A Loving Family

by Dilly Court

  Rosa and Tommy had planned to be married in June, but Rosa decided that she would wait until Kit came home. ‘I’ve no one to give me away,’ she said mournfully when Tommy protested. ‘It wouldn’t be right to celebrate our happiness with my brother risking his life daily in Afghanistan.’

  Tommy had been forced to capitulate and reluctantly agreed to postpone their nuptials until Kit’s return. Stella lived for that day and everything she did and planned for revolved around her feelings for Kit. She did her utmost to make Heron Park visitor days a success and no one worked harder than she to ensure the smooth running of the household. She felt as though she was two people, proprietor and head baker at the shop in Artillery Street and part-time housekeeper at Heron Park. She never aspired to take over from Rosa, but she did all she could to support her and to share the knowledge she had gained while working in the kitchens at Portgone Place. She wanted above all things to have a home waiting for Kit when he returned from the war. He had been powerless to claim his rightful inheritance while his uncle lived, but now he would come home to find a well-run estate and his childhood home as he remembered it before Gervase’s excesses brought it to near ruin. She worked hard, slept little and lived for the day when she would be reunited with the man she loved with all her heart.

  Ultimately, as summer drifted into the golden haze of autumn, it was Jacinta who became a bride. She had wanted a quiet wedding by special licence, but Thaddeus was having none of it and insisted on organising everything himself. ‘I want the world to see the wonderful woman who has agreed to marry me,’ he said stoutly. ‘I’m inviting the whole village to celebrate our union, Jacinta. I won’t change my mind.’ Reluctantly Jacinta agreed, although she confided in Stella that she wished she could wait until Freddie came home on leave so that her son could give her away. There seemed little likelihood of this but Bob put himself forward for the honour, and Jacinta accepted with good grace. Only Stella knew how much it cost her mother to make such a concession.

  The night before the wedding, Rosa and Tommy stayed at Portgone Place, but Jacinta and Stella took rooms at the village inn, leaving Aunt Maud and Belinda to enjoy the comforts of the farmhouse. Spike and Connie were to manage the shop with Perry promising to keep an eye on them. It was an arrangement that worried Stella, but her mother’s happiness was more important than mere business.

  On the day, the village church was decked with flowers and the pews were packed with well-wishers. Jacinta walked down the aisle on Bob’s arm wearing a new silk gown in a subtle shade of pearl grey. Her hair was caught back in a heavy chignon and studded with white rosebuds picked that morning from the farmhouse garden. Thaddeus beamed happily throughout the ceremony and gave his responses in a loud, clear voice that echoed off the vaulted ceiling. Stella had a lump in her throat as she watched her mother leave the church on the arm of her new husband to a slightly discordant triumphal march played by the village schoolmaster on a harmonium.

  Outside the sun blazed down on the village green and the congregation filed out to follow the newlyweds to the village hall, where a feast had been laid out on trestle tables. The choirmaster and the fiddler raced on ahead to strike up a tune and Bertie was there before them to create and be the first to sample the fruit cup. Stella suspected that it had been fortified with a liberal helping of brandy, especially when it proved to be popular with the younger men, whose cheeks began to glow after a glass or two. Their eyes sparkled as they pounced on the village girls and asked them to dance, whirling them round the grassy floor until they shrieked and begged to slow down. The warm scent of crushed grass mingled with the heady aroma of the punch and the yeasty smell of the cucumber sandwiches left on the platter to curl at the edges. Pies and pickles were devoured in great quantities, as were the gingerbread and small cakes that Stella had baked and brought from London for the occasion.

  Stella had to wait her turn to congratulate the bride and groom. She hugged Thaddeus and kissed his whiskery cheek. ‘I’m proud to call you father,’ she said softly. ‘I can’t think of a better man to make my mother happy.’

  His eyes were moist as he returned the embrace. ‘My dear girl, I thank the Lord for that day when I spotted you sitting on the roadside looking so forlorn. That day changed my life for the better.’

  ‘And mine, Pa Hendy. None of this would have been possible had it not been for your kindness.’

  He dashed his hand across his eyes. ‘Now, now, girl. I’m in danger of making a fool of myself.’

  Jacinta wrapped her arms around her daughter. ‘You are the one to be thanked, my dear girl. If it hadn’t been for your determination to unite our little family things would have been very different.’ She glanced at Belinda, who was dancing with Bertie. ‘Your sister might have ended up in a nunnery and spent the rest of her life regretting it.’

  Stella smiled. ‘I think Belle would have realised that it was not for her before she took her final vows. If anyone was meant to live life to the full it’s Belle.’

  ‘It’s a pity that Harry couldn’t come,’ Jacinta said, her smile fading. ‘That young man is head over heels in love with Belinda. She could do worse than marry a land agent, I suppose.’

  ‘Harry’s a good man,’ Stella said hastily. ‘He’s done so much to revive the fortunes of Heron Park. We should be very grateful to him.’

  Thaddeus slipped his arm around his wife’s waist. ‘I think it’s time I led my wife onto the dance floor, Stella. We’ll show the young ones how it’s done.’

  ‘Of course.’ Stella stood aside, watching them with delight. No one deserved more happiness than Ma. If only Freddie and Kit were here the day would be complete. She was about to make her way to where Rosa and Tommy were standing when out of the corner of her eye she saw a familiar figure enter the hall. Her breath caught in her throat. ‘Freddie!’ She rushed towards him, pushing her way through the throng of dancers and throwing her arms around his neck. ‘Freddie. I can’t believe it’s really you.’

  He lifted her off her feet and swung her round. ‘It’s me all right, Stella. I didn’t think I’d make it in time, but I’m here now.’

  ‘How did you know where to come? It’s a miracle.’

  He set her down, straightening his uniform jacket. ‘I’ve got a few days’ leave and I went to the house in Fleur-de-Lis Street. Perry told me you’d come here for the wedding and here I am, just in time it seems to drink the health of the bride and groom.’

  ‘Ma was so disappointed that you weren’t here to give her away, but this will make up for it.’ Stella took him by the arm and led him onto the floor. She tapped Thaddeus on the shoulder. ‘Excuse me, Pa Hendy. There’s a gentleman here with prior claim to this dance.’

  Thaddeus came to a sudden halt in the middle of a waltz and spun Jacinta round to face Freddie. She uttered a shriek of joy and ran to greet him, flinging her arms around his neck. ‘Oh, my dear boy. This is truly a miracle.’

  ‘Hold on, Ma,’ Freddie said, blushing. ‘Everyone’s looking at us.’

  Jacinta turned to the guests, laughing and crying at the same time. ‘This is my son. He’s come home.’

  The musicians stopped for a moment and then struck up a hornpipe. Everyone clapped enthusiastically. ‘I think I need a drink,’ Freddie murmured. ‘I’ve been travelling all day and all last night, Ma.’

  Thaddeus patted him on the back. ‘Well done, my boy. I couldn’t be happier, but let your sister see to your needs for now. I want to finish this dance with my wife.’

  Stella took Freddie by the hand. ‘Let’s see if there’s any fruit punch left and I’ll get you a plate of food.’

  He grinned at her from his superior height. ‘Always the bossy big sister.’ He glanced over her shoulder. ‘And there’s Belle with a fellow on her arm as usual. Nothing changes. It’s good to be home.’

  They found seats at one of the tables and Stella brought him a plate piled high with roast beef and a slice of pork pie with pickles and cheese. She watched him eat. ‘Don’t
they feed you on board ship?’ she teased.

  He chewed and swallowed. ‘They do, but not like this. I’ve just come back from Bombay with a shipload of injured soldiers. We’re sailing again at the end of the week.’

  A chill ran down her spine and she shivered. ‘Kit is out there somewhere.’ Her throat constricted and she looked away. ‘Will it never end, Freddie?’

  ‘Pray God it will. I’ve seen enough suffering amongst the troops we bring home to last me a lifetime. Let’s hope that your chap gets through it unscathed.’

  She managed a watery smile. ‘He’s not really my chap, Freddie.’

  ‘Then he’s an ass. If he can’t see what a fine girl you are then he doesn’t deserve you.’

  ‘Let me get you something to drink.’ She did not want to break down and cry and she tried to put visions of wounded soldiers and the dead and dying on the battlefield to the back of her mind, but it was not easy. She made her way across the hall and found Bob standing by the punchbowl with a glass of ale in his hand. He gave her a searching look. ‘What’s the matter, Stella? You look upset.’

  She filled a cup with punch. ‘Freddie was telling me about the wounded soldiers his ship brought back to England. It’s hard to imagine what horrors they must have been through.’

  ‘You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?’

  She could not look him in the eyes and she stared into the fruit cup, watching the bubbles rise to the surface and burst. ‘Yes,’ she said simply. ‘I can’t help it, Bob.’

  ‘I understand. We don’t always fall in love with the right person, and I’m talking about myself, not you.’

  She shot him a sideways glance. ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. I can’t help the way I feel, but I daresay I’ll get over it in time.’ He patted her on the shoulder. ‘I hope your fellow comes out of it unscathed.’

  ‘You’re a good man, Bob. I wish things had been different.’

  He gulped his drink. ‘I suppose as far as you were concerned we were always more like brother and sister, but I just didn’t see it that way. Now we’re related by marriage.’

  ‘And our parents are happy. That’s the important thing.’

  ‘I’ll drink to that.’ He filled his glass from the keg of beer. ‘To the bride and groom. Here’s to a long and happy life together.’

  She raised the cup. ‘Amen to that.’ She was about to drink when she remembered Freddie. ‘This isn’t for me – it’s for my brother. Come and talk to him, Bob. We’re all one family now.’

  ‘Yes,’ he said drily. ‘One big happy family.’ He gave her a wry smile. ‘I mean it, Stella. From this day on I promise never to mention what might have been.’

  Next day Stella said goodbye to her mother safe in the knowledge that she would be loved and cared for in her new home. Thaddeus had taken her aside and told her that should she ever need a roof over her head she would always find a welcome at Chalkhill Farm. She had thanked him warmly but she knew that she would never take him up on his offer. Freddie had declined an invitation to stay on, saying that as he only had a few days’ leave it would be easier to travel back to Southampton from London than from Essex. Stella suspected that her brother felt a little out of place on the farm, even though Bob and Bertie had done their best to make him feel at home. They departed soon after breakfast and Bertie drove them to the station in the farm cart. Maud and Rosa had spent the night at Portgone Place and were travelling separately in the Langhornes’ barouche.

  Stella was relieved to be back in the shop kitchen by mid-afternoon, and pleased to find that Connie and Spike had everything under control. Perry, it seemed, had been there to help out when they were busy and had taken a turn serving in the shop. Stella tried not to smile as she imagined housewives coming in to buy cake and being faced with the spider-like person of the archangel, but trade had been brisk and perhaps there had been some heavenly body somewhere looking out for them.

  That evening they all went to a chophouse for supper and Freddie regaled them with stories of storms at sea and the strange sights he had seen when his ship put in to foreign ports. He was careful not to talk too much about the conditions on board, but the spectre of the men’s suffering was very much on Stella’s mind. She tried to rationalise her fears but sleep evaded her that night.

  ‘You look tired,’ Freddie remarked at breakfast next morning. ‘I slept well, I’m glad to say.’

  Stella filled his cup with tea. ‘I’m going to Heron Park today, Freddie. I usually spend two or even three days a week there, supervising the kitchen staff and helping Rosa with the accounts until she can find a suitable replacement for the housekeeper. Would you like to come too?’

  He swallowed a mouthful of toast and grinned. ‘I’ve heard so much about the place it would be good to see it for myself. I want to visit the famous caves and see where that villain had Ma imprisoned. I’d have liked to get my hands on him, the bastard.’

  ‘It’s too late for that, thank goodness. Someone else took the law into his own hands and put an end to Gervase Rivenhall’s wickedness. Anyway, we’ll leave as soon as you’re ready. Belinda, Spike and Connie are managing things at the shop, so we have a whole day to ourselves.’

  ‘I have to leave on Friday, Stella. I’m sorry I can’t stay longer.’ Freddie gave her a worried look. ‘I’m afraid you’re working too hard. I wish I could do more than send the allotment home, but I’ll make sure you get it now that Ma’s taken care of.’

  ‘There’s no need, Freddie. I’m making enough at the shop to live on. You should save your money for when you come out of the Navy.’

  ‘Maybe I’ll sign on for another seven years.’

  ‘You’ll change your mind when you meet the right girl,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘She’ll have a lot to live up to. The women in my family have set quite a standard.’

  Stella took her bonnet from its peg and put it on, checking her reflection in the mirror above the mantelshelf. ‘I’m ready when you are. We’ll catch the omnibus to Highgate and walk from the village.’

  He rose from his seat, taking a last gulp of tea. ‘If I had my way you’d always travel in a carriage and pair.’

  They arrived at Heron Park to find Rosa in a state of near collapse. She was pacing the morning room with a telegram clutched in her hand. She threw her arms around Stella and burst into tears. ‘Read this,’ she said, thrusting the crumpled piece of paper at her. ‘It’s Kit. He’s in a military hospital in Bombay.’

  ‘Is he badly wounded?’ Stella felt herself go weak at the knees as she read the brief message. She sent a pleading look to Freddie. ‘It doesn’t say why he’s in hospital. Do you think they’ll send him home?’

  ‘It depends how badly he’s been injured.’ Freddie took the telegram from her. ‘They don’t give much away.’

  Rosa mopped her streaming eyes on her handkerchief. ‘How can we find out, Freddie? Would anyone be able to give us more information?’

  ‘Sir Percy has a position in the War Office,’ Stella said, gathering her scattered thoughts with difficulty. ‘I remember hearing about it when I was kitchen maid. He often entertained officials at Portgone Place. He’s the one you should speak to, Rosa.’

  ‘Tommy must go see him today,’ Rosa said, hiccuping on a sob. ‘He was returning home anyway but now he has something really important to do.’ She rose somewhat unsteadily to her feet. ‘He’s with Harry somewhere on the estate. I must find him.’

  ‘I’ll go,’ Freddie said eagerly. ‘Where is he likely to be?’

  ‘I think they went to the caves.’ Rosa took a deep breath. ‘You don’t know where they are.’

  ‘I’ll show you the way.’ Stella rose to her feet. ‘I can’t sit here and do nothing.’ She squeezed Rosa’s hand. ‘We’ll find out what happened to Kit and we’ll get him home. Even if I have to travel to India to bring him back we’ll have him home by Christmas.’

  Stella and Freddie stayed at Heron Park that night ostensibl
y to keep Rosa company, but Stella was desperate to know if Sir Percy had been able to elicit any information from the War Office. She had hardly slept and she had neglected her duties in the kitchen, but these seemed of little importance when Kit’s life might be ebbing away in a foreign land. She had tried to concentrate on the housekeeping accounts all morning, but in the end she gave up and joined Rosa in the drawing room.

  Rosa was seated by the fire with her embroidery hoop clutched in her hands, but every time she attempted to make a stitch she pricked her finger and yelped with pain. Stella paced the floor, stopping every now and then to peer out of the tall windows that overlooked the carriage sweep. ‘Tommy must come soon,’ she said, wringing her hands. ‘I can’t stand much more of this waiting for news.’

  ‘What else can we do?’ Rosa set her needlework aside. ‘I can’t concentrate on anything.’

  ‘I can see Turpin.’ Stella was suddenly alert. ‘He’s opening the gates.’

  Rosa leapt to her feet and hurried to her side. ‘It’s Tommy’s phaeton. I’d know it anywhere.’

  ‘Pray God he’s brought news. I couldn’t stand it if we were fobbed off with official indifference.’ Stella closed her eyes, conjuring up a vision of Kit as he had been when he left for the training camp in Canterbury.

  ‘Come along, Stella. There’s only one way to find out.’ Rosa tugged at her sleeve. ‘I’m going to meet him. I don’t care how it looks.’

  In the entrance hall they were beaten to the door by Noakes, who although he hobbled at a snail’s pace had been alerted to Tommy’s imminent arrival. Two housemaids were trying to make themselves inconspicuous as they polished the banisters, but Stella caught them glancing eagerly out of the window. She knew only too well that servants were supposed to be invisible to those above stairs. Her early training followed her like her own shadow.