all pretend that they know nowt.’
‘But now,’ Fletcher said slowly, ‘young Charles Hart has noticed ’likeness.’
‘He has. I’ve no doubt about it, but he’s not going to ask his father, is he? And he’s certainly not going to question you. But I thought you ought to know.’
Later that night, Fletcher told Harriet what Tom had said. She suppressed a cynical smile at the idea that Ellen Tuke thought she had kept her secret; in a small community like this, somebody was bound to put two and two together. And, wide awake with a harvest moon shining though their bedroom window, she recalled Tom’s Aunt Mary once telling her how Ellen Tuke hadn’t always been truthful, and of how she had cried when Fletcher was born. ‘I’m sure your mother and Christopher Hart thought that no one knew of their liaison,’ she said softly, knowing how hurt and embarrassed Fletcher was over the whole sordid affair. ‘But how wrong they were.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Daniel turned twenty in December and during the long Christmas vacation Charles rode over to visit. He said that Beatrice was confined to her bed with a cold and was in a filthy temper because of it.
‘She’s not been made into a lady, then?’ Daniel asked.
‘Not that you’d notice,’ Charles grinned. ‘How’s everybody here?’
‘We’re all well,’ Harriet answered. ‘Fletcher took Lenny to ’market and bought a pig in litter, so he’s happy. Dolly’s got a new dress.’ She smiled at Charles as she gave him all their doings. ‘I’ve got some new kitchen curtains, but best of all, Maria is coming home tomorrow and staying for Christmas.’
‘Hurray,’ Daniel cheered. ‘We’ve really missed her.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ Charles agreed. ‘I miss Beatrice too whilst she’s in Switzerland. I’ve seen more of Stephen this year, and astonishingly George’s tutors seem to think he has an outstanding future in front of him.’
‘Really!’ Harriet said. ‘In what?’
‘Well,’ Charles said, ‘apparently he’s very bright and really brainy.’ He laughed. ‘I can’t imagine it; my little brother! And the opinion is that he should eventually go into law or medicine, or science.’
‘Goodness!’ Harriet exclaimed. ‘Your parents must be very pleased to hear that?’
‘They are.’ He hesitated and then glanced at Daniel. ‘And – so it rather takes the edge off their disappointment in me.’
Fletcher and Lenny came in as he was speaking, and after greeting Charles, they took the other seats at the kitchen table. ‘Why?’ Fletcher asked. ‘What have you been up to? Are you in trouble at school?’
‘No, no, not at all,’ he speedily assured him. ‘It’s just that I’ve asked my father if, rather than going to university as he wants me to, I might travel to Europe for a few months.’
Daniel inhaled; he still hadn’t broached the subject with his parents and he was sure that that was what Charles was leading up to.
‘And he’s said no?’ Fletcher asked.
Charles sighed. ‘He has, and I don’t understand why. He didn’t go to university – he went straight into the estate to help his father.’
‘Perhaps he always regretted it,’ Harriet suggested.
‘Maybe,’ Charles said. ‘But I know that Stephen will want to do exactly the same. He wants to farm and ideally he’d like to start now, but Father won’t hear of it.’
He paused for a moment, and then said, ‘But I’m not giving up yet, and what I was going to ask, if you would consider it, is, if I am allowed to travel, would you permit Daniel to come too?’
Harriet gave a small gasp and put her hand to her chest, whilst Fletcher turned his gaze on Daniel, who looked stunned.
‘Daniel?’ Fletcher said. ‘Is this what you’d like to do?’
‘W-wait,’ Harriet said, clasping her fingers tightly together. ‘Don’t rush into anything.’
‘I won’t, Ma,’ Daniel said quietly. He knew what she was thinking of, or rather whom she was
‘But now,’ Fletcher said slowly, ‘young Charles Hart has noticed ’likeness.’
‘He has. I’ve no doubt about it, but he’s not going to ask his father, is he? And he’s certainly not going to question you. But I thought you ought to know.’
Later that night, Fletcher told Harriet what Tom had said. She suppressed a cynical smile at the idea that Ellen Tuke thought she had kept her secret; in a small community like this, somebody was bound to put two and two together. And, wide awake with a harvest moon shining though their bedroom window, she recalled Tom’s Aunt Mary once telling her how Ellen Tuke hadn’t always been truthful, and of how she had cried when Fletcher was born. ‘I’m sure your mother and Christopher Hart thought that no one knew of their liaison,’ she said softly, knowing how hurt and embarrassed Fletcher was over the whole sordid affair. ‘But how wrong they were.’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Daniel turned twenty in December and during the long Christmas vacation Charles rode over to visit. He said that Beatrice was confined to her bed with a cold and was in a filthy temper because of it.
‘She’s not been made into a lady, then?’ Daniel asked.
‘Not that you’d notice,’ Charles grinned. ‘How’s everybody here?’
‘We’re all well,’ Harriet answered. ‘Fletcher took Lenny to ’market and bought a pig in litter, so he’s happy. Dolly’s got a new dress.’ She smiled at Charles as she gave him all their doings. ‘I’ve got some new kitchen curtains, but best of all, Maria is coming home tomorrow and staying for Christmas.’
‘Hurray,’ Daniel cheered. ‘We’ve really missed her.’
‘I’m sure you have,’ Charles agreed. ‘I miss Beatrice too whilst she’s in Switzerland. I’ve seen more of Stephen this year, and astonishingly George’s tutors seem to think he has an outstanding future in front of him.’
‘Really!’ Harriet said. ‘In what?’
‘Well,’ Charles said, ‘apparently he’s very bright and really brainy.’ He laughed. ‘I can’t imagine it; my little brother! And the opinion is that he should eventually go into law or medicine, or science.’
‘Goodness!’ Harriet exclaimed. ‘Your parents must be very pleased to hear that?’
‘They are.’ He hesitated and then glanced at Daniel. ‘And – so it rather takes the edge off their disappointment in me.’
Fletcher and Lenny came in as he was speaking, and after greeting Charles, they took the other seats at the kitchen table. ‘Why?’ Fletcher asked. ‘What have you been up to? Are you in trouble at school?’
‘No, no, not at all,’ he speedily assured him. ‘It’s just that I’ve asked my father if, rather than going to university as he wants me to, I might travel to Europe for a few months.’
Daniel inhaled; he still hadn’t broached the subject with his parents and he was sure that that was what Charles was leading up to.
‘And he’s said no?’ Fletcher asked.
Charles sighed. ‘He has, and I don’t understand why. He didn’t go to university – he went straight into the estate to help his father.’
‘Perhaps he always regretted it,’ Harriet suggested.
‘Maybe,’ Charles said. ‘But I know that Stephen will want to do exactly the same. He wants to farm and ideally he’d like to start now, but Father won’t hear of it.’
He paused for a moment, and then said, ‘But I’m not giving up yet, and what I was going to ask, if you would consider it, is, if I am allowed to travel, would you permit Daniel to come too?’
Harriet gave a small gasp and put her hand to her chest, whilst Fletcher turned his gaze on Daniel, who looked stunned.
‘Daniel?’ Fletcher said. ‘Is this what you’d like to do?’
‘W-wait,’ Harriet said, clasping her fingers tightly together. ‘Don’t rush into anything.’
‘I won’t, Ma,’ Daniel said quietly. He knew what she was thinking of, or rather whom she was
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