Winifred ran away.’
‘Where did she go?’
‘We didn’t know – not for years. And your father wouldn’t hev her name mentioned. But eventually I got a letter from her.’
‘She sent it to me,’ Kate’s mother said. ‘It was before your father and I were married so the letter was safe coming to my parents’ house.’
‘And I’ve been writing to her ever since,’ Aunt Meg continued. ‘Your da doesn’t know anything about it. Eeh, Kate you’re so like her. I know she’ll take you in.’
‘But that’s marvellous,’ Kate said.
‘Well, yes and no,’ said her mother.
‘What do you mean?’
‘It means it might be years before I see you again. You see, your Aunt Winifred lives in America.’
‘America?’ Kate stared at her aunt and her mother, unwilling to take in what this might mean.
‘Yes, pet, in a place called New York. And although I don’t want to lose you,’ Nan said, ‘I know that you’d be well looked after. Winifred has married well: she was working in a shoe factory and she caught the boss’s eye. Well, Winifred wouldn’t settle for anything less than a ring on her finger and, the last time I heard, she was helping him run the business. Designing fashionable boots for ladies, if you please.’
‘That’s right,’ Aunt Meg said. ‘Poor Winifred.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Kate was startled.
‘Well, it seems that try as they might her and Herbert just can’t have children. It’s a grief to them both, the last I heard. So, you see, I think she’ll be overjoyed to have you – you and the bairn. And divven’t fret, Kate, lass, you’ll be well looked after.’
‘But I’d be so far away!’ Kate felt the tears pricking at the back of her eyes.
‘Whisht now, don’t upset yourself,’ her aunt said. ‘It’s bad for the bairn. And it won’t be for a while yet, anyways. For the time being you and me will live here happily together. All right?’
‘I just don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.’
‘Of course, but I’m sure you’ll see it’ll be for the best,’ her mother said. ‘And Kate . . .’
‘Yes?’
‘Meanwhile it’s best not to tell anyone about the baby.’
‘Who would I tell?’
‘I thought you might tell Jane. Then Jane might tell her mother . . .’
‘She wouldn’t. Not if I asked her not to.’
‘Perhaps not. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. And then there’s William.’ Her mother paused. ‘I know you confide in him sometimes. Well, I think it’s best to keep him in the dark about this.’
‘My brothers don’t know?’
‘No.’
‘Why do they think I’ve left home?’
‘I told them you’d angered your father once too often. It was easy for them to believe that.’ Nan gave a faint smile.
‘But why can’t you tell them? They wouldn’t condemn me!’
‘You can’t be sure of that. Lads are funny.’
‘Oh, aye,’ Meg said. ‘Lads are funny, all right. They do their best to sweet-talk a girl into giving in and then, if anything goes wrong, it’s all the lass’s fault.’
‘My brothers aren’t like that. They wouldn’t think less of me. In fact they’d stand up for me.’
‘That’s what I’m afeared of,’ her mother said. ‘Thomas sometimes acts without thinking first. If he stood up to your da – quarrelled with him because he’d thrown you out – it would be me that would get the worst of it.’
‘Aye, we’re back to my devil of a brother again,’ Meg said. ‘All roads lead to him. So, Kate hinny, just do as your ma tells you for the sake of a quiet life.’
Kate sighed. ‘I will.’
‘Good lass,’ Aunt Meg said. ‘And now your ma had better get along home and leave us to hev a bit supper before we gans to bed. We’ll be starting work tomorrow as soon as the boats come home.’
Jane stirred in her bed, frowning before she had even opened her eyes, and
‘Where did she go?’
‘We didn’t know – not for years. And your father wouldn’t hev her name mentioned. But eventually I got a letter from her.’
‘She sent it to me,’ Kate’s mother said. ‘It was before your father and I were married so the letter was safe coming to my parents’ house.’
‘And I’ve been writing to her ever since,’ Aunt Meg continued. ‘Your da doesn’t know anything about it. Eeh, Kate you’re so like her. I know she’ll take you in.’
‘But that’s marvellous,’ Kate said.
‘Well, yes and no,’ said her mother.
‘What do you mean?’
‘It means it might be years before I see you again. You see, your Aunt Winifred lives in America.’
‘America?’ Kate stared at her aunt and her mother, unwilling to take in what this might mean.
‘Yes, pet, in a place called New York. And although I don’t want to lose you,’ Nan said, ‘I know that you’d be well looked after. Winifred has married well: she was working in a shoe factory and she caught the boss’s eye. Well, Winifred wouldn’t settle for anything less than a ring on her finger and, the last time I heard, she was helping him run the business. Designing fashionable boots for ladies, if you please.’
‘That’s right,’ Aunt Meg said. ‘Poor Winifred.’
‘Why do you say that?’ Kate was startled.
‘Well, it seems that try as they might her and Herbert just can’t have children. It’s a grief to them both, the last I heard. So, you see, I think she’ll be overjoyed to have you – you and the bairn. And divven’t fret, Kate, lass, you’ll be well looked after.’
‘But I’d be so far away!’ Kate felt the tears pricking at the back of her eyes.
‘Whisht now, don’t upset yourself,’ her aunt said. ‘It’s bad for the bairn. And it won’t be for a while yet, anyways. For the time being you and me will live here happily together. All right?’
‘I just don’t know. I’ll have to think about it.’
‘Of course, but I’m sure you’ll see it’ll be for the best,’ her mother said. ‘And Kate . . .’
‘Yes?’
‘Meanwhile it’s best not to tell anyone about the baby.’
‘Who would I tell?’
‘I thought you might tell Jane. Then Jane might tell her mother . . .’
‘She wouldn’t. Not if I asked her not to.’
‘Perhaps not. But it’s better to be safe than sorry. And then there’s William.’ Her mother paused. ‘I know you confide in him sometimes. Well, I think it’s best to keep him in the dark about this.’
‘My brothers don’t know?’
‘No.’
‘Why do they think I’ve left home?’
‘I told them you’d angered your father once too often. It was easy for them to believe that.’ Nan gave a faint smile.
‘But why can’t you tell them? They wouldn’t condemn me!’
‘You can’t be sure of that. Lads are funny.’
‘Oh, aye,’ Meg said. ‘Lads are funny, all right. They do their best to sweet-talk a girl into giving in and then, if anything goes wrong, it’s all the lass’s fault.’
‘My brothers aren’t like that. They wouldn’t think less of me. In fact they’d stand up for me.’
‘That’s what I’m afeared of,’ her mother said. ‘Thomas sometimes acts without thinking first. If he stood up to your da – quarrelled with him because he’d thrown you out – it would be me that would get the worst of it.’
‘Aye, we’re back to my devil of a brother again,’ Meg said. ‘All roads lead to him. So, Kate hinny, just do as your ma tells you for the sake of a quiet life.’
Kate sighed. ‘I will.’
‘Good lass,’ Aunt Meg said. ‘And now your ma had better get along home and leave us to hev a bit supper before we gans to bed. We’ll be starting work tomorrow as soon as the boats come home.’
Jane stirred in her bed, frowning before she had even opened her eyes, and
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