"Peg Kerr - The Wild Swans" - читать интересную книгу автора (Kerr Peg)

from the village to accompany her, Eliza might be molested by a passing stranger. Neighbors might
spread rumors, too, if they misconstrued herb-gathering expeditions as dabblings in witchcraft. тАЬI... I
found a goodly harvest of lionтАЩs tooth root on my way home, at least,тАЭ Eliza continued at random,
wanting to fill the sudden silence. тАЬIt should be enough to dye thy new petticoat.тАЭ
But NellтАЩs mind was not on ElizaтАЩs rambles now. тАЬHe did not provide the clothes, Eliza,тАЭ she said
dully.
тАЬWhat, Mother Nell?тАЭ
тАЬThy father. Tom and I meant never to tell thee. Faith, I thought... But now thou must know, if thou
art to return to them!тАЭ
тАЬKnow what?тАЭ Eliza asked, her brow wrinkling in confusion as she knelt at NellтАЩs feet.
Her foster mother took her hand. тАЬThy father,тАЭ she said slowly, тАЬhas not sent us aught for thy
maintenance since two years after thou came to usтАФsince thy seventh year.тАЭ
Eliza gasped. тАЬFor... for eight years? Eight years?тАЭ Letting go of NellтАЩs hand, she rocked back and
gaped in consternation at the older woman.
Mutely, Nell nodded.
тАЬBut I... I am a fosterling!тАЭ Eliza stammered. тАЬ тАШTwas his responsibility ... he ... Surely heтАФтАЭ
тАЬNay, child. Not one farthing.тАЭ
Eight years! Eliza realized, quailing at the thought, what a terrible struggle it must have been when the
money stopped coming. And yet her foster parents had continued caring for her, feeding her, clothing
her, never even hinting the slightest thing was wrong.
Tom Barton had joined the Duke of MonmouthтАЩs rebellion against King James II four years before,
only to see the hopes of reestablishing a Protestant upon the throne die in the bloody quagmire at
Sedgemoor. They had waited many anxious days during the Bloody Assizes, fearing he would be
executed, but instead, along with many others, he had been banished to the West Indies. Eliza had
supposed the money her father sent was what had been supporting Nell since, and had comforted herself
with that thought. But if he had truly sent nothing ... if Nell, bereft of her husband and left with so pitifully
little, had continued to faithfully provide for her... тАЬThen it is to thy charity I have been beholden all these
years?тАЭ she exclaimed.
All her anger and pain was for Nell, not herself, but Nell, misunderstanding, seized her hand again,
saying fiercely, тАЬNay, child, do not speak so! Do not think тАШtwas cold charity only, butтАФтАЭ
тАЬI donтАЩt understand, Mother,тАЭ Eliza interrupted. тАЬWhy didst thou and Tom not write to my father and
demand what was due thee?тАЭ
тАЬBecause we came to love thee, child,тАЭ Nell said, tears trickling down her cheeks. The wet tracks
glistened, reflecting light from the window as she bowed her head. тАЬI have borne six wee babes, and God
took them all from Tom and me. Would the Earl have taken thee from us, too, if we dared complain?тАЭ
Her voice broke. тАЬI could not have borne it, Eliza. I vow I could not.тАЭ
тАЬOh, MotherтАФтАЭ Eliza leaned forward to press her hand to NellтАЩs cheek.
тАЬHist, child, we have precious little time.тАЭ She laid her fingers over ElizaтАЩs lips and sighed. тАЬI
remember when the Earl first sent thee to us, thou wert grieving so for thy mama. It made my heart ache
to see thy hurt; thou would cry thyself to sleep every night, but so quietly! Dost thou remember?тАЭ
Yes, Eliza remembered, or at least partly. Her mother had died when Eliza was only four, and the
image of her face was elusive, surfacing occasionally in dreams, like a leaf skittering over the face of a
stream only to sink again. Eliza could conjure up bits and pieces: a dim echo of a voice singing in the
garden, an impression of graceful movement as a hand reached to snip an embroidery thread, the curve
of a smile directed at her fatherтАФbut not a whole picture.
And yet if the memory of what she had lost had faded, somehow the pain of losing it had not. It had
taken many months for TomтАЩs warmth and NellтАЩs patient kindness to melt her wall of reserve.
Nell pushed back a tendril of ElizaтАЩs hair. тАЬThink now, and tell me, child, for тАШtis important. What dost
thou remember of thy mother-in-law?тАЭ
Eliza sighed. тАЬWe children met her for the first time the day she married Father. He introduced us and