The Workhouse Girl Read Online Free PDF Page A

should have chosen a strong lad rather than a girl, but I’m sure we can find something for you to do in the sugar mill.’
    â€˜Sugar?’ Nettie breathed. ‘You make sugar, guvner? I love sugar.’
    Sarah’s mouth watered and she licked her lips, imagining endless supplies of sweetmeats. It sounded like heaven.
    Mr Arbuthnot smiled benevolently. ‘Perhaps you are the right girl for me, young Nettie. I’m sure we’ll find something to occupy you. However, the first thing on the agenda will be to find you girls something to wear other than that hideous uniform.’
    Mrs Arbuthnot echoed these sentiments within moments of meeting them. Sarah had hung back, attempting to hide behind Nettie, but Mrs Arbuthnot’s pleasant face was almost a mirror image of her husband’s. Neither of them could be described as handsome, but kindness from an adult was something that Sarah had experienced very little during her time in the workhouse and she found herself melting beneath the nice lady’s gentle smile. Mrs Arbuthnot turned to her husband with a determined nod of her head. ‘You’re quite right, James. These children must have new and more suitable clothes. I’ll send Dorcas with a note to my dressmaker and she can come here and measure the girls for whatever they need.’
    He leaned forward to kiss her on the cheek. ‘I knew that you would want to help them, Sophia. I should have taken on a couple of boys, but when I saw these two poor little orphans clinging to each other as if they were drowning, I simply had to rescue them. I’ve a good mind to report Trigg and his abominable wife to the board of governors.’
    â€˜Quite right too,’ Mrs Arbuthnot said firmly. ‘You must do that as soon as possible, but what is more important now is to get the girls something to eat. I’m sure they must be hungry.’
    â€˜I daresay the food in that place leaves a lot to be desired.’ Mr Arbuthnot picked up his top hat and cane. ‘I must get back to the mill, but I’ll come home early and we can decide what’s best for them then.’
    â€˜I think that’s settled already, my love.’
    â€˜I had a feeling it might have been.’ He left the room, closing the door behind him.
    â€˜If you please, missis,’ Nettie said, bobbing a curtsey. ‘What are we to do? We can scrub and clean and the like.’
    â€˜We’ll talk about that later.’ Mrs Arbuthnot tugged at an embroidered bell pull. ‘In the meantime Dorcas will take you to the kitchen and Cook will look after you while I write a note to my dressmaker.’
    Almost as if she had been summoned by the mere mention of her name, Dorcas entered the room. She bobbed a curtsey to her mistress. ‘You rang, ma’am?’
    Sarah shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other beneath Dorcas’s curious stare. She felt Nettie’s fingers close around her hand and they moved closer together.
    Mrs Arbuthnot gave them a reassuring smile. ‘Dorcas will take you to the kitchen and Cook will give you something to eat.’
    Sarah nodded mutely and Nettie squeezed her hand, grinning broadly.
    â€˜Tell Cook to make sure they are fed well,’ Mrs Arbuthnot said firmly. ‘Then I have an errand for you, Dorcas.’
    â€˜Yes’m. I’ll be back directly.’ Dorcas opened the door and beckoned. ‘Come along then.’
    â€˜Thank you, Mrs Arbuthnot,’ Sarah said, remembering her manners. Ma had always been particular about how to behave and she did not want to let her down now.
    â€˜Yes’m, thank you,’ Nettie murmured as she and Sarah followed Dorcas out of the room.
    Once outside in the hallway, Dorcas stopped for a moment to look them up and down with a critical but not unfriendly expression. ‘So where’ve you two come from then? Them duds look like workhouse clothes to me.’
    â€˜You’re so sharp