The Country Bride

by Dilly Court

  ‘I dare say you’ll be next, Judy.’ Mrs Bee placed the dough back in the large bowl and covered it with a damp cloth. ‘I’ll leave this to prove and I’ll put the kettle on.’

  ‘I can’t stay,’ Judy said hastily. ‘Rob has promised to drive me home and we’ll pick up Molly on the way.’

  ‘You could do worse, Judy,’ Dove said with a mischievous smile. ‘Rob Dorning is a very presentable man and he’s wealthy, too. A great catch.’

  Judy stood up, hoping that neither of them had seen the blush rise to her cheeks. ‘Ours is a purely business arrangement.’

  ‘If you say so, Judy.’ Dove closed the ledger with a sigh. ‘I can’t do any more today. The figures keep swimming about and muddling themselves up. At least I won’t have this bother when the hospital is transferred to the new building. It can’t come soon enough for me.’

  ‘I really must go now.’ Judy leaned over to kiss Dove’s pale cheek. ‘You mustn’t work too hard. I’ll do anything I can to help.’

  ‘Thank you, Judy. That would be most kind. Maybe you could spare one morning a week to come and sort the books out for me?’

  ‘Of course. It would be a pleasure.’ Judy picked up her basket. ‘Goodbye for now. I’ll see you soon.’

  As he had promised, Rob drove Judy and Molly home. He carried the groceries to the kitchen where he laid the basket on the table.

  Hilda wiped her hands on her apron. ‘We thought you’d gone away for good, Rob Dorning.’

  ‘Ma!’ Judy shot her a warning glance. ‘I never said such a thing.’

  ‘Well, that’s how it looked.’ Hilda tossed her head. ‘Are you playing fast and loose with my girl’s affections, Mr Dorning? It seems to be a habit of the Tattersall menfolk.’

  ‘That’s enough, Ma,’ Judy said angrily.

  Rob threw back his head and laughed. ‘Your mother is being honest, Judy. I appreciate candour, and in answer to your question, Mrs Begg, I am not playing fast and loose, as you put it. My intentions as far as Judy is concerned are strictly honourable.’

  ‘It’s a business arrangement, Ma,’ Judy said hastily. ‘I’m going to raise funds to keep the new hospital, and you’ll never guess who’s involved.’

  Hilda shrugged. ‘I don’t suppose I will.’

  ‘Dr Marshall and his family are moving down from London and so is Dr Godfrey. They’ll be working together with Dr Neville and Rob, who’s given them part of the Creek Manor estate so that they can build a fine new hospital.’

  ‘Well, I never!’

  ‘Perhaps you’d like to come with Judy and me, Mrs Begg. I’ll show you the parcel of land that I’ve donated, and maybe you’d like to take a look at the plans for the house I’m going to build where your cottage once stood.’

  ‘I can’t go gallivanting around the countryside at this time of the day.’ Hilda encompassed the kitchen with a sweep of her arms. ‘Can’t you see I’m busy? The workmen will be here at any minute demanding their bread and cheese and bowls of soup.’ She put her head on one side. ‘But of course Judy can go with you. I can manage on my own.’

  Judy was tempted to stay and help her mother, but she was eager to show Rob the fully furnished gatehouse. ‘Are you sure, Ma? I do have something I want to show Rob.’

  ‘Yes, go away. Shoo!’ Hilda flapped her apron at them.

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Begg.’ Rob held out his hand to Judy. ‘I don’t know what surprise you have in store for me, but I’m eager to find out.’

  Judy’s heart was thudding against her tightly laced stays as Rob entered the house. She held her breath as he stepped into the front parlour and she crossed her fingers, hoping that his first impression was a favourable one. He gazed round, saying nothing, and her heart sank.

  ‘You don’t like it? I tried not to spend too much money in case …’

  He turned to her with a beaming smile. ‘It’s perfect, Judy. You’ve done wonders, and in such a short time.’

  ‘Just wait until you see the rest of the rooms.’ Judy tried not to look too relieved, but she felt light-headed with delight. All her worries about spending too much or the fact that his taste might differ from hers were fading as she led him from room to room. They ended up in the kitchen where the sunlight streamed through the window.

  ‘Well?’ Judy said eagerly. ‘Are you satisfied?’

  ‘Words can’t express my feelings, Judy. You’ve turned a perfectly good house into a wonderful home. I had thought I might live here until the main wing of the house is finished, and I was planning on asking Aunt Adeline if she would like to move in with me.’

  ‘I’m not sure she’d want to leave her cottage. She seemed to be very happy there.’ Judy turned to look out of the window. The trees that lined the avenue were bursting into leaf and there was a good view of the work in progress on the building site.

  ‘You don’t think that’s a good idea?’ Rob said softly.

  ‘It’s your decision. The house and everything in it belongs to you.’

  ‘Not quite everything.’

  There was something in the tone of his voice that made her turn to look at him, and the expression on his handsome features brought a blush to her cheeks. ‘So who will have the house?’ she asked, covering her confusion with a confident smile. ‘You’ve gone to a lot of trouble for the new gatekeeper.’

  ‘As a matter of fact I thought that you and your mother might like to live here, and if you’re going to work for the charity that seems even more suitable. I think Aunt Adeline might be better suited to having accommodation in the east wing when it’s built.’

  ‘I don’t think we could afford the rent on this place,’ Judy said dully.

  ‘It would be rent free, of course. Consider it part of your wages. We’ll depend upon you to keep us going.’

  ‘Yes, of course. Thank you.’ She shot him a look beneath her lashes. ‘But where will you live? The inn is fully booked, thanks to your men.’

  ‘The coachman’s house is vacant at the moment. I’ll drive myself for now or Pip can fill in until such time as I need the barouche. I’m more interested in getting the manor house rebuilt than in my own comfort. What do you say, Judy?’

  ‘I’ll think about it,’ she said evasively.

  ‘You’ll talk it over with Mrs Begg?’

  ‘Yes, I will, but I’m not sure she’ll want to leave the Crooked Billet. Anyway, I think we’d best be getting back. Unless you want me to start working for you immediately?’

  ‘No, of course not. We’ll have to have a few meetings to consider the best way to go about things. You won’t be on your own, Judy. I’ll be there to help and support you. It’s work I wouldn’t want to trust to anyone but you.’

  ‘You mean he didn’t propose to you?’ Molly said, throwing up her hands. ‘What a fool that man is.’

  ‘I wasn’t expecting anything of the sort.’ Torn between annoyance and amusement at her sister’s reaction to her news about the gatehouse, Judy brushed Molly’s hair into a sleek chignon.

  ‘Of course you were.’ Molly twisted round on the dressing table stool, giving Judy a stern look. ‘When a man asks a young woman to furnish his house for him it can only mean one thing. What did you say to put him off?’

  ‘Nothing. I told you I wasn’t expecting him to propose, and it’s the gatehouse, not his home. There’s nothing romantic going on between us.’

  ‘If you think that, you’re either blind or stupid.’ Molly rose to her feet, shaking the creases out of her skirt. ‘Look at me. I knew exactly when Jack was going to pop the question, and I made sure he did.’ She fluttered her eyelashes and made a moue.

  ‘You are a spoilt brat,’ Judy said, chuckling.

  ‘I know I am, and it always works for me.’ Molly headed for the doorway. ‘Think about it, Judy. Give the poor man a chance.’ She left Judy staring into her dressing table mirror with a puzzled frown. All her old insecurities had risen to the surface and she was still Judy Begg, the kitchen maid who aspired to higher things but ha
d been deserted, not quite at the altar, when Jack had chosen to accompany his brother to Australia. If Rob had genuine feelings for her he would have made them clear by now. As it was, he merely wanted someone he could trust to raise much-needed money for the hospital, which just happened to be a project they both held dear. She had accepted the challenge and she would prove to them all that she was more than capable of taking on such a responsible job.

  Judy picked up the brush and smoothed her unruly curls into a suitably neat style before going downstairs to help her mother in the kitchen. She had not had time to discuss Rob’s offer of the house as a part of her wages, but that made it in effect a tied cottage; it put her in the invidious position of being his tenant and not a colleague.

  ‘What’s up with you?’ Hilda demanded, pausing as she plated up a dish of pie and mash. ‘I thought you’d be delighted to be offered such an important position. Molly told me all about it while you were out with Rob.’

  ‘Yes, I am, of course, Ma.’

  ‘Then why the long face?’

  ‘It’s a lot to think about, and there’s something else. He’s offered us the gatehouse.’

  Hilda almost dropped the jug of gravy she held in her hand. ‘He wants us to rent the new house?’

  ‘No, Ma. We’d live there free of charge in return for my work raising money for the new hospital. It would be part of my wages.’

  ‘Take this through to the bar, please. Then hurry back and tell me everything.’

  Judy took the food to Molly, who sashayed over to a table where a group of workmen were having their supper. Judy left her sister to her task of charming the customers and she returned to the kitchen, prepared for a barrage of questions.

  ‘Now sit down for a moment and tell me exactly what he said.’

  Judy knew by her mother’s tone of voice that it was useless to argue, and she sank down on the nearest chair, but before she could think of something suitable that would satisfy her mother, there was a loud knock at the back door and it burst open to admit Rob.

  ‘Mrs Begg,’ Rob said without any preamble, ‘I’m a clumsy fellow when it comes to talking about my deepest feelings, and believe me when I say that I’ve never done this sort of thing before.’

  Hilda stared at him open-mouthed. ‘Good heavens, Mr Dorning. What can it be that’s brought you out so late in the evening?’

  ‘As Judy has no father to ask, I think it’s only proper if I put it to you first, Mrs Begg. I want to ask your daughter for her hand in marriage, but I need your permission to do so.’

  Hilda took a swipe at him with the dishcloth she was holding. ‘You stupid man. Of course you have my permission. What a pair you are.’ Hilda pointed a finger at Judy. ‘Stop gawping and take your young gentleman to the parlour.’

  ‘Ma, I’m not ten years old,’ Judy protested, but one look at Rob was enough to convince her that he would go down on one knee in the kitchen if she did not obey her mother. ‘Come with me, Rob. It’s the only way to silence my mother.’

  He followed her into the parlour and she closed the door, leaning against it for support. Her knees had suddenly turned to jelly and her heart was beating so fast that she was breathless.

  ‘Judy, I love you.’ Rob seized her by the hand. ‘I’ve always loved you, but I have the double curse of the Dornings and the Tattersalls in my blood. You deserve a much better man than I, but I’ve loved you from the start and nothing is more important to me than your happiness.’

  ‘But just this afternoon you made everything seem like a business proposition, and yet you come here this evening and tell me you love me.’

  He drew her closer, holding her gaze. ‘I know, but I didn’t want to say anything when we were alone in the house. It would have put you in a difficult position. If you say no I’ll have to accept your decision, but I won’t give up easily. You and I were made for each other, Judy.’

  She met his intense gaze with a tremulous smile. ‘I feel that, too.’

  ‘I was going to propose to you when we were in London, but the peasouper got in the way. I love you, and I hate every minute that I’m away from you. I want us to be together for ever.’

  She slid her arms around his neck. ‘I love you, too, Rob. I really do.’

  He kissed her long and with growing fervour, releasing her only to draw a breath. ‘Does that mean you will marry me?’

  ‘Yes, Rob. I will, with all my heart.’

  He kissed her again. ‘I didn’t expect you to do so much to the house, but you’ve made it into a beautiful home. We could live there until the main wing of Creek Manor is completed, if you agree.’

  ‘I do.’

  ‘So there’s nothing to prevent us getting married very soon. I don’t want to risk losing you.’

  Judy laid her head against his shoulder with a sigh, all her doubts dissipating like morning mist. ‘A summer wedding would be wonderful.’

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  The double wedding was Molly’s idea. The church was booked for 17 June, Thursday being a relatively quiet day in the pub, although, as Hilda said, most of the customers would be attending the wedding breakfast, even if they could not fit into the church itself.

  With less than two months to go until the big day, Judy was kept fully occupied with the preparations. Rob had wanted to take her up to London to buy a new outfit for the wedding, but Judy insisted that if she were to arrive in a gown created by a fashionable London designer, it would be unfair to Molly. Miss Creedy had made Ma’s wedding outfit, and if it was good enough for Ma, it was perfectly acceptable to Judy herself. Rob backed down with good grace. However, his offer to hold the wedding reception in the grounds of Creek Manor was eagerly accepted. He planned to hire marquees and the entertainment, although he was tantalisingly secretive when Judy asked for more details.

  Hilda was determined to organise the wedding breakfast, and she enlisted the help of Nell Pearce and Ida Ralston, as well as some of the servants from the old manor house, who were all eager to help. Judy did not want her mother to undertake such a lot of work, but she knew it was useless to argue. Molly’s contribution was to choose the colour scheme for the floral arrangements and she designed the bridesmaids’ frocks. Minnie’s twin girls, Lottie and Evie, were to attend both brides, with Henry and Edward Walters acting as pageboys. Dove’s five-year-old daughter was to be a flower girl, under the watchful eye of her cousin, nine-year-old Michael, Linnet and Elliot’s son. Judy had reservations about having so many young children let loose in church, but Molly was adamant that it could be done, and that the little ones would behave perfectly.

  Not only did Judy have the arrangements for the double wedding to organise, but she also had the enjoyable task of getting the gatehouse ready for occupation. Rob admitted that he had hoped that it would be their first home when he asked Judy to furnish it for him, adding hastily that it was only until the construction of the main house was completed. Judy was delighted: she had put so much of herself into choosing the furniture, fabrics and the little touches that turned a house into a home.

  The pub was busy these days, mainly with the builders, who liked to relax in the evenings over a pint of ale. Daytime trade had picked up, due to Hilda’s reputation as a good home cook having spread by word of mouth. Altogether the days flew by, but when things became too hectic at home, Judy asked Nate to tack up the chestnut mare that Rob had bought for her. The ride to Creek Manor was delightful at this time of year, and Judy was able to spend an hour or two putting up pictures or rearranging the furniture. At other times she rode to Crouch, where Adeline was always delighted to see her. Sometimes Rob accompanied her to his aunt’s cottage, although, quite often, he had to attend meetings in London to finalise the plans for the new hospital, and on these occasions he stayed with Toby in Harley Street. Minnie and the children had moved into a rented house on the edge of Little Creek, and Toby planned to buy a property as soon as a suitable place came on the market.

  The afternoons Judy spent in Adeli
ne’s cosy parlour provided a welcome relief from the demands of working and trying to organise a large double wedding. Adeline did not need much encouragement to tell Judy of Rob’s exploits as a mischievous child, and an adventurous adolescent. Judy treasured these quiet afternoons in the cottage, and she found it easy to understand why there was such a deep bond between Rob and his aunt.

  Altogether it was an exciting time and the bad experiences in the past were fading into a vague memory. Judy was looking to the future with confidence, and for the first time in her life she knew she had found her place in the world. She was marrying the man she loved, but more than that, they were to be equal partners in making decisions regarding the estate, and ensuring the smooth running of the new hospital. Rob had been elected senior medical officer, working with Ben Godfrey and Nick Neville. Toby would be the visiting physician, and other specialists were being recruited. Plans for the new hospital had been drawn up and finalised, and it was a question now of finding enough workmen to start building.

  Then there was the eternal question of finance. Judy was only too well aware that she did not have the experience or the contacts when it came to fund-raising, and she formed a committee with Minnie, Dove, Daisy and Eleanora Marshall, with occasional support from Grace Peabody and Marjorie Harker. United, they were an indomitable group of women, each with her own ideas on how to raise money for the new hospital. However, as the weeks went by there was one topic uppermost in their minds – the summer wedding. Little Creek had never seen anything like it, and invitations had gone out to everyone who lived in the village and the surrounding farms.

  Judy had made sure that Seth Trundle and his parents had been invited. Their kindness after the accident in near blizzard conditions last winter was something Judy would never forget, and an invitation to the wedding was the least she could do. Mr McArthur was also on the guest list, and Judy and Rob had talked over the possibility of inviting the workmen, who lived in a semi-permanent camp on the site. In the end it was Hilda who suggested that there should be a separate marquee for the builders, where all were welcome, and that included any itinerant farm labourers. The double wedding was to be a celebration enjoyed by everyone in Little Creek, and one that Judy hoped would lay the curse of Creek Manor to rest for ever.