“By the way, we haven’t discussed money. I used to know a girl who lived out and came in to teach, and lend a hand, she got two guineas a week. Would that be all right?”

His face completely changed. He looked at her as if she were not the same woman he had been talking with a few seconds before.

“Two guineas! But . . .”

She tried to laugh away the discomfort between them.

“It sounds a lot, but, honestly, it’s quite fair, and I’m afraid I must earn that, or look for some other job.” His face was like iron. She laughed again, this time rather nervously. “Do I sound very mercenary?”

He hesitated as if he had something cutting to say. Then he changed his mind.

“Yes, you do. Under the circumstances you might have left it to me to do the fair thing. Your terms are not fair, but you’re holding a pistol to my head. I want Iris taught. You can have your two guineas.”

Janet stared at his back striding across the yard. She was horribly hurt. What did he mean? Under what circumstances’? Because Sheila had promised and let him down? That was no reason to get her sister cheap. She forgot to be hurt and, instead, was angry. She longed to run after him, to hold him by the arm and make him listen. He was spoilt by Gladys Batten. You can have your two guineas! What a way to talk! But she’d show him! She’d earn every penny of it. She’d make him ashamed.

Old Ben had been watching Janet and Donald from the shed where he had been mixing food for the turkeys. He watched Donald’s departure, and then Janet’s quick, angry march out of the yard. He shook his head.

“They do be wholly interested each in t’other.” He chuckled to himself. “Gladys has a time coming, shouldn’t wonder.”

Section 5

Janet kept her anger to herself. She told her mother quietly that she had agreed to take on the job of teaching Iris. Maggie was puzzled; she felt there was something not quite right, but Janet would not be drawn.

“Did you see Iris?”

“Yes.”

“She’s a dear little thing, isn’t she?”

“Yes.”

“What did you think of Miss Batten? I’ve only spoken to her once, and I found her not my type, but Sheila likes her.”

“I didn’t see her long enough to form an opinion.”

“I’m sure you’ll like Mr. Sheldon. Don’t you think he seems nice?”

“I didn’t think about him except as Iris’ father.”