Soldier's Daughter, The

by Goodwin, Rosie

  ‘It’s not that I mind, you understand,’ the kindly old gentleman confided to Briony one day after he had called to see her grandmother. When their business was concluded Briony had given him a glass of sherry in the kitchen and they had had a pleasant chat.

  ‘But the thing is, I’m not as young as I used to be and I’ve had to call on my son to help me out at times.’ Mr Page’s son was in his late thirties and had not been able to join up because of poor eyesight. ‘He would love to take the business over,’ Mr Page told her, ‘but I doubt Mrs Frasier would sell it, even though her son has no interest in it now.’

  ‘That’s a shame,’ Briony said sadly. It seemed that Sebastian’s selfishness was impacting on all of them.

  Mrs Dower had invited Briony and the children over to the farm to have Christmas dinner with them, but Briony had declined, as much as she would have liked to go. Her grandmother had never said a kind word to her nor shown her a single ounce of kindness in the whole time she had been there, and yet she couldn’t bear to think of her spending the day alone. She doubted very much indeed that Sebastian would be there. He spent most of his time away now, only coming home when he needed another hand-out. That suited Briony just fine; the less she saw of him the better, but she couldn’t help feeling a little sorry for her grandmother.

  Today, Mabel and Alfie were in the Nativity Play at school, and as Briony got ready to go and watch it she smiled to herself. Alfie was one of the shepherds, but Mabel had landed the key role of Mary! Briony just hoped that nothing would upset her, as the little girl was still prone to swear if something went wrong. Only the day before, she had stubbed her toe on the table and cursed, ‘Bleedin’ ’ell, that ’urt!’ before glancing guiltily at Briony. It would certainly cause a stir if she came out with a mouthful during the play, and Briony dreaded to think what the teachers might say.

  She was just about to leave when Howel appeared in the doorway looking very nice and tidy, and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at him.

  ‘I’m coming with you,’ he informed her. ‘You didn’t think I’d let my best girl play the star role without me going to see her, did you?’

  Briony was secretly delighted although she didn’t say anything. Lately Mabel had taken a real shine to Howel and she saw that as a major step forward, considering how afraid of men she had been when she arrived as an evacuee. With very good reason, of course, and Briony still trembled with rage every time she thought of it. Up to now, apart from the one short message she had received from her mother shortly after arriving there, Mabel had heard nothing at all from her – but it didn’t seem to trouble the little girl at all. She didn’t appear to miss her siblings either, although from what Briony could gather they were all a lot older than her and many of them had already flown the nest before the war even started. Knowing what she did, Briony didn’t blame them.

  ‘Come on then, we don’t want to be late,’ Howel chided playfully, pulling her thoughts sharply back to the present and they set off for the village.

  ‘I’m a bit worried that Mabel’s mother hasn’t been in touch with her, especially as we’re coming up to Christmas,’ she admitted as they came to the cliff path.

  He shrugged. ‘Well, it doesn’t seem to bother her. In fact, she has really blossomed since she came to you. You’re doing a really good job with her.’

  Briony flushed with pleasure. ‘She is a lovely child,’ she said fondly. ‘But I just hope she doesn’t come out with something she shouldn’t today, that’s all. Can you imagine the Virgin Mary giving anyone a load of abuse?’

  Howel chuckled as he imagined it, but they needn’t have worried. Mabel was on her very best behaviour, and when she sat beside the crib looking like a little angel as the Nativity story unfolded, Briony’s heart swelled with pride. Alfie made a fine shepherd too, and after it was over Briony and Howel praised them both.

  ‘You were the bee’s knees!’ Howel said, ruffling their hair.

  ‘Yes, you were, I was so proud of you both,’ Briony agreed, wishing that Mrs Wilkes could have been there to see the play too. Mabel’s mother had apparently never done anything but shout at the girl and scream for her to get out from under her feet, but Briony and Howel always praised her when she had been good, and that made her try all the harder to please them.

  Fog had blown in from the sea whilst they were at the school and Briony clutched the children’s hands as they made their way home in the eerie atmosphere, afraid that they might stray too close to the edge of the cliff. It was a beautiful walk on a nice day, but in this weather it could be treacherous. They were almost back at the house when Mabel peered through the mist and told them, ‘I reckon I just saw someone ahead. I ’ope it ain’t a ghost.’

  ‘Grandmother!’ Briony said as she looked at Howel, and leaving her to care for the children he hurried ahead.

  ‘Ah, Mrs Frasier.’ She was right in front of him now, and far closer to the edge of the cliff than he would have liked. ‘What are you doing out here without your coat on? You’ll catch your death of cold.’

  She gazed at him blankly for a second as he quietly walked towards her and gripped her elbow, leading her onto safer ground.

  ‘I can’t find my husband,’ she fretted, and despite the fact that she could be a very difficult woman he felt sorry for her.

  ‘Well, let’s go and look inside, eh?’ he said persuasively. Luckily she didn’t protest and once he had shown her back into the sitting room and placed her in a chair by the fire, he went to the kitchen to fetch a hot toddy, and a bowl of warm water as Briony had requested.

  His mother was there by then preparing the evening meal, and when he came back she asked, ‘Is she all right, lad?’

  He nodded but she could see that he was angry. ‘Yes – she is now that we’ve settled her. The poor woman was frozen through! Briony washed her and changed her into a warm nightgown. She managed to persuade her to eat a ham sandwich too. Why doesn’t that no-good son of hers show her a little consideration? He can’t expect Briony to watch over her all the time. She’d need to have eyes in the back of her head – and she does more than her share as it is. It doesn’t seem fair.’

  ‘A lot of things in life aren’t fair,’ his mother said soberly as she started to stuff the chicken. ‘Like this damn war for a start. But we have to get on and make the best of it.’ Then, brightening, she looked towards the children and said, ‘But I hear we have two little stars in the making here!’

  Mabel nodded. ‘Me teacher told me I did a really good job o’ playin Mary,’ she said self-importantly. ‘So I’ve decided when I grow up I’m gonna be a film star like Katherine Hepburn. I like ’er!’

  Alfie rolled his eyes. ‘Well, I’m gonna be a train-driver,’ he declared and the grown-ups smiled.

  When the children had scampered away, Howel and his mother were chatting quietly when they heard a scrabbling noise coming from the yard. It couldn’t be a fox after the hens, as Briony had shooed them all into their coops for the night before going off to the school. And then they heard a scream – at which Howel almost leaped across the room and yanked the door open, heedless of the light that spilled onto the cobbled yard. Beyond the pool of light was nothing but darkness; he narrowed his eyes and peered about until suddenly a movement over by the barn had him racing towards it. It was a man but he had his back to him, then as he drew closer Howel recognised Sebastian. He had someone pinned against the barn door and whoever it was he had trapped was struggling and whimpering.

  ‘What’s going on here?’ he shouted, and when Sebastian spun about, startled, Howel saw Talwyn slide to the ground and wrap her arms about herself protectively. Her coat had been ripped open and for a moment Howel was so shocked that he felt as if he had been turned to stone. He could hear his mother and Briony running across the yard behind him and then as the full implications of what Sebastian had been about to do to his little sister hit him, Howel let out a roar like that of a wounded animal and launched himself at the other man, fists
flying. The first punch caught Sebastian squarely on the chin and he went down like a dead weight, banging his head on the cobbles. But Howel wasn’t finished with him yet and he continued to pummel him.

  ‘You – dirty – filthy – bastard!’ he ground out.

  Sebastian was trying to rise now but each time he did so, another blow sent him sprawling back down. He coughed and spat out a tooth as blood spurted from his nose and mouth, and whilst Mrs Dower dropped to her knees to comfort a sobbing Talwyn, Briony threw her arms about Howel’s waist and somehow managed to pull him back.

  ‘Stop it!’ she screeched. ‘You’ll kill him, Howel!’

  ‘Too bloody right I will,’ Howel answered as he shook with rage.

  Sebastian had scrambled to his feet and now, as the two men confronted each other, Howel caught a whiff of Sebastian’s whisky breath. He was roaring drunk – again!

  ‘I’ll have the police on you for this, you stinking peasant,’ Sebastian grunted as he swayed unsteadily towards the house.

  ‘You do that, man!’ Howel bawled. Briony was still struggling to hold him back. ‘And when they come, I’ll tell them that you were trying to rape to my sister. You know damn well she’s like a child that’s never grown up!’

  ‘Ah, but her body’s that of a woman. She’s got a fine pair of tits on her,’ Sebastian taunted, blood running down his chin. ‘And she’s been asking for it for years!’

  ‘Why, you dirty . . .’ Howel freed himself from Briony’s arms and was off across the yard like a rocket to finish what he’d started. Thankfully, Sebastian disappeared off round the side of the house – and just as Howel was within reach of him he flew through the front door and locked it firmly behind him.

  ‘I haven’t done with you yet!’ Howel yelled as he thumped on the door with frustration. ‘You lay one finger on my sister again and I swear I’ll kill you!’

  ‘And I haven’t done with you, peasant,’ Sebastian shouted back. ‘I’ll bide my time but you’ll live to regret this, Dower!’

  Howel retraced his steps to find Briony and his mother helping Talwyn into the house. Once she was seated, he bent to her level and asked, ‘Did he hurt you, my little maid?’

  She was trembling like a leaf in the wind but she shook her head, her eyes almost starting from her head.

  ‘That’s why she don’t like comin’ over ’ere when Master Seb’s about,’ Mabel told them matter-of-factly. ‘I’ve seen ’im try to collar ’er before.’

  Howel went towards the door again but his grandmother caught his arm and told him sternly, ‘That’s enough, Howel. I don’t want you to get into trouble with the police. You stay here and look after Talwyn. I’ll go and speak to Mrs Frasier – for what good it’ll do.’

  While she was gone, Briony warmed some soup and encouraged Talwyn to swallow some of it. The buttons on her coat had popped off, as had the ones on her blouse, and Briony shuddered to think what might have happened if they hadn’t heard her.

  When Mrs Dower came back her face was grim and Briony sent the children upstairs to get washed and changed. They had seen too much already as far as she was concerned, and knowing what Mabel had gone through, she dreaded to think how it might affect her.

  ‘Sacked us, has she?’ Howel asked miserably.

  Mrs Dower snorted. ‘Of course not! Think, lad! Who else would she get to do what we do? You and your grandad alone do the work of four men about the place. No, she says she’ll have words with him. And from now on, we’ll keep a closer watch on Talwyn.’

  She stooped to kiss her granddaughter tenderly on the cheek and asked, ‘Are you all right, my bird?’

  When Talwyn nodded dumbly she let out a sigh of relief. ‘Well, I doubt we’ll see much of that one tonight. No doubt he’ll go and hide himself away in his room after he’s cleaned himself up a bit. But you have to let it go now, Howel. He’s had what was coming to him and that must be an end to it. Even he isn’t stupid enough to try a stunt like that again. Do you promise me?’

  Howel nodded reluctantly, and stroking his arm, his grandmother said wearily, ‘You get Talwyn home now, and look after her till I get back. God knows what your grandad will have to say about all this. It’s enough to give him a heart attack. I think it might be best if we didn’t tell him about it, for there’s no saying what he might do.’

  Howel opened his mouth to object, but then seeing the glint in his grandmother’s eye he rose slowly and held his hand out to his sister, who took it trustingly.

  When they’d gone, Mrs Dower said heavily, ‘I’ve had my suspicions about the way he’s been watching poor Talwyn lately. And I don’t mind betting this isn’t the first time he’s tried it on with her. But you can take it from me: I won’t give that waste of skin a chance to touch her again.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Briony said tremulously but Mrs Dower shook her head.

  ‘There’s no need for you to go apologising,’ she told her. ‘But just make sure you keep your bedroom door locked. Who’s to say what that creature will do when he’s had a drink! I wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him, I wouldn’t.’ She sighed. ‘But now come on, this dinner isn’t going to cook itself.’

  Briony rose without another word and began to chop some carrots, wishing with all her heart that Sebastian would clear off once and for all. Perhaps he would do so when the money ran out, and the way he was fleecing Mrs Frasier, that might be sooner than he thought.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  It was 23 December, and as Briony sat wrapping up the presents she had bought she couldn’t help thinking of Christmases past. Her parents had never had a lot of money, but they had always made sure that Christmas was a joyous time. She and her father would go out and collect bunches of holly with bright red berries on and place it them in vases along the mantelpiece, and the family would sit together making pretty paper chains that James Valentine would attach to the walls and ceiling. On Christmas Eve they all hung their stockings up above the fireplace and in the morning would troop down together to open them. They had been such magical times, but she knew that they would never come again.

  Her eyes strayed across the gifts on the table. She had bought Howel a thick pair of woollen gloves to keep his hands warm while he was working about the farm and a new pipe for Mr Dower. For dear Mrs Dower there was a set of Morny French Fern bath salts with matching soap.

  Briony had purchased a simple wooden train set, carved by one of the older men in the village, for Alfie, and Mabel had the same doll she had bought for Sarah. She had also saved up and bought a silk headscarf in a rich royal blue for her grandmother, but she hadn’t got anything for Sebastian. From what she could gather he wasn’t going to be there anyway so it gave her a good excuse not to bother. There was only Alfie’s gift to wrap now – and then another lonely evening stretched ahead of her. She didn’t feel like listening to the wireless. The reports on the war were always so depressing and just made her worry about whether Ernie was still safe. There had been no word from him still, but she was trying her best to stay optimistic.

  The back door was suddenly flung open and she started – until she saw that it was Howel. The wind was whistling past him and making the flames lick up the chimney as he dragged something into the kitchen before kicking the door shut. And then when she saw what it was, her eyes lit up.

  ‘A Christmas tree! How lovely – but where did you manage to get it?’

  He leaned against the wall for a moment while he got his breath back, then explained, his eyes twinkling, ‘I had to go into the market today to order foodstuffs for the animals, so I picked up one for you and one for our grandma. She’s tickled pink with it. In fact, when I left she was putting the baubles on it. Here, look – she sent a few over for you. There aren’t that many, but I dare say the kids can make some paper decorations.’

  Briony had an overwhelming urge to kiss him for being so thoughtful and generous. The children were going to be thrilled when they saw the tree the next morning.

  ‘I
’ll go and find you a bucket to stand it in,’ he went on. ‘And by the time I’ve done, I reckon I’ll have earned a nice cup of cocoa.’

  He went back out into the biting wind as Briony walked around the tree admiring it before rushing away to measure out milk in the pan for their cocoa.

  In no time at all he was back with a bucket of earth, and once he’d planted the tree in it he asked, ‘So where do you want me to put it?’

  ‘Over there by the dresser, I think,’ Briony decided. ‘We can see it when we’re having our Christmas dinner then. Oh, I really don’t know how to thank you! This is just such a wonderful surprise. But let me pay you for it. You must have had to buy it.’

  ‘You’ll do no such thing,’ he retorted as he dragged the bucket into position. ‘And if you even mention doing that again, I’ll be mighty offended. Call it an early Christmas present from me to you and the children.’

  ‘Thank you,’ she said softly as she reached out to squeeze his hand. ‘You really are a lovely man, Howel.’

  He flushed and turned to hold his hands out to the fire as she went to put the pan on to the gas. But not lovely enough, he thought grimly as a picture of Ernie looking handsome in his uniform passed in front of his eyes.

  Once he was seated at the table with a fragrant mug in front of him, Briony cut him a generous slice of the jam sponge cake she had baked that afternoon.

  ‘I’m sorry it’s a bit plain,’ she said. ‘I ran out of icing sugar. Some things are hard to get now, even living here.’