The Body on the Beach (The Weymouth Trilogy) (26 page)

Andrew walked on back to the house
with her and shared her
dinner
. They went out together into the garden to
pick apples and lay them out in the shed. He helped her to wind a skein of wool in the kitchen and toast their
supper on the fire
.
Then
t
he
y
walked
up to the church and
stood
together
by Bob’s grave
, the light fading around them,
holding
eachother
close, almost sensing the little boy’s joy in seeing them together again.
And then Andrew mounted his horse and
took
off down the road
, waving
.
She watched him until she could
watch him
no more.
Then she watched the road where he had just ridden.
They both felt
happier
than they had
felt
for week
s
.

Like it or not, it seemed that the Brewer household had been preorda
ined to impact on Kathryn’s tranquility
whenever she least expected it. Indeed, everything had been quiet for a good few weeks before the next intervention – but when it came it was as devastating in its own way as anything that had come from there before.

For, early in November, just as Kathryn and Sally were mangling the washing in the little wash-house outside the kitchen, the sound of a carriage crunching on the gravel pull-in caused them both to stop and look at each other in surprise. Visitors with carriages were few and far between in the vicinity of Sandsford House and the carriage had sounded like neither of Mr Berkeley’s. Kathryn hurriedly removed her pinafore and
let down her sleeves and
made her way through the house to open her front door. To her very great surprise she was confronted by the sight of Mr Brewer, in the company of a strange gentleman with a large
book in his hand, newly cla
mbe
re
d down from a very smart and showy new barouche.

‘Mr Brewer.’ Kathryn bobb
ed him a
slight
curtsy. ‘I am sorry but my husband is not at home. He has been gone these several weeks, you must know. I have no idea when he might be back.’

Mr Brewer gave her a slightly uncomfortable smile.

‘No matter, Mrs Miller. I daresay we can get along quite happily without him.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The inventory, Mrs Miller. I have brought my colleague along to do the inventory.’

Kathryn went white.

‘The inventory?’

‘Yes...you did know that you are moving out on Saturday, did you not?’

‘On Saturday? This Saturday?’

‘Yes. The six months is up on Saturday.’

‘What six months?’

‘The six months’ notice. You husband has had the date since we agreed it. He agreed to pay the rent for six months while he sorted something out. I only did that as a favour to him. I should normally have moved you out immediately.’

‘But...but...I am so sorry, Mr Brewer. I am afraid that my husband did not tell me. And he is away, as you know. I have...I have done nothing to prepare for moving out. I had not expected it, to be sure.’

Now though Mr Brewer was a business man he was not entirely hard hearted. He had long felt some sympathy for the very pretty woman who now stood before him, white as a sheet, whom her husband had callously cheated out of everything she owned. She reminded him of his daughter.

‘Well, perhaps we can come to some arrangement, Mrs Miller. I can see that this has come as a complete surprise to you. What with all the tumult in our household at the moment I daresay we will not make much use of th
e property for another few
weeks or so. What if I give you
a little more time
in which to sort something out? Your husband can pay me the usual rent for it. Now we are here we will take the inventory as planned but if you need a bit more time there is no need for you to move out until – shall we say – Monday
two
weeks hence
? That should suit Mrs Brewer just as well. She is planning to entertain everyone here for Christmas, you understand, and that should still give us time to get it decorated up.’

Stunned as she was, Kathryn still found herself having to express her gratitude to the man who was throwing her out of the house and off the land that been in her family for generations. She stood aside to allow the surveyor to begin his work. Everything in the house, apart from Kathryn and Giles’ immediate personal possessions, was included in the sale. Even the china. Even the linen. Everything went on the list.

Kathryn followed the surveyor mechanically as he systematically worked his way through every room. He started with the bedrooms – Sally’s little attic, then Kathryn’s room, then Giles’, then Bob’s. Even Bob’s little boat went on the list. She saw him write it down. Mr Brewer made himself at home while he waited. Sally, much disturbed by the presence of a stranger whom she strongly suspected of bringing
yet
more bad luck
to the household, offered him some ale, which he accepted with a nod and took into the parlour to enjoy. Tom, having had a word with the coachman as he waited at the front, learned all the news in an instant. He cursed softly to himself before slipping round to the back of the house and telling Sally to be quick and give him a few pots and pans that he could hide in the compost at the back of the shed.

The inventory took almost the whole of the morning. Once the house had been catalogued the surveyor and Mr Brewer took themse
lves off to examine the grounds
and the state of the cottages that formed the bulk of the estate. There were four pairs of them altogether, dotted around the land. He already knew from Giles what income they provided. He looked at them closely. With a few minor repairs he could easily increase their rent. They should more than cover the investment he had made in
buying
Sandsford H
ouse.

As soon as they had gone Kathryn asked Sally to call Tom in so that they could talk about what they could do. Tom proudly produced the pan and crockery that they had managed to keep from the surveyor’s unwelcome gaze, a little grubby by now from their immersion in the compost. She thanked them, a little tearfully, and said that
Tom and Sally
should sha
re the spoils between
them. She had no idea whether she should be able to pay them that quarter. At least Tom and Sally should have something they could sell.

‘But what shall you do, Mrs M? You must look to yourself, not to us.’

‘I shall have to manage somehow, Sally. I am wondering about going to see whether the room my aunt used to rent is still available. After all, it was in a most convenient situation and the rent was very low. It is you and Tom who most concern me at the moment. I am just so sorry. It will be completely outside my power to keep you on. I meant to ask Mr Brewer about it. He may well be happy to take you, too
, if I ask him
. I’m sorry. It slipped my mind
whilst he was here
. I will call and ask him about it, if you wish.’

Tom and Sally looked as if they would rather work for anyone else in the world than Mr and Mrs Brewer but they knew, too, that times were hard and that food and bedding unfortunately did not appear out of nowhere.

‘Well, don’t you worry about us, Mrs M. We’ll sort ourselves out no problem. And we don’t want all your bits and pieces, neither. We’ve both tucked a little bit away. I’m sure we’ll be able to manage for a quarter without pay.’

Kathryn thanked them silently with her look. She was quite unable to say anything. Sally came up to her and gave her a great hug. Then she and Tom went quietly about their work.

The next day saw Kathryn making her way into Weymouth
once again
. It was raining, a dull, wet rain which quickly soaked her through
but the church bells were ringing and flags were flying in every street. Not that she noticed them
at all. She made her way to the rear of Maiden Street and up the old familiar stairs to the landlady’s apartment on an upper floor. Yes, her aunt’s old room would be available. Most of the visitors were leaving for the winter and the room should be free by the end of the month. The rent would have to rise a little, but Kathryn could reserve the room for a small deposit and move in after that.

Her next job was to visit Mrs Wright. Her friend was in a state of excitement that Kathryn had never seen her in before.

‘Oh, great news, Kathryn
,’ she said, as soon as Kathryn appeared at her door. ‘Great news, indeed. Have you heard? We have had a great victory over the French. The French and Spanish fleets are quite destroyed.
An immense number of ships were involved.
My husband’s ship
took part
in the ac
tion. The
ship was
badly damaged but John himself is safe. He will be coming home on leave,
Kathryn
. He will be home with me for Christmas. I was never so happy in all my life.’

Kathryn had to share in her friend’s joy
ful
news. The French wars were passing her quite by over at Preston but here
in High Street
they were not just important, they were a matter of life and death.
So s
he allowed Mrs Wright’s raptures to take their course and, indeed,
she was quite loath to spoil
them with her own sorry news. But t
he sorry news
did have
to be told. Kathryn
had
need for recourse to the little tin box in order to reserve the room. Some explanation was expected, and required. It sobered her friend substantially.

‘Oh no,’ she
said. ‘Oh, my dear Kathryn. I’
m so sorry. Of course, I shall fetch the tin immediately. And you say they are taking everything? There will be nothing left for you at all?’

‘Nothing. But at least I have reserved my room – or, shall
reserve it
once I pay my deposit. It is quite a modest apartment. It will not cost me very much and it shall have the advantage of being quite in the centre of town. I shall be able to expand my business a little when I am able to work from home.’

Mrs Wright had long learned from Andrew of Kathryn’s real reason for taking the sewing work and she respected her for it hugely. She sincerely hoped that she should be able to get some of the old customers back, although she knew that even so the money would be very scarce at this time of the year.

‘It is a pity in a way that my husband is coming home,’ she said at last. ‘Otherwise you could have made use of his room while he is away.
Perhaps when he has returned to sea again it is something for us to consider?
’

‘But you forget that my own husband may return at any time
, Jane
. I doubt you’d want
him cluttering up the place
as well.’

Mrs Wright was not too worried about having her place cluttered up although she did not at all relish the thought of putting up with his tempers.

‘I suppose t
hat
’
s true,’ she acknowledged. ‘
It would be rather awkward with two of you in this tiny little house.
Well,
I do so hope that
it will all work out for you. And I shall expect to visit you once you are settled
– it will be so much more convenient than coming over to Preston
. I need not disturb your work at all, you know.
In  fact, perhaps you will allow me help you out sometimes?
’

As it turned out
it was fortunate that Mrs Wright had felt unable to offer Kathryn a room, as not only did her husband appear at hi
s house the following week,
he also
came accompanied by
a guest of his own – the somewhat dashing young Captain of a Privateer whom he had met up with on the way from
Gibraltar
and with whom he had managed to secure a swift passage to Weymouth much in advance of the remainder of the fleet. This Captain, Mr Augustus Rowley-Jones, was a native of Weymouth but now had no family left in the area. Bringing his ship back for some modifications and refurbishment in a shipyard on the Wey he had quite expected to take a room at one of the quayside inns
for the few weeks of his stay. But t
he option of a free bed in a cosy house with a charming young woman at the helm was more than enough to persuade him to amend his plans. So he
duly
turned up with his good friend Wright and deposited his sack in her husband’s little room.

So when Kathryn visited her friend later that same week she found herself being introduced not to one but to two young gentlemen, both brown as berries, the one with whiskers and a ready laugh, the other with ear-rings and dark seductive eyes. Indeed, Mr Augustus Rowley-Jones was more than happy to turn his dark seductive eyes upon Kathryn
as she came in through the door
.
A seafaring life meant long periods devoid of female company and
he
r lustrous eyes and glossy curls were
entirely to his taste. He instantly resolved to provide himself with a little amusement during his short stay
in Weymouth
with Mr and Mrs Wright.