A Mother's Love Page 6

  ‘Would you like a hand, Mrs Murray?’ Ellie asked.

  The older woman smiled appreciatively. ‘No formalities in this house. You’ve two choices, you can call me either Auntie Aileen or just plain Aileen. Pick your poison.’

  Ellie smiled gratefully. ‘Auntie Aileen, would you like a hand with the dishes?’

  ‘That’s better! You can take this lot over to the sink, and then when we’ve all finished eatin’ you can help me wash up whilst the men check on the animals. That way we can have a bit of a chat and get to know each other a little better.’ As she spoke she opened the oven door and a glorious smell of cooked apples filled the air. Scooping the crumble into a row of bowls, she lifted a saucepan from the Aga and raised her brow. ‘Custard, anyone?’

  It was not long before everyone had finished, and as the men trooped towards the back door Ellie joined her hostess by the sink. The older woman nodded to some tea towels that were draped over the oven rail. ‘Take one of them, and as you dry I’ll show you where everything lives.’

  Nodding happily, Ellie took the warm cotton towel from its place and watched as Connor, Aidan and Uncle Kieran picked up their wellies, which were neatly lined up on some newspaper. Mr Murray pointed at a pair set off to one side from the others. ‘You can use them, Ellie. They used to be our Cassie’s, only she don’t need ’em any more, not where she’s gone.’

  Ellie stood in dismay as she watched the men leave the kitchen. What had Mr Murray meant when he had said that Cassie wouldn’t need the boots any more, not where she’s gone? She looked hesitantly at Auntie Aileen. ‘I hope you don’t mind my askin’, but what did he mean about Cassie?’

  Mrs Murray smiled, and a wreath of wrinkles formed around her eyes. Looking at her, Ellie thought her to be considerably older than her own mother had been when she died. ‘I’m not with you, chuck. What did you want to know about our Cassie?’

  Ellie took a deep breath. ‘When Mr Murray – I mean Uncle Kieran – said that she wouldn’t be needing her wellies any more …’

  Mrs Murray burst into laughter. ‘Oh, bless you, you thought she was …’ She waved a dismissive hand. ‘Oh, sweetheart, she’s not dead, she’s in the Wrens.’

  Confused, Ellie spoke her thoughts. ‘But Aidan said that his little sister Cassie had named Spud …’

  Auntie Aileen emptied the sink of its water and absentmindedly wiped her hands on a tea towel whilst nodding her understanding. ‘Now I see! Aidan and Cassie are twins, but because he was born before her – only by a minute, mind – he likes to tease her by calling her his little sister. Is that clearer?’

  Ellie nodded. ‘Lots.’ She cast an eye around the kitchen. ‘Is there anything else I can do? Wipe the table down, sweep the floor …?’

  ‘You sit down whilst I wipe the table.’ Auntie Aileen glanced at her. ‘I don’t expect you to tell me why you’re here, but if you ever want to talk I’m always willing to lend an ear if that’s what’s required. Our Connor’s a good boy, and we know he’d never bring trouble to our house, so you’re welcome to stay as long as you need.’ She rinsed the cloth, then began wiping the table with large circular motions. ‘With most of the young men off to war we’ve been left short-handed, so your help’s much appreciated, ’specially with harvest approachin’.’ She placed the cloth on the table and reached across to lift Ellie’s hands and examine her palms. For a moment Ellie wondered whether the older woman might be reading them, and was getting quite hopeful until, with a smile of satisfaction, Auntie Aileen released her and commented, ‘You’ve calluses, and your skin’s tough. That’s the sign of a hard worker, and just as well, as farming’s not easy …’

  ‘I do washing for people, and I work for Mr Wong who owns one of the Chinese laundries.’ She hesitated. ‘I’ve not done anything bad or unlawful.’

  Auntie Aileen had finished wiping the table, and settled into a chair across from Ellie’s. ‘Our Connor says your mam’s passed on?’

  Ellie nodded. She opened her mouth to speak, to explain about the pneumonia, but the words stuck in her throat, and as her eyes met the older woman’s she felt tears trickling down her cheeks.

  There was a scraping noise as Auntie Aileen took the chair next to Ellie. She gently pushed Ellie’s hair back behind her ears and handed her a hanky from her apron pocket, and Ellie noticed the comforting scent of lavender, which her mother had always used. ‘You must miss your mother so much, especially when life becomes a tough row to hoe …’

  Ellie nodded. ‘She wasn’t just me mam, she were everything to me. We worked together, we lived together, she always made sure there was enough to eat, and with her gone I’m all on me tod. I’ve got no other family, you see, apart from Arla, who’s like a sister and me best pal, and Connor, who I think of as a brother.’ She looked into Auntie Aileen’s kind eyes, blue like her mother’s. ‘I couldn’t pay the rent because Mrs Wardle couldn’t give me what I was owed, and …’

  When Ellie had finished her story Auntie Aileen shook her head fiercely. ‘Beast of a man!’ she said, her face reddening. ‘How could he? To take advantage in the most despicable way … and of a child …’ She tried to smile. ‘Well, one thing’s certain, alanna, you did the right thing by goin’ to our Connor, and he done the right thing by bringin’ you here.’ She shook her head again, this time in disbelief. ‘It’s not often I’m at a loss for words, but this one’s got me beat. Connor said you was worried about payin’ your way here, but believe me, by the time you’ve mucked out the pigs and cows, and fed the chooks, and done the milkin’, you’ll realise that’s more than payment enough.’

  A frown creased Ellie’s brow. ‘Chooks? I don’t remember Aidan showing me any chooks.’

  Auntie Aileen laughed. ‘Sorry. It’s my pet name for the hens.’ She smiled warmly at Ellie and clapped her hands on to her knees. ‘Now, I think you’d better be gettin’ some sleep. You’ve not slept properly for three nights that I know of, and like I say, farm work is hard goin’. You come wi’ me an’ I’ll show you to your room.’

  Collecting her satchel from behind the kitchen door, Ellie followed her host up a set of narrow wooden stairs.

  ‘I’ve put you in the room next to our Cassie’s. It’s at the back of the house so the noise of the farm shouldn’t disturb you too much.’

  Entering the room, Ellie placed her satchel on the wooden bed opposite the small deep-set window. The blackout blinds had already been drawn and Auntie Aileen lit the oil lamp from the one she carried. She indicated the two-drawer chest that stood at the side of Ellie’s bed. ‘You can pop your clothes in there, and if you want hot water, come down to the kitchen in the morning before breakfast. There’s always a saucepan or the kettle on the boil. You know about blackout blinds, so no need to explain them.’ She cast an eye around the room, then, satisfied, she raised a brow at Ellie. ‘Any questions?’

  Ellie shook her head, then changed her mind and nodded. ‘What time shall I get up? I’m really lookin’ forward to workin’ with the animals and I don’t want to sleep in and miss out on anything.’

  Her hostess nodded approvingly. ‘Not to worry. I’ll wake you up in plenty of time, so if that’s all, I’ll let you get into bed. Goodnight, alanna.’

  Ellie smiled. ‘Me mam used to call me that. It’s good to hear it again.’

  Auntie Aileen chuckled. ‘Irish roots, no doubt,’ she said.

  Ellie nodded. She had only known the Murrays a matter of hours, yet she already felt at ease in their company. As the older woman left, closing the door softly behind her, Ellie looked around at her cosy room, then wandered over to the chest and opened the top drawer. She looked at a small bag inside. Picking it up, she immediately smelled the scent of lavender, and smiled to herself. She might be a long way from Liverpool, but in her heart she was home.

  Bitterly regretting having not asked her hosts where the air raid shelter was, Ellie clattered down the stairs, raising the alarm as she went. When she reached the bottom she looked around the dark kitchen. I
t was deserted. Where was everybody? Surely they had not left her in the house on her own? She was about to go into the yard when a bleary-eyed Aidan stumbled through the door from the hall. ‘What’s all the racket?’ he said, rubbing his eyes.

  ‘Air raid siren; didn’t you hear it? Where’s everyone else? Where should we go?’ Ellie clutched her nightgown tightly around her.

  Aidan frowned. ‘I didn’t hear owt. Are you sure?’ He looked up at her, an expression of confusion in his eyes. ‘Hang on a mo, we don’t have an air raid siren out here. You can’t have heard it.’

  His father came into the kitchen, tightening the belt on his robe and then running his fingers through tousled hair. ‘Whassup? What you doin’? It’s the middle of the night!’

  Outside, the cockerel announced his presence, causing Ellie to jump six inches and Uncle Kieran to retract his earlier statement. ‘Okay, so it’s not the middle of the night. It just feels as if it is.’

  Ellie looked awkwardly at the two men. ‘I’m so sorry. I thought I heard Moaning Minnie sounding off, but I think it might have been that … that … what was that?’

  Aidan gave a tired chuckle. ‘That was our cockerel, and just so you know, he does that every morning at dawn, or before, or whenever he feels like it, in fact, and the bugger doesn’t shut up until he has the whole farm up.’

  ‘What do you call him?’ Ellie asked.

  ‘Depends what time of day he gets us up, but mostly we call him Eric,’ Aidan said with a yawn.

  As Connor and his aunt entered the kitchen Ellie found her cheeks growing hot with embarrassment. Apologising for disturbing everyone’s sleep, she asked what the drill was for a real air raid.

  ‘Put your head between your knees and kiss your ar—’ Uncle Kieran had begun when Auntie Aileen cut in, her voice shrill.

  ‘Kieran Murray! I’ll not have any of that language in my kitchen!’ She turned to Ellie, who was looking confused, whilst the boys stifled their laughter. ‘I may as well start warming the water through now, as we’ll be getting up in the next half-hour or so.’ She filled a large kettle from the tap. ‘If you come with me, Ellie, I’ve got a heap of our Cassie’s old clothes in a trunk on the top landin’. There’s woollies, skirts, dresses, shirts, an’ trousers for doin’ the farm work in, and you’re welcome to try on and use whatever fits you. I dare say you haven’t got much of your own and Cassie’s grown out of most of it, so anything that fits you’re welcome to keep. Come along now, and by the time we come back down the water’ll be ready.’

  Chapter Three

  ‘That’s it!’ Aidan cried triumphantly. ‘I said you’d get it eventually, and you have, you clever girl!’

  Ellie was delighted. She had been on the farm for a little over a month and she was enjoying every minute of it. The Murrays had welcomed her with open arms and it wasn’t long before she felt like a member of the family. She didn’t regard her tasks on the farm as real work; they were a pleasure not a chore, and she very much enjoyed the early mornings when she was always first downstairs, with the kettle on and the porridge simmering before Auntie Aileen appeared.

  Before Connor had gone home he and Aidan had tried to teach Ellie how to milk, but no matter in which manner she pulled the teats she couldn’t extract a single drop, although she had become adept at dodging angry hooves.

  Now, with the milk hissing into the pail, Ellie could not have been more pleased with herself. ‘It’s working. I can’t believe I’m doing it!’

  Aidan smiled down at his new assistant. Whether she knew it or not, Ellie had been a godsend to the farm, and not just because she helped with the work. With all his friends and workmates gone to war, Aidan missed having someone his own age around the place, and he found himself appreciating Ellie’s company as much as her help. What was more, he could see by her transformation that she too was enjoying the benefits of her move to Oxton, thriving for the first time in her life on a good diet and clean air.

  When she had first arrived at the farm Aidan’s mother had not been slow to remark on the condition of their house guest. ‘She’s as skinny as a rake and her hair’s drab and lifeless, and she’s that pale you’d think she were about to drop dead any minute. I’m tellin’ you now, she’s arrived at this farm a little girl, alone and weak, and if it’s the last thing I do I’m gonna make sure she leaves here a healthy, happy, strong young woman.’

  True to her word, his mother had started the very next morning by asking Ellie if she would like a haircut. ‘Nothin’ fancy, just a couple of inches should do the trick. I reckon it’s been a while since you last had it done?’

  Fingering the ends of her hair, Ellie tried to remember when she had in fact last had it cut, and thought it must have been before her mother died. Nodding her agreement, Auntie Aileen guided her towards the kitchen sink. ‘Wash first, then trim; it’s easier that way. I’ll warn you now I rinse with cold water. It’s good for the scalp, so try not to holler like Aidan.’

  Several freezing minutes and one haircut later the older woman had stood back to admire her work. ‘You’ve got beautiful curly hair, alanna, although you’d never have known it before.’

  Taking the proffered mirror, Ellie admired her new look. She tilted her head from left to right, then back again, her hair swinging like a curtain around her cheeks, and she smelled the rose-scented soap which had been used to wash it. Her gaze locked with the one in the mirror, and for a brief second it was like looking into her mother’s almond-shaped eyes, only her own were hazel not blue.

  And it hadn’t stopped with the haircut, Aidan thought as he watched Ellie continuing to milk. She had flesh on her bones now, and was starting to develop curves; the pale complexion had been replaced by a healthy glow, and her eyes sparkled.

  Sitting up, she patted the cow’s leg. ‘That’s you finished, Clara. Let’s see what you’ve managed.’ She squealed with delight and held the pail out to Aidan. ‘It’s at least a quarter full. Isn’t she clever?’

  Aidan nodded. ‘Yes, she is. Annabelle’s next. Let’s see how you manage her.’

  Annabelle, it seemed, did not wish to be as cooperative as Clara, and proceeded to try to kick the pail over as soon as she heard the hiss of milk. However, Ellie had watched Aidan milking often enough to be familiar with her tricks, and whipped it out of the way before any harm could be done.

  By the time Ellie had finished milking the last cow she no longer doubted her abilities, and she revelled in this newfound confidence. With the cows back in the pasture Aidan closed the gate firmly behind them and turned to her with a smile. ‘I don’t need to ask how you feel after your first successful milking session; the grin on your face is answer enough. But how are you finding life on the farm in general?’

  ‘I love it,’ said Ellie. ‘In fact I can’t think of a time in my life when I’ve been happier. I just wish me mam could see me. It’s her I get my passion for horses from, and I know she would have loved to ride in the cart.’

  ‘You must miss her an awful lot … Do you miss your friends too?’ he asked hesitantly.

  Ellie nodded. ‘I’ve only got two friends that I’m really close to, and that’s Arla and Connor, and to be honest they’re more like a sister and brother to me. I’m going to write to them both later and let them know about the milking. Connor will be thrilled. He saw how hopeless I was to begin with, and he knows how much I hate it when I can’t get the hang of something.’

  Aidan raised an enquiring eyebrow. ‘Have you known Connor for a long time? I can’t say as I ever remember him mentioning you before.’

  ‘A few years. We met when he saved me from a nasty bully. He was my knight in shining armour.’

  Aidan was surprised to feel his cheeks grow hot. He found himself wishing that he had been the one to save Ellie from the bully, the one she saw as a knight in shining armour. How unfair, he thought irritably, that Connor, who had so little interest in her that he had neglected to mention her for years, was described in such a favourable manner.

/>   Walking back down the grassy lane, Aidan chastised himself for getting angry with his cousin. It wasn’t Connor’s fault that Ellie had described him so; besides, she had also described him as like a brother, so she obviously did not see him in a romantic light.

  Ellie’s voice cut across his thoughts. ‘Are you all right? Only you look a bit red and blotchy … do you want to stop for a minute?’

  Aidan shook his head and turned his face away. ‘Come on, little milk maiden. It’s time to release the hens and see if they’ve managed to lay us a golden egg.’

  When the Liverpool Murrays entered the farmhouse kitchen just before supper on Christmas Eve, Connor took one look at Ellie before releasing a low whistle. ‘Blimey, you look a bit different from the last time I saw you!’

  Connor’s mother stood staring for a moment or two before she clapped a hand to her mouth. ‘Ellie Lancton! Well I never … just look at you.’ She turned to her sister-in-law. ‘Aileen Murray, you’ve worked wonders with that cookin’ of yours. I’ve never seen the child lookin’ so healthy.’

  Ellie glowed under the admiring glances as the new arrivals subjected her to a volley of questions and compliments. When she had first arrived at the farm in May she had sometimes found the kindly curiosity of Auntie Aileen and Uncle Keiran a little uncomfortable, but a lot had changed since then, and she had not seen her old friends for a long time, so she revelled in the attention, answering their questions with pleasure and relaying stories of her experiences on the farm, until Connor brought the inquisition to an end by asking, ‘Have you ridden the bull yet?’

  His mother held up a hand. ‘That will do, Connor Murray. This poor girl hasn’t had a chance to catch her breath since we arrived.’ She looked kindly at Ellie. ‘From what you’ve said, and from what you wrote to Connor, you’re doing your mam proud, chuck.’