Free Miss Mary Martha Crawford by Yelena Kopylova

mean
    straightening the business out. And they won't sell the chandler's
    right away, so a few more weeks won't make very much difference no
    matter where you are."
    You really think I should go? It. it won't look bad? " His reaction was that of a young boy being released from some obnoxious chore, and she smiled faintly at him as she said, " No, of course not. "
    "And you'll go and see him... Great-Uncle?"
    "Yes. Yes, I'll go."
    He held out his hand to her, saying, "Oh, thanks, thanks, Martha," and as she took it she thought. He's a child; they're all still
    children.
    "When will you go?" He was on his feet now straightening his cravat.
    He had the look of someone in a hurry to begin a journey. He's not
    sorrowing for Father in the slightest degree, she thought. But perhaps there was an excuse for him, he had been away to school since he was nine years old and only met his father when home for the holidays,
    which periods got shorter as he grew older for it had become a habit for him to spend both the beginning and the end of his holidays with his friend Arnold. It was strange that never once had he invited his friend back to the house. All they knew about this Arnold was that his father was a prosperous business man in Scarborough.
    She answered him now, saying, "As soon as the roads clear sufficiently to get the trap to the station."
    "And you'll write me?"
    "Yes, yes, as soon as I have any news I'll write to you." He said now generously, "I don't know what we'd do without you, Martha. It's odd, but you're not like a sister at all, you're more like a mother.... Yes, you are."
    He stressed the last words as if he were defending his statement
    against her denial, but she did not smile at his intended compliment.
    In four days' time she'd be twenty. She was young and not unlovely;
    no, she was not unlovely; but here she was being taken for a mother, and was likely to go on being a mother in name only unless. She
    checked her thoughts, but not quite. When she returned from Newcastle, whatever news she had, she'd stay a while in Hexham and pay a visit to the bookshop . and Mr. Ducat.

CHAPTER FOUR
    she sat with the reins in her hands ready to go. Nancy held Gip's head and murmured to the animal who was fresh and eager to be off. Mildred stood by the step of the trap, her face tight as she looked up at
    Martha and said, 'you could have let me come with you. "
    "I told you, someone must be with Aunt Sophie, Nancy couldn't manage alone."
    "Ooh!" Mildred tossed her head and her glance now took in Dilly and Peg who were standing to the side of her, and it said, "What about these two?"
    Dilly now stepped forward and tucked the rug more firmly around
    Martha's legs, then patted her knee as she said, Take care now, lass, it's a long journey. God go with you. "
    "Don't worry--' Martha smiled down into the wrinkled face 'the roads are nearly all clear now." "Tisn't the roads I'm thinkin' of, lass, it's that train. To my mind it's like ridin' a roarin' lion. And all that way into Newcastle an' all She shook her head.
    "I wouldn't mind me self goin' on a train." Bright-eyed Peg voiced her secret desire only to be stamped on by Dilly, saying, "It'll be under one you'll end up, me girl. Come to a bad end you will with your
    wants. Your wants 'ud fill a paddock an' come up weeds." Whilst Dilly was propounding her usual prophecy. Peg began to nod her head and,
    keeping perfect time with Dilly, mouthed the words 'an' come up weeds'; then she let out a high giggle but checked it almost immediately with her hand tight across her mouth. Eeh! it was no time to laugh, with
    her master hardly cold an' the blinds still drawn. But as
    the trap moved away she added her voice to the rest, shouting
    "Good-bye, Miss Martha Mary. Good-bye, Miss Martha Mary' as if Miss Martha Mary was going on a holiday, or at least a jaunt. It was no
    unusual thing for Martha to drive the horse and trap into Hexham. She had never gone there so early in the morning, but she