Sweet Rosie (15 page)

‘It could be a trap, there could be robbers waiting in the trees, you never know what will happen on these lonely roads.’

Llinos pushed the door open and climbed from the carriage. She shaded her eyes and looked up ahead. One of the women was waving. She seemed small and defenceless, her clothes, though dusty, were respectable.

‘Help us, please!’ A voice called and Llinos stepped back a pace, her heart thumping. ‘I know that voice,’ she said quietly. ‘It’s Lily, she used to be a painter at the pottery.’

‘It could still be a trap, Mrs Mainwaring. Is this Lily a trustworthy person?’

Llinos thought of the way Lily had plotted against herself and Joe and shook her head. Once, it seemed so long ago now, Lily, by her trouble-making, had almost led a riot, rousing the people of the town against Joe. She certainly was not to be trusted.

‘Get into the driving seat,’ Llinos said quickly. ‘We’ll drive past, see what happens.’

The carriage jerked into movement, one of the horses whinnied a protest at the sharp flick of the whip.

Llinos stared out of the window and, as she passed the women, she saw Lily look up at her pleadingly, her eyes shadowed, her face gaunt. The other woman, clearly a servant, was lying against a boulder, clutching her side; she appeared really sick. If she was playing a part, she was playing it very well.

Around the bend of the road, the carriage drew to a halt and Kenneth climbed down. Llinos watched as he wound his way back along the roadway and soon he was out of sight behind a cluster of trees. Llinos waited, feeling nervous; she wished again that she had not been so foolish as to leave Joe behind. Her pride had got the better of her good sense.

The driver appeared at the window so suddenly that Llinos started back in alarm. ‘Sorry to startle you, Mrs Mainwaring, but they look genuine enough. Both of them are sitting on the ground now and there’s no sign of anyone else.’

‘All right,’ Llinos said, ‘turn around, we’ll pick them up.’ Lily might be an enemy but Llinos could not leave her to die at the roadside. Joe would have acted with kindness, she knew that, and he would expect her to do the same.

When the two women were seated opposite Llinos, Lily looked at her with large eyes. She was subdued; her arrogance that had been so much a part of her had vanished. She was beaten and helpless and Llinos could not help but feel sorry for her.

‘Llinos . . . Mrs Mainwaring, I didn’t know it was you but thanks for picking us up.’ Lily’s voice quivered with weakness.

‘How is your companion?’ Llinos asked, her voice cool.

Lily looked at the servant, who was grey with fatigue, and shook her head. ‘If you hadn’t come along Betty would have died,’ she said humbly. ‘And so would I. We haven’t eaten for days nor had a drink of water since yesterday morning. We’ve been afraid to stop in case we were followed.’

‘That’s your business, I don’t want to know anything about your problems. I might be letting you ride in my carriage but I don’t want anything to do with you once we get into town.’

Llinos drew a basket from under the seat and, opening it, took out a bottle of water and a cup. ‘Don’t drink too much at first,’ she warned, ‘or it will make you sick.’

She expected Lily to take a drink herself first; Lily had always been selfish, not caring who she hurt so long as she was all right. She had changed because she held the cup to the serving woman’s lips, supporting her head as she drank. Then Lily sipped a little water herself.

‘I feel better now.’ Lily licked the last vestige of water from her lips. ‘Thank you for helping us, Mrs Mainwaring. If I was you I wouldn’t have stopped, not after the bad way I treated you.’ She began to cry. ‘If only you knew how much I suffered over that, I’ve been paid back a thousand times for my wickedness.’

‘Where are you going now, which lodging house?’ Llinos asked.

‘I’ll find somewhere once we’re back in Swansea.’ She looked down at her hands. ‘Perhaps my friend Polly is still around, she’ll take me in.’

Llinos sighed, she knew Lily was waiting for an offer of help but right now Llinos’s patience was strained. She leaned back and closed her eyes, fighting back her unhappiness. The sight of Lily had brought back the past so vividly. The angry crowd outside the door, the sound of voices baying for blood, her blood as well as Joe’s, and all because of the girl sitting opposite her.

‘I know you must hate me,’ Lily said. ‘I don’t blame you, I nearly got you killed. I realize now that Mr Mainwaring is a good man, the medicines he gave your father and old Mr Marks were only to do them good.’

Llinos opened her eyes. ‘I don’t want to talk about the past, if you don’t mind.’ She could not keep the note of anger from her voice. Lily went so pale that her eyelids looked blue and Llinos felt sorry for her. But once they were back in town, Lily was on her own.

It was silent except for the creaking of the carriage. The serving woman struggled to speak; she was slumped against the leather, scarcely able to open her swollen eyes.

‘Don’t be angry, Mrs,’ she said. ‘Lily’s gone through the mill and she’s a changed girl. Whatever she done, she’s paid for it over and over.’

Lily remained quiet though tears rolled down her cheeks and her jaw quivered. She was a foolish, misguided girl and perhaps she had learnt her lesson, though Llinos doubted it.

‘Try to rest, now,’ she said. ‘We will be back in Swansea before nightfall.’

Llinos pretended to sleep; she had no desire to talk and certainly not to Lily. She was sunk in her own misery thinking about Joe, alone in Cornwall. She wondered if he would ever come back to her or was their marriage over?

At last the smoke from the Swansea works drifted towards the carriage, bringing with it a sulphurous, unpleasant smell. Llinos opened her eyes warily.

‘We’re home,’ Lily said quietly. She put her hands together and closed her eyes. ‘Thank you God for bringing me back safely,’ she whispered.

Llinos leaned out of the window. ‘Kenneth,’ she called, ‘stop near Vaughan’s lodging house and we’ll drop them off there.’

‘I haven’t got any money, Mrs Mainwaring,’ Lily said in panic. ‘I can’t stop there, not without a few sovereigns to pay the bill.’

Llinos opened her bag and took out some coins. ‘I’ve brought you this far, Lily, but I don’t want to see you again, do you understand?’

‘Yes,’ Lily said meekly. ‘And thank you. Come on, Betty, we can rest in comfort tonight.’

It was good to be home but as Llinos stepped into the hallway of Pottery House she knew that there would be questions asked, questions she was far too tired to answer.

The scents of the house, familiar smells of beeswax and flowers and from outside the ever present smell of baking clay made her happy and sad at the same time. She was home but she was alone. Was she going to be alone for the rest of her life?

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was lonely at Pottery House without Joe. Since Llinos had walked out on him, she had not heard a word from him. She was frightened and yet she felt she must put a brave face on things for Charlotte and of course for Lloyd.

Eynon was a different kettle of fish; she wanted to tell him the truth, to ask his advice. They were sitting together in the drawing room of Pottery House and Llinos stared at him, wondering how to broach the subject.

‘How’s Jayne?’ she asked lightly.

‘I’ve told you once she’s fine, my new business is fine as well. I enjoy bringing china clay from Dorset back to Swansea, it keeps me out of mischief.’

‘And Martin?’

‘Martin is well and happy, fatter than ever. Now cut all this chatter and get to the point.’ He sat back, a knowing look on his face. ‘You are breaking your heart over Joe, aren’t you, and too proud to do anything about it.’

Llinos took a deep breath and then the words poured from her lips like a flood. ‘I don’t know where he is. I walked out on him, Eynon. We had a row; he told me I was a bad wife. He’s changed, Eynon, I don’t think he’s the same Joe I married. Where can he be staying? He’s not at the hotel in Cornwall. Oh, I don’t know anything any more!’

‘Have you asked his sister where he is? Surely Charlotte must have heard from him?’ Eynon said quietly.

‘I think if Charlotte knew she would have told me by now.’ Llinos looked miserably at the trees outside the window without seeing them. ‘Charlotte is as worried as I am.’

‘I’m sure he’s as right as rain but I’ll make some enquiries, if you like?’

‘No!’ she paused. ‘Joe will come home when he’s ready, if ever he
is
ready. It might be he’s had enough of me. That was our first quarrel, it might well be our last.’ She felt tears against her lids and tried to blink them away.

‘I don’t think Joe is the type of man to allow one disagreement to spoil the wonderful relationship he has with you.’

Llinos smiled. ‘You are biased. Ask yourself, is his life so wonderful?’

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Eynon said evenly. ‘He has his son, he has his own successful business to run and he has you. Joe has nothing to complain of, believe me.’

‘He demands more of his wife’s time and attention, it seems.’

‘Is that what he said?’ Eynon asked.

‘That’s what it comes to.’ Llinos continued to stare at the trees as if they could give her answers to her questions. Joe was not content with their life as it was, he had made that quite clear. Now, sitting here in the sunlit room, Llinos could not believe that they had been so angry with each other. Surely, if she had been more understanding, had listened to him instead of being on the defensive, they could have worked it out? But she had indulged in her feelings of hurt pride and walked out on him. She had not even stopped to consider if Joe had a point.

‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘I’m foolish pouring out my troubles to you. I don’t know what I expect you to do about the mess I’ve got myself into.’

‘I can support you and listen to you and perhaps even advise you,’ Eynon said softly. ‘Why not let Joe have his freedom for a while? He is trying to work something out in his head, if I know Joe. He is better off alone right now, you know, like a bear retreating into a cave? He has a different way of life from us, Llinos, just let him be, he’ll come back to you all safe and sound again, you’ll see.’

‘Maybe,’ Llinos said. ‘Anyway, tell me about your exciting business venture, it sounds fascinating.’ She forced a cheerful note into her voice. ‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to shake off your links with the pottery altogether.’

‘Miss Clever Shoes!’ Eynon said. ‘All right, if you don’t want to listen to my advice about Joe, then I’ll humour you and change the subject.’ His face was bright now, eager. ‘I’ve bought three ships, good sound sailing ships, and I’ve hired experienced captains and crew.’ He sat forward in his chair and Llinos realized that Eynon had needed a purpose; the life of the idle rich had never suited him.

‘If I bring the clay up from Poole I will be making a good profit on it. I have plans for opening a new pottery myself, not a very big one and not yet a while but the idea is there buzzing around my head.’

‘It sounds a wonderful idea.’ Llinos was pleased for Eynon; it was about time he found a new interest instead of running around with married women.

‘Jayne will be a very rich young woman one day if my plans work out,’ Eynon said in satisfaction.

Llinos shook her head. ‘She’s not exactly poverty stricken now, is she? You are far richer than I am, Eynon. My pottery almost ran itself into bankruptcy once, remember? I’m very lucky to have survived those hard times.’

‘Not lucky,’ Eynon said softly, ‘you are courageous, enterprising and damned hardworking. Those things have nothing to do with luck, Llinos.’

‘You may be right.’ She raised her eyebrows as Eynon put his head on one side.

‘What?’

‘I’ve at least stopped you looking at those damned trees, that’s what!’ He smiled at her. His teeth were fine and even and his hair was almost golden. He was a good-looking man and he loved her. How simple life would have been if she could have loved him in return.

The clock in the hall chimed the hour and Eynon stood up.

‘I have to go,’ he said. ‘I’m meeting my secret mistress in a little over an hour and I’ve got to get ready.’

Llinos frowned. ‘I wish you would be careful, Eynon. I don’t like that man Sparks. I think he would be really vindictive if he caught you with his wife.’

‘Then I shall have to make sure he doesn’t catch me,’ Eynon said lightly. He kissed her cheek and, on an impulse, she put her arms around him.

‘You know how much I care about you, Eynon. Is this Mrs Sparks worth the risks you’re taking?’

‘I’m still a young man, Llinos,’ he said quietly. ‘I need a woman and as I can’t have the one I love, I have to make do with one who is available.’

Llinos was still in Eynon’s arms when the door opened and her son came into the room. He looked at Eynon disapprovingly.

‘You shouldn’t kiss my mamma,’ he said accusingly, ‘my father wouldn’t like it.’ He sat on the chair Eynon had just vacated, a mutinous expression on his face.

‘But, Lloyd
bach
, Eynon and I are old friends, a kiss between us is just a sign of affection.’

‘You don’t love Father any more,’ Lloyd said. ‘Otherwise you wouldn’t have come home without him.’

‘That’s silly!’ Llinos’s tone was sharp. ‘And it’s rude of you to interrupt. Now go to your room and stay there until you learn some manners.’

On his way out, Lloyd aimed a sly kick in the direction of Eynon’s polished boots then slammed the door behind him.

‘He’s upset,’ Eynon said. ‘He’s missing his father, he doesn’t mean to be rude, he’s just a child.’

‘I know,’ Llinos sighed heavily. ‘Everything seems so black and white when you’re so young, doesn’t it? Go on home, you’ve heard enough of my moaning for one day.’

She watched from the doorway of Pottery House as Eynon walked away along the row. He was a rich man, he could have ridden the several miles from his home on any one of a stable of horses. He could have ridden in the fine carriage with the Morton-Edwards crest emblazoned on the doors but Eynon loved to walk.