Whistling merrily, he abandoned his search for a book and set off for town with a spring in his step.
Within a very short time of Monty being home, it soon became clear that Freda wasn’t the only one who had stars in her eyes when it came to the young master, for Eliza too fell under his spell and her eyes would follow him like an adoring puppy’s whenever she caught sight of him. Pearl was surprised. Eliza had hated him when they were younger, but it seemed that was water under the bridge now. As for Monty, he wasn’t at all averse to the attention she paid him, for he soon saw that she too had turned into a very beautiful young girl. Unlike Freda who was as plain as a post and whose attention made him cringe. Even so, in his experience, girls like her were always grateful for any attention they received and were happy to do anything that was asked of them, so he was willing to keep her sweet with the odd smile.
On the following Sunday after lunch, Pearl set off for her afternoon walk. Susan usually went with her, but she hadn’t been too well and had decided to catch up on some rest. Pearl took her usual route through the orchard and down to the river. Now with a profusion of wildflowers growing on its banks and the sun glistening on the fast-running waters, it looked beautiful and she never tired of going there. She wandered along, picking flowers as she went, which she would put into a vase in her and Eliza’s room when she got home – until she suddenly sensed that she wasn’t alone. When she turned around, she was shocked to see Monty walking towards her with a friendly smile on his face.
‘Hello, Pearl. Your afternoon off, is it?’
She nodded, not quite sure what to say as he stared at her. Today she was wearing her favourite dress, a cream linen sprigged with tiny rosebuds, and with her silver-blonde hair loose about her shoulders he thought she looked very pretty. He was aware that he would have to go slowly with her and so falling into step, he said, ‘You seem to be doing a really good job at the house for someone so young. Do you enjoy working for my parents?’
‘Oh yes . . . thank you, sir.’
‘Oh please.’ He waved his hand in the air. ‘I’m not much older than you. There’s no need to be formal and call me sir. You can call me Monty . . . at least when we’re alone.’
Pearl frowned, not liking the way the conversation was going at all. She could never imagine herself calling him by his first name and in truth she had no wish to anyway. She wished even less to be alone with him. She could remember all too clearly how spiteful he had been to her before he went away to school, and anyway he was her employer’s son.
‘I, er . . . don’t think that would be quite right, sir,’ she answered in a small voice, suddenly painfully aware that there was no one else in sight. ‘And now if you’ll excuse me, I ought to be getting back. Susan isn’t feeling too well, and I want to check that she doesn’t need anything.’
Just for a second she thought she saw a spark of annoyance in his eyes, but it was gone in a flash and he was all smiles again. ‘Of course, don’t let me keep you. I hope Susan is soon well again. But, er . . . just before you go, I have something for you.’ He fumbled in his pocket, and after a moment held out a small bag to her.
She looked inside and frowned as she saw a length of the lovely blue ribbon she had been admiring in the window of the haberdashery shop a few weeks before.
‘B-but I don’t understand,’ she faltered as colour seeped into her cheeks.
‘It’s just a little thank you from me for taking such good care of my mother,’ he told her gallantly, but his smile soon faded when she pressed the bag back into his hand.
‘That’s very kind of you, but I really don’t need to be rewarded for doing a job I am already paid for,’ she informed him primly – and before he could utter another word, she turned abruptly and hastily went back the way she had come.
He stood for a moment with a scowl on his face as he crushed the bag containing the ribbon in his hand. The jumped-up little tart! Just who did she think she was, speaking to him that way? She was just a guttersnipe that had arrived on the orphan ship who his mother had taken pity on.
But as he watched her disappear into the distance, a smile played about his lips again. She was tasty though, and he’d bet everything he owned that she was still a virgin. He’d never had a virgin before so he’d bide his time. What was it they said? ‘Faint heart never won fair lady!’ It might take a while but he’d win her in the end and in the meantime . . . he grinned as he thought of Eliza. What a difference a few years had made. He’d never understood why his mother had fawned over her when she was younger but now . . . well, now he was starting to see the attraction. She seemed to be a bit sullen, admittedly, but she was even prettier than her sister and she’d already made it more than clear on the few occasions that he’d ventured into the kitchen that she was his for the taking. Hm, she might just be the distraction he was looking for.
With a smile, he pushed the ribbon back into his pocket and set off for the house.
Chapter Twenty-Six
T
he following morning, much to his disgust, Monty was woken early and went down to breakfast to find his father waiting for him.
‘Ah here you are.’ Zack helped himself to a devilled kidney and a thick rasher of bacon from the dishes on the sideboard, then went to sit at the table, raising his eyebrow as he took in the expensive suit Monty was wearing. ‘You might want to change into something a little more suitable before we leave for the sawmill,’ he advised.
Monty scowled as he filled his own plate and joined his father at the table. ‘Why is that?’
‘Because as I told you, to learn each business thoroughly you have to start from the bottom and work up. Today I shall be sending you out with the lumberjacks that fell the trees so that you know how to tell which trees are ready to be felled and how it’s done.’
Monty looked horrified. ‘But I don’t want to be a lumberjack!’ he objected.
Zack chuckled. ‘Don’t worry, you won’t be doing that for long. When the men can assure me that you know what you’re doing on that job, you’ll go into the sawmill and learn how the logs are prepared for shipping. There’s a lot more to it than you think and you might even find you enjoy it.’
Monty scowled as he stabbed at a mushroom. So much for him thinking he would live the life of Riley when he came home. Already it was apparent that his father wasn’t going to let that happen and he almost wished he’d stayed in London. But then, he thought glumly, he probably wouldn’t have got away with a lot there either. His grandfather had been keen for him to learn a trade so he’d probably have ended up in some dead-end job anyway. He finished his meal and went upstairs to get changed, although the outfit he came back down in was not much more suitable than the suit he had been wearing originally.
‘Haven’t you got any old trousers and a jumper you can wear?’ his father asked. The lumberjacks would fall about laughing if Monty turned up in the clothes he was wearing.
‘Since when have I had the need for such clothes?’ Monty replied peevishly. ‘I had to be smartly dressed at school and I never realised that I was going to be nothing more than a skivvy!’
‘Don’t you dare knock the lumberjacks. They’re all good, hard-working men,’ his father snapped. ‘And let me tell you, they are far from skivvies. They’re experts at what they do and so will you be by the time they’ve finished with you. Although I do agree that you will need some more suitable clothes.’ He thought for a moment before saying, ‘Here, get yourself down to the outfitters in town and get some hardwearing breeches and a couple of thick shirts. And get a pair of good, sturdy boots while you’re at it. Those soft leather things you’re wearing won’t last two minutes in the job you’ll be doing.’ Taking a small wad of notes from his pocket he peeled some off and passed them to his son. ‘You’ll start tomorrow,’ he warned him. ‘So make sure you get them otherwise you’ll go dressed as you are and the men will laugh at you.’
Monty pushed the money into his pocket as his father left the room. At least
he’d had a reprieve, but the thought of what he would be doing the next day filled him with dread.
Much later that evening as his mother and father were entertaining some dinner guests, Monty mooched round to the orchard with his hands in his pockets and a scowl on his face as he thought of the awful clothes he had bought that day. There was a pair of brown corduroy breeches that made his legs itch and a thick shirt and work jumper that had no style to them whatsoever. But the boots were the worst! Ugly black leather things that were so heavy he wondered how he would manage to wear them all day. And to think that tomorrow he would be doing a menial job. It just didn’t seem right to him when he was the son of such a wealthy father.
In the middle of the orchard, set amongst the apple and pear trees, was a clearing with a small lake that was home to a variety of local wildlife, and as he left the shelter of the trees, he saw a female sitting with her back to him. She had her shoes off and her skirt was hitched up showing off a pair of very shapely legs as she dangled her toes in the water, humming softly to herself. Her lovely blonde hair was glinting in the late sunshine making it shine like molten silver and he stopped abruptly as a smile came to his face, thinking it was Pearl. But as the girl turned her head slightly, he saw that it was her sister, the little kitchen maid. The one his mother used to make such a fuss of. What was her name now? Ah! Eliza; that was it.
He gave a gentle cough to make her aware of his presence and when she turned to see who was there her face lit up.
‘Hello, Eliza,’ he said pleasantly. ‘It’s a beautiful evening, isn’t it?’
Eliza was so tongue-tied that she merely nodded, although she made no effort to cover herself as she blushed with pleasure.
Monty approached and sat down beside her on the glass. ‘It’s nice to meet you properly,’ he said with a winning smile. ‘I’ve been wanting to tell you how pretty you are.’
Eliza’s blush deepened as she stared back at him. He was easily the handsomest young man she had ever seen and here he was telling her that she was pretty.
He leaned forwards then and as his hand began to gently stroke her ankle, she made no move to stop him. He must really like me, she thought, and she held her breath, wondering what he would do next as a million butterflies began to flutter in her chest.
He smiled to himself; a few charming words and she would hopefully be like putty in his hands – much easier work than her prissy sister. But for now he would just toy with her for a while and leave her wanting more – that way she’d be that much more grateful and willing next time. Monty always got his way and would do everything in his power to do so here – so apart from chat to her he didn’t go any further, and eventually he said, ‘I ought to be getting back. I have to start work in my father’s sawmill tomorrow. He wants me to learn every aspect of the business, but I shouldn’t moan really. One day I shall inherit all his businesses and then I shall be rich and both myself and the girl I choose to marry will live like kings.’ He took her hand and gently turning it over he kissed her palm, making her legs turn to jelly. ‘I don’t think you and I were cut out for menial work,’ he said softly. ‘Look how sore your poor little hands are. But never mind, I’m sure that is all about to change.’
Her heart began to beat faster. Was he suggesting that she might be the girl he chose? But before she could give it much thought, he rose and, leaning down, he helped her to her feet.
‘Perhaps we could meet here the same time tomorrow evening?’ he suggested and she nodded eagerly. ‘Good, then I shall see you tomorrow. But perhaps it wouldn’t be wise to mention it to anyone just yet. You know how jealous people can be.’ And with that walked away, leaving her to put her shoes back on and wander back to the kitchen in a happy daze.
‘You seem to be in a happy mood tonight,’ Pearl commented, as they got ready for bed that evening.
‘I am happy.’
Pearl stared at her for a moment, but she didn’t ask her what had brought it about. It was just so lovely to see Eliza smiling again, as she used to in the months when they had first come here.
Whatever it is making her smile, long may it last, Pearl thought happily as she hopped into bed, and soon there was nothing to be heard but the sounds of the night creatures through the open window.
The next day, a grim-faced Monty set off with his father wearing his new clothes, which he detested, much to his father’s amusement. ‘I’m not making you do this to punish you,’ his father explained. ‘But if you’re to take over the businesses one day it’s important that you know them inside out. My father, God rest his soul, told me, when I was first starting out, “Never ask a worker to do a job that you wouldn’t tackle yourself,” and he has been proved right time and time again. Once you know what’s involved in the chopping of the trees and the correct way to do it, then you’ll move on to another job. Depending on how keen you are to learn, you’ll be at a managerial position in no time. But imagine what the workers would say if I was suddenly to make you their boss. A young man fresh out of school trying to tell them how to do a job when he has no idea what the job entails.’
Disgruntled, Monty sniffed and rammed his hands into his pocket. Still, he supposed that everything wasn’t all gloom and doom; he had a ready supply of young women at hand and he didn’t envisage having a lot of trouble persuading Eliza to succumb to him. He only had to look at her to know that she was besotted with him. But Pearl, now she was a different kettle of fish altogether and she would be his main prize, hopefully in the not too distant future. Until he tired of her, that was – but with a bit of luck by then there would have been another ship full of vulnerable orphan girls brought to the town. Feeling slightly better, he matched his steps to his father’s.
‘Oh, here you are darling. How did your first day go?’ his mother enquired when he joined his parents at the dining table that evening.
Monty scowled as he held out his hands. ‘How does it look?’ he said in a surly voice. ‘My hands are full of splinters and the men have been making fun of me all day, calling me a sissy!’
Unconcerned, Zack chuckled, incensing Monty all the more. ‘That’s just their way when a new lad starts, don’t take it to heart,’ he told him. ‘As soon as they see that you’re pulling your weight, they’ll leave you alone. They’re not a bad lot.’
Monty would have liked to argue that point but knew that he’d be wasting his time. ‘So what will I be paid for doing this job?’ he asked sulkily.
Again his father laughed. ‘You won’t be paid as such but I’ll restart your monthly allowance and you’ll know you’ve earned it now.’
Monty wasn’t at all pleased with this either. He’d thought that the boss’s son would be allowed perks but it didn’t look as if that was going to be the case.
His mother meanwhile was staring at his sore hands with a look of concern on her face. ‘As soon as dinner is over, I’ll get those splinters out for you,’ she offered. ‘We don’t want them to get infected.’
‘Infected!’ Zack laughed. ‘It’s only because his hands haven’t been used to hard work. They’ll toughen up in no time. Try soaking them in urine from your chamber pot. That soon does the trick, I’m told.’
Emmaline fell silent and Monty looked horrified. It was obvious to them both that Zack would show no sympathy, and so they got on with their meal.
Three days later as Emmaline sat writing a letter to her mother the door burst open and Pearl told her, ‘Please, Mrs Forbes. Mr Forbes has just sent word that you’re to send Will for the doctor straight away. Master Monty has had an accident and they’re bringing him home now. One of the men from the mill just came with the message.’
‘Oh, my goodness.’ The colour drained from Mrs Forbes’s face as her hand rose to her throat. ‘Is it serious?’
‘I’ve no idea, ma’am. He just said that his leg was hurt. Shall I run and tell Will to go for the doctor?’
‘Yes, please do . . . And, Pearl, tell him it’s urgent and ask him to come as soon as possible an
d then turn Master Monty’s bed back.’
Twenty minutes later, Monty was brought home on one of the horse-drawn carts that dragged the sawn timber to the sawmill. Two men carried him into the house between them and asked Mrs Forbes, ‘Where do you want him, ma’am?’
‘Upstairs, the second door on the left, please. But what’s happened?’
‘We were fellin’ a tree an’ he didn’t get out of the way quick enough,’ one of them answered. ‘We’re so sorry, we were trying to keep ’im safe – we must ’ave told him where to stand for safety at least a dozen times.’
‘Never mind that for now. What’s done is done,’ she said, as she lifted her skirts and followed them up the stairs.
Once in Monty’s room, they dumped him unceremoniously on the bed and left, while Mrs Forbes took control of the situation and told Pearl, ‘Run to the kitchen and fetch me some scissors please. We’re going to have to cut his trousers to see what damage has been done.’
She glanced at her son, who was grimacing with pain and once Pearl had returned, she began to cut through the thick corduroy until his lower leg was revealed.
‘Oh, good grief,’ she said with alarm as she stared at the injury. His foot was jutting at an unnatural angle, a bone had pierced the skin in his ankle and the wound was bleeding profusely. Pearl rushed away to fetch a bowl of clean water and towels. But when his mother attempted to bathe the injury, Monty screamed in agony.
Thankfully the doctor arrived as she was attempting it and, after looking at it for a moment, he shook his head and snapped open his large black bag.
Removing a bottle of chloroform, he shook some on to a piece of lint and told Mrs Forbes, ‘This is a very bad break. I’m going to have to get the bone back into line before we splint it and it’s not going to be nice. When I tell you, I want you to hold this over his nose. Hopefully it will help the pain some but I’m afraid it’s still going to be extremely painful.’ As he removed his jacket and rolled his sleeves up, he turned to Pearl and asked, ‘Could you go and find me two nice straight pieces of wood. No doubt Will will know where there’s some. Once we have the bone back in place, I’ll tightly splint it and then all we can do is let nature take its course and hope he doesn’t get an infection in it. If he does, it could mean that he’ll have to have his foot amputated, but we won’t think about that until we’ve done all we can.’
An Orphan's Journey Page 22
