White Water Page 41
‘Aye. ’Tis a strange match but it might work. She looked — thoughtful, would you say?’
Melissa nodded, preparing her drink.
‘I thought so too. No doubt thinking it should have been Martin, God rest his soul. But poor Maria, in those sombre clothes! I wish she had worn something brighter. The green silk would have looked well. Or even the russet, but black!’
‘She is in mourning, remember.’
‘But a wedding! I thought it a pity but there — ‘tis no concern of mine and now she has no one to advise her. She will mourn Hugo forever. She will want to. That way she will keep his memory fresh in her mind.’
‘My heart aches for her.’
‘And mine.’ She pulled up a stool and sat beside Maggie. ‘Is your head bad?’
‘My head, aye, and also my belly, my back, my legs and arms, my spleen, my lungs — ’
They both laughed.
‘And Nina looked bonny,’ said Melissa, ever the girl’s champion.
‘She looked most striking,’ Maggie agreed. ‘’Tis her dark eyes and golden skin. The gown became her. And the children were all well behaved. No tears and no tantrums. It went well. Quiet but pleasant enough.’
‘Not like Hugo and Maria’s wedding,’ said Melissa. ‘Now that was a day to remember.’ Her eyes gleamed at the memory. ‘Everything was perfect. Fine weather, crowds of well wishers — the town went mad with delight! And the feast after up at Crockern Tor and so many guests! The old hall fairly shook when the dancing began.’
Maggie shook her head. ‘Aye, that was the way a Kendal should wed. I think every tinner this side of Dartmoor came, and everyone else who had even the slightest connection with the place.’
Melissa smiled. ‘And Minnie was with child again, and Piers and Lorna not even a twinkle in Hugo’s eye!’
‘Oliver had just left to go to sea. He was so young.’ Melissa nodded. ‘I thought I would never see him again. I almost hated Maria.’
‘Maria?’
‘He was in love with her. She was free then.’
‘But Hugo — I mean surely she was betrothed to — ’
‘Not then. Something happened between them — between Oliver and Maria. I never knew exactly how it happened but Oliver wanted to wed her and she refused.’
‘Because of Hugo. I see.’
‘No one else knows except Thomas. I have never spoken of it.’ She shrugged. ‘It all seems a lifetime away now and insignificant but then — Oliver was heartbroken. Soon after Oliver left Maria wed Hugo.’
‘He is happy with his Nina,’ said Maggie. ‘They are a happy family.’
Melissa did not answer, deep in thought. Maggie’s head thumped painfully but the nausea had left her. She cast around in her mind for a way to change the subject.
‘I wore my green silk,’ she said, ‘and felt so grand though ’twas a mite too tight and I was bursting at the seams. It never did fit me as it should have done. And we made nigh two hundred pies and Lord knows how many pasties!’
‘You were still at the bakery, then. Do you ever miss it?’
‘Not a lot. I’m happy wherever I am. Life’s too short to let it be otherwise.’
‘You should tell Maria that. She is so intense, poor Maria.’
Maggie shook her head. ‘Don’t pity her,’ she said. ‘She had the one thing in life she cared for — Hugo. ’Tis more than many of us have had.’
Neither of them spoke of Simon but he was in both their thoughts. There was a loud knock at the door and they exchanged indignant glances. Maggie groaned and put a hand to her head and Melissa went to the door and opened it. A small boy, of ten or eleven years, stood outside.
‘Who are you?’ she asked. ‘Bothering folks before the day’s rightly begun. Well, speak up, lad. I’m not going to eat you.’
For all his bold knocking, he was a shy lad and now stood twisting his fingers. ‘I’m told to give you a invitation,’ he said. ‘The new owner of Maudesley says you are to come to visit him at eleven o’clock. He says all of you to come and visit.’ He screwed up his face in concentration. ‘He says all of you at Ladyford to come and — ’
‘Aye, I’ve heard it,’ said Melissa. ‘And I’m no wiser than I was. Who is this new owner who sends a young lad to rouse us up at this hour of the morning?’ She glanced over her shoulder towards Maggie. ‘Do you hear this? We’re invited to visit at Maudesley — ’
‘He’s a foreigner,’ said Maggie. ‘They’ve no manners, any of them — family excepted,’ she corrected herself hastily.
The boy said, ‘At eleven o’clock.’
‘We heard you. Who is this new owner? What is his name and which county does he come from?’
‘Ask him where he earns all his money!’ cried Maggie and Melissa smiled.
‘I don’t know anything,’ said the boy hurriedly. ‘I don’t know his name or where he comes from. He just said to give you the message.’
‘He speaks English then?’
‘Aye.’
‘Wait there.’
Melissa closed the door. ‘I’d best ask Thomas what we should do. I’d dearly love to see the house now ’tis finished but I mislike his arrogant ways. Tell them to visit at eleven, indeed!’
Thomas, woken from his sleep, was reluctant to accept the invitation but felt it would be discourteous to refuse.
‘Mayhap ’tis their way in his country to be so peremptory,’ he said. ‘We’d best go this once and then the niceties have been observed. If we don’t like the fellow we need not go again. On the other hand we may like him and he is our nearest neighbour apart from Heron. Aye, say we will go.’
And he slipped back under the sheets and was almost immediately asleep again.
Melissa relayed the decision to the boy and gave him a large slice of gingerbread.
‘Mind you will all go?’ he insisted. ‘Every man jack, he said.’
Melissa stared at him. ‘He said that? Then he does speak good English. We shall all be there, tell him. And now be off!’
*
Maudesley was greatly improved. No one could deny that. The windows gleamed with leaded glass and the new roof looked serviceable without looking hard. The decorative brickwork infilling the timber frame extended as far as the new oriel windows on the first floor. Everywhere stone had been replaced with carved wood and intricate mouldings. The party from Ladyford paused to look at it, prepared to be critical, but in all honesty they could not fault it. The effect was of tasteful elegance.
‘Well, we cannot sit here all day admiring it,’ said Thomas and he urged his horse forward. Melissa rode beside him. Jacob drove the wagon and Maggie, Nina and the children rode with him. Thomas had taken their host at his word. It was ‘every man jack’ of them! The driveway had been freshly gravelled and the gardens had been cleared. Gone were the piles of timber, bricks and tile. All was neat. Even the autumn leaves had been swept from the grass. At the far end of the garden they caught sight of gardeners, busy with a bonfire. A maid opened the door to them and led the way into the Hall.
It was unfurnished apart from sheepskin rugs on the floor, but three rich wall hangings covered the white walls. A small table had been set up containing wine, glasses and a plate of biscuits. At the far end of the room a tall man stood at the window, looking out. The maid said, ‘I’ll tell the master,’ and crossed to him. She said, in English, ‘They are here, sir.’
He turned and smiled, and for a moment they all stared blankly at the new master of Maudesley — because it was Oliver!
‘Oliver?’ whispered Melissa in disbelief but Nina, with a gasp, ran forward and threw herself into his arms.
‘Oliver?’ said Melissa again. She turned to Thomas, still unable to understand what was happening. Thomas, smiling broadly, took her hand gently. ‘He said he would come back a rich man! I believe he has done!’
Melissa’s eyes widened. ‘Oliver — has all this? Has bought — has done — Maudesley belongs to Oliver?’
He nodded.
‘’Tis true though,’ cried Maggie. ‘Oh what a trick to play on us — and it worked so perfectly. Our faces!’
The room echoed with their excited cries, laughter and even a few tears.
‘Mama!’ cried Oliver. ‘Say you are glad to see me.’
‘Glad? Dear God, there are no words strong enough.’ He hugged her until she protested that her ribs were in danger and then Thomas, too, received a bear-like hug.
‘And you look so grand!’ cried Maggie when it was her turn for a hug and a kiss. ‘Dear me, I feel I should curtsey. Look at this cloth! ’Tis beautiful. And a jewelled belt!’
‘Wait ’til you see the gifts I have brought,’ cried Oliver. ‘I cannot tell you how I have longed for this moment. Every day has been an agony for me. Ever since we took our prize — and what a prize! A Spanish galleon laden with the spoils of her own maraudings! Can you enjoy the sweet irony of that, Papa? They were returning home with their ill-gotten gains and we take them, lock, stock and barrel! Not without a fight, though. God’s nails and that was a fight. That was a battle and a half. I have a scar on my leg to prove it and a limp when I’m tired but was it worth it? All this — ’ He swung round, arms outstretched ‘ — and more! Oh, the Queen has had a small share of it. The dues have all been paid. ’Tis all above board now and no one can take it from me.’
Nina watched him, not understanding much of what he said, for in his excitement he spoke so fast, but she did understand that he was home and safe.
Thomas accepted the wine which the maid was pouring somewhat inexpertly. ‘And will you stay home now?’ he asked.
‘Indeed I will. I swore to myself that if I survived that nightmare, rich or poor, I would never go to sea again. And I do not need to.’
‘And the scars?’ said Melissa.
‘Healed long since, Mama. I was very fortunate. Five of our men were killed, seven maimed — but the Spaniards paid dearly for the havoc they wrought us. Don’t look that way, Mama. They had killed many to seize what they had taken. Such treasure! Gold and silver, jewels, jade, ivory, satins and silks, even furs. Sixteen of us survived but only three of us had shares in the venture. Oh, the mariners were paid generously. We could afford to be generous.’
‘And the other two?’ asked Thomas.
‘They have gone off again in search for more!’ He laughed. ‘Good luck to them, I say. After we’d shared the money and all the cargo we sold the galleon to a Dutchman. But now I’ve done with adventuring. Rest assured I shall not go to sea again. I have such plans. You shall hear them all later.’
Della tugged at Nina’s skirt, anxious to see the rest of the house.
‘Aye, go and explore, my pretty little dove,’ said Oliver. ‘This is your home now. Your new home.’ He swung her into the air, spun her round and hugged her. ‘You and Jason and Mama and me — we will all live here in Maudesley. I chose it so that you will be able to see Grandmama, Grandpapa and Maggie whenever you wish. Ladyford is so near.’
Della pointed to Jacob, who grinned self-consciously.
‘Aye, and Jacob. We mustn’t forget him. Now run along.’
They watched her run off, full of curiosity and Oliver raised his glass. ‘A toast to Maudesley, our new home.’
They all raised their glasses, which were of a delicate green, and drank.
‘Italian,’ said Oliver, seeing Thomas’ interest. ‘Oh, there are so many beautiful things. They are stored upstairs waiting to be unpacked when the house is furnished. I thought Nina and I should choose the various items together. There is a wood carver in Plymouth who is making us chests and a bed. They will be here shortly. There is no one to touch him for craftsmanship. And there are more wall hangings — one for you and Papa, one for Maria — ’
He broke off and his face darkened. ‘I heard about Hugo and Martin. ’Tis a bad business.’
‘And the wedding? Have you heard that also?’ cried Thomas, trying not to let the sad business spoil Oliver’s moment of triumph.
‘Aye, last night when I arrived. I so longed to come home earlier but dared not leave the ship until the shares were fairly apportioned and mine secure. I have learned to trust no one.’
‘But how did you know?’ cried Maggie. ‘That Maudesley was for sale? And why did the workmen say you were a foreigner?’
‘I let them believe it. I wanted to surprise you so I pretended to be acting for the real purchaser. The Tuckers knew, of course, but they, too, were sworn to secrecy. In fact my early negotiations took place while we were anchored off Portugal, so ’twas easy enough to maintain the deception. As for Maudesley, ’twas not for sale and I had the devil of a job to persuade them to part with it. But, what is money for if not to buy your heart’s desire?’
The maid refilled the glasses at a sign from Oliver.
‘Oh,’ he said, ‘this young lady is our first maid. She’s the daughter of the tile-maker who provided our new roof. Engaging the rest of the servants will be Nina’s responsibility, though she will need your help Mama.’
Melissa nodded. ‘And the boy who came to the house with the message?’
‘Son of the timber merchant in Ashburton. He has helped tidy the garden and I may keep him on to help in the stables. He is older than he looks. But now let me show off my house. I am inordinately proud of it. You must bear with me, but I have risked my life for it and now I long to share it with my dearest Nina. She waited so patiently for me to return and she loved me when I had nothing!’ He kissed her fondly and led the way upstairs. As they went from room to room he carried Jason on his right arm and kept his left arm round Nina’s waist. Maggie felt a lump in her throat as she watched them together. He told them of the rest of his plans — to go into partnership in the Heron mine, if Allan would agree. He had enough money to bring over a new consultant if Bucher still refused to return. They no longer needed finance from London. With the capital Oliver had available there should be no question that the mine would thrive again.
Melissa and Thomas walked hand in hand marvelling, as Oliver described his plans for the future. Maggie followed with Jacob. Della ran from room to room and up the stairs and down again, her footsteps echoing throughout the house.
The garden, too. Great plans had been made for that. Exotic trees and shrubs had been ordered and would all arrive in the course of time. As they stood outside a little later, preparing to remount and ride back to Ladyford, Melissa looked at Thomas. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement and her eyes shone.
‘Thomas!’ she whispered. ‘It does seem that the bad times are over. Dare I hope? I am so afeared that I shall wake up and find it all a dream.’
‘’Tis no dream,’ said Thomas. ‘I believe the pendulum for Heron, for the Kendals, indeed for all of us, is swinging the other way at last.’
Christmas came and went, taking the old year with it. Snow fell at the end of January and was washed away by the fierce February rains. March heralded the traditional winds but there was no more snow. Heron huddled bleakly in the lee of the moor and waited impatiently for April and the first real signs of spring. It came at last and straggly yellow catkins appeared in the hedgerow and the pale sunshine drew forth green shoots from the ground and coaxed open the buds on the trees.
In the big bed at Heron, Felicity opened her eyes and at once blinked herself into true wakefulness. The mattress, of goose feathers, was delightfully warm and the heavy blue bed drapes were pulled back to allow the warmth from the fire to reach them. Raising herself on one arm she glanced in the direction of the hearth and saw that a few embers still glowed dully. There might be time to save it. The small silver table clock showed ten past five so the rest of the household would not stir for another hour. She looked down at Allan, sleeping beside her. He slept so soundly as usual. It amused her each morning to see the difficulty with wh
ich he struggled out of his dreams and into reality. Moving gently, she lowered herself to the floor and tiptoed to the fire. A smile played at the corners of her mouth as she began to scrape the embers together. Then she blew softly to promote a flame and when that happened she arranged small logs over it and sat back on her heels to watch it flare. The smile returned and she stood up and crossed to the chest which stood at the end of the bed. She lifted the lid from its depths, took a flagon of madeira wine and two of the green wine glasses which Oliver had given them. Closing the lid, she set the flagon of wine and the glasses on top of the chest and returned to the fire. Another log went on and she sat beside it for a while, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth. When finally it blazed to her satisfaction, she found her hairbrush and began to brush her long hair until it floated round her shoulders, tangle-free, framing her face which was still rosy from the fire. Her grey eyes sparkled with mischief as she dabbed lavender oil between her breasts and behind her ears. Then, her preparations complete, she slipped between the sheets once more and began the slow, but pleasant, task of wakening her sleeping partner.
Allan lay with his back to her, his knees curled up, his face hidden below the bedcovers which were pulled well up around his head. Carefully she fitted her own body round his, and slid one arm down over his body to his thigh and let it rest there, unmoving. Softly she nuzzled her face into the back of his neck below the tousled blond hair. She kissed his neck and his left shoulder, edging down the covers to reveal the fine sprinkling of gold hairs which covered his shoulders and thickened over his arms. The skin of his back was pale and freckled and his shoulder blades showed like two budding wings. She kissed the one she could reach and then, as he still slept, she smiled and nestled against him for a moment, her cheek against his back, her arm thrown over his long, lean body so oblivious to hers. They had been married exactly five months and only now were they beginning to feel at ease in their new situation. The household had accepted their union and Felicity was given as much respect as any previous mistress of Heron. Piers and Lorna, now growing rapidly, treated her with affection and Melissa visited occasionally. Allan and Felicity had twice been invited to dine at Maudesley and Beatrice had written to them, promising a visit when the weather improved. Poor Martin had been their only problem. His charming face had haunted Felicity’s dreams and she had several times woken to find that she was calling his name aloud. Fortunately Allan slept too soundly to have heard but Felicity had been shaken and distressed.