Abby,’ he said, softly, and then turned to his father. ‘But I’ll definitely not be going back to your house. Never! Like Abby, I’ve had a taste of freedom and I’m not going to put myself in that position again.’
After a curt ‘Suit yoursel’s, then!’ Willie pushed his now simpering wife towards the door and Abby turned tearfully to her brother, who held her until all the emotions she’d had to hold back that day had flooded out, then he made her sit down until he explained how he felt. ‘I don’t like leaving you here on your own, though,’ he added after he made it clear that he wouldn’t take up her offer of a home.
‘I’ll be all right,’ she told him. ‘I’ve made plenty friends at this end of the town – boys as well as girls. She smiled shyly.
‘Oh, is there somebody special?’
‘I wouldn’t mind if there was but he hasn’t …’
‘Well, I hope it goes well for you, Abby.’
‘I hope you’ll find the right girl for you and all when you’re a few years older.’
‘Aye. I’ll have to go back to Craigdownie in the morning to return Mick’s bike. If John Legge doesna keep me on, I’ll look for some place else but, wherever I am, I’ll come and see you as often as I can. Now, I think we need to get some sleep.’ His stepmother’s disgust coming back to him, he wenton, ‘But not in the same bed. Nessie was right – we really shouldn’t have.’
Unfortunately for Henry, the couch in the parlour was so uncomfortably lumpy and noisy that he couldn’t sleep but the only alternative was his grandmother’s bed, where her body had lain until it was transferred to the coffin, and he certainly wouldn’t have been able to sleep there.
Going over what had happened three days before, he wondered if it had been his fault that his grandmother had died. He had more or less accused his mother – her daughter – of adultery. But Gramma had been tough. She had known why he said it and she hadn’t seemed angry with him.
She also had a long experience of life. She knew what she spoke about and he was definitely not going to turn his wife – if he ever took a wife, which he didn’t feel too sure about at the moment – into a machine for producing babies. He would ask her, just after putting the ring on her finger, how many children she wanted and he would abide by her decision. No woman would die because he couldn’t control his passions.
His mind made up on that, he turned over with a lighter heart and, just before falling asleep, he made another vow. According to Gramma, it was the strong drink that fuelled lust and he would never, ever, touch liquor of any kind. It was true what the Band of Hope taught. Drink was the downfall of all men.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jim Legge was furious. ‘Are you sure he knew he’d to come back last night?’
Mick Tyler shrugged. ‘I didna tell him, Mr Legge. I thought he’d ken.’
The farmer looked round the breakfast table. ‘Did he tell any of you where he was going?’ He bared his teeth for a moment at the blank stares that were the only responses. ‘He didn’t definitely say he was going to see his sister so he could be anywhere?’ A new thought struck him. ‘Has he left any of his things?’
Mick looked at Frankie Ross who mumbled, ‘We never looked, Mr Legge.’
‘He’ll turn up.’ Mrs Legge was something of an optimist. ‘He could have had a puncture.’
Her husband had spent enough time on the missing second horseman. ‘Harry,’ he snapped, turning to the lad at the corner table, ‘you can give Davey a hand today and, if Henry doesn’t turn up by tonight, you can have his job for good.’
The orra loon’s eyes lit up at the prospect of this unexpected promotion. ‘Right you are, Mr Legge. ‘You can trust me. I’ll not let you down.’
This was too much for Janet Emslie. ‘The poor laddie could be lying in a ditch for all you folk care. Somebody should be out looking for him.’
It was a busy time on the farm
After a curt ‘Suit yoursel’s, then!’ Willie pushed his now simpering wife towards the door and Abby turned tearfully to her brother, who held her until all the emotions she’d had to hold back that day had flooded out, then he made her sit down until he explained how he felt. ‘I don’t like leaving you here on your own, though,’ he added after he made it clear that he wouldn’t take up her offer of a home.
‘I’ll be all right,’ she told him. ‘I’ve made plenty friends at this end of the town – boys as well as girls. She smiled shyly.
‘Oh, is there somebody special?’
‘I wouldn’t mind if there was but he hasn’t …’
‘Well, I hope it goes well for you, Abby.’
‘I hope you’ll find the right girl for you and all when you’re a few years older.’
‘Aye. I’ll have to go back to Craigdownie in the morning to return Mick’s bike. If John Legge doesna keep me on, I’ll look for some place else but, wherever I am, I’ll come and see you as often as I can. Now, I think we need to get some sleep.’ His stepmother’s disgust coming back to him, he wenton, ‘But not in the same bed. Nessie was right – we really shouldn’t have.’
Unfortunately for Henry, the couch in the parlour was so uncomfortably lumpy and noisy that he couldn’t sleep but the only alternative was his grandmother’s bed, where her body had lain until it was transferred to the coffin, and he certainly wouldn’t have been able to sleep there.
Going over what had happened three days before, he wondered if it had been his fault that his grandmother had died. He had more or less accused his mother – her daughter – of adultery. But Gramma had been tough. She had known why he said it and she hadn’t seemed angry with him.
She also had a long experience of life. She knew what she spoke about and he was definitely not going to turn his wife – if he ever took a wife, which he didn’t feel too sure about at the moment – into a machine for producing babies. He would ask her, just after putting the ring on her finger, how many children she wanted and he would abide by her decision. No woman would die because he couldn’t control his passions.
His mind made up on that, he turned over with a lighter heart and, just before falling asleep, he made another vow. According to Gramma, it was the strong drink that fuelled lust and he would never, ever, touch liquor of any kind. It was true what the Band of Hope taught. Drink was the downfall of all men.
CHAPTER FOUR
Jim Legge was furious. ‘Are you sure he knew he’d to come back last night?’
Mick Tyler shrugged. ‘I didna tell him, Mr Legge. I thought he’d ken.’
The farmer looked round the breakfast table. ‘Did he tell any of you where he was going?’ He bared his teeth for a moment at the blank stares that were the only responses. ‘He didn’t definitely say he was going to see his sister so he could be anywhere?’ A new thought struck him. ‘Has he left any of his things?’
Mick looked at Frankie Ross who mumbled, ‘We never looked, Mr Legge.’
‘He’ll turn up.’ Mrs Legge was something of an optimist. ‘He could have had a puncture.’
Her husband had spent enough time on the missing second horseman. ‘Harry,’ he snapped, turning to the lad at the corner table, ‘you can give Davey a hand today and, if Henry doesn’t turn up by tonight, you can have his job for good.’
The orra loon’s eyes lit up at the prospect of this unexpected promotion. ‘Right you are, Mr Legge. ‘You can trust me. I’ll not let you down.’
This was too much for Janet Emslie. ‘The poor laddie could be lying in a ditch for all you folk care. Somebody should be out looking for him.’
It was a busy time on the farm
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