‘No, he’s staying wi’ us for ’time being,’ he heard Peggy say. ‘Just until his ma sorts herself out.’
‘So who is he?’ one of the women asked. ‘Susan said that his mother had left him on his own.’
‘She hardly did that when she left him wi’ us,’ Peggy said sharply. ‘She knows where we are.’
‘She’ll not be wed, I suppose?’ another one said.
‘That’s neither here nor there,’ Peggy answered. ‘I’m happy to have him stay here for as long as he wants. Tea?’ she said. ‘Or coffee? There are shortbread biscuits on ’table.’
‘Oh, thanks, Peggy. You’re a marvel as always.’
After they had eaten a late dinner of cold goose and ham and re-heated mashed potatoes, turnips and carrots, then leftover Christmas pudding, Aaron took all the children for a walk to stretch their legs and get some fresh air.
‘Where to, then?’ he asked them as they headed down the track towards the estuary.
‘The river,’ Louisa and Molly said eagerly and Robin said, ‘Oh, yes please.’
‘It’s too far to walk,’ Emma complained. ‘I want to go home!’ Then Rosie said the same, adding, ‘Cos then we’ll have to walk back.’
‘No, we’re going out to give Gran a rest,’ Aaron told them. ‘She’s been very busy cooking and feeding everybody and she’s going to put her feet up for an hour while we’re out. You can have a piggy-back on ’way home, Rosie, but you’re big enough to walk, Emma. What shall we look for, Louisa?’
‘What will be flying in, Grandda?’ she asked. ‘Greylags? Or pink-footed geese? Plover?’
‘Greylags? Mebbe not; word is that they’ve been over-hunted and there’s not many about. Pink-feet, I reckon, and if we walk along ’bank we should see plover and shelduck, and we’ll listen for curlew, and a penny for who hears ’em first.’
‘Pink-feet?’ Robin queried. ‘What are they?’
‘Geese,’ Louisa giggled. ‘They’ve got pink legs and feet.’
‘Pink legs and feet!’ Robin exclaimed. ‘You’ll have to show me.’
‘We’ll hear them afore we see them,’ Molly said, anxious to impart her knowledge too. ‘Won’t we, Grandda?’
‘We certainly will; now come on, best feet forward.’ They soon reached the Humber bank and turned left to walk away from the village. ‘No playing about; Rosie and Molly, tek my hands, and ’rest of you come in front where I can see you.’
They walked past the lighthouse and the coastguard cottages, where Aaron acknowledged someone in one of the cottage windows; they climbed a few rough steps on to the river bank and walked along a well-trodden path. The wind was sharp here and everyone drew their scarves closer to their necks and the girls pulled their bonnets over their ears. Aaron was already wearing a tweed cap, and seeing that Robin hadn’t brought his he released one of his hands from Molly’s grasp, dug deep into his coat pocket and brought out a woolly hat.
‘Here you are, lad,’ he said, looking down at him. ‘You’ll find you’re much warmer with a hat on, even though you’ve got a thick head of hair.’
Robin took it gratefully. ‘I won’t forget another time,’ he said. ‘Not now that I’m living in the country.’
‘Aye, there’s generally a chill wind near an estuary, and we’re not that far from ’sea here at Paull,’ Aaron told him. ‘Not as ’crow flies, any road. Now then.’ He had spotted a horse and rider coming towards them. ‘Come inland a bit to let him pass. And keep still and quiet so that you don’t spook ’hoss.’
They all stood still as instructed, and as the rider drew abreast of him he lifted his crop. ‘Many thanks,’ he said. ‘Much obliged.’ Then he tightened the reins. ‘Mr Robinson, isn’t it?’
‘Aye, it is.’ Aaron looked up at the horseman. ‘Beggin’ your pardon, but have we met?’
‘Ralph Pearce,’ the man said. ‘Your Jack and I were friends when we were young. Not seen him lately. I suppose we’re both busy with business and families. How are they, he and his wife … Susan, isn’t it?’
It sounded as though mentioning Jack’s wife by name was almost an afterthought.
‘Aye, they’re all right. We’ve all enjoyed Christmas together.’
‘Ah! Jack and I got married about the same time.’ His gaze ran over the children. ‘I hadn’t realized he had a son.’
Aaron glanced at Robin and then up at the rider. ‘He hasn’t,’ he said. ‘This is a friend’s son come to stay wi’ us.’
‘Ah,’ he said again. ‘I’ve four sons. I imagine daughters are easier to manage.’ He gathered up the reins and prepared to move off. ‘Give my regards to Jack and his wife, and the season’s greetings to you, sir, and your family. Jenny,’ he added swiftly, ‘your daughter. Does she still live in Paull?’
‘No,’ Aaron answered brusquely. ‘She doesn’t. Good day to you.’
Aaron doesn’t like him, Robin thought perceptively as they walked on. He was being rather nosy, I think, asking questions. And that’s twice today that someone thought I was Jack’s son. Hah! Jack’s son. Jackson, that’s my new name, and he grinned to himself.
They walked on, and soon turned their backs on the Humber. ‘This will interest you, Robin,’ Aaron told him. ‘We’ll go and have a quick look at a site of history while we’re here. The girls have been many times but I’m sure they won’t mind showing it to you, and then we’ll head home, cos it’s getting much colder.’
And indeed it was; an icy wind was blowing off the estuary, and tossing the shining silver-steel wavecrests crashing against the river wall. ‘You’ve seen the lighthouse back there,’ Aaron went on, ‘except it’s in use as a telegraph office now since ’new lights were built further along ’river. There’s allus been a beacon here. Some were washed away, but what I wanted to show you was ’Paull Battery, built hundreds
