A Family Christmas (26 page)

The atmosphere in the kitchen reminded Lucy of the night her father died. Reverend Goodman had taken possession of her mother’s chair by the fire. Robbie was standing face to face with James. His face was deathly white and sweat beads rested on his brow. ‘I never touched her, James. I swear I never laid a finger on her.’

‘You were in her room undressed, Robbie.’

‘I know. Only because she tricked me. She called for help.’

‘I would have heard her, Robert. The first I heard was when she called you to get out.’

‘That was only because I wouldn’t cuddle her.’

‘Robbie, you’ll have to marry Prudence. It’s matter of honour. When a man’s been in a girl’s room he must do what is right by her.’

Lucy poured tea into her pretty cups, privately thinking James’s attitude was more to do with him
losing
his home than it was about doing right by Prudence Grey.

‘Are you certain she’s pregnant? I mean if Robbie says he never touched her …’ she asked.

‘Well, nobody else has been in her room. My daughter wouldn’t lie.’

‘I just don’t think Robbie would either,’ Lucy pointed out.

John had kept silent until then, leaving the matter to his elder brother. ‘Lucy, I really don’t think it’s anything to do with you, love.’

Lucy blushed. ‘I’m sorry, John.’

‘It’s all right.’ John smiled sadly at his wife.

‘So it’s settled then. My brother’ll do right by your daughter,’ James told Herbert.

‘But I love Dot,’ Robbie said in desperation.

‘So I can arrange the wedding then?’ Herbert felt the tension slip away as he prepared to leave.

‘I shall be proud to have you for a son-in-law, Robert.’ Herbert held out his hand for Robbie to shake.

‘But it’s not fair. I don’t love Prudence.’

Herbert held Robbie’s hand and patted the back of it. ‘Love will grow, never fear. The child will bring you closer.’

The look in Robbie’s eyes almost brought Lucy to tears. He searched the room appealing for help, but none was forthcoming. James couldn’t meet his eyes. He knew he was sacrificing his brother’s future in order to hang on to his house and Jane’s job.
He
felt bad about doing so but knew if he let Jane down, his own future wouldn’t bear thinking about.

When Will arrived home an hour later only Robbie, John and Lucy were in the kitchen.

‘What’s up?’ Will said. ‘Has somebody died?’

Robbie stood up and went towards the stairs. ‘I wish I had,’ he said. ‘I wish I was dead.’

Prudence smiled to herself when she knew her plan had worked. All she had to do now was carry on keeping her periods secret and pray she would become pregnant for real after the wedding in a month’s time. She could stop feigning sickness now and was eating as much as she could in order to put on weight. The medical book had told her all she needed to know about pregnancy, and most importantly about miscarriage – should that become necessary. If only Robbie would stop acting so unreasonably and begin to look forward to the wedding. Prudence thought he would come round once Dot Greenwood was out of the picture and she gave him the comfort of her body. She sighed in anticipation. Robert Grey would soon be hers, and she couldn’t wait to welcome him into her bed.

‘Well, I must say this is a right kettle o’ fish.’ Boadacea poured boiling water onto a handful of camomile flowers to make a cordial. The best thing for shock, and Dot was certainly in shock. She hadn’t stopped crying since dinnertime. Robbie
wasn
’t much better; in fact he looked as though his face had been dipped in the flour bin. Little Arthur had listened intently to what Robbie had to say.

‘I never touched ’er. If you get me the bible I’ll swear on it.’

‘Then don’t marry ’er,’ Dot managed between sobs. ‘She must’ve been with somebody else.’

‘They say I’ve got to. They’re not going to believe me before a vicar’s daughter. If I don’t marry ’er, our James’ll lose ’is home, Jane, her job and everybody in Millington’ll hate me. I might even lose me job.’

‘Well, isn’t that better than losing me?’

‘That’s not fair, love. Robbie doesn’t know whether ee’s coming or going. The lad’ll be badly with all this upset.’

‘I know, Dad. I’m sorry Robbie, but I love yer and I want to marry yer.’

‘So do I, Dot. I hate her.’

‘It’s all that gypsy’s fault. She said we would be parted. I wish I’d never had me fortune told.’

‘Nay, me duck. She only told yer what was going to ’appen; she didn’t make it ’appen.’

‘But she did say we would be together one day.’ Dot cheered slightly but then began to sob again. ‘And she said you would remain faithful to me. How can you remain faithful to me when you’re married to her?’

‘I can and I shall; I shan’t touch her. I can’t abide to be near her, ne’r mind touch her. I love you.’

‘Well, like I said, it’s a right kettle o’ fish. But I can’t see what Robbie can do but marry ’er.’ Boadacea placed a cup of bitter-tasting tea in front of Robbie. ‘We all know ’ow the people of Millington look up to the vicar and Robbie’s life won’t be worth living if she spreads the word that it’s his babby, even if it isn’t.’

‘Well, nobody mu’n say a wrong word about yer to me, lad,’ Little Arthur said. ‘And yer’ll always be welcome here in my ’ouse.’

‘No!’ Boadacea shoo’d a ginger cat off the bench and sat down. ‘That wouldn’t be right. It’d not only give Robbie a bad name but our Dot as well. We can’t ’ave that. No, she’ll ’ave to get over ’im and when she ’as, maybe find another sweetheart.’

Dot began wailing again. ‘I won’t. I’ll never get over ’im and I’ll never love anybody else. I’ll remain an old maid until Robbie and me get together again, and we shall. The gypsy said so.’

‘That’s all very well, but I shall miss thee, Robbie.’ Little Arthur looked near to tears himself.

‘And I shall miss coming to the farm. It’s been like home to me.’

‘Well then, tha must continue to come if tha likes.’

‘No, thanks, Mr Greenwood, but Mrs Greenwood’s right. It wouldn’t be fair to Dot and I shouldn’t be able to bear it, loving her as I do.’

‘Oh, bloody ’ell, it can’t be right loving one lass and marrying another. There must be summat we can do.’

‘Aye, but what?’ Robbie looked hopefully at Little Arthur, but he couldn’t come up with an answer. Robbie stood up. ‘I’d better go. I’ve explained now and that’s what I came for. I expect I’ll see yer in church, Dot. And I shall remain faithful, even if you fall for someone else, which I expect you will, what with you being so beautiful. There’s one thing for sure: I shall never in a million years fall for Prudence Goodman.’ Robbie had never felt so sad since his parents died, and Dot felt just as bad.

At John’s suggestion, to cheer Robbie up a bit, Will and Robbie had taken Bernard out to see the ducks on the reservoir. Lucy had just finished washing up the pots and pans after a delicious Sunday dinner when Mary and Jacob arrived. Mary was all dressed up and Lucy thought it must be nice to have nothing to do except don yourself up in Sunday best and go out for the afternoon. Then she looked at little Rosie, sleeping peacefully in her pram and the slight envy she had felt changed to pity for her sister.

‘Shall I put the kettle on?’ John asked, knowing Lucy had worked hard all morning and ought to be putting her feet up.

‘Yes please.’ Lucy laid out the cups and saucers. ‘This is a nice surprise, Mary.’

‘Aye well, I’ll not beat about the bush; we’ve come to offer our help.’

‘Help? I didn’t know we were in need of any help.’

‘We’ve come to tell you we’ve decided to adopt Bernard.’

John dropped a spoon into the sink with a clatter. ‘What?’

‘Well, with our Lucy expecting another, you’ll have enough on without Evelyn’s boy. So we shall help out by taking him off your hands.’

‘Oh no. You’re not having Bernard. He’s mine, and if I have a dozen more, he’ll still be mine.’ Lucy’s face had turned crimson.

‘I must say that’s a selfish attitude to take, throwing kindness back in our faces.’ Mary scowled at Lucy.

‘Kindness? Oh I don’t think you’d be taking him out of kindness. You just want a child, Mary. And I’m sorry you haven’t got one yet, but you can’t have ours.’

‘Yours? But he isn’t yours. Our Rosie’s yours, and the one you’re carrying. It’ll be a hard enough struggle to keep them and we could give him so much more.’

Jacob looked uncomfortable, shuffling from one foot to the other. He hadn’t thought this a good idea, but when Mary got a bee in her bonnet there was no holding her. John felt sorry for him and handed him a cup of tea. ‘He’s part of our family, Mary,’ he said. ‘Evelyn handed him into Lucy’s care. We can’t give him away just because we’re having another.’

‘You mean you won’t.’

Jacob spoke for the first time. ‘I think you should let the matter drop, Mary. Lucy and John are obviously not interested in your offer.’

‘I won’t let it drop. Bernard would want for nothing as our son. What can they give him with one in the pram and another on the way? And I don’t doubt there’ll be another next year and the year after that.’

‘Mary.’ Jacob’s hand landed on the table with a bang, causing the cups to rattle in their saucers. ‘You’ve said enough.’

Mary suddenly burst into tears. ‘You say something then.’

‘I think you’ve said enough for both of us and you should apologise.’

‘What for? Offering help? Never.’

Lucy felt immense pity for her sister, and for Jacob. ‘I don’t need an apology. It was kind of you to offer. Maybe you would be able to give a child more things than we can, but we have enough for his needs, and more importantly he’ll have love. He’ll also have Rosie, whom he already adores. You can’t take him away from her, Mary. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to.’

Mary was weeping as though her heart would break. ‘We could adopt him properly.’

‘No, we shall adopt him. You can apply to adopt another child, but not Bernard. Come on Mary, drink your tea.’

Mary rose to her feet. ‘Come on, Jacob. We’ve
made
our offer and it’s been refused. You can’t help some people.’ When she reached the door Mary turned, a look of pure hatred on her face. ‘And don’t come to me for help in the future, when you’re bound to need it.’ Then she flounced out with Jacob following behind, glancing helplessly back at John.

‘Oh John, I feel so sorry for her. Our Mary’s turning all bitter. She never used to be like that.’

‘No,’ John agreed. He shuddered as he remembered the look of venom in the eyes of his sister-in-law. He wouldn’t put it past her to try and make trouble over little Bernard. John wouldn’t rest now until the boy was legally adopted, and there were still some months to go before he could officially become theirs. Perhaps it wasn’t too early to set the wheels in motion, though. He would begin making enquiries.

Dot Greenwood saw Prudence place her hand possessively over Robbie’s and watched him stiffen and draw away from her. Dot joined the congregation as they uttered the words of the creed, wondering if she would ever believe in the words ‘God the Father’ again. Even her respect for Reverend Goodman had wavered as she considered the pressure he had placed on Robbie to marry his daughter. Surely he should have questioned Prudence in order to find out the father of the child. Dot struggled through the final hymn and
joined
the others as they shuffled their way out into the churchyard. Instead of hanging round to chat to her friends she hurried out of the lychgate and set off for home, unable to cope with their sympathetic glances. Besides, if Robbie Grey so much as looked at her she thought she might burst into tears. If she had but known, Robbie Grey felt exactly the same.

By contrast, Prudence was making sure everyone saw her clinging to Robbie’s arm. The excitement of the coming wedding added a glow to the girl and she actually looked pretty dressed in her Sunday best. No one apart from the family knew of Prudence’s pregnant condition, all of them being asked to keep silent until after the marriage. Only the friends of Robbie and Dot found it hard to believe that Robbie would leave Dot in favour of the vicar’s daughter. They all knew it had been a case of love at first sight for the couple and couldn’t understand what had happened to split them up.

Because none of them liked Prudence, most of the group tended to take the side of Dot, which only made Robbie even more miserable. His only consolation was that for now he still had Lucy, John and Will to go home to each night and Mr Grundy’s company during the day. He didn’t dare to think what it would be like returning to Prudence every evening and just hoped something – anything – would happen to prevent the sham of the wedding from taking place. He walked Prudence back to the
vicarage
, as was expected of him now she was considered his fiancée.

‘Aren’t you coming in for supper?’ Prudence asked.

‘No, I’ve to be up early in the morning. I’ll be getting home.’

‘Oh, Robbie, why don’t you move back here? After all, this will be your home when we’re married.’

‘Yes I know, but we’re not married yet.’ Robbie turned to go.

‘Aren’t you forgetting something?’ Prudence pulled at his sleeve and turned him towards her, throwing her arms round his neck. Robbie cringed as she kissed him on the lips.

‘Goodnight, Prudence.’ Robbie hurried away, ignoring the glint of anger in her eyes. She might be succeeding in getting him to the altar, but getting him to love and desire her would be a different matter. In fact it would never happen. His heart already belonged to Dot Greenwood, with or without a wedding ring.

Robbie mumbled his vows and saw Prudence sigh with relief as he placed the gold ring on her finger. The small congregation thought what a handsome couple they made, and as most of them – with the exception of Robbie’s family – were friends or relatives of Herbert and Louisa, none of them had any inkling that the marriage might be one of convenience. Robbie had thought, right up to the
last
minute, that something would happen to stop the wedding. That their James would intervene and put a stop to the proceedings. That Herbert Goodman would believe him and realise the marriage was a mistake, but for all Robbie had protested nobody had called a halt. Now it was too late and whilst all around him people smiled and offered congratulations, Prudence beamed and Robbie Grey sank deeper and deeper into despair.