Free Miss Purdy's Class by Annie Murray Page B

accent.
    ‘Miss Purdy?’ Lucy whispered.
    ‘Yes, dear?’
    ‘Was it you brought me home?’
    Gwen nodded and saw the girl smile sleepily and her face was suddenly pretty. She could sense the man appraising her. Though he was standing slightly behind her, his presence was very powerful. She felt something coming from him that was abrasive, close to hostility, but it was not blatant enough for her to be sure and was belied by the teasing light in his eyes.
    ‘So you’re Miss Purdy,’ he said. ‘We’ve heard a fair bit about you.’
    ‘All good, I hope? Gwen Purdy.’ She turned and held out her hand, though she immediately felt somehow foolish for doing so.
    The man hesitated, then a strong, rough hand took hers and shook it. ‘I’m Daniel, Lucy’s brother.’
    ‘I see.’ Gwen smiled, surprised. ‘I took you for the man of the house.’
    Daniel Fernandez did not return the smile. ‘That I am when I’m here. There’s no one else.’
    Gwen felt very awkward because of the serious, unwavering way he was looking at her. The crutch somehow added to his dignity rather than undermining it.
    ‘Thank you for bringing our Lucy home.’
    ‘Not at all.’ To herself she sounded posh now and prim, and she was conscious of her bedraggled appearance. All this seemed to put her at a disadvantage. She felt like a foreigner in what was obviously a house of limited means. This room was evidently the family’s only living room behind the shop, so that although it was sparsely furnished – other than the armchair by the fireplace there was a table and three chairs, and a dilapidated dresser stacked with crocks – it also contained the gas cooker and shelves, with a small scullery beyond, and everyone seemed to be squeezed inside. The room was lit by gaslight and the mantles ‘pop-popped’ in the background. The Fernandez children stood round, silenced by the momentous, unheard-of event of a teacher calling at their house. Once more, the man did not smile. He sank down, balancing on the arm of Lucy’s chair.
    ‘So – you’ve come to see how the other half live then, is it? See how the world’s workers get by?’ His tone was jaunty, but somehow provocative as well. ‘You don’t sound as if you come from round here.’
    ‘My family live in Worcester.’
    ‘Nice town, Worcester. Been through there myself. Comfortable place, I’d say.’
    There was nothing in his words that was actually rude, but they were spoken as a challenge. Gwen saw he had decided to tease her. Despite the laughter in his eyes, it got under her skin.
    ‘You don’t sound local yourself.’ She met his stare defiantly. His eyes looked black in the poor light and to her bewilderment, as they faced each other, she felt the most peculiar sensation, as if all the hairs on her body were suddenly standing on end. She gave a shiver, then blushed, confused, feeling somehow that the man would sense the odd, electric sensation that had come over her. She was distracted by the sound of someone coming down the stairs, and then the door opened.
    ‘Daniel? What’s going on?’
    ‘It’s all right, Ma – it’s our Lucy, had another fit at school. This is her teacher, brought her home. Miss Purdy.’
    Mrs Fernandez was small in stature but wide and large breasted. She seemed like a larger person than she was. She had round, rosy cheeks and striking blue eyes, which Rosa had evidently inherited. She nodded at Gwen, looked across at Lucy and saw she was all right, then turned back to Gwen.
    ‘Miss Purdy?’ Her accent was as strong as her son’s and it only then dawned on Gwen that they were Welsh. Lucy, however, spoke with a Birmingham accent like nearly all the other children in the class. ‘Brought our Lucy back, is it? Very good of you. Very good. And you’re soaked to the skin. Duw , Daniel, what’re you thinking, not offering Miss Purdy a cup of tea for her trouble? Kettle’s nearly boiled – come on now. Where your manners? Rosa, bring Miss