The Lost And Found Girl (20 page)

She could not suppress the cry of pain as the cane seared through her skin like a knife. It escaped as a mix of screech and yell and a sob, quickly followed by another stroke making her cry escalate into a scream. And then – it was followed by what sounded to her like the roar of wounded ox. She jerked her head to the side to see Boyd flying at her father and wrenching the cane from his grasp, pushing him off balance. He grabbed her arm by the wrist, quickly pulled up her drawers and yanked her out of the door.

‘Run, Daisy. He can’t catch us if we run.’

Daisy glanced behind her. Her father had toppled over and grasped the mantle shelf to stop himself falling into the fire. Her mother’s face was a picture of horror. But she did not move. Boyd tugged at her hand and she stumbled after him.

‘Where are we going?’ she panted.

‘I don’t know, anywhere away from those two. Come
on
.’

He could run faster than she but he did not let go of her hand and when her legs began to buckle and her breathing was a series of hoarse rasps he slowed and eventually stopped. Daisy bent double to catch her breath.

They had gone deeper into the trees that stretched away from the village and well away from the paths and tracks she knew. The countryside went on for miles in this direction without a village in sight. It was known as the deer park and had once been part of a larger estate. No one in the village knew who owned it now but Boyd said it was a foreigner.

‘You’ve only made it worse for us when we go back,’ Daisy panted.

‘We’re not going back.’

‘But we have to. Where else can we go?’

‘I don’t know but I’ll find us somewhere. I can work. You can housekeep. We’ll find somebody to take us in.’

‘Father will find us, Boyd. He’ll claim us back.’

‘Claim us? Yes, that’s what he would do, as though we belonged to him, his property, like the horse and cart to be worked to the bone as he sees fit. What sort of father is that, Daisy?’

‘But Mother says—’

‘Mother says? I don’t care what Mother says. She sat there and watched you whipped like a dog. They treat us like their servants. They’re not like other parents.’

‘I don’t know any others.’

‘You know the brewer’s family. Their children have to do chores too but they don’t get humiliated and beaten regularly.’

She thought of the cosy happy kitchen and Mattie. Mattie’s father was strict but her mother was kind and their children were happy. ‘But they are gentry, Boyd. Mother says the gentry are different from us.’

‘Well, they’re not. I mean apart from their houses and things, underneath they are no different from us at all.’

‘I wish Mattie’s mother was my mother.’

‘So do I.’

‘Could we go to them?’

‘No. They would give us straight back.’

‘But what’ll we do? Where will we sleep?’

‘I’ll find us a gamekeeper’s hut for tonight.’

This sounded fun to Daisy. She felt safe with Boyd. He
was quick thinking and strong. No wonder Mattie had liked him. She wondered if Boyd would want to go back because of her and said, ‘Are we going back in the morning?’

‘We’re never going back.’

‘Not even for Mattie?’

‘I’ve no future with Mattie. She’s pretty and her father will marry her into proper gentry. It’s just you and me now, Daisy. We can make our own way in the world. You’re not frightened of that, are you?’

‘Not when I’m with you. But I am thirsty.’

‘Look for some fruit trees or bushes.’

‘I’m hungry as well.’

‘I shan’t take you far tonight. I’ll go back home after dark when Father is asleep and bring the food and my bedding from the shed.’

‘Oh don’t! Father has a gun. He’ll kill you if he catches you.’

‘Don’t you worry about me. I’m too fast on my feet for him. Besides he’s had a skinful of ale today so he’ll be out cold.’

‘Is it much further to the hut?’

‘I don’t think so. It’s a long time since I’ve been this way.’

The hut was deserted. It had a fireplace and bench for sleeping but not much else. ‘Shall I light a fire?’ Daisy volunteered.

‘Best not. Gamekeeper will notice the smoke.’ Boyd made sure the door could be secured from the inside and then set off to collect as much as he could carry from the shed where he had slept for ten years or more. The cottage was in darkness and he did not approach it.

It was late when he returned to the hut. He had found a pheasant that had been overlooked by the dogs and judged that a fire in the middle of the night might not be noticed until they had moved on in the morning. Daisy had dozed while
he was away and set to energetically ripping out the feathers and guts in the moonlight. They ate the remains of their ‘luncheon’ and left the pheasant in an old iron pot sealed with clay to cook in the fire while they slept.

Daisy opened her eyes. Boyd was staring straight into them. It was only just light and for a second she wondered where she was and then yesterday’s events came rushing back. His face was serious and the crossed lines of blood on his cheek had dried into a dark scab. The skin of her backside was stinging but she was snuggled against him, warm and comfortable under his blanket on the slatted wood bench. She squirmed to alter her position and murmured, ‘Shall we stay here?’

Boyd chewed on his lip and shook his head silently. ‘I’ll find somewhere to take you in.’

‘Will it be somewhere for both of us?’ She sighed, sank deeper into the curving cocoon formed by his body.

Suddenly, he pushed her away and sprang to his feet. ‘No. We can’t be together like this. You’re a grown-up and – and –’ His brow furrowed deeply and his blue eyes became stormy. He looked away. ‘And so am I.’

Puzzled, she frowned and pouted trying to understand. It seemed to make him worse. He seemed to be angry with her. Well, she supposed it was her fault they were in this situation.

‘I’m going out,’ he said abruptly.

‘I’ll come with you.’ She sat up on the bench.

‘No!’ he shouted. ‘Stay here. Do as I say.’ Boyd never shouted at her normally. But now was not normal. They had run away from home, leaving their vengeful parents to fend for themselves.

‘Don’t leave me!’ she called after him.

‘I won’t,’ he barked over his shoulder and disappeared into the trees. ‘Wait for me.’

Daisy didn’t know what to do. She gazed at the embers in the fireplace and stirred them into life, adding fresh wood. The pheasant was cooked in its juices and she wrapped it carefully in the calico. She wondered how much egg money Boyd had saved and hoped it was enough to buy bread.

Daisy was starting to worry about Boyd when he came back. ‘Where’ve you been?’ she asked.

‘Nowhere.’

‘Well, what’ve you been doing nowhere?’

‘I’ve been thinking.’

‘Oh.’ Boyd was good at thinking. He could surprise her with his thoughts. ‘What about?’ she pressed.

‘We can’t stay together like this.’

Fear clouded Daisy’s eyes. Surely he wasn’t going to go off without her? ‘Why can’t we?’ she demanded.

‘I – I – we have to find work and it’ll be harder with two of us together.’

‘But you’re my big brother. You’ve always looked after me.’ She was bewildered by this sudden change in his outlook.

‘I shall!’ he cried. ‘I’ve said I’ll find you somewhere, haven’t I?’

‘Don’t shout at me.’

‘I’m sorry but you have to realise how serious this is. We could starve and die living like this.’

‘You’ve got your egg money.’

‘I’m keeping it safe for an emergency.’

‘Isn’t this an emergency?’

‘Not really. It’s harvest time and there’s plenty of labouring work in the fields for both of us.’

‘But if we stay around here, Father will find us.’

‘That’s why we need to move on. There is a really big estate on the other side of the Riding. It goes on for miles and they say the mansion is the biggest in Yorkshire. Redfern Abbey, it’s called. You’ve heard of it, haven’t you?’

‘Everybody has. They say it has a hundred servants.’

‘I can’t believe that. It’s a long way but we’re going there to see if they’ll take you on as a farmhouse maid with lodgings. Will you mind being a maid?’

‘That’s all I am – was – at home. What will you do?’

‘I’ll find some farm labouring, carting, anything. I can handle horses, everybody says so.’

Daisy was aware of her stinging behind, which had stuck to her drawers in the night. ‘How far is it?’

‘It’s too far for Father to come and find us. I’ll cut a couple of stout poles for the walk. It’ll take a few days but it’ll be worth it.’

She had to walk for a few days! Daisy felt another trickle of blood where she pulled away her drawers and chewed on her lip. Better not to tell Boyd and worry him further. She didn’t want to be a burden to him.

‘Don’t worry, Daisy, I’ll carry you on my back if I have to.’

He would, too, Daisy thought and crossed the room to put her arms around his neck. ‘Oh Boyd, I knew you’d think of something.’

Immediately, he took her arms from around his neck and pushed her away. ‘Stop that, Daisy.’ He seemed irritated with her and went on. ‘Listen to me. You’re a grown-up now and you might be doing outside work like me. You’ll be fed and have a bed in the barn with other women. If we work hard and behave ourselves we might be kept on over the winter for the turnips.’

Daisy blew out her cheeks. Winter in the fields didn’t
sound so pleasing. But anything was preferable to going back home. ‘Will we be together?’

‘I don’t know. I’m looking for a position with proper wages. But I’ll not be far away and wherever I end up I’ll ask to go to church of a Sunday so we can see each other.’

‘What if Father comes looking for us?’

‘He won’t cross the Riding to search. He’s too lazy.’

‘He’ll have nobody to see to the horse and cart.’

‘And Mother won’t have you for the scrubbing. It’ll serve her right.’

Daisy agreed with him, although she still wondered what would happen to them because they were getting on in years. ‘What’ll they do?’

‘They’ll get a couple of bairns from the workhouse to slave for them.’

‘Oh. Poor things. They’ll be younger than us. Do you remember what it was like for us? At least we’re bigger now. Perhaps we ought to go back?’

‘Never! And I don’t want to hear you talk like that again.’

As they trekked Daisy felt the soreness on the flesh and from time to time a tiny hot trickle of blood from her wounds. But Boyd had fired her determination to push on as far as she could to get from her mother and father and their cruelty. They walked for two days, following the milestones and foraging for food and sleeping under hedgerows until they were confronted by a densely wooded forest.

Daisy glanced back along the track. ‘I’m sure someone is following us.’

‘Yes, I thought so too.’

‘It isn’t Father is it?’

‘It could be.’ Boyd took her arm. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll knock him down before I’ll let him take you back.’

‘But he might have gone for a constable.’

‘We’ll cut through these trees. I think the Redfern estate is at the other side.’

‘Do you think we ought to?’

‘We’ve got to, Daisy. You’re flagging.’

‘I’m tired.’

‘I know. It can’t be much further.’

But they had not gone far before they were confronted by a large stocky man dressed in moleskin breeches and gaiters, and carrying a shotgun. He stepped out of the trees right in front of them.

‘That’s far enough, you two. State your business.’

‘We’re looking for harvest work, sir,’ Boyd said.

He examined their appearance. ‘Well, you look a strong enough fellow,’ then he frowned. ‘Are you travellers?’

Boyd replied quickly, ‘We’re not vagrants, sir. We – we have lost our home and don’t want to go to the workhouse. Can you direct us to a farm?’

‘I can direct you off this land. This is the Redfern estate and you’re trespassing.’

‘He said we were looking for work,’ Daisy protested.

‘Aye well, they might be able to use the pair of you for the harvest. Get yourselves on to the bridleway at yon side of this wood instead of skulking here in the trees.’ He gesticulated with his gun. ‘It’ll take you to Redfern Village. Keep going and follow the estate wall past the Abbey until you get to Home Farm t’other side. If you look sharp you’ll be there before nightfall.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

He stood with his gun across his arm, watching them as they hurried on their way.

‘Is she your wife, young fellow?’ he called out after them.

‘She’s my sister, sir.’

‘She’d do better at the Abbey, then. They need servants to look after servants in the Abbey.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

Daisy eyes widened. ‘Well, if they’ve got a hundred servants I’m not surprised.’

‘I’d heard it was a big estate. We’ll have more chance of work.’ Boyd quickened his step.

Even Daisy, who was weakening by the hour, brightened. She’d rather do housework than stack corn stooks all day. But she was unable to keep up with him. ‘I’m hungry, Boyd.’

‘I’ll buy bread in the village.’

Daisy’s feet were hot and tired and she was bleeding. She could feel the warm trickle over her buttocks and thighs and the rub of her calico drawers against her sore flesh. She persuaded herself it didn’t hurt much. It wasn’t as bad as any of her previous beatings when she had been red raw for a week and had to sleep on her stomach. But all this walking had opened up old scabs as well as the fresh cuts. When she placed her hands on them her skin felt hot.

There was nothing she could do except perhaps find a stream in which to bathe. She could hardly expose her behind at a public horse trough and she was too embarrassed to mention it to Boyd. Besides she didn’t want him to worry about her any more than he did already. Lately, he had been very proper about her behaviour when she was with him. He kept going on about her being a grown-up. Well, she was and he wanted her to behave like one, like Mattie Chandler she supposed. She pressed her lips together and tried to ignore the pain.

The village was larger than she expected with a provisions merchant, draper’s shop and an apothecary that had large glass
flasks of brightly coloured liquids displayed in the window. There was also a butcher’s shop and an inn, a proper inn with stables and housing for coaches. Clearly, the wealth of the Redfern estate had a beneficial effect on the surrounding hamlets and villages. A hundred servants! They must have a huge family to need so many.