‘Oh, Ernie’ Jessie breathes a sigh of dismay. ‘That was you?’

‘I’s never forgot, course I ain’t…but thinking a someone else putting two ‘n two t’gether an’ knowin an’ all’ Ernie clasps his hands together in his lap to stop them from shaking. ‘Don’t hate me, Jess…I’ve lived with it all me life, damn near….don’t hate me’

Jessie does not answer but puts a hand on his arm and waits until he has calmed himself. ‘Those cuttings have definitely gone too?’ she asks.

Ernie nods slowly, drawing a deep shuddering breath. ‘They was just bits tored out a paper’

‘But why keep them? Why save them at all?’

He looks at her sadly. ‘I used t’look at ‘em, read ‘em. Get that box out me hidey-hole and look at ‘em’ He shudders as he recollects. ‘Used t’make me go ‘ot, knowin it were me they was looking for…. It were accident, Jess’ he says, gripping her hand and squeezing it tightly. ‘Un accident, ‘onest t’God it were…but I couldn’t own up…they’d never a believed me…I’d a gone t’prison. I couldn’t a gone t’prison, it’d a killed me an’ all’

‘I remember it…’Jessie closes her eyes. ‘I remember all the to do. Oh, Ernie, you stupid, stupid man!’

‘Don’t yer thinks I knows that now? I were on’y a kid, I were scared, scared out a me wits. I ain’t never picked up a gun since. If I were ever tempted, I’d read em through again…just t’show meself what a bloody fool I were’

‘But the family…they were devastated….desperate to find out how it had happened’

‘I know that’ Ernie groans, putting his head in his hands.

‘Yes..yes…of course you do. You never told anyone?’

‘Not a soul’ he says, looking up. ‘Ow could I?’

‘Nobody thought it was odd you stopped going out hunting?’

‘Did you?’

‘Now I come to think about it…no….not really’ Jessie slowly  pushes the hair from her forehead with the heel of her thumb, still stunned at Ernie’s revelations.

‘I got me truck just about then…t’were like I got summat else t’do…summat else t’be getting on with…an’ I allus went out on me own…so there weren’t a mate wantin t’know what was up. In a way…’ Ernie shakes his head, his expression rueful. ‘It were the makin a me. I worked that dang ‘ard, tryin t’put it behind me….none a this’ he spreads his arms, looking around. ‘Would a ‘appened’

‘Maybe…but then you always worked hard’

‘Not the way I ‘ad ter then’ Ernie takes Jessie’s hand. ‘What’m I goin t’do now?’

‘You’re worried that whoever broke in here….that they realised the significance of those newspaper cuttings?’

‘Aye…an’ come arter me fer money!’

‘Is that your only concern?’ Jessie reproves, taking her hand from Ernie’s desperate grasp.

‘No…no…it ain’t’ he sighs ‘I’s too old fer prison…I can’t go t’prison now’

‘That would only happen if you turned yourself in’

‘Or them little beggars does. I’d pay ‘em…I would…I’d pay ‘em’

Hawthorn House

Upper Milliwick Road

Chapter Thirteen

Tawny House, Manor Road

Jeannie deftly shakes a clean cover over the duvet and flings it across the bed, smoothing it straight with her hands prior to fastening the buttons at its bottom edge. She turns to where Harriet hovers outside the bedroom door. ‘Were ye wanting tae get in here? I can gie the main bathroom a wee bit of a wipe and finish later’

‘No…no…not at all’ Harriet says distractedly, fingering the single strand of pearls at her throat.

‘Och, but ye look fair puggled’ Jeannie says sympathetically ‘Are ye nae sleeping?’

‘As well as I generally do’ Harriet replies with a small sigh ‘the older I get, the less sleep I seem to need’

‘I used tae say tae my mither, ye cannae sleep all the day and expect to be sleeping the night through’

‘I beg your pardon?’

Jeannie positions the last of the pillows and chortles as she gathers up the dirty bed linen from the floor. ‘Aye…and aren’t ye just the same? Sitting there wi’ yer tunes and deid tae the world’

‘I merely enjoy the music so much more with my eyes closed’ Harriet bridles.

‘Aye…and wi’ yer mouth hanging open’ Jeannie gives Harriet a mischievous grin as she passes by her to get to the top of the stairs. ‘Is Mrs. Shepherd awae home?’ she asks, dropping the bundle of washing on the floor.

‘Yes…she left a little over an hour ago’

‘Then I’ll put these few things through the washer. I didnae want to be disturbing yer wee chat’

‘Would I be here if I were still talking with Mrs. Shepherd?’ Harriet says frostily, still stinging from Jeannie’s remark.

‘Och…I ken ye weary noo! Tae be s’crabbit o’er such a wee pulling of yer leg’ Jeannie tuts fondly. ‘I’ve a mind forty winks wud be doing ye a power of good’

‘With my mouth open?’ Some of Harriet’s sparkle returns.

Jeannie chuckles ‘Aye…if that’s what it takes tae feel better’

‘I may take a short nap’ Harriet relents ‘but I have so much to think of, sleep will not come easily today’

’Aboot the weans?’ Jeanie returns to Harriet’s bedroom and turns down the freshly made bed.

‘In a way’ Harriet sighs.

‘There we are. I’ll leave you be and gie ye a call before I leave fae hame shall I?  I’ve plenty to do downstairs, I’ll nae disturb ye. I tak it young Kester wis none too pleased wi’what ye had tae say tae him?’

‘They both came…he and Helen’ Harriet sits on the side of the bed to remove her shoes. ‘You were right, Jeannie…’ she says with another sigh. ‘That young lady certainly does have a mind of her own. Kester could see my point, although he did not entirely agree with the idea of moving out of the annexe…but Helen steadfastly refused to hear another word on the subject…They are staying and that….is that!’ She gives a wavering smile. ‘Between you and me, Jeannie…I was very touched at her thoughtfulness and not a little pleased I shall have their company after all’

Jeannie acknowledges her words with a brief nod but continues to look at her with concern. ‘So why are ye looking sae worrit, is there something else troubling ye?’

‘Just tired, Jeannie….just tired’