Charlie and Nellie stepped inside the farm house, the atmosphere still somber apart from the two small children that had yet to realise their fathers absence would be a long one. Nellie silently took her shoes off placing them neatly by the door, pausing when she saw Jackson's boots haphazardly discarded ones in the pile, she smiled picking them up and placing them neatly next to hers, as she always did. Charlie rubbed her back and she nodded at him silently, only replying with the smallest of sighs.
"Did the train get off smoothly my love?" Rose tried to remain chipper
"Not exactly smoothly my love, no" He shook his head grabbing a clean cloth ringing it in the sink "Come Nell let me attend your cheek"
"I am fine Charlie" she rebuffed his efforts, the sting in her cheek was but a small pain compared to that that was inside her heart, the crushing pain that felt like her chest would burst open with ache already.
"Lass, I gave my lad my word I'd look after and care for you, as did we all, now come" he said sternly pulling a chair and pointing to it. Nellie shuffled in shyly avoiding the confused gazes of the family trying to see what the issue was. Embarrassed she had let her emotions get the better of her.
"My goodness" rose gasped holding Nellie's face "whatever happened?"
"Pa?" Benjamin rose to his feet and moved around to see for himself "Nell, who struck you princess?"
"Corporal Brandon" Charlie scoffed shaking his head holding the cold clothe to Nellie's cheek.
"Is he still there?" Benjamin marched to the door grabbing his younger brother by the arm to join him.
"Boys" Charlie snapped "sit down!" He demanded
"But pa!" Noah pointed at Nellie's face
"For Jackson! Sit!"
"Exactly for Jackson! I promised him to look after his girl! that no man would touch her, that she would come to no harm in his absence! and look he has barley left and already I have broken my promise! He entrusted me with Nellie Pa, I am responsible for her while he is gone, he asked and I willingly and gladly accepted the responsibility! He can not be allowed to get away this pa!"
"Ben, please" Nellie whispered out "he can make things harder for the boys, so please leave him be. I am used to such treatment from the westtown men. It is my own fault."
"Fine, but if he comes here I will not hold my tongue"
"You will!" Charlie stared his son down "I know Ben, he told me himself that he had asked you to take Nell under your wing. I have no problem with the arrangements you have made with your brother Ben, but if you do not go about it the right way I will pull you up boy! You handle yourself as he would when it comes to Nell!"
"He would have the scum pinned to the ground and...."
"Not if it put her at risk Ben, no he wouldn't. Like he didn't at the station, he saw it all."
"why did he strike you princess?" Benjamin asked softening at the obvious distress in Nellie's eyes at the raised voices, he crouched by her chair holding her hand
"I spoke out of turn. I was upset, I forgot myself" she tried to keep her emotions at bay as she spoke "he spoke badly of my father.....and of my Jack." She fiddled with her humble ring of miss matched metals of different shades that she already cherished "he said many horrid untrue things about my Jack Ben"
"Nell lass, he knows you do not require the finery" Charlie crouched next to his son to comfort her "he would not want you defending him against the ignorance of those people. He may be a mere farm boy but he is a good man. Did you not see the pride on his face when you declared yourself his girl to the entire station! When you proudly gave yourself his name, calling yourself Nellie Lockwood, I have never seen a prouder man Nell"
Nellie smiled nodding, she had indeed seen the pride and happiness on his face.
"Now I have yet to see this ring" rose flustered over to see, sensing the need for some light relief.
"He made it for me this morning Rose" Nellie smiled fondly at her hand that she offered for the family to view "it is perfect is it not, it is very beautiful and so very Jackson. He said he would save and replace it with a finer one but I told him I did not want him to."
"Aye lass, it is very Jackson, I wondered what he was tinkering with in his workshop like a little whirlwind." Charlie chuckled
"Oh my good heavens, the pie" rose rushed off to fetch the slightly burnt pie from the stove. Quickly placing it on the side wafting it with her clothe.
YOU ARE READING
Love in the meadows
RomanceWhen seventeen year old Nellie green is orphaned by the ongoing war she was placed in an orphanage, her remaining brother still missing in action Nellie was alone and scared until she was sent for by her fathers life long friend Charlie Lockwood. Le...
