stand a chance of talking him round. She’d have weeks and weeks of argument and him giving her less than usual money for food. Done it before he has, when you wanted to stay on at school, remember? He gave her plenty of his lip then, he did, and sulked for weeks, the big Jessie that he is!’ She hugged Barbara briefly. ‘No, cariad , it’s not that your mam won’t help – she can’t help.’
She didn’t tell Barbara that Mrs Jones came every week with a few shillings for her to mind until Barbara needed it. There was over two pounds there now, hidden in a tin under some old nails and screws and odds and ends that no one bothered to look at. It was safe there until Barbara was really in need.
Henry Carey came in, with Richard, his usual shadow, behind him. The rest of the family gathered around to see what luxuries he had brought that day. Even the surly twins looked hopeful. The bag didn’t contain much but, round eyed, the children applauded each revelation.
‘First of all, I found these shoes and thought they might fit Barbara, her having bigger feet than my Molly,’ he said, turning to Barbara to explain. ‘I try and walk along the back lanes just before the ash cart comes to empty the bins. It’s amazing what people throw away. I often find something we can use or sometimes even sell. A bit of carpet, a bowl or bucket that’s still got a bit of life in it. Even furniture, a table or chair once or twice, justmissing a leg or needing a bit of a polish. Most things only need a bit of a polish.’
Barbara thought of the abandoned rubbish in the yard waiting for Mr Carey to find time for a bit of polish or the right bit of wood to mend it, and she shared a smile with Mrs Carey.
He pulled out a handful of hazelnuts, dropped from a broken bag as someone carried them home, and he shared them between the children. ‘And then,’ he said with a teasing smile, ‘and then I saw, sitting on the ground with no one to miss them, these!’ Like a conjurer he produced a cabbage, three carrots still covered in incriminating earth and three duck eggs. Amid cheers he pulled up his sleeve and showed a dog bite, admitting cheerfully, ‘I also got this, mind. I had to stick my hand through a fence to get the eggs. Richard couldn’t reach luckily or the animal would have had his hand off!’ He entertained the family with exaggerated stories about his battle with the dog, which grew larger and more ferocious with every telling.
Helping Mrs Carey by minding the children and accepting occasionally offered work in someone’s kitchen when a member of staff fell ill, Barbara survived until the beginning of December. From what she had learned from one visit to the doctor and the information given by sundry ‘experts’ who had been through the birth of a child several times, Barbara guessed that the baby would be born near Christmas. Luke came to her mind suddenly as she remembered that his birthday was Christmas Day, and she wanted to see him again.
She was surprised to realize that she also missed Graham Prothero and life at the farm. She often sat and stared into space with her blue, dreamy eyes and thought about him. Would it have been possible for her to live with him as his wife? He hadn’t suggested marrying her, she knew that, but if she hadn’t had a belly full of baby, what then? Would he have considered making her Mrs Prothero?
She rolled the name around her tongue; it wasn’t such a terrible prospect. She remembered his strong physique with growing interest, and those large hands that could be so gentle. There was something very safe and dependable about Graham. She felt colour warm her cheeks as she compared him to Bernard and stood up abruptly to push away the excitement of where her thoughts were taking her. No, she still loved Bernard and she always would.
Mrs Carey had arranged for the services of Mrs Block, whom her mother had once asked to perform an abortion, to be available at the birth. That
She didn’t tell Barbara that Mrs Jones came every week with a few shillings for her to mind until Barbara needed it. There was over two pounds there now, hidden in a tin under some old nails and screws and odds and ends that no one bothered to look at. It was safe there until Barbara was really in need.
Henry Carey came in, with Richard, his usual shadow, behind him. The rest of the family gathered around to see what luxuries he had brought that day. Even the surly twins looked hopeful. The bag didn’t contain much but, round eyed, the children applauded each revelation.
‘First of all, I found these shoes and thought they might fit Barbara, her having bigger feet than my Molly,’ he said, turning to Barbara to explain. ‘I try and walk along the back lanes just before the ash cart comes to empty the bins. It’s amazing what people throw away. I often find something we can use or sometimes even sell. A bit of carpet, a bowl or bucket that’s still got a bit of life in it. Even furniture, a table or chair once or twice, justmissing a leg or needing a bit of a polish. Most things only need a bit of a polish.’
Barbara thought of the abandoned rubbish in the yard waiting for Mr Carey to find time for a bit of polish or the right bit of wood to mend it, and she shared a smile with Mrs Carey.
He pulled out a handful of hazelnuts, dropped from a broken bag as someone carried them home, and he shared them between the children. ‘And then,’ he said with a teasing smile, ‘and then I saw, sitting on the ground with no one to miss them, these!’ Like a conjurer he produced a cabbage, three carrots still covered in incriminating earth and three duck eggs. Amid cheers he pulled up his sleeve and showed a dog bite, admitting cheerfully, ‘I also got this, mind. I had to stick my hand through a fence to get the eggs. Richard couldn’t reach luckily or the animal would have had his hand off!’ He entertained the family with exaggerated stories about his battle with the dog, which grew larger and more ferocious with every telling.
Helping Mrs Carey by minding the children and accepting occasionally offered work in someone’s kitchen when a member of staff fell ill, Barbara survived until the beginning of December. From what she had learned from one visit to the doctor and the information given by sundry ‘experts’ who had been through the birth of a child several times, Barbara guessed that the baby would be born near Christmas. Luke came to her mind suddenly as she remembered that his birthday was Christmas Day, and she wanted to see him again.
She was surprised to realize that she also missed Graham Prothero and life at the farm. She often sat and stared into space with her blue, dreamy eyes and thought about him. Would it have been possible for her to live with him as his wife? He hadn’t suggested marrying her, she knew that, but if she hadn’t had a belly full of baby, what then? Would he have considered making her Mrs Prothero?
She rolled the name around her tongue; it wasn’t such a terrible prospect. She remembered his strong physique with growing interest, and those large hands that could be so gentle. There was something very safe and dependable about Graham. She felt colour warm her cheeks as she compared him to Bernard and stood up abruptly to push away the excitement of where her thoughts were taking her. No, she still loved Bernard and she always would.
Mrs Carey had arranged for the services of Mrs Block, whom her mother had once asked to perform an abortion, to be available at the birth. That
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