The next week passed in a blur for Alice and I really think that had it not been for Mrs Prentice's very obvious instructions, she would have gone that very first morning to Hilltop Cottage.1
Her mother, a big boned, heavy woman with fingers flat from years of kneading dough, gave her a strange looks, half wistful and half frightened. She kept making comments about how she had always known Alice was different. It left Alice feeling confused, she didn't feel different to anyone else, but she supposed that while her friends were content to just let things pass them by, Alice always wanted to know more. She was always the one with questions. She had a thirst for learning and poured over books in her spare time.2
With her departure coming ever closer, however, she had very little time to read. Her parents wanted to make good use of her. For a start there was Alfie, the bread boy. He was to take over the morning rounds when Alice left and she had to give him instructions on what to do. Then she had to say goodbye to all her favourite places and friends: the churchyard, the blacksmiths, the old man whose bread she delivered and would read stories to in the afternoon and lastly, she spent a tearful afternoon in the bake house. She stood amongst the two rows. One of cooling loaves and the other of bread mixture left to rise at room temperature. She breathed in the familiar smells of warm bread, flour and yeast. 3
The bake house had been her refuge from the world and, when she was small, a way of spending time with her father. She always liked to see the neat rows of bread, the gleaming ovens working away busily and the round, large, small or square loaves of bread. Her favourite moment was when the freshly baked bread would be taken out of the oven. Then room would be filled with a warm, comforting smell that made her feel sleepy. The regular thump of bread being rolled and kneaded on the bread boards was her music and she had always had a light coating of flour on her hands and in her hair.4
It was sad to think she would no longer be here, but she could make bread for Mrs Prentice and while it would not be the same, it would be a small reminder of home.5
Perhaps the most exciting moment of the week was when Alice's grandmother swept into the bakery and made a huge scene. It was the lunchtime rush hour when she appeared, demanding in a loud haughty voice to see her daughter.6
There was shouting from the parlour for a very long time. Alice's grandmother had always felt that her daughter's marriage was beneath her and was constantly suggesting that it was high time her granddaughter was given a proper education, or at the least, introduced to the right people. Given her own way, Alice's grandmother would have packed her off to court, presented her to the Queen and installed her in the house of a wealthy duchess. But she did not get her own way. Alice's mother did not feel that this suitable for her bright, forthright young daughter. She felt that court airs and time among the upper classes would spoil her down-to-earth Alice and she put her foot down.7
The news that her granddaughter was to live with a ‘batty old witch' infuriated Audrey Smythwick and she demanded that the nonsense be stopped. But Alice's mother would not listen. She had always known that her daughter did not belong in court and that she belonged even less in the bakery. She was a sensible girl, a little strange perhaps, but definitely not suited to an ordinary lifestyle at home, or an expensive one at court. As intimidating as Mrs Prentice was, Agatha Murray believed that she would look after Alice and had her best interests at heart.8
Alice, even though she knew it was wrong, lurked on the stairs and listened to her mother arguing with her grandmother. She held her breath, terrified that her mother would give in, as she had on many occasions to keep the peace, and she would be sent away to court where life was bound to be far less interesting and she had no hope of learning how to be a witch.9
In the end, the grandmother went away, her nose in the air, remarking: ‘that child will come to a nasty end, just you wait and see'. Which I think just goes to show that even adults can behave in a silly manner when they don't get their own way.10
*** 11
It was Alice's eleventh birthday the day before she was due to leave. Alice's parents had a small birthday dinner with a cake. Her brother came with his pretty wife and the baby and she was given plenty of presents. It was a happy occasion on the whole and Alice realised she would miss her family very much.12
After the food had been eaten, the plates cleared away and everyone gone home, Alice went upstairs to finish her packing. Her father came in to see her and sat awkwardly on the bed. ‘You know Alice,' he said, ‘if you don't want to go, you don't have to. And if, if you shouldn't like it there, well you'll always have a home here. We love you Alice.'13
‘Oh Da...' Alice did not know what to say. ‘I do want to go and besides, you said you cannot afford to keep me.'14
‘No,' her father paused. ‘But I expect we could manage. The thing is, Alice, I may be selling the bakery.'15
‘What?' Alice was shocked and turned to see her father's large brown eyes filled with tears.16
‘Well I don't want to, you know that. But there's a bigger bakery opened outside of the village, five ovens and they do cakes and everything. Well, everybody will go there I should expect and I can't afford to expand. Two of the ovens need replacing and we haven't the money. Alice, lass...' He broke off and paused before starting again. 17
‘Well you'll have noticed by now, I'll guess, that your mother doesn't get along with your grandmother. At odds they are. Well she's cut us out of her will and if the worst happens, well we should have to depend on her kindness see, what little there is of it. She's as good as said she'll turn us out. I wouldn't want that for ye Alice, I really wouldn't. It's either be homeless, go to court as a young lady, or live with Mrs Prentice. And well...' He stumbled over his words as his country accent grew thicker. ‘I don't want to say goodbye to you, but I'd sooner see you with that old witch than with your grandmother at court. And who am I to go against Mrs Prentice, likely to turn us all into toads she is.'18
Alice privately thought that Mrs Prentice didn't actually go in for such things, but she had no doubt that she would be a formidable woman to cross. She patted her father on the arm. ‘But Da, I don't see how it will make any difference if I go. You still won't have any money unless I go out and work for you.'19
There was an awkward silence in which Alice learnt a good many things about the sorts of problems adults have in a very few minutes. She said nothing and turned back to the packing, feeling rather unnerved at the idea that she was being sold to Mrs Prentice. It made her feel rather like a prize cow instead of a little girl.20
‘Alice...' her father pleaded. ‘Please don't be upset. It doesn't mean anything and I shouldn't have taken the money, except...well, I couldn't really refuse her could I.'21
No, Alice knew very well that he couldn't. Mrs Prentice was not the sort of woman to argue with. If she decided that it was only fair that Alice's father should be paid for handing over his daughter, then that was what would happen and there would be no further discussion.22
‘It's fine Da,' she said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. ‘I'm sure Mrs Prentice knows what she's doing.'23
‘It wouldn't make a difference though. If you change your mind, well we'll give her back her money and you can come home. No questions asked, nothing more said. If you don't want to go, just say the word.'24
‘But I do want to,' she replied and pushed her favourite teddy bear onto the pile of clothes in her case. ‘I don't want to be a young lady and I don't really want to be a baker, or a maid. I want to learn about herbs and potions and how to speak to the animals, and how to cure stomach ache.'25
Her father satisfied, gave her a big hug and then went to see about locking up the house.26
Alice sat on her bed and thought very hard. She didn't really know what to make of all her father had told her. She would have liked to have asked him what it was Mrs Prentice had done for him all those years ago that he had never forgotten, and she would have liked for there to be some sort of speech about how he would miss her more than anything and home wouldn't be the same without her. But he wasn't that sort of father. 27
Finally, Alice closed her case and crawled into bed. Tomorrow she would be a witch's assistant and perhaps, just perhaps, Mrs Prentice would have a spell that would put all her father's problems to rights. 28
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