Whispers (36 page)

‘Oh!’ Jess had forgotten that both of the girls were growing up now and becoming more independent. ‘But isn’t it rather a long way? And won’t you get cold?’ she muttered lamely.

Jo chuckled. ‘Mum – it’s no further than when we walk back every afternoon.’

‘All right then, if that’s what you want.’ Jess kissed Jo and Mel and walked to the door with them. ‘Now you will mind how you cross the roads, won’t you? And be sure not to talk to any strangers.’

Jo raised her eyes to the heavens and giggled. ‘There you go again. We’re not babies, you know. Now why don’t you go back to bed and have a good rest? And don’t get trying to do anything either. Mel and I can do the cleaning up when we get home.’

‘Now who am I to refuse an offer like that?’ Jess said with a twinkle in her eye. ‘See you later then, girls.’ But inside she felt like crying. Jo’s statement had brought home to her the fact that neither of the girls needed her quite so much any more, and she felt as if she’d been made redundant. The school runs had been part of her life for so long now that she wouldn’t know what to do with her spare time.

But then she supposed it did have its plus side. Actually the thought
of
another hour in bed was quite attractive so she climbed the stairs and hopped back under the duvet with a contented sigh. She would have a new baby to contend with soon and she had no doubt she would be glad of the extra time then. She lay there for a while wondering what Simon was doing and what his hotel was like. He had done all the organising for the trip himself so she had no idea even what hotel he was staying in, but at least she could still reach him on his mobile if there was an emergency, which she seriously hoped there wouldn’t be, after what had happened the day before.

Rather than dwell on that she decided to read a little more of Martha’s journal so she lifted it from the drawer, snuggled down and began.

31 December

It is hard to believe that it will be a brand new year tomorrow. The week has passed in a flash but all the guests have left now and so no doubt tomorrow the house will return to some sort of normality. I fear the extra work has taken its toll on Grace and I wonder if she will carry her baby to full term now. Her ankles are very puffed up, and today I caught her leaning heavily on the side of the horse trough near the stables. She insisted that she was all right, but I have my doubts . . .

‘Are you all right, Grace?’

The young woman straightened, and rubbing her aching back, she raised a wobbly smile for her sister. ‘I’m fine, love. I reckon it’s all the extra work just catchin’ up on me. I might try an’ get a couple of hours’ rest this afternoon so as I can enjoy the party tonight.’

‘See as yer do then,’ Martha replied bossily as she headed for the dairy. She was in fine spirits at the prospect of the party that was planned for that evening. Jimmy would be coming and she intended to find time to wash her hair before it began so that she looked her best, not that she would have much spare time. Cook was busily preparing the food in the kitchen for it even now, and once it was all done Martha knew she would be kept on the run transporting it over to the two big trestle tables that had been set up next to the hay bales. Grace wouldn’t be able to help much, that was for sure, but then she hoped that Bertie and the Tolleys would give her a hand. She hummed away happily to herself as she worked, and once she was done she headed back to the warmth of the kitchen.

‘Ah, there you are,’ Cook commented as she transferred a steak and kidney pie from the oven to the table. The aroma filled the air and Martha sniffed appreciatively.

‘Cor, there looks to be enough food here to feed an army,’ Martha joked, and the large woman smiled.

‘Better too much than not enough, an’ yer know how the men can put it away when they’ve had a skinful. Now, you take that tray up to yer granny, would yer, before we start to get this lot over to the barn.’

Martha obediently lifted the tray that was covered in a snow-white cloth and minutes later she carried it into her granny’s room. The old woman was sitting up in bed propped up by pillows and Martha was pleased to see that she looked a little better today.

‘How are all the preparations goin’, pet?’ she asked as Martha placed the tray on her lap.

‘Oh, I reckon Cook has everythin’ in hand and the barn looks lovely. Bertie and Hal have strung lanterns everywhere and swept the floor so it will look grand tonight, but I think Cook wants you to eat somethin’ today, do yer hear me?’

‘I hear yer.’ Granny smiled. She knew that the girl worried about her and felt so useless stuck away in her room, although she was forced to admit she would have been neither use nor ornament had she gone down to the kitchen.

Martha set about tidying the room as Granny lifted the spoon and tasted the chicken broth before asking, ‘His lordship still away, is he?’

‘Yes, he left to spend the New Year in London the day after he caught me in the hall,’ Martha said.

Granny nodded with satisfaction. ‘Best bloody place fer him,’ she muttered. ‘An’ fair dos to Master Leonard fer clearin’ him off. It’s only a shame that the wicked bugger ’as to come back. But when he does, you just be sure an’ keep out of ’is way as much as yer can.’

Martha hardly needed telling that but she nodded anyway.

‘An’ how is our Grace bearin’ up now?’ the old woman asked.

‘Oh, she seems to be all right, though I know she was mortified fer the staff to learn what the Master had done to her. Do yer reckon she’ll take to this baby, Granny? I mean, knowin’ how it was conceived?’

‘I think so.’ Granny gazed towards the window. ‘I had a good talk to her just last night an’ she told me that at the end o’ the day it ain’t the baby’s fault so she’ll try her best to love it. I mean, it didn’t ask to be born, did it? It’s Bertie I’m more worried about. I’m convinced that
if
he could kill the Master an’ get away wi’ it, he would wi’out givin’ it a second thought. But I ain’t sure that he won’t see the Master every time he looks at the poor little mite once it arrives. Still, we’ll just have to wait an’ see, won’t we? But now let’s talk o’ happier things. What were yer plannin’ on wearin’ tonight, an’ is young Jimmy comin’?’

Martha flushed. ‘Yes, Jimmy is coming. An’ I’ve altered the gown that Miss Melody gave me to wear. I’m worried that it might be a bit too grand for a party in a barn though.’

‘Rubbish. I’ve no doubt you’ll look beautiful, an’ it’ll do yer good to ’ave a chance to dress up fer a change. But just make sure as yer come up here so I can see yer in all yer finery, won’t yer?’

‘I will,’ Martha promised. ‘But I’d best get on now, else Cook will be screamin’ for me. Bye for now, Granny.’

She skipped from the room as the old woman watched her go with an affectionate smile on her face. She was a good girl, was her Martha. None better. An’ if that whorin’ old bastard so much as laid hands on her again it wouldn’t be Bertie who would be committin’ murder but herself, ’cos she’d run him through wi’ a knife without givin’ it a second thought.

The party was in full swing within minutes of it starting. It was a bitterly cold evening and so everyone decided to dance to keep themselves warm, all apart from Grace that was, and she was so big now that she could scarcely wobble about, let alone dance. Jimmy’s eyes almost started from his head when he arrived and saw Martha dressed in the gown that Miss Melody had given her. It was a lovely shade of cornflower blue, fitted tight into the waist with a billowing skirt. Martha had tied her hair high onto the top of her head with one of the ribbons that the young Master and Mistress had given her for Christmas, and as he took her hands, he said, ‘By, lass, yer look all grown up. An’ yer could be taken fer gentry in that get-up.’

Martha blushed prettily. Granny had said much the same thing when Martha had gone to visit her in her finery and the girl felt wonderful. It wasn’t often she got to dress up, and she had never owned a gown the like of this one before.

The party had been going on for some time when Miss Melody and Master Leonard put in an appearance, and Hal instantly stopped fiddling and everyone halted the dancing.

‘Oh, please don’t stop,’ Miss Melody implored. ‘We only popped across to make sure you had enough ale and wine.’ She and her
husband
had donated two barrels of ale plus numerous bottles of wine to them all as a New Year present, and it was Hal who chuckled now before saying, ‘Thank yer kindly, ma’am, but I reckon if we were to drink all that lot tonight there’d be none of us fit enough to do any work tomorrow.’

Miss Melody smiled. She was draped in a warm cloak and she told him, ‘Good, then we’ll leave you to it. I don’t mind telling you, if I wasn’t so huge I would have liked to stay and have a dance myself.’

‘And it’s right welcome you’d have been,’ Bertie responded warmly.

The young Mistress looked towards the trestle table that was weighted down with food and grinned approvingly. Young Joey, who hadn’t stopped eating since he’d arrived, was tucking into yet another slice of Cook’s delicious pies, and spread across the table were various pickles, fresh baked crusty loaves and sweetmeats along with a variety of other things.

‘Then if you are quite sure that you have everything you need, we shall leave you to it, and please don’t worry if you’re a little late going about your chores tomorrow. I’m sure we shall survive if breakfast is not exactly on time.’ She slipped the hood of her cloak over her shining hair and glancing towards the barn door, she said, ‘It’s very cold. Do you think we might be in for some snow?’

‘No doubt about it,’ Hal replied with certainty. ‘An’ before the night is out, if I’m any judge. Goodnight, sir, madam.’

The young couple slipped away and in no time at all the party was in full swing again.

At some point Jimmy took Martha’s hand and led her towards the barn door, and once outside they stared into each other’s eyes.

‘I can’t get over how lovely yer look tonight, pet,’ he said with a small catch in his voice. ‘An’ I’ve been waitin’ to get yer on yer own ’cos there’s somethin’ I’ve been wantin’ to ask yer.’

When Martha stared up at him expectantly, he cleared his throat nervously and stumbled on, ‘Well, the thing is . . . I love yer . . . an’ I were wonderin’, would yer consider settin’ a date fer the weddin’? I mean I know I ain’t much of a catch, but—’

Martha quickly laid a finger across his lips. They had both known for some time that their feelings for each other would lead to this, but this was the official proposal that Martha had been waiting for.

‘Don’t say any more, Jimmy.’ Her eyes were shining and she felt that she might burst with happiness. ‘You would be the best catch in the world to me, an’ I’d be right proud to be yer wife.’

Jimmy’s chest seemed to swell to twice its size. ‘In that case I’ll ask the Mistress fer permission to wed yer, the first chance I get.’ And then he kissed her and a thousand fireworks exploded behind her eyes. It was as they were standing there locked in an embrace that the first flakes of snow began to flutter down and Martha laughed. Eeh, this looked set to be the best New Year ever.

They joined the rest of the staff in the barn then and Jimmy did not return to Leathermill Farm until the early hours of the morning when they had all seen the New Year in together. By then the snow was already inches deep underfoot and coming down with a vengeance, but all of them were in too high spirits to care.

Although she was tired, Martha was far too excited to sleep when she first went to bed and she lay reliving every moment of the wonderful evening she had just spent before writing in her journal until the candle burned low. This would be an entry to show her grandchildren one day.

3 January 1838

My feelings that this year was going to be a good one were as wrong as they could be. What a terrible few days it has been.

I had scarcely fallen asleep in the early hours of New Year’s Day when Grace woke me in a panic and told me to get up immediately. Miss Melody had been taken poorly and Grace had sent Bertie to fetch the doctor. But because the snow is so thick on the ground he was struggling to get the horse to go beyond the end of the lane . . .

‘I tell yer, Prince won’t budge another step,’ Bertie said in alarm as he came back into the kitchen after trying to urge the Master’s horse on. ‘Should I set out on foot to fetch the doctor?’

‘No, that won’t be necessary just yet,’ Miss Prim said, taking control of the situation. ‘There are quite enough of us here to care for the dear girl, though I am fearful that she may be going into early labour. I pray that I am wrong, for she has some weeks to go yet, but for now all we can do is take one step at a time. Grace, come with me.’ And with that she swept from the room and headed to the young Mistress’s room whilst everyone sat there in the kitchen feeling totally useless.

Throughout the night, Martha and Grace took turns sitting with Miss Prim as she mopped the poor Mistress’s brow and spoke soothingly to her. She was obviously in a great deal of discomfort and complained of severe pains in her back.

It was the afternoon of the following day, as Martha lifted the young woman’s head from the pillows to give her a sip of water that she noticed that the bedsheets were wet. Her waters had broken.

She quickly informed Miss Prim and Grace of the fact, and they exchanged a worried glance. Miss Prim then headed to the kitchen where she found Bertie sitting with his head in his hands.

‘Ah, Bertie . . .’ He was instantly on his feet. ‘Do you think there is any chance at all that you could make it to Caldecote village? I know the weather is appalling but I fear that Miss Melody’s baby is coming now, and as we cannot get the doctor, Grace tells me that a woman she called Mother Dickinson who lives there may be able to help?’

‘Aye, she would,’ Bertie instantly agreed. ‘Mother Dickinson ’as been deliverin’ babies around these parts fer as far back as I can remember. I’ll get off straight away an’ I’m sure I’ll be able to get there if I go on foot. Just leave it wi’ me.’

Miss Prim nodded her thanks before then turning her attention back to Polly and Cook. ‘Do you two think you might be able to get some water boiled, as much as you can, please? Oh, and I’ll need clean towels too – lots of them.’