The House At Old Vine (The Suffolk Trilogy Book 2) by Norah Lofts

Author:Norah Lofts [Lofts, Norah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: East Anglia, Merravay, Norah Lofts, trilogy, House, Suffolk
Publisher: Tree of Life Publishing
Published: 2013-11-20T18:30:00+00:00

(‘I think this is your first visit to the Old Vine.’)

Troubled by the likeness; troubled by the memory of my dream, by the word Emma; (through what door had that name slipped into my mind?) I said, yes, and made a remark about Baildon being a pleasant town. And then, because I should almost certainly want to come here again and it was obvious that I must be staying somewhere, I said:

‘I’m afraid I’m staying at the Old Vine. It was directly on my road, you see. And how could I know that it had no taproom?’ I risked it; at worst they could but refuse to serve me. ‘I daren’t tell your husband,’ I said in a conspiratorial way, ‘I was afraid he would tell me to look for ale where I had my bed. He seems to have a grudge against the place.’

‘Oh him! Take no notice of him. He got a grudge against most everybody.’

The carter slapped down his money and hurried away.

‘Your husband,’ I said, ‘certainly dislikes the Kentwoodes. So far I’ve only seen Mrs. Kentwoode. How many are there?’

‘There’s a son.’

‘Does he help to run the place?’

‘He ain’t there. She’s alone and managing right well, so I hear. I don’t know her, ’cept just to see at a distance, but she’s a lady I always had a … a admiration for. There was no call for her to set to and earn a living for herself and the boy. She could hev set out there at Mortiboys and folded her hands in her lap but she never. And the old woman was horrible. One way and another she hain’t had it easy, Mrs. Kentwoode hain’t.’

Webster and the boy came blundering in with the new cask.

He said, ‘Move your fat arse, woman, and make way!’

The dull look of defeat which had lifted as she talked settled again, leaden on the doughy face. I thought that she, also, hadn’t had things easy.

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