Pauper's Gold Read Online Free

further,’ Hannah said briskly, trying to inject some encouragement into her tone. But they’d gone only a few yards further when they came to a
crossroads. The lane to the left led to the farm, but they’d no idea which of the other two roads they should take.
    ‘Which way now?’ Luke asked
    ‘I don’t know.’ Perplexed, Hannah glanced this way and that.
    ‘Let’s ask at the farm,’ Luke suggested. ‘They’ll know where the mill is.’
    Hannah pulled a face, reluctant to knock on a stranger’s door, unsure of the welcome that four workhouse brats would receive. ‘All right then,’ she agreed diffidently, aware of
how tired they all were. They were hungry and thirsty too. She turned and frowned at the two boys behind her. ‘But just you two mind you behave yourselves.’
    They grinned up at her with identical saucy expressions. ‘Yes, miss,’ they chorused.
    The four of them trooped through the gate, the boys closing it carefully behind them. ‘You always have to shut gates on a farm,’ Luke said.
    ‘Oh – yes – right,’ Hannah nodded. She wasn’t sure why it was necessary. There was no one about in the yard but, again, she didn’t argue.
    As they neared the back door, there was a scuffle, and a black and white collie appeared out of a kennel set to one side of the back door and began to bark.
    Jane gave a terrified scream and clutched at Hannah’s skirt, hiding behind her. Even the two boys took a couple of steps backwards. Hannah too jumped, but she pulled in a deep breath and
held out her hand. ‘Here, boy. Good dog. Nice dog.’
    ‘He might not be as nice as you think,’ Luke muttered. ‘He’s a sheepdog. A working dog.’
    ‘And a guard dog,’ Daniel added.
    But the animal ceased its barking, whined, wagged its tail and licked Hannah’s outstretched hand.
    ‘Well, would you look at that!’ Luke grinned at her. ‘Charm the birds off the trees, you could.’
    In the workhouse, males, females, girls and boys had been strictly separated, but on the few occasions they had glimpsed one another, Hannah and Luke had liked what they’d seen. And now
here they were, having travelled together all day, standing outside the back door of a farmhouse seeking help.
    ‘Go on then,’ Luke encouraged. ‘Get on with it.’
    Hannah glanced at the other three as she raised her hand to knock, seeing a mixture of trepidation and hope on their weary, pinched faces. It was exactly how she felt as she turned to face
whoever should open the door.
    They heard heavy footsteps and then the door was pulled open. A tall, well-built, red-faced woman wearing a white bib apron stood looking down at them.
    ‘Come away in.’ She smiled and held the door wider open.
    It seemed they were expected, yet Hannah still hesitated. ‘Is this the mill?’
    ‘Lord bless you, no. This is Rushwater Farm. The mill’s further on . . .’ She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. ‘Along this road.’ Her smile broadened so that her
round cheeks almost made her eyes close. ‘I guessed that’s where you’re heading. I’m used to youngsters coming to my door. Eh, dear me—’ She shook her head and
her smile faded. ‘If I’d a pound for every child who’s knocked at my door to be fed, I’d be a wealthy woman.’
    ‘Oh, we . . . we only wanted to ask the way. We weren’t sure, you see, which road—’ Hannah began.
    ‘Come along in, all of you,’ the woman stood back and beckoned. A mouth-watering smell wafted from her kitchen and the two boys, forgetting their promise to Hannah, pushed
forward.
    Drawn by her own hunger and encouraged by the woman’s kindly, beaming face, Hannah stepped over the threshold. Jane, still clutching Hannah’s hand, followed.
    ‘Sit down, sit down. You’ve had a long journey, I’ll be bound, sitting in Bert Oldfield’s draughty cart.’
    The four children gaped at her. ‘How . . . how did you know . . . ?’ Hannah began, but the woman chuckled. ‘You’re from Macclesfield