by Dilly Court
She knew he was teasing, but she slipped off the expensive coat and tossed it onto a chair. ‘I love you too, Teddy.’ She glanced warily at her mother. ‘Hello, Mother.’
Gwendoline patted the empty seat beside her. ‘Come and sit down, Daisy. I’m sure we all want to hear about your time in London.’
‘Give the poor child time to catch her breath,’ Victor said, resuming his seat by the fire.
‘I’m dying to hear about it,’ Bea said excitedly. ‘It’s so good to have you home, Daisy. I haven’t had anyone to tease since you went away. Teddy’s no fun. He’s always mooning round after Iris.’
‘Shut up, brat.’ Teddy tweaked her hair, which she had attempted to put up in a more sophisticated style, and it tumbled around her shoulders causing her to slap him.
‘Beast. Now look what you’ve done.’
‘Children, behave.’ Gwendoline frowned. ‘Your father is quite right. Give Daisy a moment to settle in. Perhaps she would like to freshen up after her journey and have some supper before you wear her out with your questions.’
Daisy shot her a grateful smile. ‘Thank you, Mother. Yes, actually, I’d like to go to my room and tidy up a bit before I eat, and then I’m all yours.’
‘I’ll come with you then.’ Bea rushed to open the door. ‘I want to hear absolutely everything. Life here has been so dull without you, and I want to know how the toffs live.’
‘Don’t be vulgar, Beatrice,’ Gwendoline said automatically. ‘Go if you must, but don’t keep Daisy talking upstairs. It’s bitterly cold in the bedrooms as, according to your father, we can’t afford to light fires upstairs. Anyway, come down quickly. We all want to hear about your time in London. I do miss it so terribly, you know.’
With Beatrice following her, Daisy made her way upstairs to her room. She paused on the landing as she heard a door open on the top floor where Ruby slept in one of the tiny attic rooms. She looked up and caught sight of a pale face peering over the banisters. Ruby’s dark hair hung loose about her shoulders and her face was as pale in the dim light as her white calico nightgown. ‘Are you all right, Ruby?’ Daisy called up the stairs. ‘Iris said you are unwell.’
Ruby turned and fled, slamming her bedroom door.
Daisy turned to her sister in astonishment. ‘What on earth is wrong with her, Bea? Why wouldn’t she speak to me?’
Chapter Ten
BEATRICE OPENED DAISY’S bedroom door, beckoning furiously. ‘Come in and I’ll tell you.’
Daisy shivered as she entered her old room. She had grown used to the warmth of the house in Grosvenor Square, where servants lit fires in the main rooms first thing in the morning and kept them going until late at night. She had also become accustomed to the luxury of electric light, and having her own bathroom with hot and cold running water. It was quite a shock to return to the primitive living conditions in Rainbow’s End. ‘What is this all about, Bea? Is Ruby sick?’
‘She’s in pod, Daisy.’
‘What do you mean?’
Beatrice gave her a pitying look. ‘You are an innocent, Daisy. She’s in the pudding club. About four months gone I should say.’
Daisy’s knees gave way beneath her and she slumped down on the bed. ‘Whose is it?’
‘Use your head. She’s been sneaking off to see Bowman at every opportunity. It’s his of course, and according to Jimmy she’s not the first one he’s put in the family way.’
‘That’s just village gossip,’ Daisy said faintly. ‘Are you sure she’s in pod as you so elegantly put it?’
‘Jimmy’s elder sister is expecting too, although her boyfriend is going to marry her next week so she won’t have a little bastard like Ruby. Anyway, I’m not so naïve that I don’t know the signs.’
A wave of nausea left a bitter taste in Daisy’s mouth. She swallowed convulsively. ‘I think I’ve heard enough, Bea.’ She forced herself to rise to her feet and hurried to the washstand, filling the flower-patterned bowl from the jug. She splashed her face with ice-cold water. ‘Go downstairs, there’s a dear. I’ll just do my hair and I’ll be down in five minutes.’
Bea stood with her hands clasped behind her back, angling her head. ‘You aren’t upset, are you? I wouldn’t have blurted it out like that if you hadn’t asked.’
‘I worry for Ruby if what you say is true, but I prefer to hear it from her lips. There might be some other explanation.’
‘I’m right, you’ll see. And Iris will be the next one if Teddy isn’t careful. That’s if he lives long enough to become a father. Jed Smith has threatened to put out his lights if he doesn’t leave Iris alone. Not that she needs any encouragement. She’s a wonderful cook, but in my opinion she’s a fast cat.’
Torn between laughter and disapproval, Daisy made an effort to keep a straight face. ‘Mother would die if she heard you talking like that.’
‘I don’t care. I’m only telling you what’s been going on while you’ve been living the high life in London. I’d be green with envy if it didn’t sound so deadly dull.’ Beatrice hesitated in the doorway. ‘You won’t tell anyone what I said, will you, Daisy?’
‘Of course not. And don’t worry. I’ll sort it all out in the morning.’
Daisy slept from sheer exhaustion that night but she awakened early. It was still pitch dark and for a moment she thought she was back in her splendid bedroom in Grosvenor Square, but as she reached for the switch her fingers touched the old-fashioned oil lamp on her bedside table, and everything came flooding back to her. She struck a match but she was shivering so much that it took several attempts to light the wick. As she slipped her silk peignoir around her shoulders she could see that there was ice on the inside of her bedroom windows and her breath curled around her head like smoke. She rose from her bed and braced herself to wash her face and clean her teeth in water that had been standing all night and had a faint skim of ice on the surface. She only now realised how spoilt she had become in a very short time. The family had lived in relative comfort in Warwick Square, but it was as nothing compared to the pampered existence of the Pendletons in their London home. She felt slightly ashamed even making the comparison and dressed quickly in her warmest wool merino morning gown. She wrapped a cashmere shawl around her shoulders, hugging it around her in an attempt to keep warm as she went downstairs to the kitchen. She found Ruby whey-faced and shaky having been sick in the scullery sink. ‘So it’s true,’ Daisy said calmly. ‘Beatrice told me that you’re expecting, but I wanted to hear it from you.’ She glanced down at the swell of Ruby’s belly just visible beneath her serge skirt. ‘Does anyone else know?’
Ruby’s eyes filled with tears and she shook her head. ‘No.’
‘What about the father?’
‘I told him.’
Taking her by the shoulders, Daisy pressed her gently down on a chair. ‘It’s Bowman, of course.’
‘Yes.’ Ruby bent her head and tears fell unchecked onto her clasped hands. Her whole body shook and she rocked backwards and forwards. ‘I love him, miss. And I thought he loved me.’
‘Is he going to marry you?’
Ruby raised a tear-stained face. ‘He can’t. He’s got a wife already.’
‘Married?’ Daisy pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘But that’s impossible. Everyone in the village would know about it.’
‘She don’t come from round here.’ A sob racked Ruby’s thin frame and she buried her face in her hands. ‘I dunno what I’ll do. It’ll be the workhouse for me and the baby.’
‘Nonsense,’ Daisy said with more certainty than she was feeling. ‘Bowman must be made to look after you both. And you have a family in London. If the worst came to the worst, wouldn’t they take you in?’
‘Me dad would kill me. I daresn’t show me face there again. Your mum will sack me as soon as she discovers that I’m in the family way, and I’ll be out on the street.’
‘You most certainly won’t. Not while I’ve got a breath in my body.’ Daisy rose somewhat shakily to her feet, but sh
e was motivated by anger now; cold hard implacable rage against the man who had lied and cheated his way into their hearts. She moved swiftly to the range and riddled the ashes until the embers glowed into life. She built up the fire and filled the kettle at the tap in the scullery, placing it on the hob. ‘Where is Iris? I take it that she doesn’t live in.’
Ruby wiped her eyes on her sleeve and sniffed. ‘No. She still has her old room in the servants’ quarters at the big house, but she’ll be here in time to cook breakfast.’ She glanced at the wall clock. ‘In about half an hour.’
‘She doesn’t know about . . .’ Daisy gazed pointedly at Ruby’s stomach.
‘No one does, except your sister. I think she’s guessed, but she’s a good kid. She won’t say nothing.’
‘She told me and it’s only a matter of time before it’s obvious to everyone. We’ll have a cup of tea and then I’m going out. You must act normally. We don’t want Iris to get suspicious.’
‘I don’t trust her. She’s a sly one on the quiet and she’s got her eye on Mr Teddy.’
‘So Beatrice said. I’ll have words with my brother, but first I’m going to sort out Mr Barnaby Bowman.’
‘No, miss. Please don’t say nothing to him. He won’t like it.’
‘He most certainly will not. That’s my whole aim. I’m going to tell him exactly what I think of him. I may not wield any authority in the village but my future father-in-law does, and I think he could make life very difficult for Bowman. Barnaby won’t be so cocky if he can’t get work.’
‘He’ll just move on. He’s done it before.’
‘We’ll see about that. Has he finished working on the motorcar?’
‘Not quite, miss. He’s waiting for a part to come from the manufacturers, but I’ll say this for him, he’s done a really good job on it.’
Daisy warmed the teapot. ‘Has he now? That may be to his advantage.’ She made the tea and filled two cups, passing one to Ruby. ‘Drink up and cheer up. We’re still sister suffragists at heart, Ruby.’
Ruby answered with a watery smile as she sipped the hot, strong tea. Daisy drank hers quickly, regardless of the fact that she had burnt her tongue. She was furious and she wanted to keep the anger going until she saw Bowman.
Leaving Ruby to do her morning chores, Daisy put on her old coat and felt hat and set off for Bowman’s cottage. It was just getting light as she hammered on his door. He opened it moments later, tousle-haired and with his shirt unbuttoned. His eyes widened with surprise when he saw her. ‘Miss Lennox.’
Pushing past him, she marched into the living room. A candle flickered in the middle of a deal table littered with used crockery, newspapers and what looked like small pieces of a car engine. Bowman shoved his feet into his shoes, running his hand through his sleep-tangled hair in a vain attempt to tame it into shape. ‘I’d ask you to come in, but you’ve already done so. Is there a problem?’
‘I’d say you’re the one who has a problem, Mr Bowman.’ Daisy faced him, holding on to her anger. In his sleepy dishevelled state he looked suddenly much younger and defenceless. He was watching her warily and she had to quell a surge of sympathy for him. Instead of wanting to pummel him with her fists, she longed to put her arms around him and hold his head to her breast. But that was ridiculous. She remembered Ruby’s condition and her admission that Bowman was already married. She hardened her heart with difficulty. ‘You know why I’m here, of course.’
‘To collect the spare part for the Humberette?’ His lips twitched and the old familiar twinkle in his eyes teased and tormented her.
‘Don’t try to be funny,’ she said angrily. ‘Ruby is expecting your child. What are you going to do about it?’
He pulled out a chair, dusting it off with his shirt sleeve. ‘Won’t you sit down, Miss Lennox? How about a cup of tea, or would you like something stronger? It’s a bitter cold morning to be out and about so early.’
She shook her head. ‘I don’t want to sit down, nor do I want anything from you other than your promise to stand by Ruby and her baby.’
He shrugged his shoulders. ‘I can’t marry Ruby, as I’m sure she told you. I’ll do my best to support her and the child, but I’m not a rich man.’
‘You told her that you’re married. Is that true?’
‘Unfortunately, yes. She was in the family way, although I wasn’t sure if the kid was mine. I suppose I felt sorry for her and we got married but it went wrong from the start. She told me that I wasn’t the father and she’d only married me to save face. She left me soon after the wedding and went back to live with her family. That was five years ago and I’ve hardly seen her since.’
‘Being married didn’t prevent you from ruining Ruby’s life. How many children have you fathered in that way, Mr Bowman?’
He grinned. ‘Can’t say I’ve ever kept count, miss.’
‘You’re a bounder and a cad.’
‘You didn’t seem to think so back in the summer. As I remember it you and me were good together, Daisy.’
‘How dare you bring that up? You’re not a gentleman.’
‘I never pretended to be anything of the sort. And you forgot you was a lady sometimes, as I recall with great pleasure.’
He took a step closer and his eyes burned into hers causing her pulses to race and her knees to tremble. She moved backwards but the kitchen table was in the way and she was trapped. ‘Don’t come any nearer, Bowman.’
‘I might not,’ he said slowly, ‘but on the other hand I might.’ He seized her round the waist and pulled her into his arms. His mouth found hers, hard and demanding. She fought and struggled but it was a losing battle. The whole intoxicating scent of him filled her nostrils and all her good intentions flew out of the window. In those few mindless moments she felt nothing but the primeval urge to give herself to the dominant male. Their physical beings seemed to melt into one seething mass of uncontrollable passion, but in the end the need to catch her breath brought her abruptly back to reality. She pushed him away.
‘That was an unspeakable thing to do.’
He nodded, a lazy smile curving his lips. ‘But thoroughly enjoyable, and don’t try to deny it, Miss High and Mighty.’
Daisy waved her left hand in front of his face. ‘I’m engaged to be married. You’ve no right to take advantage of me in this way.’
He threw back his head and laughed. ‘Excuse me, ma’am, but you’re the one who marched into my house at daybreak, catching me half dressed and in my stockinged feet. If that wasn’t an invitation to a tumble, I’d like to know what is.’
Daisy was shaking from head to foot and she knew she was blushing furiously, which only made matters worse. What rankled even more was the fact that he was right in one respect. She should never have come here at all, let alone under the cover of darkness, and if she were to be completely honest she knew in her heart that it was the sudden desire to see him again that led her to undertake such a reckless course. She edged away, moving towards the door. ‘You’re mistaken,’ she said icily. ‘I am very much in love with my fiancé, but I can see that you might have misunderstood my reasons for coming here.’
Bowman sprawled on a chair, eyeing her with some amusement. ‘You disappoint me, Daisy. I thought you were lusting after my manly body.’
‘You are quite disgusting.’
His expression darkened and he leaned forward, holding her gaze with a straight look. ‘So why did you come exactly? You knew that I couldn’t make an honest woman of Ruby even if I wanted to.’
‘So you were just amusing yourself with her. Is that it?’
‘I’ve never forced a woman to do anything she didn’t want to. Ruby was a willing partner.’ He stood up, pushing the chair aside. ‘I’ve told you that I’ll do my bit, so why don’t you go back to your posh soldier-boy and stop interfering.’
His harsh words swamped her like a shower of iced water and she gasped, staring at him in disbelief. ‘Do you dislike me so much?’
He was at her side
before she had a chance to open the door and he placed his hands on her shoulders, looking deeply into her eyes. ‘You won’t stop until you force it out of me, will you, Daisy? You know and I know that we were made for each other.’ He laid his finger on her lips as she opened her mouth to protest. ‘That’s why you keep coming back for more, even though you’d never give yourself to a man like me. I bedded Ruby because I knew I couldn’t have you.’ A rueful smile lit his dark eyes. ‘Don’t look so shocked, girl. What I’m trying to tell you is that I love you. I fell in love with you the moment I first saw you, and I think you felt the same.’
She shook her head, attempting to twist free from his grasp and failing. ‘You’re just saying that,’ she whispered. ‘You don’t mean it.’
He opened the door and thrust her outside into the bitter cold of a winter dawn. ‘I meant every word of it, and that’s why you’ve got to go now before anyone sees you.’ He slammed the door in her face and she heard him groan loudly and beat his fists on the wooden panels. She stood as if frozen to the spot, but the sound of footsteps approaching along the street galvanised her into action. She fled in the direction of home, running as fast as her legs would carry her. She did not stop until she reached the coach house. Gasping for breath she went inside and collapsed on the front seat of the Humberette, clutching the wheel and sobbing as if her heart would break.
Everything he said had been true. She had gone to Bowman’s cottage telling herself it was for Ruby’s benefit when all along she had secretly been yearning to see him again. He was like a drug that once taken had become an addiction. He thrilled her and sent her senses spiralling out of control. She ached for him physically, even though she had no experience and only a vague notion of what passed between man and wife in the intimacy of the marriage bed. She knew that she was no better than Ruby. If Lady Pendleton had not spirited her off to London for four months she might well have ended up in the same dire predicament.
She leaned her head against the wheel, breathing deeply until the storm of grief and shame eased and she regained her self-control, but she felt his presence even though he was nowhere near. The smell of the workshop was in the air she breathed just as it had clung to Bowman’s hair and clothes. Sitting in the machine on which he had worked for so many hours brought him closer than she could have imagined. She felt in her pocket for a hanky and blew her nose. It was Christmas Eve and Rupert was due home later in the day. There was much to do and she must put all thoughts of Bowman from her head, if not her heart.
