Kilgarthen

by Kilgarthen (retail) (epub)

  ‘Not at all,’ Laura smiled, glancing around. ‘I can see where the tea things are kept. What about Benjy? Would he like a drink?’

  Benjy had taken off his coat, hat and scarf and was playing with some toys scattered over one corner of the floor.

  ‘Thank you. He usually has a drop of warm milk at this time of the day. You’ll find a saucepan up on the shelf near the sink.’

  ‘Have you any more children at home?’ Laura asked as she made the drinks.

  ‘I’ve got three at school. I had my four one year after the other, that’s what you get when your husband’s home, invalided out of the army, but thank God Bert survived the fighting.’ Joy swallowed the aspirins. She pointed to her sagging stomach. ‘That’s how I lost my figure, although I was always on the plump side, but that’s how my man likes a woman, thank goodness. And look at my hair. With a bunch of children always under your feet you don’t get much time for titivating. Haven’t had it cut and styled in ages. Mind you, it never was like your lovely blonde locks.’

  Laura watched Benjy playing. ‘So Benjy is your baby, so to speak. There don’t seem to be any babies in the village.’

  ‘No, that’s a funny thing. Me and Natalie Jeffries brought things to a standstill. S’pose someone will start a baby boom off again one day soon. You, um, didn’t have any children?’

  ‘No,’ Laura replied and the bitter regret was evident in her voice. ‘I would have loved to have had a baby.’ She shook her head to dismiss the bad memories. ‘Oh, well. Is there anything else I can do for you? Benjy bought pasty meat. Who’s going to make them for you? I would gladly but I wouldn’t have a clue where to start. Do you want some dusting or washing done?’

  ‘That’s very kind of you but my friend, Sylvia, from Lewannick, will be here this afternoon. She’ll make my pasties and there isn’t anything else that needs doing. There is one thing though, I can’t go to work today at my little cleaning job. I told Bunty Buzza in the shop I thought I’d be all right but when I got home I felt dizzy. I’ve managed to tell Mrs Sparnock I won’t be needing her to look after Benjy for me. Could you tell Mrs Tamblyn I’m too poorly to go to Rosemerryn Farm, then if anyone’s going that way they can drop my apologies into the farmhouse.’

  Laura’s eyes lit up. ‘I can do that for you.’ This gave her the perfect excuse to go to the farm and hopefully find Spencer Jeffries there and demand to know what had happened between him and Bill. And she would see Vicki too.

  Chapter 11

  Laura leaned her bike against the side of Rosemerryn farmhouse and looked round warily for Barney, the border collie. She hoped that as she had come on an errand for Joy Miller it would soften Spencer’s attitude towards her. She had no doubt that the hatred he harboured against Bill was justified. Perhaps she could apologise in some way to him, say something to make him see she wasn’t also the villain of the piece. Most of all she hoped he’d allow her to stay with Vicki while he went about his work.

  She went round to the back of the house and rapped smartly on the door. She daren’t call out and go inside as the villagers did; Spencer would probably bite her head off. As she waited, her courage began to fail. Every word of the bitter tongue-lashing she’d received in the churchyard was echoing inside her head. Vicki opened the door and Laura smiled at the little girl, then she breathed a sigh of relief as Ince Polkinghorne appeared.

  ‘Hello,’ Vicki said cheerfully, hopping on one foot then the other as the two adults stood gazing at each other. Even though she had a good reason for being here, Laura was flushed with embarrassment and Ince looked clearly worried.

  ‘I, um…’ Laura began.

  ‘Is everything all right?’ Ince asked. ‘I’m waiting for Joy Miller to turn up so I can go to work.’

  ‘Yes, I mean no. That’s what I’ve come about. I’ve brought a message from Joy Miller. She’s got a very bad cold. She’s feeling dizzy and can’t come to work. I said I’d bring the message to the farm.’

  ‘That was very kind of you.’ Ince smiled. He had been worried that Laura had come seeking a confrontation with his boss; Spencer had told him he’d had words with Laura but not the content of their quarrel.

  ‘Come in and see my dolly’s cot,’ Vicki said. She was holding Ince’s hand.

  ‘Well…’ Laura hesitated. She didn’t want Spencer to come home and cause a scene in front of Ince. Now she was here she realised she wouldn’t have got the truth out of the stony-hearted farmer anyway with Vicki present. It would have to be when he wasn’t with his daughter.

  ‘Come in,’ Ince said, moving himself and Vicki back from the door. ‘If you’ve been kind enough to bring us a message the least we can do is offer you a cup of tea before you go.’

  Laura still wasn’t sure. ‘Won’t… someone mind?’

  ‘Too bad if he does,’ Ince replied as Vicki trotted on before them into the roomy kitchen. ‘I don’t pander to all Spencer’s bad moods. This is my home too. Besides, he’s gone into Launceston to the agriculture store and won’t be back for ages.’

  As Ince reached for the tea caddy, Laura knelt down beside Vicki and admired her wooden rocking doll’s cot. It was painted pink and decorated with fairies, elves and pixies. A doll was lying in it covered with knitted blankets.

  ‘It’s lovely,’ Laura said, unable to resist stroking Vicki’s silky hair. Then she straightened the collar on Vicki’s dress and pulled her cardigan round her shoulders properly. ‘What’s your dolly called?’

  ‘Elizabeth, after the princess, but I call her Lizzie. Daddy made the cot and Uncle Ince did the paintings. Clever, aren’t they?’ Laura pulled back the top cover and Vicki beckoned her to come closer. She said softly in Laura’s ear, ‘They made a fuss about it. Like a pair of old women.’

  ‘Vicki,’ Ince chided gently.

  Laura watched fascinated as the little girl made a petulant face at her uncle. ‘You fussed about how big it was, what colour to paint it and what pictures to put on it. You wanted the cot to be bigger and Daddy wanted Goldilocks and the three bears on it. Aunty Daisy was here one day and she called you a pair of old women.’

  A big smile was spreading over Ince’s face and he turned away to fill the teapot with boiling water.

  ‘You did a very good job on the cot, Ince,’ Laura said to his lean back, her voice full of laughter.

  ‘Thank you.’ He carried the teapot to the table. ‘As you can see,’ he bent down and kissed the top of Vicki’s head, ‘this miss is a proper little madam.’

  ‘She’s beautiful,’ Laura breathed, leaning forward and kissing Vicki’s cheek. It felt as soft as feather down.

  Vicki blinked and grinned impishly. ‘Don’t forget to kiss Lizzie too.’

  Both Ince and Laura kissed the doll which Vicki lifted from the cot and after this piece of adult indulgence she moved away to an armchair to undress it.

  Ince pulled a chair out from under the table and Laura sat down.

  ‘Everybody seems to live in their kitchens in Kilgarthen,’ she commented as he pushed a mug of strong tea towards her.

  ‘’Tis the most comfortable place to be and the warmest in winter. Most folk only light their sitting room fires over Christmas.’

  ‘I keep forgetting it’s nearly Christmas. I wonder if Vicki’s father would mind if I bought her a present. I’ll get something for Joy Miller’s children too, Benjy’s very sweet. Do you think it would be appreciated, Ince?’

  Ince was looking at her thoughtfully. He smiled in the gentle way that was his, adding an unusual but beguiling masculine attraction to his pleasant face. He looked completely at ease, leaning back in his chair, the sleeves of his checked shirt rolled up, his big hands resting lightly on the table. Laura felt here was a man she could confide in and trust.

  ‘So you’re still going to be here at Christmas, Laura. Presents would be appreciated in the Miller household but not so much here perhaps. Still, when a present’s wrapped up, labelled and delivered, well… you can’t disappoint a child, can you?�
��

  Laura smiled and looked down at the table. ‘Joy Miller having a cold gave me the perfect excuse to come here. I fully intended to ask Spencer why he and Bill hated each other so much. Bill must have done something terrible for him to hate me as well. He doesn’t even know me. Bill and I didn’t have… a good marriage.’ She looked up at Ince and met the understanding in his dark eyes. ‘You knew, didn’t you? That everything wasn’t well between us?’

  ‘I had an idea. I felt that some things about him didn’t quite add up.’

  ‘What sort of things?’

  ‘Simple things mainly. He’d say something and be smiling with his mouth, but not with his eyes. Most people took the things he did for the village at face value, but, I’m ashamed to say this really, I felt there was an ulterior motive to everything he did.’

  ‘Some of Bill’s gestures probably were to show loyalty to the place he was brought up in, but I think most of it was to show off. He had a top position in my father’s company and it was an important company, but it was only one among many from where I come from. Bill was only small fry in London. In Kilgarthen he was cock of the walk.’

  ‘He never mentioned you and I can’t understand why he never brought you here. I’d have thought he’d be proud to show off his beautiful wife.’

  Laura smiled at the compliment. ‘I don’t think he would have been able to strut around in the same way with me here.’ She was also suspicious he’d gone with other women but she kept that to herself. ‘What do you know about Bill and Spencer?’

  Ince turned his face away and scratched a fingernail down the handle of the teapot. Laura got up and stood in front of him. Disappointment was thick in her throat. ‘You aren’t going to tell me, are you?’

  He shook his head and looked directly into her eyes. ‘I’m sorry, Laura.’

  ‘But I have to know, Ince. My mind’s been in turmoil since Spencer blasted me in the churchyard. You didn’t hear him. To speak to someone like that in a holy place means there’s a lot of hatred in his heart. It will be difficult settling down here knowing someone hates me and not knowing why. I’m going to have to ask him.’

  ‘I do understand,’ Ince said, rising and standing close to her. ‘I’ll have a word with Spencer after Vicki’s gone to bed tonight. I’ll tell him you’ll be seeking a word with him and he must answer you truthfully.’

  ‘Thanks, Ince. You’re a good man.’

  ‘Why are you talking about my daddy?’ Vicki said, her heart-shaped face raised to theirs, cot blankets clutched in her hand.

  Laura took the blankets from Vicki. ‘We were just discussing why he’d gone into Launceston. Do you want me to cover up Lizzie for you?’ she asked, hoping Vicki hadn’t heard what she and Ince had said.

  ‘Aunty Daisy and Aunty Bunty knitted the blankets for me,’ Vicki said, tapping Laura on the shoulder as she crouched over the doll’s cot. ‘They do that because I haven’t got a mummy,’ she added matter-of-factly. ‘Have you got some children? They could come and play with me.’

  ‘I haven’t got any children, Vicki. But I’d love to play with you.’ Laura glanced at Ince. He was watching them uncertainly with his hands stuffed inside the pockets of his brown corduroy trousers. Laura felt a warm glow on her cheeks. ‘If you want to get on with some work, I’d be only too happy to stay with Vicki, Ince.’

  He looked at the clock on the mantelpiece and glanced out of the window. ‘We’re going to have some rain pretty soon. There are a few things I wanted to get on with in the yard. Half an hour wouldn’t hurt.’

  ‘I’ll have to be going then anyway,’ Laura told him. ‘A friend, well, he’s my solicitor also, has come down from London to see me. He’s staying at the pub and I’m cooking him lunch. Is there anything I can do while I’m here? What did Joy usually do on a Monday morning?’

  ‘Don’t bother with that, you just play with Vicki,’ Ince grinned. ‘I can see you’ll enjoy it. I’ll be back soon.’ Vicki showed Laura every item of doll’s clothes she’d had made for her and Laura made up her mind to ask Daisy to teach her how to knit so she could add to the collection. Slipped in with Daisy’s next contribution, Spencer need never know.

  ‘You’ve got a nice lot of toys, Vicki.’

  ‘Hundreds,’ Vicki said proudly. ‘Would you like to see my bedroom? I’ve got lots more up there. A rocking horse, a doll’s house…’

  As the little girl twittered on, Laura looked at her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed since Ince had gone outside. ‘Just for a little while. I have to be going soon.’ Taking her hand, Vicki led the way to a door which opened to reveal a narrow flight of stairs. They were covered in the middle with a thick green canvas-type of carpeting, kept in place by shiny brass stays. There were three doors at the top of a short landing, the occupants of Rosemerryn Farm each having their own bedroom.

  Vicki stood on tiptoe and pulled down on the latch of the nearest door and they entered a small single bedroom. It was situated above the kitchen and because of that was quite warm. The bedding was pulled back, its top cover a patchwork quilt made in bright colours. The rest of the furniture was made of sturdy golden oak. A small china chamber pot could be seen protruding out from under the bed. As Vicki had said, the room was packed with toys.

  ‘I’ve never seen so many toys before, Vicki,’ Laura said, taking it all in and looking out of the small panes of the window on to the yard below. She could see Ince going into a barn, humping a huge sack on his shoulders. ‘You’re a lucky little girl.’

  ‘Wish I had someone to play with though,’ Vicki retorted in a grumbling voice. ‘I’m glad I’ve got you for a while.’ Laura could sense the loneliness in her voice. She felt angry. Although he lavished all the love in the world on her, Spencer Jeffries was unwilling to allow his little girl to grow up and it wasn’t good for her.

  Vicki took Laura’s hand again and pulled her out of the room. ‘See in here,’ she said, her hand reaching for the latch of the opposite bedroom door. ‘I’ve got a big bride doll in here.’

  ‘I don’t think we should go into someone else’s room,’ Laura protested.

  ‘Daddy won’t mind,’ Vicki returned, pulling her through the doorway.

  There was a big double bed with a brass headboard and foot. The wardrobe, tallboy, marble-topped wash-stand and dressing table were in walnut. The dressing table had an embroidered duchesse set on it, a woman’s brush, comb and mirror set, and many cosmetics. The bride doll was on a stand on the tallboy and there were two large silver-framed photographs on either side of it.

  Laura followed Vicki who was pointing to the doll which was dressed in a white silk Victorian crinoline, wax floral headdress and long net veil. ‘That was my mummy’s. She died when I was a baby. Daddy said I can have it in my room when I grow up.’

  ‘It’s beautiful. I’m sorry about your mummy.’ Laura’s eyes were on the photographs. One was of Spencer and Natalie on their wedding day, they were gazing at each other adoringly. The other one was of Natalie on horseback on the moor. She was leaning down from her horse smiling into the camera. Natalie had been exceedingly beautiful. Vicki had the same wonderfully shaped eyes. Laura touched the photograph of Natalie on horseback. ‘Is this your mummy?’

  ‘That’s right, Mrs Jennings.’

  Laura’s heart froze so rapidly she thought she’d die on the spot.

  ‘Daddy! You’re back early,’ Vicki exclaimed, running to Spencer.

  ‘Yes, I am, and it’s a good thing too.’

  Laura turned round slowly. She dreaded facing the loathing coming her way. Spencer was standing in the doorway, his head slightly bowed because he was taller than the doorframe. His face was the harshest she had seen it, his grey eyes blazing like clear diamonds. She thought the very breath of Spencer Jeffries would turn her to stone.

  ‘I… I… Vicki was showing me some of her toys.’

  ‘Vicki, go to your bedroom and play in there, please,’ he said grimly. ‘I want to have a few words with Mrs Jennings.’
/>
  Vicki looked at them curiously but sensing her father’s gravity she tripped along to her own room and closed the door.

  ‘Downstairs, you!’ Spencer snapped at Laura.

  He waited for her to obey, which she did on shaky legs, then he closed his bedroom door with a bang. He bounded down the stairs after her and closed the door at the bottom.

  Laura knew her intrusion was unforgivable. She wanted to speak, to explain about her errand, her reason for being here, but the words stuck in her throat. Suddenly she felt she couldn’t breathe. Seized with a feeling of panic, she wanted to get out of the farmhouse and into the cold air. She snatched up her scarf and gloves from the table and shrieked when Spencer leapt forward and swiped them out of her hands.

  ‘You’re not going anywhere, woman, until I’ve had my say,’ he snarled. ‘How dare you come here and walk all over my house! What are you doing alone with my daughter? Didn’t I make it plain enough to you yesterday? You aren’t welcome here, nor near my child. I don’t want her to have anything to do with you, not ever. What have I got to do to get rid of you? Drown you in a bloody bog on the moor?’ He was shaking with rage, his bold fair features twisted out of all recognition.

  Laura couldn’t bear any more. Forgetting that Vicki was just above them, she lost control. ‘How dare you speak to me like that, Spencer Jeffries. If you’ve got something against me because of Bill then have the decency to tell me what it is because I haven’t got a clue! I’m trying to start a new life for myself but I’ll get nowhere if every time I see you I get a barrage of hatred.’

  Then she lunged at Spencer. ‘I didn’t come here for this!’ she cried, lashing out with her fists. ‘I didn’t come to cause trouble. I came over here to tell you that Joy Miller is poorly and can’t do her work for you today. And I’ll have you know, you wretched swine, that whatever Bill did to you he did a thousand things worse to me! He treated me worse than the dirt under his feet. He was cruel and evil and he despised me.’ She was trying to scratch his face, and Spencer struggled to fight her off. ‘Think yourself lucky that you’ve got a child because Bill wouldn’t let me have a baby, the thing I wanted most in all the world. He was a terrible man and you’re no better! I hate you!’ Burning tears of despair were flooding down her face. Then she saw a flash of white-gold hair across the room and became still. Spencer gripped her tightly or she would have fallen to the floor. She was horribly aware that Vicki had opened the door at the bottom of the stairs and was standing on the last step, her little face puckered up and about to cry.