mistress some day took somewhat similar action if she really got her dander up,’ he remarked as Bedsocks, with an air of accomplishment, settled herself down again and blinked her amber eyes sleepily in the sun.
The men were finishing breakfast as Kate returned to the kitchen and were chatting desultorily, putting off the moment when they must go about their various duties. She had established a friendly bantering relationship with them, although Joe was still inclined to regard her languishingly as she went about serving the table, and made no secret of the fact that he was badly smitten. Kate had got over the first embarrassment his behaviour caused her and now that she knew more of his rather volatile nature, regarded him with amused tolerance.
‘Come on now, lads,’ Dan said, ‘it’s time we were moving. Isn’t the boss himself already gone above to the field?’
‘Well, I want more tea,’ Joe said stubbornly, his eyes already swivelling in Kate’s direction.
‘No, you don’t, boy,’ said Mick. ‘ You’re only looking for a chance to be alone with Kate in the kitchen. Up you get! Kate’s got more to do than to be humouring the likes of you.’
‘Yes, do go off, Joe,’ Kate said with something like asperity. ‘I’ve loads to do and the kitchen will need tidying up, otherwise Miss Denzzani will be saying I’m a poor substitute for Mrs. Murphy.’
‘Is Miss Doretta calling?’ Joe asked with interest. ‘She’s a fine well-set-up girl, though they do say she’s very saucy in her manner on account of getting off with Nicky Fitzpatrick.’
Kate smiled as she saw the familiar dreamy expression in Joe’s rather foolish-looking blue eyes. ‘She’s going to show me how to make an Italian dish. I do wish the walls didn’t look so grimy.’ She glanced a little disconsolately at the dark shadow on the wall where the wood and turf that was burnt in the range had formed a sooty shadow.
‘Tell you what I’ll do,’ Joe offered enthusiastically, ‘I’ll make up a sup of lime in the bucket and give it a lick over for you.’
‘Oh, would you, Joe !’ Kate said gratefully.
The two older men, remarking that Joe was fixing himself up with a soft job, departed with good-natured resignation.
Kate, however, although undeceived by Joe’s sudden enthusiasm for whitewashing, was delighted to see the kitchen gradually turn snowy white as Joe wielded the whitewash brush, chattering away to her as she washed up the dishes and generally tried to make the kitchen as neat and presentable as possible, although, at the same time, she mentally castigated herself for allowing Doretta’s impending visit to cause su c h a stir.
As the morning wore on Joe began to show signs of marked fatigue and the arm that wielded the brush began to move in slow motion as Kate took from the oven a tray of deliciously aromatic gingerbread. Smiling to herself, she filled the teapot from the iron kettle that was kept constantly on the boil at the back of the stove, and when she invited Joe to a mug of his favourite black brew and a plate of gingerbread he scuttled down the ladder with alacrity.
He was working his way through his third mug of tea and his second batch of gingerbread when Kate, who was polishing the brass candlesticks on the dresser, heard him say conversationally, ‘Some say around here that the boss will never marry and others that, if he can’t get Miss Doretta, he’ll take no one.’
Kate was glad that her back was to him so that he could not see the surprise his words gave her. ‘Miss Doretta? But I didn’t realise he knew her very well!’
Joe chortled. ‘I should say they know each other pretty well. Wasn’t it himself saved her when the wild old stallion that Mr. Nicky put her up on as a bit of devilment ran away with her when she came here first and was mad keen to learn to ride? I can tell you if it wasn’t for the Boss they’d both be at the bottom of the old lime quarry they have in the
The men were finishing breakfast as Kate returned to the kitchen and were chatting desultorily, putting off the moment when they must go about their various duties. She had established a friendly bantering relationship with them, although Joe was still inclined to regard her languishingly as she went about serving the table, and made no secret of the fact that he was badly smitten. Kate had got over the first embarrassment his behaviour caused her and now that she knew more of his rather volatile nature, regarded him with amused tolerance.
‘Come on now, lads,’ Dan said, ‘it’s time we were moving. Isn’t the boss himself already gone above to the field?’
‘Well, I want more tea,’ Joe said stubbornly, his eyes already swivelling in Kate’s direction.
‘No, you don’t, boy,’ said Mick. ‘ You’re only looking for a chance to be alone with Kate in the kitchen. Up you get! Kate’s got more to do than to be humouring the likes of you.’
‘Yes, do go off, Joe,’ Kate said with something like asperity. ‘I’ve loads to do and the kitchen will need tidying up, otherwise Miss Denzzani will be saying I’m a poor substitute for Mrs. Murphy.’
‘Is Miss Doretta calling?’ Joe asked with interest. ‘She’s a fine well-set-up girl, though they do say she’s very saucy in her manner on account of getting off with Nicky Fitzpatrick.’
Kate smiled as she saw the familiar dreamy expression in Joe’s rather foolish-looking blue eyes. ‘She’s going to show me how to make an Italian dish. I do wish the walls didn’t look so grimy.’ She glanced a little disconsolately at the dark shadow on the wall where the wood and turf that was burnt in the range had formed a sooty shadow.
‘Tell you what I’ll do,’ Joe offered enthusiastically, ‘I’ll make up a sup of lime in the bucket and give it a lick over for you.’
‘Oh, would you, Joe !’ Kate said gratefully.
The two older men, remarking that Joe was fixing himself up with a soft job, departed with good-natured resignation.
Kate, however, although undeceived by Joe’s sudden enthusiasm for whitewashing, was delighted to see the kitchen gradually turn snowy white as Joe wielded the whitewash brush, chattering away to her as she washed up the dishes and generally tried to make the kitchen as neat and presentable as possible, although, at the same time, she mentally castigated herself for allowing Doretta’s impending visit to cause su c h a stir.
As the morning wore on Joe began to show signs of marked fatigue and the arm that wielded the brush began to move in slow motion as Kate took from the oven a tray of deliciously aromatic gingerbread. Smiling to herself, she filled the teapot from the iron kettle that was kept constantly on the boil at the back of the stove, and when she invited Joe to a mug of his favourite black brew and a plate of gingerbread he scuttled down the ladder with alacrity.
He was working his way through his third mug of tea and his second batch of gingerbread when Kate, who was polishing the brass candlesticks on the dresser, heard him say conversationally, ‘Some say around here that the boss will never marry and others that, if he can’t get Miss Doretta, he’ll take no one.’
Kate was glad that her back was to him so that he could not see the surprise his words gave her. ‘Miss Doretta? But I didn’t realise he knew her very well!’
Joe chortled. ‘I should say they know each other pretty well. Wasn’t it himself saved her when the wild old stallion that Mr. Nicky put her up on as a bit of devilment ran away with her when she came here first and was mad keen to learn to ride? I can tell you if it wasn’t for the Boss they’d both be at the bottom of the old lime quarry they have in the
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