Free The Harbour Girl by Val Wood Page A

there?’
    ‘No. At least – yes.’ Jeannie felt regret that her long friendship with Ethan was broken and she burst into tears.
    ‘What is it, lassie? Something’s wrong. Can you not tell me about it?’
    ‘I saw Harry again yesterday.’ Jeannie saw the question on her mother’s face. ‘I met him last year, remember? He came looking for me after work yesterday. He wants us to be married, Ma.’ He didn’t actually say will you marry me, she thought. But that’s what he meant. ‘And I want to.’ She wiped her wet cheeks. ‘And Ethan saw us together and came over and I introduced them and that’s why Ethan came just now. He wanted to know about him, and – and I told him and he’s upset.’
    She began to cry again. ‘I didn’t want to hurt Ethan, but what could I do? He said that he thought – that he thought that he and I would get married when I was old enough. But Ma, he never ever said! He took it for granted that I knew. And I didn’t.’ She wept. ‘I didn’t.’
    Her mother sat down. ‘And are you sure that you want to marry this Harry? Are you sure that he hasn’t sweet-talked you? Is he going to come and see me? Cos you know you can’t be married without my say-so.’
    Jeannie snuffled. ‘I know, and he said he would come and see you, but I wanted to think about it first. And I have thought about it and I do.’
    Her mother took a breath. ‘So,’ she said slowly. ‘When is he coming again so that we can talk about it? You’re only just sixteen, Jeannie. It’s a big step to take with someone you hardly know. What do you know about his background, his family? Is he in regular work? All these things might not seem important when you meet someone you think is special, but believe me they are when you’re bound to someone for the rest of your life.’
    ‘He didn’t say when,’ Jeannie said. ‘It’ll be when he has another day off, I expect. He’s a fisherman. We know what it’s like. If there’s fishing to do then that’s what they do. He has to earn a living.’
    But it was different in Hull, from what she had gathered. The fishermen of Scarborough were mostly self-employed, or at least if they didn’t own their own boat they often had a share in one. In Hull, so she had heard, there were big companies with several vessels and men were employed to work them. They were also away for longer periods, sailing to Arctic waters for deep-sea fishing.
    The joy she should have felt was somehow eroded because of Ethan’s misery, and although she didn’t try to avoid him they didn’t meet, not even accidentally. She still went about her daily business and joined her mother down by the harbour as before, but her path never seemed to cross Ethan’s.
    ‘Have you seen Ethan, Ma?’ she asked one night. ‘I want to talk to him. I still want us to be friends.’
    ‘I don’t think that’ll happen, Jeannie,’ her mother said quietly. ‘He’s hurt. He’s licking his wounds. He’ll talk to you when he’s ready.’
    One morning Mary saw Josh and called him over. ‘There’s trouble between our bairns,’ she said.
    ‘Is there?’ Josh looked puzzled. ‘Is that why Ethan’s like a bear with a sore head? I’ve not had a word out of him for days.’
    Mary told him the story as she knew it as she continued knotting and splicing the net on her knee. Josh crouched down beside her.
    ‘I always thought that they—’
    ‘Aye, so did he, but ne’er a word to Jeannie. This is the trouble, Josh,’ she said, glancing at him. ‘If nothing is said how is anyone to know?’
    He straightened up. ‘It’s been hard, Mary. Very hard, bringing up bairns without a mother. A double tragedy for Ethan, losing Mark on the same day. No wonder he says so little.’ His face softened. ‘And my poor Susan, she’s lost her childhood trying to be a ma to the little ones, and raising Stephen.’
    ‘She has,’ Mary agreed, and wondered if Josh had ever noticed the occasions when she had looked after his