reputed to be a very grand house on the outskirts of the town, the home of a local factory-owner, and Mary had secured the interview after applying for the post she had seen advertised in a local shop window. They were all very excited about it and could hardly wait for Mary to return to tell them all about it.
Glancing up at the skylight at the position of the sun in the cloudless blue sky, Molly realised that it was already mid-afternoon and that Bessie would probably already be downstairs waiting for her. Slowing the treadle, she leaned away from the rest and placed down the shuttle that she had been expertly throwing from hand to hand. Then stretching and flexing her aching fingers, she descended the stairs to find Bessie standing watching the children from the tiny kitchen window.
She smiled at Molly over her shoulder. ‘Just come and look at these two little imps,’ she urged as Molly joined her.
The two girls were running up and down the cobblestones that ran the length of the cottages laughing and giggling with not a care in the world, while Henry and little Jeannie watched them admiringly.
‘It does your heart good to see them so carefree, don’t it?’ grinned Molly.
Bessie nodded. ‘Aye, it does that, I just hope our Mary is smilin’ when she comes back from her interview.’ Her homely face suddenly clouded and Molly patted her arm.
‘Mary is a good girl. She’ll get the job, never you fear,’ she said confidently. ‘In the meantime, let’s have a cup o’ tea an’ take the weight off our feet, eh?’
Shuffling away she pushed the kettle into the heart of the fire. She knew how much it would mean to Bessie if Mary got this job, although she also knew that Bessie had very mixed feelings about it. Her daughter would have to live in the servants’ quarters at Forrester’s Folly, which would make a little more room in Bessie’s cottage for the rest of her family, but Molly knew that Bessie would miss her dreadfully.
Bessie remained at the door. ‘She surely can’t be much longer now,’ she sighed, gazing up the lane over the heads of the children.
Molly laughed. ‘Come away in, woman. Yer know what they say – a watched pot never boils. Now come and drink this tea.’
Obediently, Bessie crossed to the large scrubbed table and plonked herself down while Molly made the tea. It was some minutes later when a shadow in the door blocked out the sunlight and Mary almost exploded into the room, her plain little face alight.
‘I got the job, Mam – I got it!’ She was almost beside herself with excitement.
Bessie threw her arms about her and hugged her in delight. ‘You clever girl, you. When do yer start? What are yer hours? When’s yer day off ?’
Laughing, Mary held up her hand to stem the flow of questions, saying, ‘Slow down, Mam, let me sit down an’ get me breath back an’ I’ll answer as many questions as yer like.’
Once the girl was seated, both women stared at her intently.
‘Now tell us everythin’, mind, right from the time yer got there,’ ordered Bessie, and nodding, Mary began.
‘Well, I got there and the gate man let me in, then it took me ten whole minutes to walk up the drive – it seemed to go on forever. And the grounds … eeh, you’ve never seen anythin’ like ’em. There are flowerbeds everywhere and the grass is so green. Apparently there are two gardeners who work fulltime just to see to the grounds.’
Both women were already suitably impressed and stared at Mary in awe.
Aware of her captive audience the girl continued, ‘Nearer to the house is trees all cut into the shapes of animals. A to … topiarararay or sommat like that, I think it’s called. Eeh, they’re lovely, I’m tellin’ yer. An’ there are real marble steps that lead up to a front door that looks as big as the whole of the front of our cottages.’
Bessie gaped in amazement as Mary giggled and went on, ‘To one side o’ the house is a little wood, and inside it looks just like a carpet o’ wild flowers. The other side o’ the house, the lawns slope right down to the River Anker and there’s a little boathouse where Mr Forrester has his very own boats.’
It was Molly’s turn to gawp now and Mary, who was enjoying herself immensely, gabbled on, ‘Well, as I’m approaching the