Peter nodded and then as he stood up, swayed. “Sorry. Don’t feel well.”
“You took a nasty blow on the head,” Ben allowed.
They supported Peter into the kitchen where Hepzibah had a bowl of steaming water ready and insisted on tending their injuries. “Miss Penelope’s dealing with Georgie and I said I’d look after you. Meg, pass me that cloth.”
She sat the two battered men down by the table and washed their cuts, applying a soothing salve to them, then ordering them to go and sit down in the parlour while she got some hot food ready.
Drawn together by this nursery treatment, Ben and Peter went back to the parlour and Daniel stayed behind in the kitchen. “They need to talk,” he said by way of explanation to Hepzibah.
“So Georgie told me. He hasn’t hurt her, then?”
“She says not, says he protected her.”
She whisked out a handkerchief and blew her nose, then squared her shoulders and got on with her work, muttering, “I don’t know what the world’s coming to, I really don’t.”
In the front parlour the two men sat down and stared warily at one another.
“I haven’t touched her in that way,” Peter said suddenly. “I wouldn’t do that, though my father hoped it’d happen.”
Ben nodded, suddenly feeling too tired to be aggressive.
“I can’t believe he’s dead. An accident, you say?”
Ben nodded again.
“Are you sure it was an accident?”
Another long silence, then, “No. I’m not sure. But I let the magistrate believe it was. I still can’t decide whether I was right or wrong about that. Your father insisted on the children cleaning the machinery while it was running and two little girls were killed. I think the operatives forced him under the machinery as he had the children, and he too was mangled. But afterwards they said your father went under willingly to show them it wasn’t dangerous.”
“He’d never do something that put himself at risk.” After a short pause, Peter added, “I hope you don’t expect me to say I’m sorry he’d dead. I loathed him.”
“No, I don’t expect that.”
“I’ve watched him use his operatives shamefully and hated to see it.” He paused, then said in tones of shock, “I suppose that means I own the mill?”
“I should think so.”
“I don’t know the first thing about running a mill. I only know I don’t want people treated so badly from now on.”
For the first time Ben’s gaze was approving.
After chewing his forefinger for a few seconds, Peter said in a rush, “I know you don’t want me to marry Georgie, but I love her and she loves me, heaven knows why. If I sell the mill, surely it’d bring enough for us to live on?”
“It’s not sellable as it is. Everything’s run down. Your father took money out but put nothing back in.”
Georgie came into the room just then, clad in fresh clothes and looking surprisingly untouched by her adventures. She went to sit beside Peter and said quietly to Ben, “We
are
going to get married.”
“Not yet you aren’t.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean if Peter can learn to run that mill, bring it up to scratch again and earn enough to support you in comfort, then maybe I’ll let you marry him.” As she opened her mouth to protest, he said firmly, “You’re too young, Georgie, and so is he. You both need to grow up.”
After a few minutes’ thought, she said slowly, “Then we’ll get engaged. I do insist on that, Ben, because I know my own mind. And in the meantime, I’m going to help Peter with the mill, just as your mother helped our father.”
“Maybe.”
“Definitely.” She looked sideways and the love in her face made Peter raise her hand suddenly to his lips.
“I don’t deserve you, Georgie, but I think you’ll be the making of me.”
She kept hold of his hand for a moment or two, her eyes searching his face, then nodded. “That’s settled then.”
Ben could only look at them and smile wryly. Even his little sister found it easier to declare her love than he did. On that thought he stood up. “You’d better get home and change your clothes, then, Brindley. I’ll come round tomorrow morning and we’ll go through your mill together. I’ll be happy to share my knowledge with you and help you in any way I can. You may find Cox useful once you’ve made it clear how you want him to work.”
Peter stood up. “Thank you.”
“I’ll see you to the door,” Georgie said.
“Where’s Martha?” Ben asked as she passed him.
“In the kitchen. We didn’t like to disturb you.” She looked at him speculatively. “Isn’t it about time you asked her to marry you?” She slipped out, leaving him scowling after her.
The scowl was still on his face as he marched along to the kitchen, to find Martha and Penelope taking a cup of tea with Hepzibah. “May I have a word with you, please, Miss Merridene?” he asked formally.
Martha looked at his tense expression and wondered if he was going to complain about something else. “We were just about to go home, weren’t we, Penelope?” When there was no answer, she looked sideways. “Penelope?”
“No, we weren’t. At least we were, but I think you should go and see what Mr Seaton wants first.”
But Martha felt suddenly panicky and couldn’t move.
Ben went round the table and took her hand, pulling her with him and shutting the kitchen door behind them with a bang.
After dragging back at first, she suddenly gave in and went with him.
The two women left behind exchanged glances.
“I hope he doesn’t make a mess of it,” Hepzibah said.
“Asking her to marry him?”
“Yes.”
Penelope smiled. “He probably will. He’s not good at flowery speeches, is he?”
“No. Never has been. But he’s a loving lad underneath and I think they’ll suit one another.”
“So do I.”
* * * *
In the parlour Ben let go of Martha’s wrist. “Will you sit down, please?”
She rubbed it, though he hadn’t really hurt her. “There was no need to manhandle me.”
“I had to speak to you.” He took a step forward and she backed away. “Will you stand still!”
“Don’t shout at me, Ben Seaton!”
He opened his mouth, then shut it again, looking at her in despair. Then the words came out in a rush. “I’m no good at fancy speeches, never have been, but surely you must realise how I feel about you?” When she didn’t say anything, just stared at him wide-eyed, he said, “Oh, Martha,” then grabbed hold of her and pulled her towards him, “Martha, you will marry me, won’t you?”
She couldn’t say a word, could only look at him, her eyes huge, her mouth slightly open at the abruptness of his proposal.
It was the mouth that did it. So soft and inviting that he had to kiss her. With an inarticulate growl, he pulled her closer and bent his head.
The kiss began slowly and gently, and she couldn’t seem to stop him. When it deepened, she was so lost to good sense that she kissed him right back and even flung her arms round his neck. When he stopped kissing her, she would have fallen if he hadn’t been holding her so tightly.
“Well?” he asked.
“Well what?” She couldn’t think straight, let alone remember his question.
“Are you going to marry me?” Then he saw fear replace the soft warmth of her gaze. “What is it? Surely you’re not afraid of me?”
It came out as a whisper. “Yes. I am.”
“But Martha, darling Martha, you must know I’d never hurt you.”
“I’m afraid of how you make me feel,” she explained. “I’d never realised—never felt anything like . . . ” Her voice trailed away.
“Come and sit down.”
She found his shoulder just the right height to lean against. “I’m twenty-eight,” she said suddenly.
“I’m thirty.”
“What will people say about a spinster like me getting married?”
He saw that her hands were shaking and forgot his own worries in the need to reassure her. Clasping them in his own, he said gently, “I think people will be happy for you. Your sister, for one. And Georgie. She said it was about time I asked you to marry me.”
“She did?”
“Yes. She likes you. Then there’s Hepzibah. She told me to marry you a while back and I wouldn’t want to be in your place if you told her you’d turned me down. She’d scold me for making a mess of it. I’m shaking in my shoes at the thought.”
She was betrayed into a gurgle of laughter. “You’re not afraid of anything or anyone, Ben Seaton.”
“I was afraid of asking you to marry me, I promise you, terrified in fact. Because I’m not good with words and if you turn me down, I don’t know what I’ll do. You’re not going to do that, are you, my darling?”
“No.” When she raised her eyes, she saw joy spread across his face like sunshine and could feel a warm tide of happiness flowing through her. “No, I’m going to accept your kind offer.” And suddenly she had no doubts. She could feel herself blushing as she said it for the first time, “I love you, Ben.”
“I love you, too.”
They sat for a long time, murmuring endearments, making plans, or just sitting quietly enjoying one another’s company.
Neither of them heard the tapping on the door, not the first time and not the second.
When Georgie pushed it open a little, she could see them sitting on the sofa together, so pushed it fully open and marched into the room, setting her hands on her hips as she confronted them. “Ben Seaton, you’ve been in here for over an hour and we’re all
dying
of curiosity.”
The two lovers were startled and turned to face Georgie, Hepzibah and Penelope, all standing just inside the doorway.
“Well?” Georgie demanded when her brother still didn’t speak. “Are you going to marry Martha or not?”
He rose to his feet, pulling his beloved with him. “Of course I am, and—” The rest of his words were lost as Georgie squealed loudly flung herself at him to give him a hug, then turned to do the same to Martha. “I couldn’t have borne it if you’d not agreed to put up with him,” she said. “I need a sister-in-law much more than I need a teacher.” She clapped one hand to her mouth. “Oh dear, the school. Whatever’s going to happen to it now?”
“Who cares?” Penelope asked. “This is much more important.”
“We’ll ask Jenny Barston to take over the school, of course,” Martha said at once, with something of her old crispness of tone. “She’ll be delighted to get away from her relatives.”
Ben put his arm round her shoulders and beamed at the three women. “Never mind that.” He turned to Martha. “How soon can we be married?”
“Oh. Well. I don’t know. There’s a lot to do, plans to make and—”
“As soon as you like,” Penny said firmly. “Daniel and I will have to wait until he’s established, but there’s no reason whatsoever for you two to wait.” She grinned at her future brother-in-law. “I’ll make sure she doesn’t delay things, Ben.”
“We’ll have the first banns called on Sunday, then,” he decided. “Because I’m marrying you as soon as I can, Martha Merridene.”
And Martha found she couldn’t protest, because becoming Ben’s wife was the thing she wanted most in the whole world. Blushing and laughing, she accepted everyone’s congratulations, but her eyes kept going back to him and her smile was soft with joy.
Anna Jacobs was born in Lancashire, and now divides her time between homes in Western Australia and Wiltshire. She is the author of over 50 novels, also writing under the name Shannah Jay. To learn more about Anna’s books and to contact her visit her website at
annajacobs.com
Copyright © 2004 by Anna Jacobs
Cover Copyright 2010 David Jacobs
Originally published by Severn House [9780727860767] in 2004
Electronically published in 2012 by Anna Jacobs at Belgrave House
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