She laughed, then she coughed, but she didn't care. The tightness in her chest was a small price to pay for the laughter that Bobby had just provided. His song and dance at the fireside, the most entertaining thing she had seen or heard in many, many days, and to top it all, he gave his audience a very dainty curtsey at the end. Jack muttered a "Bloody prat..", though Alys clapped away in glee of her brothers antics. Jackilyns mother though soon arrived with a warming cup of milk.
"Drink up dear, all this excitement around you is a bit much I feel, but it does look good in here!"
Charlie, Evan, Timothy and Quentin, had done excellent work. The once burnt down shell of a home, now rebuilt, clean and furnished with bits pulled from the farmhouse, pieces made by both Charlie and Evan, even pottery from Old Flo, though the pitchers and vases of flowers around Jackies bed were a little excessive, her mother never had the heart to tell the Denton boy Jack, to stop bringing them. Still, as the girl sipped the warm drink, furniture was still being moved and placed, that is, until the door of the home swung open and a furious, red faced, monster of a looking woman pushed her way in.
"Ma?!"
Said a very, very concerned Quentin, who in a flash was towering at his mothers side, a thick, strong arm over her shoulders. Everyone stopped what they were doing. Charlie dropped the table he was moving, right on his foot too, leaving Evan to hold the weight. Bobby, who was useless at anything but rhyme and song, dragged his little sister to the kitchen to put on the kettle, if anything, he knew what his Ma needed right now.
"Arrogant! Acting like he be the finest healer in all the lands! Ignorant, arrogant, little sod! Mark my words, he be ruined if he carries on like this! Fire me?!"
Quentin slowly balled his fist at his side, the other hand still supporting his mother, though it wasn't long before she was guided to a chair, thoughtfully made a little wider than most that would be purchased. Soon a gathering was around the woman and Jackilyn watched on from across the way, having been given strict instructions if it wasn't the bed she was in, it was to be by the fireside. Alys popped a cup into the chubby hands of the large Mrs Denton as Bobby leaned against a doorframe. Ten bodies, all watching, all waiting to hear what had happened. Though she dragged things out a little longer, having a sip of tea first.
"He were not too pleased that Jackie dear were moved, though you wouldn't know it to look at him. He pressed for what were on me mind concerning it all, so I told him! Then he be going on about how she being moved be her death sentence and all, and at that, tells me, -me- that he be tired of people trying to make him feel guilty! Fancy that, after saying such about death and all!"
Jack piped up, the man taking advantage then of Jackies sudden turn in mood, a frown on her lips and her hand being taken by his with a affectionate touch.
"If he hadn't had sent his lass over to be talking down on our Jackie, then she wouldn't have left!"
To which Evan replied
"Not all men are good at keeping their lasses apart Jack, not like you!"
Which was met with a snort from Alys, and a squeeze to Jackies hand from a quietly spoken Jack
"Don't listen to him"
Mrs Denton had a bit more tea, then searched around with her eyes for some biscuits
"I never said she were his lass! I said to him though it were bad, him doing nothing when Jackie be so sick, getting her upset and all, know what he said? Said it were not his business, that he not be a nanny! Every healer worth their salt knows that you keep your patients calm if you want them well, don't matter what happens, what you think of them, you keep them calm! Arrogant, ignorant, idiot of a man!"
She gulped more tea, Charlie about to say something but cut off short by the chattering woman
"So, says me services are no longer needed, gives me my pay, which of course I threw back at him! Can't take the truth he can't, asks for it, don't like it, so gets rid of it!"
Jack, who had been happily holding Jackilyns hand, ventured a very Jack like response
"We could burn down the place, rough him up, anything for you and Jackie here Ma"
The suggestion wasn't immediately turned down, the men in the room actually giving the idea some consideration, though it was thwarted by their mother.
"Jack! How could you suggest such a wicked thing! No! I wont be having that!"
His brothers then fell in line, murmuring in agreement with their mother, though it was clearly a sign to appease her. Quentin though, white knuckled from the grip of his fist, only nodded.
"We'll work together, friends and family. There be many healers including the leecher, and the young lass in Combe, she knows all about these here plants in the garden, I dare say she'll heal our sweet girl up a treat, that's more than a spit in the eye then to the great and glorious Mister Dimheim! Now, Alys, you and Jackies mother come and help me in the kitchen! Jack? Leave the girl be, she be needing rest!"
