Free The Girl with the Creel by Doris Davidson Page B

surprise to her daughter. ‘I didn’t know you’d ever sold fish. Were you ashamed of it? Was that why you hid the picture?’
    â€˜Aye, I was ashamed. I wasna brought up to earn my living. My father was like Willie Alec; he didna believe in lassies going out to work. But he was a terrible drinker and he died wi’ some disease on his liver when I was sixteen, and Mother pined that much, she passed on less than three weeks after him. Lou got the house in Rannas Place and I was to get the money, but there was hardly nothing left when the funerals was paid for. Lou’d been going steady wi’ Jockie Flett, so they got wed, but they couldna afford to keep me for nothing, and … well, Mother’s old creel was still in the loft, and Lou said I could easy sell fish round the doors like Mother did when she was single. I didna argue, for Lou was aye a lot stronger than me.’
    â€˜Selling fish round the doors wasn’t a disgrace,’ Lizann said, gently.
    â€˜I was just a hawker, and the country folk looked down on me.’
    â€˜You just imagined that.’
    â€˜Then Willie Alec … well, he took a fancy to me, and after we got wed, he got … a man he ken’t to draw that picture of me.’
    Detecting a faint unease in her mother now, Lizann asked, ‘Who was he, the man that drew you?’
    Hannah’s eyes darted away. ‘He was … ach … he was just somebody your father ken’t.’
    â€˜Did you not know him?’
    â€˜Not till Willie Alec took him to the house after we was married.’
    Her mother’s patent reluctance to talk about it only made Lizann want to hear more. ‘You must have got to know him when you posed for him.’
    Clearly embarrassed, Hannah refused to be drawn out any further. ‘Your father hung it up above the fireplace, but I didna like being reminded of … of things, so when he was at sea one time, I put it away.’
    Sensing a mystery here, Lizann said, ‘But he must have noticed …?’
    â€˜He ken’t why.’
    Lizann gave up. ‘Can I take it and hang it up in my room?’
    â€˜Ach, do what you want wi’ it!’
    When Lizann had placed the picture to her satisfaction, she stood back to admire it. It looked as if the artist had thought a lot of her mother … maybe loved her, but it would have been all on his side, for she had never looked at any man but Willie Alec, everybody said that. She would have sent this other man packing and had hidden the picture because it reminded her of him … or had she been drawn to him in spite of herself?
    Wishing she knew the truth, Lizann reflected that whatever the story behind the picture, she would treasure it for ever.
    When she returned to the kitchen her mother tutted irritably. ‘Ach, I should have got another bag o’ flour yesterday, though I’d have had plenty for this pie if your father hadna wanted scones last night.’
    â€˜I’ll go and get some.’ Putting on her coat, Lizann opened the door and stepped out into the frosty January air. The new year of 1930 had started very cold.
    â€˜Lizann!’
    Her heart started palpitating at the sound of the familiar voice, and, praying that her ears hadn’t deceived her, she spun round. ‘George!’ she exclaimed in wonder. ‘What are you doing here?’
    â€˜I’ve come to see you.’
    â€˜What about Katie? Does she know?’
    â€˜I broke off with her. What about you and Peter?’
    The bubble burst. ‘I’ve promised to marry him.’ She couldn’t back out now, not when all their friends and relations knew they were engaged.
    There was a pause before he said, ‘Congratulations! And I hope you’ll be very happy together.’
    Although it was heartily said, Lizann could tell he was downcast, and when he made to walk away, she grabbed at his arm. ‘You can’t go just like