Kingdom's Dream (20 page)

‘I've heard about you, Katie Cullen, and I don't like what I've been told, not one little bit.'

‘I'm not interested in what you think,' Katie said. ‘I'm here to talk to Bull, not you.'

‘Well, if you've come to claim Bull for yourself you're wasting your time, madam! Bull is my man. Everyone knows that.'

‘He's been walking out with me,' Katie said firmly, ‘and I won't believe he wants you instead of me until he tells me himself.'

‘Look, sit down.' Rhiannon's voice had softened. ‘It's no use us two arguing the toss over him. He's a man and makes up his own mind about things, see? But I am his woman. I've lived with Bull for months now and I don't want to give him up.'

She sat opposite Katie, her arms on the table. ‘He took me in when I was nothing more than a harlot, selling myself along the railways. I can't go back to that life, not after having a decent man take care of me. Please, Katie Cullen, don't take him from me, I'm begging you.'

Katie's mouth was dry and suddenly she was angry with Bull, so angry that she could not think straight. ‘He's not been fair to you or me!' she said. ‘He's kept the truth from me and I don't think I can forgive him for that.'

Rhiannon's face brightened. ‘Then you don't want him like I do. I love every hair of that man's head. I tell you, I'll die if he throws me out. I can't go back to sleeping with men just to put a crust in my belly.'

Katie stared at Rhiannon for a long moment and knew she was telling the truth. She would be in terrible trouble without Bull to take care of her.

‘See, Katie Cullen, you've got a job in a big house and a warm bed to go to at night. And you're younger than me. You can have any man you like, so don't take Bull.'

Katie could not ignore this plea from the heart. She got to her feet. ‘Tell Bull I don't want to hear from him ever again.' She was near to tears and Rhiannon, generous now in victory, put her hand on her arm.

‘Oh, I'll tell him, don't you worry,' she said eagerly. ‘You'll be all right. You'll meet a man more suited to you than Bull. He's a man of the road – he goes where the work is, see, and you wouldn't like that, would you, travelling round and living the way we do?'

Katie couldn't reply because her throat ached. She went out of the hut and felt the rain mingle with the tears running down her face. How could Bull deceive her so badly? How could he not tell her about Rhiannon?

‘Find Bull's place, then, love?' The woman in the first hut was in the doorway. ‘He'll be back soon if you want to wait for him by here.' She sniffed. ‘I ‘spects you had nothing but cheek from that Rhiannon. No good to man or beast, her. Scum, she is, living off men who should be home with their wives.'

‘No, it's all right,' Katie mumbled, and hurried away, afraid of meeting Bull. How could she face him now without wanting to kill him?

By the time she got to the Morton-Edwards' house, she was soaked to the skin. The kitchen was warm, the fire roaring up the chimney.

‘
Duw, duw!
Will you look at the girl! Like a drowned rat, you are, Katie love, and you been crying. What's wrong, then?' Mrs Grinter was fussing around her.

Katie kicked off her sodden boots. Her feet were freezing but it didn't seem to matter. Nothing mattered except that Bull had lied to her. But, no, he'd never lied, he just hadn't told her the truth. ‘Come on, have a nice cup of tea and tell Cook all about it, there's a good girl.'

‘It's Bull Beynon.' The words spilled from her numb lips. ‘It's true, he's got a woman, I've seen her for myself. She lives with him in a hut at the side of the railway track.'

Cook handed her a cup of tea. ‘Plenty of sugar special in that, set you up a treat it will, good for shock, see?'

‘He never said a word about living with a woman. He knew I wouldn't walk out with him if he told me the truth.'

‘But, love, these navvies have women all the time, camp followers they are, no-goods who are there just to give a man a bit of comfort after a hard day's work. I told you, they mean no more to the men than a hot meal or a drink of beer on a pay-day. Don't you go fretting yourself over a little thing like that. He'll give her up once he marries you, you'll see.'

‘He won't have the chance!' Katie said. ‘I'll never speak to him again, let alone marry him.'

‘Then you're a fool, girl,' Cook said severely. ‘Any man wants a bit of comfort, like. It don't mean anything to them.'

‘Well, it means a lot to me,' Katie said. She finished her tea and put down the cup. ‘Thank you, Cook, but do you mind if I go up to bed? I'm so tired.'

‘Go on you, girl, and think on what I've said. A man has needs, not like us, and if you're looking for one who never ‘ad a woman then you'll look for a long time.'

Katie made her way up the back stairs, her wet skirts cold against her legs. Once in her room she stoked up the fire, glad that Mr Morton-Edwards was such a generous master. He'd treated her kindly ever since he'd run her down in the accident. That seemed a lifetime ago now.

One thing was certain, she would never trust any man again. ‘Oh, Bull!' she whispered. ‘How could you do this to me? I loved you so much.' But the only sound was of the rain dripping incessantly against the window, as if the whole of heaven was crying with her.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

Shanni stared into the green infusion of fern as if it were poison. And perhaps it was. How could she trust an old woman's knowledge of plants and the effect they would have on her unborn child?

No! It was not a child yet! She pushed away the thought. It was an unfortunate accident and must be put right, if she was to go on with her life. She picked up the cup and put it to her lips, closing her eyes tightly. The liquid was bitter, even though she had added honey to it as Mrs Keen had told her.

‘Well, Mrs Keen, I hope you know what you're doing.' She tipped back her head and swallowed. It burned down her throat and into her stomach and Shanni panicked. What if it was lethal?

She put down the cup, staring into the dregs with distaste. As she heard Pedr's whistle she looked up sharply. He was coming up the path.

Quickly, Shanni hid the cup and set about laying the table for a meal, not that she could eat a thing but Pedr would be famished. She took up the loaf and began to cut thick rounds of bread. He liked his bread crusty and hot and tonight she wanted to please him.

‘Hello, love, I'm home.' He came into the kitchen and clasped her in his arms, planting a kiss on her upturned face. ‘What's for supper?'

‘Bacon and cheese and some lovely fresh bread. Let me go and I'll put out the food for you.'

‘What about you?' Pedr shrugged off his coat. ‘You're going to waste away to nothing if you don't start eating properly.'

‘I've got a bit of an upset tummy and I think I'll make do with a cup of tea and a little bit of toast.'

Pedr sniffed. ‘Funny smell in here, love. It's stronger even than the bacon. Not trying to poison me, are you?'

‘No, silly! It's a remedy I got for my gippy tummy. Nothing to worry about.' It wasn't really a lie.

Pedr looked at her more closely. ‘Do you think you ought to see the doctor, love? It may be you're going to have a youngling.'

His words shocked Shanni but she forced herself to smile at him, although she felt as if she was putting a dagger through his heart.

‘No, it's not that, love. I've had my monthly curse.' She put his meal in front of him, fighting the nausea that the smell of bacon fat brought on. She made toast and sat opposite her husband picking at it with little enthusiasm. When would it start? She had little idea of what would happen to her. Mrs Keen had said something about bleeding but Shanni had not been sure what she meant.

‘I'm worried about you, Shanni,' Pedr said gently. ‘You look pretty bad to me.'

Shanni got up. ‘Perhaps you're right, I should lie down for a bit. Will you bring me some tea up later on, love?'

‘Aye, go on up you. I was going down the Castle for a beer but I think I'll just stay in for tonight.'

‘No, you go, love. I'm not that bad, I promise you.'

‘We'll see.' Pedr put down his mug of tea and leaned back in his chair. ‘Fine supper that, Shanni, you're a good cook and a wonderful wife. Have I ever told you that?'

‘Once or twice! Now, go on out and leave me alone, for heaven's sake. I've only got stomachache and I don't know why you're making so much fuss about it. Go out with the men and give me a bit of peace, will you?'

‘If you're sure, then, love. I'll just have a bit of a wash and then I'll be off, but I'll bring you some tea first.'

Shanni went upstairs to the small bedroom she shared with Pedr. The bed looked cosy and inviting. She slipped off her dress and, in her chemise, crawled under the covers.

It was good to lie down. The pain in her stomach seemed to ease as she settled herself more comfortably.

She didn't hear Pedr bring her tea for she was dreaming of babies, young ones lying in her arms, smiling at her, and when she woke in the darkness of the night there were tears on her cheeks.

Llinos sat at breakfast, thinking of the events of the past few days. Jayne had come to make her peace, which had been surprising enough, and, of course, she had found Shanni about to drown herself in the cold waters of the river Tawe.

‘Damn you, Dafydd Buchan!' Llinos said softly. ‘How many other lives are you going to wreck?' She poured another cup of tea. The house was quiet: Sion was busy upstairs with his tutor and the early morning silence seemed even to have quelled the clatter of the maids about their tasks.

She made up her mind, in spite of her promise to Shanni; it was her duty to see Dafydd and let him know of how Shanni was suffering. It might just teach him a lesson. He was no longer the young man eager to help the world but a selfish oaf who used women without a care for their future.

But she could hardly go to his house. She would have to send one of the servants to bring him here to the pottery. His visit would set tongues wagging again, but this was important. Jayne must be saved from the truth, if only for the sake of Llinos's friendship with her father.

It was early afternoon when Llinos heard the sound of hoofs. She knew Dafydd had arrived: she could hear him issuing orders to the stable-boy to rub down his horse. He must have ridden like the wind to get to her, yet the thought gave her little comfort.

He came into the drawing room like a breath of fresh air, his cheeks red from the wind, his hair standing out around his head like a halo. He looked so handsome but Llinos knew now how weak and treacherous he could be.

‘What is it, Llinos? Are you ill?' He took her hands and drew her towards him, but she pushed him away.

‘I am perfectly all right,' she said icily. ‘Sit down, Dafydd, while I fetch you a strong drink. I think you're going to need it when you hear what I've got to say.'

‘What is going on, Llinos?' Dafydd sounded impatient. ‘I've been summoned here like an errant schoolboy and I want to know the reason why.'

‘I'll come straight to the point. Shanni Morgan is pregnant.' She watched his face, trying to read his expression but he did not meet her eyes.

‘What has that to do with me?'

‘You know full well what it has to do with you! Don't lie to me on top of everything else.'

‘All right. It happened once. She can't be having my child.'

‘I found her about to drown herself in the river. I brought her home and made her tell me everything. Her husband was away when she fell for the baby. Oh, Dafydd, how many more lives are you going to ruin?'

He put his head in his hands. ‘What a fool I was to be tempted by Shanni, but she's always wanted me, you know that, Llinos.'

‘And if a woman wants you it justifies your outrageous behaviour, does it?' Llinos was aware she sounded like an indignant wife, but that was how she felt. ‘And there's Jayne,' Llinos added. Dafydd looked up sharply. ‘It's all right, she doesn't know anything. Your sordid secret is safe with me.'

‘Why did Jayne come to see you the other day, then? Was she suspicious?'

In that moment Llinos realized she was free of him. Dafydd was a weak man, like all the rest, open to temptation and happy to indulge himself whatever the cost to others. The only man who was big enough to love her wholeheartedly in spite of her faults was Joe, but now he had gone away from her, perhaps for ever.

‘She has no idea that you would betray her like that, poor trusting girl. Her only complaint was that you didn't appreciate her. You treat her like a simpleton, Dafydd. I've seen you together, remember?'

‘And that was
all
she came to see you about?' Relief was in his voice. ‘Are you sure, Llinos?'

‘I'm sure. But don't underestimate your wife, Dafydd. If you do, you will be doing her a grave injustice.'

‘I love Jayne . . . in my own way,' he said lamely. He took up his glass as if to make a barrier between himself and Llinos. ‘She's a fine girl and one day she'll bear me fine sons.' He looked at her sharply. ‘I will always love Sion, have no fear of that.'

‘You don't know how insensitive you are, do you, Dafydd? What about poor Shanni and Pedr? How are they going to sort out the mess you've made for them?'

‘I was a fool, I admit it.'

‘And that makes everything right, does it? For goodness' sake, go home, Dafydd! In future, try to let your head rule your urges. You've changed, you know. You were honourable once, when you wanted me to go away with you. Now you have a fling with a girl just for the fun of it! Isn't it time you grew up?'