The Poacher's Daughter by Margaret Dickinson

Author:Margaret Dickinson [Dickinson, Margaret]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan
Published: 2023-02-15T17:00:00+00:00

Twenty-Two

Later that afternoon, after Grace’s unexpected visit, Nell donned her hat and her warmest coat against the November chill and followed the same pathway through the woods that had brought her visitor, but on reaching the far side, she turned to her left towards the gamekeeper’s cottage.

‘Now then, Amos,’ she greeted him as he straightened up from digging in his vegetable patch.

‘Mrs Tranter. To what do I owe this pleasure? But first, come and sit yarsen down. You’ve had a fair walk through the woods.’

They sat together on a bench seat near his front door, facing down the slope towards the manor. Nell looked about her. The garden was well kept, not only with vegetables, but also flowers, which, in summer, created a colourful display.

‘You’ve got a lovely little cottage, Amos, and you keep the garden grand, whatever the time of year. It’s always a picture. I wish I had green fingers but all I seem to have is two dirty great thumbs.’

Amos looked sorrowful. ‘Aye, I’ve liked living here, but it won’t be for much longer.’

‘How’s that? I thought you were back here since – well, you know.’

‘It was only temporary, until the master found another gamekeeper, and from what Pickering told me yesterday, he has.’

‘You lodged at the pub when you moved out before, didn’t you? When Darby came?’

‘Yes, I did, but it wasn’t ideal. No garden to tend, see. I was lost with nowt to do. I tried to help out with the pub work, but it was far too heavy. All them barrels.’

‘So, where will you go this time?’

‘There’s only one place I can go, Mrs Tranter. The workhouse.’

Nell took a deep breath. ‘How would you like to be my lodger? I’m on me own now since Nathan went.’ She rushed on, her words tumbling over themselves to make her meaning clear from the outset. ‘And I could do with a man about the place and – and the company. But I’m not suggesting you should take Sam’s place. I’m sure the village gossips know that me and Sam were close. No, this would be a purely business arrangement. Bed and board in exchange for you keeping me garden nice and doing a few tasks around the place that I find hard now Nathan’s gone.’

‘But he’ll come back. What then?’

Nell was silent for a moment as her greatest fear surfaced. Nathan might not come back. But she voiced none of this to Amos. ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. I don’t think this war’s going to be over very quickly like they’re all reckoning. I think we’ve all got to deal with the here and now and right at this moment, you need a home and I need some help.’

‘Well, I thank you, Mrs Tranter, and gladly accept your offer. And you’ve nowt to fear from me trying to take Sam’s place. I promise you that.’

Nell nodded. ‘We understand each other, then. And the name’s Nell, by the way.’

‘There’ll be tongues wagging though.’

Nell laughed and flapped her hand as if batting away irritating flies.

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