The Apothecary's Daughter by Charlotte Betts Read Free Book Online Page A

the children were left in Susannah’s care again. Jennet had been to
     market early and brought home a large pike, it being a Friday, and herbs from the countryside in Islington together with some
     new eggs to make a custard. Since Jennet was busy preparing the dinner, Susannah carried the washtub into the yard and filled
     it with water, stripped Mathew and John of their clothes and encouraged them to jump up and down on the soaking laundry.
    ‘It’s not decent!’ said Jennet, shocked. ‘In the light of day too, as naked as savages. Better not let the mistress catch
     you!’
    The little savages screamed with delight at the cool water on their hot skin and Susannah had every hope that their energetic
     enjoyment would have the extra benefit of saving Jennet and herself from one of their most tedious chores.
    Harriet, considering herself too old to join in her brothers’ fun, attached herself to Susannah yet again, like a shadow.
    Susannah vacillated between being irritated by and sorry for the little girl. Her residence in Susannah’s bed was a constant
     annoyance and each bruise upon her person from the night-time kicks was a manifestation of the invasion of her privacy.
    Susannah had work to do in the dispensary so she gave the child some pills to count and package while she busied herself with
     the pestle and mortar, grinding sugar and dried rue. Dr Ambrose’s suggestion to make the wormwood infusion palatable to children
     had been most successful and since then she had boiled up copious quantities of the syrup. She called it Leyton’s Plague Prevention
     Cordial and anxious mothers bought it as quickly as if it were hot cakes.
    Susannah set the pan on the fire and stirred the powdered sugar into the water.
    ‘I don’t want to do this any more,’ said Harriet, flicking a pill across the room. ‘It’s tiresome.’
    ‘It’s a job that needs to be done. When you’ve finished you can help me to stir the pan while the sugar dissolves.’
    ‘Don’t want to! I hate it here. Why can’t we go to the country like Mama says?’
    ‘Because we are needed here.’
    ‘But there’s nothing to do!’
    ‘Of course there is. There’s never enough time to do everything. If you don’t want to help me you can go and assist Jennet
     in the kitchen.’
    ‘I’m not a servant!’
    ‘Stop whining, Harriet! We all have to work.’
    ‘Mama doesn’t.’
    Susannah barely trusted herself to speak. ‘Finish packaging those pills and then you can go and sit in the parlour and learn
     your catechism. I shall examine you after supper.’
    ‘Shan’t!’
    ‘You will do as I say, miss!’
    Harriet narrowed her eyes and then, with deliberate intent, swept her arm across the counter and scattered several hundred
     Leyton’s Popular Pills onto the floor.
    Susannah gasped. Never had she seen such a display of insolence. She grasped Harriet’s wrist, ready to give her a good shaking,
     but the child screeched so loudly that Susannah started, dropping her hand as quickly as if it were a hot coal. Harriet ran
     from the dispensary into the shop, still shrieking with rage.
    Susannah didn’t have red hair for nothing. Temper blazing, she sprinted after her.
    Ned watched them, his eyes wide, as she chased Harriet round the counter in the shop.
    Glancing over her shoulder at Susannah as she ran, Harriet snatched a gallypot off the shelf and dashed it to the ground,
     quickly followed by another. Powdered liquorice flew up into the air and then Susannah lost her balance as her feet slid through
     a puddle of oil of turpentine. Still screeching, Harriet ran to the door as Susannah fell headlong, banging her head on the
     corner of the counter.
    She wasn’t sure what happened then. The next thing she knew was that she was lying on the floor, the pungent scent of sal
     volatile was making her nose run and she had a thunderous pain in her head.
    ‘You’ve had a fall.’ Strong arms pulled her to a sitting position.
    ‘My head