn your hand to most things. I sometimes think it was out of pity that you kept me on.’ Daisy tested the water,
for she wanted to know how much Jenny relied on her. She was dreading having to tell her that she was going to be married and leave Gearstones Lodge.
‘Nonsense! I knew you’d be the wonderful cook that you are. Poor Ivy is sometimes quite jealous of your skills. She should know that I’d never see her out of a job, as
she’s a distant relation, but it’s your cooking that the lodgers always ask for.’
Daisy hesitated. ‘Oh! You might as well know, because I can’t keep my news a secret any longer.’ She clattered the spoon into her mixing bowl and slumped into a chair.
‘Bob will not be able to keep it to himself, anyway.’ She looked sheepishly at Jenny. ‘Bob and I are to be married. He’s got the signalman’s house at Blea Moor, and we
are to live there.’ She waited for Jenny’s response.
‘Oh, Daisy, that’s lovely news. There’s me, blurting on about how we can’t do without you, and all along you knew you wanted to tell me this. Congratulations, my love,
you’ll make him a happy man. He’s a bit steady, but he’s a good ’un, and there’s not many of them about.’ Jenny rushed over and hugged Daisy. ‘We’ll
have to make a special day for you. By heck, I’d better order some more ale. And of course you’ll have the reception here!’ She chuckled.
‘Trouble is, Jenny, I will be leaving Gearstones Lodge. I’ll need to look after my man.’ Daisy looked serious.
‘Aye, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Now, when have you set your wedding for?’ Jenny tried to skirt around Daisy’s departure.
‘We are going to see the vicar today, after dinner time, so I’ll know more then.’ She was surprised that Jenny was taking it all in her stride and felt that a weight had been
lifted. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll stay as long as you want me – that is, until you get a replacement – because I know you are run off your feet with the bairns, and the
number of guests you have lodging. I’m only living up the line, after all.’
‘Well, we’ll make it a wedding to remember. I’ll go upstairs and get dressed and tell Mike the news. He’ll be so happy for you.’ Jenny smiled before climbing back
up the stairs. Unbeknown to Daisy, she shook her head in disbelief when she was halfway up. Daisy was marrying a
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