Prue Phillipson - Hordens of Horden Hall (36 page)

They were engrossed and asked questions but it was nothing like the fearful interrogations her father had conducted. She could withhold her reasons for heading to a town with dockyards. They accepted she was escaping from London’s plague-ridden streets. She never mentioned Patience Porter though she made them smile with her account of Mr and Mrs Harrison’s household. She touched lightly on the rope ends that had hung in the kitchen. She kept quiet about seeing Daniel disembark even when he exclaimed that he had come ashore there and if only he had known he would have rescued her from them. She was able to report truly how she had overheard talk of the death of her grandfather and had hurried to London. But when it came to the Great Fire she spared them the worst horror she had seen.

“Our little house was consumed and all the streets from there to the river. We were packing up in The Strand when it was at last stayed. And that was when the lawyer came and told poor grandmother of the state of her affairs.”

At this point she wanted to be open about her own annuity but feared it would sound as if she were saying, “See, Daniel would not be marrying a pauper.”

She had watched him as she talked. He was absorbed and then abstracted, digging little holes in the grass with a stick he had found. He is not in love with me, she told herself now as she gazed out at the statue. Whereas I, yes, I am
in
love with him, I know. But I must not
love
him. I do not know at all what sort of a man he is. He was certainly drunk when I met him. He had left his parents with no idea of where he was. He could have been helping in the fields, Bel told me, for he is fit enough but she didn’t know why he had walked to Newcastle.

“The truth is,” Bel said, “he has not been himself since his illness. We must give him time.”

A little time, Eunice reflected, is what I will need to discover his real nature. If I then truly love him it will be sad for me. Maybe I will have to go away. Maybe I will have to take Grandmother away if she upsets their happy household. I will have to find a place for us both in Newcastle and earn a little and support her.

Meanwhile, she thought, as she stepped to the bedside, I am here, in his house, which I never dreamt I would ever be. There is food and shelter and I can work in any way I can to help that sweet soul, Ursula, who is full of laughter. I am most blest. I will learn to laugh too.

Bel lay with her arms round Nat and her lips close to his ear.

“You are right that Dan is better than he was but he is not whole yet.”

“Is that not because he is unsure of his feelings towards Eunice? Celia is so determined to bounce them together and Dan is not prepared to be bounced.”

She kissed his nose. “You put that so well, my darling, and you are right, but there is something deeper than that.”

“He is still troubled by his friend’s death. I was near to uncovering something when I met him on the way home from the church but he left me suddenly as if he couldn’t bear to speak of it.”

She kissed his cheek. “Right again, but I still believe there is something more. On Sundays you are at the altar, not sitting beside him as I am, and I have sensed discomfort, rebellion even. He was wayward in his attention as a boy but this is the questioning of a man. He speaks the responses under protest. I can feel it. Oh it was wonderful to have him hug me today as if he knew how much he has hurt us all lately. Some sort of restoration took place when he found Eunice at the inn. It was more than the pleasure of seeing her alive. He was among people again. He had to speak, arrange things, make decisions. He needed that. He had so isolated himself since his illness. I do not think he will fall back into his shadow existence but he is still troubled. We must tread carefully. We must make no assumptions about him and Eunice, which will not be easy with Celia around, but –”

He laid a finger on her lips. “But, my Bel, if it is his
faith
he has lost surely I as both his father and pastor should speak with him.”

She rolled over onto her back and thought about this. “I’m not sure, Nat. If he approached you, yes, of course. Let us see what the next days and weeks bring. It may happen of itself because Eunice is here, or she may make it worse.”

Nat raised himself on one elbow and looked down at her.

“How worse?”

“Because this is a new Eunice, or at least the Eunice she always was till she was squashed into a timid worm by her father. Look at how coolly and calmly she told her story and yet she had at her feet the young man of her dreams. She has amazing self-control. She is years older than our poor Dan in maturity.”

“But why then would her steadfastness make Daniel’s doubts and troubles worse?”

“Just because she is so steadfast. She has been through horrid experiences and kept her faith. She cannot conceive of denying it and will tell him so when they really start to converse. I think he will be a little frightened of her, a little intimidated, which is not a good prelude to love.”

“Do you want him to love her?”

“Oh I do. I could give him to
her
if I have to give him to anyone. And I will have to give him to another woman I know but if I gave him to Eunice I would never lose him. She is not predatory. Strong as she is she is of a humble spirit.”

Nat lay down again. “Well, we will see what happens between them but I believe you are right about handling Dan carefully. I wish they might have one day the marriage that you and I have had.”

“And still have,” she said and next moment they were in a passionate embrace.

Bel soon found that Celia was making herself thoroughly at home. She wanted breakfast in her bedroom so Eunice brought it up to her. Then she would dress with Eunice’s help and come down to the parlour about ten o’clock expecting Bel to sit with her and chat. At first because she was so newly come Bel obliged but after a week or two it became intolerably irksome. One October morning when the sun was shining outside and Celia had commented yet again on the impossibility of running a place as big as this with so few servants Bel decided to be very direct with her.

“Cousin, you have been used to a lady’s maid but Eunice is acting that part very well. We had another maid as well as Peggy when Nat’s parents were living at the vicarage but she left to be married and Peggy helps here now as well as cleaning the vicarage. We live simply. Adam is a good man now he has learnt more than how to groom horses. He makes the fires and chops wood but Dan or Nat will chop wood if he is on an errand. There is a certain amount of work that any household requires and none of us is ashamed to turn our hand to anything. We have had to do it. It may be we will grow more prosperous. Already the tenants are paying their rents more regularly and we can sell the produce of our land. The farmhands from the home farm and the other farms help us and each other when fields are to be sown or harvested. It may be a different society from London life but I’m sure you will learn to love it.”

“Oh I know you seem to manage, but I don’t at all understand about the ugly woman, Ursula. She is your cook-maid, I suppose, and yet you told her to sit with us at dinner the first day when she was leaving the room. That is unheard of and it seemed to me she was very reluctant to do so.”

Bel remembered very well the little scene she had had with Ursula afterwards.

“I didn’t sit at table, Bel, when you had the French family.”

“Ah but they were merely here for a visit. We may be encumbered with Celia for the rest of her life and I will not let her disrupt our arrangements. Peggy and Adam would be embarrassed if I asked them to sit down with us but you have been a friend from my childhood.”

“Mistress Celia is not happy looking at me across the table.”

“Then Mistress Celia must get used to it. That’s an order.”

Ursula made her first and last little act of rebellion. She stuck her hands on her hips and planted her feet apart. “Bel, you said we were old friends. You don’t give orders to friends. If I am to take orders I am a servant and will stay in the kitchen.”

“Oh you cunning, adorable angel. Then I will say, dear friend, I will be sad and hurt if you do not sit with the family at meals.”

Ursula made one of her submissive little curtseys, her eyes twinkling with mischief. “Put like that, I can’t refuse.” And so, having served dinner, she would now slip into her place and eat it and be the first to rise and clear away. She had not chatted at all at table since the arrival of their guests but that, Bel hoped, would change.

So, struggling to put on her most patient smile, she told Celia now, “Then I will explain about Ursula. God sent her into the world with that deformity of face to test all those with whom she has any dealings. He also gave her the most cheerful loving disposition and the blessed gift of contentment. She expects nothing from life or people so we give her everything, all the love of which we are capable. She is the dearest friend I have and is the most important part of our family.”

“But she does the cooking!”

“Well, I would do the cooking if I was half as good as she is. I do what I can under her advice. And now of course we have an extra pair of hands in Eunice. I found her helping with the washing yesterday.”

“Oh well, look at the life she has led. I wonder how she will ever manage to be the lady of the manor.”

“Very well, if it is Horden Hall of which she is the lady.”

“If! Do you not expect it, Arabella? Is it not obvious they will marry?”

“I will expect it when they find it obvious themselves and not before.”

Celia now became the impatient one. She rose from her chair and walked about the parlour. “Well! I must have words with Eunice. She doesn’t do nearly enough to make herself attractive to a young man. What can we do about her hair?”

“Nothing, I beg, Cousin. I would wish Dan to look beyond the outward person to the soul within.”

Celia stopped beside a portrait of a handsome lady in the ball gown of Queen Elizabeth’s time. “I have it. We should give a ball to celebrate her coming back to us so miraculously and also of course your Daniel’s recovery. Then I would see that she dressed up properly. Maybe you always have a harvest ball. I have learnt that country people like to link their festivities with those sorts of things.”

Bel laughed. “I have never known a ball here all my life. That wicked old man out there on his horse, the husband of the lady in the portrait, gave balls a plenty and his descendants have had to pay his debts. My father put on a harvest supper for the tenants when he was in funds but we have never copied the splendid functions held by the coal merchants of Newcastle. That is where the wealth is in this part of the world. Besides,” she added, “you and Eunice are still in mourning for your poor husband.”

Celia waved her podgy arms about. “True, true, but I thought you who pay so little attention to what is proper might have disregarded that.”

Bel chuckled. “Dear Celia, pray wear your mourning as long or as short a time as you see fit. This is your home now and Nat and I want you to feel free to do as you please, come and go as you please and be as happy as you can.”

To her shock and dismay Celia’s puffy face crumpled and she burst into a flood of tears and sank back into her chair. Bel was beside her at once ready to enfold her in her arms but she waved her away.

“What did I say?” Bel had a guilty feeling she had been teasing her.

“How can I do as I please?” The words choked out between sobs. “I have no money. It would please me to go shopping in Newcastle but how would I get there and how would I buy anything? Eunice has money but I don’t like to ask her even though it’s what my own husband left her and what did I get? – only his debts.”

Bel stood still beside her chair. This was a surprise. Eunice – an heiress? Had not Clifford’s whole estate been swallowed up in the failure of his business ventures?

Celia gulped a little and looked up at her. “I shouldn’t have said that if she has not told you.”

Bel shook her head. “There is no harm done. I can ask her myself. But you” – she knelt down by her chair and put her hand on her arm – “I should have considered how you must be feeling. I have been homeless myself but I was young and could work. I will talk to Nat. You must have some independence. Please don’t cry.”

Celia clasped her hand. “You are a strange girl, Arabella, but I believe you have a heart of gold.”

Bel laughed. “If I am still a girl with a grown-up son I am happy indeed but pray call me Bel. Everyone does. Cheer up and I will see what can be done. I wonder where the young people are?”

Daniel, armed with an axe was hacking at the tangle of brambles that blocked his way into the woods from the stable-yard. He had seen Eunice in the kitchen with Ursula preparing dinner and had made sure she knew what he intended to do.

“If I could make a path direct through to the church it would be a useful short-cut for my father.”

She had smiled her approval but said nothing.

He had been at it an hour or two and had felled some self-sown sycamore saplings and made an opening a few yards in. A quarter of a mile, which he reckoned it would be, was going to take a long time. He wanted to see instant results.

He was wiping his brow when Eunice appeared behind him with a mug of ale.