The Christmas Wedding

by Dilly Court

  Later that evening, Daisy and Minnie were huddled round the embers of the fire in the parlour when they heard someone rapping on the front door.

  ‘I wonder if that’s your gentleman friend,’ Minnie said eagerly. ‘Best hurry, Daisy. If Mrs Wood gets there first he’ll be turned away with a flea in his ear.’

  Daisy sprang to her feet and she could hear Nick’s voice as she opened the door. ‘It’s all right, Mrs Wood. Dr Neville is an old friend.’

  ‘No gentlemen callers after nine o’clock.’ Mrs Wood slammed the door in Nick’s face.

  ‘There was no need for that,’ Daisy said angrily. She pushed past the irate landlady and wrenched the door open. ‘Nick, wait.’ She stepped out onto the rain-soaked pavement. ‘I’m so sorry.’

  He retraced his steps. ‘Your landlady is a fierce woman.’

  ‘I heard your voice but she forestalled me.’

  ‘Never mind that, Daisy. I’m just glad to see you.’

  ‘Miss Marshall, kindly shut the door.’ Mrs Wood’s stentorian tones made Daisy turn her head.

  ‘Just give me a minute, Mrs Wood.’

  ‘I’ll go,’ Nick said hastily. ‘Are you free tomorrow, Daisy?’

  ‘Step inside, Miss Marshall. I don’t want the neighbours to see you making a show of yourself.’

  Daisy chose to ignore her. ‘Yes, Nick. I hadn’t planned to do anything in particular.’

  ‘I’ll call for you at ten o’clock. We can talk in private then.’ Nick tipped his hat to Mrs Wood, who was glaring at him over Daisy’s shoulder. ‘Good evening, ma’am.’ He winked at Daisy and strolled off into the darkness.

  Daisy stepped back inside, closed the door and spun round to face Mrs Wood. ‘That was very rude. Surely you could see that Dr Neville is a respectable person?’

  ‘He’s a man,’ Mrs Wood snapped. ‘They’re all the same. You need to watch your step, young woman, or you’ll find yourself in trouble. You know what I mean.’

  ‘There’s no need to worry, ma’am. My nursing career comes first and foremost.’ Daisy was seething inwardly, but she needed a roof over her head, and at least Mrs Wood’s establishment was reasonably comfortable and cheap, even if the fearsome landlady was stingy when it came to home comforts. She shook the rain from her hair as she returned to the parlour, and was surprised to find that Minnie had company. Ivy was seated on the sofa next to a pretty young woman with flame-red hair and green eyes.

  Minnie looked up, frowning. ‘Did she send your gentleman friend away?’

  ‘Yes, but I called him back and apologised.’

  ‘She won’t like that,’ Ivy said nervously. ‘She’ll take it out on the rest of us if you make her mad, Daisy. She likes Jonah, but only because he flatters her and goes out of his way to be charming.’

  The red-haired young woman rose to her feet, holding out her hand. ‘They’ve forgotten their manners. I’m Flora Mackenzie and I’ve heard all about you from our dear Gladys, the sneak from hell.’

  ‘How do you do?’ Daisy shook her hand. ‘Is Gladys really that bad?’

  ‘I expect the girls have told you that Gladys will go through your things when you are out. She’ll report any slight misdemeanour to her mother, and she’ll tell whoppers just to make trouble.’ Flora sank back on the sofa and produced a tobacco pouch from her skirt pocket. She proceeded to roll a cigarette. ‘Don’t look at me like that, Ivy. I know it’s not a ladylike thing to do, but I never was a lady, despite what my poor papa thinks.’

  Ivy leaned towards Daisy. ‘Flora’s father is a vicar,’ she said in a low voice. ‘He’s very strict.’

  Daisy watched in awe as Flora struck a match and lit the cigarette, exhaling plumes of blue smoke into the air. ‘That’s why I came to live here. It’s handy for work and Papa doesn’t have a say in what I do.’

  ‘Mrs Wood will be furious if she smells tobacco smoke.’ Ivy glanced nervously at the door, as if expecting Mrs Wood to burst in at any moment.

  ‘She won’t come in while I’m here,’ Flora said confidently. ‘She knows that I’ll give as good as I get, and one day I’m going to throttle that spawn of the devil, Gladys. You’d best be careful, Daisy. Don’t leave any of your valuables about or she’ll steal them and blame the cat.’

  ‘I’ve never heard of a cat stealing anything other than food.’ Daisy looked from one to the other, suspecting that this was a joke, but they were all nodding in agreement.

  ‘Rex is capable of anything,’ Ivy said in a low voice. ‘I think Gladys trained him to fetch things for her, like a dog, and she listens at keyholes.’

  ‘That’s true.’ Minnie nodded emphatically. ‘The cat stole one of my hankies. I caught him taking it downstairs, and he didn’t want to give it back.’

  ‘Perhaps he has a cold,’ Flora said, laughing. ‘Does anyone else want a smoke?’ She offered her pouch to each in turn but they all shook their heads. ‘Suit yourselves. You don’t know what you’re missing.’

  Daisy looked round at their faces, rosy in the firelight, and she stifled a yawn. ‘I’m afraid I’ll have to go to bed. It’s been a long day and I’m exhausted.’

  ‘I’ll come with you.’ Minnie scrambled to her feet. ‘We’re only allowed one candle for each room and I don’t fancy groping my way upstairs in the dark, especially when Rex sleeps on the stairs. He lies in wait and leaps out to scratch anyone who happens to be passing, except Mrs Wood and Gladys, of course.’

  ‘I’m tired, too,’ Ivy said warily. ‘I don’t suppose you are, Flora.’

  ‘Indeed I’m not. I’m just waiting for my gentleman friend to tap on the window and then I’m off out for the rest of the evening.’

  ‘But the door will be locked,’ Ivy said anxiously. ‘You won’t be able to get in.’

  ‘Don’t worry. I persuaded the new maid to leave the area door unlocked.’

  ‘You mean you bribed her.’ Ivy shook her head. ‘You’ll never get to heaven, Flora.’

  ‘I don’t care – I think it would be terribly boring.’ Flora stretched out on the sofa. ‘Good night, ladies. Go to your cold beds and think of me enjoying a drink or two in a nice warm pub, with someone playing jolly tunes on a piano and everyone having a good time.’

  Minnie picked up a chamber candlestick and lit the wick with a spill from the fire. ‘You’re braver than I am. I’d be too scared to stay out like that.’

  ‘It’ll end in tears,’ Ivy said grimly. ‘Don’t wake me when you get in.’

  ‘Good night,’ Daisy added, ‘and good luck, Flora.’ She followed the wavering light of the candle as Minnie made her way through the darkness to the staircase.

  Breakfast next morning was served in the dining room at eight o’clock on the dot. A steaming tureen filled with sticky grey porridge was placed in the centre of the table, and left for those who took their places on time to eat piping hot.

  ‘We’re the first,’ Minnie said, ladling the unappetising mixture onto her plate.

  The young maidservant placed a plate of bread, smeared with butter in front of Daisy. ‘No, miss. The two school teachers were up at six. They were taking some of their pupils to Box Hill and they won’t be back until late this evening.’

  Minnie glanced round the table. ‘I don’t suppose there’s any jam today, Aggie?’

  ‘No, miss. It’s Saturday, you only get jam on Sunday and Wednesday.’

  ‘I was just hoping that Cook was feeling generous.’

  Aggie grinned and bit her lip. ‘I’m sure I don’t know about that, miss.’

  ‘I don’t suppose Flora will be taking breakfast,’ Daisy said, helping herself to porridge.

  Minnie filled Daisy’s cup with tea. ‘She and Ivy will have gone to work – they only have one day off a week – and it looks as if they missed breakfast.’

  ‘Flora must have an iron constitution if she can stay out so late and then get up early next morning.’ Daisy stared down at the grey mess on her plate. ‘I think I’ll just have a slice of bread.’

&nbs
p; ‘The dancers stay in bed all day, so you won’t see them until this evening.’ Minnie spooned the porridge into her mouth and swallowed it in one gulp.

  ‘Do they come down any earlier on Sunday? I’d like to meet them.’

  ‘They don’t take breakfast, miss,’ Aggie said solemnly. ‘They eat like sparrows on account of their figures.’

  Minnie looked up, frowning. ‘Hadn’t you better get on, Aggie? You’ll be in trouble with Cook if she catches you chatting to us.’

  Aggie’s thin cheeks flushed pink. ‘Yes, miss. I forgot me place. Don’t tell the mistress.’

  ‘Of course we won’t,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘It was my fault for asking questions.’

  ‘Ta, miss.’ Aggie bobbed a curtsey and rushed from the room.

  Daisy pushed her plate away. ‘I really can’t face this. It’s awful.’

  ‘But it’s filling, and it comes with the price of the room. You’ll get used to it, Daisy.’ Minnie licked her spoon and dropped it back in the empty bowl. She reached for a slice of bread. ‘If you’ve got any sense you’ll fill up on this and then you can get by until the evening.’

  ‘But you don’t have supper here.’

  ‘The school mistresses are the only ones who eat in at night. I think they must be used to dreadful food at the private school for young ladies, but I’d rather exist on watercress and boiled eggs from Old Joe’s stall than risk eating Cook’s evening meals. You’ll do the same if you’ve got any sense.’

  ‘Do we get meals provided at the hospital when we’re on duty?’

  ‘Yes, but I doubt if they’re any better than Cook’s offerings. At least, that’s what I’ve been told by some of the more senior probationers. Maybe you ought to have asked your nice doctor friend to take you out to luncheon instead of a walk in the park, or whatever he has in mind.’ Minnie put her head on one side, giving Daisy a knowing look. ‘You’re blushing.’

  Daisy pushed her plate away and stood up. ‘I am not. It’s the steam from the porridge that’s made my cheeks flush. Nick is just a friend.’

  ‘I believe you,’ Minnie said, giggling.

  ‘I’m going to be too busy to think about romance.’ Daisy picked up her cup and drank the tea down to the dregs.

  Chapter Fourteen

  ‘So why did you decide to return to London?’ Nick held the umbrella tilted to protect Daisy’s bonnet from the sudden shower. ‘Toby was very vague about it when I asked him that question.’

  ‘It seemed like the right thing to do,’ Daisy said evasively.

  ‘But I thought you were happy living with your aunt and uncle in Little Creek.’

  ‘And I was, but they aren’t so well off now, and I need to earn my own living.’ She shot him a sideways glance. ‘If I were a man I’d train to be a doctor, but I realise it’s virtually impossible for a woman to get qualified.’

  ‘Things are changing slowly. One day I’m sure we’ll have women doctors or even surgeons.’

  ‘In the meantime I have to start somewhere.’

  ‘So you’re serious about becoming a probationer at the London?’

  ‘Does that surprise you?’

  ‘No, not at all. I think you would do well whichever path you took.’

  ‘Actually it was pure chance that led me to walk into the waiting area of the hospital when the interviews were taking place. I was looking for Toby, but the nurse thought I was applying for a position as probationer.’

  ‘You could have refused.’

  ‘Yes, but I didn’t. I think I saw it as a challenge.’

  Nick stopped outside a teashop and opened the door. ‘Let’s get out of the rain, and we can talk in comfort.’ He followed her into the steamy atmosphere redolent with the smell of hot coffee, tea and freshly baked buns. It was crowded with office workers and shoppers but they found a table near the window and they sat down.

  Nick gave the friendly waitress an order for a pot of tea for two and toasted teacakes, and when she had bustled off, he relaxed visibly. ‘It’s so good to see you again, Daisy. I thought it might be several months before we met again.’

  ‘Well, I’m here now and I intend to make the most of it. I’ll work hard and study at night.’

  A wry smile curved Nick’s generous lips. ‘You might find you’re too tired to read medical books after a long day on the wards, but I can see that you’re determined.’

  Daisy sat back as the waitress delivered their order. Without thinking Daisy picked up the teapot and filled their cups, passing one to Nick. ‘That’s enough about me. Tell me about your practice in Harley Street.’

  ‘It’s not my practice. I don’t know what Toby has been telling you, but I’m a very junior partner. It’s interesting, but the only difference between our patients and those at the hospital is that ours are wealthy enough to pay handsomely for their treatment. It’s not what I saw myself doing when I was studying medicine.’

  Daisy eyed him curiously. ‘You almost sound as if you wish you were back at your father’s old practice in Little Creek.’

  ‘I do, Daisy. That’s exactly how I feel. If I didn’t have this debt hanging over me I would go home and carry on exactly as my father did, but until I’ve paid Tattersall the money he claims I owe him, I’ll have to remain in London.’

  ‘That man has a lot to answer for,’ Daisy said bitterly. She sensed that Nick was staring at her and she looked up from stirring her tea. ‘What?’

  ‘I knew there was more behind your sudden departure from home.’ He leaned across the table. ‘And it has something to do with Tattersall. Don’t deny it, because I can see it’s true by your expression. You would make a terrible poker player, Daisy.’

  ‘It seems that I made quite an impression on Squire Tattersall when I tried to convince him that I was heiress to a fortune.’

  Nick’s eyes narrowed. ‘Go on.’

  ‘He invited my aunt and uncle and myself to dine at the manor house, and he asked me to marry him. Totally out of the blue, I might add. I couldn’t have been more shocked or surprised.’ Daisy selected a teacake and cut it in half, avoiding meeting Nick’s gaze.

  ‘You put him in his place, I hope.’

  ‘Yes, of course.’

  ‘That’s not all, though. I can tell. There’s something else.’

  ‘He won’t take no for an answer, and he threatened to evict my aunt and uncle from Creek Cottage if I didn’t reconsider his offer. Apparently the squire owns the freehold and the lease is due to expire later this year. Uncle Sidney didn’t realise the property was leasehold when he arranged to move to the country.’

  ‘This is all my fault,’ Nick said angrily. ‘I put you in this position, Daisy.’

  She reached out to lay her hand on his as it rested on the table top. ‘No, I won’t allow that, Nick. It was my decision to get involved, and the problem of the lease would have come up sooner or later.’

  ‘Even so, I feel responsible for involving you with that man. It’s time someone put a stop to his cavalier treatment of his tenants.’

  ‘And rightly so,’ Daisy said vehemently. ‘He’s threatened the Fox family with eviction, too.’

  ‘It’s said in the village that Tattersall has a personal grudge against Lemuel Fox, although I don’t know the details and I don’t ask because it’s none of my business.’

  ‘It’s a small village. I dare say rumours spread like wildfire, even if they’re based on very little fact.’ Daisy sipped her tea thoughtfully. There was one person who would know how Lemuel had fallen foul of the squire: Mrs Bee was a fount of knowledge when it came to anything that had happened in Little Creek.

  ‘That’s true. Anyway, enough about the village and the squire. I’m very glad you’re in London, Daisy, whatever the reason. I hope we’ll be able to see more of each other, although I have to say I don’t get much free time. My superior is a hard taskmaster, and he expects me to be on call day and at night.’

  ‘But it’s only temporary,’ Daisy said firmly. ‘You’re not goi
ng to remain in Harley Street for ever.’

  ‘Certainly not. As soon as I’ve saved enough money I’ll be handing in my notice and heading back to Little Creek.’

  ‘The villagers need a doctor badly.’

  Nick’s eyes twinkled. ‘And a qualified nurse?’

  She returned the smile. ‘I suppose so. I haven’t had time to think about what I’ll do when I finish my training.’

  ‘I’ll need a nurse to help me run my practice, if I can run it at a profit. My father barely made a living, as I’ve discovered to my cost.’

  ‘Who knows what will happen?’ Daisy made an effort to sound casual. ‘Anyway, I won’t return to the village for a while yet. I’m hoping that the squire will take the hint when he discovers that I’ve returned to London. If he really wants to find a wife I’m sure there are plenty of young women far more eligible than I.’

  ‘But none so pretty or charming.’ Nick reached for a teacake. ‘Do have another. These are delicious, although not as good as the ones that Mrs Bee makes.’

  A sudden commotion outside in the street made all the customers stop talking and some of them rushed to the window. A woman screamed.

  Nick leaped to his feet, gazing over the heads of the curious onlookers. ‘There’s been an accident. I’d better see if I can help. Stay here, Daisy.’ He put his hand in his pocket and left a pile of coins on a side plate before shrugging on his overcoat as he hurried into the street. Daisy had no intention of sitting there idly and she followed him outside to see if she could help. But the sight that met her eyes made her gasp with horror. A man and woman had been in collision with an omnibus. It looked as if they had both been trampled by the horses and the man was pinned beneath one of the wheels. The woman was screaming and crying, but the man was ominously silent. Nick was on his knees examining the woman while the driver tried to calm the frightened animals.

  ‘Stand back, everyone. Give the doctor space.’ Daisy was shocked to hear herself speak so authoritatively, and to her surprise the crowd obeyed her. ‘Somebody run to the hospital and get help.’ She went down on her knees beside the woman. ‘You’ll be all right. My friend is a doctor.’