by Dilly Court
Summarily dismissed, Stella and Kit followed Seaman Parsons as he led the way to the first officer’s cabin. He opened the door. ‘Is there anything I can get for you, miss?’
She shook her head. ‘No thank you. I hope Mr Wilson isn’t too put out.’
Parsons grinned. ‘I’m sure he’s only too glad to oblige a lady, miss.’ He saluted and walked away, matching the movement of the deck with his rolling gait.
Stella looked round the small cabin, which was furnished simply with a bunk and a chest of drawers. ‘This is more than I’d hoped for, Kit. I would have been happy to spend the whole voyage in the cell just so that I could be close to you.’
He laid his hands on her shoulders, studying her face as if committing each tiny detail to memory. His eyes were warm and his lips curved in a tender smile. ‘We won’t get many opportunities to be alone on this crowded vessel, Stella, but I wanted to tell you how much I love you and how proud I am of you. I can’t think there are many young women who would have done what you did.’
‘That’s all in the past now. We’ve got the rest of our lives together, if that’s what you really want.’
He drew her into his arms and answered her with a kiss.
‘Ahem.’
They sprang apart. ‘Mr Frobisher, you shouldn’t creep up on people like that,’ Kit said, chuckling.
Stella felt the blood rush to her cheeks as she met the ship’s surgeon’s candid gaze. He bowed from the waist. ‘I’m sorry to intrude, Miss Barry, but Captain Lowther told me that you had volunteered to act as my nurse.’
‘Yes, of course,’ she said shyly. ‘I’ll be glad to help in any way I can, although I’m not trained.’
‘I think the sight of a pretty face will do the men more good than all the pills and potions at my disposal.’ He turned to Kit with a disarming smile. ‘I’m going to steal her away from you now, but I promise to look after her.’
If there was anything that the next few weeks proved to Stella it was her undying respect for Miss Nightingale and her nurses who had braved the horrors of war in the Crimea. Half-remembered stories her mother had told her about Scutari and the dreadful conditions in which the nurses tried to bring comfort to their patients kept flashing back to her as she helped to care for the wounded soldiers. Some of them were little more than boys and others were men coming to the end of long careers in the military. All of them had their stories and she spent most of her time sitting and listening to them as they spoke longingly of home and family. Many of them would never make it back to the land of their birth, and there were all too frequent burial services conducted by the captain. She could never get used to the sight of a body wrapped in canvas, and the sound of it sliding into the ocean as the soldier went to his watery grave.
She saw only a little of Kit and even less of Freddie, and when she did see Kit they were never alone on the overcrowded vessel, but just to know that he was alive and growing stronger by the day was enough to give her the strength to endure the sights she witnessed in the makeshift hospital on the main deck. The sick men had to share the space with the crew, who in turn ate and slept to the accompaniment of moans and groans and the occasional scream as one of the younger soldiers suffered recurrent nightmares. The cooks carried out their duties at one end of the living space and the aroma of boiled salt beef and onions mingled with the stench of suppurating flesh and the cloying smell of chloroform. Even when she managed to escape to the upper deck and breathe the cool salt-laden air, Stella was conscious that the smell lingered in her clothes and hair. Sometimes she wondered if she would ever be able to wash it away. She knew that the suffering she had seen would haunt her dreams for the rest of her life, but she took some comfort from the fact that she had been able to write letters home for those who were illiterate and had read to the men who wanted a brief respite from pain. Captain Lowther had a good and varied selection of books in his cabin and the works of Mr Dickens found favour with old and young alike. She had seen battle-hardened soldiers weep at the plight of Little Nell and others had laughed uproariously at the exploits of Mr Pickwick and his friends.
When the seas grew more turbulent and the weather worsened Stella was happy because it meant that the shores of England were getting nearer every day. The ship arrived in Portsmouth on a bitterly cold day with grey overcast skies and the threat of snow in the air. She said a reluctant goodbye to the friends she had made on board and thanked Captain Lowther, giving him a kiss on his whiskery cheek which made his weather-beaten face flush wine red. ‘I wish that all my crew were as diligent and charming as you, Miss Barry.’
‘D’you know what?’ Freddie asked as they settled in a railway compartment, travelling first class at Kit’s insistence. ‘I believe tomorrow is Christmas Eve. I’d lost track of time completely until now.’
‘It will be the best Christmas ever,’ Stella said happily.
Kit slipped his arm around her shoulders. ‘I sent a telegram to Rosa. I told her we’ll be home by evening.’ He sighed. ‘Heron Park is mine again. I can hardly believe it.’
‘This time last year we were getting ready to travel out to Essex to spend Christmas with Mr Hendy,’ Stella said thoughtfully. ‘Now he’s my stepfather and I have two stepbrothers.’
‘And very soon you’ll have a husband who adores you.’ Kit hugged her closer. ‘You’ll be mistress of Heron Park.’
She gazed out of the window at the English countryside as it flashed past in a succession of bare hedgerows and ploughed fields, lying dormant and waiting patiently for spring. ‘I have a business to run, Kit,’ she said softly. ‘I’ve made a success of my cake shop and people depend on me for their living.’
He shifted his position so that he could look her in the eyes. ‘What are you saying?’
‘I can’t abandon Belinda, who’s too young to manage things on her own, and then there’s Spike and Connie who work in the kitchen. Spike shows great promise as a baker.’
Kit shook his head. ‘My darling, I don’t want you to abandon them, as you put it. I want to marry you but that doesn’t mean I intend to shackle you to my side. Being mistress of Heron Park isn’t a prison sentence. I want you to be yourself.’
‘I was a humble kitchen maid, Kit. My mother might have been married to your uncle but all the servants at Heron Park knew her history, as they know mine. How can I command their respect when they know I’ve risen above my station in life?’
Freddie cleared his throat noisily. ‘If I might put in my twopennyworth?’
‘Go ahead,’ Kit said, sighing. ‘Talk some sense into your stubborn sister’s head. I’ve told her again and again that there’s no difference between us, apart from the important one that she’s a woman and I’m a man. Other than that I see us as equals in everything.’
‘There, you see.’ Freddie shot her a triumphant glance. ‘If Kit doesn’t have a problem with our lowly beginnings then I don’t see why you’re making such a fuss.’
‘I’m just seeing it as others will,’ Stella said seriously. ‘I know you mean what you say, Kit. But I’ll always be that servant girl who married above her. I don’t make society’s rules.’
Kit lifted her hand to his lips and brushed it with a tender kiss. ‘Rules are made to be broken, my love. I intend to shatter this one and prove it to be without substance. You and I will marry and be damned to them all. Is that understood?’
‘Yes. I want it to be true more than anything else in the world.’
‘Then we’ll make it so.’ He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. ‘We’ll have the banns read in the New Year and we’ll be married before January is out. That’s a promise, Stella. A solemn promise. I’m not letting you get away from me again.’
‘But you’ll have to return to duty when your leave is over.’
‘The war in Afghanistan can’t go on much longer, and in any case I won’t be sent back to active duty for a while. That bout of cholera did me a favour. I’ll probably end up resigning my commission or maybe I�
��ll have to buy my way out, but as far as I’m concerned it will be money well spent.’
‘You might need the money I’ll be making in my little bakery,’ Stella said with a mischievous smile. ‘And I haven’t told you about the open days we organised to raise funds. You’ll be surprised at the changes Rosa and I have made in your absence.’
It was almost dark when they arrived at Heron Park. Stella had wanted to go to Fleur-de-Lis Street to see Belinda and make sure that everything was going smoothly at the shop. She had been absent for more than three months and anything could have happened in that time, but Kit insisted on going straight home, saying that one more day would make little difference. She could see that he was tired and she did not argue, but when she saw the lights shining from the windows of the old house and how happy the Turpins were to see them, she knew she had truly come home.
Noakes admitted them with tears in his eyes as he welcomed the new master, and Kit patted him on the shoulder. ‘It’s good to be back where I belong, Noakes. I’m glad that you are here to make it even better.’
‘Thank you, Master Kit.’ Noakes eyed him anxiously. ‘I’m sorry, sir. That just slipped out. I was thinking back to old times.’
‘They were good times,’ Kit agreed. ‘I like the sound of Master Kit. There’s no need for you to call me anything different, Noakes.’
‘Thank you, sir. I’ll go and tell Miss Rosa that you’ve arrived. Everyone is here to welcome you home.’ He glanced at Stella and smiled. ‘And you too, miss, and Mr Freddie.’
Stella smiled in acknowledgement as he took her cloak and bonnet. She stood for a moment gazing at the familiar surroundings. The portraits of the Rivenhalls’ ancestors seemed to be smiling down at them from their lofty positions on the walls, crowned by sprigs of holly and trailing fronds of ivy. In the centre of the marble-tiled floor, reaching up as far as the first landing, was an enormous Christmas tree complete with tinsel and baubles. ‘Look at the tree, Kit. It must be twenty feet tall at least, and Rosa has put tiny candles on almost every branch. It looks so festive.’
Freddie hurried over to warm his hands by the roaring log fire. ‘I never thought I’d miss the heat of India, but this comes second best.’
Stella’s reply was lost as Rosa appeared at the top of the grand staircase and shrieked their names. She ran down with Tommy following close behind. Stella looked up in amazement to see Belinda, Spike and Perry, followed more slowly by her mother, Thaddeus and Harry Sparrow. Bob came last with Aunt Maud on his arm, and Stella would not have been surprised to see Timmy prancing along behind them, but he was nowhere to be seen. She could imagine him stalking the vermin in the stables and marking his new territory.
‘Everyone is here for Christmas,’ Rosa said happily. ‘We’ve come to welcome you home, Kit, and of course my brave Stella, and not forgetting Freddie.’ She stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the cheek. ‘I must set about finding a young lady for you, my boy. The rest of us have found our hearts’ desires so you can’t be the only one left out.’
‘Where’s Bertie?’ Stella asked, looking round. ‘Everyone is here except him.’
‘He volunteered to remain at Chalkhill Farm,’ Bob said cheerfully. ‘He’s fallen for a village girl and couldn’t bear to be parted from her for even a few days. He’s really in love this time,’ he added, winking. ‘There’ll be an addition to the Hendy family in nine months or I’m a Dutchman.’
‘There’ll be a new member of the family in less than seven months,’ Thaddeus said, having overheard this last remark. He winked at Jacinta, who blushed and pulled a face.
‘Now, Thaddeus, I thought we’d agreed to wait a while before we told everyone.’
‘I’m too happy a man to keep quiet about such a thing,’ he said, puffing out his chest.
Belinda nudged Stella in the ribs. ‘Ma can’t be in the family way. She’s too old.’
‘Hush, she’ll hear you,’ Stella said, chuckling. ‘Ma was only fifteen when she had me. She’s still in her prime and I for one am delighted for them both.’ She hurried to her mother’s side and kissed her on the cheek. ‘Congratulations, Ma. It will be lovely to have a little brother or sister.’
Jacinta smiled. ‘I’m as surprised as you and Belinda. I never expected it to happen at my age.’
‘You’re only thirty-six, Ma. Lots of women older than you have babies.’
‘I’m thirty-seven and it’s a long time since I gave birth to Belinda.’
‘Well I think it’s lovely, and Pa Hendy looks as though he’ll burst with pride.’
Kit had been chatting to Tommy but he left him and came to join them. He kissed Jacinta’s hand. ‘Wonderful news.’ He grinned. ‘But I don’t know what I ought to call you. You were my aunt by marriage and soon you’ll be my mother-in-law.’
Jacinta beamed at him. ‘I’ve always answered to Ma, plain and simple.’
‘Then Ma it is.’ Kit leaned down to kiss her cheek. ‘I’m glad you’ve found happiness. My uncle treated you shamefully.’
‘He made up for it by leaving everything to me in his will,’ Jacinta said, smiling. ‘Perry found me a reliable lawyer and I’ve transferred everything to you, which is as it should be, although I’m afraid there is very little money.’
‘Isn’t it a good thing that your future wife will be contributing to the household?’ Stella said mischievously. ‘Perhaps people will say that you married me for my money.’
He was prevented from replying by Rosa, announcing that dinner was served. ‘You must lead us in, Kit,’ she said firmly. ‘You’re head of the house now.’
He proffered his arm to Jacinta and she accepted with a smile, leaving Thaddeus to escort Stella. ‘Who would have thought it?’ he said in a stage whisper. ‘That small girl sitting so disconsolate by the roadside is going to be mistress of all this.’ He made an expansive gesture with his free hand. ‘You’ve grown up to be a remarkable young lady, Stella. Just like your dear mother. Beautiful, and brave too.’
‘It’s Christmas Eve tomorrow,’ Stella said thoughtfully. ‘I think we should adopt your village tradition of carol singing. Heron Park lapsed into disrepute locally while Gervase was master. I want to prove to the village that things will be very different now.’
‘Then may I suggest you pay a call on the vicar first thing tomorrow morning, Stella. Get the church on your side and the rest will follow.’
‘We have that poor girl’s death to atone for. It won’t be easy.’
The vicar folded his hands across his chest. His expression was guarded. ‘How may I be of service to you, Miss Barry?’
Stella shifted from one foot to the other. The parlour at the rectory was crammed with oversized, oddly assorted furniture. A stuffed owl peered at her through the glass dome that seemed to have trapped it mid-flight, and daguerreotypes of stern-faced men and women glared at her from silver frames. She felt as if they were judging her before she had had a chance to speak. She cleared her throat, suddenly nervous. ‘We need your help, vicar. I’m speaking for Mr Rivenhall and his sister and all of us who are fortunate enough to call Heron Park our home. The misdeeds of the past have affected us all and we want the people of the village to know that that sort of thing is never going to happen again. We can’t alter what has gone before but we can try to atone by doing all we can for the village and its people.’
‘Sit down, Miss Barry. Tell me what you have in mind.’
Early that evening the gates of Heron Park were flung open and a lantern-lit procession filed through them. Kit and Rosa, wrapped up against the chill of the frosty night air, welcomed each individual with a gift of a small cake. Spike and Connie had spent all afternoon in the kitchens baking fancies and biscuits while the rest of the kitchen staff prepared a feast for later.
It seemed that almost the entire village had turned out for the occasion, and the vicar led the procession to the caves. Harry had placed flambeaux along the path to light their way and the caves were ablaze with oil lamps and candles. Kit m
ade a short speech of welcome and the vicar blessed the caves, announcing that from now on their use would be for the benefit of all. ‘Mr Rivenhall will continue to hold open days but part of the profits will go to a fund which will be set up in the name of the poor child who lost her life so tragically, and will be used for the good of the whole community.’
A ripple of surprise ran through the crowd. ‘Will it give us more work?’ someone in the crowd demanded.
Kit stepped forward. ‘It will take time, but I am determined to run Heron Park as a business and there will certainly be chances for future employment. I can’t make extravagant claims until I’ve made a study of what needs to be done, but I promise to be a better landlord than my uncle and a fair employer.’ He turned to Stella, holding out his hand. ‘This lady has agreed to be my wife and together we will do what we can for the benefit of the village. The vicar has agreed to read the banns from next Sunday onwards. You are all invited to the wedding.’ A shout of approval greeted this last remark and Kit held up his hand. ‘But now it’s getting cold and you’re all invited into the house for refreshments.’
The vicar cleared his throat. ‘And don’t forget midnight mass. I expect to see you all there and reasonably sober, although I must admit a glass of hot punch would be most welcome at the moment.’ He proffered his arm to Aunt Maud. ‘May I escort you, ma’am? It’s too chilly for a lady of your years to be outside in the cold night air.’
Maud slapped his hand. ‘Nonsense, vicar. I’m not so senile that a breath of chilly air is going to kill me. I’ve survived all this time and I don’t expect to expire any time soon.’
Kit took Stella’s hand and led the way towards the house. ‘This was a good idea, my darling. I have you to thank for everything.’
She squeezed his fingers. ‘You’ve announced our wedding and called for the banns to be posted but I don’t think you’ve ever actually proposed to me, Kit.’
He held the lantern so that its light shone on her upturned face. ‘I must have. We’ve had an understanding for such a long time.’