Authors: Freda Lightfoot
If Jack wouldn’t help, and the family solicitor wasn’t even able to prevent the Flint family from being thrown
out onto the streets, what more could she do? Time was running out.
Oh, but Ella would be here for a visit at the end of the week, Livia thought, with a spurt of optimism. Perhaps she would have some ideas to offer.
It was Friday afternoon and the two sisters were delighted to be together again and sat with their arms about each other in the County Hotel, enjoying afternoon tea and happily exchanging news. It was just the three of them, as Ella and Amos had left the children with their Aunt Molly in Staveley. It was just as well, as Ella became quite distraught when she heard what Livia had suffered with the attempted rape. She was soon in tears as she listened to the tale, despite Livia having cut the details to the bare minimum.
‘Look, I’m perfectly all right. He didn’t finish the deed, thank God.’
‘No, thank Jack for saving you.’
Livia bristled slightly. ‘Actually, I’d already clocked Henry one over the head with a plant pot by the time Jack came galloping in, so was well on the way to saving myself.’
‘Even so…’ Ella said. ‘It could have been much, much worse, had he not appeared just when he did.’
‘Love and lust can do terrible things to a man,’ Amos remarked, and they both turned to look at him, slightly startled by this quiet intervention.
‘Have you reported Henry to the police?’ Ella wanted to know. ‘You really should, even if he didn’t quite go through with it.’
‘Oh, don’t you start. Jack keeps on and on about that, but I’d really rather not involve them. He won’t try again, I’m quite certain of it.’ Livia instantly made the decision not to mention their father’s role in all of this, except perhaps quietly to Ella later when they were alone. Since Amos was a fervent Methodist, he might well start preaching to her about the need to honour her father, something which was quite beyond them both.
Instead, she briskly changed the subject and began to tell them all about their efforts to find more work for the hand-knitters of Fellside. Livia described the range of goods they were hoping to offer, the orders they’d received so far and the problems involved in finding a wider market. Amos seemed quite interested and asked several pertinent questions concerning the costs involved, and their supplier.
‘Ah, there’s the rub. Henry is our only supplier, and so far we have been unable to find a reliable alternative.’
Amos rubbed his chin in that thoughtful way he had. ‘I might be able to help you there. I know quite a few farmers who’d be only too happy to sell you wool direct. I could let you have a bundle or two meself.’
‘Really? Oh, but that would be wonderful.’
‘Have you somewhere to store it? A shed or summat?
It’s best to buy it at clipping time, tha knows.’
‘Oh, dear!’ Livia shook her head, thinking hard. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. Until we get the accommodation problem resolved, perhaps the wool could be brought out a bundle at a time when the farmer in question was visiting Kendal market?’
Ella excitedly intervened at this point. ‘Oh, I’m sure we can work something out. We could store the wool in our barn, and bring it out as you need it. I could do that, couldn’t I, Amos?’
Amos looked at his wife, saying nothing. The details were finalised and they ordered a second pot of tea and buttered teacakes, to celebrate. When they were finally replete Livia offered to take them to meet Jessie and her brood.
As the two girls walked together arm in arm along Stricklandgate and up Allhallows Lane, Amos striding along ahead of them, Livia whispered, ‘Mercy will be there.’
‘Oh good, then I’ll meet her at last. What is she like?’
‘Spiky, still nursing some imagined resentment against us, and itching to take revenge on Father.’
‘If you and I don’t get to him first.’
Livia smiled wryly. ‘I’m trying to win her round, little by little. We can but hope.’ A short pause and then, ‘Does Amos know she’s our half-sister, and illegitimate?’
Ella flushed with embarrassment. ‘Um, I haven’t actually got around to explaining all of that yet. He can be very prissy about such things.’
‘I see.’ Another thoughtful frown. ‘Don’t you think it would be advisable to tell him? It doesn’t seem quite right to have secrets between husband and wife. And he is part of our family now.’
‘You’re probably right, but it won’t be easy. He’ll feel duty bound to issue a lecture, and it won’t help relations between himself and Father, although they’ve always got on surprisingly well. I’ll wait till he’s in a mellow mood, then I’ll try telling him.’
‘Good girl! We’d best keep off the subject today then, if we can.’
This presented no problem as Mercy kept remarkably silent while Jessie happily demonstrated and displayed her work to the visitors, making them all welcome even as she apologised for the humble nature of their home.
Livia hugged the older woman and told her the loft looked as clean as a new pin, and to stop fussing. Indeed it was evident that Jessie had taken considerable trouble to clear the straw pallets away into a neat stack, had scrubbed the floor and with no night soil bucket on view and the narrow window open to catch the breeze, the air was almost sweet, apart from the usual fog of lint which nothing would cure.
Amos seemed oblivious to the poverty of his surroundings and was getting on famously with Jessie. He was interested in comparing her loom with his own back at the farm, discussing the intricacies of the weave, and whether or not she used the jacquard pattern. He admired the finished woollen goods, and the knitting in progress.
Livia excitedly butted in to explain about Amos’s offer to help supply raw wool, and they all began to discuss at some length the various benefits of short or long staple, Herdwick, Swaledale or Masham, and whether they’d be interested in investing in knitting machines one day.
Amos seemed appreciative of the happy hum of work among the older children, but couldn’t resist expressing concern that perhaps the younger ones should have been in school.
‘Education is important, Jessie,’ he gently informed her.
‘Amos, please,’ Ella scolded. ‘It’s really none of your business.’
For once he looked chastened by his wife’s words and swiftly apologised. ‘I’m sorry, that was unpardonable of me. I’ve got too much into the habit of preaching, but Ella is teaching me the error of my ways.’
Everyone looked a little surprised by this confession, not least Ella herself.
‘I’ll take them tomorrow,’ Jessie promised, giving a cheeky grin. ‘Though they’d much rather stop at home and help with the knitting, till the work gets too hard, then they want to play. That’s children for you.’
Amos actually smiled. ‘My own are just as bad, and will do anything to avoid learning their letters. But they are healthy and strong, and that’s what matters most, is it not? Ella is a good mother to them, although she too has had a great deal to learn since coming to live on the farm. Now she can make butter and cheese, preserves and excellent cakes, and has recently learnt to spin, isn’t that
right, Ella? She’s made great progress these last months.’
Ella had been listening almost open-mouthed with astonishment to this string of compliments, and now found herself flushing bright pink as his gaze rested proudly upon her. Was Amos at last beginning to appreciate her efforts?
Later, over a glass of ginger beer, Jessie, Livia and Amos began to work out the details of the operation. Ella noticed Mercy huddled on a sack in the corner all by herself, clearly feeling rather left out, and went to sit with her to ask how she was, and if she’d found employment.
‘Not yet,’ Mercy mumbled, her mouth falling into the familiar sulk she always adopted whenever one of the Angel sisters was near.
‘What would you like to do?’
‘Huh, folk like me don’t get to make choices in life. Only rich folk like you have that sort of power.’
Ella laughed. ‘I’m not at all rich, but I agree that money does help you to have more opportunities in life. But I’ve also discovered that even if life doesn’t go quite as you’d planned it, things can turn out to be surprisingly good in the end.’
She didn’t notice Mercy’s disbelieving scowl as she glanced across at her husband, still deep in conversation with Jessie and Livia. He looked really rather smart in his setting-out suit, as he called it. Farmers always dressed well when they came to town, and his hair was all slicked back and glossy instead of its usual tousled state, with
very nearly a smile on his face. She again turned to smile at Mercy. ‘It might take a bit of effort, of course. Then life can surprise you.’
‘Or it can hammer you into the ground,’ Mercy quipped.
At that moment Jack and George arrived home, tired after a long working day, and both damp from having stuck their heads under the pump outside, to rid themselves of the accumulated dust. George came over to Mercy and kissed her on the lips. ‘Hello, love. How are you?’
Mercy wrapped her arms about his neck and kissed him right back, then uncurled herself from the straw pallet upon which she’d been sitting, and went to find some food for the two men.
Jessie was telling Jack about the plans they’d made for the supply of wool, and although he kept glancing across at Livia, she refused to meet his eye. George flopped down to sit cross-legged on the floor, and when Jessie asked him if he’d had a good day, he simply gave a philosophical shake of the head, as if that were a foolish question to ask.
Ella surprised everyone, particularly herself, by suddenly walking over to her husband, putting her hand on his arm and suggesting he take on George as his hired man.
‘You were looking for someone anyway, and Mercy could perhaps help me in the house.’ She didn’t mention the nature of her relationship with the other girl, judging this wasn’t the right moment. But then keeping family
secrets was ingrained in Ella’s nature, following years of living with a brutal father.
There was a small, stunned silence, one that was finally filled by Amos himself, who turned to George and asked if he had much experience. The younger man was on his feet in seconds talking of the work he’d done on his father’s farm as a boy, then with Mercy on the farm out in the Langdales. ‘I’m particularly good with sheep, but I can deal with cattle too.’
‘Then you’ll do for me,’ Amos said, and his whole face creased into a wide grin as he stuck out a hand to shake on the deal. ‘Looks like you were right to insist we come into town today, Ella. It’s all worked out rather splendidly. I’ve a bit put by and wouldn’t mind investing in this new woollen business. I’ll let you have some wool, Jessie, to get you started, and you can pay me when the money starts coming in. If all goes well, we might try buying one or two of them new-fangled knitting machines. We must try to keep up with the times, mustn’t we, my love?’ he said, putting an arm about his wife’s waist.
‘Yes, indeed,’ Ella agreed, somewhat weakly, since he’d never used any sort of endearment with her before. ‘I suppose we must.’ Really, this husband of hers never ceased to amaze her. He was a man with hidden depths.
They stayed at the County Hotel on Friday night (Amos for once having left his livestock in the care of a neighbour) and on Saturday, while Amos went off to deal with a matter of business, Ella took the opportunity to visit the store with her sister.
It was so exciting to have money to spend, a rare treat. She bought some boots and a new frock for Tilda, plus a little rag doll for her to dress up and cuddle. For Emmett she bought a warm blue checked shirt and a football. She didn’t forget Amos and bought him a new cap and warm woollen scarf. She believed it was one that Jessie had knitted, so there was a double benefit in buying it. Ella took Mercy with her, and had her fitted for a dark blue day dress, although got little thanks for it.
‘I’m quite happy with the one I’ve got.’
‘But you’ll need another to wear when that one’s in the wash,’ Ella sensibly pointed out. ‘Or you can wear this one for church, if you like.’
Mercy sulked, obviously wanting to disagree but finding the argument irrefutable. Ella was almost relieved when the girl insisted on going back to Fellside, as she needed to pack up the few things she and George would be taking with them. As she watched her flounce off, the parcel tucked carelessly under her arm, Ella recognised that she wasn’t going to be easy to live with, but prayed it would work out. She’d be glad of another woman’s company as Mrs Rackett spent most of the day nodding in the chair.
After a few other essential purchases, Ella treated herself to a new blouse, and then the pair of them went upstairs to discuss the finer points of underwear. They giggled so much over camisoles and petticoats, it was almost like old times when they’d been girls together.
‘Oh, I wish Maggie were here. She was so wise, so patient, and so good with advice when I needed it.’
‘And what advice would you be asking her for now, were she here?’ Livia gently enquired, knowing that she too missed her loving, affectionate sister. There wasn’t a day that passed when her heart didn’t ache for her.
‘Oh, only for a suggestion on how to make my husband fall in love with me.’
‘Ah,’ said Livia, with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. ‘I believe I might have an idea about that.’
One other purchase was made that day, but that was made by Amos. When they all met up again, preparatory to leaving, Ella discovered that he’d bought a pony and trap at the auction, exactly the right size for a woman to drive two children to and from school.
Ella could hardly speak for joy. She had never known such happiness, and, quite unable to help herself, she flung her arms about her husband’s neck and kissed him most thoroughly. And he really didn’t seem to object one bit.
Amos allowed her to drive it back to Kentmere herself, with him sitting beside her offering advice, of course, while George and Mercy followed in the old farm cart. Ella thought that life was really looking up at last, and she felt filled with a new optimism.