Every Mother's Son Read Online Free PDF Page B

laughed and called her a townie.
    When they had distributed the food and were turning to go back to the house, Maria said suddenly, ‘What’s Dolly doing, Ma? I thought she was looking after Elizabeth and Joseph.’
    Harriet looked across to where Maria was pointing towards a dozen or more horses that had been resting and drinking from a wooden trough, but were now shuffling and stamping their big legs and feet.
    ‘What’s she doing? She’ll get trampled!’ Harriet raised her voice. ‘Dolly! Come away! Don’t disturb ’hosses.’
    Dolly looked up. ‘Help me,’ she shouted. ‘Joseph is under ’hosses’ feet. He can’t get out.’
    Harriet gave a startled cry and began to run. ‘Fletcher!’ she screamed. ‘Fletcher!’
    Fletcher, standing with Tom and Daniel and taking a drink of cold tea, looked up. ‘What’s happened?’
    ‘Summat wrong wi’ hosses,’ Tom said.
    But Daniel, being shorter, had spotted somebody or something in the melee beneath the horses’ legs. ‘Come quick, Da,’ he shouted. ‘It’s our Joseph. He’s under ’hosses’ feet.’

CHAPTER FIVE
    On the track above the dale and looking down on the harvesting scene were three figures on horseback. Beatrice, Charles and the apprentice groom Aaron were out riding. The twins were not allowed out of their home grounds without someone older and responsible in attendance.
    ‘Which is not fair,’ Beatrice had argued with her mother. ‘Aaron is no better on horseback than either of us, and besides …’ she’d hesitated, as she liked Aaron and didn’t want to say anything against him, ‘he’s only sixteen and rather slow.’
    ‘You’re not going out for a gallop,’ her mother said. ‘You must keep to the tracks and bridleways.’
    ‘I didn’t mean slow at riding,’ Beatrice muttered.
    ‘She means he hasn’t got much in the top attic,’ Charles grinned.
    ‘Do not let me hear that kind of language,’ Melissa said sharply. ‘Aaron hasn’t had the benefit of an education as you have, but he’s perfectly capable, and if there should be any kind of accident he’d be able to ride for help, whilst one of you would stay with the other.’
    ‘But Mama,’ Beatrice protested. ‘There isn’t going to be an accident.’
    But now, as they looked down on the men and women scurrying across the fields, they both wondered if there was and whether they should send Aaron home for help.
    ‘That’s Daniel!’ Charles said. ‘Look how he runs. He’s so fast.’
    ‘There’s something under ’hosses feet that’s scaring ’em.’ Aaron narrowed his eyes. ‘Looks like a nipper, a young bairn.’
    ‘Oh!’ Beatrice moaned. ‘I hope it’s not one of Daniel’s brothers. But he’s calming them; look, he’s trying to settle them. Should we go down, do you think?’
    ‘No, miss,’ Aaron said quite firmly. ‘Not yet anyway. There’re plenty o’ folks to give a hand. We’d onny be in ’way. Besides, we ought to—’
    ‘Oh, I’m sure we wouldn’t. Do you think we’d be in the way, Charles?’
    ‘Don’t know. Maybe we should wait, but Daniel’s gone between their legs. Goodness,’ he exhaled. ‘They’re such big brutes, he could get trampled on.’
    ‘They’re not brutes, Master Charles,’ Aaron intervened. ‘They’re gentle animals, but they’ll be scared—’
    ‘I didn’t mean that – oh, but look! Daniel’s got the boy out. Is he all right, do you think? I think we should go down. Come on!’
    Charles dug his heels into his mount’s flanks and was off down the hillside with Beatrice behind him before Aaron could stop them.
    They dismounted when they reached the scene and handed their reins up to Aaron, who had reluctantly followed, then went towards the small crowd gathered about Harriet, who was kneeling on the ground and cradling the toddler.
    ‘I hope everything is all right with the boy, Mrs Tuke. Can we help?’ Charles asked.
    ‘Can we ride for a doctor or someone?’ Beatrice was eager to be