Peggy sat down with a sigh and glanced at the children, who were tucking in. Even Molly was eating heartily, in spite of having had a good dinner at midday. Smiling, Peggy took up the serving spoon and put portions of fish pie, cabbage and carrots on her own plate.
Whatever it was the schoolmistress had said, she’d forgotten, and it annoyed her. It had been important, she was sure. She put her fork to her mouth and saw that all the girls had cleaned up their plates, except Rosie who had left her cabbage, but she’d excuse her this time, she thought. They’ve all got good appetites; everyone’s allowed to dislike some things. She lifted another forkful to her mouth and then she remembered.
All children deserve an education. That’s what ’mistress had said, and she said it sincerely, as if she really meant it. Peggy had not yet told Robin about being given permission to go to school, nor Aaron either, but she had something else on her mind. Molly, dear little Molly, who, they had been told, would never amount to much, would never go to school and learn to read or write, and yet was as bright as a button and knew the names of flowers, how puppies and kittens were born and how long it took for pigs to farrow.
Her meal forgotten, she looked across at Molly now. The eight-year-old wanted to go to school and be with other children and couldn’t understand why she wasn’t allowed. I’ll have words with ’schoolmistress, Peggy thought. I’ll ask her about Molly. We don’t want a special school, or at least I don’t; I don’t think her mother has an opinion on the subject. She rejected her right from the start, but Molly needs to be with her family and friends, people she’s comfortable with, not shoved off to someplace where she knows nobody.
So that’s my next mission, and in ’meantime … ‘Robin,’ she said, and he looked across at her. ‘I’ve got something to tell you.’
CHAPTER TWELVE
Robin’s face was a picture of delight when he heard the news, as was Louisa’s. Emma and Rosie merely looked at each other and shrugged, but Molly’s bottom lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears.
‘What in heaven’s name are you playing at, Ma?’ Jack pushed back his chair and stood up. ‘He doesn’t live here!’
Susan rolled her eyes and scoffed. Aaron didn’t say anything, but he gave Peggy a slight shake of his head and pressed his lips together.
‘Schoolmistress says he can until his mother turns up,’ was how Peggy justified her decision, although she didn’t admit to embroidering the tale she had given the teacher. ‘And,’ she added, ‘he might as well be at school as be here wi’ me.’
Molly began to bang the table with her fists. ‘But he’s my friend,’ she howled. ‘It’s not fair. I should go to school. Why can’t I?’
Susan was about to answer but Peggy lifted her finger in warning. ‘Don’t you dare say owt detrimental about that child in my hearing,’ she snapped.
‘I wasn’t going to,’ Susan spat out. ‘But I think you sometimes forget whose child she is.’
The target hit home, but then Peggy answered in a tight voice, ‘And I thought you’d forgotten, as you’ve so little to do with her. I suppose,’ she added cynically, ‘that when you and Jack and all your bairns move into your own place after you’ve had this babby, you’ll find her very handy for all sorts of menial jobs that you’ll be too tired to manage.’
‘Now then, now then,’ Aaron said loudly. ‘That’s enough, all of you.’ He too pushed his chair back and stood up, but in his case it was to go to Molly, who was now sobbing with her head on the table. Louisa was patting her back and Robin was looking on in dismay. ‘Come here, my lovely. Come to your grandda.’
He stooped down and picked her up as if she were a two-year-old and cradled her in his arms. She made no resistance, but snuffled into his neck, wetting his shirt.
‘I’m off out to ’beasts,’ Jack muttered. ‘Somebody has to earn a living.’
‘Aye, well, I’ll be there in a bit. It’s too dark to do ower much anyway,’ his father said.
Jack slammed the door behind him.
Susan got up too, and with an exaggerated sigh pressed a hand to her back and began to slowly clear the dishes from the table.
‘Will you let me go to school, Grandda?’ Molly said, wiping her eyes and her nose on the back of her hand and then cleaning her hand on his shirt. ‘It’s not fair if I don’t, is it?’
‘Where’s your hanky?’ Her grandfather pulled one of his from his trouser pocket and gave it to her. ‘Why do you want to go to school? Is it so you can be wi’ other bairns? When I was a lad,’ he wriggled his thick eyebrows and sat down with Molly on his knee, ‘I was allus playing twag and then got ’cane for being absent.’
Molly gulped. ‘I won’t play twag, Grandda, cos I want to learn to read and play in ’playground wi’ other bairns. Louisa and Robin’d mek sure nobody teased me.’
Peggy came towards them. ‘We’ll find a way, Molly,’ she said softly. ‘Me and you will go and have a word wi’ schoolmistress and see what she says, shall we? Mebbe on Monday when we tek Robin?’
‘Molly’s coming wi’ me on Monday,’ Susan broke in, holding dirty plates in her hand. ‘I’m visiting a friend and Molly’s invited.’
‘I don’t want to,’ Molly pouted. ‘I don’t like visiting; nobody speaks to
