Eloise might hate her mother-in-law
and Joan with a passion, but she had a
sneaking liking and a certain amount of respect
for her father-in-law. Had things been different,
she knew that she could have grown quite fond
of Harcourt Cribb.
A blood red sun was slowly edging its way
above the horizon and they were heading into its
fiery light as Ted expertly handled Jester, driving
the dog cart down the drive and out through
the wrought-iron gates. To Eloise it was like
escaping the mouth of hell and she knew that
whatever the future held, it was not going to be
quite as awful as the months she had spent in
Cribb's Hall.
'Are you all right, ma'am?' Ted asked
anxiously.
'I'm perfectly fine,' Eloise replied, smiling. 'I'm
just sad that I had to leave poor Ada behind.'
Ted glanced over his shoulder. 'Look round,
ma'am. I think Miss Ada had other ideas.'
Eloise twisted in her seat and saw the ungainly
figure of Ada with her arms flailing like a windmill
and her long legs gangling like those of a
newborn colt, racing after them with her bonnet
hanging off and her cloak flying out around her.
'Stop, Ted,' Eloise cried, tugging at his arm.
'For pity's sake stop.'
Ted drew Jester to a halt and he sprang down
to help Ada, who had fallen headlong and was
sprawling lengthwise in the mud. She was limping
as he helped her to the vehicle and bundled
her somewhat unceremoniously onto the back
seat.
'Ada, are you hurt?' Eloise asked anxiously.
'What happened? How did you get away?'
Breathless and muddy, but smiling broadly,
Ada brushed the mud off her face. 'I twisted me
ankle, but I don't care. I run away, I did. I run
away and I'm coming with you, Ellie.'
'Are you sure this is what you really want?
Things won't be easy.'
Ada nodded emphatically. 'I'm coming with
you. We'll find my baby.'
Eloise exchanged worried glances with Ted as
he climbed up beside her. 'Perhaps we ought to
take her back.'
He shook his head. 'I wouldn't send my worst
enemy to live with the mistress and Miss Joan.
The master is all right, but I don't know how he
puts up with those old witches.'
'Then drive on, Ted. The sooner we get on the
train to London, the better.'
'I'm right sorry, ma'am,' the man in the ticket
office said, peering at Eloise through the thick
lenses of his spectacles which made his eyes look
huge, like those of a goldfish in a glass bowl. 'The
London train went half an hour ago and there
won't be another until midday.'
Eloise had somehow imagined that the train
would be there waiting for them to leap on
board, and now she was terrified that Joan and
Hilda might come in hot pursuit. 'Is there
another train southbound before then?'
'The Hull train is due any moment, ma'am.'
At least Hull was in the right direction and
they could wait there in safety for the London
train. 'Two single third class tickets for Hull,
please.' Eloise glanced over her shoulder to
where Ada was standing with Beth in her arms,
watching Joss who was bouncing on the suitcase
at her feet.
'Third class, ma'am?'
'Third class,' Eloise said firmly. She had not
had a chance to count the money in the pouch,
but she must save every penny she had. She
might have escaped from Cribb's Hall, but she
knew that only a complete fool would be complacent.
From now on, life was going to be hard
and the future was uncertain. She pushed all
such thoughts to the back of her mind as she paid
for the tickets, thanked the man politely and
went over to pick up her luggage, refusing the
help of a porter as that would mean sparing
some money for a tip.
The platform was crowded and they had to
fight their way into an overfull third class compartment.
They managed to get seats but these
were little more than wooden benches with
slatted backs, and had obviously been designed
for utility rather than comfort. Ada's odd and
dishevelled appearance was drawing curious
looks from their fellow passengers and a certain
amount of sniggering at her expense, mainly
from children. Eloise glared at
and Joan with a passion, but she had a
sneaking liking and a certain amount of respect
for her father-in-law. Had things been different,
she knew that she could have grown quite fond
of Harcourt Cribb.
A blood red sun was slowly edging its way
above the horizon and they were heading into its
fiery light as Ted expertly handled Jester, driving
the dog cart down the drive and out through
the wrought-iron gates. To Eloise it was like
escaping the mouth of hell and she knew that
whatever the future held, it was not going to be
quite as awful as the months she had spent in
Cribb's Hall.
'Are you all right, ma'am?' Ted asked
anxiously.
'I'm perfectly fine,' Eloise replied, smiling. 'I'm
just sad that I had to leave poor Ada behind.'
Ted glanced over his shoulder. 'Look round,
ma'am. I think Miss Ada had other ideas.'
Eloise twisted in her seat and saw the ungainly
figure of Ada with her arms flailing like a windmill
and her long legs gangling like those of a
newborn colt, racing after them with her bonnet
hanging off and her cloak flying out around her.
'Stop, Ted,' Eloise cried, tugging at his arm.
'For pity's sake stop.'
Ted drew Jester to a halt and he sprang down
to help Ada, who had fallen headlong and was
sprawling lengthwise in the mud. She was limping
as he helped her to the vehicle and bundled
her somewhat unceremoniously onto the back
seat.
'Ada, are you hurt?' Eloise asked anxiously.
'What happened? How did you get away?'
Breathless and muddy, but smiling broadly,
Ada brushed the mud off her face. 'I twisted me
ankle, but I don't care. I run away, I did. I run
away and I'm coming with you, Ellie.'
'Are you sure this is what you really want?
Things won't be easy.'
Ada nodded emphatically. 'I'm coming with
you. We'll find my baby.'
Eloise exchanged worried glances with Ted as
he climbed up beside her. 'Perhaps we ought to
take her back.'
He shook his head. 'I wouldn't send my worst
enemy to live with the mistress and Miss Joan.
The master is all right, but I don't know how he
puts up with those old witches.'
'Then drive on, Ted. The sooner we get on the
train to London, the better.'
'I'm right sorry, ma'am,' the man in the ticket
office said, peering at Eloise through the thick
lenses of his spectacles which made his eyes look
huge, like those of a goldfish in a glass bowl. 'The
London train went half an hour ago and there
won't be another until midday.'
Eloise had somehow imagined that the train
would be there waiting for them to leap on
board, and now she was terrified that Joan and
Hilda might come in hot pursuit. 'Is there
another train southbound before then?'
'The Hull train is due any moment, ma'am.'
At least Hull was in the right direction and
they could wait there in safety for the London
train. 'Two single third class tickets for Hull,
please.' Eloise glanced over her shoulder to
where Ada was standing with Beth in her arms,
watching Joss who was bouncing on the suitcase
at her feet.
'Third class, ma'am?'
'Third class,' Eloise said firmly. She had not
had a chance to count the money in the pouch,
but she must save every penny she had. She
might have escaped from Cribb's Hall, but she
knew that only a complete fool would be complacent.
From now on, life was going to be hard
and the future was uncertain. She pushed all
such thoughts to the back of her mind as she paid
for the tickets, thanked the man politely and
went over to pick up her luggage, refusing the
help of a porter as that would mean sparing
some money for a tip.
The platform was crowded and they had to
fight their way into an overfull third class compartment.
They managed to get seats but these
were little more than wooden benches with
slatted backs, and had obviously been designed
for utility rather than comfort. Ada's odd and
dishevelled appearance was drawing curious
looks from their fellow passengers and a certain
amount of sniggering at her expense, mainly
from children. Eloise glared at
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