A Dinner of Herbs (The Bannaman Legacy)

by Catherine Cookson

  Amid the chatter and murmurs of approval from the men, she moved towards him; and silently he held out a cloak and put it around her, then ceremoniously drew her arm through his, and with her was making for the door when suddenly he stopped and, looking down the hall, said, ‘Where’s Annie?’

  It was Maggie who answered: ‘Likely finishing her crying in the kitchen and saying it’s only her sniffles,’ she said on a laugh.

  ‘Go and fetch her, the silly bitch.’

  ‘I’ve no need to be fetched.’ Annie came through the far door and into the hall. Although she had thickened out with the years her build in her younger days had been much the same as was the bride’s now; in fact, many a time she had been taken for Kate’s mother, so similar were they. And also over the years she had been of invaluable help and even comfort to Mary Ellen; in fact, she’d had as much to do with the bringing up of the family as had Mary Ellen herself, and more so with Kate. At times, Mary Ellen had become a little mystified and more than a little troubled as she’d seen her daughter develop into almost a replica of Annie, and Annie’s devotion to the child had at times irritated her, for she would act as though Kate were really hers. Even when the others came along she never gave them the attention she gave to Kate.

  ‘My! That’s a new bonnet.’ Hugh flipped the velvet strings hanging from the brown straw bonnet with his finger and thumb. And Annie’s tone was one of assumed grievance when she answered, ‘Give over, you! I can have a new bonnet, surely.’

  ‘I don’t know so much about that. I don’t think you’ve worked for it of late. Taking to your bed because your nose runs.’

  On this the whole party went out laughing, some more heartily than others, but all, to Kate’s ears, forced.

  The church was almost full. There were smelting families from Langley with whom Hal had kept in touch over the years; there were farmers and their wives from round about; there was Doctor Brunton and his wife and two daughters from Haydon Bridge, who over the years had been close friends to the family; but there was no relative of Mary Ellen’s or yet of Hal’s present, for they had none that they knew of. But, as yet, the bridegroom and his best man had not appeared, nor yet any member of his family; there were, though, a number of his friends, mostly men, seated awkwardly at the left-hand side of the aisle towards the back of the church.

  The bride’s company arrived at the church five minutes late, but as Hal went to help Kate down from the brake, the Reverend Scott came towards them from around the side of the church, passing through scattered onlookers, and in a hushed tone he said to Hal, ‘The groom hasn’t arrived yet. He must have been held up on the way.’

  Kate, about to step down on to the grass verge, seemed to hang in mid-air, her face looking down questioningly into Hal’s, until he said, ‘Sit yourself down a minute. I don’t suppose he’ll be long.’

  As Kate sat back on the seat next to Mary Ellen she shivered, and Mary Ellen said, ‘Nice thing. And it isn’t very warm out here; this wind goes right through you. Put the rug round your legs.’

  ‘No.’ Kate put out her hand and stopped Mary Ellen from taking the rug from under the seat, saying, ‘I’m all right. I’m all right.’

  The family had now gathered round the brake.

  Mary Ellen sat back in her seat and drew in a long breath before casting a glance towards her other daughters, and it was Florrie who spoke, saying, ‘’Tis a good distance he has to come,’ but then Maggie asked bluntly, ‘Is there anyone inside belonging to him?’

  The men standing on the road looked at one another; then Hal said to John, ‘Go on and enquire, quietly like.’

  They waited in silence but with evident impatience till he returned, which was a good five minutes later.

  ‘Well?’

  John looked at his father. ‘There’s no-one of his family there,’ he said, and turned his back on the brake and walked slowly along the grass verge, and the men followed him; and when at some little distance he stopped, they went into a huddle and he said quietly, ‘I had a word with two of his cronies. Apparently they were on a drinking spree last night in Allendale, finished up in some house or other, paralytic by what they said. They drove him home towards midnight.’

  ‘God in heaven!’ Hal was beating on his mouth with his closed fist. It was as if his hand was cold and he was blowing into it, for his breath was making hissing sounds.

  Tom said, ‘He could be sleeping it off.’

  ‘’Tis turned twelve in the day. He had animals to see to. He wouldn’t be sleeping it off till this time. My God! If he’s let her down I’ll slit his throat. I will, I swear on it.’

  ‘Be quiet!’ Hal turned on Hugh now. ‘It’s as Tom says, he’s likely sleeping it off. And what cattle there is to see to, his father could have done that. There must be an explanation.’ He jerked his head to the side as if rejecting other thoughts. ‘I talked to him only yesterday afternoon. We had an understanding.’

  ‘What kind of understanding, Dad?’ It was John asking the question.

  ‘Oh.’ Now Hal flung himself round and looked towards where his womenfolk were sitting in the brake and, staring at them, he muttered, ‘I set him up, with a promise of more if he made good on it.’

  ‘How much?’ Sounding already like a man of the law Hugh repeated, ‘How much?’

  Hal turned towards him saying, ‘A hundred.’

  All the men seemed to toss their heads at once, very like the horses were doing, impatient with standing. But it was Gabriel who said, ‘What did you say, Dad? A hundred pounds? You must have been mad. By! I bet there was a hole in that last night when he entertained his friends in Allendale.’

  ‘’Tis usual to have a do before a wedding.’

  ‘Yes, on somebody else’s money?’

  Hal now turned to John, saying quietly, ‘She wanted to be settled. It seemed her only chance. Although why? In the name of God, why? I don’t know, for she’s worth all the bloody women in the county: she’s got a head on her shoulders and common sense enough for ten; there’s nothing she can’t do inside or outside the house; and she’s got a nature that’s pure gold…’

  ‘Then why did you sell her to him?’

  Almost as if he was going to strike Hugh, Hal now turned on him, grinding the words from between his teeth, ‘Because I understood her, Mr Big-mouth. She’s a woman, not a lass any more, and she has her needs, of which you’ll learn, I hope, some day. She wanted children. He was the only one that had offered. She’s twenty-four years old, by which time your mother had almost all of you lot.’ He cast his eyes angrily round them, and when a voice came from the brake calling, ‘Hal! Hal!’ he marched away and towards Mary Ellen.

  ‘What’s the matter? What’s up?’

  ‘Nothin’. Nothin’.’ His voice was light. ‘Just saying, the groom must have made merry last night and has slept in.’ He smiled at Kate, but there was no answering smile on her face. And now they all looked towards where Mr Scott was hurrying through the chattering onlookers, and, having reached them, he said, ‘Would you like to come and wait in the vestry? The wind is rather cutting.’

  ‘Yes. Yes, thank you.’ Mary Ellen nodded to him. Then for the first time they all got down from the brake, and followed the parson through the gaping and now very interested spectators around to the back of the church and into the small bare-looking room that was furnished with only a table, six chairs and a bookcase.

  In a few minutes they were joined by the men, and now the room was crowded, and the parson, addressing Hal, said, ‘What do you think could have happened, Mr Roystan?’

  ‘I don’t know, Reverend. But he’ll likely come galloping up at any minute. And believe me, he’ll get the length of me tongue afore he gets into your church.’

  The Reverend Scott emitted a slight titter at this, but there was no echo from the others present in the room…

  When half an hour passed and Harry Baker had not come galloping up on his horse, Kate said quietly, ‘I want to go home, Mam.’

&n
bsp; ‘Hold your hand a minute.’ Hal bent over her and, looking into her face, said quietly, ‘There could be an explanation. As I’ve told you, they had a little do last night and likely he had one over many and, not being used to it—’ He had no knowledge whether that fellow was used to drink or not but he went on, ‘It takes you that way. After the first real booze-up I ever had I slept for twenty-four hours, missed me shift.’ He straightened himself and, smiling now, nodded to his sons. ‘It’s a fact. Weird feeling to miss a whole day. But worse at the end of the week when me pay packet was light…’

  At one o’clock the family mounted the brake and the trap under the eyes now of the whole church company, some of the faces showing their deep concern and pity, while others grinned and were impatient to be away to spread the news that Hal Roystan’s big lass had been left at the church door. Others, more piously spiteful, would say, ‘Well, it was God’s will and God’s way of punishing Mary Ellen Lee for her sin in begetting a child outside of marriage. Anyone responsible for giving life to a bastard couldn’t expect to get off scot-free. They might prosper, as she had, but God was not mocked, He had His way in the end…’

  When the party arrived back at the farm Terry Foster, who had worked for Hal since he was ten years old and, still unmarried, lived in a comfortable room above the stables, gaped in astonishment at the bride being helped down from the brake and then, surrounded by her family, all looking grim, making for the house. It was to Annie coming in the rear he said, ‘What’s happened? What’s up?’

  Annie stopped and, taking him by the shoulder, twisted him around before she whispered, ‘He didn’t turn up. And you know something? I’m glad, because she was throwing herself away. I’m glad, I tell you.’ And with this, she gave him a slight push before turning and following the family into the house.

  The women went into the sitting room with Kate, the men remained in the hall, and it was Hal who said, ‘Get the horses saddled.’

  ‘Aye, we’ll get the horses saddled. By God, we will!’ It was Hugh who was speaking. ‘But let’s get this damn finery off first, because I won’t want these togs splattered with blood, and by God…!’

  ‘Hugh’—Hal’s voice was low and grim—‘leave this to me. You can come along of me, and you an’ all, John, but you two’—he glanced at Tom and Gabriel—‘get the horses ready, then stay around in case he should turn up here.’

  They set about obeying his commands without further murmur, and he turned and walked slowly towards the sitting room.

  Kate was sitting without her veil and shawl, her hands were lying limp on her lap, her head was bent slightly; her sisters, one at each side of her, were commiserating the only way they knew how, saying words to the effect that it would be all right, that there must be some explanation, he’d likely fallen off his horse and was hurt. It was when Florrie said, ‘You’ll find you’ll have to go through all this tomorrow again,’ that Kate raised her head slowly and, looking first from Florrie to Maggie, then to her mother, and after holding her sad gaze for a moment, she finally lifted her eyes to Hal standing now to the side of Mary Ellen, his hand gripping his wife’s shoulder, and she said gently, ‘There’ll be no tomorrow for me. Perhaps it’s just as well. It was never meant to be.’

  ‘The bloody swine!’

  ‘’Tis all right, Dad,’ she said, and now with a swift movement she got to her feet, saying, ‘I’ll get out of these things.’

  ‘I’ll help you.’

  She put her hand out towards Florrie in a firm movement, saying, ‘No, no; thanks, dear. I’ll see to meself.’ Then she went swiftly from the room, leaving the others silent, heads hanging as if the shame lay on their shoulders.

  After a moment Hal looked at Mary Ellen and said, ‘I’m off to change; then we’re riding over to get at the facts. But there’s one thing I hope’—he moved his head slowly up and down—‘and that is, that he’s done a bunk, because otherwise there’ll be bloodshed. I know that.’

  As he went to leave her side, Mary Ellen grabbed at his hand saying, ‘’Tisn’t worth it. Let him go.’

  ‘But he may have had an accident.’ Florrie’s quiet voice had a reprimand in it. And the three of them looked at her as if in pity, and it was Hal who answered her simply with, ‘Aw, lass,’ before going from them, and those two words conveyed how far-fetched and even silly he thought her statement had been.

  It was almost an hour and a half later when Hal and the two young men entered the mud yard of the Bakers’ small farm. There was no-one to be seen. But when Hal thumped on the low back door it was opened by a woman in her fifties. Her face was red and her lids were blinking. She did not address Hal, but turned her head, saying to someone in the room, ‘They’ve come.’ The next minute a man with stooped shoulders and grizzled hair stood by her side, and he looked defiantly up at Hal saying, ‘We expected you. Aye, aye, we expected you. And ’tis no good puttin’ the blame on us. ’Tisn’t our fault.’

  Hal stared from one to the other of them, then said slowly, ‘Where is he?’

  ‘How do I know?’ The man’s head bobbed. ‘Left on the doorstep last night as drunk as a noodle. But at six this mornin’ he was off bag and baggage.’

  ‘Where’s he gone?’ This was a demand from Hugh, and the man replied in a similar tone, ‘How do I know! I only know he’s left me in a bloody mess. How am I gona manage here on me own with me back the way it is, and the missis here not worth two penn’orth of copper.’ He nudged his wife with his elbow. ‘Anyway, you’ve got yourself to blame’—he nodded at Hal—‘you gave him a few bob yesterday. He could never rest when he had a penny in his hand.’

  ‘A few bob? A penny?’ Hal’s voice was grim. ‘I gave him a hundred pounds.’

  He watched both the man and woman now turn and stare at each other in amazement, and it was the woman who muttered, ‘What did you say? A hundred pounds?’

  ‘That’s what I said.’

  ‘Huh!’ The man laughed now but mirthlessly. ‘And you expected him to stay put with a hundred pounds in his pocket? God Almighty! He’s always wanted to see the world an’ now you’ve made it possible for him.’

  ‘We’ll find him. Sometime or other, we’ll find him.’

  ‘I doubt it. But good luck to you, an’ if I had him here meself this minute God knows what I’d do to him, leavin’ me in a hole like this.’

  Hal stared at the man and woman. These were the people whom Kate would have had to live with. He had only met them three times before and he had judged them to be a pleasant couple: not very intelligent but homely and pleasant; and he could see Kate getting on with them and altering the little farmhouse, because she had a way with furniture and such like. She was like her mother. But now he wondered if his judgement of human nature was slipping, for why hadn’t he gauged the type of man he’d been dealing with. For a moment he was thanking God what had happened had happened; then he was thinking of Kate and the effect this business was going to have on her for the rest of her life. Things like this had the power to turn a woman’s mind, even a big sensible one, as Kate was.

  Without further words he turned abruptly away and made for his horse, and after a second his sons followed him.

  They had gone some distance along the road before Hugh said, ‘What now, Dad?’

  ‘What d’you mean, what now?’

  ‘Well, do you think it’s any use going into Hexham or some place?’

  ‘No, I don’t. He’ll be further afield than Hexham by now. What’s done’s done.’

  ‘And a good thing to my mind.’ John jerked the reins, causing his horse to alter its stride and to sidestep for a moment, and when it was walking straight again he looked at his father and brother and added, ‘Kate would have withered in that hole, living with that pair…apart from Baker, who I couldn’t stand right from the beginning. But you were so bent on it; it looked as if you couldn’t get rid of her quick enough.’ Again he jerked the reins, and now the horse went into a gallop.

  Hal looked at Hugh. He w
as dumbfounded. If that speech had come from this one at his side he could have understood it; but John, like Tom, was a mild-mannered man. They had very little to say at any time, happy go lucky the pair of them, with, he had imagined, no strong emotions and therefore no strong vices. He muttered aloud, ‘Wanted to get rid of her? Well, I’ll be damned! I’ll let him know something.’ And he went to jerk his horse forward when Hugh said, ‘Hold your hand a minute, Dad, ’cos…well, he’s only saying what we all thought. I mean, the lads anyway.’

  ‘Sayin’ what you all thought?’ Hal’s mouth tightened for a moment. ‘Then all I can say is I’ve got four bloody fools for sons, and four males that will never know what goes on in a woman. Kate, let me tell you, was’—he gulped in his throat—‘was starved inside, she was ready for marriage, for bairns. ’Twasn’t so much the man, but bairns. Women are like that. And apparently I’ve bred four bloody numskulls who look at the busts and bums and ignore the head. And I suppose you all knowing I wasn’t her real father imagined that as another reason for me wantin’ to get rid of her. Eh?’

  When Hugh didn’t answer but stared straight ahead, Hal jerked his chin upwards, exclaiming loudly, ‘My God! Where’ve I been all these years, asleep, not to know what was goin’ on in the minds around me? Look’—he twisted in the saddle—‘let me tell you this: I love, and have loved that girl from I brought her into the world, and like her own father would never have done. He saw her when she was just a few months old and here she is on twenty-four, and nobody’s seen hilt nor hair of him since. Skited off to France was the last thing I heard of him. But never a word to the mother of his child, nor to that child. Any man worth his salt would have put in an appearance just to see how she had grown. Anyway, he could be dead now, and I hope he is. But for you lot to think that I wanted rid of Kate…well, I’ll tell you something, lad, and you can pass it on around the others, I think more of Kate than I do of any of you. Now there it is, and that’s the truth.’