Poppy Day by Annie Murray Page B

earlier sense of excitement had melted away and suddenly all the joy had gone out of the afternoon. She sat feeling foolish and cross with herself.
    She came to as Ned got up to leave and he took Bonney’s reins from her.
    ‘So – where did you spring from, Jess?’
    ‘Budderston – Warwickshire.’ She answered calmly, glancing at Olive. ‘I wanted to come and see my auntie and find work ’ere for a bit.’
    ‘Bit different ’ere in Brum, I’ll bet. D’yer like it?’
    ‘Mostly.’
    Ned laughed. ‘You don’t sound all that sure!’
    ‘She gets a bit ’omesick for the country now and then,’ Polly said.
    ‘Well, yer can visit, can’t yer? The countryside ain’t going to run away.’
    ‘She can’t.’ Bert stated the facts with no malice intended. ‘’Cause they don’t want ’er. Ain’t that right, Jess?’
    ‘Bert!’ Polly protested. ‘’Ow could yer?’
    Jess felt a blush of fury and mortification burn across her cheeks. This was the truth – of course it was. But it was terrible to hear it blurted out so baldly. Quietly, she said, ‘Seems like they don’t.’
    Ned stopped attending to Bonney and looked round at her.
    ‘How come? Why wouldn’t they want yer?’
    Jess felt them all staring at her. Olive started to say something, but Jess pulled her shoulders back.
    ‘No, Auntie. There ain’t no shame in the truth.’ She looked at Ned. ‘I ran away from home ’cause they were making me get wed and it weren’t what I wanted. So they’d be none too pleased to see me at the moment.’
    She felt Ned’s interest. ‘Why didn’t yer want it?’
    Jess was startled to be asked such a question. Wasn’t it obvious what you should want? Everyone was waiting for her to speak.
    ‘Well,’ she said fiercely. ‘It ain’t no good marrying someone if yer don’t love ’em, is it? I mean yer’ve got to love ’em so that nothing else matters – not just marry ’cause it suits.’
    ‘Think yer might need to lower yer sights a bit,’ Olive said. There was amusement in her eyes. ‘She’s a quaint one awright,’ she told Ned. ‘All sorts of odd notions ’er comes out with.’
    Jess looked down, hands clenched into fists, fury swelling in her right up to the back of her throat. Why had she said what she really thought? Looking up, mutinously she said, ‘Otherwise what’s the point?’
    ‘The point,’ Olive said, ‘is sticking together to keep bellies fed so yer don’t ’ave the Workhouse hanging over yer. And you’ll find that out, Ned my lad, soon as your family starts arriving.’
    ‘Weren’t just yer own family you was feeding either, Auntie, when yours were littl’uns. Yer’d even find a piece for me when I turned up like a bad penny.’ Jess could tell he was trying to smooth things over. The affectionate cheekiness of his smile disarmed Olive in a second. Jess watched, aching inside. Not only was Ned married, but now she’d made a fool of herself in front of him as well.
    As he left, Ned said, ‘You are going to come over and see our place, aren’t yer?’
    Olive didn’t promise. She gave him a non-committal nod, from the step. Ned leapt up on to Bonney’s back, keeping his boots on this time.
    ‘Bring Mary to see us, and don’t leave it ’til I’m walking with a stick.’
    Ned gave a salute, smiling round at them. His eyes met Jess’s for a second. Then he winked at Sis.
    ‘T’ra then!’
    He turned Bonney and they watched him trot off down towards Digbeth, waving a hand.
    The others started to go in.
    ‘Come on, Jess,’ Polly tried to take her arm.
    Jess pulled away, shaking her head, eyes fixed on the horse and rider until they disappeared round the corner. ‘Wasn’t it lovely to see Ned?’ Sis sat up in bed that night, yanking a comb through her hair. ‘Seeing ’im on that ’orse – ’e was like summat out of a fairytale. And ’e’s so handsome! Lucky Mary.’
    ‘Why does ’e call yer mom Auntie?’ Jess asked.
    ‘Oh – she’s known ’im