CATHERINE COOKSON

Chap 3

'Mrs rose, the parson's wife!' Simons face was stretched now in one wide grin.

'Aye. But oh, Simon, don't let on. Now don't say a world 'cos once that got about, God help her. Well, i mean if it was anybody else they could dance until their toes wore down to their knees, but she's the parson's wife as i am to be the lady of the manor.' Now she was laughing. Her two forearms underneath her flagging breasts, she rocked backwards and forwards for a moment, and the tears were spurting from her eyes as she asked, 'Have you seen her?'

'Is she bonny then?'

He put his head on one side, then thought for a moment before answering. 'Aye, ' he said, 'shes more than Bonny. But she's not beautiful. What she's got is on air about her, she's alive .... Aye, that's the word. Now that's funny' - he wagged his finger now at annie- she's got the same quality about her as Tilly has.'

'Like our Tilly? And her a parson's wife! Aw no!'

This had come from the bed, and simon turned to the old man and said,' Aye, William, it's a kind of glowing quality, spritey. Aw, I'm not the one for words, I can only say she looks alive.'

'Well Willam nodded his head slowly- 'all i can say is, if she looks and acts like Tilly she shouldn't have married a Parson.'

'Oh, I don't know, William, parson Ross had a pretty thin time with the other one, She'd have frightened the devil in hell, she would, and did sometimes i think. But i must confess I myself have wondered if he's been wise with his second choice. She comes from quite a family i hear. Oh yes, quite a family. Got a cousin or some such in the new young queen's household, high up at that, so they say. I'm also told that both families were neighbors years ago, away in Dorset. He was the youngest of seven boys, and thereby thrown into the church. Anyway, i can tell you this, she's made a different fellow out of him. He's not so much blood and thunder these days, more love thy neighbor. You know what i mean? An' you know something more? She never takes her eyes off him all the time he's preaching. I've watched her. But on the other hand he never looks at her. He daren' t . . . . I think the fellow's in love.' He threw his head back and laughed, but it was a self-conscious laugh.

Annie stood looking at him, her face straight, then she said, 'But about this dancing. It's the last thing on God's earth i would have thought our Tilly would have wanted to do, 'cos as you know she's only happy when she's got a saw in her hand or an axe. She can get through a log better than i ever could, an' she's dug every inch of that ground out there as well as William ever did. She's always wanted to do things that a lad would want to do, an' it's worried me. But i think it's gona worry me more now that she wants to dance.'

'She's a girl, Annie.' Simon's face, too, was straight now.' And she might grow into a bonny one I've been thinking.'

'Aw, i doubt it; she hasn't a bit of figure to her frame. Comin' up sixteen, she should be developing', but look at her! Like a yard of pump water, as straight as a die.'

'There's plenty of time. . . and some fellows like them thin.' He was smiling now, but Annie shook her head at thin as she said, 'i've yet to meet one. Nobody buys a cow with its ribs sticking through if there's a fat one aside it.'

'She's no cow and don't you refer to her as such, Annie Trotter!'

Annie turned her face sharply towards the bed and cried, 'An' don't you bark at me, william trotter, else I'll give you what for! I've got you where i want you. You'll keep a civil tongue in your head.' She now bounced her head at him before turning and winking at Simon; then glancing towards the window, she said, 'There she comes over the top.'

Simon now beno his back and looked out of the small window away towards the mound and to where a young girl was leaping down the hill as a wild goat might. Of a sudden she came to a stop, and the reason was evident for there emerged from behind a clump of gorse the figure of a young man.

'Who's that with her? Can you see. Simon?'

Simon made no reply but he narrowed his eyes, and it wasn't until the two figures were halfway down the lower part of the hill then he said, 'McGrath. Hal McGrath.

'Oh no! Him again?' Annie straightened her back, and as she did so Simon turned from the window and put his hand into his pocket, he drew out a sovereign and, handling it to her, said, 'Better take it afore she comes.'

'Oh thanks, Simon. Thanks.' She nodded up at him.

He stared at her for a moment, bit on the lip, then said, 'What do you think he's after? Do you think he's got his eye on her, or is it the other thing?'

'Hopes to kill two birds with one stone i should say.' They both looked towards the bed. He's been round here every Sunday for months past.'

Simon looked at Annie again and his voice came from deep in his throat as he muttered, 'He won't give up, will he?'

'Not while there's a breath in him, if I Know anything about Hal Mc Grath.

He's his father over again, an' his father afore him.'

'Does she ask any question, i mean about. . .?' He pointed towards her hand that was now clutching the sovereign against her breast, and she blinked her eyes and looked away for a moment before she said, 'A year or so ago she asked where we got the money from to buy the flour, meat and such. She provides our other needs from the garden and, as you know, she has done since William took to his bed, so I..... I had to give her some sort of an answer. I said it was Money you borrowed from us some years ago. Well, not you, your father.'

'That was as good as anything. Did she believe you?'

'It seemed to satisfy her. I remembered she said, "I like people who pay their depts."

'Huh! debts.' He turned again towards the window and, once more bending his back, he said, 'She's left him; she's running like a hare and he's standing like a stook.'