far from home to work?’ she asked.
Albert shrugged. ‘I knew I’d never get a better opportunity than working in a palace gardens.’
‘So why did you leave there?’
He gave her a rather odd sideways look, and she thought perhaps she was asking too many questions.
‘Because I’d be old before I got to be head gardener. I heard Sir William needed someone, and I walked all the way here on my day off to see him. Soon as I saw the grounds I knew it was the place for me, Sir William liked my suggestions for changes too.’
All the servants had noticed that the master seemed much more enthusiastic about the grounds since Albert arrived. He would go out there in all weathers, often helping with laying out new flowerbeds. Lady Harvey had said she was glad he’d found another interest apart from riding.
‘Don’t you get a bit lonely here though?’ Nell asked. ‘I mean, Willy’s a bit simple and James is always off to the village in the evenings. You must have had lots of friends in Wells?’
Albert shrugged again. ‘I’m not much of a one for company,’ he said. ‘If I want some I go down to the ale house in Chelwood. It weren’t so different in Wells; the other men were either very old or simple like Willy. I like this place better.’
James had told Nell that Albert wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but he was wrong. He chatted all the way to the church, and asked Nell dozens of questions about her family. He was a bit serious, he frowned more than he smiled, but Nell didn’t mind, she was just happy he wanted to talk to her.
After the service Albert walked back up the hill with Nell and the rest of her family, and it was her father who invited him in for a glass of beer. Albert stayed for about half an hour admiring the vegetable garden, before excusing himself. But as he was leaving he rather pointedly asked Nell what time she would be coming back to Briargate, leaving her with the distinct impression that he intended to meet her to walk her through the wood.
Nell could see that her parents approved of Albert, though they made no comment other than that he was ‘a sober young man’. Yet although she was excited that Albert appeared to be as taken with her as she was with him, a Sunday at home with her family was for now more important.
Meg had made a rabbit stew with dumplings, followed by bottled raspberries from the garden, and it was a joyful meal with a great deal of chatter and laughter. Matt had recently begun walking out with Amy Merchant, a farmer’s daughter from Woolard, who had been Nell’s friend when they were small and attended the Reverend Gosling’s lessons in the parsonage. Meg and Silas were clearly very hopeful that this would lead to marriage, for they not only liked Amy, but her tenant farmer father was relatively prosperous, and he had only daughters. Meg teased Matt about polishing up his best boots before he walked over to her place in the evenings. That brought Silas around to telling them all how he used to walk over ten miles to court Meg, and he joked that he only asked her to marry him because he couldn’t stand it in bad weather.
Matt said goodbye at four because he was going to meet Amy, and the three young children went off to play by the river, leaving Nell, Meg and Silas half-dozing under the apple tree at the back of the cottage.
It was only when Meg mentioned Hope’s weekly visit to Briargate that Silas sat up.
‘I dunno that we ought to let this be a regular thing,’ he said. ‘It can only end in trouble.’
‘He’s right,’ Meg agreed, nodding her head. ‘I know Hope loves to go, but it’s turning her head. She’ll be thinking she’s too grand for us soon. Only the other day she asked why we didn’t have pretty china cups and plates. It’s Briargate this, Briargate that. Lady Harvey’s got a pink dress, or Rufus is getting a pony. Where’s it all going to end, Nell?’
‘I’m sure I don’t know.’ Nell frowned. ‘I told you I
Albert shrugged. ‘I knew I’d never get a better opportunity than working in a palace gardens.’
‘So why did you leave there?’
He gave her a rather odd sideways look, and she thought perhaps she was asking too many questions.
‘Because I’d be old before I got to be head gardener. I heard Sir William needed someone, and I walked all the way here on my day off to see him. Soon as I saw the grounds I knew it was the place for me, Sir William liked my suggestions for changes too.’
All the servants had noticed that the master seemed much more enthusiastic about the grounds since Albert arrived. He would go out there in all weathers, often helping with laying out new flowerbeds. Lady Harvey had said she was glad he’d found another interest apart from riding.
‘Don’t you get a bit lonely here though?’ Nell asked. ‘I mean, Willy’s a bit simple and James is always off to the village in the evenings. You must have had lots of friends in Wells?’
Albert shrugged again. ‘I’m not much of a one for company,’ he said. ‘If I want some I go down to the ale house in Chelwood. It weren’t so different in Wells; the other men were either very old or simple like Willy. I like this place better.’
James had told Nell that Albert wasn’t much of a conversationalist, but he was wrong. He chatted all the way to the church, and asked Nell dozens of questions about her family. He was a bit serious, he frowned more than he smiled, but Nell didn’t mind, she was just happy he wanted to talk to her.
After the service Albert walked back up the hill with Nell and the rest of her family, and it was her father who invited him in for a glass of beer. Albert stayed for about half an hour admiring the vegetable garden, before excusing himself. But as he was leaving he rather pointedly asked Nell what time she would be coming back to Briargate, leaving her with the distinct impression that he intended to meet her to walk her through the wood.
Nell could see that her parents approved of Albert, though they made no comment other than that he was ‘a sober young man’. Yet although she was excited that Albert appeared to be as taken with her as she was with him, a Sunday at home with her family was for now more important.
Meg had made a rabbit stew with dumplings, followed by bottled raspberries from the garden, and it was a joyful meal with a great deal of chatter and laughter. Matt had recently begun walking out with Amy Merchant, a farmer’s daughter from Woolard, who had been Nell’s friend when they were small and attended the Reverend Gosling’s lessons in the parsonage. Meg and Silas were clearly very hopeful that this would lead to marriage, for they not only liked Amy, but her tenant farmer father was relatively prosperous, and he had only daughters. Meg teased Matt about polishing up his best boots before he walked over to her place in the evenings. That brought Silas around to telling them all how he used to walk over ten miles to court Meg, and he joked that he only asked her to marry him because he couldn’t stand it in bad weather.
Matt said goodbye at four because he was going to meet Amy, and the three young children went off to play by the river, leaving Nell, Meg and Silas half-dozing under the apple tree at the back of the cottage.
It was only when Meg mentioned Hope’s weekly visit to Briargate that Silas sat up.
‘I dunno that we ought to let this be a regular thing,’ he said. ‘It can only end in trouble.’
‘He’s right,’ Meg agreed, nodding her head. ‘I know Hope loves to go, but it’s turning her head. She’ll be thinking she’s too grand for us soon. Only the other day she asked why we didn’t have pretty china cups and plates. It’s Briargate this, Briargate that. Lady Harvey’s got a pink dress, or Rufus is getting a pony. Where’s it all going to end, Nell?’
‘I’m sure I don’t know.’ Nell frowned. ‘I told you I
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