“You would have known, far better than your brothers, how to arrange the rooms as your mother would like best.”
“I shall have some time to-morrow,” said Frances, colouring. “Mamma will not leave Elveley till the last thing, but I can go to Rowdon early in the day.”
“And you will go by yourself?”
“No—Florry is coming with me.” Frances admitted rather awkwardly this evidence of the shy feeling which made her avoid the sole company of Jim. “We are going to unpack and put away all the clothing, and finish Mamma’s sitting-room ready for her. Jim has been kind about the sitting-room. He has made Mamma understand that it is to be quite her own; he has moved out of it the old things which used to be there, and has put them into the room opposite, where he keeps all sorts of tools and some of the materials for his work. I remember very well when we went to Rowdon Cottage—that’s what they call the little house beside the smithy—Jim’s grandfather inviting us to look into ‘Jim’s den’. It was neat and nice, only it had no proper furniture except tables and chairs. There were loads of shelves in it. I do love shelves!”
Muriel Carlyon laughed with pleasure to see the girl’s cheeks grow pink as she pictured to herself a real workshop, with entrancing rows of tools, a carpenter’s bench, apparatus for various kindred handicrafts, and a floor littered with fresh-smelling shavings and sawdust.
“It was a jolly ‘den’!” continued Frances; “and if—if I do get friends with Jim, I know I shall beg admittance sometimes to his treasure-chamber. I shouldn’t wonder if Austin had a corner of it all to himself. Jim is very fond of Austin. I’m certain he is, though I’ve hardly seen them together. You could tell by the way they look at one another.”
“Well, dear, you must have a corner of your mother’s sitting-room.”
Frances shook her head. “Mamma would be miserable if there were any litter about her, she likes everything spick and span. And, you know, Austin and I do want her to be as happy as she can. It is so very, very dreadful for her—” Frances paused awkwardly “I mean, it is dreadful to give up the nice things she has been used to for such a long time.”
“It is, darling; indeed it is.”
“So I thought if only she could have her own rooms filled with her own things she might not miss what she has to leave—at least, not so much. And when Jim told her she must count the sitting-room quite for herself, it did seem possible to make that pretty. Then the room above it is to be hers too. It is a pity, but I must take a corner of that. I am afraid Mamma will dislike sharing her bedroom, especially as her furniture will fill it up so; but we can’t help it. There are only four rooms upstairs, and the two back ones are tiny places, not big enough for anyone to sleep in. One will be for our boxes, and the other is full of lumber already. The second bedroom is for the boys. Austin and I are to have our own little beds, so they won’t take up much room.”