A Woman's Fortune by Josephine Cox

Author:Josephine Cox
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780008128586
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: 2018-05-23T16:00:00+00:00

The fabrics Evie had chosen at the mill shop attracted the attention of customers coming in with alterations and commissions for curtains or cushion covers. Once word started to get round the village that Sue Goodwin had some stylish winter dress material of top quality on her shelves, more women came in specifically to look, and she and Evie suddenly had commissions for several garments to make up in time for Christmas.

‘I thought I saw your Robert yesterday morning, going through the back into the field,’ said Josie one day, as she sipped tea while she and Sue looked over romper patterns for Nancy now the little girl was starting to take her first steps.

‘Robert? Surely not. He’d have been in school,’ said Sue.

‘Oh, well, I was surprised, but I must be mistaken,’ said Josie. ‘Now, a bib with a pocket would be sweet, don’t you think …?’

As soon as Josie had gone Sue picked up on what she had said. ‘He’d better not be skiving off school,’ she grumbled to Evie. ‘I know he’s found it difficult to settle but that’s no excuse.’

‘Shall I see if I can find out, Grandma? Mebbe it’s a misunderstanding.’

‘And mebbe it isn’t,’ said Sue, darkly. ‘But yes, please. If there’s owt the matter we need to know what it is.’

When Robert came in at around the usual time that afternoon, but looking cold and with slightly muddy shoes, Evie suspected that Josie hadn’t been mistaken at all.

‘Good day at school, Bob?’ she asked, making him a jam sandwich while Sue continued working in the front room.

‘’S’pose.’

‘So what did you do?’

‘Nowt much.’

‘How’s the Nativity play coming on?’

‘Dunno …’

She passed him the sandwich on a plate and a mug of milky tea. ‘All right, Bob, the game’s up. I know you weren’t at school this afternoon. Why was that?’

He tucked into the sandwich hungrily, not answering.

‘And I bet you didn’t have anything to eat at dinnertime, did you?’

At that, he pushed the plate away and screwed his fists into his tearful eyes.

‘Tell me.’

‘It’s horrible at school. All the others have best friends and lots of other friends, too. I’ve got no one.’

‘Who do you sit next to these days?’

‘I told you, no one. I’m by myself at the back.’

‘Oh, Bob …’

‘And I was going to be the Innkeeper in the play, Miss Grainger said, but one of the other teachers, Mrs Kelsey, said she couldn’t understand what I was saying and Miss Grainger was to choose someone who was “nicely spoken”.’

‘Well, that doesn’t sound like Miss Grainger to me. She’s always been fair to you.’

‘But it’s Mrs Kelsey who’s in charge of the play and she’s got a loud voice and the other teachers have to do as she says. She’s right bossy.’

Evie sighed. ‘Do you want Mum to go and see Miss Grainger again?’

‘No! I don’t want to go at all. I’m fed up of the others poking fun and making out I’m daft.’

‘But I thought you’d put all this behind you?’ said Evie.

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