marry.
‘I wish I could,’ she said, blushing now. ‘But the price of silver has soared, I tell you gennelmen. ’Ard times are comin’.’
‘Not by just a couple of crowns, my sweetheart?’
He could see his flattery was slowly winning her over.
‘I tell you what,’ she said, reaching under the stall and bringing out an old black leather briefcase. ‘You were sayin’ you was lookin’ for a ring… for your
boy… Well, I’ve a few nice ’uns here.’ She snapped the case open and laid it out before Jake. ‘You give me my price for the brooch and the rest of it, and I’ll
take a coupla crowns off the price of the ring. And you gennelmen can sort it out between you.’
Jake was about to say something, but at that very moment he saw it.
‘That one,’ he said, pointing to a simple gold band at the top left of the black velvet-backed display. ‘That’s the one.’
Becky plucked the ring from the display and handed it across.
Jake studied it a moment, then looked to Tom. ‘What d’you think?’
‘It’s nice. But a bit small for Pete-ie, wouldn’t you say?’
Jake looked to his friend and laughed. ‘It isn’t for Peter. Least ways, it’s not him’ll be wearing it.’
Tom looked blankly back at him, and then he clicked. ‘Oh… you mean for Meg?’
Jake nodded slowly.
Tom’s eyes widened, understanding flooding them. ‘You think…?’
‘I know. Least, with your permission.’
Tom laughed, but he was looking very serious now. He turned, facing Jake fully. ‘I think it’s a very good ring, Jake, my dearest friend, and I’d like it very much if your son
were to be my daughter’s partner in life. I think…’
A tear rolled down Tom’s cheek. ‘Fuck it, Jake. You know what? I can’t think of anyone I’d rather she were with.’
‘You don’t think he’s too young, then?’
‘Too young?’ Tom shook his head, then wiped away another tear. ‘No, Jake. Not at all. You know , you see. It don’t matter how young or old you are. You just
know.’
Jake grinned. ‘Then let’s settle up and go and find the others. Maybe have a wee drink or two to celebrate, eh?’
Jake turned back, looking to Becky, who seemed dewy-eyed at the prospect of one of her rings being the occasion for such happiness.
‘Becks, love, you’ve got your price! It’s a deal!’
And, reaching across, he drew her closer and gave her a kiss on the cheek that made her blush furiously.
‘It’s my pleasure,’ she said, looking at Jake wistfully as Tom handed over payment. ‘Any time, gennelmen… any time…’
Peter was chopping wood out back, when Meg came running up. Seeing her, Boy jumped up and bounded over to her.
‘Hey, Boy,’ she said, kneeling down to stroke him vigorously, the way he liked it. She looked to Peter and smiled.
‘You’ll never guess what…’
Peter stood a log on its end then looked to her. ‘What?’
‘I overheard some’at Ma was sayin’.’
‘Oh yeah?’
He swung the axe, cleaving the log in two. Boy barked, as if applauding.
‘Yeah… seems as Jack Hamilton is lookin’ fer a wife.’
‘A wife?’ He stood up another log, but he was grinning now. ‘Go on…’
‘Yeah… Seems he gave your dad a purse to go purchase ’im a bride in Dorchester.’
Peter had been about to swing the axe, but he stopped, staring now at Meg.
‘Buy a wife?’
‘Yeah… one who can cook and clean rooms and serve ale at the bar.’
‘A skivvy, you mean?’ And he brought the axe down hard, making the two halves of the wood fly up into the air. Boy barked again.
‘Well, I think it’s romantic. Even if ’e is in ’is sixties and ’e’s ’avin’ to pay. ’E’s been far too long on ’is
own.’
Peter glanced at her, trying to see if she was somehow alluding to his father, but her words didn’t seem to have any hidden meaning. He set up another log.
‘Mind,’ she said, coming over and placing a hand on his bare arm, ‘it does make you
‘I wish I could,’ she said, blushing now. ‘But the price of silver has soared, I tell you gennelmen. ’Ard times are comin’.’
‘Not by just a couple of crowns, my sweetheart?’
He could see his flattery was slowly winning her over.
‘I tell you what,’ she said, reaching under the stall and bringing out an old black leather briefcase. ‘You were sayin’ you was lookin’ for a ring… for your
boy… Well, I’ve a few nice ’uns here.’ She snapped the case open and laid it out before Jake. ‘You give me my price for the brooch and the rest of it, and I’ll
take a coupla crowns off the price of the ring. And you gennelmen can sort it out between you.’
Jake was about to say something, but at that very moment he saw it.
‘That one,’ he said, pointing to a simple gold band at the top left of the black velvet-backed display. ‘That’s the one.’
Becky plucked the ring from the display and handed it across.
Jake studied it a moment, then looked to Tom. ‘What d’you think?’
‘It’s nice. But a bit small for Pete-ie, wouldn’t you say?’
Jake looked to his friend and laughed. ‘It isn’t for Peter. Least ways, it’s not him’ll be wearing it.’
Tom looked blankly back at him, and then he clicked. ‘Oh… you mean for Meg?’
Jake nodded slowly.
Tom’s eyes widened, understanding flooding them. ‘You think…?’
‘I know. Least, with your permission.’
Tom laughed, but he was looking very serious now. He turned, facing Jake fully. ‘I think it’s a very good ring, Jake, my dearest friend, and I’d like it very much if your son
were to be my daughter’s partner in life. I think…’
A tear rolled down Tom’s cheek. ‘Fuck it, Jake. You know what? I can’t think of anyone I’d rather she were with.’
‘You don’t think he’s too young, then?’
‘Too young?’ Tom shook his head, then wiped away another tear. ‘No, Jake. Not at all. You know , you see. It don’t matter how young or old you are. You just
know.’
Jake grinned. ‘Then let’s settle up and go and find the others. Maybe have a wee drink or two to celebrate, eh?’
Jake turned back, looking to Becky, who seemed dewy-eyed at the prospect of one of her rings being the occasion for such happiness.
‘Becks, love, you’ve got your price! It’s a deal!’
And, reaching across, he drew her closer and gave her a kiss on the cheek that made her blush furiously.
‘It’s my pleasure,’ she said, looking at Jake wistfully as Tom handed over payment. ‘Any time, gennelmen… any time…’
Peter was chopping wood out back, when Meg came running up. Seeing her, Boy jumped up and bounded over to her.
‘Hey, Boy,’ she said, kneeling down to stroke him vigorously, the way he liked it. She looked to Peter and smiled.
‘You’ll never guess what…’
Peter stood a log on its end then looked to her. ‘What?’
‘I overheard some’at Ma was sayin’.’
‘Oh yeah?’
He swung the axe, cleaving the log in two. Boy barked, as if applauding.
‘Yeah… seems as Jack Hamilton is lookin’ fer a wife.’
‘A wife?’ He stood up another log, but he was grinning now. ‘Go on…’
‘Yeah… Seems he gave your dad a purse to go purchase ’im a bride in Dorchester.’
Peter had been about to swing the axe, but he stopped, staring now at Meg.
‘Buy a wife?’
‘Yeah… one who can cook and clean rooms and serve ale at the bar.’
‘A skivvy, you mean?’ And he brought the axe down hard, making the two halves of the wood fly up into the air. Boy barked again.
‘Well, I think it’s romantic. Even if ’e is in ’is sixties and ’e’s ’avin’ to pay. ’E’s been far too long on ’is
own.’
Peter glanced at her, trying to see if she was somehow alluding to his father, but her words didn’t seem to have any hidden meaning. He set up another log.
‘Mind,’ she said, coming over and placing a hand on his bare arm, ‘it does make you
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