back. Don’t try to go upstairs on your own, will you?’ she said, lacing up her boots. She had a sudden vision of her father going down the cellar steps and then not being able to get up them again. ‘I’ll not be long,’ she said nervously as she went out of the door.
She saw her brothers walking up the hill and ran towards them.
‘Where’re you off to?’ Joe said. ‘Have you got tea ready? I’m starving.’
‘Ma’s started wi’ babby,’ she said, flustered. ‘I’ve to fetch Mrs Simmonds. Your tea’s in ’oven, but don’t start till I get back.’
‘What ’we having?’ Joe asked. ‘You didn’t give us much packing up for dinner.’
‘Didn’t you hear me?’ she snapped. ‘I just said that Ma’s started wi’ babby and all you’re bothered about is your empty belly!’
‘I’ll fetch her,’ William offered. ‘Mrs Simmonds, I mean. Where does she live?’
‘You know where Lizzie Stephens lives? Next door to her. It’s ’cottage with ’green door. Can you ask her to come as soon as possible, please?’
William handed his work bag to Joe, turned about and sped back the way he had come. Bella watched him go with some relief; she had felt uneasy leaving her mother alone, the image of her father dominating her mind.
She turned back and began to run up the hill.
‘Hey,’ Joe called after her. ‘Put ’kettle on for a cup o’ tea.’
‘I will,’ she muttered. ‘But not for you.’
She made her mother a pot of tea, told her that William had gone for Mrs Simmonds, and put the warm brick at her back. She asked her if she’d like something to eat but Sarah said not. Bella hovered, not knowing what to do next, and her mother sighed.
‘Just get on wi’ whatever you have to do, Bella,’ she said. ‘Don’t just stand there. Set ’table for tea; ’lads’ll be here in a minute. Wherever has Nell got to?’
‘I don’t know, and it’s getting dark. I don’t want to have to go and look for her.’
There came a clamour of voices from outside and the door was opened by Joe, who was followed in by Nell.
‘William’s on his way,’ Joe said. ‘He’s halfway up ’hill. Hey up, Ma! You all right?’
‘As right as I’m ever likely to be,’ she mumbled. ‘Where’ve you been, Nell?’
Nell spun round in a circle with her arms held high. ‘Just larkin’ about,’ she said airily.
‘Larkin’ about!’ Bella said furiously. ‘You were supposed to be setting ’table. Do it now. Then I’ll dish up. There’s a clean cloth in ’drawer.’
With a resigned grimace Nell did as she asked, but she put the cloth on the table so that it hung lower on one side than the other and then spun round again as if dancing.
‘Cutlery!’ Bella thundered. ‘For goodness’ sake, do I have to tell you every little thing?’
‘Bella!’ her mother said sharply. ‘You’re mekkin’ my head ache. Do it yourself if she can’t do it right.’
William came in. ‘Mrs Simmonds’ll be half an hour, Ma. Is that all right? She said to run back if it isn’t and she’ll come straight away. I think she was just putting ’food on ’table.’
Sarah nodded. ‘Yes.’ She handed Bella her cup. ‘I think I might go upstairs,’ she murmured. ‘Will you come up wi’ me?’
Bella put down the handful of cutlery and jabbed sharply with her forefinger to indicate that Nell should finish setting the table, then went to help her mother out of the chair.
‘I’m not an invalid.’ Her mother shook off her proffered hand. ‘I can manage. I just want to tell you what I’ll need.’
‘I’m starving,’ Joe said and sat down at the table. ‘What ’we having?’
Bella sighed. It seemed that she couldn’t do right for doing wrong. ‘Cheese pudding and boiled ham,’ she muttered. ‘Like it or lump it.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
BY THE TIME Mrs Simmonds arrived everyone had eaten and Bella had asked Nell to clear away and start the dishes. Her sister had begun to grumble but stopped when Mrs
She saw her brothers walking up the hill and ran towards them.
‘Where’re you off to?’ Joe said. ‘Have you got tea ready? I’m starving.’
‘Ma’s started wi’ babby,’ she said, flustered. ‘I’ve to fetch Mrs Simmonds. Your tea’s in ’oven, but don’t start till I get back.’
‘What ’we having?’ Joe asked. ‘You didn’t give us much packing up for dinner.’
‘Didn’t you hear me?’ she snapped. ‘I just said that Ma’s started wi’ babby and all you’re bothered about is your empty belly!’
‘I’ll fetch her,’ William offered. ‘Mrs Simmonds, I mean. Where does she live?’
‘You know where Lizzie Stephens lives? Next door to her. It’s ’cottage with ’green door. Can you ask her to come as soon as possible, please?’
William handed his work bag to Joe, turned about and sped back the way he had come. Bella watched him go with some relief; she had felt uneasy leaving her mother alone, the image of her father dominating her mind.
She turned back and began to run up the hill.
‘Hey,’ Joe called after her. ‘Put ’kettle on for a cup o’ tea.’
‘I will,’ she muttered. ‘But not for you.’
She made her mother a pot of tea, told her that William had gone for Mrs Simmonds, and put the warm brick at her back. She asked her if she’d like something to eat but Sarah said not. Bella hovered, not knowing what to do next, and her mother sighed.
‘Just get on wi’ whatever you have to do, Bella,’ she said. ‘Don’t just stand there. Set ’table for tea; ’lads’ll be here in a minute. Wherever has Nell got to?’
‘I don’t know, and it’s getting dark. I don’t want to have to go and look for her.’
There came a clamour of voices from outside and the door was opened by Joe, who was followed in by Nell.
‘William’s on his way,’ Joe said. ‘He’s halfway up ’hill. Hey up, Ma! You all right?’
‘As right as I’m ever likely to be,’ she mumbled. ‘Where’ve you been, Nell?’
Nell spun round in a circle with her arms held high. ‘Just larkin’ about,’ she said airily.
‘Larkin’ about!’ Bella said furiously. ‘You were supposed to be setting ’table. Do it now. Then I’ll dish up. There’s a clean cloth in ’drawer.’
With a resigned grimace Nell did as she asked, but she put the cloth on the table so that it hung lower on one side than the other and then spun round again as if dancing.
‘Cutlery!’ Bella thundered. ‘For goodness’ sake, do I have to tell you every little thing?’
‘Bella!’ her mother said sharply. ‘You’re mekkin’ my head ache. Do it yourself if she can’t do it right.’
William came in. ‘Mrs Simmonds’ll be half an hour, Ma. Is that all right? She said to run back if it isn’t and she’ll come straight away. I think she was just putting ’food on ’table.’
Sarah nodded. ‘Yes.’ She handed Bella her cup. ‘I think I might go upstairs,’ she murmured. ‘Will you come up wi’ me?’
Bella put down the handful of cutlery and jabbed sharply with her forefinger to indicate that Nell should finish setting the table, then went to help her mother out of the chair.
‘I’m not an invalid.’ Her mother shook off her proffered hand. ‘I can manage. I just want to tell you what I’ll need.’
‘I’m starving,’ Joe said and sat down at the table. ‘What ’we having?’
Bella sighed. It seemed that she couldn’t do right for doing wrong. ‘Cheese pudding and boiled ham,’ she muttered. ‘Like it or lump it.’
CHAPTER SEVEN
BY THE TIME Mrs Simmonds arrived everyone had eaten and Bella had asked Nell to clear away and start the dishes. Her sister had begun to grumble but stopped when Mrs
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