A Child of Jarrow Read Online Free PDF Page A

marry a gentleman with good looks and charm, who would sing with her in harmony. A man more like her real father who could play the piano and be accomplished at a trade. She would never reduce her children to begging in the street or suffer the shame of a husband who broke rocks at the workhouse for a pittance as John had once had to do.
    She lulled herself to sleep with romantic thoughts of this future man. Later, in the early hours of the morning, she woke, still cocooned in pleasant dreams. She flinched at the touch of a warm body next to her. Kate recoiled at the thought John might have climbed up to lie beside her. But in the grey pearly light through the skylight she saw Jack curled up like a mouse in the space where Mary usually lay.
    Kate relaxed and snuggled back beside him. She felt comforted by his warm breath on her cheek and his smell of hay and earth.
    â€˜My little soldier,’ she smiled to herself.
    Slipping an arm over his body she drifted off to sleep again.
    When she woke a second time, Jack was gone and motes of dust were dancing in the strong beam of sunlight flooding the room. Kate heard her mother moving around downstairs. She got up quickly and went down to help, noticing John’s bulking shape in the bed beyond, still snoring.
    Rose said nothing as she handed Kate a cup of weak tea she had poured from the pot keeping warm on the stove. Her broad face looked pasty and creased with lack of sleep.
    â€˜Do you want me to start on the dinner, Mam?’
    They had got out of the habit of going to Mass since Rose had found the trek down to St Bede’s in Jarrow too much for her swollen legs. There had been periods during the bad times when lack of decent clothes or boots for their feet had kept them away from church.
    â€˜In a minute,’ Rose said quietly, giving a brief glance to her sleeping husband. Then she nodded silently for Kate to follow her outside.
    They went out through the pantry to the yard with the wash house, where Jack helped John keep a couple of mangy hens. One of them flapped up on to the wall at their sudden appearance. Rose led the way out into the lane. They stood sheltered from the railway embankment by overgrown nettles and hawthorn bushes.
    â€˜I’ve been thinking about our Lizzie,’ Rose said abruptly. ‘She’ll be needing help.’
    Kate watched her mother’s tight expression. ‘Aye, she will.’
    â€˜I think you should gan and help your aunt - give a hand with George and Alfred.’
    â€˜Me?’ Kate gawped at her. ‘But what about me job in Shields?’
    Rose continued to look out over the embankment as she spoke. ‘You can sharp pick up another skivvying job. You’re hard-working and eager to please.’
    Kate was foxed. ‘But what about me wages? How would you manage?’
    Rose turned and faced her. Her eyes were dark-ringed but glinting.
    â€˜It might just be for a couple of weeks - maybes a month -just while Lizzie gets back on her feet. We’ll manage.’ She put out a hand and touched Kate’s arm. ‘Take this chance. Ravensworth’s a big estate and there might be a place for you permanent.’ There was urgency in her voice. ‘Sometimes I wish I’d had such a chance instead of our Lizzie. But we each have a different lot to bear and mine hasn’t killed me yet.’
    Rose gave her a brief wistful smile. ‘Your da wanted you to have the best start in life - and I don’t mean that old lump lying in his bed yonder,’ she said with a curt nod at the cottage. ‘I haven’t been able to give you much, but maybes now you can make some’at of yourself. You’ve got the best looks of all me bairns, alive or dead, and a nature to suit.’
    Kate felt herself colouring at her mother’s words. She had never heard such praise from her lips.
    â€˜Mam—’
    Rose gripped her hand. ‘I want you away from here. Father will never let you