at him as she thought to herself, Eeh, he’s all right, he is! And then almost before she knew it they were gone, with Amy leaning out of the carriage window waving until they were out of sight.
‘I have to say, I do like that Mr Forrester,’ Molly admitted. ‘He might have enough money to buy and sell us all but he ain’t got no airs and graces and he obviously still remembers his own humble beginnings.’
Bessie nodded in agreement and, hoping to delay the time when she would find herself alone, Molly promptly invited both her and Toby in for a brew.
Bessie accepted the invitation instantly but Toby said, ‘Thanks all the same, Molly, but I reckon I’ll go for a walk. I could do with a bit of fresh air to blow the cobwebs away.’ And so saying he strode away up the lane with his hands thrust deep in his pockets and his shoulders slumped.
The two women watched him go, their faces sad.
‘He loves her, don’t he?’ sighed Molly.
‘Always has,’ Bessie admitted without hesitation. ‘But your Amy is on the way up in the world now and well he knows it.’
Arms linked, the two women turned and entered the cottage, each lost in their own thoughts.
It had been agreed that Amy and the Forresters would spend the first night of their journey in London, as Mr Forrester had some business to attend to before they left for Paris. Adam was already there and it had been agreed that he would oversee the running of all the establishments whilst they were gone.
Amy was only too happy with the arrangement as it meant that she would get to see Nancy. The thought of it made her spirits lift as the train sped along on its way. The last time she had seen her, just a couple of weeks before, Nancy had been radiant because Billy had asked her to become his wife. Needless to say, she had readily accepted. The only dark cloud on the horizon was that the wedding was planned for whilst Amy was in Paris. The young couple were so besotted with each other that they saw no reason to postpone it for a day longer than was necessary. Nancy was all starry-eyed and dreamy. Amy had spent a lot of time with her recently, for once Josephine Forrester had been informed of the impending trip to Paris, she had insisted that she and Amy should have a complete new wardrobe. They had spent hours together shopping for every conceivable thing that Josephine felt they might possibly need, and the trips had gone a long way towards helping to lift the veil of sadness that had cloaked them after the old mistress’s death. Following one such trip, Amy had visited the grave in the little churchyard in Caldecote. The grave was unmarked as yet, as the fine marble headstone that Mr Forrester had ordered had not yet been delivered. It had been a day much like the day of the funeral, bitterly cold with the snow falling thick and fast. She had stood there for some time with her head bowed and the tears she had shed had fallen on to the grave making small pit holes in the snow.
‘Thank you for the opportunity you have given me,’ she had whispered, hoping that wherever the old lady was she would hear her, and then she had finally walked away as peace of a kind began to seep through her and her heart began to heal.
And now here they were, on their way at last. For most of the journey, Mr Forrester had been reading The Times but now as he glanced up and saw the radiant smile on Amy’s face, he found her excitement infectious and he too began to smile. Sitting there in her fine velvet suit and her plumed hat with her head erect, looking so pretty and petite, she could well have been mistaken for a young lady of class. In many ways, Samuel recognised some of the traits in Amy that were apparent in himself. She had the same straightforward nature. She still respected her humble roots and he had a feeling that were she ever to drip in gold and jewels and become rich beyond her wildest dreams, nothing would change her. In the comparatively short time since he had known her she had touched many lives. Because of her interest in Amy, his wife was happier than he had seen