Children of Toil ✔

Chapter Eleven

She was tidying the wardrobe in the bedroom and putting her few clothes and possessions on the cleared shelf when he came back into the house. "Meggy!"

"I'm in here!" She heard a loud noise and realised he was dropping cut timber into the wood box beside the stove.

Lucan stood in the doorway and held on to the architrave above. "You want to come with me to get Riley and meet Margaret?"

She nodded and turned back to what she was doing. "Can I just finish up here and check the loaves."

"I'll take the horse and mule to Jacko first then, to let you get sorted."

The loaves were baked and tipped out of the tin and she had peeled potatoes and had them in a pot of water by the time he came back. He didn't come all the way in but stood with one hand on each of the stair rails and called, "You ready?"

"Aye... I'm just fixing my hair."

Lucan noticed she had changed into what he thought must be her best shirt and her hair was tied neatly on top of her head. He nodded his approval as she came down the stairs. "You needn't have got dressed up for Margaret. She's a hard-working woman. No airs and graces."

"I don't want tae shame you, Lucan," she said as she straightened the sleeve of her blouse. He laughed and raised his eyebrows in humour.

"You think I have airs and graces?"

"No..." Meggy studied his face. "I want to look respectable because I don't want people tae think you've a whore in your house."

He growled and threw his hands behind his head. "Meggy will ye no say dat!" His accent broadened.

She withdrew at the angry tone in his voice. "It's what I am," she whispered at the ground.

Lucan took her firmly by the chin and lifted her face. "You're not that woman anymore!" He sighed at the pain in her eyes. "If I was a butcher last year and this year, I'm a baker, am I still a butcher? No. I'm a baker. You understand me, lass. I don't want to hear you say such a thing again and if ya do I'll beat ya so hard you won't be able to sit for a week."

A tear rolled down her cheek. He groaned. Tears were one of his weaknesses. A woman could get him to do anything with a few tears. "This is your new life, Meggy, you must forget the old one. You're not going backwards," he whispered. "You're moving forward, lass." He leaned down and kissed her tear away. Lucan left his lips linger on her face wanting to touch her mouth with his but he pulled away and took her by the hand. "Come on, Covey will be home soon."

Lucan let her hand go at the gate. She walked silently beside him telling herself what a stupid quine she was. He was right. She had to forget her old life. She was now Meg-Anne Munroe not Meg-Anne Dunn.

*

Lucan could tell Margaret and Meggy liked each other instantly. Even though there was an age difference of at least fifteen years they had connected immediately.

Margaret told Meggy what a handful the lads could be. She relayed numerous stories of the mischief they, along with her boys, had gotten into. "I bet Lucan didn't tell you that when he conned you into coming all this way."

Meggy shook her head trying to control her laughter. Lucan was happy to see she had cheered up. They heard children's voices in the distance.

"This'll be them home from school now." Margaret placed cups and a jug of milk on the table and opened the biscuit tin as five children aged between six and twelve thundered into the kitchen.

"You lot! Back outside and wash your hands!" Margaret demanded. They all obeyed immediately. Margaret turned to Meggy and said, "I have to tell them every day. You'd think it would have sunk in by now." As each child came through the door, she touched their head. "This is Alex, Jack, Tess and Marg... Toby's the little un and me big boy Mathew is at the smelters. This is Meggy. Covey's Aunt Meg. She's here from Scotland and will look after the boys from now on."

Covey crinkled up his brow and cocked his head. "So, we can't come ta play no more?"

Margaret rubbed his head. "I didn't say that now, did I? I just said your Aunt Meg will be taking care of ya. You and Riley can come here any time you like if ya Da says it's all right."

Covey looked at Lucan for confirmation. He nodded so Covey grinned, picked up his glass of milk and dunked his biscuit into it in satisfaction.

When Covey and Riley had finished their milk Lucan pushed back his chair and stood. "We best get back and let you get on, Margaret."

They said goodbye. Margaret called after Meggy, "Any time you need a hand just give us a cooee."

Meggy waved. When they were out of ear shot, she said, "Lucan, what's a cooee?"

He laughed. "It means give her a yell. Ah... like just ask her for help and she'll help you."

Lucan watched as she nodded and seemed to give this deep consideration.

"They do have some strange words, don't they? Being at the Crown taught me a lot but it seems I still have a lot to learn."

He laughed again and nodded. "Though they think some of the words I use like bairn, geat, loun and quine are strange too."

Meggy giggled and had to agree with him.

*

Thaiter came home to the smell of the pie cooking in the oven. He rubbed his hands together as he walked into the kitchen where Meggy was folding up the dry washing. "That smells good, lass, what is it?"

"Meat pie and there'll be potatoes, peas and pumpkin to go with."

He clapped his hands together. "Bringing you here would have ta be the only good idea that man's ever come up with. Where is he anyway?"

"He took the boys to collect the eggs and milk the cow."

Thaiter nodded. "I'll go wash. How long, lass, before dinner's ready?"

"Not long."

Thaiter rubbed his hands together once more and went outside to wash in the barrel beside the stairs.

I'm so glad that Lucan is trying to change the way Meggy thinks about herself. xoxo

Photo - A Korzukhin painting - Russian Artist