seven.
‘You sit ’ere—’ Ada indicated the side bench, next to Joel. Maryann sat shyly beside him, smelling the delicious frying potatoes he was cooking. Jep came up and sniffed at her and she stroked his head until Joel said, ‘G’won – out with you,’ and he squeezed out past Ada on the step of the cabin.
Darius Bartholomew who was already sitting on the bench at the far end, dressing a wound on one of his fingers with a strip of rag, had given her a grunt of acknowledgement. She was shy of Darius, but sensed that he was gentle, even if he was not sure about her being there. Now he had taken off his hat Maryann saw he had a fine head of grizzled hair. An oil lamp fixed to the cupboard beside the range cast a cosy light round the small space, though she could see Darius was squinting to see properly. She looked round at the grainy ceiling, the pretty paintings of roses and castles on the cupboards, the strips of crochet work edging some of the shelves. It was warm in the cabin from the heat of the stove and the steam gushing out from the kettle. Maryann enjoyed every moment of it.
‘You hungry?’ Joel said.
Maryann nodded. Joel suddenly grinned at her. ‘Nearly ready now. Table down.’
Joel swivelled the lamp round on its bracket so they could see better. Her eyes felt stretched very wide, taking everything in. Joel chuckled again at her amazement and she saw Darius smile as well, his bushy moustache making the smile appear even broader. They were enjoying seeing their own life through her eyes, this quaint little wench from off the bank, who saw things that they had always known and taken for granted as new and surprising.
They ate what tasted to Maryann like the best meal she had ever had. Mutton stew with big chunks of carrot, fried potatoes, bread, from pretty plates and a cup of sweet tea. No one said much and that suited her. Jep was peeping in through the door, nostrils working. She could feel the weariness of the men, although Joel said it had been not too hard a day for them. He was squeezed in on the bench next to her, her skinny legs dwarfed by his solid thighs. She could hear his jaws working as he chewed on huge bites of bread, and in the confined space, the wheezing sound of his lungs. During the meal he started coughing and had to go outside. She heard the coughing go on and on and he came back wiping his eyes.
‘Where’s she going to sleep, then?’ Darius asked. Maryann saw that though he was the older man, the father, it was Joel who was in charge of the Esther Jane .
‘’Er can ’ave the bench,’ Ada said again. ‘I’ll go down under for tonight.’
Joel nodded, patting the bench they were sitting on with his hand. ‘This is your bed then, Maryann. How d’yer like that?’
‘Ooh yes,’ she said. ‘Ta, Ada.’
Ada laughed. She seemed to find a lot of things Maryann said funny.
She watched, after they had cleared away the meal and folded back the table, as Darius pulled out the door of the bed cupboard and inside was a thin mattress and a couple of blankets. She thought for a moment he was going straight to bed, but it seemed the men were off to the pub.
‘Back a bit later,’ Joel said. ‘You’ll be all right with Ada ’ere.’
Ada grinned, shuffled herself down under the bed with another blanket, rested her head on her coat arm and, to Maryann’s surprise, fell asleep straight away. Jep was allowed to come and curl up next to her.
‘You can have this,’ Joel said, handing her what felt like an army blanket. He indicated that Maryann should lie on the bench. Maryann settled herself down. The bench was hard, but she didn’t care. The cabin felt so snug and warm. Joel took off his jacket and folded it roughly. ‘Put this under yer head.’
The jacket was worn and the material scratchy, and it smelled of Joel.
‘Ta,’ she whispered.
Maryann dozed for a while in the light from the lamp, and was woken by the two men coming back in. Darius manoeuvred his way
‘You sit ’ere—’ Ada indicated the side bench, next to Joel. Maryann sat shyly beside him, smelling the delicious frying potatoes he was cooking. Jep came up and sniffed at her and she stroked his head until Joel said, ‘G’won – out with you,’ and he squeezed out past Ada on the step of the cabin.
Darius Bartholomew who was already sitting on the bench at the far end, dressing a wound on one of his fingers with a strip of rag, had given her a grunt of acknowledgement. She was shy of Darius, but sensed that he was gentle, even if he was not sure about her being there. Now he had taken off his hat Maryann saw he had a fine head of grizzled hair. An oil lamp fixed to the cupboard beside the range cast a cosy light round the small space, though she could see Darius was squinting to see properly. She looked round at the grainy ceiling, the pretty paintings of roses and castles on the cupboards, the strips of crochet work edging some of the shelves. It was warm in the cabin from the heat of the stove and the steam gushing out from the kettle. Maryann enjoyed every moment of it.
‘You hungry?’ Joel said.
Maryann nodded. Joel suddenly grinned at her. ‘Nearly ready now. Table down.’
Joel swivelled the lamp round on its bracket so they could see better. Her eyes felt stretched very wide, taking everything in. Joel chuckled again at her amazement and she saw Darius smile as well, his bushy moustache making the smile appear even broader. They were enjoying seeing their own life through her eyes, this quaint little wench from off the bank, who saw things that they had always known and taken for granted as new and surprising.
They ate what tasted to Maryann like the best meal she had ever had. Mutton stew with big chunks of carrot, fried potatoes, bread, from pretty plates and a cup of sweet tea. No one said much and that suited her. Jep was peeping in through the door, nostrils working. She could feel the weariness of the men, although Joel said it had been not too hard a day for them. He was squeezed in on the bench next to her, her skinny legs dwarfed by his solid thighs. She could hear his jaws working as he chewed on huge bites of bread, and in the confined space, the wheezing sound of his lungs. During the meal he started coughing and had to go outside. She heard the coughing go on and on and he came back wiping his eyes.
‘Where’s she going to sleep, then?’ Darius asked. Maryann saw that though he was the older man, the father, it was Joel who was in charge of the Esther Jane .
‘’Er can ’ave the bench,’ Ada said again. ‘I’ll go down under for tonight.’
Joel nodded, patting the bench they were sitting on with his hand. ‘This is your bed then, Maryann. How d’yer like that?’
‘Ooh yes,’ she said. ‘Ta, Ada.’
Ada laughed. She seemed to find a lot of things Maryann said funny.
She watched, after they had cleared away the meal and folded back the table, as Darius pulled out the door of the bed cupboard and inside was a thin mattress and a couple of blankets. She thought for a moment he was going straight to bed, but it seemed the men were off to the pub.
‘Back a bit later,’ Joel said. ‘You’ll be all right with Ada ’ere.’
Ada grinned, shuffled herself down under the bed with another blanket, rested her head on her coat arm and, to Maryann’s surprise, fell asleep straight away. Jep was allowed to come and curl up next to her.
‘You can have this,’ Joel said, handing her what felt like an army blanket. He indicated that Maryann should lie on the bench. Maryann settled herself down. The bench was hard, but she didn’t care. The cabin felt so snug and warm. Joel took off his jacket and folded it roughly. ‘Put this under yer head.’
The jacket was worn and the material scratchy, and it smelled of Joel.
‘Ta,’ she whispered.
Maryann dozed for a while in the light from the lamp, and was woken by the two men coming back in. Darius manoeuvred his way
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