Sea Mistress (47 page)

‘No, there's no need,' Boyo said quickly. ‘It's just that Caradoc likes to take his time.' He smiled. ‘He's getting very keen on Rosie, that's what it is and if I learn too quickly, his visits won't be necessary.'

Ellie didn't seem surprised. ‘Rosie and Caradoc?' she said thoughtfully, ‘I thought so.' She put her head on one side consideringly. ‘I think you are right, Caradoc
is
getting serious about Rosie.'

Boyo knew damn well he was right, he knew the signs; didn't he suffer from the same symptoms himself?

‘I'm surprised Martha hasn't noticed anything,' Ellie said thoughtfully, ‘she's usually the first one to make comment on affairs of the heart.' Ellie sighed. ‘But then I haven't been very good company of late, I've been too wrapped up in myself to notice what's going on under my nose.'

Greatly daring, Boyo rested his hand on Ellie's thin shoulder. ‘I can see you're unhappy and it worries me, what is wrong, Ellie?'

Ellie chewed her bottom lip. At last she spoke. ‘It's just that Matthew Hewson has been causing trouble again,' she closed her eyes for a moment as though in pain. ‘Matthew spoke to Dan, gave him the impression that he and I had been, well, close. Remember the night Matthew attacked me? Well he saw a mole on my shoulder and taunted Daniel with it.'

‘What a pig!' Boyo said fiercely. ‘No-one knows better than me how much you despise Matthew Hewson, you wouldn't want him within a mile of you. Shall I talk to Daniel, tell him what really happened that night?'

Ellie shook her head. ‘He hasn't shown a great deal of faith in me, has he? He should believe
me.
No don't speak to him, Boyo, if Daniel can't take
my
word for it then perhaps we've made a terrible mistake by getting married so soon.'

Her words echoed Boyo's own doubts but he spoke up stoutly. ‘Don't you believe it.' Boyo wanted to hug her but he didn't dare presume so far. ‘You and Daniel Bennett were meant for each other, anyone can see that a mile off.' It might not be what he really believed, indeed, he didn't know what he believed but his words seemed to comfort Ellie.

She smiled up at him gratefully and Boyo felt a wave of anger run through him. He had never liked Matthew Hewson, Boyo would not forgive him for the uncalled for slap he'd aimed in Boyo's direction for no other reason than that he was in a foul mood. As for the sound beating Matthew had given him, well that
was
called for, Boyo had done him wrong and it was only fair that he take the consequences. But now Matthew had picked on Ellie, had tried to ruin her marriage, such mischief was unforgivable.

Ellie straightened and her voice became brisk as she changed the subject. ‘The buildings are nearly finished; soon, Boyo, you'll have a job to work at, will you be pleased?'

‘I can't wait,' Boyo frowned, his future was becoming clear, a smooth path stretched before him and yet there was one thing worrying him. He wondered if this was the right time to talk to Ellie about it, she had enough on her plate as it was and yet wouldn't his problems take her mind off her own?

‘Come on, out with it,' Ellie said softly in her usual perceptive way, ‘I can see you are dying to ask me something.'

‘It's my name,' Boyo said self-consciously, ‘it's not bothered me before but how can I think of asking any girl to marry me when I haven't even got a proper name?'

Ellie studied him for a long moment and then she took his arm. ‘I see your dilemma. Come on, let's walk back to the house.'

She was silent for so long that Boyo wondered if she'd heard what he said. Then, with some of her old sparkle, she looked up into his face. ‘I could go to the workhouse for you, find out if they have any records there of your birth.'

Boyo felt hope grow within him, it was such a simple idea that he wondered why he hadn't thought of it himself. On the other hand, should he begin making enquiries himself, the powers that be might not feel inclined to divulge any details they might have of his birth. Ellie, however was a respected member of the community, she had been Mrs Jubilee Hopkins for some years and now she was married to a man taking the cloth. If any information should be available, Ellie would have a good chance of learning what it was.

He took a deep breath. Will you do that for me, Ellie, I'd be so grateful?'

‘I'll go down to the workhouse as soon as I can, I promise you.' She squeezed Boyo's arm. ‘It's about time I thought of someone else's problems other than my own.'

It was the reaction he had hoped for and Boyo felt a moment of triumph, in a way it was as though he had solved two problems in one fell swoop. Together they went into the house and the hallway was cool after the early September sunshine outside. Boyo had always loved this house, it had been his only real home. He'd been taken from the workhouse when he was about eight or nine years old and he remembered it as though it was yesterday.

He shuddered as he thought of the workhouse, the grey old buildings, the long bare dining room, the rough benches at the tables, the poor quality of the food. He supposed he'd been lucky that he had been the right age to begin work and a healthy child to boot. Lucky too that Jubilee had taken an instant liking to him and had decided upon taking him to live at Glyn Hir.

Jubilee had made him a home over the stable, a comfortable place, somewhere of his very own. In return, Boyo had worked hard. The work had been tiring, long hours and heavy labour, but it had given Boyo a sense of his own worth. It was only after his fight with Matthew that Ellie had insisted on Boyo living in the house.

He glanced fondly at Ellie as they stood together in the hallway, she was the one who had given him his real chance in life, Ellie had faith enough to train him to be in charge of the tannery when she eventually moved away. His heart swelled in pride at the prospect of being boss, more than a foreman, he would be a manager. The position offered security, he would have a real future, something solid to offer April when they were married for they would be married, he was determined upon it.

Caradoc Jones was there before them, he must have come round to the back of the house, Boyo surmised, otherwise he would have seen the accountant's approach. It was patently obvious why he would choose to enter the back door, the kitchen was where he would find Rosie. Caradoc smiled somewhat sheepishly at Ellie as he emerged from the passageway leading to the hall, ‘Day to you, Ellie, I called a little early so Rosemary gave me a cup of tea, I hope you don't mind.'

‘Of course I don't mind,' Ellie said, ‘you are doing me a favour by coming here, I appreciate it.' She smiled up at Caradoc. ‘Is your pupil shaping up well?'

‘Pupil? Oh, aye, Boyo's a bright lad, no trouble teaching him, indeed, he learns a little too quickly for my liking, I can see I'll be out of a job if he keeps this up.'

Ellie smiled. ‘No fear of that, we'll always need your expert eye on our business. Jubilee was good with the books but he always appreciated your ability to spot any errors.'

She turned towards the parlour. ‘I'll leave you to get on with it then. See you both later.'

Boyo followed Caradoc into the study, he was full of anticipation, he liked the book work, was quick at figures and the challenges with which Caradoc confronted him from time to time stimulated his mind. And later, when the sun cooled and the hazy autumn evening fell, then would come the moment he'd been waiting for, the moment when he and April met on the patch of ground that sloped away beneath the warm stone buildings of Honey's Farm.

‘I want you to think very carefully about your future,' Fon was saying but April scarcely heard her, she was turning and twisting before the mirror, trying to see if the frock she'd chosen for her meeting with Boyo was flattering to her complexion.

‘You could go to college,' Fon continued, ‘you could even learn to be a typewriter operator, work in an office or something, you have your whole life ahead of you.'

April stopped posing and looked round at Fon, a smile curving her mouth. ‘All I want is to be married to Boyo,' she said.

‘Well, you're young yet, you have plenty of time to settle down, why not explore all the possibilities before you first?'

‘Would you change
your
life?' April asked quietly and Fon shrugged. ‘My life was sort of mapped out for me, I came here to work at Honey's Farm as a young girl, I fell in love with Jamie and then there seemed nothing else to do but marry him.'

‘You see?' April was triumphant, ‘You married the man you loved and that's what I want to do.'

‘But things are different these days,' Fon protested, ‘there are so many things a young lady can do.'

‘I don't want to do any of them,' April replied patiently, ‘I only want to marry Boyo.'

Jamie came into the kitchen. ‘You two arguing again?' His tone was good-natured, he knew Fon too well, knew she wasn't the sort to provoke a row if she could help it.

‘Fon wants me to think about my future,' April said, ‘she wants me to go to college or something.
You
like Boyo, don't you Jamie?'

‘Of course I do, I like him very much, he's a fine lad but I think you should listen to Fon nonetheless, you are very young still.' Jamie sighed. ‘I don't want to sound harsh but there are disadvantages about not knowing your parentage, there could be all sorts of inherited sicknesses, have you thought of all that?'

April hadn't and she didn't intend to worry herself with what might be. ‘No,' she said shortly, ‘I don't go looking for trouble.'

She saw a glance of amusement pass between Jamie and Fon and then she was hugged in Jamie's big arms. ‘You're right, we mustn't look for trouble. Bring the boy in for supper, he's always welcome at my table.'

As she left the farmhouse behind her, April was smiling. Fon might nag a little but it was only because she cared. The thought was warming.

As she breasted the hill, she drew a deep breath of sheer excitement, he was there, waiting for her, his tall rangy figure outlined against the pale evening sky. She resisted the urge to run towards him but her eyes were drinking him in.

When she came to stand before him, he held out his hands and took both of hers in a firm grip. He bent forward and kissed her cheek and she longed to turn her face so that their lips would meet.

‘You look very nice,' Boyo spoke as though he had difficulty getting the words out. His eyes stared down into hers and April felt her colour rising. She felt tongue-tied and shy in Boyo's company, she was so anxious to do and say the right things, it was unthinkable that she disappoint him in any way.

‘You are looking very smart too, Boyo,' she said but her voice was stilted and he looked down at her anxiously.

‘Is everything all right?' His tone was as off-hand as hers had been and April knew this wasn't the way either of them wanted it to be. She took her courage in both hands and smiled at him without raising her eyes to his.

‘Everything is wonderful now that I'm here with you.' The words came out in a rush and as soon as they were spoken, April blushed a fiery red.

Boyo reached out tentatively and took her hand and very gently turned it over, kissing the softness of her palm. ‘April.' There was a world of tenderness in his voice and April felt tears come into her eyes. She loved him so much that it hurt, she wanted to nestle close to him, to have his arms around her holding her close. But that was a joy to be reserved for when they were married. Hugging and kissing could lead to other things and April wasn't ready, wasn't equipped, to deal with passion, not yet.

Boyo seemed to sense her feelings, he took her hand and tucked it under his arm and they sat staring down at the world spread out below them behaving more like old friends than lovers.

Ellie stood in the parlour, staring at Daniel's set face, trying to control the trembling of her limbs. He had arrived at Glyn Hir unexpectedly and hope had risen within Ellie's heart, hope that he'd reconsidered all that Matthew had said and decided the man was lying. But it was not to be so. From the moment he'd entered the house, Daniel had avoided her eyes, his manner had been stiff, almost formal, as though they scarcely knew each other. Not even Martha's effusive greetings had softened his attitude.

‘What have you come here for, Dan?' Ellie asked quietly. ‘It's obvious you are not looking for a reconciliation.'

‘We are married,' Daniel said flatly, ‘for good or ill you are my wife and I have an obligation to you.'

His words were like knife wounds and Ellie sank down into the old rocking-chair, her legs refusing to support her. She kept her composure, outwardly at least and looked at the man she loved with clear eyes. ‘You have no obligation where I am concerned. You forget, I am a wealthy woman in my own right, I have need of no man's charity.' Her words were intended to wound as she had been wounded.

Daniel took a deep breath. ‘It's not charity I'm offering you, Ellie,' he said evenly, ‘I'm suggesting that we try to pick up the pieces, forget what is done and try to make some sort of future for ourselves together.'

She looked at him wearily. ‘Sit down, for heaven's sake, Dan, don't stand on ceremony, not in this house where you've always been a welcome guest.'

‘So have other men, obviously.' His tone was sharp but he took a seat facing her and she saw the pain in his eyes and her heart missed a beat.

‘Dan, nothing happened between me and Matthew Hewson, he wanted it to, yes, he tried to force himself on me but I loathe him, I could never welcome his advances, you must be mad not to see that.'