Remembrance Day Read Free

is going on, Arkie?’ she said, storming past the parlour maid, and looking to Mrs Arkholme, the housekeeper, standing at the foot of the stairs, wringing her hands.
    ‘I’m sorry, Lady Hester, but it’s Master Angus. He’s had an accident in the Foss…I took the liberty of calling Dr Mac. He’s with him now.’
    ‘Why wasn’t I summoned? You knew where I was…Those Board of Guardians meetings at the workhouse are such a waste of time.’
    ‘Beg pardon, ma’am, but there wasn’t time.’
    Hester raced up the stairs, tripping over her long silk skirt, her heart thumping and the wretched sweats making her cheeks flush like rouge. This was no time for her usual decorum.
    Angus was lying on his bed, his face swollen and bruised and his eyes shut. There were stitches on his left temple.
    Hester turned to her other son. ‘What happened this time?’
    Guy muttered the whole story about Angus going too high, the village boys warning him and his mistimed dive. ‘If the Bartleys hadn’t been there, and their sister, I dread to think…It was awful, Mother, and I was useless.’
    Angus opened his eyes sheepishly, sighed and went back to sleep.
    ‘Now don’t get your mother in a state, young man,’ ordered the doctor. ‘It’s no’ as bad as it looks. He’s a wee bit concussed and shaken, but lots of rest and sleep will sort him out in no time.’
    ‘He ought to be in hospital,’ said Hester, examining her son closely. Mackenzie was a fool, in her eyes, driving around in his car like a lord, living above his means with his silly wife called Amaryllis, for goodness’ sake, and far too friendly with the natives. She would get a second opinion.
    ‘Hospital would be fine if it weren’t twenty miles away. Movement and sudden jerks would be unwise. Rest, but no sleeping draughts, mind, just in case.’
    ‘In case of what?’ she demanded.
    ‘If he’s sick and drowsy after tomorrow I want to know, but give the laddie a chance to settle himself. Natureknows best. He’s had a lucky escape. Yon Foss has seen a fair few into the next world. Ah, but boys will be boys…the wee devils!’
    ‘Thank you, Doctor. You will call later,’ she ordered.
    ‘Of course, Lady Hester. Do you want a nurse?’
    ‘That won’t be necessary. I shall see to my son myself.’
    ‘The colonel is abroad, I hear,’ said the doctor, packing up his Gladstone bag.
    ‘That is correct. I shall inform him immediately.’ She was not going to endure his presence a moment longer, but he turned to Guy, who stood pale-faced by the window.
    ‘You look like you need a brandy, young man. How old are you now? How time flies, and you so tall already…Don’t worry, Angus’ll live to plague the life out of you for a while longer. He’s done far worse falling off his horse.’
    How dare he be so familiar with her son? ‘Arkie, show Dr Mackenzie to the door. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of patients waiting.’
    ‘Funnily enough, I’m quiet. It’s too braw a day to be sick and I’ve sewn up all the cut fingers at haytiming, but if it stays this hot, the old folk’ll peg out if they’re daft enough to go walking midday.’
    ‘Yes, quite,’ Hester sighed. Would the fool ever go? ‘Goodbye, Doctor.’ She waved him away, then pulled down the window blinds to stop the sunlight shining on Angus’s face. ‘Ask Shorrocks to organise a bath, Guy—it’ll ease out any stiffness—and I’ll get Cook to send you up a coddled egg and soldiers.’
    ‘Mother, don’t fuss, I’m fine…Angus was just showing off as usual. He can be such a chump.’
    ‘I turn my back for five minutes and you get up to mischief again.’
    ‘We’re not babies. It was so hot and we just fancied a swim.’
    ‘What were those village brats doing on my land?’
    ‘You know everyone plays in the Foss when it’s warm. It’s tradition.’
    ‘Not while we’re in residence for the summer, they don’t. I shall speak to the Parish Council.’
    ‘Oh, Mother, the