Maggie's Child by Glynis Smy

couldn’t, we are a secret, aren’t we little man.’
    On the nanny’s return she handed him over. ‘Behave for Nanny, young man, or I will not come back. Do you hear me?’ she tickled his nose.
    ‘Heaven forbid, you hear that Nathaniel? Best behaviour always, we want Mrs Sawbury to return, don’t we now? And tell her she can call me Alice when we are in private.’
    ‘Thank you, Alice. I will probably forget and continue to call you Nanny. So many refer to you by your title, I consider it your name.’ Maggie smiled at her new friend. She felt a close bond and wished her mother had the same nature.
    The fact she knew she would be holding Nathaniel again every morning made the evening partings less painful. She changed her clothes and said her goodbyes.
    The fresh air blew against her cheeks. The warmth from the fire had made her drowsy and the breeze was welcome. She had a walk home to get through and the daylight had given way to twilight. Shadows moved across her path, trees silhouetted against the skyline looked attractive, and elegant. She pulled her shawl around her shoulders and started her journey home.
    ‘You off then?’ The voice startled her. She looked around and saw Dukes standing by the gate.
    ‘Yes, that’s me finished until the morning. Well, finished here. I have a bigger baby to see to back home.’ No sooner she had said the words then she regretted them. She hadn’t meant to say them out aloud.
    ‘Your old man’s a bit of a task master, so I understand.’ Dukes leant back against the fencing. His legs crossed in a relaxed manner puffing on a white clay pipe.
    Maggie was about to agree, then she thought against it. She hardly knew the man, and if it got back to Jacob she had bad mouthed him, she would suffer.
    ‘He is my husband,’ were the only words she offered.
    ‘Not a good one, I will measure.’ Dukes walked over to her. ‘I would never have done this too you. He cannot be short of a penny or two. Penny pincher, that’s what they say in the tavern. Tight fisted with the coins. His farm is run the old fashioned way. No, I would treat my wife with a bit more respect. Losing a bairn one day and feeding another the next with no choice in the matter. He did it for the love of money, not the child, I’ll wager. I was the one who looked for the family, so I know he said yes before you did. He bragged you wouldn’t dare refuse. Do not build him up in my eyes; I have my own opinion of Farmer Sawbury.’
    Maggie knew what he said was true, but could not stand by and let the man run her husband down. His forthright manner shocked her.
    ‘You have said too much, sir. The job I am carrying out is one I consider an honour.’ Her voice lost the indignant tone when she said: ‘Holding Nathaniel will never be a hardship.’
    Dukes caught the tone change, and he pulled on his pipe and slowly blew the smoke from his mouth.
    ‘Nathaniel, is it? They gave him a name then, or is it one you have chosen?’
    ‘If you must know it was a name I had chosen for my first born. My only son. He died. Absentmindedly I said the name out loud. Nanny mentioned it in passing and the Arlington’s chose it for their ward.’ She went to walk out of the gate, when Duke’s words stopped her in her tracks.
    ‘Ward? He is their son, lock, stock and barrel. That child will want for nothing, not even his real mother. He is there to stay I can tell you.’
    It was time to put an end to the conversation. Maggie was tired and was on the verge of snipping back with words. They were on dangerous ground and she knew it. The indignant tone returned to her voice.
    ‘Well, I haven’t got all evening to stand gossiping with you. Thank you for the lift this afternoon. It was most kind of you.’
    ‘Well, you are in luck. I have been informed I am to collect and return you. Morning and evening. Master’s orders. So if you are willing to get off your high horse and onto my cart, we can be on our way. On rainy days it will