Chapters (52)
- Cover
- Margaret Dickinson
- Dedication page
- Contents
- Part One
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Part Two
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Sow the Seed
- Note
- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
- Copyright page
Kate stared wide-eyed at her mother, her mouth slightly open in shock. Why was her mother behaving so strangely? Danny had always been her friend. He was only a few months older than she was and they had both lived all their young lives at Fleethaven Point.
‘Why have you gone all funny with Danny, Mam? You’ve never stopped us bein’ friends before. I can’t just . . .’
‘Mebbe that’s where I made me mistake – I should have put a stop to it a long time ago!’ her mother muttered, then she raised her voice and added, ‘Dun’t argue with me, Missy, ya’ll do as I say. Now off to bed with ya.’
‘Mam . . .?’ Kate began but her protestations were cut short by Esther flinging her arm out and pointing towards the house.
‘Bed!’
Three
The next morning at breakfast, Kate was subdued and silent. Had her mother really meant what she had said about Danny the previous night?
‘Look after Lilian while I get the dairy work done, will ya, Katie?’ her mother asked, bustling between kitchen and pantry where the milk stood waiting in churns. ‘Just wheel her up and down the lane, mind. No sneaking off to the Point.’
So – she had meant it. Kate bit her lip, but decided not to argue – at least, not at present.
‘Can’t I c’lect the eggs, Mam?’ Kate hated wheeling the baby in the black baby car; its handle was too high for her and it was heavy to push on the uneven surface of the lane.
‘Later – when you’ve got the baby to sleep for the morning.’
There was no escape. For the remainder of the Easter holidays, it seemed as if her mother deliberately kept her busy. Collecting eggs, feeding the hens, fetching the cows from the meadow for milking twice a day and running errands – anywhere except to the cottages at the Point. And, of course, wheeling Lilian. The baby’s blue eyes stared resentfully up at her from inside the huge hood of the baby car, the tiny mouth puckered, ready to whimper.
‘Talk to her, Kate,’ her mother would say. ‘It’ll soothe her.’
But Kate could not bring herself to talk to the baby like her mother did. To the young girl it sounded daft!
She had no opportunity to see Danny. Now he had started work and she would soon be back at school, Kate realized there would be even less chance of meeting him.
‘Look sharp,’ her mother shouted from the bottom of the stairs as Kate dressed on the first morning of the new school term. ‘Yar dad’s getting the trap ready to take you.’
Tears threatened as Kate realized afresh that only she needed taking to school now. This morning there would be no Danny appearing on top of the Hump and running down towards Brumbys’ Farm for a ride to school in their trap. There would be no playing their usual game.