Ladies of the Shire by Peter Webb

Author:Peter Webb
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781781480397
Publisher: Grosvenor House Publishing
Published: 2012-02-14T16:00:00+00:00

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11.07.14

The heat of the day had gradually taken its toll and George had been ready for his lunch and the chance to sit for half an hour now. Seeing Emily enter the field of hay he was cutting on the Forty-Acre, he let out a huge sigh. Moving to a gap in the hedgerow, he called across to Edward who, with Ben, was turning yesterday’s cut grass in the adjacent field.

‘Edward! Y’want t’ set off back ’ome f’r y’ snap? Hour or so? Tie Ben up ’ere!’ He indicated the shade thrown by the first in the line of elm trees that were interspersed along the hedgerow. ‘’Ere, Edward! I’ll feed ’im!’

Emily was carrying Sarah and twenty yards distant from George, put her on the ground where she stood uncertainly for a few seconds.

‘Off you go, Sarah, go to Daddy.’

Making a shaky start on the uneven surface, but gaining in confidence at each step, she staggered her way to George.

‘By, but she’s gettin’ on famous f’r th’ scrap she is! T’ Daddy, Sarah. Come on our lass!’

Diment and Clowdy looked on with studied interest as Sarah tottered her way past them and on to George who stepped forward and swept her up in his arms.

Sarah gurgled with laughter as he buried his face into her neck.

‘Hug-lee, Sarah! Hug-lee for Daddy!’

Emily walked past them and into the lea of the hedge and George pecked her passing cheek.

‘Ready f’r this, I am.’

Attaching Ben’s rein to the fence line that ran the top of the ditch, Edward ducked under the rail, dropped down into this ditch and reappeared in the hedge’s gap.

He waved at Sarah.

‘’Ello, Miss Sarah. ‘Avin’ snap?’

Sarah looked up at him.

‘Snap with Daddy.’

Emily looked across at her daughter.

‘And Mummy. I’m the one who made it all, Sarah.’

‘Daddy work!’

‘Mummy too, you cheeky gosling.’

Sarah looked from Edward to Emily.

‘Edurd got snap?’

Edward rubbed his tummy.

‘At ’ome, Miss Sarah. Snap’s at ’ome. Alright t’ go, Mister George?’

‘Yes, Edward, I’ve just said so. An’ take an hour; an…hour. Don’t forget, not like yesterday. Y’ must ’ardly’ve ’ad chance t’ swallow th’ last mouthful afore y’were back in th’ field. An hour, right?’

‘Yes, Mister George. Hour. Bye, Miss Sarah, Missus Emily.’

Emily waved.

‘Bye, Edward.’

He set off through the gate as Emily put the basket down and began to unpack the Radcliffe family’s picnic lunch.

George watched him go.

‘’E’ll be back in about forty minutes; I’ll put money on it. ’E’s got no conception o’ time…I’d buy ’im a watch but ’e’d not know ’ow t’ use it; forty minutes, you see.’

Sarah buried her face into George’s neck.

‘Hug-lee, Da-dee, hug-lee!’

George laughed out loud at this and repeated it.

‘Ar, hug-lee Daddy, eh!’

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