The Royal Lacemaker

by Linda Finlay

  ‘I heard voices in the parlour, and when I went to investigate I found Abigail asking Tilda if she’d found a black glove. When I confronted her, she broke down and, after explaining everything, rushed out of the cottage. Upon reflection, I should have realized Abigail might bear a grudge for being dismissed, and she is slender in stature with hands to match; hands that fitted the gloves.’

  As she sat trying to take in everything Mrs Bodney had said, Lily realized she had a lot to learn about life outside the cottage. How she wished her father and mother were still alive. They’d been such a happy family. Reminded she had nowhere to live, she stared down at the parcel and testimonials and wondered what she was going to do.

  ‘Well now, tell me how you got on with Miss Chicke? Did you secure the room?’ Mrs Bodney asked, as ever seeming to tune into her thoughts.

  Lily shook her head.

  ‘What happened then?’

  Lily told her about Miss Chicke’s reaction, and her employer clicked her tongue in exasperation.

  ‘She’s a stupid, bigoted old woman. Well, it’s too late to find anywhere tonight. You’d better sleep in my spare room. It’s the door opposite mine. At least it will be more comfortable than that donkey-cart,’ Mrs Bodney said, smiling.

  Lily shuddered, thinking that was an experience she never, ever wished to repeat. Nor was she likely to now. She had no home and no mode of transport either.

  ‘Go on, Lily, up you go. I’ll get Tilda to bring you a tray of food and a candle. Get a good night’s sleep and make an early start in the morning. We have a deadline and, as overseer, it is your duty to ensure that it’s met.’ She picked up her bell to summon the maid and Lily knew she’d been dismissed.

  CHAPTER 20

  The little room was sparsely furnished but neat as a pin, with a bed set under the window and a washstand in the corner. As she put her things down on the bed, her feet hit the chamber pot beneath it, sending out a ring. Lily smiled; no rushing outside to the thunder box for her tonight. Carefully, she untied the parcel her aunt had given her. Inside there was a change of petticoat and stockings, her mother’s Bible and a letter. For long moments she sat looking at it, her fingers tracing the outline of the words that meant nothing to her. She recognized the writing as Aunt Elizabeth’s, for sometimes they’d received a letter by the stagecoach from her, but, of course, it had been Rob who’d read it out to them.

  Frustrated by her lack of learning, she put it aside, wondering if she really would be able to learn her letters. Perhaps Mary would read it to her in the morning, she thought yawning, grateful that her friend was one of the few ladies she worked with who knew their letters, having been to the local charity school.

  It had been a long, eventful day and all she wanted was to curl up and go to sleep. The wind had risen and was howling around the cottage like a banshee. It felt more like January than June, she thought, shivering in the gathering gloom. Her stomach growled and she hoped Tilda would soon arrive with the promised food.

  A thundering on the front door downstairs, made her jump. She heard a man’s angry voice followed by muffled whispering and then all went quiet again, but her nerves were shattered by the events of the day and it was some minutes before her heartbeat returned to normal. She sat in the darkness thinking back over Mrs Bodney’s revelation. That the figure in the veil had been Abigail surprised her, but she could remember her mother telling her that people resorted to desperate measures when hunger knocked at their door.

  Her musing was interrupted by Tilda arriving with the promised candle and tray of food, and Lily’s mouth watered as the aroma of chicken broth wafted temptingly towards her. She smiled her thanks.

  ‘Gosh, there was a right old argument out there earlier. Picky Pike—’

  ‘Thank you, Tilda,’ Lily said firmly, ignoring the maid’s disappointed look. Clearly the girl was longing to chat, and whilst Lily was curious to know what the earlier outburst had been about, she knew Mrs Bodney deplored gossip. Besides, it was hours since she’d eaten, and her insides were gnawing like rats in a grain store.

  She sat on the bed, supping the broth and listening to the rain lashing against the window, as the wind soughed down the chimney. She thought of Tom out in his boat and prayed he’d be safe, and that her aunt and brother had found somewhere comfortable to shelter for the night. Finally, supper finished, her eyelids began to droop. Undressing quickly, she climbed under the cover and blew out the candle. Lying down, she breathed in the wonderful scent of lavender that fragranced the bed linen and smiled. When she and Tom were married and had a place of their own, she was going to collect wild flowers and dry them. Then their room would smell as sweet as the countryside too.

  To her surprise, although she was comfortable she didn’t fall asleep immediately. The noises of the night seemed unusually loud in the darkness and they unsettled her. She could hear the pounding of the waves and the push and drag of the shingle, a boat being hauled across the pebbles. Then a hoot sounded close by. Her ears picked out the sound of muffled hooves on the cobbles and she turned to face the wall. Shivering in the darkness, she was convinced she’d never sleep. But eventually everything went quiet and she felt her body relaxing under the warm coverlet.

  Waking to the pale light of dawn, Lily jumped out of bed determined to make an early start. While Mrs Bodney had been good about the time she had missed yesterday, the fact remained that the work still needed to be done. Quickly dressing, she rinsed her face with water from the ewer then tiptoed downstairs with her pot, letting herself out into the early morning air.

  The gale from the night before had blown itself out, and a watery, white sun was peeping from behind the cliff. Looking down to the harbour she was relieved to see Tom’s lugger pulled up on the beach. Hastily she cleaned her pot into the brook and then scurried back indoors.

  The peace of the empty workroom was balm to her spirit, and she set about her work with renewed vigour. She had almost completed a sprig when the ladies began to arrive.

  ‘We was glad to hear you was acquitted yesterday,’ Mary said, settling onto her stool.

  ‘Thank you. I can’t deny I’m relieved to be proved innocent but now I shall have to work like ten men to make up for the time lost.’

  But she’d no sooner bent back over her pillow, than Tilda appeared.

  ‘Mrs Bodney wishes to see you in the parlour, Lily.’ Fighting down a sigh at the interruption, and hoping nothing was wrong, she followed the little maid out of the room. Mrs Bodney was sitting in her chair looking as fresh as an oxeye daisy and Lily smoothed down her apron, hoping she looked neater than she felt.

  ‘Good morning, Mrs Bodney,’ she said, looking anxiously across at the other woman.

  ‘I trust you slept well, Lily?’ her employer asked.

  ‘Yes, thank you.’

  ‘I see you made an early start this morning,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘Well, it was only fair I should catch up on some of the work I missed yesterday.’

  ‘Yes. However, you cannot work for long on an empty stomach, so we shall break our fast together,’ Mrs Bodney said, motioning for Lily to help herself to toast from the silver rack that was set on the table. Then she passed her a dainty cup of strong tea. Lily was so thirsty, she couldn’t help thinking longingly of the large mugs they’d supped their morning drinks from back at the cottage. Remembering the previous meal she’d eaten here, she carefully cut her toast into quarters, making herself nibble as daintily as she could manage. She was concentrating so hard that it was some moments before she realized Mrs Bodney was speaking.

  ‘Honestly, Lily, I don’t believe you’ve heard a word I’ve said. I was outlining my plans for bringing all the workers together. Yesterday, I negotiated a deal with Agent Pike. Those premises of his are ideal for us to use.’

  Lily stared at her employer. The thought that someone could do a deal with the agent astounded her.

  ‘However, he’s a greedy man,’ her employer continued. ‘He came kno
cking on my door last night, demanding I increase my offer. Much to his chagrin, I refused. A deal’s a deal, as I hastened to point out to him.’ She grinned delightedly and Lily found herself smiling back.

  She couldn’t help marvelling at her employer’s nerve, for although the journeyman had sold most of her lace to the agent, there’d been times when Lily had had to deal with him herself, and she knew how difficult he could be. He wasn’t known as Picky Pike for nothing.

  ‘Did he object?’ Lily couldn’t help asking.

  ‘Don’t worry, even Pike will come to his senses. He won’t turn down the opportunity to make a bit of extra money. As I told him, a little bit of something is better than a lot of nothing,’ said Mrs Bodney, chuckling. ‘He has until first thing Monday to accept what I’m offering or I’ll find other premises.’ Lily shook her head but her employer hadn’t finished. ‘Time is ticking by at an alarming rate and I need your total concentration on our Queen’s lace, so until things are settled, you may continue to sleep in my spare room.’

  ‘Oh, thank you, Mrs Bodney. That really is kind of you. I can’t tell you how relieved I am,’ Lily exclaimed for she’d wondered when she’d have the time to seek somewhere to stay.

  ‘However, I really can’t have you being seen in a dress that has more creases than the wise woman’s forehead, so please ensure you smarten yourself up before returning to the workroom. It will do my reputation no good whatsoever to have my overseer parading around like a crumpled clod. I myself have business to attend to elsewhere so will see you here first thing on Monday morning. We will break our fast together and see what has transpired in the meantime. Do you have any plans for the Sabbath?’

  ‘Yes,’ Lily replied. ‘Tom and I plan to take my little sister and her friend to the beach at Coombe for a picnic.’

  ‘Good, good,’ said her employer, her mind already on other things. ‘Well, unless you require more tea or toast, I suggest you make yourself respectable then get back to the workroom. Remember, it’s your responsibility to ensure the ladies stay on schedule.’

  Lily smiled as she watched Beth and Harriet searching the beach for the brightest ribbons of seaweed. Tom had helped them build a fairy castle out of the shiny pebbles and they were now decorating it while Tom fetched water for the moat.

  ‘Hurry up, Tom,’ they squealed, as he stood in the shallows filling his pail. How happy and relaxed he looked, Lily thought, leaning back against a rock and revelling in the warmth of the sun on her skin. Tom duly obliged and emptied the water into the channel he’d dug, then pretended to be outraged when it seeped through the stones and disappeared. The girls dissolved into peals of laughter and sent him back to collect more. He was going to make a good father, she thought. Her stomach growled and she realized the fresh air had sharpened her appetite.

  ‘Time to eat,’ she called, bending to spread out the picnic Mrs Goode had insisted on packing for them.

  ‘I’m really hungry,’ Beth said, running over.

  ‘Me too,’ Harriet squealed, joining her.

  ‘And me,’ Tom said, grinning.

  ‘Well, sit down,’ Lily answered, patting the horsehair blanket she’d spread out for them.

  They fell on the delicious feast of bread with pickled eggs, and silence descended. Lily glanced over at Tom and he winked back. It was a long time since she’d felt so happy.

  Food finished, Tom instigated a game of hide-and-seek behind the rocks. The sound of the little girls’ delighted squeals of laughter when he found them echoed around the beach. All too soon, though, the sun was lowering in the sky and it was time to pack up and make their way home.

  ‘I’ve had the bestest time ever, Tom,’ Beth said, tucking her hand into his as they walked along the track.

  ‘Me too, Tom,’ Harriet added, not to be outdone.

  ‘Then we’ll just have to do it again soon, won’t we?’ Tom said, grinning at Lily.

  ‘Ooh, yes, please,’ they chorused and then ran off. Pretending to be a monster from the deep, Tom spread out his arms and chased after them along the path towards the cottage.

  ‘You look as though you’ve had a good time,’ Mrs Goode said, scooping up the girls in her arms.

  ‘We have, and thank you for that delicious picnic, Mrs Goode,’ Lily said.

  ‘Yes, those pickled eggs were the best I’ve ever tasted. You must give Lily the recipe when we’re wed,’ said Tom, rubbing his stomach appreciatively.

  ‘Glad you enjoyed them. And I must say, I’ve enjoyed the rare treat of having a lazy few hours to meself,’ Mrs Goode said, beaming. ‘Would you like to come in for a drink?’

  ‘That’s kind of you, Mrs Goode, but we really must be getting back,’ Tom said politely, as Lily stifled a yawn. ‘As you can see, this one definitely needs her beauty sleep.’

  ‘Cheek,’ Lily retorted. ‘It’s all this fresh air, and we still have the walk back to Bransbeer so I guess we’d better get going.’

  ‘Yes, and I’d best find those two rascals and get them ready for bed,’ Mrs Goode said.

  They said their goodbyes and made their way back down the cliff path. The evening was balmy, with crickets chirping and the birds swooping low to catch the rising ants.

  ‘If only we could have more days like this, Tom,’ said Lily, sighing contentedly.

  ‘We will, my love, we will,’ he said, kissing her gently on the cheek. ‘Mind you, when we’ve got thirteen nippers of our own, I guess it’ll take a bit of organizing,’ he added.

  ‘Thirteen?’

  ‘Well, got to keep you out of mischief somehow, girl, haven’t we?’ he said, winking. ‘By the way, I had a word with the carter about collecting your things from the barn next time he’s this way.’

  ‘That’s kind of you to arrange that, Tom. I was wondering how I’d get them to Bransbeer. How much will it cost?’

  ‘For you, my sweetest love, not a farthing.’

  ‘But he must be charging something,’ she protested.

  ‘Think of it as a small gift from your betrothed, Lily,’ Tom said.

  ‘I can’t expect you to—’ she began; then, seeing the look of pride on his face, kissed his cheek instead.

  CHAPTER 21

  As Lily entered the parlour on Monday morning, Mrs Bodney signalled for her to be seated.

  ‘Whilst we break our fast, I have several things to acquaint you with.’ Lily sat looking at her employer expectantly. Mrs Bodney, however, calmly poured their tea before continuing.

  ‘Unsurprisingly, Mr Pike has agreed to let me rent his premises for the sum I originally offered,’ she said. ‘Conveniently for us, it seems he has an important deal to broker further west. He is leaving this morning and will be away for some time. Whilst I’ve already engaged the best lace makers in Devonshire, I feel it would be prudent to have a few extra standing by in case of sickness or incapacity. I myself do not have the time available to test the quality of their lace making, so this job will now fall to you, Lily.’

  ‘Yes, Mrs Bodney,’ Lily said, carefully cutting her toast into four, then biting into it daintily. Really this preserve was so delicious, she thought, savouring every mouthful.

  ‘… so Mr Mountsford has offered his services. Is that not kind of him?’

  Quickly looking up, Lily saw the other woman waiting for an answer.

  ‘Lily, dear, whilst there is no doubt as to the quality of your work I rather think you need to improve your listening skills,’ her employer rebuked.

  ‘Sorry, Mrs Bodney,’ she said, looking down at her cup.

  ‘I was saying that Mr Mountsford has gallantly offered his services. He is calling for you in his carriage at 10 of the clock. You can direct him to Coombe and he will be happy to transport your belongings from there to Pike’s place.’

  ‘But I … the agent’s premises?’ she said, surprised.

  ‘There is a room in the attic there, which will afford you comfortable accommodation. In return, you’ll have responsibility for ensuring the work gets complet
ed on time and that it is up to standard. Of course, if you encounter any problems you can and must come to me. Now do I take it you are agreeable?’ Stunned, Lily could only nod, quite forgetting Tom had already arranged to have her belongings moved.

  ‘Oh, and, Lily, it would serve you well to be an entertaining companion, for I rather think Mr Mountsford has taken a shine to you.’

  Promptly at 10 o’clock, Rupert Mountsford drew up outside Mrs Bodney’s cottage. As Lily clambered inside the carriage and settled back onto the squabs, she became aware of an unfamiliar smell. It was rather pleasant, vaguely reminding her of Christmas. She turned to ask Rupert what it was, but he was calling to the driver. Then, they pulled away and her attention was diverted by what was passing by the window.

  ‘Goodness, this must be how the Queen feels,’ Lily said, leaning forward and waving to her friend Sally, who’d just emerged from the dairy and was staring at her incredulously. Rupert smiled indulgently, but a few minutes later he wrinkled his nose as a noxious stench pervaded his nostrils.

  ‘What on earth is that disgusting smell? And what are all those people doing?’ he asked, pointing to the huddle of women hunched over the brook.

  ‘Village folk draw their water from there and do their washing. It’s a kind of meeting place where they catch up on the gossip at the same time as doing their chores.’

  ‘But there are ducks and geese swimming in it,’ he said, shaking his head.

  ‘That’s why the canny go up the top of the village, Rupert. By the time the water reaches here it’s full of slops and whatnots,’ Lily informed him, laughing as he shuddered. ‘It’s clearly a different way of life where you come from.’

  ‘Indeed it is,’ he agreed with feeling.