Time Shall Reap (3 page)

Elspeth blushed. ‘He’s awful nice, and I asked him in.’

Kirsty’s large brown eyes widened, and Nettie’s breath was so taken away that it was a few seconds before she said, ‘What did your mother say about that?’

‘She wasna there, and my father wasna back from seeing to the beasts.’ Elspeth savoured their shocked wonder to the utmost.

Nettie was first to recover. ‘Elspeth Gray! You were never in the house wi’ him on your own? Did anything happen?’

Fortunately for Elspeth, Miss Fraser put her head round the door at that moment. ‘Stop chattering, girls. It’s turned half past seven and there’s work waiting to be done.’

In the workroom, three box-topped treadle sewing machines stood against one wall, and two long benches in the centre of the floor. Elspeth was now trusted with some cutting, she and Nettie carried out all the machining, while Kirsty, as well as basting for them, had been learning how to sew buttonholes and invisible hems. Grace Fraser herself added braid or frogging to the heavier costumes after they were assembled. She was a strict taskmistress, but her young assistants accepted any reprimands from her in the same way as they accepted the low wages and long hours – with gratitude for being taught their trade by such an excellent needlewoman. Only when their employer was closeted with a material salesman, or a valued customer, did the girls talk in whispers, discussing the plots of the cheap love stories Nettie got from her older sister, or turning over the gossip of the area.

As soon as she could, Nettie returned to the attack. ‘I’m near sure somebody tell’t me John Forrest was in the Gordons, but maybe it wasna him. Did anything happen, Elspeth?’

‘He’s home on embroc ... embarkation leave, for he’s being sent to France, and he’s going to Canada when the war’s finished.’

Nettie was obviously disappointed. If he was intending to go away, there was little chance of him allowing himself to become serious about Elspeth or anyone else, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t tried something when he was presented with such an opportunity. ‘Did he not even kiss you?’

Flushing deeply, Elspeth kept her head down.

‘Aye, I can see he did.’ Nettie was triumphant. ‘You wouldna have went all hot and bothered like that if he hadna.’

‘All right, then, he did kiss me, and ...’

‘Was it like it was in the
Awakening of Emma?’
Nettie interrupted eagerly, referring to a romance they had all read recently. ‘Did you get shivers up your back and the shakes in your legs?’

‘Aye, and my stomach was going round and round and all, but ...’ Elspeth broke off, then said, earnestly, ‘Oh, I can’t describe it, it was that exciting, but I think he loves me ... and I ken I love him.’

Young Kirsty, who had been drinking everything in, shocked them suddenly by saying, ‘Did he seduce you, Elspeth, and take you against your will?’

Nettie gasped, and Elspeth’s cheeks flamed guiltily but Miss Fraser’s appearance saved her from having to reply.

‘Your face is as red as a beetroot, Elspeth. What’s wrong with you?’

‘I’ve been coughing a bit, Miss Fraser.’ She was conscious of the suppressed mirth of the other two girls, but they had their heads down, seemingly engrossed in their work.

It was almost an hour before Nettie had the chance to press Elspeth for an answer to Kirsty’s question. ‘Well, did he?’

Elspeth didn’t pretend not to know what Nettie meant. ‘No, he didna,’ she said, trying to sound as indignant as she could.

‘Was you disappointed?’

‘Och, Nettie, that kind o’ thing just happens in stories.’

‘It doesna just happen in stories. Our Aggie said she’d to fight her Chae off the very first time she went out wi’ him.’ Nettie’s eyes danced as she added, ‘She must have stopped fighting him off damn quick, though.’

Knowing that Nettie’s sister, married three months before, was already six months pregnant, they dissolved into fits of muffled laughter. They had learned the facts of life early, from what they heard passing between the women of the village, and from watching the animals on the farms.

At mid-day, they sat round the fireguard in the anteroom to sup the hot soup they carried with them in flagons which had been left sitting at the fire. Conversation at this time was rather limited, however, because Miss Fraser sat with them. ‘You got home all right last night, then, Elspeth?’

‘Yes, Miss Fraser.’ Elspeth kicked Nettie’s foot under the chair in retaliation for an elbowed nudge.

‘That’s good. I was quite worried about you having to walk so far in that dreadful blizzard, and I was glad that your brother came for you, Nettie, not that you’d so far to go. Of course, you’re only a door or two along, Kirsty,’ Miss Fraser went on, to show that there was no favouritism, ‘so I suppose you got home safely, as well?’

Kirsty, always tongue-tied when their mistress spoke to her, nodded her head so vigorously that her soft, dark hair escaped from its restraining ribbon and the woman tutted impatiently. ‘You can’t see with that mop over your eyes, get Nettie to tie it back properly for you.’

Only the clatter of the sewing machines and the thump of the goose iron broke the silence of the afternoon, and Elspeth allowed herself to return to the daydream of a torrid romance with John Forrest; a romance which, if it ever did transpire – there was her father to reckon with – would be short-lived if he carried out his plan to emigrate after the war.

At six o’clock, the girls put the lids on the machines and swept up the threads and clippings that littered the floor, so it was almost twenty past before they went outside, where the darkness of the village street was illuminated somewhat eerily by a scattering of gas lamps. The two younger girls walked off in the opposite direction, and Elspeth turned to make her way home alone, thankful that it wasn’t snowing. It was still very windy, however, and, bending her head against the biting cold which stung her cheeks, she jumped nervously when a voice spoke close beside her.

‘Are you not going to speak to me?’

‘Oh! Hello, John.’ She had been afraid that he might think she was a trollop, as her father described any woman with loose morals, and was pleased that he still wanted to see her. She was also glad that the dim light hid her blushes.

He tucked her arm through his when they left street and gas lamps behind, and they made their laboured way along the ice-rutted road towards the Denseat cottar houses. She felt rather uncomfortable that he had said nothing more, but guessed, quite correctly, that he was just as embarrassed as she was, and was relieved when he stopped walking and turned towards her. ‘There’s a dance in the Masonic Hall tomorrow night ... eh ... would you like to come wi’ me?’

‘My father wouldna let me.’ She could foresee the trouble there would be if she as much as mentioned it.

‘I’ll wait outside when you get home till you let me ken what he says. You’re old enough to go dancing.’

She was old enough, she thought sadly, but John didn’t understand how strict her father was, and he wouldn’t approve of dancing, she was sure. When she went into the house, she found that Geordie wasn’t yet home – she hadn’t been able to think clearly about that – but her mother was sitting by the fire, cutting off the tail of one of his flannel shirts to make a new collar. ‘Mother, would Father let me go to the dance tomorrow night? John Forrest’s asked me to go wi’ him.’

Lizzie Gray was taken aback by the request, and the name of her daughter’s intended escort completely disconcerted her. ‘John Forrest? How do you ken him?’

‘He’s waiting outside for me to tell him.’

‘He’s not standing out there in the cold?’ Lizzie’s kind heart forced her to add, ‘You’d best ask him in.’ Bundling up the mutilated shirt and pushing it behind the cushion at her back, she turned in time to greet the young man who was standing shyly just inside the door. ‘Now, what’s this about a dance?’

Holding his cap in both hands, John pleaded, ‘Can Elspeth come wi’ me to the Masonic Hall the morrow night, please?’

Lizzie had no idea how Elspeth came to be on such friendly terms with John Forrest, but he came of a respected family and they were obviously very attracted to each other, so her sense of romance overrode her anxiety for her daughter. ‘You’ll see she gets home safe?’

‘Oh, aye. She’ll come to no harm wi’ me, I promise you.’

‘She’d better not.’ Lizzie smiled to take the sting out of the words. ‘I’ll get your father to agree, Elspeth.’

The girl’s anxious face cleared. ‘He kens John helped me to get home last night, for the storm was that bad I was lost.’ She conveniently overlooked Geordie’s reaction to John’s good deed.

‘Is that right?’ This information astonished Lizzie even more, but she turned gratefully to the boy. ‘It was awful good o’ you, John, and I’d like you to come to supper one night, for I’m sure Elspeth’s father would like to thank you as well ... that is, if you want to come?’

‘I’ll be pleased to come, pleased and honoured.’

His manners impressed and warmed Lizzie. ‘You’d best come on Saturday, then, when Geordie’s not so late in finishing.’

‘Thank you, I’ll look forward to that, but I’ll have to get home now. Goodnight, Mistress Gray.’

‘Goodnight, John, and thank you again for taking care o’ Elspeth last night.’

The boy and girl looked at each other, a fresh awareness springing up between them at the memory of just how well he had taken care of her the previous evening. In the porch, he gripped her hand briefly before walking rather jauntily down the cleared path and disappearing into the darkness, leaving Elspeth wishing that he had at least kissed her.

‘I hope Father lets me go,’ she said, when she went inside. ‘He aye says dancing’s the “devil’s instrument for loose living”.’

Lizzie shook her head in mock disapproval of her daughter’s imitation of Geordie’s gruff voice and scowling face. ‘He didn’t aye think that, lass.’ Putting her hand up to the bun at the nape of her neck, she tucked in some stray wisps of hair, still almost as golden as Elspeth’s. ‘But tell me, how did you come to meet John Forrest last night?’

Omitting the incident on the hearthrug, Elspeth told her, then remembered the reason for her mother’s absence. ‘How’s Auntie Janet?’

‘She’s a good bit better. She’s never been right since her second miscarriage, and that’s coming up for nineteen year ago.’ Lizzie pursed her mouth suddenly. ‘Mind you, I have my doubts sometimes about her bad turns. I wouldna put it past Janet to put it on a bit.’

‘It’s Uncle Harry I’m sorry for.’ Remembering her aunt’s sour, pinched face, Elspeth couldn’t help wondering what Harry Bain had ever seen in her. ‘He’s had to put up wi’ an awful lot.’

Lizzie retrieved Geordie’s shirt from its hiding place, and laid the dismembered tail over the frayed collar. ‘She doesna realise how lucky she is, for he does near every blessed thing for her.’

‘I hope Father doesna put his foot down about me going to the dance.’ Elspeth’s mind had returned to John Forrest’s invitation, the most exciting thing that had happened to her in her whole life – apart from... but she dared not think of that now. ‘He was angry at me for speaking to John when I’d never been introduced to him.’

‘I’ll make him see sense.’ Lizzie’s scissors were busy again. ‘You’re seventeen, and he’s kept you a bairn long enough. It’s time you got out to enjoy yourself.’ She was not quite as confident as she sounded, because Geordie was an immovable force once he made his mind up about anything, but surely he wouldn’t stop his daughter from being friends with the son of the most influential farmer in the area.

She said nothing about it to her husband when he came in, but answered his questions about her sister then sat back until he had finished his supper. She knew that he did not like her to talk to him while he was eating, and she did not mean to jeopardise her daughter’s chances of going to the dance by aggravating him.

When Geordie pushed his plate away and rose to get the bible, Elspeth decided that it might be better if she went to bed, so that her parents could discuss the situation in private. Lizzie cleared the table and washed the dishes, to give her husband time to read his passage, then sat down at the opposite side of the fire, trying to work out the best way to go about her mission. She was thankful, therefore, when he remarked, ‘Did Elspeth tell you she let young Forrest see her home last night?’

‘Aye, she did. It’s a good thing she met him.’

There was a short silence before he said, thoughtfully, ‘I wasna that happy about it, she’d no business to be speaking to somebody she didna ken.’

‘She kens who the Forrests are,’ Lizzie pointed out, ‘and John’s a real nice laddie.’

‘He’s going to France in a wee while, I believe?’ Geordie had made a few discreet enquiries of his fellow workers and had been relieved to learn this. It meant that nothing could come of any liaison between the boy and Elspeth.

‘He met her outside her work tonight,’ Lizzie said, a trifle uncertainly, ‘and he’s asked her to the dance the morrow. Now, don’t you go and spoil it for her,’ she burst out, as her husband scowled. ‘She’s not your little bairn any longer, and she needs to get out. I’ve said she could.’

‘So you’ve got it all cut and dried?’ Geordie observed, sarcastically. ‘A man’s not the master in his own home these days, it seems.’

‘Och, Geordie,’ Lizzie coaxed, encouraged that he had not lost his temper, ‘you can’t keep her at home all her life. Like I said, John Forrest’s a real nice laddie, and you’ll be able to judge for yourself on Saturday, for I’ve asked him to come for his supper.’ She hesitated, then went on, ‘Can I tell her you’ll let her go to the dance, then?’

‘If I say no,’ he sighed, ‘I’ll likely have two weeping women on my hands, so I’d better say yes. I suppose it’s time I let her off the leash, but tell her she’ll have to be home by midnight.’

Smiling broadly, Lizzie rose to her feet. ‘I’ll go up and tell her right now, and I’ll not bother coming down again.’

When her mother came into her room, Elspeth could tell that the battle had been won, but she was disappointed when she heard the condition which had been set. She knew that the dances in the village usually went on until one o’clock or later, but she also knew that it would be very foolish to disagree with her father – he might change his mind about letting her go.