Cherry Tree Lane Page 10

  ‘That’d be good.’

  Their eyes met and he could feel himself flushing, then got angry with himself for being such a coward and sat down again. He always told the children to face up to problems and should follow his own advice.

  She looked at him warily. ‘Is something wrong?’

  He took a deep breath and said it quickly before he could lose his nerve. ‘Miss Newington spoke to you, I believe? She made a … a suggestion.’ He couldn’t force out the words ‘get married’, just couldn’t do it.

  ‘Yes. It was … a surprise.’

  ‘She shocked me too.’

  ‘I’ll perfectly understand if you don’t want to …’ Her voice trailed away and she flushed scarlet.

  ‘I don’t know what I want, and that’s the truth.’

  She let out her breath in a gasp that was almost a laugh. ‘I don’t, either.’

  ‘You haven’t refused, though?’

  ‘No. You’re still considering it, then, are you?’

  ‘Yes. It … the idea does have some advantages, I must admit.’

  Silence. She looked up just as he did and their eyes met. She seemed so anxious, he gave her a reassuring smile.

  It was her answering smile that did it, shy and nervous. And how thin she was, how close she’d been to death. He felt responsible for her and he liked her. So did the children. He took a deep breath. ‘All in all, I don’t mind getting married, if you don’t. But I don’t want you feeling forced into it.’

  She didn’t look away, seemed a bit sad behind everything, but before he could ask her why, she spread her hands in a helpless gesture. ‘All right.’

  ‘You mean … you’ll do it?’

  She nodded. ‘If you’re sure.’

  And suddenly he was sure, so he gave in to the temptation of taking her hand. ‘I’ll try to be a good husband to you, Mattie, provide for you as well as I can, treat you properly.’

  Her hand turned to grasp his more firmly. ‘I’ll be a good wife to you, Jacob. I’ll look after your children and work alongside you. I’m a hard worker.’

  He gave her hand a little squeeze. ‘And I wanted to say, in case you were worried: I won’t ever hurt you. I don’t believe in beating women or children. I never laid a finger on Alice.’

  Jacob didn’t know what to say next, so he let go of her hand and stood up. ‘That’s settled, then. I’ll go and tell Miss Newington tonight.’

  ‘I’ll iron you a shirt. Do you have a better one than your working shirts?’

  ‘Yes. I’ll fetch my best one down.’

  When he’d done that, he walked back out to the field wondering what had got into him. He’d more than half-decided not to remarry, even for the sake of the job. But Miss Newington was right. In many ways, it was a sensible solution to all his problems, and to Mattie’s.

  And she was pretty. He really liked her hair. And her smile.

  If he hadn’t offered to marry her, Mattie would have nowhere to go. He couldn’t bear to think of her turned loose in the world with only just over a pound in her purse. Surely there was enough warmth between them, enough goodwill, for them to make a fair go of marriage?

  He found himself smiling at the thought of her as he carried on working. Thinking how good it would be to come back to the house at dinner time and find her waiting, how good to see Sarah with a woman to guide her, how good to have Mattie in his bed.

  Before she left the lawyer’s rooms after signing her new will and writing a brief letter stating why she’d not left anything to her cousin, Emily borrowed a piece of paper and wrote a brief letter to that same cousin. She made a copy and gave that to Mr Longley, on the principle of not trusting her cousin an inch.

  Dear Arthur,

  It seems Mr Parker made an error when explaining our uncle’s will to me, so in case you’re under the same misapprehension, I’m writing to inform you of the real state of affairs.

  I am not obliged to live at Newington House but am free to rent it until the ten years are over, then I can sell it to whomsoever I choose.

  And as none of us are getting any younger, just in case anything should happen to me, I’ve made a will leaving everything I own to a person outside the family.

  Yours etc

  Emily

  She signed the letter with a flourish, refused an offer to allow Mr Longley’s clerk to post it for her and went to buy a penny stamp at the post office. She licked it, admired the King’s head in shades of her favourite colour, green, then placed the stamp carefully in the corner of the envelope. She smiled as she slid the letter into the postbox, feeling as if a burden had been removed from her shoulders.

  She was still smiling as she sat in the train. Arthur wasn’t getting his hands on her land at some ridiculously low price. If he made her a better offer as a result of this, she’d consider it, but she wasn’t giving the house away, to him or to anyone. She was still trying to decide what price would be fair as the train pulled into Wootton Bassett.

  She let the horse go at its own pace, which was slow, as she drove out to the village. It’d been an eventful few days. Her cousin was a bully and always had been. She’d been glad when her mother persuaded her father to take up employment he’d been offered in Newcastle because Arthur had made the family gatherings of her childhood miserable. He’d pinched her when no one was looking, punching her in the stomach sometimes or pulling her hair hard enough to make her eyes water. He’d treated his male cousin the same way. Poor Jeremy was dead now. She still didn’t approve of the Boer War. Why should Englishmen die so far away in South Africa? What good did such wars do?

  Once her family moved away, she’d felt reasonably certain she would never see Arthur again. Only, after her uncle died, she’d had to come back and face him.

  This train of thought led her to wonder once more why her uncle had left things so strangely. It could only be to create mischief. His son had been killed, something he’d never come to terms with, so out of resentment he’d made sure the niece and nephew who were still alive inherited problems, having either land or money, but not both.

  Well, she intended to prove herself a match for Arthur this time.

  Jacob was delighted to find tea cooked and ready to serve when he came in from his day’s work. He sniffed appreciatively. ‘Something smells good.’

  Sarah rushed across to help him with his slippers, words pouring out of her. ‘Mattie’s made corned beef hash and she let me help with the apple crumble. There’s custard to go with it and there are no lumps in it, none at all. Luke set the table, but he didn’t want to, said it was girls’ work.’

  ‘Getting a meal ready is work for anyone who wants to eat.’ Jacob gave his son a severe look. ‘You never saw me grumbling about doing the cooking, did you?’

  Luke shrugged and kicked the table leg, a habit he had when something annoyed him.

  The food was simple but tasty and they ate up every mouthful.

  ‘That was delicious.’ Jacob smiled at Mattie, then turned to his daughter. ‘And the crumble was good, too.’ He waited for Luke to speak and when his son didn’t, he asked quietly, ‘Did you enjoy your meal, son?’

  Luke nodded.

  ‘Then why haven’t you thanked our guest for cooking it?’

  ‘Thank you for making tea,’ Luke said, but he didn’t sound grateful.

  ‘You children can do the dishes, as usual,’ Jacob said. ‘Miss Willitt is very tired now. We all have to remember that she’s not completely better yet.’

  They didn’t grumble, but he heard Luke snap at Sarah once or twice. ‘I don’t know what’s got into our Luke,’ Jacob said apologetically to Mattie. ‘He usually has better manners than this.’

  ‘It doesn’t matter.’

  ‘It does to me. I like my children to behave properly and show respect for their elders. Their mother would have wanted it, too.’ He hesitated, then added in a low voice, ‘You haven’t changed your mind about what we discussed?’

  ‘No. And you? I won’t ho
ld you to it if you have.’

  ‘I haven’t changed.’ To his amusement she went pink again. He discovered that he liked to make her blush and had a sudden urge to touch her soft pink cheek.

  At seven-thirty, Jacob went upstairs to change into his best shirt and Sunday suit for the call on Miss Newington, finding them laid out neatly on his bed, the shirt beautifully ironed, with a stiff collar and collar studs beside it.

  When he came down, Mattie was resting by the fire, looking tired, and he said, ‘Luke, Sarah, don’t let Miss Willitt do anything else this evening.’

  ‘I’ll look after her.’ Sarah stationed herself beside Mattie’s chair with a self-important air.

  Luke mumbled something and Mattie shot him a quick, worried glance.

  That boy needed a good talking-to, Jacob decided.

  Lyddie tapped on the door and came into the small sitting room. ‘Mr Kemble is here to see you, miss.’

  ‘Show him in.’

  Jacob came in and Emily noticed at once that he was looking much smarter than usual, no doubt due to Mattie’s efforts. ‘Please take a seat.’

  He sat on the edge of the armchair opposite, looking ill at ease.

  She frowned. ‘Have you come to tell me you can’t take the job?’

  ‘No. I’ve come to tell you Mattie and I have agreed to get married and if it’s still all right with you, I’d like to take the job.’

  She beamed at him. ‘That’s wonderful news! What changed your mind?’

  He fidgeted and ran one fingertip round the edge of his stiff collar. ‘I felt sorry for her.’

  That didn’t please her. ‘Feeling sorry for someone is no reason to get married.’

  ‘And, well …’ He flushed. ‘I like her.’

  ‘Ah, that’s a much better reason. I like her too.’ She beamed at him. ‘I’m very pleased about this, very pleased indeed. We’ll get a special licence tomorrow and we can have you married by the end of the week. April is a lovely month to get married in, don’t you think?’

  He blinked at her in shock and his voice sounded thin and scratchy. ‘We don’t need to … to rush things like that, surely?’

  ‘We do. It isn’t fitting for her to be staying with you if you’re not married. And anyway, I wish to move back to Newcastle as soon as possible.’ She didn’t know why she felt to be in such a hurry but she did. She’d go into lodgings until she could buy a small house, somewhere in Jesmond Dene perhaps. Then she saw that Jacob was waiting patiently for her to continue and remembered that he was quite short of money. ‘I’ll pay for the extra expenses involved in the special licence. You’ll be a married man by this time next week.’

  She saw him mouth the words after her, his eyes widening in shock, and hid a smile. ‘We’ll go into Swindon tomorrow afternoon and make the necessary arrangements. I can see my lawyer while we’re there and ask him if he’s found anyone to rent this house yet. The job is yours, Jacob Kemble.’

  His tense expression eased a little and he sat more upright as if he felt better for that news.

  ‘Is that all?’ she asked.

  ‘I think so, unless you have anything else to discuss, miss?’

  ‘No.’ She stood up and he did too. His manners were always excellent. She held out her hand and he shook it without a word.

  ‘I’ll call for you in the trap tomorrow morning.’ Then she had a thought and turned. ‘Does your young lady have her birth certificate with her? I think we might need it.’

  ‘I don’t know. She had some papers, but they were sodden. I didn’t look at them.’

  ‘Better find out. If she hasn’t got it, we’ll see what my lawyer suggests.’

  When he’d gone she allowed herself one glass of her uncle’s fine brandy, sipping it slowly and smiling into the fire. Then she moved across to her writing bureau and began to make lists and plans for the move. She’d done her best to settle in here, her very best, but something was calling her home, and she felt she should go sooner rather than later.

  That was her last thought before she fell asleep. Home. She was going home. She’d soon be taking her daily walks along the seafront. That thought made her feel warmly happy.

  Jacob walked back down the lane, feeling as if he’d been picked up and thoroughly shaken by a giant. It was all happening too quickly. What would Mattie say to such a hasty wedding? Would that make her change her mind?

  He was surprised to find that he hoped not.

  He found her sitting by the kitchen table, reading a book again. She looked tired, her face white and pinched, her eyes huge and, it seemed to him, her expression was rather apprehensive. She didn’t even wait for him to sit down.

  ‘Well? What did Miss Newington say?’

  He went to sit beside her, turned towards her, leaning his left arm on the table and watching her intently. It seemed essential that he not miss anything about her expression. If she felt forced into this, afraid of marrying him, then he’d end it. ‘She was pleased that we were getting wed. Offered me the job on the spot.’

  Mattie let out her breath in a long sigh of relief. ‘I’m so glad.’

  ‘But she wants us to marry straight away, by special licence.’ He wondered if he’d looked as surprised when Miss Newington said this to him as Mattie did now.

  ‘Straight away!’

  He nodded. ‘If that doesn’t suit you, I can go and ask her for a few more days, but she wants to get away from here quickly and go back to the north, which is home to her.’

  ‘Oh. Well … I suppose it won’t make much difference. Only …’ Her eyes filled with tears.

  He took her hand, didn’t like to see her so upset. ‘What is it?’

  ‘I’ve nothing to wear. I’d hoped for time to make myself a pretty dress. And even then—’ She broke off, covering her eyes with one hand.

  He saw a tear trickle down her cheek and pulled her into his arms. ‘There now, there now. Tell me what it is and we’ll find a way to make it right.’

  ‘I don’t have enough money for the material. Oh, Jacob, I shall look so shabby!’ She gestured to herself. ‘I didn’t leave home wearing my Sunday dress, and even that is … well, it’s old-fashioned now. And my shoes have cracked after getting so wet. They were quite old too.’

  ‘Did your stepfather keep you so short of money?’

  She nodded against his chest, her voice muffled. ‘I never had a penny of my own, even though I worked for two hours every day in a shop. He took all our wages and always wanted to know what I’d spent on housekeeping, right down to the nearest farthing.’

  Jacob stroked her hair, marvelling at how soft it was and how well she fitted into his arms. ‘I don’t mind what you wear. It’s you I’m marrying, not your clothes.’

  ‘Any woman would want to look her best on her wedding day. I’m no different.’

  He had a sudden idea. ‘I’ve still got Alice’s things. You can see if there’s anything among them you could alter.’

  ‘Wear your wife’s clothes?’

  ‘You’re using her nightdress already.’

  ‘It doesn’t seem right to get married in her clothes, though. And anyway, that doesn’t solve the problem of shoes.’

  ‘She’d not mind you having the clothes. She was a kind woman, my Alice. You’d have liked her and I think she’d have liked you. And we can buy you some new shoes in Swindon. There are lots of shops in Regent Street. We’re bound to find something there.’

  Suddenly Mattie was sobbing even harder. He didn’t know what to do to calm her, but rocked her to and fro, waiting for the storm to subside.

  ‘What is it?’ he asked when she lay quiet and spent against his chest. ‘What have I done to upset you?’

  ‘It’s just … you’re so kind. I’ve not been used to kindness from a man. It overset me.’ She gave him a watery smile. ‘I’m being silly. It’s probably because I’ve not recovered yet.’

  And because she was so upset, he found himself kissing her gently on the lips. ‘You’re not silly
,’ he said as he drew away. But because her lips were so soft and full, he had to kiss her again, properly this time. And she didn’t protest or do anything but kiss him back.

  When the kiss ended, he held her close. ‘Funny old world, isn’t it? Luke thought you were dead when he found you and now I’m going to marry you.’

  ‘I was more worried about my stepfather catching me. I’m still worried about that.’

  ‘Once we’re married, there’s nothing he can do.’

  ‘He can attack you, hurt you badly. He prides himself on paying back anyone who’s offended him. I think it’s just an excuse for hurting people. He enjoys doing that, even in small ways.’

  ‘He can try to hurt me, but I grew up defending myself against a lad who used to live in the village. Proper old bully he was when he was younger, and bigger than me. But it taught me to fight. He got into trouble for his rough ways and joined the army to escape. Went out to South Africa with Master Jeremy. Poor fellow, he died there as well.’ When she didn’t speak, he added, ‘I do know how to defend myself, Mattie.’

  ‘But you don’t know my stepfather. He’s a big man and he fights dirty.’

  ‘I’ll bear that in mind if he ever attacks me. But I promise you, as long as there’s breath in my body, I’ll look after what’s mine, and that will include you from now on.’

  She gave him such a luminous smile, it warmed his heart. He gave her hand a final squeeze. ‘Well now, if that’s settled, I’ll make you a cup of cocoa while you get yourself to bed. I’ll bring it in to you.’

  When he carried it into the front room, he found she’d fallen asleep, her face peaceful as a child’s, all traces of tears vanished now.

  He smiled and was still smiling when he went back into the kitchen to drink the cocoa himself. This marriage was going to be all right, he was sure of it now. If Alice was up in heaven watching over them, he hoped she wouldn’t mind. He didn’t think she would.

  And he knew his parents would have approved of Mattie.

  How could you not approve of a woman like her?

  Chapter Eight