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Easter Lovat  cont..

The Birthday Party

The men started to congregate in Catherine's kitchen, drawn by the smell of cooking. She and some of the women had performed a miracle and had made mountain of food out of a molehill of ingredients. There was a vast bubbling pan of vegetable broth on the stove with a heap of bacon dumplings ready to splosh into the stew; a freshly fried pile of potato cakes, a rabbit casserole (courtesy of the game-keeper) and then ginger flapjacks, claggum from black treacle which none of the adults would go near for fear of their teeth; honey cake and baked apples from the small orchard in Catherine's garden. Robbie was wondering about his birthday cake but thought better of asking his mother about it - she looked very hot and bothered. Jimmy joined turn and asked Robbie if he had seen their brother Alex arrive,
    '"No, I've not seen him. I think he's been out with Mack all day with the sheep. Mending fences, working with the dogs I expect."
    Just then Alex walked in followed by Bonnie and Jack, the border collies. They went straight under the table, not sure about the number of people around, not sure whether they were really allowed to be there at all.
    "Happy birthday, Robbie. I got you this. It's not much but... well, here you are." Alex gave his youngest brother a small package roughly wrapped in newspaper. Robbie opened it carefully.
    "Allie, they're grand. Did you make them yourself?"
    "Aye, I did so. Up in the fields, watching the sheep, I had plenty of time you know."
    Robbie stroked the smooth wood of the figures and marvelled at his brother's skill with a penknife.
    "This is the king and this one the queen, and then these two are the bishops. I know it's not a whole set but... chess is your favourite game." "Aye, it is Allie and now I have the start of my own set."

End of Chapter
 

Debra Tuckett

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