by Dilly Court
‘I love it here, too,’ Judy said eagerly. ‘I like working for Cook, or I did before the other kitchen maids turned up, but this little house is cosy and I don’t mind the walk to the big house.’
‘Neither do I,’ Hilda added hastily. ‘I can manage the walk providing I carry a walking stick. What do you say, Daisy? The cottage belongs to you.’
Daisy smiled. ‘It’s yours for as long as you want it, Hilda. You work as hard as anyone and harder than most, and there’s always someone willing to keep an eye on the little ones. You deserve to have your own place.’
Hilda buried her face in her apron and Judy hugged her mother, while Molly comforted Nate and Pip, who had both started to cry.
‘Don’t take on like that,’ Mary said, sniffing. ‘You’ll have me crying next, girl.’
‘And Molly should go back to school,’ Daisy added. ‘Everything has been topsy-turvy since the Harkers moved into the manor house, but now we must get back to normal.’
‘Well, I, for one, will be glad to have my own bed again,’ Mary said firmly. ‘You know I love you, Daisy. I couldn’t wish for a better daughter-in-law, but you take up more than half the bed and sometimes you talk in your sleep.’
Daisy smiled. ‘And you snore, Mary. The feeling is mutual. Anyway, we’ll move our things to the manor house tomorrow, but now I’d better get back and make sure that everything is running smoothly.’
Mary followed her to the garden gate. ‘When will you find out how much money that fellow has made for you, Daisy?’
‘I don’t know. I’ve been relying on Marius to keep me informed, but that will have to change.’
‘What will you do?’
‘I’m going to ride to Maldon. I need to talk things over with Marius and I intend to take a more active part in managing my own affairs. I don’t intend to be caught out again as I have been with the bank. There’s money in Jay’s account, but I can’t touch it unless he’s …’ Daisy broke off, shaking her head. ‘You know what I mean, Mary.’
Mary laid her hand briefly on Daisy’s shoulder. ‘I know, I feel that way too. If we say the word it feels as if we’re admitting that he’s gone for ever. You do what you must, dear. You have my blessing.’
‘Thank you,’ Daisy said simply, but she walked away with a more confident step. She knew that the manor house was important to her mother-in-law for many different reasons, and it meant a great deal to Daisy herself, if only because it belonged to Jay. She would do everything she could to protect his inheritance, and Mary’s question had reminded her that the Lazy Jane was an asset she must make full use of, at least until Jay returned.
Two days later Daisy had Cinders saddled and she set off for Maldon with Jack riding beside her. She had chosen him as her companion over the more experienced grooms because she wanted better things for the boy than a life spent in the stables. Jack was intelligent and eager, if undisciplined, and although he was only eleven, Daisy knew that Jay would have wanted his younger brother to broaden his education, and she was fond of the boy. Besides which, he was an excellent rider and it would not do for the lady of Creek Manor to be seen riding unaccompanied. She urged Cinders to a canter, and Jack gave a whoop of joy as he encouraged his pony to keep up.
After a while Daisy reined in Cinders. ‘We don’t want to wear them out, Jack.’
He followed suit. ‘Why are we going to Maldon? Is it to see that Marius fellow?’
‘Mr Walters to you, unless he says differently. And, yes, I have a business proposition to put to him, and I don’t want to wait until he finds time to visit me at the manor house.’
‘Don’t you trust him?’
She shot a sideways glance at Jack, taken by surprise. ‘What makes you say that?’
‘It’s a long way to go just for a chat,’ he said, chuckling. ‘Or do you fancy him, Daisy?’
‘You cheeky little monkey. Don’t say such things or you’ll set tongues wagging, and in answer to your question – no, I don’t fancy him, but I like and trust him.’
They rode on, stopping occasionally to allow the horses to drink from a stream and take a brief rest. It was a warm start to the day, promising to become even hotter later on. The trees were in full leaf with the freshness of early summer, and the meadows were bright with buttercups, dandelions and moon daisies. Skylarks sang overhead and Daisy had a feeling that the day would go well, even though there was no guarantee of meeting up with Marius. She knew he travelled the country, but even if he was away she would leave a message with his agent, asking him to contact her urgently. All this could have been done by letter, but if she went in person she could be sure that the request was received, and at least she was doing something positive; simply sitting around and doing nothing was not something that appealed to her.
It was late morning when they rode into the small town and Daisy headed for the quay where the tan sails of Thames barges flapped idly in the gentle breeze. She realised that she and Jack were attracting curious looks, but she ignored them and dismounted close to the office where Marius employed a clerk.
‘I’m hungry and thirsty,’ Jack said crossly. ‘May we get something to eat and drink afore I die of starvation?’
‘Don’t die yet.’ Daisy glanced at him over her shoulder. ‘You’ll live for another half an hour or so and then we’ll go to the inn.’ The memory of her first meeting with Marius came back to her with vivid intensity, when the landlord of the inn had refused to serve her because she was a woman on her own. Marius had come to her rescue then – but now things were different. Her brief time with Marjorie had convinced her that she must take control of her own future, and that was what she wanted to discuss with Marius.
‘Great heavens! What are you doing here in Maldon, Daisy?’
Startled out of her reverie, Daisy looked up and saw Marius walking towards them.
‘You’re here,’ she said dazedly. ‘I was hoping to find you.’
‘Then you’re in luck. I was just about to leave.’
‘We come all this way and we’re starving,’ Jack added plaintively.
Marius chuckled and slapped him playfully on the back. ‘We can’t have you expiring from lack of nourishment, young man. It’s Jack, isn’t it?’
Jack pulled off his cap. ‘Yes, sir.’
‘We’ll have a drink and a bite to eat in the Jolly Sailor. Take the horses to the stable, Jack, and then join us in the taproom.’
‘Aye, sir.’ Jack took the reins and led both horses to the stables at the rear of the inn.
Marius proffered his arm. ‘Allow me, madam. This is an unexpected pleasure, I must say.’
‘It’s purely business, Marius.’ She laid her hand on his sleeve and they entered the inn together.
The air was thick with tobacco smoke and men sat smoking clay pipes with tankards of ale on the tables in front of them. Despite the warmth of the day there was a fire in the inglenook, but Marius found them a table overlooking the busy quay and the neat weatherboard houses that lined the street.
‘Well, now, Daisy, why have you come all this way?’ He pulled up a chair and sat down beside her.
‘Marjorie Harker has moved out. The party, strangely enough, was very successful, and her husband’s promotion is almost assured. Charity has caught the eye of the general’s son and Marjorie decided that it was time to leave. We have our home back.’
‘I’m delighted to hear it, but how does that involve me?’
Seated close to him and with a view of the trading barges preparing to set sail, Daisy was suddenly assailed by doubts. ‘Well, I thought that I could do more to help you run the business. I mean, you share a clerk with other companies – how do you know that he’s being completely honest with you?’
‘You think I’m being cheated?’
‘Oh, no,’ she said hastily. ‘At least, not exactly, but the temptation would surely be there. You need someone who has your best interests at heart.’
‘What had you in mind?’
‘You co
uld have an office in the manor house, and as I’ve a vested interest in the Lazy Jane, you could trust me to handle matters while you’re away on business.’
The landlord chose that moment to appear at their table, and after a brief discussion with Jack, who had come in from the stable, they ordered meat pies and a jug of shandygaff, which Daisy discovered was a refreshing mixture of ale and ginger beer. When their plates were cleared away and the last drop of shandygaff had disappeared down Jack’s throat, he rose from the table.
‘I’d like to go and look at the barges, if you don’t mind, Daisy.’
‘That’s all right, Jack. Don’t fall in or your mother will have something to say about that.’
He grinned and sauntered out of the inn. Daisy sat back against the wooden settle.
‘Well, Marius? You haven’t said whether or not you like my suggestion.’
‘I’m delighted that you want to help, but I’m afraid it wouldn’t be very practical. Creek Manor is too far from any port to make it work.’ He laid his hand on hers as it rested on the table. ‘Not that I’m doubting your ability, Daisy.’
She withdrew her hand. ‘Yes, I see that now. It was just an idea.’
‘You need something more to occupy your mind.’
‘I suppose that’s true. I love the manor house and the people of Little Creek, but …’
‘But you still miss your husband.’
‘It’s not the same without him. When Marjorie took over I didn’t have time to think about my loss, but I need to find a way to earn money to supplement whatever profits we make from the Lazy Jane. I went through the accounts with Mrs Ralston, and the figures don’t add up. No wonder the old squire turned to smuggling.’
‘I trust you aren’t thinking of following his example,’ Marius said, laughing.
‘I might very well if I knew how to go about it.’ Daisy smiled reluctantly. ‘But it’s not your problem, Marius. I must think of another way, and I mustn’t waste any more of your time.’ She rose to her feet. ‘Thank you for the pie and shandygaff. I must remember that drink, it’s quite refreshing.’
Marius placed a handful of coins on the table and stood up. ‘Do you have to go so soon?’
‘I’ve done what I came to do.’ Daisy walked through the taproom and out into the courtyard. The smell of tar, oil and the river mud brought back memories of a trip on the Lazy Jane when she had been a reluctant passenger and Jay had been the captain. She could see Jack standing on the quay wall, gazing at the Thames barges and he looked so much like his brother that she might have been looking at Jay when he was a boy.
‘I hate to be the one to say this, Daisy, but it must be two months since Jay went missing. Perhaps you ought to face the fact that he won’t be coming back.’
She spun round to glare at Marius. ‘Don’t say such things.’
‘I’m sorry, but it’s true. If he’d been rescued that night he would have been brought ashore somewhere along the coast, and he’d have made his way home. Or if he was injured he would have sent word.’
‘I know what you say makes sense, but I’d know in my heart if he were dead. I won’t rest until I know what happened that night.’
‘You may never know.’
‘I won’t give up.’
‘Be realistic, Daisy. You could go to court and let them decide on the likelihood of his return. I know you don’t want to hear this, but if the verdict is death in absentia, as his widow you will gain access to the funds you need to run the estate. You’re young, you have the rest of your life to lead – don’t bury your heart in the grave.’
‘I could only do that if he were dead, and I don’t believe it.’ Daisy turned her back on Marius and marched over to where Jack was standing. ‘Fetch the horses. We’re leaving.’
Marius had made no effort to stop them, and Jack had kept up a cheerful banter during the long ride back to Creek Manor, until eventually he seemed to realise that Daisy was not listening. After that they continued in silence. She was still angry when they arrived home, but she thanked Jack for accompanying her and he took the horses to the stables for a well-earned rub down and rest.
Daisy went straight to her room and stripped off her dusty riding habit. She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes, but Marius’s words kept repeating over and over in her head, and eventually she got up and went to fling the window open. It was early evening and the scent of flowers and newly scythed grass floated on the gentle breeze and birdsong filled the air, but the peaceful scene below only served to make her more agitated. Common sense told her that life must go on, that Marius had been right and he had been speaking as a friend, but her heart was set against him, and she clung to the instinctive feeling that Jay was still alive.
She turned away from the window and went to the washstand where she rinsed away the dust from the road, and then she selected a pale blue taffeta gown and a gauzy lace shawl that Jay had bought for her during one of their trips to London. She recalled the day when they left their hotel in Dover Street and visited the major fashion houses as well as a foray into Peter Robinson, the exciting department store. It had been winter then, but she remembered it as if the sun had been shining down from an azure sky, instead of the reality of a cold, wet and windy day, when Jay wrapped his overcoat around her shoulders to keep her warm. She sat on the stool in front of the dressing table and picked up her hairbrush. If she had him declared dead it would be an end to the dream of the life they had planned together. The children that they had both longed for would never be born, and she would end up old, alone and embittered. There was only one person to whom she could unburden herself, and that was Jay’s mother. Mary was suffering in her own quiet way, and she had endured many losses in her time.
Daisy and Mary dined in the small dining room that evening. Hilda had taken the children to the cottage and the house was quiet without Marjorie and her daughters. Daisy toyed with her food but Mary ate with obvious enjoyment. She laid her napkin aside, gazing at Daisy with a worried frown.
‘Are you going to tell me what’s bothering you, Daisy? Or do I have to guess? I’m assuming it must be something that occurred when you visited Marius today. Am I right?’
Daisy pushed her dessert away, barely touched. ‘I’ve always been such a positive person, Mary. But this time I’m at a loss. I really don’t know what to do for the best.’
‘Perhaps you’d better tell me, dear?’ Mary said gently. ‘You know what they say – two heads are better than one.’
‘I’m not so sure in this case.’ Daisy hesitated, searching for the right words. Mary had been so brave, but hearing a court declare her elder son dead might be too much, even for her.
‘What is it, Daisy? You know you can tell me anything.’
Daisy opened her mouth to speak, but just then the door burst open and James entered without knocking. He thrust a silver salver at her on which was a small envelope.
‘I’m sorry, madam, but the telegram boy has just delivered this for you. He wants to know if there’s an answer.’
Chapter Fifteen
Daisy’s hand shook as she plucked the telegram from the tray and ripped it open.
‘What does it say?’ Mary asked anxiously.
‘Is there a reply, madam?’
Daisy leaped to her feet. ‘Yes, James.’ She went to the escritoire, took a pen from the inkstand and dipped it in the inkwell, writing her reply on the back of the telegram. ‘Will catch the first train tomorrow morning.’ She handed it to James. ‘That’s my answer. Please give it to the delivery boy.’
James acknowledged her with a nod and hurried from the room.
‘Where are you going, Daisy? What’s wrong?’ Mary rose from the table, her face as white as the damask cloth.
‘It’s from Toby,’ Daisy said hoarsely. ‘He thinks Jay might have been admitted to the hospital. I wouldn’t be in time to catch the last train this evening, but I’ll go to the station first thing in the morning. Do you think it’s him, Mary? Could it be, a
fter all this time?’
Mary moved unsteadily to the sideboard and picked up a decanter. ‘I just hope and pray that your brother is right.’ She poured two generous tots of brandy and handed one to Daisy. ‘Drink that and sit down for a moment. It might be a false alarm, just keep that it mind.’
‘I know it’s Jay. Marius tried to persuade me to apply to the court for an order of death in absentia, but I knew in my heart that Jay was still alive.’ Daisy took a sip of brandy and felt the alcohol burning its way to her stomach. ‘All I know is that I won’t sleep a wink tonight.’
Daisy arrived at the London Hospital next morning after a tedious journey during which the train stopped at every small station and halt. She had been up at dawn after a long night when, as she had predicted, she had barely slept for more than an hour at a time, but she was not tired. Buoyed up with hope, she entered the reception area and the familiar smell of carbolic filled her nostrils. A subdued buzz of conversation from the patients waiting to be seen was accompanied by the sound of sensible shoes clattering on the tiled floor, as nurses and probationers moved purposefully along the rows, taking details and escorting patients to the cubicles where they would be examined. It was not long since Daisy had worn the same uniform, but it was another life and she was no longer part of this establishment. She hurried to the reception desk and was told to wait – Dr Marshall would see her when he was free – but that was not good enough. Daisy thanked the clerk and when he turned his attention to the next in line she went in search of her brother. Of course she knew the hospital well and she recognised some of the nurses who had been fellow probationers, but she did not stop to chat. Long explanations would only delay her search for Jay, and the most important thing was to find Toby.
It was then that she spotted Minnie, who was now a fully-fledged nurse, and she looked angelic despite the severity of the starched uniform. Her blue eyes shone with pleasure when she saw Daisy and she rushed over to give her a hug.