wee lassie all smiles again, ye see if Ah don’t.”
Chapter 5
As Annie mopped up the tears and gently patted a soothing vinegar rag against Sheena’s temples, gradually the story ... or as much of it, as Sheena was prepared to divulge at that point came into the light of day. The moment Annie heard about Fergus’s latest romantic attachment, she was every bit as stunned as Sheena herself still was.
A puzzled frown on her face, Annie who always tried to have a kind word for everybody said, “Ah can scarcely believe this of Fergus Bell. Ah’ve known him since he was a wee boy, always thought him tae be a decent enough lad. But surely there’s more tae this story than ye’re telling me.”
Sheena drew back in surprise. “Jist how dae ye mean, Auntie?”
“Well, surely at some point recently ye must hae had a big row with him. Otherwise why else would he go and get betrothed in such haste tae another lassie?”
Unable to explain matters to herself, far less give a detailed account to someone else Sheena said, “No, Auntie, we had no row, no disagreement big or otherwise. Surely ye must realise that. Ye saw me all but dancing oot the door earlier today on ma way tae meet him ... remember ye and Uncle Eck, the pair of ye joked about the wonder of love’s young dream ... surely Ah didnae imagine that?”
Silence greeted this. More to break the uneasy silence rather than by way of any sort of explanation, Sheena said, “Anyway, her name is Maggie ... the girl he’s now promised tae.”
Annie frowned. “It’s ye he should be promised tae. Everybody roonaboot here already knows ye both for a courtin couple, so what’s all this nonsense about a girl called Maggie? Anyway, Maggie who? There’s mony a girl by that name here in Govan, dae we know her?”
“All Ah know is that she’s called Maggie ... Maggie something or other and she’s the adored only grandchild o the old weaver Fergus works for.”
As tears again threatened to overwhelm her, Annie held her close and murmured, “Cry as much as ye like, ma wee chookie hen, ye’ve had one helluva shock this day. He wisnae ma lumber, but truth be told, Ah’m as much in shock as ye yersel, hen.”
Finally when Sheena thought she could cry no more, Annie said, “Best face facts, hen, if he’s that fickle and free with his affections – mind ye, Ah’d hae thought better o Fergus Bell – but if he’s already changed his mind like the weather, it’s better noo before he puts the ring on yer finger and chains ye doon for life. Surely ye see that, hen? Better the heartbreak noo, rather than later, with a womanizing man playing fast and loose and with ye, his legally-wed wee wifie chained tae the hoose wi a dozen screaming, mewling, pukin bairns. That’s the reality o it, the other side of the coin, surely ye can appreciate that, Sheena?”
By the time Eck came home, Sheena had dried her tears.
Some days later and still holding to her secret, Sheena thought, Ah’m bound tae show at some point, but right now Ah still feel the same as Ah always hae done.
Later that week on her way to work, again by the recognised route as opposed to the back roads she had taken of late to avoid meeting up with Rab, that particular early morning, she again met Rab on his way home from a night shift at the mine. Not even his tired, coal-dust blackened face could hide his huge delight at seeing her.
He stopped her. “Ah’m no a great one for words, Sheena, no like my silver-tongued brother, Fergus, but if ye’d hear me oot ... noo that ye’re fancy-free again ... word on the street is that ye and Fergus had a blazing row and split up ... anyway, noo that ye’re fancy-free would ye mibbe … would ye like like … tae take a wee walk noo and again down by the riverside?”
Ah’ve had all Ah ever want of riverside walks and wet afternoons in derelict boat sheds, Sheena thought. But anxious to escape any awkward questions, or decisions to be made, Sheena nodded
Chapter 5
As Annie mopped up the tears and gently patted a soothing vinegar rag against Sheena’s temples, gradually the story ... or as much of it, as Sheena was prepared to divulge at that point came into the light of day. The moment Annie heard about Fergus’s latest romantic attachment, she was every bit as stunned as Sheena herself still was.
A puzzled frown on her face, Annie who always tried to have a kind word for everybody said, “Ah can scarcely believe this of Fergus Bell. Ah’ve known him since he was a wee boy, always thought him tae be a decent enough lad. But surely there’s more tae this story than ye’re telling me.”
Sheena drew back in surprise. “Jist how dae ye mean, Auntie?”
“Well, surely at some point recently ye must hae had a big row with him. Otherwise why else would he go and get betrothed in such haste tae another lassie?”
Unable to explain matters to herself, far less give a detailed account to someone else Sheena said, “No, Auntie, we had no row, no disagreement big or otherwise. Surely ye must realise that. Ye saw me all but dancing oot the door earlier today on ma way tae meet him ... remember ye and Uncle Eck, the pair of ye joked about the wonder of love’s young dream ... surely Ah didnae imagine that?”
Silence greeted this. More to break the uneasy silence rather than by way of any sort of explanation, Sheena said, “Anyway, her name is Maggie ... the girl he’s now promised tae.”
Annie frowned. “It’s ye he should be promised tae. Everybody roonaboot here already knows ye both for a courtin couple, so what’s all this nonsense about a girl called Maggie? Anyway, Maggie who? There’s mony a girl by that name here in Govan, dae we know her?”
“All Ah know is that she’s called Maggie ... Maggie something or other and she’s the adored only grandchild o the old weaver Fergus works for.”
As tears again threatened to overwhelm her, Annie held her close and murmured, “Cry as much as ye like, ma wee chookie hen, ye’ve had one helluva shock this day. He wisnae ma lumber, but truth be told, Ah’m as much in shock as ye yersel, hen.”
Finally when Sheena thought she could cry no more, Annie said, “Best face facts, hen, if he’s that fickle and free with his affections – mind ye, Ah’d hae thought better o Fergus Bell – but if he’s already changed his mind like the weather, it’s better noo before he puts the ring on yer finger and chains ye doon for life. Surely ye see that, hen? Better the heartbreak noo, rather than later, with a womanizing man playing fast and loose and with ye, his legally-wed wee wifie chained tae the hoose wi a dozen screaming, mewling, pukin bairns. That’s the reality o it, the other side of the coin, surely ye can appreciate that, Sheena?”
By the time Eck came home, Sheena had dried her tears.
Some days later and still holding to her secret, Sheena thought, Ah’m bound tae show at some point, but right now Ah still feel the same as Ah always hae done.
Later that week on her way to work, again by the recognised route as opposed to the back roads she had taken of late to avoid meeting up with Rab, that particular early morning, she again met Rab on his way home from a night shift at the mine. Not even his tired, coal-dust blackened face could hide his huge delight at seeing her.
He stopped her. “Ah’m no a great one for words, Sheena, no like my silver-tongued brother, Fergus, but if ye’d hear me oot ... noo that ye’re fancy-free again ... word on the street is that ye and Fergus had a blazing row and split up ... anyway, noo that ye’re fancy-free would ye mibbe … would ye like like … tae take a wee walk noo and again down by the riverside?”
Ah’ve had all Ah ever want of riverside walks and wet afternoons in derelict boat sheds, Sheena thought. But anxious to escape any awkward questions, or decisions to be made, Sheena nodded
Similar Books
