Chapter 1
As I sat there looking up the river watching the ducks swimming I reflected on the turn of events that had happened these past few months. I had lost my family in a house fire and had lost all that I own with it. After the fire I closed myself off from the rest of the world and had been living rough however that was through the summer months I now suspect that the winter will be a lot harder to get through.
So now I have put together a plan I'm going to walk to one of the neighboring villages and try to find some work with accommodation and then see where life takes me. Before setting off I wash in the river and try to tidy up my dress in hope that I look presentable enough for someone to hire me.
I walked down the road staring up to the sky, it was becoming cloudy and dark, I hoped it would not rain yet as there was not much shelter and I had another mile to walk till I got to the village. At that point a carriage being pulled by two beautiful white horses rushed by, I jumped into the ditch just before I would have been trampled, by the look of the carriage it was someone with a lot of money inside, most probably a lord.
As I reached the village people where lining the streets. "What's going on" I asked one of the people waiting, "The kings soldiers are on parade."
"oh I see thank you" I said as I walked away not giving it a second thought after all I had more important things on my mind today.
I glanced into a shop window checking my appearance, jumping into that hedge had not treated my dress well it now had a small tear in the skirt which I would not be able to repair till I got some money so I was just going to have to do. I entered the shop where I was greeted by a rather large cheerful gentleman who was stood behind the counter. I knew him from when I had visited the village before he had a wife and two kids and he was called Percy Jones I helped his wife with there young children when she was ill after the birth, however it was obvious that he did not recognise me when I entered the shop, mind last time I had visited I had been dressed in my best clothes and had my hair done up, a lot had changed since then. Mr Jones turned to me and said "is there anything I can help you with my dear"
I decided this was as good an opportunity as ever and asked "I have come to enquire whether you have any work openings here or if you know of anyone who may have some employment for me?"
Percy replied with "I'm sorry love I'm fully staffed here and do not know of anyone in the village who is looking for employees, you could try the Bennett's who live in the big house at the other end of the village, they were looking for someone at the start of someone but that position may have gone by now"
"Okay thank you Mr Jones"
"Hang on one minute, do I know you"
"Yes well you may not remember me I'm Amanda Bingley"
" Gosh we all thought you had died, where ever have you been child everyone here's been worried about you, come thought to the back let me get you a drink"
"Please sir don't let me inconvenience you"
"This is nothing of the sort; you helped my wife so much when she was ill, when we heard you had gone missing after the fire we were worried sick about you, now come thought to the house this instance."
As I walked thought to the back of the shop into the kitchen I was greeted by a wall of warmth as well as Mrs Jones "Whoever have we got here then Percy"
"Take a close look Elizabeth; it's someone you know very well"
Mrs Jones looked at me taking in every detail, then suddenly it hit her "Amanda" she shouted before walking towards me and hugging me, at that point a wave of emotion hit me, I burst into tears and she just held me tight till I had stopped crying, she then wiped away my tears and took me thought to the drawing room where she sat me down by the fire before going and getting two cups of tea and some cake.
She set the tray down on the table and offered me some cake, which I took happily, I had not eaten a lot, only the food I could find which mainly was berries that I had found in the bushes by the river. Elizabeth looked up at me, "where have you been Mandy, I've missed you"
"I, I, I just needed time to think, o work out what to do, I was scared and well just wanted to be by myself for some time, and then well time passed and I just sat thinking for a while, but I decided today that it was time to move on and make something of myself, that's why I came to the village, so I could look for work."
"where are you staying at the moment"
"Umm well I was hoping I would find somewhere when I found some work"
"Well from now on you shall stay here"
"are you sure a would hate to be a burden"
" Of course I'm sure, you helped me so much when I was ill and you would not except payment, well this is my payment to you, you had my back when I needed you so now I will help you when you need it"
"oh thank you so much, I promise I will not stay long"
"Nonsense Amanda this is your home now, now I will run a hot bath for you and find you some clean clothes" With that she ushered me into the bathroom and poured water into the tub. After my bath Lizzy gave me some clean clothes, I was starting to look more like the old me, Lizzy showed me to my room where I would be staying, she had convinced her two children to share, which I think they were quite excited about, when the eldest child John saw me he ran towards me and gave me a big hug saying "I've missed you Mandy" the youngest was only 1 and a half so therefore clung to her mother as she did not recognize me. As we walked back downstairs ready for our evening meal John was telling me about how he had seen the soldiers march by from the upstairs window, and one day he was going to be like them. I smiled to myself I had missed the company of others a lot over these past few months.
