Hannah
When Mary had gone back into her house, I decided that I would go to the shop at the end of the road, not that I needed anything in particular, but just to see if I could find out from anyone else more about what this party on Sunday was about. And it meant that I would be walking by Horatio’s house, and just maybe I would see someone from his family too. He would be working of course.
I called my daughter Annie who is nearly nine now. She is on Whit Holiday from school and just came back from a party of local children held at the Congregational Church in Marple Bridge.  “I’m going down to the Lane Ends shop, Annie. Do you want to go with me?”
“Yes, Mamma. Maybe you will buy me some sweets.”
“I’d have thought you’d have had your fill at that party you just went to. And who else was there?”
“There was a boy called Jack Oldfield. He goes to Mellor School. He told us a very funny story. He said he had the job of fetching water for the school for one week (from the well). One time he got fed up, and saw a big toad and put it in the kettle, and brewed the school master's tea with it, but made the ladies with clean water. He says he told the master that he put a toad in your tea. He said, ‘Have I been drinking that?’ and gave Jack a good belting in front of all the children, so Jack knocked the board down and busted his toe for him.”
“Goodness me. That sounds a rough school. Who else was there?”
“There was a girl called Jessie Courtney and she goes to St. Martin’s School. Miss Hudson from Brabyns Hall visits the school a lot. She says Miss Hudson gave her a prize for being able to read the scriptures. And she says that Miss Hudson promised there would be tea parties at Christmas. I really liked her. I wish I could go to St. Martin’s School.”
“Weren’t there any children from your school there?”
“No, but there was a boy from St. Paul’s in Compstall. He’s called John Holdon. He was telling us about his teacher, Miss Millington. He said she goes to St. Paul's Church on Sunday to ask God to give her strength to wallop her boys on Monday. Not only that but sometimes she keeps the children in standing on forms with their hands on their heads and for hardly doing anything wrong at all.”
“Do those sorts of things happen at your school?”
“Well the boys sometimes get the ruler, but I never have.”
“Thank goodness for that. Well, what a long trek this is.”
“Can I go on the Whit walk on Friday? The others were telling me about it. There will be the local brass band, and there will be banners and flags, and we children will walk all around the grounds to Green Hill, stopping to sing at places.”
“I’m sorry Annie, but Catholic children don’t take part with those from the Anglican church schools. I wouldn’t mind but your teachers and Father McSweeney would.”
“It’s not fair that adult religion problems have to be taken out on children, “ she said bitterly, but I knew she would respect my wishes.
The public house which also served as the neighbourhood shop is quite a walk for us, well over a mile along the twisty road. Our house is such a distance from the main crossroads, but we have been happy there, despite it being so far from civilisation. It’s been ten years now since Benjamin died, but luckily when his farm was sold, it realised a pretty penny and we are not short of funds. . Not that my family would not help us out if the need arose. They are so pleased to have another Annie in the family - and we named her after my sister Annie, who died young. Our Annie was only a toddler when Benjamin died, so she doesn’t really remember him. Maybe Mary is right, and I should be thinking of getting married again. But Horatio already has a wife, so I can’t expect him to be much use in that regard.
Not half way there, we came across Alice Higham, who appeared to be on her way back from the shop, with her bags full of groceries.
“Good day, Alice,” I said. “Looks like you have just come from where we are going.”
“Yes, I have, and these bags are way too full. I get greedy when I see all the fruits this time of the year and have overestimated my own strength.”
“Why don’t you have Annie help you to your house, then. She can take two of those smaller bags and I will call by your house on the way home to pick her up.  I’m sure she would be pleased for a short play with your children too.”
“I have left them under the care of the younger Simpson girl today. They’re on short time at the mill.”
“Well, I will leave you to your task of getting your load home.  See you in half an hour or so.”
So Mrs. Higham and Annie carried on back up the hill while I continued down. I had wanted to mention the party and ask if Alice had had an invitation, but knew that as she had been out at the time when ours had been delivered, chances are that it would be there at home waiting for her and I could check on her return trip when I picked up Annie.
I looked into Horatio’s garden as I walked by, and saw the French maid hanging clothes out in the back. It’s nice to know that hoity-toity madam wears the same sort of knickers as the rest so us, I thought, smiling to myself.  Maybe I would see something more of Horatio’s family on my return trip.
The pub cum shop was not busy when I entered. It was the only place nearby to get groceries. The rich, which I have to consider myself to be numbered amongst,  who have a means of transport can make the trip down the hill to the Compstall Co-operative where there is a much better selection and the prices are more competitive, but most of the locals have little choice in the matter.
“And how are you today, Mrs. Harrison?” asked Emma with a crisp manner. Ah, she knows who I am, even if I wasn’t sure who she was, I thought.
“Fine thank you Miss Steward, and yourself?”
“Fine, thank you. And what can I get for you today?”
“I think I will get some of those black currants and make jam with them. Are they local?”
“Yes, of course, we get most of our fruits and vegetables from the big farm at Strines, Turf Lea. You know the story I expect about how the man there bought £500 worth of currant trees, 10,000 of them,, and he thought that he was going to make his fortune selling the berries to India but he didn’t quite manage that. He reckoned if each tree produced three lbs of fruit at fourpence per lb. this would return the first cost in one year, and he would soon reap a large revenue, but it was not to be. But this has been a good year for them. More sun than many years.”
“And may I ask, Miss Steward, have you and your brother heard about the party planned for Sunday by the Whittingtons?”
“Not only heard, but had an invite ourselves. What a surprise that was. I was all for saying no, but my brother Herbert thought it might be something important that we should hear about, you know.”
“What sort of important?”
“Well, he is the richest and most influential man in this area. Ask yourself - why is he inviting us to his house? Not because he wants us to socialise with his Mrs, you can be sure of that. He has hardly spoken a word to  my brother who lives just two houses down. No, he has something up his sleeve, in my mind. Something that will benefit himself somehow, and might well not be so very good for the rest of us. I am staying to tend the store and Herbert and his wife Elizabeth and their son will be going so that we know exactly what he has in his mind.”
“You don’t think it is a birthday party or something like that then?”
“Never would the likes of them invite us to a birthday party. Would you invite them to yours?”
“No, I suppose not, but I couldn’t find any other reason for them to invite us all. I thought perhaps they just wanted to have a neighbourhood gathering - to get to know us better.”
“They are very snooty when they come in here, not that that happens often. They have no wish to get to know us better - can’t wait to get out to get the stench out of their nostrils. No, it won’t be a friendly happy event, I can guarantee that.”
“Well, how much do I owe you for the blackcurrants now? I had best get back and tell my neighbour Mary Thornley that we should be getting worried rather than excited about Sunday.  Thank you Miss Steward. I will be seeing you again soon. Let’s hope that things are better than you anticipate on Sunday.”
“Thank you, Mrs. Harrison. That will be six pence for those you have there. You don’t work with people like I have without getting a nose for something like this, and I will promise you this, that man and his fancy wife are not planning on being your best friends.”
I put the currants into the bag I had brought for the purpose, and walked quickly back up the hill, my mind full of potential troubles that might now be the reason for Sunday’s gathering. Although I have no interest in getting to know Horatio’s wife, it will be interesting to see what she is really like. I have only caught a glimpse of her at Mass, along with her mother and the mother’s French maid. But she must have some good qualities, or why else would Horatio have chosen to marry her?
When I stopped in to pick up Annie, I found as expected that Alice’s family had been also given an invitation, and was very pleased about it. “Miss Steward says that she and her brother expect that the purpose is not a pleasant one, Alice. She thinks that the Whittingtons wouldn’t want to socialise with us just for the sake of it.”
“Did she say something specific about what it might be?”
“No, only that she senses it when something is amiss, and she feels this is one of those. Come Annie, let’s hurry home now. Thank Mrs. Higham for having you.”
“No indeed, it is me who must be thanking her for rescuing me with my heavy burden on the trip home. Do come again to play with my Ethel and Stanley. You are always welcome.”