A Family Christmas Read Online Free PDF Page B

away.’
    ‘Eight.’ A girl about Robert’s age corrected the woman, who glared at the girl. ‘Aye well, we won’t split hairs,’ the woman said, and turning her attention back to James she pointed in the opposite direction. ‘And if yer followed the main road in that direction you’d come to Sheffield after ten miles.’
    ‘Eleven.’
    The woman gave the girl a clout round the head with a cloth she was carrying. ‘’Ave yer come far?’ she enquired. ‘Yer look fair done in to me.’
    ‘About forty miles to my way of reckoning.’ John glanced at the girl, half expecting her to add a few miles to his estimate.
    ‘Forty miles? All on foot? Why, no wonder you look jiggered. ‘Dot, go put kettle on and mek ’em some tea.’ The girl hurried indoors and the woman offered her hand to James. ‘Boadacea Greenwood and her theer’s me daughter Dot.’
    ‘Boadacea? That’s a right grand name.’
    ‘It’s a bloody daft name if you ask me. That’s why I gave her a little name and yer can’t get much smaller than Dot, can yer now? I wasn’t ’aving her laughed at every time the school register was called, no, I told my little Arthur we’d call her summat sensible, and she’s not a bad lass really, even though she’s a cheeky young whippersnapper sometimes. Anyway, bring yerselves in. Chuck yer bundles down theer, nobody’ll touch ’em. Dot. Is that tea mashed yet?’
    ‘Yes, Mam.’
    ‘Well, cut three doorsteps while we’re waiting for it to brew and smother ’em with pork dripping.’
    Robert felt his mouth watering at the thought of bread and dripping. Oh but they didn’t half speak funny, the people of Millington. Boadacea led them into a farm kitchen with a flagged floor and a huge square table in the centre with a bench at each side of it. A huge black fireplace took up one wall and on another was a low stone sink, which reminded Robert of a horse trough, with a pump at one end of it for the water.
    ‘Sit yerselves down,’ Boadacea ordered them. ‘We might not be posh but everybody’s welcome.’
    ‘I can see that,’ James said, ‘And we really appreciate your hospitality.’
    ‘Oh it’s nowt, just a pot of tea and a bite. I’m sorry my little Arthur isn’t ’ere to meet yer. Ee’s gone to fetch bull to put to’t cows.’
    ‘So, is he a little man, your husband?’ John asked.
    Boadacea let out a laugh that set the old sheepdog howling as if in pain. ‘Aye, no more than five feet tall, but that don’t matter, theer’s many a good thing wrapped in a small parcel.’ She laughed again as her guests gobbled the bread and dripping, which tasted better than any feast to the young men. When they had finished John rose from the table. ‘Well, lads, we mustn’t keep Mrs Greentree any longer.’
    ‘Greenwood,’ Dot corrected, then she turned to Robert. ‘Do yer want to stay till me dad comes back and watch bull with cows? Yer can come up to my room; it’s a good view from up there.’
    ‘What?’ Boadacea puffed. ‘Why you cheeky young rascal, you’ll do no such thing.’ She turned to John. ‘She doesn’t mean any harm but I can remember how exciting it can seem at her age, watching’t bull on’t job and we don’t want to go putting ideas into their heads now, do we?’
    By now the elder brothers could hardly keep their faces straight and young Robert’s face had turned the same colour as young Dot’s cheeks.
    ‘It’s all right, Mrs Greenwood; we were brought up in a village and we’re quite used to farming ways.’
    ‘Oh well, that’s all right then. I say do yer want a few hours’ work? We could always do with an extra hand.’
    ‘Well, we hope there are jobs waiting for us, but we’ll certainly keep your offer in mind. Now we really must be off. Reverend Goodman will be expecting us.’
    ‘Oh if you’re visiting ’im, he won’t mind if yer late. Yer’ll be as welcome there as you are ’ere.’
    Dot had sidled up to Robert. ‘I’ll see yer at church then