Rory's Fortune

by Catherine Cookson

  Mrs Cornwallis now turned and looked at Rory who had risen to his feet and taken a step towards her, but at this particular moment, if his life had depended on it, he could not have uttered a word. As he said afterwards, he was too flabbergasted.

  He stood now beside Mrs Cornwallis watching the company depart, speaking their condolences but their minds not really on it. Even Peter Tollett and Benny Croft looked amazed.

  The Morley Cornwallises were the last to leave, still seething but seeming reluctant to go. Eventually, Morley, pushing his wife and Lily out of the door and saying to his son, ‘Come on, Bernie, out of this,’ went to follow them, but stopped and, turning slowly, looked at Mrs Cornwallis and said, ‘This money in the Newcastle Bank, where did he get it? Must be a tidy sum to get interest like that. How did he come by it? I’ve never known him to have anything but what he got from the shop.’

  ‘It would appear, Morley, that you didn’t know everything. How he came by it is his business, and he’s gone now, more’s the pity. You can’t ask him, an’ I’ll never tell you, so it’s no use ferretin’. Good day to you, Morley…And thanks for coming to help lay him by.’

  Rory watched the man’s chest swell to almost twice its size with indignation, and when the door banged he thought, ‘Eeh! That’s disrespectful on a day like this.’

  Left alone with Mrs Cornwallis, he looked at her shyly, and she said, ‘Well, boy!’

  ‘I…I don’t know what to say, missis; I’m…I’m staggered.’

  ‘I only want to hear you say one thing, boy, that you’re pleased with the arrangements your master made.’

  ‘Oh aye, missis, oh aye. I’ll never be able to pay you back in gratitude, or owt else.’

  ‘You’ll pay me back, boy. In fact, you’ve been paying in advance for years, and I thank God I’ve got you this night. Go downstairs now and bring up Sammy, he’ll help to finish off some of this food, and what’s over you’ll take to the cottage for your people’s comin’ the morrow. They’re movin’ the morrow, aren’t they?’

  ‘Yes, missis.’

  ‘By the way, Rory.’ She turned to the fire and pushed the kettle along the hob. ‘What do you call your mother, Mother or Mam or Ma?’

  ‘Ma.’

  ‘Well, do you think you could call me Mam instead of missis?’

  In the moment that he paused before answering he thought it was strange, people’s needs, they were all different. ‘Aye…Mam,’ he said hesitantly; then turned round quickly and went out of the room and down the stairs and called to Sammy.

  Sammy came out of the wheelwright’s shop itself. He looked slightly frightened. ‘The blacksmith,’ he said, ‘he looked real mad, real mad.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about him, you needn’t worry about nothing, Sammy, not for a long time, I’m set, we’re all set. Remember, the morrow they’re all comin’ to the cottage. Come up now and eat your supper.’

  Sammy went ahead of him up the stairs but before he reached the top he turned and said solemnly, ‘It’s hard to take in, isn’t it, Rory?’

  And Rory, rubbing the boy’s head gently, said, ‘Aye, young ’un, it’s hard to take in.’

  When they entered the room Mrs Cornwallis said, ‘Come and sit up, both of you, and have your fill.’

  And after they’d both eaten and helped to clear the table and brought upstairs the coal and the water and the wood, she looked at Rory, and said, ‘Other nights ahead we’ll sit by the fire for a while an’ maybe read a bit, but tonight I’m goin’ straight to my bed, for I’m sad at heart and very tired. You understand, boy?’

  ‘Aye, Mam, I do,’ he said.

  ‘But one thing more I’ll say to you afore I go, boy, an’ it’s just this. You’ll have to be wary of Morley Cornwallis. I’ve been saying to meself he can’t do anything, ’cos I can’t see what he can do, but knowin’ him I fear he’ll get up to something, so be on your guard, boy.’

  ‘I will, I will, missis…Mam.’

  ‘Goodnight, boy.’ She bent forward and kissed him on the cheek; then stooping, she did the same to Sammy, and as he turned away she said, ‘I’ll leave you to lock up the doors. Better start the way we mean to go on.’ And again he said, ‘Yes, Mam.’

  Chapter Nine

  The very next morning about noon, when Rory walked out of the village and onto the fells it was made clear to him what Morley Cornwallis was up to.

  Rory had had a busy morning. He had risen at five, got the fires going, opened the shop, and had the stove alight before Peter Tollett and Benny Croft arrived. And when they did arrive they looked hard at him, wondering no doubt what attitude he would now adopt towards them. But he had stood before them and said, ‘Nothin’s changed, I’m still an apprentice, an’ you both could buy an’ sell me in the trade. I’ve got to depend on you now to learn me.’

  They had answered almost in one breath, ‘We’re for you, boy,’ and Peter Tollett had put his hand on his shoulder, saying, ‘What I know, you’ll know afore I’m finished, an’ if you haven’t taken it on in three years then I’ll stay till you do. What do you say to that?’

  ‘You couldn’t be fairer, Peter.’

  And when Benny Croft, on a merry laugh, said, ‘And me jauntin’ days are over. I’ll help you all I can, me word on it.’

  ‘Thank you, Benny. Thank you both.’

  He had worked hard until half past eleven. Then, having washed himself under the pump, he went upstairs and changed into an old, but clean, coat and trousers. But on the sight of him Mrs Cornwallis exclaimed, ‘Oh! Boy, you must get a better garb than that. Make it your business come Saturday to go into Shields.’

  He had smiled widely at her as he replied, ‘Aye, Mam.’

  ‘An’ you must wear a collar in future.’ Her fingers tentatively touched the top button of his shirt, and again he smiled and said, ‘Aye, Mam.’

  ‘Well, don’t dawdle. Get yourself away, or you’ll find they’ll be moved afore you get there.’

  ‘Yes, Mam. Goodbye.’ He paused at the door and exchanged a smile with her, and she said, ‘Goodbye, boy. But here, wait.’ She lifted the sack of food from the table. ‘Look what you’re forgettin’, you’d forget your head if it was loose.’

  He laughed widely now. ‘I would, I would an’ all. Goodbye again.’

  ‘Goodbye, boy,’ she answered, and he went down the stairs at a run.

  Different people in the village street had nodded at him but hadn’t spoken, and he knew that they were still viewing him with surprise.

  He passed the blacksmith’s open door, and there was Bernie Cornwallis standing near the anvil. He was surprised that he didn’t come to the door and spit abuse at him. Feeling somewhat cocky, he slowed his step to give him a chance, in case he couldn’t leave the anvil for the moment, but Bernie made no move.

  Well, well! The things you learned on a bright, windy day. He felt happy, uplifted, yet he knew he shouldn’t feel like this when only yesterday the master had been buried. But somehow he knew this was the way the master would want him to be, bright, uplifted, looking forward; and Ben would too. Aye, Ben would too. He had dreamed of Ben last night.

  He had just turned the bend in the road and was walking by the stone wall that bordered the farm when he heard quick footsteps behind.

  ‘Rory! Rory!’

  When Lily came hurrying round the bend, a milk can in her hand, his eyes widened for she was dressed as he had never seen her before. She slowed her step before she reached him and when she stopped he looked her up and down. Her face was bright and showing a happiness that denied she could ever be plain. His own face stretched when she lifted the bottom of her dress upwards and dropped a curtsey.

  He watched her run to the wall and place the can on top of it, as she had done some days previously. But this time she laid her head on her folded arms and began to laugh uncontrollably.

  He stood over her, laughing too, but without any idea of what he was laughing about. ‘What’s up with you? What’s happened you?’ he asked her.<
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  She lifted her head. Her face wet with tears from laughing so much, she said, ‘Don’t you see? I’ve got me new frock on.’

  ‘Aye,’ he said, still puzzled. ‘I’m not blind, an’…an’ it suits you, you look bonny.’ Then his manner and face sobering, he asked, ‘Is it ’cos Frank Jackson’s expected?

  She shook her head and he said, ‘No?’ and she repeated, ‘No.’

  ‘What for then?’

  ‘For you!’ Her voice wasn’t shy, and somehow he thought it should have been when she was making such a statement, until she added in a voice that was a good imitation of her father’s. “Put your new frock on, girl, and go down and see your Aunt Rosie. It’s lonely she’ll be the day.” And as I put it on I thought, me new frock’s not goin’ to help me Aunt Rosie any, an’ I couldn’t understand it until I heard our Bernie call to me ma in a loud whisper, “He’s just gone past makin’ for the fells,” and then…’ At this point Lily bowed her head and put her hand over her mouth and started to laugh again, and Rory said, ‘And then…Well? Go on, tell us.’

  Her eyes bright and blinking, she now said, ‘Me ma came in like a divil in a gale of wind, thrust the milk can into me hand and almost pushed me out, saying, “Go an’ get a quart.” And when I asked her what she wanted a second quart for ’cos I’d already been once, she said, “I’m goin’ to make a puddin’. And don’t you dawdle on the road talkin’ to Rory McAlister,” she said, “mind I’m tellin’ you.”’

  They were silent now, staring at each other.

  ‘Do you see, Rory?’

  ‘See what?’

  ‘O—oh!’ She screwed up her eyes tight and pushed him with the flat of her hand. ‘They’ve decided that you’re a better catch now than Frank Jackson, and I’m to cock me cap at you.’

  ‘No!’

  ‘Aye, isn’t it funny?’

  ‘Aw, Lily.’ He now leant against the wall and, his shoulders shaking, he said, ‘Aye, it is funny.’

  ‘You know, I couldn’t get out quick enough, I nearly burst. Mind’—she nodded her head at him—‘you won’t have to make things easy for me; you’ll take no notice of me when they’re about. I want to see them breakin’ their necks to push me at you, an’ the more you keep cool the more cans of milk I’ll be sent for.’ She bowed her head now and giggled as she added, ‘And the more times I’ll be sent down to comfort me Aunt Rosie.’ Then, her face becoming serious for a moment, she ended, ‘It’s lucky me Aunt Rosie likes me.’

  ‘Aye, ’tis. That makes the two of us.’

  They became quiet, staring again at each other. Then of a sudden he said, ‘I’ve got to be goin’, I’m movin’ me folks into the cottage.’ But he didn’t turn away from her, nor she from him…Swiftly now he bent forward and put his lips on hers; and as swiftly he turned about and left her.

  When he had gone about a dozen steps he looked over his shoulder. She was still standing where he had left her. ‘Ta-ra, Rory,’ she cried. He stopped for a moment. ‘Ta-ra, Lily,’ he answered. Then he jerked his head and winked at her; and at this she let out a high laugh, picked up the can, sat on top of the wall and swung her legs over, then ran across the field.

  His head in the air, his shoulders squared as befitted a man with responsibilities, Rory walked on. And he wasn’t unaware of the responsibilities that he had taken on. For years now he had had to look after his family, but now he had a second home, and in a way another mother to care for; on top of which the prosperity of the wheelwright’s business would be on his shoulders. And if this wasn’t enough, his mind was already planning a fourth responsibility, and he was old enough to know what that led to, another home and children. But he asked himself aloud what they all amounted to after all, for anybody who had served his time, be it only two days, in the dangerous craft of transporting blue baccy was prepared for anything.

  Moreover, he considered that it had taken a man to hold a fortune in his hand and drop it piece by piece into the river. He was no longer a lad, or a boy. Come Saturday he was going in to the bank in Newcastle, and afterwards he was going to a real tailor’s to get himself a new suit.

  From now on he was a man, Mr Rory McAlister.

  The End