Replenish the Earth by Anna Jacobs Page B

it mentally to the list of his grievances. ‘Your stables aren’t being used. They're a bit ramshackle, but the beasts would be warm enough in there. I could do a few repairs to them as well, so that'd help us both.’
    She smiled again. ‘Use them, Mr Pursley, use them. I shall enjoy the fresh milk and I shall be grateful for any repairs you can do. And please don’t hesitate to ask me if you see any other ways in which we could be of mutual help.’
    He looked her in the eyes, then, as if trying to understand whether she really meant what she said. He must have realised that she did, for he nodded in that decisive way of his which she was beginning to recognise. 'Very well. And - thank you, Mistress Bedham. I’ll not forget your generosity.’
    He didn’t waste any more time on words, but set off at once to get to work. She stood by the window of her bedroom, watching him stride off through the leafless woods. He didn’t even seem to notice that it was still raining. She touched the window frame, running her fingers down the wood.
    The feeling of having come home was so very strong.
    And her pleasure in Will’s company was equally strong. Face flushed at that thought, she hurried down the stairs and set to work on her parlour again.
    * * * *
    A little later Hannah Blair arrived, with half her worldly goods piled on Mistress Bell's handcart. Her daughter, Hetty, was helping young Ned Bell to push it, the pair of them laughing over something.
    With Petey's aid, Hannah soon had her things unloaded and then sent Ned and Hetty back for the rest, the smaller things. When she came to ask what she should do, Sarah set her to cleaning the hallway and stairs. Later, the children came back with the rest of the Blairs' belongings and Sarah had the happy thought of setting little Hetty to supervise Petey's efforts to weed the drive, for that morning he had pulled up some of the few remaining ornamental plants by mistake. Hetty nodded solemnly and they left her in charge of him.
    ‘Will she be all right?’ Sarah wondered aloud. She turned to Hannah. ‘She won’t be frightened of him?’
    ‘She’s not frightened of any of God’s creatures, my Hetty isn't,’ replied Hannah serenely. ‘And they sense that, for they come to her when they run from others. And what is that poor soul out there, but one of God’s creatures?’
    And so it proved. Petey quickly grew devoted to the little girl and would have followed her everywhere had he been allowed. With her to guide him, he proved capable of many more tasks than previously, so Sarah was soon able to reassure Hannah that her daughter was more than earning her keep. As was Hannah.
    Sarah had never been so happy in her whole life.
    * * * *
    After the main meal of the day, which they took at the usual hour of two, Sarah asked Mary to show her where Daniel Macey lived and went off to try to recruit the final member of her staff. She had hardly begun to explore the grounds as yet, because they were so overgrown and she was afraid of falling over in the muddy conditions.
    A narrow, well-defined path led from the back of the stables through the woods to a clearing where a small cottage stood in a neat garden. Even now, there were a few early snowdrops blooming and some evergreen bushes to take the eye from the leafless trees. In many of the bare patches of earth, new shoots were pushing their way through the soil, a promise of the yearly renewal of life.
    ‘He d’keep his garden better than his house,’ grumbled Mary. ‘Daniel! Daniel Macey! Where be you?’
    ‘Round back,’ called a voice. 
    ‘New mistress be come to see you,’ called Mary.
    ‘Well, she won’t see me from there, will she? You’ll hev to bring her round here.’
    Mary looked at Sarah apologetically. ‘He d’get more quibbly all the time. It’s his age, I b’lieve.’
    ‘I don’t mind going round the back. Perhaps he’s in the middle of doing something.’
    ‘Oh, he’ll be doing something, all