The Royal Lacemaker (2 page)

‘There's nothing for it,
I'll just have to tell Mrs Bodney I can't take the position.'

‘Now don't be hasty, Lily.
Think it all through before you make a decision,' Tom advised, before stopping
and peering at the horizon. ‘That's a fair old mackerel sky and
we've had the dry: you'd best be getting home. Wind's freshening;
there'll be rain before dark.'

‘You're right. I've
been away since daybreak and Rob will be wondering what's happened to
me.'

‘Wait,' Tom said, and she
watched as he ran down to the beach. He returned moments later holding out a
parcel.

‘Here, some fish for your
tea,' he puffed. ‘I'll wager you've not eaten since first
thing.'

As if on cue, Lily's stomach
rumbled. How well he knew her. Smiling gratefully, she turned and walked back up the
cliff path. Gingerly, she picked her way through the furze that edged the track. The
fulmars, perching on the cliffs with their young, spat in warning as she passed. She
quickened her pace, keeping as far from them as she could, for the oil they
projected not only stank but was hard to remove from clothing. When she was safely
past
their nesting sites she turned to wave, but Tom was already
preparing to sail out on the evening tide.

‘Godspeed and bring you home
safely, my love,' she whispered before continuing on her way.

Already the sky was darkening with heavy
clouds lowering to the west ahead of her, and the tang of salt carried on the wind
stung her lips. As waves pounded the shore below, so Lily's thoughts pounded
her brain. She really wanted this job and, goodness only knows, they needed the
money, but if she worked in Bransbeer, who would look after her family in Coombe?
The light was fading completely by the time she reached the straggling hamlet. As
she headed past the thatched inn opposite the rickety old forge, her own cottage
came into view and, just as Tom had predicted, the heavens opened.

Pulling her shawl tighter against the
biting wind and driving rain, she stifled a yawn. It had been a long day and all she
wanted to do was go straight to bed, but Rob and Beth would be waiting for their
dinner. Since the accident, her elder brother could manage only the lighter tasks
like tending the chickens. Of course he did a good job of looking after their
four-year-old sister, enabling Lily to concentrate on her lace making, but that did
not ease her household burden. With her thoughts a jumble, she let herself
inside.

‘I'm home,' she
called, throwing her wet shawl onto its nail by the door. Going through the tiny
scullery to the living room, she saw Robert sitting by the fire, cradling Beth on
his knee. That's strange, Lily thought; usually her
little
sister ran to meet her. Then she noticed they were both looking subdued and she
heard raised voices coming from the adjoining bedroom. Before she could ask what was
going on, a figure appeared in the doorway.

‘Lily dear, you're home at
last.'

‘Aunt Elizabeth,' she gasped
in surprise. ‘What are you doing here?'

‘The children I've been
caring for are being sent to school and my services are no longer required. Having
time to spare, I decided to pay a visit, and not a moment too soon from what I can
see.'

‘Is Mother all right?' Lily
asked, noticing her aunt's flushed cheeks. ‘I'll let her know
I'm home,' she said, turning towards the door.

Aunt Elizabeth pursed her thin lips.
‘She seems, well, distracted, is the only way I can describe it, so I'd
let her be, Lily. When I arrived back from Exeter and heard about the dreadful
accident, I was that upset I came straight over on the donkey-cart. Really, your
mother should have let me know.'

Lily put her hand to her head, wishing
she could wipe away the memory of that terrible time. Nightmares of the heavy roof
timbers and cob wall crashing down on her poor father's body as the byre
collapsed had haunted her ever since.

‘Why, child, you look fair worn
out,' Aunt Elizabeth said, patting her arm. ‘Sit down and warm yourself
by the fire. I'll go and see if there's anything to rustle up for
supper.'

‘Tom gave me these fish.'
Lily handed over the parcel, then sank thankfully down on the floor beside the
blaze.
Beth came over and snuggled against her. Smiling, Lily put
her arms around her and pulled her close.

‘All right, little one?' she
asked, kissing the top of her silky, fair hair.

‘Sing me a song, Lily,' Beth
whispered. Although she was exhausted, Lily could tell her little sister was
unsettled and so softly she began to croon the lullaby that usually sent her to
sleep. Sure enough, it wasn't long before she felt her sister's body
growing heavy, her breathing deeper.

Still cradling her in her arms, Lily
leaned back against the chair. The crackle of the logs and warmth of the room
relaxed her and soon she felt her own eyes growing heavy.

Waking with a start, she peered round
the darkened room and saw her kindly aunt sitting watching her.

‘Where are Rob and
Beth?'

‘Beth's in her bed, bless
her. She didn't even stir when I took her from you. Robert's checking on
the chooks. Poor fellow; that accident has left him weak as a worm, hasn't
it?'

Lily nodded. ‘It's certainly
taken its toll on him. He gets frustrated not being able to do the things he did
before.'

‘Well, your insides must be
gnawing, my dear. Here, I've kept your supper warm. Eat up and then you must
tell me what's been going on.'

Gratefully, Lily took the plate of dabs,
their appetizing smell reminding her just how long it had been since she'd
last eaten. She ate hungrily and then, hands cradling her mug of hot milk, spoke
about the terrible accident and the struggle they'd had to keep the cottage
going. Unable to help herself, she gave a yawn.

‘Poor child,
you're drowsy as a dormouse. I'm guessing your mother's been no
help?'

‘She's been out of her mind,
Aunt Elizabeth. The shock of losing my father brought on the nervous prostration and
she took to her bed. She's seldom left it since.'

Her aunt pursed her lips as she glanced
around the sparsely furnished room. ‘Judging from this mess of a muddle,
I'm guessing not much cleaning's been done either.'

Following her gaze, Lily's eyes
widened in horror as she took in the mud on the stone floor and the string of
cobwebs festooning the low beams and fireplace. A thick layer of dust had settled on
the dresser, which housed their few bits of crockery, and the old blankets covering
their two rickety chairs needed washing. She also saw that the cover over
Rob's straw mattress on the other side of the room needed repairing. Only the
table in the corner on which she kept her bobbins and thread was free from dust; she
wouldn't be able to sell her work if it wasn't spotless. She hung her
head in embarrassment. Before the accident, her mother had taken pride in keeping
their modest home clean and tidy.

‘I've been too busy with my
orders for lace to do much around the cottage. Rob does his best but some days his
legs pain him so bad he can hardly move. But he's good with Beth and keeps her
amused whilst I'm working.'

The other woman put her head on one
side, quizzically. ‘I'm sure you do your best. Forgive me for asking,
Lily, but do you have any other money coming in?'

‘We're managing,' Lily
retorted, her chin rising defensively. ‘Working from home means I can care for
the
family well enough, but I have to confess that jobbing pay is
paltry and orders for pillow lace are dwindling.'

‘Rob said you'd been
summoned to see Agent Pike?'

‘Yes, Mrs Bodney has offered me a
position for six months but it will mean working from her cottage in Bransbeer along
with the other lace makers. I'd have to be away from here all day, and with
the family and cottage needing looking after that's not possible. The money
she offered is more than you'd believe, but we will only be paid at the end of
each month. So you see, Aunt Elizabeth, with the family to feed, I can't
afford to take it anyway,' Lily said, shaking her head.

‘Now let's not be impulsive,
Lily my dear,' her aunt said quickly. ‘Mrs Bodney is a reputable
businesswoman as well as an accomplished lace maker, so I'm guessing her order
is for someone of renown. Am I right?'

‘Yes, it is. But you've been
living in Exeter so how do you know about Mrs Bodney?' Lily asked.

‘You're forgetting that I
too was brought up here in Coombe, where everybody knows everybody. It seems like
only yesterday,' her aunt said. ‘Your mother and I used to have such
fun. She might have been the elder by a couple of years, but the japes she used to
get into …'

‘Really?' Lily asked, eyes
widening at the thought of her staid, thirty-six-year-old mother misbehaving.

‘Oh, yes, I was always having to
cover up for her. Of course, the tables were turned in the end …' Her
aunt's voice petered out and she stared into the flames, seemingly lost in
thought.

‘It sounds as if you were really
close, Aunt Elizabeth, so why did you move away?' Lily asked, her curiosity
getting the better of her. Her aunt looked at her sharply.
‘Sorry, Aunt Elizabeth, I had no right to pry,' she added gently.

‘No, dear, that's all right,
and when we have more time I will explain. It was always my wish to have more of a
presence in your life. I kept in touch as much as I was able and, as you know,
returned for visits when my duties permitted. Your mother was good at keeping me
informed about family news so I was right puzzled when her communication ceased.
Now, of course, I know it was because of the accident.'

Lily nodded, remembering the excitement
Aunt Elizabeth's occasional visits had caused, and letters that came
periodically by the stagecoach. Then her thoughts returned to the present and her
own news. Despite her predicament, she felt excitement bubbling up inside.

‘Mrs Bodney said the work has to
be done to a strict timetable and we need to work sunrise to sunset to have it
completed in time.'

As if tuning into her thoughts, her aunt
brought the subject back to the present.

‘Regular work's not easy to
come by around here, is it?' she asked.

‘No, and Tom says I won't be
able to walk the eight-mile round trip six days a week as well as look after
everything at home.'

Her aunt glanced down at Lily's
boots sitting beside the hearth with their scuffed toecaps and worn soles.

‘Your Tom sounds a caring man,
Lily, but how you've walked anywhere in those boots is beyond me. Things have
been difficult for you these past months and I'd like
to
help. Seeing as I'm between situations, I'm free to suit myself, so why
don't you let me take care of things here while you work at Mrs Bodney's
cottage?'

‘You'd do that for
us?' Lily stared at her aunt in amazement. ‘Why?'

‘Because we're family and,
as I see it, a family's like that lace you make. A single thread by itself is
not very strong but when worked together with others it gathers strength. You
won't be able to manage everything by yourself but if we work
together …'

Lily's heart almost skipped a
beat. ‘What can I say? It's such a kind offer and I really don't
know how to thank you, Aunt Elizabeth,' she said and then frowned. ‘But
if I take the job we don't have enough put by to last until I get paid at the
end of the month.'

‘Well, not having to pay out for
my board over the past years means I have eggs nested,' her aunt said. Lily
looked puzzled for a moment, then realized what she meant.

‘But you can't use those to
pay our bills; you hardly know us,' she spluttered. Her aunt looked at her
sadly for a moment, then shrugged.

‘I can't think of a better
way to spend them than on helping my family.' Then, as Lily began to protest,
she held up her hand. ‘Call it a lend until you get paid.'

‘But where would you sleep,
Auntie? Mother, Beth and I share the bedroom and, as you can see, Rob has his bed in
here.' Lily nodded towards the mattress.

‘My, my, Lily Rose. All you see is
problems. As it happens, I visited my friend Grace Goode before I came here, and she
kindly offered me a bed. If I'm going to stay in Coombe for any length of
time, I'll sort out something sounder.'

‘Thank you, Aunt
Elizabeth,' Lily cried, jumping up and throwing her arms around the other
woman. Her aunt returned her embrace then, looking flustered, became brisk
again.

‘Now, we really have to do
something about those boots or your feet will be shredded. I left Doris in the back
paddock; you can hitch her to the donkey-cart and ride to Bransbeer tomorrow.
That'll start you off on the right foot. Put her in the stable behind the
hostelry, and if old Ned's still there, tell him he's to look after her
whilst you're at work.'

Lily was hardly able to believe her
luck. Only an hour ago her hopeful future had been threatened. Now, thanks to her
visitor, her dilemma was solved.

Smiling, her aunt Elizabeth gave her a
quick hug. ‘Now, my dear, off you go to the land of nod. I'll tidy up
here and tell Rob what's happening when he comes in.'

Next morning, as the first streaks of
grey were lighting the sky, Lily carefully steered the donkey-cart down the lane
from Coombe, turning eastwards onto the sunken cliff track with its canopy of
wind-bent ancient oaks. Seeing the splashes of mauve dotting the verges, she felt
her heart lift. Wild violets were her mother's favourite flowers. She would
stop and pick her some on the way home. They'd be sure to cheer her up, she
thought, as the donkey-cart began its descent down the cliff path towards
Bransbeer.

As she guided the cart into the yard
behind the hostelry, old Ned, the stable hand, shuffled over and took the reins.

‘Aunt Elizabeth said to leave
Doris here for the day
while I'm working at Mrs
Bodney's,' Lily said, smiling nervously as she climbed down from the
cart.