‘I don’t know.’ She cleared her throat. ‘But . . . thank you anyway.’
‘You don’t have to thank me for seeing you as you are.’ He knew his voice was too hearty but he didn’t know how else to pass this off. He had never credited Eve with being concerned about her appearance. She was so practical, so down to earth. This new side to her had thrown him and made him realise he didn’t know her as well as he had thought he did.
They walked back to Washington in silence. Caleb felt he ought to make conversation but for once it was beyond him. As they reached the inn and walked into the yard, the snow began to fall, big fat feathery flakes which immediately settled on the cobbles. ‘Looks like we’re in for a packet.’ Caleb glanced up into the laden sky. ‘Beautiful, though, isn’t it?’
‘Yes, it is.’ His artist’s eye would have more of an appreciation of beauty than most men’s.The thought was like a knife turning in Eve’s breast. She had no chance with him and it was no good thinking otherwise just because he had drawn her so sensitively. Whatever he said, that had been Caleb being kind. Perhaps he had thought an ugly duckling between two swans would be too cruel, not that he had made her - or Nell - a swan exactly but he had certainly attributed something to her face she had never seen.
Caleb opened the scullery door. Slamming the lid on her thoughts, Eve went past him into the inn. She took off her coat and hat and shook them after she’d wiped her feet on the big cork mat. As she opened the door into the kitchen, warmth and the comforting smell of food hit her, but in the next second she was aware of Mary and Nell facing each other across the kitchen table, both their faces scarlet with temper.
What now? Feeling she couldn’t stand one of her sisters’ rows tonight of all nights, she was about to say something to that effect when Nell said hotly, ‘Here they are. Now you tell them what you told me and see if they believe you.’
‘Why should I bother? I’m sure everyone will think the worst, they always do.’
‘What’s going on?’ Caleb moved forward, his gaze going from one girl to the other.‘What’s the matter?’
Nell was so angry she was shaking. ‘Mary had a gentleman caller a little while ago and he was forty odd if he was a day. Came into the inn as bold as brass asking for her with his arms full of flowers and chocolate.’ Nell jerked her head across the room and there on one of the smaller tables lay a beautifully wrapped bunch of what looked like hothouse blooms and a large box of expensive chocolates. ‘I asked him what business he had with her and he looked me up and down as if I was something he’d trodden in and told me to be quick and fetch her. Well, we had a few words’ - Nell’s tone left the listeners in no doubt as to the nature of the exchange - ‘and it appears he’d been told that m’lady here was the daughter of the innkeeper and seventeen years old to boot. Now who do you think could have told him that?’
With one accord they all looked at Mary who glared back defiantly, her face burning and her breast heaving. Such was the expression in her eyes she did look far older than her years.
‘I set him right but he wouldn’t believe me, not till I fetched madam and made her spell it out. Then he presented her with the flowers and chocolates and was out of the door like he had the hounds after him.’
‘You made me look a fool in front of everyone.’
‘I made you look a fool?’ Nell was apoplectic. ‘I did? You did that all by yourself, Mary. It wasn’t me who started shouting and screaming in front of everyone. Went for me like a fishwife, she did. Toby and one of his pals had to drag her off me in the end. The whole village’ll be talking about it tonight.’
Eve had been stunned at first but now a burning anger was rising as she looked at Mary. Her sister was showing no sign of shame, just the opposite in fact. Striving to keep calm, she said, ‘What have you to say for yourself ?’
Mary shrugged but said nothing. She glanced at Caleb and then looked away quickly.
‘Did you tell this man you were seventeen years old?’
‘I might have done, I can’t remember.’
‘And that you were the daughter of the innkeeper?’
‘I said Mildred was widowed and that she was an invalid. He-he must have assumed I was her daughter, I suppose.’
Nell gave a ‘Huh!’ of disbelief, but Eve raised her hand before Nell could say anything more. ‘Sit down, Mary. We’re going to get to the bottom of this.’
When Mary continued to stand, her eyes narrowed and her full pink lips drawn tight, Caleb made all three girls jump as he barked, ‘Your sister said sit!’
Mary sat, and Eve nodded for Nell to do the same as she sat down. Caleb continued to stand just inside the kitchen door, his face white and his eyes dark with rage.
‘I want you to tell me the truth, Mary, and I shall know if you are lying. Don’t think I won’t go and see Kitty and her parents because I will; this man, too, if I need to.’
‘You don’t know who he is.’ It was sulky and still defiant.
‘Believe me, I’ll find him,’ Caleb cut in and such was the tone of his voice that Mary’s brittle façade began to crack a little. For the first time she looked frightened.
‘So? Where did you meet him?’ Eve said quietly. ‘And when?’
‘In the summer.’ Mary tossed her blonde curls.
‘At Girdle Cake Cottage?’ It had to be.
Mary nodded. ‘And then he used to come to Flannigan’s later on.’
‘Flannigan’s?’ Eve’s voice was puzzled.
‘Flannigan’s Temperance Bar,’ said Caleb grimly. ‘It’s on the south side of the river downstream from Fatfield Bridge. It’s another tea room, like the Girdle Cake, but not so popular.’
‘And you arranged to meet this man there?’ Eve’s stomach was turning over. ‘By yourself ?’
‘Not by myself.’ Mary’s bravado was returning. ‘With Kitty and her cousins who live in Biddick. They’re older than us. We told her parents we were meeting them and going for a walk, things like that. And we did go for a walk sometimes.’
Things like that. Please God, please, please don’t let her have done anything foolish with this man. ‘What is his name and where does he live?’ Eve asked flatly.
Mary’s eyes flickered. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Don’t be so stupid, of course you know.’
Her tone brought Mary sitting straight and stiff, and her fingers fiddled with the lace collar of her dress as she said, ‘His name, I know his name but I don’t know where he lives. Only that it’s Sunderland. What does that matter anyway?’
‘And his name is?’ Moments ticked by. ‘Mary, we’re sitting here until I get his name. Even if it takes all night.’
‘Nicholas.’ Mary glared at her. ‘Nicholas, all right?’
‘Nicholas what?’
‘Nicholas Taylor.’ And then in a rush, Mary said, ‘But he’s nice, a gentleman, he owns his own firm and everything. He’s rich. He wears lovely clothes and has a great big house.’
‘Is that what he told you?’ Eve didn’t dare look at Caleb.
‘It’s true. He’s always buy—’ She stopped abruptly.
‘Yes?’ Eve stared at her sister who was now looking down at her hands. ‘What were you going to say?’
‘Nothing.’
‘He has bought you things, that was what you were going to say, isn’t it?’ Eve’s voice had dropped into a low, flat tone. ‘What things, Mary? Where are they?’
Mary stared at her sulkily, and this time when Caleb barked, ‘Answer your sister,’ she did not flinch but merely tossed her head, her blue eyes shooting daggers at the three of them.
‘I know where she’d hide them.’ Nell stood up and as she did so Mary sprang to her feet.
‘Don’t you dare! Anyway, you don’t know.’
‘Of course I know. Not everyone is as stupid as you. I know you put things under the floorboard on your side of the bed but I don’t go poking and prying.’ Nell turned to Eve.‘I thought it was stuff Caleb’s mam had given her, like
that brooch and the hairbrush with the engraved handle.’
‘Go and fetch whatever is there. And you, Mary, sit down.’
‘They’re my things.’ Mary stamped her foot, her blue eyes flashing. ‘I’ll get them.’
‘You won’t.’ Eve nodded her head at Nell who left the room. ‘You’ll stay exactly where you are until we sort this out.’
‘I hate you.’ Her voice high, Mary repeated, ‘I hate you all. You and Nell are jealous. You haven’t had a lad after you and that awful pit-yakkor asking Nell out—’
‘Toby is a nice lad.’ Eve made her voice calm and controlled to hide the hurt that had speared her. ‘And don’t call him a pit-yakkor.’
‘Why not? That’s what he is. Smelling of the pit and his fingernails always dirty. Well, I don’t want someone like that.’
‘You are thirteen years old.’ Eve took hold of herself once more, taking a deep breath. ‘Thirteen, Mary. You won’t be walking out with anyone, be he pitman or prince, for two or three years yet.’
‘I will, you can’t stop me. You don’t own me, no one does.’
‘Don’t be such a silly girl.’
Again Mary stamped her foot and now her voice was loud and strident as she cried, ‘I’m not a silly girl and I’ll do what I want. I’m not at school anymore. And you, all dried up and only just turned seventeen.’ Her eyes wild, she swung her gaze to Caleb, saying, ‘It was her birthday last week but she said she didn’t want anything said, no fuss made, as though she was seventy instead of seventeen. Well, I’m not going to end up like her. I want—’
‘Shut up.’ Caleb approached the angry girl, and such was the expression on his face that Eve rose to her feet and stood in front of her sister, saying, ‘Caleb, Caleb, calm down.’
‘You go behind our backs doing goodness knows what and then bite the hand that feeds you. And Eve has fed you, make no mistake about that. But for her you could well have found yourself in the workhouse, do you realise that? It would have been easy for her to get set on somewhere without you hanging round her neck, but she chose to look after you. She didn’t have to but she did it. Because she loves you. Have you ever thought of that? She loves you although for the life of me I can’t see why.’
Mary stood open-mouthed. This was Caleb and he had never spoken to her in such a fashion before. Caleb was hers, she had always known that. He wasn’t like Mr Finnigan, he had never tried to touch her or kiss her, but nevertheless, he was hers. Her eyes filling with tears, she muttered, ‘You all hate me.’
‘Of course we don’t hate you.’ Eve’s voice was shaking, for a minute she had thought Caleb was going to hit Mary. ‘But can’t you see you have plenty of time in front of you for lads and all that kind of thing? And this man is old, Nell said so.’
‘He’s not old. Not really.’
‘He’s too old for you. You shouldn’t be thinking of lads at all. Is-is Kitty seeing someone too?’
‘Kitty?’ There was a note of scorn in Mary’s voice. She thought of how Kitty had cried when one of Nicholas’s friends had tried to put his hand inside the bodice of her dress. ‘No, Kitty’s not seeing anyone. She comes to keep me company, that’s all, because her mam thinks we’re together so she can’t stay around the village.’
She had got it planned down to the last detail. ‘And her cousins? Do they meet anyone? Any lads or - or men?’
Mary shrugged. ‘I don’t think so.’
‘You don’t know? You must know if you’re with them.’
‘We haven’t seen Kitty’s cousins recently.’
‘How recently?’ Eve’s stomach was turning over.
Again Mary’s eyes flickered away from hers.
‘Mary? Answer me. How long has it been just you and Kitty going to meet this man?’
‘Eight weeks or so.’ And she was glad about that. She had never liked Fanny and Sally. They always whispered about her, she could tell. Digging each other in the ribs and giggling behind their hands. She knew Nicholas’s friends had got fed up with them because he had told her so. It was much better when it was just her and Nicholas and Kitty. Kitty hadn’t minded waiting by herself while she and Nicholas had gone into the woods a way. It had hurt a bit, the first time, but he had said he loved her. The next time he had taken a room at one of the riverside inns for an hour. She had enjoyed that.
As Nell entered the room, Mary glared at her sister, but Nell wasn’t looking at her. ‘There’s some bits here that haven’t come from Mrs Travis.’ She put the bundle she was holding on the kitchen table and unwrapped the blue cloth.
Eve stared at the bracelet and pocket watch lying amid the items Mildred had given Mary. There was a fine pair of kid gloves too, and a silk scarf in peacock blue. ‘He’s bought you these?’ She raised her eyes to Mary. ‘The jewellery and gloves and scarf ? You’ve accepted these from this man?’
‘Yes.’ It was a snap. ‘Why shouldn’t I?’
‘I shouldn’t need to tell you that.You will return them.’
‘I will not return them.’ Mary reared up, two spots of angry colour in her cheeks. ‘They’re mine.’
‘This man thought you were seventeen years old, a woman. Old enough to accept presents from an admirer.You will not keep them.You know you were wrong to accept them, Mary.’
‘They’re mine,’ Mary repeated, her words coming slowly now. ‘I won’t give them back.You can’t make me.’
‘You have no choice in the matter.’
‘I won’t forgive you.’ Mary stared at her and the words she said now were coated with bitterness. ‘I mean it, Eve. I won’t forgive you if you do this to me.’
‘It should be your sister saying that.’ Caleb had had as much as he could stomach. ‘And as for returning them, I shall see to it personally. I want a word with this Nicholas Taylor who owns his own firm and for his sake I hope meeting him in tea rooms was all you did.’
Mary lifted her chin, her eyes meeting his. ‘It was. Of course it was. He’s a gentleman like I said.’
He hoped so. Hell, he hoped so. His guts writhing, Caleb glanced again at the jewellery lying on the blue cloth. If this man had touched her he would kill him and be damned.
‘I’ll go into Sunderland tomorrow.’ He spoke to Eve.
‘I’ll come with you.’
‘There’s no need, you are better placed here.’
‘I’m coming with you.’ She had seen what was in his face and she didn’t dare let him go alone. ‘She’s my sister, Caleb.’
There was the sound of two sharp knocks and then Cassie stuck her head round the kitchen door. The girl’s bright eyes flashed over their faces before she said to Nell, ‘I know you said to hold the fort but it’s busy out there. You’ll have to come.’
‘She’ll be out in a minute.’ Caleb’s voice was dismissive. Cassie’s gaze was burning with glee and curiosity about the scene in the inn earlier, but she knew Caleb well enough not to argue.When the door had shut again, he said,‘Can you work in here with Mary tomorrow, Nell? I’ll get Cassie’s mother to come in and help out front. She’s done it before. I’m sorry but I see no other way if Eve’s coming with me.’
Nell nodded.The sight of the jewellery and gloves and scarf had shocked her to the core. She knew Mary was a selfish little madam who could lie through her back teeth when it suited her, but this. She thought back to the man who had come into the inn. He had been very well dressed and attractive in a way, but old. Old enough to be Mary’s father and then some.
‘Where does this man live?’ Caleb looked at Mary.
‘I told you, I don’t know. Sunderland.’
‘How do you arrange to meet him if you don’t know where he lives?’ Caleb asked, his tone biting.
‘It’s always on a Sunday afternoon near Flannigan’s. I couldn’t go on my last half-day because I was in bed with that bad cold and cough. Kitty had said she’d go and tell him if I couldn’t come, but she didn’t. I suppose Nicholas was worried and that’s why he came looking for me.’ And now they had
spoilt everything. Seeing Nicholas was the only thing she had to look forward to. She hated it here, hated her hands always being red and sore from peeling all the vegetables and washing up and the hundred and one other jobs she had to do each day. And she loved that bonny little watch. It was hers, she’d never had anything so nice and Eve had no right to take it. Nicholas would think she didn’t care for him anymore, he’d never come to Flannigan’s after this. Again, but weakly, her voice scarcely more than a whisper, she muttered, ‘I’ll never forgive you if you go and see him.’
‘Don’t you understand what could have happened with a man of that age, what he wanted? He’s not a young lad wet behind the ears.’ Caleb stopped, shaking his head. Of course she understood. Hadn’t she made it clear to him on more than one occasion that she would be willing? He had tried to convince himself that her coquetry meant nothing. That she was a young lass, a beautiful lass who was awakening into womanhood. That the invitation in her eyes was an innocent realisation of her prettiness. Finnigan, the swine, had finished her childhood all too early but Caleb had been determined she would have nothing to fear from him, that he would show her what real love was when she was old enough to be his wife.
‘He was nice.’ Mary’s voice ended on a sob. ‘And he loved me. He wanted to give me nice things, there’s nothing wrong with that. I hate you, I hate you all.’
‘Mary,’ Eve searched for the right words, ‘did he try and do anything? You know what I mean.’
‘No, I’ve said, haven’t I?’
Eve wanted to believe her. More than anything in the world she wanted to believe that this man had been genuinely in love with a girl he had thought to be seventeen and that his intentions had been honourable. She glanced at Nell and Nell’s face reflected the same doubt she was feeling. When she looked at Caleb, her heart rose into her throat at the pain and anger she saw there and she knew he was fearing the same thing. More for his sake than anyone else’s, like an actress taking her cue she obeyed the inner voice that told her she had to bring some normality back to the situation.They might be wrong. Pray God, oh, pray God they were. Her voice assuming a calm she did not feel, she said quietly, ‘Then we have to trust you are telling us the truth until we speak to him and he can verify what you claim. But it was silly, very silly to meet this man secretly. You put yourself in considerable danger.’
Eve and Her Sisters Page 11