Daisy sat down opposite him. ‘That sounds interesting.’
‘The landlord of the village pub has fishing tackle he wants to sell. I’m going to take a look at it and make him an offer.’
‘Do you know anything about fishing, Uncle?’
‘Not a thing, but I’m eager to learn. It would give me something to do and put food on the table. We have to be careful with the pennies now that I’ve retired from the business.’ He stood up and stretched. ‘That was an excellent breakfast. Everyone should have a good start to the day.’ He headed for the door. ‘If your aunt says anything, tell her I had to leave early or I might not get what I want.’
Daisy smiled and nodded as he left the room. She had never seen her uncle so enthusiastic about anything.
The door had hardly closed when it opened again to admit her aunt.
‘Really, he’s like an excited child,’ Eleanora said crossly. ‘He’ll spend money on a fishing rod and it will be thrilling for five minutes. He’ll change his mind when he spends hours on the river-bank and catches nothing other than a cold.’
‘He might enjoy it, Aunt. And Hattie can cook the fish he brings home.’
Eleanora went to the sideboard and filled a bowl with porridge. ‘I have so little appetite these days,’ she said as she took her seat and reached for the sugar bowl. ‘Pass the cream, please, Daisy.’
Daisy did as she asked and sat back, nibbling a slice of buttered toast as she watched her aunt spoon porridge laced with cream and sugar into her mouth.
‘Thank goodness Hattie came with us,’ Eleanora said, scraping the last morsels from the bowl. She licked the spoon with obvious enjoyment. ‘She is such a good cook.’
‘It was kind of you to take Linnet on. She’s a bright girl and eager to learn.’ Daisy eyed her aunt warily. So far so good. ‘Do you intend to make her position permanent?’
‘We have certain standards to keep up, and I can hardly expect Hattie to do all the work. She’d pack up and return to London in a blink of an eye.’
Encouraged, Daisy leaned forward, giving her aunt a persuasive smile. ‘Then perhaps Linnet ought to be given a room of her own. There’s a small one in the attic, next to Hattie’s.’
Eleanora reached for a small brass bell and rang it. ‘If you say so, dear. I haven’t been up there myself, but it does make sense to have the girl living in, and it will take some of the burden from Hattie.’
‘That’s a yes, then?’
‘I said so, didn’t I?’ Eleanora was about to ring the bell again when Linnet burst into the room.
‘You rang, missis?’
‘You are supposed to knock,’ Eleanora said firmly. ‘And you address me as Mrs Marshall or ma’am.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Linnet placed a plate of crisp bacon and two fried eggs in front of Eleanora. ‘Is there anything else, ma’am?’
‘Yes, Linnet. My niece tells me that you will be happy to live in. There’s a room next to Hattie’s that you may use. Daisy will help you to make it comfortable.’
Linnet’s cheeks flushed and her eyes shone with delight. ‘Ta, ever so, missis. I mean, thank you, ma’am.’
‘That’s all. You may go.’
‘Yes, ma’am.’ Linnet gave Daisy a radiant smile as she hurried past her and almost ran from the room.
‘She’ll have to learn a few manners, but she’ll do. One can’t expect town polish in a backwater like Little Creek.’ Eleanora picked up her knife and fork and began to attack the bacon with a determined look on her face.
‘I was wondering …’ Daisy began tentatively.
‘What, dear? Don’t start a sentence and let it hang in the air.’
‘Well, I know how kind-hearted you are, and Linnet’s younger brother had an accident yesterday. Dr Neville and I happened to be passing and we took him home. Jack had broken his arm and he was very brave when Dr Neville was treating him.’ Warming to her subject Daisy leaned across the table. ‘The family are so poor, Aunt. You can’t imagine how they live. Their cottage is damp and in a dreadful state of disrepair. Mr and Mrs Fox are both ill with chest complaints and they have barely enough to feed them, let alone a sick child.’
Eleanora looked up from her plate, frowning. ‘It’s sad, but that’s how the lower orders live, Daisy. There are plenty of poor people in London who are living in even worse conditions. We can’t look after them all.’
‘No, of course, not,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘But I was wondering if Jack might stay here for a week or two, just until his bones mend. Dr Neville thinks it would be a very good thing.’
‘Does he indeed? Then perhaps Dr Neville ought to take the boy into his house and look after him. Hattie tells me that Creek Hall is huge. She had it from someone she met in the village whose sister used to work for the old doctor.’
‘Nick can’t afford the upkeep of the hall, Aunt. He thinks he might have to return to London, or find a practice elsewhere. He might even have to sell his old home.’
‘That is a pity, but there’s nothing we can do about it, dear.’ Eleanora reached for a slice of toast, broke off a shard and dipped it in the egg yolk. She ate it with relish. ‘You ought to have a cooked breakfast, Daisy. You’re all skin and bone as it is, and in this weather you need a bit of flesh on your bones.’
‘I had a big meal at Creek Hall last evening, Aunt. Mrs Bee is an excellent cook.’
‘I’m sure Hattie is the better of the two.’
‘Oh, undoubtedly,’ Daisy said tactfully. ‘But what about young Jack? I can imagine Toby might have been like him when he was younger.’
Eleanora hesitated with the toast halfway to her lips, and Daisy knew she had scored a point in Jack’s favour. Toby was her aunt’s favourite – she had always known that, but it had never bothered her. Toby had a way with him that women of all ages found irresistible.
‘How old is the boy?’ Eleanora popped the toast into her mouth.
‘He’s about nine or maybe ten. I didn’t ask, but all he needs is a comfortable bed and good food. He’s very undernourished. I would hate to think of Toby suffering like that.’
‘Your uncle and I have given our lives to rearing you and your brother. Never let it be said that I turned my back on a child in need. You may bring him here and he can stay until his broken bones knit together, but then he must return to his family. I want that clear from the start.’
‘Yes, absolutely, Aunt. If it’s all right with you I’ll go and tell Dr Neville the good news and I’ll leave it to him to persuade Mr and Mrs Fox that it’s the best thing for their son.’
Eleanora eyed her speculatively. ‘I suppose a doctor could earn a comfortable living, in the right place. It’s a respectable profession.’
‘Yes, Aunt.’ Daisy knew better than to argue. She rose from the table. ‘I’ll set off for the hall. It’s stopped snowing and the sun is shining. Perhaps a thaw has set in.’
‘One can but hope.’ Eleanora buttered another slice of toast. ‘I must persuade your uncle to buy a pony and trap. Life would be much more pleasant if one could drive out once a week or so. I miss the shops and the bustle of London, and I doubt if I’ll ever get used to living in the country.’
Daisy had no answer to this and she hurried from the room. She went to the kitchen where she found Hattie seated at the table, enjoying a cup of tea and a slice of toast, while Linnet washed the dishes in the stone sink.
‘My