Читать книгу Sarah’s Story: An emotional family saga that you won’t be able to put down - Lynne Francis - Страница 15

Sarah felt that time was dragging its heels on its way to Wednesday. Joe had shared the news of his departure with her on the Thursday, her grandmother had spoken to him and all the plans were in place by Friday, but there were still four whole days to be got through before her wedding day. Four days in which she had no chance to see Joe, for Ada as good as kept her under lock and key.

‘You’ve brought quite enough disgrace on our good name,’ she said. ‘I’ll not have you flaunting yourself again around the countryside.’

Sarah cast her eyes down, unable to meet Ada’s gaze. In the words that came out of Ada’s mouth the meetings between her and Joe, which had felt so happy, joyous and full of love, had become sordid and shameful. But she ached to see Joe and to be able to discuss plans beyond the wedding day with him. She comforted herself with the thought that they would get themselves a cottage somewhere, either in Nortonstall or Northwaite, and she could keep house for him without having to endure her grandmother’s bad humour.

Sarah got through the days by trying her best to stay on the right side of Ada, to avoid causing further upset, and daydreaming about her future at every possible moment. She accompanied Ada to the chapel on the Sunday, stealing covert glances at the congregation to see whether anyone was paying them undue attention. If they were, surely one glance at Ada, sitting bolt upright in her pew and wearing a forbidding expression, would have discouraged any further observation.

As they departed, the minister shook Sarah’s hand in his usual cordial fashion and made no reference to her forthcoming wedding, presumably to spare her blushes in the face of the congregation. It took every ounce of her will not to look back as they walked down the path away from the chapel but she told herself that the gossipmongers were welcome to have their say; soon she would be Mrs Joe Bancroft and they could still their tongues then.

On Tuesday letters arrived to break the monotony of Sarah’s enforced imprisonment. Ada opened the first one, which had come from Sarah’s mother in Manchester. She skimmed the contents, frowning, then read it out to Sarah.

‘My dearest Sarah,

I do so wish that I could be with you on your wedding day. A day that should be a joyous occasion but that, if I understand your grandmother correctly, has had to be arranged in haste. Sarah, I am sorry that you have followed in my footsteps and I wish I could have been there these last years to offer you guidance –’

Here Ada made a contemptuous snort. ‘I hope you have made a better choice than I did –’ here Ada was moved to snort again ‘– and wish that I could be there to meet your new husband. The fact is that neither the girls nor I are well, barely well enough to make it to the mill each day, so afflicted are we with coughing. So we must postpone our visit until the spring or summer, when we can come and see the baby as well.

All my love, and from your loving sisters Jane and Ellen too.’

Sarah listened intently. Just as her grandmother had predicted, there would be no other family at her wedding. More worrying was to hear that they were ill. But where was her father in all of this?

‘My father?’ she asked tentatively. ‘Will he come to give me away?’

Ada shook her head. ‘There’s no mention of him here. I don’t know why. It will take another letter to ask her, with no time for a reply, so you must resign yourself to the fact that I will be your only family tomorrow.’

Sarah, seeing how tired her grandmother looked, and made anxious after hearing the news of her mother’s and sisters’ illness, was moved to get up and go over to her, to stroke her shoulder.

‘Never mind; they have said they will come in summer to see the baby and meanwhile we will be quite content, just the three of us, tomorrow.’

Ada only absent-mindedly acknowledged Sarah’s attempt at a conciliatory gesture. She had picked up the second letter and was frowning at it.

‘I don’t recognise the writing on this,’ she said, turning it this way and that between her fingers as though hoping for clues.

Sarah, although wishing to suggest she could discover the author by opening it, held her tongue.

‘It’s addressed to you, Sarah. Do you wish me to read it to you?’

Sarah flushed. She had never paid any attention to schooling and found her letters baffling. She’d long ago declared that she didn’t need to know how to read and write, a decision she had come to regret, never more so than now. She nodded slowly. ‘Yes, please.’

Ada spread the letter flat on the table, skimming over it as before, then read:

‘My darling Sarah,

It seems odd to address you this way, by means of a piece of paper rather than face to face, but your dragon of a grandmother has forbidden it.’ Sarah bit her lip, but Ada read on. ‘I wish we could have met in the last few days but I look forward to seeing you tomorrow. There will be so little time to spend together before I must leave, but I know you will be safe with the dragon until my return. Be patient, until tomorrow,

Your loving Joe.’

Sarah was very embarrassed by the flippant references to her grandmother, but also confused by the tone of the letter. It simply didn’t sound like Joe’s voice. Her grandmother was clearly also suspicious. She turned the letter back and forth in her hands, delivering her verdict.

‘I suspect your husband-to-be has employed someone to write this for him.’ She paused. ‘It’s a shame that whoever he chose didn’t persuade him to mind his manners.’

Sarah, once over her initial embarrassment, felt cheered that at least Joe had made the effort to make contact with her. It dispelled her tiny nagging doubt that he wouldn’t show up the following day. What was less pleasing, however, was that he seemed content for her to remain as she was, living with her grandmother. She resolved to try to find a moment to raise this with him tomorrow, after they were wed.