A Village Scandal

by Dilly Court

  ‘Elliot is your sister-in-law’s fiancé?’

  ‘That’s right. I’m surprised that you remember.’

  He covered her hand with his. ‘I have a good memory for things that are important to me. I also recall that Dr Neville has never quite given up hope, as far as you’re concerned.’

  ‘Nick and Dove are engaged. I expect them to announce the date of their wedding very soon.’

  ‘I’m glad. It narrows the field, giving outsiders like myself more of a chance.’

  They were seated so close together that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek, but she could not bring herself to look him in the eye. Perhaps she was reading too much into what he had said, or maybe she was hearing what she wanted to hear.

  ‘Look at me, Daisy.’

  She looked up slowly and saw herself mirrored in the dark depths of his eyes. He tightened his grasp on her hand.

  ‘There’s so much I want to say to you.’ He glanced over his shoulder as the landlord barged into the parlour carrying a large wooden tray laden with food.

  Jack opened his eyes with a start. ‘Pie and gravy. Just what I wanted.’

  ‘What was it, Marius?’ Daisy asked in a low voice.

  ‘It will have to wait until a more appropriate moment.’ His smile enveloped her in a warm embrace, but the spell was broken by the clatter of cutlery as Jack attacked his meal with enthusiasm.

  ‘This is such good grub,’ he said happily. ‘Why aren’t you two eating?’

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Outside the hot afternoon sun blazed from an azure sky and seagulls wheeled overhead, their plaintive cries mingling with the shouts of the dock workers and the responses from the men on board the barges. Jack, now sober after eating two pies and a hefty portion of treacle pudding, had gone to fetch the horses from the stables, leaving Daisy and Marius standing on the quay wall.

  ‘I’d see you safely home, but I have an appointment with my solicitor in half an hour,’ Marius said apologetically.

  ‘Don’t worry. Jack and I will be fine.’

  ‘May I visit you very soon?’

  ‘Of course. You know you’re always welcome.’ Daisy stared into the distance, suddenly unsure of herself. They were speaking to each other like polite strangers, and the moment of intimacy earlier had dissipated like the wisps of cloud overhead scattered by a thermal wind.

  ‘I’d like you to see my new home,’ Marius said cautiously. ‘I don’t think my uncle was very interested in comfort and style. In fact it’s a bit of a mess, but I could do with some advice as to decoration and furnishings.’

  ‘I’d be glad to help in any way I can.’

  ‘And I’ve been thinking about the boy’s future,’ Marius added, watching Jack as he crossed the road, leading the two horses. ‘My old school has a good reputation, and I’d be happy to take him there for an interview with the headmaster, if you so wish.’

  ‘It’s a question of money, Marius.’

  ‘We can discuss that when I come to Creek Manor, but I think Elliot is right. The boy is intelligent and determined. If he puts his mind to it, he’ll succeed.’

  ‘It would make his mother so proud.’

  ‘What about you, Daisy?’

  She smiled as he lifted her onto the saddle. ‘I think that Jack would make an excellent lord of the manor when he’s older. What do you say, Jack?’

  He pulled a face. ‘I don’t know about that.’

  ‘Daisy is right,’ Marius said, nodding. ‘You deserve a chance in life, Jack. I’ll write to the head this evening.’

  ‘Thank you, Marius. I really appreciate your help,’ Daisy said earnestly. ‘I hope I’ll see you again soon.’

  ‘You may depend upon it.’ Marius turned to Jack. ‘Take care of her.’

  ‘I’m not like my brother, sir,’ Jack said, vaulting onto the saddle with the ease of a circus performer. ‘I appreciate Daisy, even if Jay didn’t. He’s a fool.’

  Two days later Daisy was in the study going over the accounts when Molesworth interrupted her.

  ‘Excuse me, madam. You have a visitor.’

  She looked up, frowning. It was very early for callers and she wanted to finish what she was doing. ‘Who is it, Molesworth? Tell them I’m not at home.’

  ‘Really? I thought I was welcome at any time.’ Marius put his head round the door. ‘I’m sorry, Molesworth, but I was hoping to receive a warmer welcome.’

  Daisy rose to her feet. ‘Of course you are welcome, Marius. It’s all right, Molesworth.’

  ‘Very well, madam.’ Molesworth shot a look of disapproval in Marius’s direction as he left the room.

  ‘You must have left Maldon at the crack of dawn to get here so early.’

  ‘I spent the night in my new home, and very uncomfortable it was, too.’

  Daisy gave him a searching look. ‘Is anything wrong?’

  ‘On the contrary. The other day, after we parted I decided to visit my old school rather than waste time writing to the headmaster, and he is willing to see Jack.’

  Daisy sat down again, sighing. ‘I do appreciate all the trouble you’ve gone to, but there remains the problem of financing his school fees. The estate is beginning to do well, even though Jay took such a large amount of cash when he left, but it would be difficult to raise the sort of funds we’d have to find.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that. There is a bursary available for suitable candidates and I would be happy to make up the difference.’ Marius laughed and held up his hand. ‘Don’t look at me like that, Daisy. You could pay me back when the income from the estate improves.’

  ‘Well, I suppose it is Jack’s to inherit eventually. Although if life in Australia doesn’t suit Jay there’s always the chance that he might return, bringing his family with him.’

  ‘Don’t dwell on what might happen in the future. Who knows what Jay will do? The important thing is to look after you and to give young Jack a good education.’

  Daisy turned away, using the pretext of placing the pen on the inkstand and closing the ledger. ‘You’re very kind, Marius.’

  ‘Not at all. I have an ulterior motive.’

  She shot him a sideways glance and saw that he was smiling. ‘What is it?’

  ‘I was hoping you would come with me today to view the house, and give me some advice on what to do next. I confess I am completely at a loss when it comes to such things.’

  ‘Of course I will, and you don’t have to bribe me, Marius.’

  ‘I wouldn’t dream of doing something so low.’

  ‘Now you’re laughing at me.’

  ‘No, I’d never do that. I think too highly of you, but I would value your opinion. Are you free to come with me now?’

  Daisy rose to her feet. ‘I’m glad to have an excuse to leave the figures to themselves. By the way, where is this house? Is it in Maldon?’

  ‘No, as it happens it’s just outside Colneyhurst, a small village about three miles from here.’

  ‘I’ll send a message to the stables to have Cinders saddled up and ready.’

  ‘No need. I came in my uncle’s chaise. I mean, my chaise – I still can’t get used to the fact that everything he owned is now mine.’

  ‘It’s a lovely day. I fancy a carriage ride. Give me five minutes, and I’ll fetch my bonnet and shawl.’

  Daisy hurried to her room and selected a fetching straw bonnet, trimmed with silk cornflowers and blue satin ribbons. Having wrapped a fine woollen shawl around her shoulders she paused by the tall cheval mirror to check her appearance, and tucked a stray dark curl back in place. Satisfied that she looked her best, she picked up her reticule and went downstairs.

  Mary was in the hallway, talking to Molesworth, but she turned to give Daisy a curious look. ‘Where are you going? I didn’t think you had any appointments today.’

  ‘Marius is taking me to see the house that his uncle willed to him. He wants my advice.’

  Mary put her head on one side, smiling. ‘Advice is it?
It sounds like a good excuse to get you on your own to me. Oh, well, you go and enjoy yourself, Daisy. You deserve a day off.’

  Daisy was about to tell her that it was purely business, but glancing through the nearest window she could see Marius waiting by the chaise, and she did not bother to argue. ‘I’ll see you later, Mary.’

  Colneyhurst Hall was surrounded by a brick wall that stretched as far as Daisy could see. The entrance was protected by ornate wrought-iron gates, and as they approached, a man emerged from the gatehouse to let them in. He tipped his cap as Marius drove the chaise into the long carriage sweep, at the end of which Daisy saw an imposing Georgian house with a columned portico and a white stucco façade.

  ‘It’s very impressive, Marius. And it looks large, too.’

  ‘I haven’t counted the number of rooms, but there are too many for my taste. I rattle around in there like a pea in a pod.’

  She chuckled, shooting him a glance beneath the shady brim of her bonnet. ‘I wouldn’t describe you as a pea, but I know what you mean. I felt the same way about Creek Manor after living in my aunt and uncle’s cottage, and our apartment above the shop in Whitechapel was quite small.’

  ‘I’m in two minds as to whether or not to put the place up for sale.’ Marius reined in the horse outside the front entrance. ‘It’s far too large for me.’

  Daisy was about to say that he might marry one day, but somehow it did not seem appropriate, and the thought of Marius carrying another woman over the threshold was somehow quite shocking. She waited for him to help her to alight, and a groom hurried from the stable block to take charge of the horse.

  A maidservant let them into a wide entrance hall with a black-and-white marble-tiled floor, a high ceiling with an ornate plasterwork frieze and a staircase rising in a grand sweep to the first floor. In its day it must have been quite splendid, but it was obviously suffering from years of neglect and the air was filled with dust motes. There was a strong musty smell mixed with overtones of stale cigar smoke and wet dog. The walls were grubby with finger marks and the sooty remnants of coal fires going back many years. The house felt sad and neglected, but even so, Daisy fell instantly in love with the place. It cried out for someone to rescue it from oblivion, aided by a small army of cleaners.

  ‘You can’t think of selling this house, Marius,’ Daisy cried passionately. ‘It just needs someone to bring it back to life. It’s like the story of Sleeping Beauty, just waiting for the right person to come along and rescue it from a slow and painful decline.’

  ‘You make it sound like a person.’ Marius followed her gaze. ‘It reminds me of visits here as a child. It was always a gloomy house, and the old man was even gloomier.’

  ‘Show me all of it, please. It needs lots of hard work, but this place must have been very grand when it was built more than hundred years ago. It’s quite beautiful beneath the layers of dust and dirt.’

  ‘You might not feel the same when you’ve seen the rest.’ Marius led the way into the first reception room where all the furniture was hidden beneath holland covers. The curtains were drawn but sunlight filtered through large moth holes, and there was a dead bird in the hearth, which must have been trapped in the chimney and had succumbed to the choking soot.

  ‘A chimney sweep is the first person to call upon,’ Daisy said firmly. She walked round, lifting the covers to peer at the furniture underneath. ‘Some of this is quite acceptable, but the rest will make a good bonfire.’ She faced Marius with an excited smile. ‘Lead on. I can’t wait to see the other rooms.’

  After exploring the whole house from the wine cellar – sadly empty – to the top floor where the servants slept, Daisy and Marius ended up in the kitchen, which was the only room in the house that was reasonably well kept. Their presence did not seem to suit the aged cook, who made it clear that she did not consider it proper for the master to take tea in the kitchen, let alone to entertain a lady without a suitable chaperone. She made a pot of tea for them and sliced a rather stale loaf, adding a scrape of butter and a few slivers of Cheddar cheese, which she slapped on a plate and placed in front of them as they sat at the long deal table.

  ‘That’s all I got, sir. I wasn’t expecting you to have company, and the dining room is under covers. We’re still in mourning for the old master.’

  ‘I understand,’ Marius said gently. ‘But life goes on, Mrs Dowsett, and I am the master now. If that creates a problem for you, perhaps you would like to retire? I would ensure that you have a good pension.’

  ‘The old master would never have given anyone a pension,’ Mrs Dowsett said grimly. ‘My rheumatics do get me down in the winter, but I got nowhere to go, sir.’

  ‘I saw some pretty little cottages that looked as if they belonged to the estate,’ Daisy said eagerly. ‘Do you know if they are occupied, Mrs Dowsett?’

  ‘Some are, ma’am, but most are empty, because they’re damp and rat-infested.’

  ‘I’m sure something could be done about that.’ Daisy turned to Marius. ‘I’ve recently overseen the work on the cottages in Little Creek. They were in a dire state, but now they’re habitable and very comfortable.’

  ‘I’ll look into it,’ Marius said seriously.

  ‘Let’s take our luncheon outside,’ Daisy suggested impulsively. ‘It’s a beautiful day for a picnic, and I’d love to see the garden.’

  ‘It were a fine garden once, long ago.’ Mrs Dowsett rolled her eyes. ‘Nothing but grass as high as your waist now, as well as nettles and weeds. You’ll get bit to pieces by mosquitos and stung by wasps. No one picks the apples in the orchard these days and they rot on the ground.’

  ‘Oh dear!’ Daisy said sympathetically. ‘That’s very sad. But I would still like to go outside.’

  Marius rose from the table. ‘I’ll take the tea, if you’ll take the plates.’

  ‘The girl should do that for you, sir,’ Mrs Dowsett protested. ‘But she’s a bit simple, if you know what I mean. She’d forget her head if it weren’t screwed on.’

  Daisy managed to get out through the scullery into the back yard before she burst out laughing. ‘Oh, Marius. You’ll have to find Mrs Dowsett a nice little cottage where she can spend the rest of her days talking about the old times and grumbling.’

  ‘I agree wholeheartedly, but I wouldn’t know where to begin.’ Marius led the way, balancing a tea tray in his hands as he crossed the cobbled yard. When they reached the terrace at the back of the house it was possible to imagine the tall windows open, with the sound of music and laughter echoing across what might once have been a velvet-smooth lawn, which led to the parterre garden and on to a lake seen through gaps in the trees. The paving stones were damaged in places, and dandelions pushed their golden heads through the smallest cracks. Daisy perched on a moss-covered stone balustrade and when Marius placed the tray on the ground she handed him his food.

  ‘It really is like Sleeping Beauty’s palace, Marius. You can’t abandon it to someone who doesn’t care about it.’

  ‘You really mean that, don’t you?’

  ‘Of course I do.’ Daisy took a bite of the bread and cheese. ‘This isn’t too bad. The bread is a bit stale, but it’s edible. We must find you a good cook, and a housekeeper who will organise the servants for you.’ She paused with the slice of bread halfway to her lips. ‘But can you afford to live here? That’s the question.’

  ‘I can, but there might be a problem.’

  ‘What is it? I’m sure it’s nothing that couldn’t be settled with a bit of thought.’ Daisy tossed the crust to a pigeon, who had waddled up to them, looking hopeful.

  Marius threw his bread untasted onto the ground and a flock of pigeons descended upon it, followed by two large crows, the birds squabbling and fighting over the unexpected treat.

  ‘Go away, you wretched creatures.’ Marius waved his arms and there was a fluttering of feathers and a flapping of wings as the birds flew up into the sky, squawking angrily.

  ‘That was mean,’ Daisy protested.r />
  ‘Never mind the wild creatures.’ Marius grasped both her hands, gazing into her eyes. ‘I think you know how I feel about you, Daisy. I know there are still obstacles in the way, but I love you with all my heart.’

  She met his ardent gaze with a tremulous smile. ‘I didn’t know – I mean, I thought sometimes that you cared for me, but you always seemed so much in control of your emotions.’

  ‘It’s a failing I’m trying to conquer. I find it hard to express my deepest feelings, but I fell in love with you the first moment I saw you.’ He squeezed her hands gently, drawing her closer. ‘But you were married, or so we both thought, and then there was the handsome young doctor. I’m thirty, virtually middle-aged.’

  She raised his right hand to her cheek. ‘I don’t know where you get these mad ideas, Marius. You’ve been my true friend throughout all my troubles, but I love you for yourself.’

  ‘You do?’

  She smiled. ‘I have loved you for a long time, but I dared not admit it, even to myself.’

  He kissed her hand, holding her fast as if he would never let her go. ‘Daisy, my darling girl, I’d be the happiest of men if you would agree to marry me.’

  Daisy’s instinct was to fling her arms around him, but a cloud passed over the sun, creating a patch of shadow that made her shiver.

  ‘I don’t know if I’m free to marry you, Marius.’

  ‘Your marriage to Jay is void. You have his written declaration that he married you bigamously. I want to love you and keep you safe for the rest of our lives. Will you marry me, Daisy?’

  He drew her into an embrace; his mouth was hot on hers and his arms wrapped around her body like protective armour. She felt safe and secure for the first time in months, and she knew she had come home to where her heart truly belonged. But she was the first to pull away.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Marius asked urgently.

  ‘I do love you, and I want to be with you more than anything in the world, but I have a respons-ibility to Mary and her family. They depend upon me to run the estate, and I can’t just walk away and leave them to struggle on their own.’