Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Seven

Lucan shuffled from one foot to the other. He raised his hand to knock, and then lowered it. Was about to knock again but slipped his cap off instead. He frowned when he realised Lillian Rowles was watching him. She smiled and held a finger up to indicate she would be with him in a moment.

"Class!" She clapped her hands to draw their attention. "Slates and lead in the box please, and then you may leave."

The children scurried like pit mice to put their slates away, and then rushed out the door.

Lucan stepped back to allow them to pass.

"What ya doin', Da?" Covey said. "You never come here?"

Lucan squatted and smirked. "I need to talk with Miss Rowles for a minute."

A sly smile crept across Covey's face. "Are ya gunna tell her it's a waste of time me bein' here?"

Lucan chuckled and tweaked his son's cheek. "Not likely, Cov." He looked up to see Lillian Rowles leaning on the door jamb. She was smiling at hearing their exchange. "You go on now. Get Riley from Missus Scott's and I'll talk to ya when I get home."

Covey glanced at Miss Rowles, a furrow on his face, and then ran off.

"Mister Hayes, what can I do for you?" Lillian turned into the room and headed toward her desk.

Fiddling with his cap, Lucan stepped inside. "I was wonderin' how Covey's doin'. He seems to think he ain't doin' so well."

Lillian glanced up at him as she said, "Isn't."

"So, he's tellin' me the truth then?" Lucan sighed, he'd been hoping for better things for Covey and had come to realise a good education was the way forward.

"The truth, Mister Hayes?" Lillian shook her head, bewildered.

"That he ain't doin' so well?"

"Isn't, Mister Hayes." She smiled. "The word is isn't."

Lucan frowned and cocked his head.

"I'm sorry," she tittered. "I'm correcting you. I'm so use to amending the children. Now I'm doing it to you." She smiled realising that she had really confused him. "You said, 'He seems to think he ain't doing so well'. You should have said, 'He seems to think he isn't doing well'." His face muscles tensed. Lillian wished she hadn't spoken. She focused on the book on her desk, pushed it to one side, and then looked back at him. "The fact is, Mister Hayes, Covey is doing extremely well. Much better than the other children his age."

The tension left Lucan's face. "Good," he said. "I'm glad ta hear it."

"I heard what he said to you outside. Do you think it's a waste of time him being here?" she asked.

"No. I'm glad he's gettin' an education. I've been tin scratching for the last month. He wanted to come but I made him stay with Missus Scott so he could go to school." He paused. "I think he's just tryin' me."

Lillian smiled. "Yes, they do that sometimes." She looked Lucan straight in the eye, caught her breath, blushed and focused back on the book. "Was that all you wanted to know?" This time she concentrated on his mouth because his eyes did things to her, which she couldn't understand. "I'm very pleased you're taking an interest."

"Well... ah..." Lucan shifted on his feet. "That time you came to me house."

"My, Mister Hayes, the word is my." Lillian clamped her hand over her mouth. "I'm so sorry I keep doing it." She tilted her head. "Classroom habit."

Lucan hesitated. Did he really want to do this? The tilt of her head sent a current through his body. He took a breath. "Yes... when you came to... my house, you offered to teach me ta read and write. I was wondering if that offer still stands?" He took a breath and continued, "I think it'd help the lad if he could see that I was learnin' too."

Taken aback, Lillian gasped. That was unexpected. She flushed and moved to the other side of the desk to put some distance between them. "Well yes... it does. When did you want to start?"

Lucan beamed brighter than a kerosene lamp. He hadn't expected her to say yes.

Gripping the desk, Lillian took a breath at the sight of his handsome face smiling at her.

"Whenever you like, Miss Rowles. I'm back at the battery now. On days, so evenin's would suit me." He rubbed his chin. "Or Sundays. I don't go to church." He screwed up his face and gave her a sheepish grin. "Though you most likely do. You tell me when it suits you, miss, and I'll work in with you."

Lillian bent down and straightened the pile of slates to give her a chance to clear her head. She stood up and faced him. "Sunday afternoons would be suitable." She paused. "Or a Friday evening." Then she shook her head at a sudden thought. "No, no. Not evenings. That won't be acceptable to the wider community."

Running his hand through his hair, Lucan wondered what the wider community had to do with his learning to read.

She realized he hadn't understood her; thought that heathen was perhaps too harsh a word to describe him and decided ungentlemanly might be a better choice. "I'm a single lady, Mister Hayes, and you are a widower. We wouldn't want the community of Irvinebank to get the wrong idea."

"Ah..." Lucan hung his head to hide the smile that was threatening to show. He didn't want to offend her. "So... Sundays then, Miss Rowles. What time would you like me?"

She blushed again. This time Lucan noticed. She said, "Two in the afternoon. Here in the classroom."

"Two on Sunday, grand..." He stepped back, nodded and smiled again as he pulled his cap onto his head, and then turned and walked out through the door.

Lillian watched him go, released the breath she'd been holding and tittered. She didn't understand why she suddenly felt light-hearted. Was it because she was making head way with the children in her class or the fact that this illiterate man wanted an education? He might pass the word around and she'd end up with a class of adults. If so, she'd really feel she had left something behind when she finally did leave Irvinebank. My goodness, she thought, what would Mister Lewis think of his junior teacher succeeding with the parents of her students?

*****

Covey rushed to meet his father at the door. "What did she say, Da? Is it a waste of time me bein' there?"

"She says ya very bright. One of the best in the class," Lucan said with pride.

"No! I couldn't be. Carol Henke is much better 'an me and she can talk German too." Covey bounced around in front of Lucan. "What else did she say, Da?"

"She's going to teach me to read. She's gonna start on Sunday." Lucan sat on one of the kitchen chairs to take off his boots.

Covey eyes shot opened. He frowned and screwed up his face. "So, she's gonna make ya go to school on Sunday. Jeeze, Da I thought I had it tough."

Bursting into laughter, Lucan grabbed Covey around the waist, wrestled him to the ground and tickled him. Riley heard the commotion and dived onto Lucan's back. They laughed and rolled around the floor knocking over a chair. Lucan had both boys pinned tickling each one. Tears rolled down their faces. Covey begged him to stop.

Lucan couldn't remember the last time he had felt so happy. He flung himself down on the floor, exhausted by laughter with the boys in the crook of his arms.

I'm with Covey, poor Lucan having to go to school on a Sunday.

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