The Girl Who Came From Rags by Gracie Hart

Author:Gracie Hart [Hart, Gracie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781473554832
Publisher: Ebury Publishing

The day of the auction soon came around and, like the rest of the month’s weather, it was showing no mercy as Eliza climbed into the hackney carriage to take her there. Even the horse and coachman that drove her there looked miserable; both were soaked to the skin but knew that they had to earn a living if they were to eat that night.

The Rose yard looked grey and foreboding as Eliza stepped down from her carriage; the yard was filled with puddles and the pit wheel looked like a huge rusty skeleton against the backdrop of the grey skies. She paid the coachman and quickly ran across the yard to what she knew to be the offices of the pit and noticed a few people standing to look out of the window at the gloom outside. She could see that Tom was one of them and her heart started beating fast as now she knew there was no turning back, that she had to go through with the deal if she was able.

‘Ah, Miss Wild, Tom here told me you were on your way, and that you still have an interest in its purchase. It’s a terrible day to be doing business on but needs must, I’m afraid.’ Bernard Thompson looked at the two bankers who were sitting at the desk that once was Edmund Ellershaw’s and smiled. ‘It seems we don’t have much interest in the pit, but let’s hope that the bids are high; we need to raise as much money as possible today.’ The grey-haired auctioneer with mutton chop whiskers smiled as he looked up to see Mary-Anne enter into the office, thinking that there were going to be more spectators than buyers as surely the two women could not be seriously considering making a bid. Coal mining was a man’s profession and it was better left to the likes of Elijah Shore from the Shore Pit and Reginald Sidebottom from the pits at Methley, who were sitting in a corner plotting together as they glanced at Tom Thackeray, who they thought might be a threat to their purchasing the Rose at a price that they had come to an agreement between themselves.

‘We will just wait another ten minutes and then I’ll start the proceedings. I expected more interest than this, although I know perhaps the pit has been neglected of late.’ Bernard Thompson looked at his silver pocket watch and went to sit down by the bankers and await any more interested parties as Mary-Anne, Eliza and Tom all stood together, hoping that no one else would be attending.

‘Do you know those two men?’ Eliza whispered as they finally took their seats.

‘Aye, they are both pit owners,’ Tom whispered, ‘but they are both as tight as duck’s arses. They’ll not want to pay a lot for it. If anything, they’ll just want it to close and no longer be opposition for their workings. It sounds as if they are going to be bidding as a team, so the bank will not be happy with that.

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