No Wings to Fly Read Online Free PDF Page B

don’t think as Mrs Haskin can ask for more.’ He glanced back towards the house. ‘You’ll get on all right with her, I’m sure. She’s a nice enough woman, and her husband, Roger, is an absolute champ.’ He nodded endorsement of his words, and touched at the collar of his shirt. ‘I must go or I’ll miss my train.’
    He bent and gave Lily a peck on the cheek. ‘Well, g’bye, girl. You be good now.’
    ‘Goodbye, Father.’
    He climbed in and closed the door after him, and a moment later the vehicle was starting away. As the rough little carriage moved off along the road Lily felt a tightness in her throat and the sting of tears in her eyes. She stood watching until the cab had gone out of sight around the bend.
    She was still standing there a minute later when from behind her came Mrs Haskin’s voice calling out, ‘Well, are you gunna stay out there all day, young lady? Because there’s things to be done.’
    The words shook Lily out of her preoccupation, and she turned and saw Mrs Haskin just closing the front door. Without wasting a moment, Lily moved around the side of the house to the rear door. As she stepped inside, Mrs Haskin said, ‘And if you’re looking for a drink of tea, dear, I’m afraid you’ll have to wait and make do with water. I’d have made some tea for your father, but since he decided not to bother, we shan’t be bothering either. You can have some later with your supper. Now,’ Mrs Haskin stood before her, hands clasping the dish towel over her girth, ‘I suggest you go upstairs and get changed into your working frock and your pinny. Then you come on down and I’ll tell you what your duties are gunna be. Maybe then we can get summat done.’
    Lily spent the next hour in chores around the house, and then, shortly after six o’clock, Mr Haskin came in. His shadow darkened the open scullery doorway for a moment as he stepped into the room, his glance at once falling on Lily. ‘I reckon there’s gunna be some rain,’ he said, looking curiously at her. Then with a nod and a smile he said, ‘Hello, young miss.’
    Lily gave a little bob, and said, ‘Mr Haskin, sir.’
    He was a broad shouldered man of medium height, thick dark hair turning grey. Looking to be in his mid-forties, he was quite clearly some ten or so years younger than his wife. He was quite good-looking, with a strong nose, heavy dark brows, and a wide, generous mouth. He stood there with his hat in his hand looking Lily up and down.
    ‘Well,’ he said, ‘so we’ve got our new little maid. Though not so little really. How old are you, young lady?’
    ‘Fifteen, sir.’
    ‘Fifteen, eh. And you’re Edwin’s girl.’
    ‘Yes, sir.’
    He nodded again. ‘You’ll have to forgive me if I don’t remember you from when we lived at Compton. I reckon you must have been knee-high to a grasshopper when I saw you last.’ He smiled warmly at her. ‘Anyway, it’s nice to have you here. We can do with some decent help after that useless little minx Kitty went off. Have you heard about her?’
    ‘No, sir.’
    ‘No, and indeed why should you? And it’s just as well she went of her own accord afore she was pushed.’
    Mrs Haskin looked up from the food she was preparing and said, ‘The girl don’t need to know all our business, Father. She’ll have enough to do looking after her own affairs without bothering with ours.’
    ‘And right you are,’ Mr Haskin said. ‘Right you are.’
    Later on Lily sat down to eat with the couple, and was relieved to find that the simple supper of cheese, pickles and cold ham was good. After they had eaten, she set about washing and drying the dishes, and then it was time for her to go to bed.

PART TWO

Chapter Three
    As Lily made her way through Whitton’s small park, she hitched the basket more securely over her arm and looked up at the heavens. The July sun had made an attempt to shine earlier on, and had succeeded for a while, but now clouds had come drifting over and the