The Rufford Rose

by Margaret Lambert

  ‘You’ll what? Kill him? Let the law deal with him. Let us catch him and hand him over to the local magistrate to deal with and we all know who that is.’

  ‘Lord Derby! Of course. But how do we catch him?’

  ‘He won’t stay away. He will want to see how bad the fire was. He meant to burn it down. He won’t be able to resist coming to see but he will be disappointed and we will be ready for him this time.’

  The men moved into the relative warmth of the woodshed to make their plans.

  Next morning daylight revealed the extent of the damage. Two doors were badly charred and would need at least their bottom halves replacing. Some timbers in the lower walls would need new wood splicing in once charred pieces were removed. There was smoke damage almost to roof height on the west wing.

  ‘Thank goodness everything was so damp after all that mist,’ commented Cuthbert. ‘If it had been midsummer and the timbers bone dry, it would have burned much more quickly and Will may well have destroyed everything.’

  ‘I never thought I would have been thankful for such awful weather,’ laughed Ben. ‘But we must increase the guard around the place. You’re right. He won’t give up.’

  Abel assigned men to carry out the repairs. Everyone was to be extra vigilant and at night at least six men would keep guard. There was no shortage of volunteers. No one wanted to see over a year’s work destroyed by a madman.

  Will returned to the widow woman’s cottage. She didn’t ask him where he had been but she did wonder why he smelt so strongly of smoke. Perhaps he had been sitting round a bonfire somewhere, trying to keep warm. He seemed excited about something but when she asked him about it he just said,

  ‘Something I had to deal with,’ which was no answer at all. Whilst he slept she tried to wash his clothes but the smoky smell lingered and it took ages to dry them over her little fire. She had learned from her late husband not to question the nocturnal activities of men. Best you don’t know, he used to tell her, then give her a big hug, and all was well again.

  CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

  Within a few days all signs of the fire had been removed. Everyone was more determined than ever to finish the job. There was much talk about what had happened and people were constantly on watch. Any stranger who passed was observed with caution. Was Will working alone or would he have asked someone to check for him as he dared not show his face so soon after the fire?

  Away from the building though there was still time to try and relax. Cuthbert particularly enjoyed sharing a meal in the evenings with Jehan, Jacob and Liliath or going to Ezekial’s family. Both accepted him as a family member, particularly the latter. Jennet always sat beside him and her sisters had stopped teasing them. Her parents sometimes left them alone together, accepting the growing closeness between them. Cuthbert appreciated this time with Jennet as they got to know each other better. It was unusual for this to happen, a girl was usually closely chaperoned when a young man was present. Cuthbert may not have mentioned marriage yet but everyone else was expecting it. Her mother and Liliath had been talking about it when they met in the village.

  ‘I see Cuthbert prefers your cooking to mine,’ said Liliath with a twinkle in her eye.

  Hester laughed.

  ‘I don’t think it’s my cooking that’s the attraction,’ she said. ‘I have a daughter who enjoys his company.’

  ‘Has he said anything to her?’ asked Liliath. ‘It’s been clear for a while that he is more than attracted to her.’

  ‘Not as far as I know but we give them the chance to be alone occasionally. I rather think he is trying to find the words sometimes but doesn’t quite make it.’

  ‘Do you think that marriage is in his mind?’

  ‘I do, but his mind is as far as it gets. He gave her a little carving at Christmas, a miniature of that roof boss he’s been working on. It is beautiful and she carries it in her pocket all the time. It is a sort of love token, I suppose.’

  ‘He never struck me as being shy.’

  ‘I’ve never known a lad who can blush so easily. We like him very much and would be happy for Jennet to marry him. It is up to him to ask though.’

  ‘He’d better hurry up then. Once this build is complete he may well move away to his next work.’

  ‘I wonder if he realises that. Well, we can only hope.’

  Jennet was growing closer to Cuthbert every time they met. She wanted to know all about his life before coming to Rufford and he was willing to share it with her, the sad and the happy times. She was wonderfully kind when he spoke of his parents and he wished he had been able to take her to meet them, they would have liked her. It was when he was returning to the forge one night after one of their long conversations that he realised the obvious: he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. There was then the knotty problem of how to go about asking her. He had never even thought of marriage and all it implied before and he stopped in his tracks as the seriousness of it all hit him.

  ‘You look as though you’ve seen a ghost,’ said a voice just behind him.

  Cuthbert nearly jumped out of his skin and leapt round to find Thomas coming along the path on his regular patrol round the building.

  ‘Oh, Thomas! I didn’t hear you.’

  ‘Clearly. You’ll have to be more careful. I could have attacked you. So what’s the solemn face for?’

  ‘Thomas, have you ever been married?’

  ‘What! Married? Me? No, I’m not the marrying sort. Are you?’

  ‘Yes, I think that’s what I want but how do I ask her?’

  ‘Her being …?’

  ‘Jennet, of course. I think she’s wonderful, beautiful, such fun to be with, I enjoy every second I’m with her, I want to spend the rest of my life with her, share a home together, have children together …’

  ‘Whoa! Hang on a minute. There’s one word you haven’t mentioned yet. Do you love her?’

  ‘Of course I do, didn’t I say?

  ‘How does she feel about you?’

  ‘She likes me, I think.’

  ‘There you go again. Does she love you?’

  ‘I expect so.’

  ‘Expect so? Oh, Cuthbert. You have to tell her, you can’t just expect her to know. I take it she is the first girl you have been close to?’

  ‘Oh yes, there was never anyone in Chester, it was all work, work, work, and there weren’t any females of any age at the Abbey.’

  ‘Well, my advice is show her how much you love her and tell her so. Now, it’s time I turned back. I have a patrol to do, not sort out your future wife for you.’ He clapped Cuthbert on the shoulder and turned back towards the Hall.

  Cuthbert covered the short distance back to the forge trying to compose the words he wanted to say next time he saw Jennet and as he lay in bed that night it was thoughts of Jennet that lulled him to sleep.

  ***

  Will was furious. He had confidently expected to hear news about the disastrous fire at Rufford Hall during the following days but there was nothing at all. What had gone wrong? A major fire at a massive new building should have been the talk of the area. He had set enough fires and though he expected the first couple would have been put out, the bigger ones around the main Hall should have taken their toll. He couldn’t openly ask anyone as then he would reveal that he knew something about them but despite drinking in several inns nearby there was no word at all. The only thing left to do was to pay a visit and see for himself, but he would have to be extra vigilant as they would be looking out for him.

  One moonless night he returned, keeping well within the trees until he was as close as he dared go. He heard stealthy footsteps rustling through the leaves and a shadow crossed an open space. He stepped silently along the edge of the Mere until he was opposite the Hall and was horrified to see the outline of the undamaged building, large as ever, against the lighter sky. It was difficult to see any detail but there were no tell-tale gaps in the roofline, no walls missing, no empty windows. He had failed. His gr
eat plan had been for nothing. Now what was he going to do?

  He stealthily retreated and returned to his hideaway, evil plans forming in his mind. He would not be defeated.

  ***

  It was another week before Cuthbert joined Ezekial’s family for a meal again, a week in which he completed his rose roof boss, helped Abel with the carving of the side supports of the great screen and took his turn on the night patrols. It gave him plenty of time to contemplate his future. If he did marry Jennet, where would they live, where would he work once this house was completed and would he earn enough to feed and clothe them? He could probably find work on any building in the north especially as his reputation spread. Perhaps Lord Hesketh could help, or Lord Derby, after all it was on Lord Derby’s recommendation that he was here. But would Jennet want to move around from one place to another? Once children came along she would want a settled home, wouldn’t she? Children! He hadn’t even asked her to marry him yet and here he was already thinking of children. He took a deep breath. He would go for a walk with her on Sunday and ask her. Definitely. Yes. Sunday. That’s when he would do it.

  The following day, however, an unexpected visitor brought something for Cuthbert, wrapped in fine linen and with the simple message, ‘For Cuthbert Watts’ written on a piece of paper attached to it. It was left at the forge and the messenger rode away before Jehan could ask from whom he came. When Cuthbert came back as dark fell Jehan gave him the bundle.

  ‘Who is it from?’ asked Cuthbert.

  ‘I didn’t have chance to ask before he rode off,’ replied Jehan.

  ‘Did you recognise him?’

  ‘No.’

  Intrigued Cuthbert took the bundle into the cottage and sat down at the table. Perhaps there would be something inside to help. Peeling back the layers of cloth he revealed a stout leather belt, beautifully worked and with a fine silver clasp attached.

  ‘This can’t be for me!’ exclaimed Cuthbert. ‘It’s far too fine a piece.’ Liliath looked at it, turning it over in her hands.

  ‘This is a gentry piece,’ she said. ‘I’ve never seen such workmanship on a belt for a workman. This buckle is silver. There must be a year’s wages gone into that alone.’

  They looked at each other in astonishment then Cuthbert noticed the corner of a piece of paper among the folds of the cloth and pulled out a sheet with a short message written on it. He read it, read it again, then said,

  ‘Listen to this. ‘Cuthbert Watts, Thank you for restoring our son to us. We are forever indebted to you. Thomas and Grace Hesketh.’

  ‘Well I never!’ exclaimed Liliath, and dropped onto a stool beside the table. ‘Read it again.’ A second reading confirmed there had been no mistake.’ Oh, Cuthbert! How marvellous! I must tell Jehan,’ and she ran out to the forge. Cuthbert was still sitting, stunned, when they returned and the message was read again and again.

  ‘I never heard of anything like it,’ said Jehan. ‘My goodness, lad, you’ve made an impression right enough. A gift from his lordship!’

  By the next morning everybody had heard of Cuthbert’s good fortune.

  ‘It’s well deserved,’ said Abel. ‘No one else would have done what you did.’

  ‘If I jump into the Mere in the depths of winter can I have one too?’ asked Alfric, laughing.

  ‘Why aren’t you wearing it?’ asked Ben.

  ‘It’s far too good for working in,’ said Cuthbert. ‘It’s for very best and special occasions. I’ve never had anything as valuable as that.’

  ‘Special occasions such as weddings?’ asked Alfred, keeping a straight face as Cuthbert blushed scarlet.

  ‘Maybe,’ he replied.

  A special occasion was looming on Sunday, he thought, if asking Jennet counted. How to go about it though.

  Cuthbert wrestled with the problem for the rest of the week but on the Sunday it was partly solved when Ezekial suggested the two young people go for a walk by the Mere as it was a beautiful winter’s day. Jennet’s two sisters immediately said they would come too but their mother overheard them and suddenly found things that needed doing which they must help her with. So, Cuthbert and Jennet set out, alone at last. They wandered down to the shore of the Mere, chatting together and enjoying each other’s company. Cuthbert wanted to choose the right moment and several times was about to speak when a patch of ice needed to be negotiated or a fallen tree, climbed over. They had gone some distance when a cool breeze blew up across the water and Cuthbert led her into the lee of a thicker clump of bushes.

  ‘Oh, that’s better,’ said Jennet, and turned to look at Cuthbert as he pulled his cloak tighter around his neck. How handsome he looked today. What had he done? He was wearing his better clothes as befitted the Sabbath, with the new belt fastened about his slim waist. The weak winter sun raised a glint from the buckle and she put her hand over it to feel the cold smooth surface. ‘I am so proud of you,’ she murmured. ‘A real silver belt buckle. And to think, if you hadn’t saved little Thomas you would never had had it.’

  Cuthbert was looking at her with a surge of love in his heart. He put a hand up and tucked a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, feeling the silky softness of it. Something moved deep within him and he put a finger under her chin and lifted her face towards him.

  ‘Oh Jennet, I think I am falling in love with you,’ he whispered, and gave her a tentative smile. ‘May I ask, do you feel the same about me?’ He held his breath as he waited for her answer. Jennet looked into his eyes and, not trusting her voice, she nodded gently. He exhaled sharply, his heart doing somersaults in his chest and a broad smile spread across his face. They gazed at each other for a long moment then fell into each other’s arms and held on tightly for several minutes, revelling in the confession they had just made to each other.

  When they broke apart Cuthbert felt close to tears as he asked her,

  ‘Jennet, will you marry me, be my wife and bear our children?’ Again she nodded but this time she found her voice.

  ‘I have longed for you to ask since the first time we met. I love you with all my heart, Cuthbert Watts.’

  They came together again and this time they kissed, gently at first then more fervently as their love grew, pressing closer together as though they would never be parted again. At last they drew apart and looked at each other.

  ‘You have made me so happy,’ said Cuthbert. ‘I have been trying to find the right time to ask but there was always somebody else around.’

  Jennet giggled.

  ‘I think mother and father noticed. Don’t you think this winter walk was planned on purpose? Even keeping Mary and Martha back was contrived. Mother hasn’t got anything special she needs doing today.’

  Really? I have a lot to learn about the deviousness of women.’ He shivered suddenly. ‘Come on. Let’s go back and tell them they can stop trying to throw us together.’ He took her hand and together they wandered back along the shore, no longer noticing the cold wind, warm in their love for each other.

  Deep in the clump of trees where they had been sheltering somebody else had heard every word they had uttered. Will had come to his den to be alone and wait for darkness before he began another damaging visit to the hall. When he had realised who was on the other side of the screen of bushes he had frozen, taking in all that passed between the lovers. At first jealousy had coursed through his veins as he heard of the silver buckle and its significance but when they declared their love for each other he had yearned to burst out upon them and attack them. How could they be so smug in their love while he was an outcast, unloved, unwanted and alone? This put a whole new perspective on his actions. Not only was there a house to destroy but a young couple upon whom he now concentrated every fibre of hatred in his body. This was to be a sad day for Master Carver Cuthbert, the beginning of the end for him and his girl. New plans must be made to end the reign of Cuthbert forever. He came out of hiding and as darkness fell he made his way secretly back to his widow woman to plan the final revenge.

/>   CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

  ‘About time too!’ exclaimed Alfred when the news spread. ‘Perhaps now we can get on and finish this house without you being distracted.’

  ‘But I …’ protested Cuthbert.

  ‘We could all see this coming. We wondered how long it was going to take you, that’s all,’ laughed Ben.

  Cuthbert took all the light-hearted banter from his colleagues. Nothing now could spoil his happiness. He was going to be married to the girl he loved and he wouldn’t let anyone or anything stop or spoil that. Her parents were thrilled, her sisters immediately wanted to know what they would wear, and it was going to be an occasion for everyone to look forward to in the spring. He felt as though the smile on his face was going to be a permanent fixture for months to come and it gave him a warm glow inside. Even the weather was being kind as the temperatures rose and the sun came out for several days. Work continued but there was a joyful atmosphere and somehow that helped everyone to work harder and faster.

  Abel was pleased to see the improvement as he continued his work on the screen along with a number of the men and was looking forward to seeing the structure when it was assembled. Translating a drawing into an actual object was exciting but demanded precision at every stage. The eight panels of the main part were complete, the faces of the royal personages were emerging from the wood, the base supports were ready and the cross pieces which would hold it all together were in production. The tops of the end pieces were proving a little difficult to carve as he had drawn a complicated twisted pattern to rise to a pinnacle at each side, a design he had seen elsewhere, but only once. There were times when he wondered whether he had dreamt it because it was so complicated but he persevered. The work could not be delayed as the wood would soon dry out and become impossible to carve.

  Lord Hesketh sent his land agent to assess the progress. The man was an unsmiling, dour person who clearly took his errand seriously, checking every room, every piece of furniture, every fitting meticulously. He made copious notes on a desk slung round his neck and compiled a list of work still to do. After his third circuit of the outside of the building he nodded sagely and appeared to be satisfied, though he gave little away.