Fairfield Hall (31 page)

But James was to have the last word. As he rose from the table he said, nonchalantly, ‘There’ll be no need for Theodore to have a tutor here. Until he’s ready to go to boarding
school – which I will agree to – he can attend the village school.’

With that, he turned and left the room, leaving Dorothea gaping after him.

The next day, Private Jenkins was sporting a blackening eye and a bruised nose.

‘What happened to you?’ James asked as he passed him in the hallway on his way to breakfast.

‘Village louts,’ the man muttered morosely. James roared with laughter. ‘Protecting their village whore, were they?’

Unobserved, Annabel came up behind them. This time she did not hide the fact that she had overheard their conversation. ‘If you mean Nancy, she has changed her ways. There will be no more
visits from gentlemen callers unless, of course, their intentions are honourable.’

James opened his mouth, but it was Jenkins who said quickly, ‘My intentions are honourable, m’lady. I know what she is – or rather was – but I still like the look of her.
I’m no angel but I’d like to court her proper-like, though no one would listen to me.’

‘Was that your intention last time you tried to visit?’

The man hung his head and mumbled, ‘Well, no, m’lady, it weren’t, but’ – he lifted his head – ‘it is now, I swear.’

Annabel looked into his hazel eyes. ‘I believe you,’ she said quietly. ‘I’ll talk to Nancy and see what she says. The only thing is, you’ll have to be chaperoned at
all times – at least to start with. She’s making a great effort to be accepted back into the village, but if the villagers see a man visiting her cottage, they won’t believe
her.’

Later that afternoon, as dusk gathered, James and Annabel, wrapped up against the winter’s chill, walked down to the village.

‘I need to see for myself what’s happening,’ James said. ‘Jenkins, you come too. We’ll let the villagers know you meant no harm.’

They came to a halt in front of the two shops that were now open when Jabez appeared from the smithy. He touched his cap to James and murmured, ‘M’lord.’ His tone was
deferential, but there was a coolness and a wary look in his eyes. His expression softened as he turned towards Annabel. ‘My lady.’ Then his glance went to the soldier standing a pace
or two behind. ‘Bit o’ trouble last night, then, was there, young feller? Well, I’ll say one thing, you look to have come out of it better than the other two.’ He jerked his
thumb over his shoulder. ‘Young Josh is battered black and blue and they say Adam Cartwright ain’t much better.’ The old man chuckled. ‘’Spect you know a few more
moves than they do, what with you bein’ a soldier and learnin’ to fight.’

‘Jenkins got the message,’ James said curtly.

‘Good,’ Jabez said. ‘We’re trying to help that lass and her young ’un be accepted back into the community and it dun’t help if fellers still think they can
– use her.’ His eyes hardened. ‘’Twas that what brought her down in the first place.’

James met the older man’s steadfast glare and it was his lordship who looked away first with a brief, ‘Quite.’ There was an uncomfortable pause until James cleared his throat
and changed the subject abruptly. ‘I understand you’re reopening the smithy.’

‘Aye, m’lord. If you remember – but p’raps you won’t as you were only a young ’un then – my father ran the smithy and joinery business here.’ He
jerked his thumb over his shoulder towards the buildings behind him.

James frowned. ‘Vaguely. He was a wheelwright too, wasn’t he?’

‘That’s right.’

‘And you aim to do the same?’

‘I do, m’lord. God willing.’ His glance went once more to Annabel and a slow smile spread across his mouth. ‘And with her ladyship’s help.’

James’s mouth hardened and he seemed about to retort, but Annabel squeezed his arm and, reading his thoughts, said quickly, ‘Mr Fletcher – and everyone else – is keeping
careful accounts.’

‘Oh aye,’ Jabez said, catching on. ‘Every penny she lends us will be repaid. You need have no fear of that. Once we’re on our feet.’

‘Mm,’ was all James said, but there was doubt in the sound.

‘Any development with Mr Merriman?’ Annabel knew that his neighbours were doing their best to encourage the man to reopen his shop.

Grimly, Jabez shook his head. ‘A’kward old cuss. Begging ya pardon, m’lady, but he is.’

‘Perhaps if he was told he’ll be given notice if he doesn’t buck his ideas up – that might spur him into action,’ James said, with deceptive mildness.

Annabel bit her lip. She would have liked to have denied such an action, but realized that it would be belittling her husband in front of his tenants.

Immediately, Jabez’s tone was hard once more. ‘Would you like me to relay that message to him?’

James shrugged and said ironically, ‘I’m sure her ladyship will bring him round eventually. She seems to have the rest of you wrapped around her little finger.’

For a moment, Jabez stared at him and then chuckled, ‘You’re right there, m’lord. We’d do owt for her ladyship.’

Annabel blushed prettily, but her husband was far from pleased by the compliment. Instead, he nodded curtly and turned away, forcing Annabel, who still had her arm tucked in his, to do the same.
She glanced back over her shoulder and gave Jabez one of her dazzling smiles. Her action did not go unnoticed by her husband and his frown deepened. ‘It’s getting dark,’ he said,
‘we should go back.’

The three of them were about to turn and retrace their steps, when a flash of light at the end of the road caught Annabel’s eye. ‘Wait! What was that?’

They stood a moment, watching as the light turned into flames licking the night sky.

‘My God! It’s a thatched roof on fire,’ James muttered and, wrenching himself free of Annabel, began to run towards the blaze.

‘It’s Nancy’s,’ Jenkins exclaimed and ran after James. Then he shouted back, ‘Get help. Get all the villagers to come and help.’

Galvanized into action, Annabel picked up her skirts and ran the few paces back towards the smithy. ‘Mr Fletcher! Mr Fletcher! Come quickly. Nancy’s cottage is on fire.’

Jabez was still in his backyard. Hurrying out of the gate, he glanced just once down the road and saw what was happening. ‘I’ll get Josh. We’ll bring buckets. Get the
others.’

Quickly, she banged on the neighbouring doors, bringing both the grocer and the butcher out of their shops. Word spread down the village street as quickly as the fire on Nancy’s roof and
soon most of the men were running towards the burning cottage carrying whatever they’d been able to find that would hold water to douse the flames. Annabel ran to the vicarage, the nearest
house to the cottage. Swiftly, she explained that they needed water and soon a chain of villagers had formed from the back door of the vicarage passing heavy buckets from hand to hand.

‘We can’t get up to the roof,’ James said, taking his place in the line. Annabel stood beside him, making one more pair of hands. ‘If only—’

‘Will this help, m’lord?’

James and Annabel turned with one accord to see Eli Merriman standing behind them, carrying a long ladder.

‘Good man,’ James said and reached out to take one end of the ladder. Together they began to carry it towards the blazing cottage.

‘James – do be careful,’ Annabel cried. ‘Where’s Private Jenkins? Let him help you.’

James turned briefly. ‘He’s gone into the cottage to get them out.’

‘Oh my God – are they still in there? Don’t they know?’

At that moment, Ben appeared at her side. He had run all the way from the Hall and was panting hard. ‘What happened?’ he asked, taking the place in the line vacated by James.

‘We don’t know. We just saw the flames. Oh Ben, they’re still inside.’

‘What?’ He passed her the full bucket of water he was holding and dashed forward, just as a dark shadow appeared in the doorway of the cottage. Private Jenkins staggered out with
Bertie in his arms and Agnes clinging to his arm, but there was no sign of Nancy.

Passing the full bucket of water she was holding, Annabel now left the line and hurried forward to take the boy from Jenkins’s arms. Bertie was crying and struggling to free himself.
‘Mamma, Mamma!’

‘I’ll get her,’ Jenkins said, and he turned and dashed back into the flames that were now engulfing the whole cottage.

‘Oh, save her, please!’ Agnes gasped, but then a fit of coughing overwhelmed her and she sank to the ground, doubling over as she fought to breathe.

As Jenkins entered the cottage again, Annabel saw Ben climbing the ladder onto the roof. James followed him whilst Josh Parrish stood at the bottom and passed up buckets of water. But they were
all fighting a losing battle. The fire had taken such hold that although everyone worked as hard as they could the flames were too fierce for them.

James came down from the ladder and shouted up to Ben. ‘Come down, man. Save yourself. There’s nothing more we can do.’

With one last despairing look at the burning roof above him, Ben slid down the ladder. ‘Where’s Jenkins? He’s not still in there, is he?’

They both ran towards the door. ‘Jenkins! Jenkins!’ James roared, but there was no reply. Ben made as if to enter the house, but James gripped his arm. ‘No, man, no. It’s
certain death. The roof’s going to collapse inwards any minute.’

‘But if there’s a chance . . .’

‘James, James!’ Annabel was running towards them.

‘Get back,’ the two men cried in unison.

‘Look, look. They’re safe. They must have gone out the back way.’

James and Ben turned to see Jenkins staggering round the corner of the cottage, carrying Nancy in his arms. He carried her well away from the building just as, with a crash and the sound of
splintering wood, the roof caved in sending a fresh burst of flames skywards. Now that they knew the occupants of the cottage had all been brought out, the line of water bearers put down their
buckets. ‘There’s nowt more we can do for the cottage now we’ve got ’em all out,’ Jabez said wisely. Luckily, the dwelling was set apart from any others and the fire
would not spread to other buildings.

But none of them knew yet if Nancy had survived. Tenderly, Harry Jenkins laid her on the ground and bent over her. ‘She’s breathing, but it’s shallow.’ He looked up.
‘Is there a doctor here?’

‘I’ll go,’ Ben volunteered, though his face was black from the smoke. ‘I’ll fetch him.’ But he got no further for at that moment Nancy began to cough and open
her eyes. She struggled to sit up. ‘Bertie,’ she gasped hoarsely. ‘Mam!’

‘They’re safe. They’re both safe,’ Annabel reassured her, kneeling on the grass beside her, but it was Harry Jenkins who cradled her in his arms.

‘You’re safe,’ he murmured gruffly. ‘You’re all safe.’

Without thinking, Annabel turned to say, ‘Ben, fetch the trap. We’ll take them up to the house.’

‘Couldn’t they stay at the vicarage?’ James muttered. ‘I don’t think—’

‘They need someone with medical knowledge. Nurse Newton was preparing to leave now that your mother is on the mend, but she’s still with us at the moment.’

James knew himself defeated as his wife issued the orders. ‘Mr Fletcher, can you organize a watch to be kept until it’s burnt itself out? Mr Webster,’ she added, seeing the
vicar who’d been helping in the line of water carriers, ‘please could you make sure everyone’s all right – that no one’s got injured. I must go home and make sure we
have beds ready for our guests.’

James watched in amazement as everyone hurried to do his wife’s bidding. Slowly, he began to realize just what a remarkable woman he had married and just how much she was doing to rescue
his estate. But there was one thing that still rankled and, as she took his arm once more to walk home, it was his unreasonable jealousy that surfaced, causing him to say softly, ‘Ben, is it?
I can see I shall have to watch that bailiff of mine.’

But Annabel, her head still full of what needed to be done, hardly heard his words and certainly, their underlying meaning did not register.

‘I’m not having that woman and her little bastard under the same roof as my son,’ Dorothea stormed when the trap pulled up at the front door of Fairfield
Hall. Annabel and James had arrived home just ahead of it and had swiftly explained the reason for their dishevelled appearance and forewarned the household of the imminent arrival of unexpected
guests.

‘It seems, my dear sister,’ James drawled, ‘that we have no choice. Annabel has organized it and here they are. Make the best of it, Dorothea, as I will have to.’

Annabel was already issuing orders to Annie and Jane to make ready a room for Nancy, her mother and son.

‘There are only the guest bedrooms on the top floor, m’lady. Mrs Parrish senior is still in the spare one in the servants’ quarters.’ Annie, catching the excitement of
the moment, suggested, ‘But they only need use one room. The two women can share the double and the little boy can sleep on a truckle bed. Jane, go and get the warming pan ready while I find
clean sheets. Oh my!’ she added, as she caught sight of the bedraggled trio being brought in through the front door. Harry was carrying Nancy and Ben carried Bertie, with Agnes leaning
heavily on his arm. ‘Looks like they could do with a hot bath, an’ all.’

‘Thank you, Annie. And would you ask Mrs Parrish if she can find food and drink for them? And please, would you tell Nurse Newton she is needed?’

‘I’ll see to it all, m’lady.’

The household was suddenly a beehive of activity as everyone rallied round the homeless family. Dinner was put back until James and Annabel, whose clothes were covered with smuts, had had time
to wash and change. Amidst the bustle, Theo appeared at the top of the stairs. ‘Mama, what is happening? Grandmama wants to know what all the noise is about.’

Dorothea whirled round to look up at him. ‘Go back to your room this instant and don’t you dare come out again until I say you can.’

Theo’s face crumpled but he turned and disappeared, running back up the stairs to the nursery and his bedroom. But, at the turn in the staircase where no one could see him from below, he
paused to listen. His mother was not finished yet. She turned on James as he began to mount the stairs. ‘Isn’t it enough that you humiliate me by threatening that Theo will have to
attend the village school?’ She spat out the last two words, the very sound of them abhorrent to her. ‘But now I have to endure the disgrace of having – of having these people in
the house as
guests
?’