Free The Innkeeper's Daughter by Val Wood Page A

‘I’ve been coming here for months and never thought to ask your name.’
    Bella felt a blush rise again on her face. ‘What’s yours, Mr—’
    ‘Lucan. Jamie Lucan,’ he said, ‘and your surname is Thorp, isn’t it? Your father told me, and of course the name is above the door. Do you work in the inn every night, or only on a Friday?’ He smiled as he spoke. ‘Seeing as that’s the only time I come.’
    ‘Every day,’ she said ruefully. ‘Joe and William are apprentices so they can’t be here during ’day; I had to give up school when my father became ill, so that I could help.’ Suddenly she felt like confessing; it seemed as if he might understand how she felt. ‘I wanted to stay on. I was a monitor in Standard VI. Miss Hawkins, my teacher, said that I could help with ’children, and – and …’ Was she fooling herself that she could have been a teacher? She had only been to a village school; she knew nothing.
    ‘You’d have been a teacher’s help,’ he said. ‘That would have been very satisfying, I’d have thought, and might even have led on to other things, like running a dame school.’ He glanced towards the door where Joe had gone out and lowered his voice. ‘But we can’t always do what we want, can we? It’s always down to our parents.’
    Bella had a startling thought as she recalled something her father had told her. ‘If you’re still at school, are you old enough to drink alcohol? Our licence—’
    ‘Oh yes,’ he said quite seriously, although she thought she saw amusement in his eyes. ‘I’m eighteen, or at least I will be next week. We’re allowed to have a glass of ale with our supper.’
    ‘Eighteen,’ she said thoughtfully. ‘And still at school!’
    ‘I finish in the summer,’ he explained. ‘And then, well, then I want to go to university. My master, Mr Sollitt, wants me to but my father has different ideas.’
    Joe came back then and another two customers followed him in and Bella had to finish her conversation with Jamie Lucan to attend to them. She saw him finish his drink and pick up his coat and put it on.
    She went over to him. ‘Goodbye, Mr Lucan,’ she said. ‘I hope you have a happy Christmas.’
    ‘Thank you,’ he said, and put out his hand to shake hers. ‘And the season’s greetings to you all too.’ He glanced in Joe’s direction. ‘I hope it isn’t too trying for your mother given the circumstances.’
    ‘We’ll do our best for her,’ she said, feeling a sense of loss. ‘But we’ve got Henry,’ she added. ‘He’ll keep us cheerful.’
    ‘Henry?’
    ‘My brother,’ she said. ‘The baby!’
    ‘Of course.’ He smiled. ‘He’ll be a comfort, I expect.’ He buttoned up his coat and adjusted his scarf. ‘See you next year.’
    After he had gone, Joe, who was leaning on the counter, gave a grin and whispered to her, ‘Told you he was a toff, didn’t I? Did you notice his coat? That wasn’t made by his ma from a length o’ second-hand cloth from ’pedlar!’
    Bella shook her head. She didn’t want to admit he was right, even if he was. ‘He’s a student,’ she said. ‘Like William said. He goes to Hull Grammar School.’
    ‘And you’ve been serving him liquor!’ Joe drew himself up. ‘Shame on you, Bella Thorp. You’ll be losing our licence.’
    ‘We won’t,’ she said hotly. ‘I checked. He’s eighteen.’ Too late she realized that Joe was baiting her as she saw his grin.
    ‘Tekken a fancy to him, haven’t you?’ he taunted her. ‘Fancy your chances there, do you?’
    ‘Not much of a chance, I’d say.’ Johnson, the former plumber, had overheard him and spoke up. ‘That’s Mr Lucan’s youngest son from over Hornsea way. I did some work for Mr Lucan a few years back, when I could still hold a wrench. Lad won’t remember me,’ he added. ‘But I remember him. Very polite, he was, and wanted to watch what we was doing. We was digging drains to tek water from ’roof. Big job, it was …’ He