Sutton, however, who muttered, ‘Aye, wouldn’t be seen dead with us, would you, lad?’ He took a deep breath but whatever he had been about to say was pre-empted by Lillian.
‘We went to the Old Market, Da,’ she chimed in, ‘me an’ Carrie, and waited till they started clearing up. That’s why we’re late.’
Lillian’s face was trying to convey what she didn’t like to put into words, and now Carrie said quietly, ‘It was my fault, Mr Sutton. I wanted to wait.’
‘Oh aye?’ Ned nodded at her, his face smiling even as he thought, of course, that’s what this is all about. Olive’s turning the knife as only she can. By, he’d swing for her one day, he would straight. ‘Makes sense to me, lass. I like a woman who’s canny with her money.’
She had to say something to Alec right now. Carrie wanted to put her hand over her heart which was beating so violently she was sure they would all notice, but before she could steel herself to look at him again, he spoke, a lilting note in his voice.
‘Want to know how my bit of business in town went then, Mam?’ And before Olive could respond, he continued, his gaze sweeping over all of them as he thrust his thumbs into the pockets of his waistcoat, rocking on his heels with mock dignity. ‘You are now looking at the fiancé of Miss Margaret Reed, spinster of this parish, although not for much longer if I have my way.’
‘You asked her?’ Olive’s face was alight, her voice high.
‘Aye, I asked her.’ Alec was laughing. ‘After I’d spoken to Mr Reed in his study, all very formal and above board.’
Miss Margaret Reed. Alec worked for a Mr Reed who owned a string of gents’ outfitters throughout Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth. Only a few months ago Olive had been full of how he had been promoted to manager of his particular shop . . . Carrie’s mind was working after a fashion but curiously she didn’t seem able to feel anything. She knew she was staring at Alec but he was looking everywhere but at her. It struck her he hadn’t once looked her full in the face since he had walked into the house.
‘And how was he, Mr Reed? When you asked him like?’ Olive’s voice was bright, eager. It didn’t sound like her at all.
‘Said he’d been expecting it. He thought Margaret had made her choice some time ago, and of course they’ve always made me very welcome at the house.’
It didn’t occur to Carrie until some time later that none of the others present had said a word, and such was her state of mind she couldn’t have said how Mr Sutton and his other two children had taken Alec’s news. She felt strange, tingly, but when she moved, her feet seemed like lead and her head dizzily light. You can’t pass out, not here, not with Alec Sutton looking on. ‘I have to go.’ Her lips felt numb as she spoke.
‘You all right, Carrie?’ It was David who spoke, and when she looked at him she saw his eyes were tight on her face.
‘No, she’s not,’ Lillian answered her brother. ‘She felt bad at the market, didn’t you, Carrie? That’s one of the reasons we were late back,’ she added with a sidelong glance at her mother.
‘Bad?’
‘It was nothing.’ Carrie brushed David’s concern aside with a flap of her hand. ‘And I really do have to go.’
‘Make sure you tell your mam there’s going to be another wedding soon, and a right grand one I don’t doubt.’ Olive made no effort to keep the satisfaction out of her voice. Walter might have married beneath him, but Alec had more than made up for his brother’s shortcomings. Alec and Mr Reed’s daughter! This would show the McDarmounts and some others hereabouts she could name that the Suttons were a cut above. By, it would.
Carrie didn’t acknowledge Olive’s words but turned dumbly away, opening the front door and stepping out into the foggy street without answering Mr Sutton’s subdued, ‘Ta, ta,
‘We went to the Old Market, Da,’ she chimed in, ‘me an’ Carrie, and waited till they started clearing up. That’s why we’re late.’
Lillian’s face was trying to convey what she didn’t like to put into words, and now Carrie said quietly, ‘It was my fault, Mr Sutton. I wanted to wait.’
‘Oh aye?’ Ned nodded at her, his face smiling even as he thought, of course, that’s what this is all about. Olive’s turning the knife as only she can. By, he’d swing for her one day, he would straight. ‘Makes sense to me, lass. I like a woman who’s canny with her money.’
She had to say something to Alec right now. Carrie wanted to put her hand over her heart which was beating so violently she was sure they would all notice, but before she could steel herself to look at him again, he spoke, a lilting note in his voice.
‘Want to know how my bit of business in town went then, Mam?’ And before Olive could respond, he continued, his gaze sweeping over all of them as he thrust his thumbs into the pockets of his waistcoat, rocking on his heels with mock dignity. ‘You are now looking at the fiancé of Miss Margaret Reed, spinster of this parish, although not for much longer if I have my way.’
‘You asked her?’ Olive’s face was alight, her voice high.
‘Aye, I asked her.’ Alec was laughing. ‘After I’d spoken to Mr Reed in his study, all very formal and above board.’
Miss Margaret Reed. Alec worked for a Mr Reed who owned a string of gents’ outfitters throughout Monkwearmouth and Bishopwearmouth. Only a few months ago Olive had been full of how he had been promoted to manager of his particular shop . . . Carrie’s mind was working after a fashion but curiously she didn’t seem able to feel anything. She knew she was staring at Alec but he was looking everywhere but at her. It struck her he hadn’t once looked her full in the face since he had walked into the house.
‘And how was he, Mr Reed? When you asked him like?’ Olive’s voice was bright, eager. It didn’t sound like her at all.
‘Said he’d been expecting it. He thought Margaret had made her choice some time ago, and of course they’ve always made me very welcome at the house.’
It didn’t occur to Carrie until some time later that none of the others present had said a word, and such was her state of mind she couldn’t have said how Mr Sutton and his other two children had taken Alec’s news. She felt strange, tingly, but when she moved, her feet seemed like lead and her head dizzily light. You can’t pass out, not here, not with Alec Sutton looking on. ‘I have to go.’ Her lips felt numb as she spoke.
‘You all right, Carrie?’ It was David who spoke, and when she looked at him she saw his eyes were tight on her face.
‘No, she’s not,’ Lillian answered her brother. ‘She felt bad at the market, didn’t you, Carrie? That’s one of the reasons we were late back,’ she added with a sidelong glance at her mother.
‘Bad?’
‘It was nothing.’ Carrie brushed David’s concern aside with a flap of her hand. ‘And I really do have to go.’
‘Make sure you tell your mam there’s going to be another wedding soon, and a right grand one I don’t doubt.’ Olive made no effort to keep the satisfaction out of her voice. Walter might have married beneath him, but Alec had more than made up for his brother’s shortcomings. Alec and Mr Reed’s daughter! This would show the McDarmounts and some others hereabouts she could name that the Suttons were a cut above. By, it would.
Carrie didn’t acknowledge Olive’s words but turned dumbly away, opening the front door and stepping out into the foggy street without answering Mr Sutton’s subdued, ‘Ta, ta,
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