Redemption of a Fallen Woman Page 0,39

meal. I hope you will enjoy it.'

'I'm sure we shall,' replied Harry.

'If you require anything more, be sure to let me know.'

'We'll do that,' said Jack.

The farmer's gaze flicked his way and for a moment the two men regarded each other steadily. The farmer was first to look away.

'We'll leave you to it, then.'

He turned towards his sons and then jerked his head towards the door. Then all three trooped out. Beyond the door was a grey curtain of rain. Elena shivered and turned away.

'Let's eat, shall we?'

'Good idea.' Harry smiled. 'Pull up a barrel.'

In fact, the food, though simple, was surprisingly good. As they ate the rain intensified and thunder rumbled in the distance. Elena was thankful to be indoors, no matter how humble the accommodation. Quite apart from the misery of being soaked through there was the added risk of lightning strikes. This open countryside would offer no protection at all, as Harry was no doubt aware. They had been lucky. They might be sitting on barrels and eating from wooden platters but it was a lot better than the alternative.

Harry's voice reclaimed her attention. 'It looks like the hay loft tonight. Shall you mind too much?'

'I shan't mind at all,' she replied with perfect truth. 'Anything is better than trying to sleep on sodden ground during a storm.'

'Yet I think few ladies would view the prospect of a barn with equanimity.'

'Soft living makes one spoilt. A few nights in the open restores an appreciation of the comforts taken for granted before.'

'I think you're right.'

'We rarely appreciate what we have until it's taken away.'

'True.'

That succinct reply made her suddenly aware that they were skirting dangerous ground. Happily for her peace of mind, Jack intervened.

'Nowt wrong wi' a barn, especially on a night such as this. Where I come from there's plenty o' folk'd be glad o' such accommodation.'

'Where do you come from?' asked Concha.

'Leeds,' he replied. 'It's in Yorkshire.'

'Your family is there?'

'Never had a family that I can recall. I were left outside t'workhouse door apparently. I grew up in t'same establishment.'

'This is a charitable institution, no?'

'In a manner o' speaking.' He smiled wryly. 'You get a roof over your head and you don't starve - not quite anyway.'

'Do you get help to find a trade?'

'Aye. When I were ten I were set to work in a woollen mill. Hours were long and t'work were dangerous, to say nowt o' t'din. I hated it. Another lad and I tried to run away only we were caught.'

'They brought you back?'

'Aye, they did that. Then they shaved our heads and flogged t'pair of us before all t'others to serve as a warning like.'

The others stared at him, appalled, not least for the matter-of-fact tone with which the tale was delivered. However, it was at variance with the look in his eyes which suggested emotion usually kept hidden. None of them had the least doubt that what they were hearing now was the truth.

'So I bided me time after that. Made out as I'd learned me lesson like, and knuckled under. Then, when I were fifteen I ran away again, and that time I didn't get caught.'

'Where did you go?' asked Concha.

'London, 'cos I knew it'd be easy to disappear there. I found work in a livery stable. Lad had been dismissed only t'week before, see, and they were short-handed. So I got t'job. It were hard work and it didn't pay much, but it were a sight better than t'mill.'

'So you remained there until you joined the army, no?'

'Joining t'army were t'furthest thing from me mind then. Working wi' the horses were all right but I wanted to earn better money so I found a new job as a doorman in a gambling den. It were a shady sort o' place and it attracted a similar clientele for t'most part. It were also run by a crook so t'profits to be made were pretty big.'

'You mean he cheated?'

'Aye, he did. Got away wi' it too - for a while. Then one night a young cove came in and lost a lot o' money. He swore t'cards were marked, which same they were, o'course. He were drunk and angry and eventually I were ordered to throw him out. We had a bit of a tussle, but he came off worse and eventually I got rid of him.'

'But not for good.'

'Turned out his father were a lord and he tipped off t'authorities. Next night t'place were raided. Everyone concerned wi' it were