by Dilly Court
The train trundled through rural Essex, stopping at every station to disgorge people and livestock onto the platforms, and to pick up more passengers. Daisy stared out of the window at the countryside as it flashed past, but all that registered were the stark bare branches of the trees, stretching towards the grey sky like dead men’s fingers. Ploughed fields lay dormant, imprisoned by neatly trimmed hedgerows, and muddy rivers slithered like snakes, heading for the sea.
Daisy had seen little of Toby during the journey as he had joined a group of young men in another compartment and she could hear their raucous laughter above the clickety-clack of iron wheels as they crossed the points, and her uncle’s stertorous snores. Aunt Eleanora was supposed to be reading a novel, but she too kept nodding off, leaving Daisy alone with her thoughts.
When they arrived at Little Creek Station Daisy stepped out onto the platform, taking deep breaths of the ice-cold air, sharpened by the briny tang of the sea and the smell of brackish mud from the saltings.
‘Godforsaken place,’ Toby said as he hefted a couple of carpet bags onto the platform. ‘Are you sure you’re doing the right thing, Uncle?’
‘Take deep breaths, boy.’ Sidney inhaled deeply and exhaled with a satisfied smile. ‘That is fresh air. We’re going to enjoy a long and healthy retirement in the country. You ought to join us, Toby. Set up a practice in the village and live a long life.’
‘And die of boredom,’ Toby said, laughing. ‘No, thank you, Uncle.’
‘Find a cab to take us to the cottage, Sidney.’ Eleanora glanced up at the sky where clouds were forming rapidly, threatening even more snow.
Daisy looked round, liking what she saw, but feeling slightly nervous. Had she made the right choice? There was no way of telling. She followed her uncle as he strode along the platform to speak to the stationmaster.
‘Ho, there, my man. Where will we find a conveyance to take us to Creek Cottage?’
The stationmaster smiled wearily. ‘Begging your pardon, sir, but this ain’t a big city. We don’t have the luxury of hansom cabs and such like.’
‘But there must be someone who can transport us to our destination.’
‘It’s barely a mile to Creek Cottage.’ The stationmaster stared pointedly at the pile of luggage. ‘I dare say I can find someone to deliver your cases to you later this afternoon.’
‘Are you saying we’ll have to walk to the cottage?’ Daisy cast an anxious glance at her aunt, who was dressed for the city in her best gown and high-heeled boots, totally unsuitable for traipsing along country lanes.
‘Yes, miss. Unless you want to wait around on the off chance of someone turning up with a farm cart.’
Sidney turned to Daisy with a worried frown. ‘You’d better warn your aunt. I told her to dress suitably, but you know how she is.’
Daisy knew only too well. It was hard to imagine fashionable Eleanora Marshall rolling up her sleeves and tending to livestock, or baking bread, although that would not be necessary now, for Hattie had decided to join them in their move to the country, and she had gone on ahead to make the cottage ready.
‘I’m afraid there is no transport,’ Daisy said breathlessly as she hurried back to where her aunt was waiting with Toby. ‘We’ll have to walk to the cottage.’
‘Out of the question.’ Eleanora folded her arms across her bosom. ‘Last time we were here my cousin’s solicitor met us and transported us to our destination.’
Daisy and Toby exchanged wary glances. ‘I’m afraid that’s not going to happen today, Aunt,’ Daisy said gently. ‘You could always sit in the waiting room and hope that someone comes along with a farm cart, although it might be filled with straw and animal droppings.’
Eleanora tossed her head. ‘Out of the question. I’ll walk, but if it rains I’ll be very angry. Thank goodness I sent Hattie on ahead. I told her to light fires in all the rooms, so at least the house will be warm.’ She marched off to join her husband and the stationmaster.
‘This should be fun, Daisy,’ Toby said, chuckling. ‘I can see that life in the country will suit Aunt Eleanora down to the ground.’
‘I’m glad you find it amusing.’ Daisy suppressed a giggle with difficulty. She doubted whether her aunt and uncle would see the funny side to their predicament, and she did not want to make matters worse when they were obviously in a state of distress. She hurried over to them. ‘Perhaps if Toby and I were to walk to the village we might find someone to help.’
‘Yes, yes, whatever you wish,’ Sidney said irritably. ‘For heaven’s sake go and sit in the waiting room, Eleanora. I’ll stay with you while the youngsters look for a suitable conveyance.’
The stationmaster was about to walk away when he paused, cocking his head on one side. ‘Someone is coming, so you might be in luck, ladies and gentlemen.’ He hurried off in the direction of the ticket office.
‘I can hear the rumble of carriage wheels,’ Daisy said eagerly. ‘Toby and I will go and see what we can do.’ She followed the stationmaster with Toby striding along at her side.
‘I’m glad I came, if only for the show.’ Toby was first through the gate, but he came to a sudden halt. ‘Well, I’ll be blowed, look who it is.’ He rushed over to the man who leaped off the box, handing the reins to the messenger boy who had been loitering by the ticket office.
‘It’s you,’ Daisy said dazedly. ‘What a strange coincidence.’
Toby released his friend, turning to Daisy with raised eyebrows. ‘Do you two know each other?’
Nick Neville smiled and bowed. ‘Miss Marshall, delighted to meet you again, although I’m astonished to find you and Toby here in Little Creek.’
‘We bumped into each other outside Uncle’s shop when I arrived home before Christmas,’ Daisy said by way of explanation. ‘I meant to tell you, Toby, but with the move and everything I forgot to mention it.’
‘Instantly forgettable, that’s me,’ Nick said, chuckling.
‘But what are you doing here, old boy?’ Toby demanded, grinning. ‘I thought you said you were going home to sort out some family matters.’
‘And that’s what I’m doing. My father died a couple of months ago, leaving Creek Hall to me. I’ve been down here since before Christmas, trying to get things straight, but it’s an uphill task.’
‘I knew your pa was a doctor in rural Essex, but I thought it was Colchester or thereabouts.’ Toby gazed at his friend in amazement.
‘I used to tell people it was Colchester because no one had ever heard of Little Creek, and it saved a lot of explaining. I’m not ashamed of my roots; I suppose it was just laziness.’ Nick smiled ruefully. ‘Anyway, I might set up a practice in Little Creek. The people in the village seem to rely on an ageing midwife, or else they have to travel the eleven miles to Maldon.’
‘But you’d hardly scrape a living, old boy.’
Daisy nudged her brother in the ribs. ‘It’s none of your business, Toby.’
‘But it is, Daisy. There’s no money working in an out-of-the-way place like this, and Nick was the top student in our year.’
‘Even more reason to devote myself to those who most need my services.’
‘You could have had the job they’ve offered me, Nick. I only scraped through by the skin of my teeth.’
‘You’ll work your way up to Harley Street, if I know anything about you, Toby old chap. Anyway, where are you going? Maybe I can give you a lift.’
‘Do you know Creek Cottage?’ Daisy eyed him hopefully. ‘My aunt and uncle would really appreciate a ride in your chaise. Toby and I can walk.’
‘As it happens I do know the place, and it’s not far from Creek Hall. In fact I believe at one time it belonged to the estate. Anyway, I’ll just check if the parcel I was expecting has arrived and then I’m at your disposal.’ With a cheery smile Nick strode into the ticket office, leaving Daisy and Toby to explain his presence to their uncle and aunt, who had also heard the approaching vehicle and had come to find out if they were in luck.
Toby had just finished telling them about Nick when he reappeared carrying a small package, which he deposited beneath the seat, and after introductions and explanations, Eleanora and Sidney clambered into the chaise and Nick drove off, promising to return and meet Daisy and Toby on the road. He drove off just as it started to snow and Eleanora’s black umbrella disappeared into the distance, bobbing up and down like a dancing mushroom.
‘Give me the city any day,’ Toby said grimly. ‘You can hop on a bus or hail a cab, or find a nice coffee shop and wait until the rain passes.’
‘Stop grumbling.’ Daisy took his arm. ‘I’ve just had a thought, Toby. I don’t know the way to Creek Cottage, and neither do you.’
He shrugged. ‘Someone will know. We’ll enquire when we get to the village.’
They walked on despite the fact that it was snowing, although it stopped eventually and a pale wintry sun emerged from behind the clouds. The village of Little Creek was spread over half a mile or so. The sound of hammering emanated from a smithy at the edge of the village, and they came to a school, where ragged children were racing about the yard, splashing in icy puddles, chasing each other and screaming with laughter. A Saxon church was surrounded by a graveyard, which was overlooked by the vicarage, and the village inn was conveniently near, as if to entice the worshippers to stop for a glass of ale before returning home to the terraces of thatched cottages on either side of the main street. Toby was about to enter the inn and ask for directions when Nick returned with the chaise and reined in beside them.
‘It’s not far,’ he said cheerfully, ‘but you both look a bit bedraggled and you might as well finish the journey in comfort.’
Daisy allowed Toby to help her into the vehicle and she sat beside Nick, who waited until Toby had leaped on board before flicking the reins and urging his horse to walk on.
‘You’ve seen the cottage,’ Daisy said shyly. ‘What is it like?’
Nick turned to her with a wry smile. ‘Put it this way, I would gladly swap cold, draughty Creek Hall for Creek Cottage any day. Your aunt and uncle’s house might not be large, and I only saw the front parlour, but it’s warm and cosy. I really envy you.’
‘You don’t mean that, Nick.’ Toby clutched the side of the chaise as it lurched forward, the horse seeming to sense that it was going home. ‘Is your home as grand as it sounds?’
‘It’s seen better days.’ Nick flicked the whip above the horse’s ears, urging it to a steady trot. ‘Anyway, I have to go to Maldon tomorrow to see my late father’s solicitor. Whether I stay or not depends on the terms of the will. If there’s no money for the upkeep of the house and grounds I might be forced to sell and move back to London.’
Daisy shot him a curious glance. ‘Has Creek Hall been in your family for a long time?’
‘Almost two hundred years. An ancestor of mine built it, having sold his interest in a shipbuilding business, and moved south with the idea, I think, of becoming a country squire.’
‘What made you choose medicine as a career?’ Daisy studied his profile and decided she liked what she saw. A high forehead, a straight nose and a firm chin, all of which, as Aunt Eleanora would have said, added up to a man of character.
‘You don’t ask that sort of question, Daisy,’ Toby said impatiently. ‘It’s a calling. Nick and I decided to serve mankind.’
It was Daisy’s turn to chuckle. ‘You went to medical school because you didn’t want to take over the business from Uncle Sidney. Be honest, Toby.’
He grinned. ‘Yes, that too.’
Daisy turned to Nick. ‘Are you as cynical as my brother?’
‘Toby likes to make out that he doesn’t care, but I’ve seen him at work and I can promise you that it isn’t so.’
Daisy smiled and squeezed her brother’s arm. ‘I’m very glad to hear it, but what about you, Nick?’
‘It seemed natural to follow in my father’s footsteps. He served the people of Little Creek and the surrounding area for the best part of thirty years, hence the dilapidated state of the family home. A country physician barely makes a living.’
‘Join me in Harley Street when I get there,’ Toby said airily. ‘We’ll have the best practice in London.’
Daisy shook her head. ‘Dream away, brother. You know that Uncle Sidney hasn’t enough money to set you up in a venture of that sort.’
‘I’ll think of something.’ Toby sat back against the padded squabs and they lapsed into silence.
Daisy’s curiosity was aroused by the brief glimpse into Nick Neville’s life, but she refrained from asking questions, sensing that he was a private person, disinclined to talk about himself, and she concentrated on the scenery. The lane skirted the edge of a wood and followed the course of the creek to a bend in the watercourse where the land opened out to reveal a smallholding.
‘That’s your new home,’ Nick said cheerfully. ‘That is Creek Cottage.’
Her first impression was favourable and the setting would have made an artist reach for his brushes. Trees and bushes grew down to the water’s edge on the far side, and in the distance, through a gap in the foliage, Daisy could see what appeared to be a very grand house.
‘Is that Creek Hall?’ she asked eagerly.
Nick threw back his head and laughed. ‘No, indeed. My home is much nearer. That is Creek Manor, the residence of Squire Tattersall.’ Nick’s smiled faded. ‘He owns most of the land round here.’
‘Well, our place looks pleasant enough.’ Toby slipped his arm round Daisy’s shoulders. ‘What do you think?’
Daisy nodded. ‘It looks cosy.’ Her first thought was of the doll’s house that her uncle had made for her one Christmas when she was eight or nine. The door in the centre of the building was shielded from the weather by a tiled porch, which she imagined would be smothered in roses in the summer. There was a window either side of the porch and three more nestling beneath the eaves like sleepy half-open eyes, smiling down at the newcomers. The whitewashed walls had a look of solidity and permanence that Daisy found very appealing.
‘That’s your new home.’ Nick glanced at Daisy with a questioning look.
‘It seems very well kept and welcoming,’ Daisy said slowly. ‘You said that Creek Hall isn’t far from here …?’
‘About a mile. You must come to dinner one evening. I can guarantee a good meal because Cook opted to stay, even though I can’t afford to pay her until I start up in practice.’
‘Please don’t go to any trouble on our account,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘But I would love to see your home.’
‘I wouldn’t mind a decent meal before I return to London. Our cook could do with a few lessons on the subject, if you ask me.’ Toby patted his belly and grinned. ‘Hattie will probably leave anyway. She’s a Londoner through and through, as am I, and I can’t imagine you living here for long, Daisy. You’ll be back in London before the month is up.’
Daisy shook her head. ‘I’m prepared to try, if only for our aunt and uncle’s sake. They’ve done a lot for us, Toby.’
‘I know, but we’re grown up now.’ Toby gazed at the cottage, frowning. ‘What on earth will you find to occupy your days as a country doctor, Nick?’
‘I have more than enough to keep me busy.’ Nick brought the horse to a halt and leaped to the ground. He held his hand out to Daisy. ‘I’m sure there is much you could do for the village, if you put your mind to it.’
Daisy accepted his help to alight. ‘We’ll see. At least I’m willing to accept change and take it as a challenge. My dear brother is a stick in the mud.’
Toby sprang from the chaise, landing in a puddle left by melting snow, which made Daisy laugh.
‘There,’ he said crossly. ‘I told you the country is no place for a gentleman, let alone a qualified doctor. My boots are wet and the polish is ruined. Who’s going to clean them?’
‘You are.’ Daisy knocked on the door. ‘Don’t you dare ask Hattie or she really will give in her notice.’
‘Maybe we can get a
girl to come in from the village to do the housework.’ Toby grabbed Nick’s hand and shook it. ‘Thanks for the ride, old chap. I’ll certainly be a guest at your table whenever you say, but make it soon because I doubt if I can stand being here for more than a day or two.’
Nick smiled and nodded. ‘Always grumbling, Toby. Maybe one day you’ll look on the bright side of life instead of seeing problems, real or imagined.’
‘I’m a realist and you’re a dreamer.’ Toby glanced over his shoulder at the sound of the door opening.
‘Toby, dear,’ Eleanora said urgently. ‘Your uncle needs a hand to move a trunk that was left in the entrance hall.’
‘Maybe I’ll come to the Hall with you, old chap.’ Toby sighed. ‘I can see I’m going to be worked off my feet if I stay here.’
‘Don’t you dare run off and leave me.’ Daisy grabbed his arm. ‘I hope you’re joking.’
Aunt Eleanora chose to ignore his remark. ‘The furniture will arrive later, but the carrier has left our trunks in the most awkward place and you know how your uncle suffers from his back.’
‘Come on, Toby. The two of us will make light work of it.’ Nick looped the reins over the horse’s head and handed them to Daisy. ‘Would you mind holding on to Hero? He’s old and docile, so he won’t give you any trouble. I’ll be as quick as I can.’
Daisy took the reins, eyeing the animal warily. ‘Are you sure he won’t make a sudden bolt for home? I’m not used to horses.’
‘Have you ever ridden one?’
‘No. I was brought up in Whitechapel. There are plenty of cabs and omnibuses to take you wherever you wish to go.’
‘You’ll find it very different here,’ Nick said, chuckling.