A Dorset Girl

by Janet Woods

  Across from her, the Earl of Kylchester stood, brother to Francis Matheson. There was a large age difference between them. The earl was just beginning to stoop into old age, but it hadn’t quite claimed him yet. His countess was younger. She was upright and odd-looking with eyes the colour of flint and twice as sharp.

  Francis stood with them. Now and again she could feel his glance on her and knew he was watching her. She could not meet his eyes.

  Dust to dust. Ashes to ashes. Would it never end?

  Elizabeth had stayed away. Siana dropped a handful of earth into the hole. Goodbye, my love. She felt so alone.

  Through the trees she could see her father. He stood there, tall and untidy. His white beard flowed in the breeze like fine strands of cotton. Such a strange man, so full of fire and passion. Did he feel her pain now? Yes, he must, for he was lonely too.

  She gazed back at him and he moved towards her, coming across the grass in the long, ungainly strides that had taken him over the length and breadth of the country to find her. He stood beside her, taking her hand in his, making her feel less alone.

  A smile touched Francis’s mouth as he exchanged a glance with Richard White.

  Then they were back at the manor, she and these strangers – the empty manor where she would raise the little squire for Edward. What did she know about raising squires?

  ‘Damned fine gelding. Edward always did have a good eye for horseflesh. Must ask the steward if they’ll part with him.’

  Never! Edward’s horse would go to Edward’s right-hand man, Jed Hawkins. Edward would have wanted that.

  ‘And a good eye for a filly. The marriage was a bit of a surprise, though. Still, Edward seems to have shaped her into something. Her peasantry isn’t obvious and I heard she’s directly descended from the Marcher Lords.’

  Snobbish fools! Let them believe that if it made her easier to stomach, she thought. Personally, she’d set aside such childish fantasies.

  How insensitive their laughter as they surreptitiously looked her over. They were drinking Edward’s favourite brandy. Josh had told her the liquor was smuggled ashore in flat punts able to negotiate the several shallow channels of Poole Harbour, where the customs men couldn’t go.

  She took the servants aside and told them to serve an inferior brand. That she could control what these aristocrats drank made her feel a little better.

  She slipped from the drawing room and went to the stairway to stand in front of Edward’s portrait. ‘See what power you have given me, Edward. The men are like horses at the trough so I have stopped them drinking the good brandy.’

  His eyes twinkled approvingly at her and she chuckled. ‘See, only you can make me laugh today. I’m quite cross with you for leaving me alone.’

  There was a faint noise from the bottom of the stair and she spun round. There was the outline of a man in the doorway, the shape so familiar to her she knew exactly who it was.

  ‘Edward,’ she breathed, her heart beating so fast she felt sick and dizzy. But it was not Edward she saw as he stepped forward to gaze up at her. It was Daniel, tall and tanned and looking so much like his father she wanted to scream. But Daniel was not his father, he was his poor shadow. He had neither his father’s elegant bearing nor his charisma.

  ‘I have come for the reading of the will,’ he said.

  ‘I didn’t see you at Edward’s funeral, Daniel.’

  ‘No,’ he said. ‘I considered it inappropriate to attend.’

  ‘And you think it appropriate to attend the reading of the will?’

  ‘I’m his son. As his only blood kin, I believe I’m to be a beneficiary, perhaps the main one.’

  How petulant he looked. ‘Is that all Edward meant to you, Daniel?’

  Bitterly he said, ‘It seems I was not the only one to take advantage of what he had to offer. You did not wait for me long, Siana.’

  ‘Perhaps if you’d informed me of your intention to leave, or even sent me a letter, I might have waited longer before I broke off our agreement. As it was, I heard of your involvement with another quite by chance instead of directly from you. I would have preferred to tell you to your face that I’d fallen in love with Edward.’

  ‘I wrote to you and didn’t receive answers.’

  ‘I didn’t receive any letters.’

  He looked slightly shocked. ‘But I sent them to Richard White’s address.’

  ‘Perhaps they didn’t arrive,’ she said, somehow knowing Edward had persuaded Richard to keep them from her in his determination to have her himself.

  ‘My father was an old man,’ he scoffed. ‘You took advantage of him. My mother tells me you loved my father, but I don’t believe you wanted him for anything more than what he could give you materially.’

  ‘That’s untrue,’ she stammered.

  He didn’t even listen to her protest. ‘Be warned. When I take over this estate, I will expect every jewel and gift he ever gave you to be returned.’

  She’d willingly give them to him now if it would bring Edward back.

  ‘You will leave here with only the rags you arrived in.’ He gazed around him, his face avid. ‘My mother was not welcome in this house before. Now she is carrying an infant. He may carry the name Skinner, but I’ll make sure my sibling grows up in its rightful place.’

  How cold and ruthless he was now. ‘Elizabeth is carrying Edward’s child?’ Siana felt sick as she stared at him, ashen-faced and unbelieving.

  ‘I see she hasn’t informed you.’ He shrugged, slightly shame-faced. ‘The infant is to be delivered very soon, I believe.’

  Francis appeared at her elbow. ‘Ah, there you are, Siana. My sister-in-law wishes to offer you her condolences before the will is read.’ He gazed at Daniel and nodded, the expression in his eyes bleak. ‘Mr Ayres. I believe congratulations should be offered on your recent engagement. The young lady is a very wealthy young woman, I understand. Your father would have approved of such a step to better your lot.’

  Daniel turned a dull red.

  Siana’s knees gave way and she would have tumbled down the stairs if Francis had not been there to hold her up. ‘Take heart,’ he whispered. ‘It will all be over soon and you can rest.’

  The countess was kind. ‘Allow me to call on you whilst you are mourning your husband, my dear. You are so young and there can be nothing worse than being alone at such a time.’

  The earl gave her a searching glance, kissed her hand and exchanged a slight smile with Francis.

  She was grateful to the countess and her husband for their attention. Soon she was surrounded by women murmuring insincere words of comfort before they drifted off to find a seat for the main event. The reading of the will.

  What it contained came as a surprise to everyone except Edward’s lawyer, and Jed Hawkins, who had acted as witness to his master’s signature. Siana was bestowed the house in Poole and an endowment for life. Daniel was awarded a lump sum. Richard White received a large grant to use however he saw fit for church restoration.

  The lawyer smiled at her and cleared his throat. ‘“The remainder of the estate is to be entrusted to my dear wife, Siana Forbes, on behalf of my legitimate heir, as yet unborn, and whatever the gender. Should that heir not survive then the whole of the estate shall become the property of Siana Forbes and can be dispensed with by inheritance or sale at her discretion.”’

  Daniel shot to his feet amid the muttering and gasps. ‘I object.’

  ‘I haven’t finished yet,’ the lawyer said smoothly. ‘“From this moment on my obligations towards Elizabeth Skinner and her son, Daniel Ayres, are fully discharged. Should Daniel Ayres see fit to challenge my will his legacy shall be rendered null and void.”’

  Daniel walked out.

  A long silence followed.

  Eventually, Siana rose to her feet and nodded shakily to the lawyer. ‘Thank you, Mr Beldon. That was all very clear.’ She managed a small smile as she faced the stunned assembly. ‘It’s been a very long and trying day and I�
��m grateful for your kindness on this sad occasion.’ Her voice broke and tears came. ‘I hope you will all excuse me, but I must rest.’

  Her legs felt as if they didn’t want to support her as she moved through the mourners and away from them. She went straight to her room, then through the dividing door into Edward’s room.

  It was gloomy. Dust sheets covered everything and the curtains were drawn. She pulled them back, allowing the light inside. The drawers in the dressers were empty of clothes. The blood-soaked mattress had been taken away and burned. She pulled the sheet from his chair and seated herself, drawing her knees up under her chin like a child.

  She didn’t know how long she sat there trying to find comfort from some thread of something Edward might have left behind. But when the afternoon light began to fade, she realized there was nothing left, not even a scent. Then suddenly, the infant inside her moved. It was just a soft flutter under her navel, but she knew immediately what had caused it.

  ‘Thank you, Edward,’ she whispered. She marvelled over this small sign of comfort. A few moments later, she glanced up when Francis came in, followed by an agitated-looking Rosie. She smiled delightedly at them. ‘The baby moved. He moved! Edward would have been so proud.’ She thought of Elizabeth’s baby and began to cry and laugh at the same time.

  ‘Of course he’d be proud,’ Rosie said.

  Siana allowed herself to be drawn through to her own room with its barred prison windows, the lavender decorations suggested by Elizabeth, Edward’s mistress, and the memories of sad Patricia who’d selfishly taken Edward away from his unborn son.

  She wondered. Had Edward made love to them all in this room? No, not Elizabeth. This had been Patricia’s shrine. For the short time Elizabeth had looked after Siana they had been allocated two of the upstairs guest rooms. Before that, Elizabeth had been kept out of sight in a house in Dorchester.

  Ashamed, she realized that Elizabeth had been her friend. She’d loved her. She still loved her. She was jealous and ungrateful thinking of her so bitterly when Elizabeth had always been so kind.

  Rosie touched her black-clad arm. ‘You must let me put you to bed.’

  Siana bit back her inclination to indulge in hysterical laughter. ‘Not in this room. I’ll never sleep in here again.’ She picked up her skirts and hurried away from them to a room across the landing. It was small in comparison and had wallpaper the colour of almonds with garlands of pink roses on it. The hangings were dusty and the bed was lumpy. Siana didn’t care. She fell into the middle of it, curled herself into a ball and was instantly asleep.

  Rosie gazed down at her. ‘Poor little moth. She’s taking this business real hard. This room used to belong to the nurse of the first Lady Forbes. We can’t have her moping in Sir Edward’s room. I’ll find her a nice room and have her things moved. It should be all ready for her by the time she wakes.’

  Francis pulled a cover over the still form. His heart went out to her as he took in her tear-stained face and the dark rings under her eyes. ‘Look after her, Rosie. Make sure she eats something for she has the baby to think of too. I’ll drop by in a day or two, but if she needs me I’ll come immediately.’

  ‘Bless her. She be stronger than she knows. The master knew what he was doing when he brought her here. Give her a week to get the hang of it and the estate will be in good hands, just you see.’

  It took several days for Siana to regain a semblance of her wits and to get through the day without drowning in her own tears.

  The change was brought about by Josh, who brought her horse back a fortnight after the funeral.

  ‘Josh,’ she murmured, and hugged him, ‘I’ve missed you so much.’

  When she let him go, he looked her up and down, grinning. ‘There was nothing stopping you coming to see us, was there?’

  Except Edward wouldn’t have encouraged it.

  ‘You’re growing into a giant,’ she accused. ‘Look at those big feet of yours.’

  ‘I know. I keep having to buy meself new boots. Got a second cart now and a proper horse to pull it. Found me a lad to help me out. Begging in the streets of Poole, he was. His master caught him doing a fiddle. Fetched him a clout round the ear and chucked him out on his arse. Good with horses and such, even though he be deaf and dumb.’

  ‘Then how did you learn all this about him?’

  ‘Just because he’s dumb, it don’t mean he be stupid. He can draw pictures a real treat.’

  She had to ask. ‘How’s Elizabeth?’

  ‘Tired. She gave birth to a little girl last week. Come early, she did. Not much Skinner in her, thank God. Bonny though. She looks like Elizabeth, and for such a little un she can squawk up a storm.’

  Siana smiled.

  ‘Elizabeth calls her Susannah. Pretty name, aye? I’m going to be godfather at her christening.’ He looked morose for a moment. ‘Means I’ve got to dress up like a fancy toff again.’

  Tortured by the thought that Edward had been fatally wounded defending Elizabeth from Tom Skinner, Siana brought the conversation round to the events of that dreadful day.

  ‘Didn’t see anything until it were over,’ Josh said. ‘You should talk to Elizabeth about it. It were a real shock for her and she won’t tell me what happened. Upset her, see. She might talk to you, though, seeing it was your husband who copped it in the brawl too. ‘

  It would not harm her to visit Elizabeth. Of late, she hadn’t been anywhere. Besides, she wouldn’t be satisfied until she saw the child. It would give her an excuse. ‘Will you deliver a note back to her from me?’

  ‘She’ll be glad to hear from you. Now, how about you send one of those fancy servants of your’n to bring your little brother a wedge of pie or two and a jug of ale to wash it down with?’

  ‘A jug of ale, indeed! Our mother should rise from her grave and give you a clout around the ear. You can come up to the nursery and have tea with our Daisy. You’ll be surprised how big she’s getting.’

  August had turned into a golden September when Siana set out in the carriage to visit Elizabeth. It was the first time she’d left the estate since the funeral. It had been hard to make the decision without consulting Edward, but part of her enjoyed the freedom of being able to please herself.

  Jed Hawkins accompanied her because although George Loveless, the last of the Tolpuddle men, had now been been taken aboard the William Metcalfe and transported to Van Diemen’s Land, others had taken up the unionists’ cause, demanding they be pardoned.

  So the unrest continued. Tolpuddle was used as an excuse, but much of the trouble was due to old grievances coming to light, the loss of common grazing land and vegetable plots now the enclosure system had been completed. Cheverton estate had lost nearly a whole field of wheat a couple of days previously when someone had deliberately stampeded a herd of cattle into it to trample it underfoot.

  Knowing the poverty that the labourers constantly lived with, Siana had decided to order another shilling or two to be paid to them if the estate could afford it, and she was sure it could. She’d already discussed with Jed Hawkins the need to improve the state of the cottages before winter. Perhaps that would go a little way towards appeasing the trouble-makers, who seemed to have a different agenda to that of the labourers – which was to better their lot rather than destroy the source of their living.

  Her grief over Edward’s death had not lessened, but there were moments of contentment now. The infant inside her had grown stronger, even though the swelling of her stomach was still too slight to be discernible under her clothes. Edward would live on in the child they’d created. She must remember that.

  It had been months since she’d been to Poole and the fresh stinging breeze and odour of mud brought back memories of the happy time she’d spent here with Elizabeth as company.

  Elizabeth was waiting for her on the porch. She was thin and pale, her eyes and hair lacking lustre. There was a strange watchfulness about her. The smile that came to her mouth was just as quickly withdrawn and,
as Siana descended from the carriage, it seemed to her as if Elizabeth was dubious of her intent.

  Siana didn’t bother with preliminaries. ‘Elizabeth, my dearest friend. I’ve missed you so much.’ She was across to her in a trice, clasping her in a tight hug.

  After a moment of hesitation, Elizabeth returned the hug. ‘I’m so sorry for what happened to Edward, Siana. I should have sent you a note, at least. You lost a husband and I a dear friend.’

  Arms around each other’s waists, they strolled inside. Elizabeth arched an eyebrow as she gazed at her. ‘Daniel has told me your good news. Congratulations. I’m so pleased for you, my dear. The child will go a long way to helping you cope with your loss.’

  ‘Daniel was not too pleased at the time.’

  ‘He regrets his behaviour now. Edward has been good to him in the past and he has always had expectations beyond the reality of his situation. I hope you’ll find it in your heart to forgive him. He is to wed in London next month. With his legacy, he intends to buy a partnership in a legal office.’

  The fact that Daniel had not seen fit to apologize personally didn’t sit well with Siana. He was, she thought, as shallow as Francis had once indicated.

  ‘And what of your daughter? I’m eager to see her.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose you must be.’ A slightly mischievous smile was slanted her way. ‘We shall go to the nursery then, so you can satisfy your curiosity. She is not much like her father, by the way.’

  Exactly who that father was became apparent to Siana the moment she set eyes on Susannah. Although the infant possessed Elizabeth’s beauty, there was a faint look of the Skinners about her, especially in the light blue eyes and the flaxen colouring of her hair.

  Relief cascaded through her and she let out a sigh. ‘She’s so sweet.’

  ‘She’s a demanding monster who keeps me awake all night,’ Elizabeth caressed the infant’s silky skin. ‘Although she was not conceived in happy circumstances, I love her dearly.’

  Siana met her eyes and said honestly. ‘I thought Edward might have fathered her.’