‘Taking on a lot of trouble, more like,’ Mercy mumbled disagreeably.
‘Please, Mercy, let’s not quarrel.’ Jo appealed quietly but there was fire and conviction in her eyes. ‘You’ve been a very good friend to me but I love Luke and if I’m forced to, I’ll choose him above our friendship. Will you come to the wedding?’
‘I’ll be at the church,’ Mercy said. ‘I always stand by my friends. And I’ll be around to help pick up the pieces when he breaks your heart.’
There was a tense silence, then Irene said, ‘How’s the ’master today, Jo? Life will be different for him from now on. Sally’s moved out, well, she had to, of course, or people would gossip. Dear little Beth’s taking Mrs Lidgey’s death hard.’
‘He’s bearing up very well, Irene. Sally was terribly shocked at what happened. Beth’s deeply concerned that Mrs Lidgey died unhappy.’ Jo did not welcome the atmosphere at the schoolhouse that was stealing over her again.
Over the last three days, Marcus had revealed little emotion but some terrible dark secrets. He was pale, his eyes heavily shadowed, but he appeared quiet and contemplative. He had told her he had sent off his resignation. ‘I posted it at the same time as yours. I held on to yours for a while, hoping you’d change your mind.’
‘Where will you go?’ Jo had asked.
‘Far away from here. I shall never teach again.’
‘You’ll miss Eleanor.’
‘Well, that’s the standard thing to say at a time like this, but I won’t miss her at all. She was selfish and cruel and she ruined my life. I’m ashamed to admit it but I was afraid of her.’ He looked intently at Jo. ‘She was even glad that my infant sister, Gabriella, died. She hated Gabriella.’
Thinking he was under more strain than he was showing, Jo said carefully, ‘Marcus, are you aware of what you’ve just said?’
‘Yes,’ he replied, strangely calm after making such a shocking statement. ‘She told me from her own lips. Do you want to see her in her coffin? It’s in the dining room.’
‘No, I’d rather not.’ Eleanor Lidgey a heartless mother? Was this why Marcus had always seemed hunted, dispirited? If he wasn’t confused and rambling, thank goodness Eleanor was no longer in a position to hurt him. At times Jo had been worried he was heading for a complete breakdown.
‘The undertaker did excellent work on her. She looks highly beautiful. I like to look down at her corpse and know only the shell is left of the evil woman who terrorised me, who turned me into someone unfit to be near other people.’
‘Don’t, Marcus.’ Jo was appalled at his jubilant tone, then his bizarre expression. ‘You’ll make yourself ill if you go on this way, and what you’re saying about yourself is not true.’
‘If you knew the whole truth you wouldn’t say that, Joanna.’ Pain burned behind his tragic dark eyes.
‘I don’t believe there is anything bad about you, Marcus. I respect and value you. You must take a long rest and look only towards the future.’
‘I’ll try. It helps, having others to think about. Beth will be out of a job when I leave. I owe her and Sally a great deal.’ He had chosen to forget Sally’s callousness with him; she was keeping his suicide attempt a secret. ‘I’ll divide my mother’s jewellery between them. That’s fair. I’ll sell everything else, except for my violin. Start again. The world’s a huge place…’
On each visit he’d drifted off into an introspective silence and Jo had quietly left.
Jo bribed Rex to accompany her to Cardhu with the promise of sweets and a comic. He chose nut-and-raisin fudge and The Union Jack, fronted by a story of Sexton Blake. In the rare position of having the upper hand over someone, he also wheedled a bar of Fry’s chocolate out of her.
‘Those old biddies in the shop were talking about us,’ he grumbled angrily, dragging his heels behind her up the village hill. In the last few days he seemed to have grown older in his ways and increasingly bitter.
‘I’m afraid they talk about everyone, Rex.’ Jo slowed to his pace and tried an encouraging smile. ‘They’re bored and small-minded. We should simply ignore them. How do you feel about living at Cardhu? You’ll have a large room all to yourself, and books and toys and you can have a bicycle, and a pony too if you like. I’m going to ask Beth to work there. You like her, don’t you? She’s a good cook, you and Marylyn will never go hungry again. And I’ll always be there to teach you new games and take you to the beach and on outings. We’ll have a wonderful time. We could go away on holidays. Go to London and see where the King lives. Would you like that?’
Rex stayed stonily quiet and Jo was concerned she had overdone her eagerness to make him look forward to his new home. ‘Have you nothing to say, Rex?’
He thrust a cube of fudge into his mouth, chewing with exaggerated slurping noises and swallowed it loudly before answering, ‘You’ve said nothing about Luke.’
‘Oh, you noticed. I omitted him deliberately because you become difficult when his name’s brought up. It’s time you forgave him, Rex.’
‘He don’t really want me and Marylyn.’
‘He does,’ Jo stressed. ‘How can I convince you?’
Rex shrugged his shoulders.
‘Please give our new life together a chance, Rex. We’ll all have to adjust to a lot of changes.’
‘Mrs Wherry said you’re doing a grand thing giving up being a teacher for us. Miss Venner, will you teach me my lessons from now on? I hate the bloody school.’
Jo ignored his bad language, he had sounded so fierce and rather desperate. ‘You can call me Jo now. I’m afraid you’ll have to got to school, Rex. It’s the law. But I can coach you at home and then you won’t have any difficulty keeping up with the others. You might even be top at some subjects. We’ll work hard together in Molly’s memory, shall we?’
‘I s’pose so.’ Then, not unlike his headmaster, Rex slipped into a world of pensive thoughts. Some he shut out of his mind, others he brooded on.
* * *
An unoccupied Bentley was parked near the turning from the main road for Bridge Lane. Assuming the driver was hiking the moors, Luke took little notice of the motorcar and continued on to Cardhu.
Home. As the wagon lurched over the uneven ground, he tried to warm to the reality of the house becoming his home. A fine building of stone, bricks and mortar was not an acquisition he had ever desired, but at least Cardhu was set in isolation on the moor, away from prying eyes and smart mouths. Gardening, house-painting, general repairs might not be so daunting, so restricting, once he got started.
The enthusiasm he was trying to work up stayed steadfastly elusive, but Jo would always be here, that was what mattered.
He was not pleased to see a young man looking out of the sitting-room window. No doubt the owner of the flashy car. The first glance Luke got of the stranger, when he stepped outside into the brilliant sunlight, left him in no doubt he was Jo’s brother. He shared many of her features.
Luke expected trouble from Alistair Venner and had no intention of listening to any warnings. Bringing the wagon close to the garden wall, he leapt off and began unhitching Lucky, coldly eyeing the man now sauntering slowly towards him, puffing on a long-stemmed pipe, hands casually in the pockets of his ridiculous plus fours.
The two men were in complete contrast. Luke, broadly built, rough clothes, dusty from travelling, dusky gypsy looks, unyielding deportment. Alistair, pale, softly honed, immaculately turned out, arrogantly relaxed.
‘We obviously can dispense with introductions, Vigus,’ Alistair said, standing relaxed as he watched Luke’s impatient movement while he groomed his horse with a handful of straw. ‘Have you any idea where Jo is? I was hoping to find her at home. The doors are unlocked.’
‘Wherever she is she won’t be long coming back. She’s expecting me,’ Luke replied tersely. He patted Lucky’s rump and the horse, tossing its long neck, walked off to graze.
‘There’s no point in beating about the bush, is there?’ Alistair took the pipe ou
t of his mouth. ‘If you really love Jo you’ll do the decent thing and bugger off before you wreck her life.’
Luke would have preferred to meet the other man with a stream of heartfelt abuse, but he wasn’t about to fall into the trap of being accused of proving the point that he wasn’t good enough for Jo. ‘It’s none of your business.’
‘I won’t stand by and allow Jo to throw away her teaching career. She worked damned hard to achieve it.’
‘Jo knows what she’s doing. If you really love her you’ll agree to give her away at our wedding. She’s sure to ask you, now you’ve actually bothered to visit her home. And before you move on to the next thing you’re bound to say, I can’t be bought off. I love Jo, she loves me. We’re getting married and you’ll just have to get used to the idea.’
‘Luke! Alistair!’ Jo’s slight figure came rushing up the last few yards of the lane.
Luke broke into a dash for her. They met and he swept her up off the ground and kissed her lips.
Hugging tightly, laughing, kissing, it was some time before they separated. Time enough for Alistair to see he had a futile task ahead in convincing his sister to cancel the wedding, but he had to try. He had always known that if Jo fell in love it would be with a man the antithesis of what he or his mother was hoping for her.
Arm in arm with Luke, Jo beckoned Rex to them and the group walked to where Alistair was waiting. She held out her cheek to him. ‘I take it Mother sent you, Alistair.’
He kissed her. Tried to pull her away from Luke, but he wasn’t prepared to let her go. ‘You don’t look particularly well for a future bride, little thing. You’re even thinner than before.’
‘There’s been a lot of tragedy recently, Alistair. The whole village is suffering under the strain. I am very much part of the community.’ A pang of sorrow hit her heart for her last statement was untrue, but hopefully once she was married and things had settled…
‘This must be the younger brother.’ Alistair turned his eyes on Rex and received a similar hostile reaction to Luke’s. ‘Please accept my condolences on your sister’s death, young man. You too, Vigus.’
‘Checked up on us, have you?’ Luke challenged him. ‘Think you know how we tick?’
‘I know enough to have formed a clear opinion of you,’ Alistair replied astringently.
‘Rex, this is my brother, Alistair,’ Jo said quickly, sensitive to what had passed between the two men before her arrival. If only she could persuade Alistair to give her marriage his blessing. It would help soothe the difficult period ahead while the necessary adaptations were made.
She smiled enthusiastically. ‘There’s one more little person you need to meet, Alistair. Marylyn. She’s being looked after in the village at the moment. She’s eight months old and absolutely adorable. I’m looking forward to being her mother. Shall we all go inside?’
‘I’d like a few minutes with you alone, Jo,’ Alistair said immovably. ‘I’m sure you won’t object, Vigus. I am the head of my family.’
‘Come with me, Rex. Take a look in my wagon. I’ve brought back some things for you and Marylyn,’ Luke said tightly, unwillingly relinquishing Jo.
Alone on the hard stony ground with his sister, Alistair opened his mouth to speak.
‘Don’t say a word,’ Jo cautioned severely. ‘I’ve heard all the doom-laden warnings. Nothing will make me change my mind. I’d marry Luke no matter what. I couldn’t live without him.’
‘The fellow’s handsome, I grant you that. He’s got the sort of virility women go for, but surely not you, Jo? I’d have given you more sense. Why can’t you see this marriage can only end in disaster? Apart from his dubious background you must have very little in common. You’ll end up like Celia Sayce. Lonely and unloved, except you will have two children to bring up and perhaps more if you have your own.’
She could still feel the imprint of Luke’s body against her, feel his arms enfolding her in his love. ‘Luke will never leave me. Alistair, as surely as I know the sun will rise every morning, I know Luke loves me. He’s not perfect. He has faults and weaknesses but I love him nonetheless and always will. We will be happy. Please be happy for me. And Celia was never unloved. Sheridan Ustick loved her until the day he died. I loved her.’
‘For goodness’ sake, Jo, you’ve only been in Parmarth for six months! How could you possibly give up your teaching for a common family, a scoundrel? I can’t make sense of it. You know it’s utterly absurd or you would have told me about it immediately. Were you going to wait until after the wedding to tell me?’
‘No, of course not. You know I’m not a coward. Mother turned up here unexpectedly first. If you’d only try to get to know Luke, you’d see the good in him. He’s bound to take exception with you coming here like this. He should be getting encouragement and friendship.’
‘You know that’s impossible. How could you suggest it?’
‘Because if you make me choose between you and Luke, I’ll choose him.’
Sighing resignedly, Alistair said, ‘Well, it looks as if I’ll just have to leave you to it. At least you’ll have a decent house to live in. I stole a look around inside. You will have domestic help?’
‘Yes, of course. Alistair—’
‘You realise I can’t bring myself to give you away?’
Jo swallowed her terrible disappointment. ‘It matters very much but I accept it.’
‘You’re so strong, Jo.’ Alistair squeezed her shoulder. ‘I only hope you never have to call on all your resources. Keep in touch, eh?’
Pecking her cheek, he walked away and Jo knew he was cutting himself off from her for good. She had expected it, but it did not help her bear the pain of his rejection.
‘He’s gone?’ Luke said softly, a minute later.
‘He won’t come here again,’ Jo said, choked with emotion, turning to him for comfort.
‘I’m sorry. I didn’t think about the probability of you marrying me costing you your family.’
‘Well, I only ever really had Alistair. Hopefully we’ll exchange the occasional letter. At least I’ll never have to see my horrid mother again.’ She smiled up at him through her tears. ‘Anyway, welcome home, darling. I’ve missed you so very much.’
They kissed tenderly, then their deeper feelings led to a passionate embrace.
Jo pulled away from Luke. ‘It’s important we include Rex in all our decisions or he’ll find it hard to settle into Cardhu. To think of me as his foster-mother, or sister-in-law or whatever. I’m going to cook the three of us a special meal, then we can all sit down and discuss the wedding. Are you going to ask Rex to be your best man?’
‘There’s no one else. I’ll freshen up then show him the stable and the pocket of land I’ve earmarked as a paddock. I might keep horses to sell. Marylyn’s well, is she?’
‘She’s fine, sitting up properly now and making lots of interesting noises. While you’re having a bath, I’ll show Rex his room. It’ll help him feel at home.’
Luke glanced behind him. Rex was sitting on top of the garden wall reading his comic, his urchin face sticky from the sweets he was devouring. Beside him was the red and blue kite Luke had bought for him. ‘I wanted to do this at a more romantic moment. I’ve got something for you, my love.’
He produced a ring box and Jo took a deep breath. He opened the claret-coloured velvet lid and an exquisite emerald-and-diamond ring sparkled in the sunlight. ‘Oh, Luke!’ Taking her left hand, he took the ring out of its velvet bed and slipped it on to her finger. ‘There, it fits perfectly. Do you like it?’
‘I love it,’ Jo exclaimed and the rigours of the past few weeks fell off her face and she was wholly radiant. ‘And I love you, Luke. Thank you. My ring is beautiful.’
They kissed passionately, forgetting the time, forgetting they had company.
Watching them morosely on the wall, Rex screwed up the comic and threw the kite to the ground.
‘Where were you earlier today, sweetheart?’ Luke asked after they had
eaten and Rex had gone outside to examine Jo’s old toys in the outhouse.
‘I called on Irene Trevail, to ask her to come to the wedding. Mercy was there too. We shall have some guests. Before that I called at the schoolhouse to see how Mr Lidgey was.’
‘What do you mean? Ill, is he?’
‘Didn’t Rex mention that Mrs Lidgey died three nights ago? She took a bad fall, hit her head and died shortly afterwards.’
‘Another death? Mardie Dawes must have put a hex on this place. People are dropping off one after the other.’
‘Well, if she did, she became one of her own victims.’
‘In a while, I’ll take Rex back to Mrs Wherry and pay her for the kids’ keep.’ He gave Jo a heart-stopping smile and placed a circle of tiny kisses behind her ear. ‘Then you and I can be alone.’
After a long, breathless kiss, Jo said happily, ‘I’ll call Rex inside so we can discuss the wedding arrangements and decide when he and Marylyn will come here to live.’
Rex lost interest in the toys and was staring gloomily at the kite, making up his mind whether to play with it or break it up. Luke couldn’t buy his cooperation.
He swore under his breath at the sight of a smartly dressed man and woman walking towards the house. More of Miss Venner’s rotten stuck-up relatives come to look down on him. He made to take to his heels, off and away over the moors.
‘Hey there, wait a minute! Are you Rex Vigus?’ the woman called out.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Rex led the strangers into the sitting room. The man took off his bowler hat. ‘These people have come to see us, Luke.’ Rex’s voice was filled with fear and suspicion as he edged away from the couple.
Luke took in the couple’s formal clothes, their air of something between gentility and rigidity. In their mid-forties, the woman was tall, stout, stiffly hatted and carried a large handbag, the man was short and thin with a trim moustache.
Luke got up from the sofa and adopted an aggressive stance. ‘Are you from the Welfare?’
Listening to the Quiet Page 32