Free Pauper's Gold by Margaret Dickinson

began to climb, pulling her after him. ‘From up here you can see all the mill and some of the village.’
    They climbed, puffing and panting, until they gained a narrow path running along the hillside overlooking the mill. Far below them now, it seemed small. They walked on along the sheep tracks,
climbing higher.
    They stood a moment to catch their breath.
    ‘That way,’ Joe waved to their right, ‘is up to the Wyedale Arms.’
    ‘We saw that the day we came,’ Luke said.
    Joe ignored him as if he hadn’t spoken. ‘And the other way,’ he pointed in the opposite direction, ‘leads to another mill about a couple of miles away.’
    ‘Another mill!’
    ‘Yeah. You can walk to it by a path on the other side of the mill pool.’ He squeezed Hannah’s hand and lowered his voice. ‘I’ll show you that another time.
It’s a lovely walk by the river. Very quiet and peaceful.’ He glanced about him and then added, ‘But we ought to go back now. If we’re late for dinner, we’ll all be in
trouble.’
    ‘Don’t expect you will be, though,’ Luke sparred. ‘Not with Mrs Bramwell, anyway.’
    Colour suffused the other boy’s face. ‘Have it your own way then,’ he muttered moodily and looked directly at Hannah. ‘I was only thinking of you. You’ve been in
trouble already, haven’t you?’
    Hannah lifted her face to the sunshine, closing her eyes and luxuriating in the feel of the breeze on her face, rippling through her hair. ‘You’re right, Joe. But it’s so
lovely out here. It’s almost worth risking a spell in the punishment room just for an hour or two of freedom.’
    ‘Well, I’m going back now.’ Joe let go of Hannah’s hand. ‘I don’t fancy a beating from Mr Bramwell. You lot can please yourselves.’ He thrust his hands
in his pockets, turned and began to walk back the way they had come.
    Worriedly, Daniel said, ‘Come on. We ought to do what he says.’
    ‘I’m not going back just ’cos he says so,’ Luke scoffed. ‘Come on, Hannah, let’s walk a bit further. It’s a great view from up here. Much better
than walking on the road. You can see everything.’
    ‘I don’t think we ought to,’ Daniel murmured, frowning.
    Now it was Luke who grasped her hand. ‘Well, you go, Dan. We’ll see you later,’ he called back cheerfully to his twin. Now – just as he’d wanted all along –
he had Hannah to himself.
    Joe Hughes had spent most of his life in the workhouse and then in the mill. Places where segregation was the rule. And although he was younger than Joe, from his early years spent on a farm
Luke, even at eleven years old, probably knew more about the natural instincts of animals – and human beings – than the older boy did. And Luke’s natural instinct was to contrive
to be alone with a pretty girl, to hold her hand, to put his arm around her. Even, if he was greatly daring, to kiss her.
    And the prettiest girl he’d ever seen in his life was walking beside him right now.
    ‘D’you like Joe?’ he asked her suddenly.
    ‘He’s all right,’ she said carefully. ‘Why? Don’t you like him?’
    Luke pulled a face. ‘He’s a bit of a know-all.’
    ‘Well, he’s been here a few years now. I think he’s only trying to be friendly.’
    ‘The other lads say he’s Mrs Bramwell’s favourite.’
    Hannah laughed. ‘That’s what Nell said an’ all.’
    Suddenly, Luke grinned. ‘Mind you, it might do us a bit of good – to be on his right side.’
    ‘Oh, Luke! How could you possibly think such a thing?’ Then she giggled deliciously. ‘But you could be right.’
    ‘Look,’ Luke said suddenly. ‘Isn’t that the Grundys’ farm down there?’
    ‘I think so. Yes, it’s near the crossroads, but doesn’t it look small from up here.’ She laughed. ‘And look at the cows in the field. They look like
ants.’
    ‘And look up there. Joe’s right, that is the Wyedale Arms where the carter dropped us off.’
    ‘Mm.’ Hannah’s voice was suddenly