The Best of Daughters

by Dilly Court

  Daisy said nothing but she was horrified by their callous indifference to the girl’s feelings, and their casual assumption that she was no better than she should be. She sat down at the table and drank her tea, listening to their eager talk about army life. Teddy seemed to have forgotten his painful nose and blackened eye, and was hanging on Rupert’s every word. In the end she put down her cup and saucer and rose to her feet. ‘I’m very tired. If you’ll excuse me, Rupert, I’m going to bed.’

  He jumped up with a guilty smile. ‘I’m so sorry, darling. We’ve been neglecting you.’

  ‘Not at all. You talk sense to Teddy. If the army is what he wants, then that’s what he must do, although I wouldn’t want to be there when he tells Mother.’ She kissed him on the cheek. ‘Goodnight.’

  He caught her by the hand, holding it as if unwilling to let her go. ‘I’ll see you tomorrow. We’ve lots to talk about.’

  She smiled. ‘Yes, of course, Rupert.’ She withdrew her hand gently. ‘Goodnight, Teddy. And if I were you I’d think up a good reason for that black eye and bloodied nose.’

  ‘Oh, Lord,’ Teddy murmured. ‘That’s a point. What the hell do I say, Rupert?’

  ‘That’s up to you, old man. I think a slip on the icy cobblestones might do it, or we could say we were larking around and you bumped into my fist.’

  Their laughter followed Daisy as she went upstairs to her room. She loved them both dearly but they were just boys at heart, not ready for the responsibilities that came with marriage and fatherhood. She felt genuinely sorry for Iris.

  Teddy got away with it somehow, but then he always had. Both parents accepted his explanation of the injuries he had suffered without question. Daisy had realised long ago that he could twist their mother round his little finger, and their father was almost as soft-hearted when it came to his son and heir. She had never resented Teddy’s claim to their parents’ affections, and Beatrice was too much immersed in her own life to care one way or the other. Daisy could only wonder what would happen when Teddy announced that he intended to join the army. She did not have long to wait.

  On the penultimate day of Rupert’s leave he told her that he was meeting Teddy in Colchester at the recruiting office. Teddy could not afford to buy a commission and there was no question of his attending Sandhurst, therefore he would join as an ordinary soldier. Daisy did not think that would go down well with her parents but there was nothing she could do to prevent it happening. She could only wait until he came home either a civilian still or an enlisted man.

  ‘Why do you keep looking out of the window?’ Beatrice demanded. ‘Are you expecting Rupert?’

  Daisy returned to the task of taking the decorations off the Christmas tree. ‘Yes, of course. He’s going back to his regiment tomorrow. This will be his last evening.’

  ‘Are you doing anything special?’

  ‘Not really. We’re having dinner at Pendleton Park and listening to his mother going on about the wedding, even though it’s months and months away.’

  Beatrice continued her task of unclipping the tiny candle holders, grimacing as she pricked her fingers on the sharp pine needles. ‘You don’t seem very excited about it. If it was me I’d be thrilled to bits.’

  ‘They’re deciding everything for me. Mother and Lady Pendleton have got their heads together and they’re arranging every last detail from the date in August to the wedding gown itself. I feel like a puppet with someone else pulling the strings.’

  ‘Well, you’re going up to town in January, aren’t you? You’ll have more say in things when you’re away from Mother.’

  Daisy glanced anxiously over her shoulder. ‘Don’t speak so loudly. She might come in at any moment and she’ll hear you.’

  ‘I don’t care. I only speak the truth. You should stand up for yourself more, Daisy. Tell them that you want a quiet wedding and that you don’t want to wait until August.’

  ‘It’s not that,’ Daisy said slowly. ‘I mean I would like to get married without all the fuss, but . . .’ She hesitated. It was almost impossible to put her feelings into words. She should be overjoyed at the prospect of marrying so well, but she was still tormented by doubts. She wished that she was as certain that they were doing the right thing as Rupert, who had no qualms whatsoever. She knew that he was desperately in love with her and she ought to be able to return the feeling, but something was stopping her and she was afraid to speak his name even in her thoughts. She had not seen Bowman since their brief meeting in his cottage. He had completed the work on the Humberette and now there was no reason for him to call at the house. He seemed to have abandoned Ruby completely and that alone was evidence of his perfidy, but somehow she could not believe that he was a bad man at heart.

  ‘They’re here,’ Beatrice said, breaking into Daisy’s thoughts. ‘Teddy is with Rupert and he looks frightfully smug. What do you think they’ve been doing?’ She dropped the box of candle holders on the floor and ran from the room.

  Daisy stood motionless by the tree, waiting to learn the worst, or maybe the best. She was in two minds as to whether it was a good or a bad thing for her brother to join the army. Moments later Rupert breezed into the drawing room and crossed the floor to take her into his arms. His lips found hers in a warm embrace. ‘Have you missed me, Daisy Bell?’

  She extricated herself from his grasp. ‘Of course I have. What a silly question.’ She glanced over his shoulder. ‘Where’s Teddy? Did he . . .’ She broke off as her brother strode into the room followed by an excited Beatrice.

  ‘Guess what?’ Beatrice cried before anyone had a chance to speak. ‘Teddy’s only gone and joined up. What a lark.’

  Daisy managed a tight little smile. ‘So you did it?’

  He saluted, grinning. ‘Absolutely. Private Edward Lennox reporting for duty, ma’am.’

  Rupert took her hand in his. ‘Don’t worry, darling. I’ll look after the boy.’

  ‘Less of that,’ Teddy said, chuckling. ‘I’ll be looking after you, old chap.’

  ‘And less of the old chap,’ Rupert said with mock severity. ‘It’s sir from now on, Private.’

  Beatrice flopped down on the sofa. ‘Well I think it’s terribly exciting. Teddy’s going to be a hero.’

  ‘Teddy’s going to be a what?’

  Everyone turned to look at Gwendoline as she stood in the doorway with her hand pressed to her bosom. ‘What have you done, Edward?’

  He pulled up a chair. ‘Sit down, Mother. I wanted to tell you myself, but Beatrice can never keep her mouth shut.’

  ‘Never mind what Beatrice does or doesn’t do.’ Gwendoline sank down on the seat, gazing up at him with an anxious frown. ‘You haven’t done anything silly, have you, Teddy?’

  He knelt at her side, taking her hand and chafing it. ‘Not silly, Mother. I’ve enlisted in the Rifle Brigade, just like Rupert. I’ll be off to serve king and country and I’ll make you proud of me.’

  Gwendoline snatched her hand away. ‘Proud? You stupid boy! Of course I’m proud of you already. I don’t need to see my son in uniform to be proud of him.’

  Daisy made a move towards the door. ‘We’ll leave you two to talk it over,’ she said softly. ‘Come along, Rupert.’

  ‘I’m staying,’ Beatrice said, curling her legs beneath her on the sofa. ‘I wouldn’t miss this for the world. Are you going to give him a good dressing down, Mother?’

  Daisy hurried from the room without giving Rupert the chance to argue. She went into the dining room. It was getting dark and Ruby had not yet lit the fire. She wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. ‘How long has he got before he leaves us, Rupert?’

  He took her in his arms and held her so close that she could feel his heart beating. ‘I’m sorry if you’re upset, Daisy Bell, but it’s what he wanted, and it does get Teddy out of a damned awkward scrape.’

  She tilted her head to look him in the eyes. ‘Is that all the poor girl means to you men? She and her unborn child are just a scrape to be avoided at a
ll costs.’

  He frowned. ‘I didn’t mean to sound uncaring, but Iris is Jed Smith’s responsibility now. The man is madly in love with her and who knows whether he is the father or if it’s Teddy. The main thing is that the girl will be looked after. Mother will see that she’s paid off handsomely and that will be an added incentive for Smith to make an honest woman of her.’

  ‘And so that it goes smoothly and without a fuss my brother is putting himself in harm’s way.’

  ‘Teddy always wanted to join the army, darling. He wanted to go to Sandhurst but your father wouldn’t allow it. Now he’s done an even braver thing if you ask me. Having been to public school makes him different from the ordinary enlisted man. Teddy will have to earn his stripes in more ways than one. It takes courage to do what he’s just done, so be kind to him, Daisy.’

  She laid her head on his shoulder. ‘I will, of course, but I can’t help wishing that he’d found another way.’

  Rupert held her close and they were silent for a while in the darkening room. He was the first to speak, holding her a little way from him and smiling into her eyes. ‘I’m leaving first thing in the morning, Daisy. Kiss me and wish me well.’

  She slid her arms around his neck and raised her face, closing her eyes. ‘Come back to me soon,’ she whispered and to her surprise she realised that she meant it.

  She shed a few tears next day when she waved goodbye to Rupert and Teddy, and was surprised to receive a comforting hug from Beatrice. ‘Never mind, Daisy,’ she said sympathetically. ‘I’m sure they’ll look after each other.’

  Daisy wiped her eyes on her crumpled hanky and stuffed it back in her pocket. ‘You’re right, of course, Bea. I’m just being silly.’

  ‘No, you’re not. I’d cry buckets if it was Jimmy going off like that. Let’s go indoors and have a cup of cocoa with lots of sugar and cream. Who cares about getting fat?’ Beatrice took a few steps towards the front door, paused and beckoned to her. ‘Come on. You won’t bring them back any quicker by staying there and catching cold.’

  Reluctantly, Daisy followed her into the house. It seemed odd to think that her little sister had grown up seemingly overnight. She herself had been too immersed in her own affairs to notice that Bea had left childhood behind and was now a capable young woman. Perhaps Bea really was serious about her farmer. It was a sobering thought. Daisy shivered as she entered the relative warmth of the house. She had not realised how chilled she was until she came indoors, and the entrance hall was certainly not what anyone would describe as being overheated. She followed Beatrice to the kitchen which was the only warm place in the house, and they heated milk to make cocoa and sweetened it with the last of the sugar.

  ‘I’ll have to go to the village with the grocery list,’ Daisy said as she helped herself to a spoonful of the cream skimmed from the top of the milk and poured it into her cup.

  Ruby stopped kneading the bread dough. ‘I’ll go if you like, miss.’

  ‘No, Ruby. It’s too soon after your illness.’ Daisy said firmly. ‘I feel like a walk.’

  ‘I’ll come too.’ Beatrice gulped the last of the cocoa. ‘I heard that they’ve got a telephone in the post office. I want to see if it works.’

  ‘But who will you ring, miss?’ Ruby stared at her in surprise.

  A dull flush suffused Beatrice’s round face. ‘The Gurneys had one installed last week and I’ve been waiting for a chance to ring Jimmy. I haven’t seen him for two days, and I want to know if he’s missed me.’

  ‘I’d let him wait if I was you, miss,’ Ruby said, shaking her head. ‘Blokes don’t like to be chased. They want to think they’re the hunters not the hunted.’ She tapped the side of her nose, leaving a dusting of flour on it. ‘Mark my words.’

  ‘Words of wisdom, Bea. Take note.’ Daisy rose to her feet. ‘I’m going anyway. I’ve been cooped up indoors for days and I need the exercise.’

  Ruby put the dough to prove, covering it with a damp tea towel. ‘When are you off to London with Lady Pendleton, miss? Is it this week, or next?’

  ‘Next week. So I’ll have to rely on you and Bea to take over the housekeeping while I’m away.’

  ‘We managed without you before,’ Beatrice said with confidence. ‘We can do it again. Come on then, Daisy. Let’s get our coats and hats on if we’re going to the village.’

  Minutes later they were muffled up in their winter coats with hats pulled down over their ears to fend off the bitter east wind that had skimmed the North Sea and blundered across the salt marshes. When they reached the village, Daisy left Beatrice in the post office attempting to get a telephone connection to the Gurneys’ farm while she went to deliver the order to the butcher’s shop. She was met with a grim-faced Cyril Smith. He took the shopping list from her with a grunt, making his feelings obvious, but not daring to be overtly rude when his employer was present. Daisy left the shop and was studying the list of groceries she was about to hand in to Mrs Cobb when she almost bumped into a man who was carrying what appeared to be a large wooden cupboard. Although she side-stepped, so did he, making a collision inevitable. ‘Look where you’re going.’ She caught her breath in a gasp as he lowered the piece of furniture and she found herself face to face with Bowman.

  Chapter Thirteen

  ‘I DIDN’T SEE you,’ Bowman said slowly. ‘But now I do, you’re a sight for sore eyes, Miss Lennox.’

  His appreciative glance made her dizzy with delight but her heart was pounding and she was finding it hard to breathe. She wanted to return his smile but she was afraid to give way to the feelings that threatened to engulf her. ‘Good day to you, Mr Bowman.’ She attempted to walk past him but he put the cupboard down, blocking the pavement. She stepped into the road but his hand shot out and he caught her by the sleeve.

  ‘Don’t run away, Daisy.’

  She stared straight ahead, not daring to look him in the eye. ‘Please let me go.’

  He released her immediately but for some reason she could not move.

  ‘Go on then,’ he said harshly. ‘Walk off. Pretend that you don’t give a damn about me. Don’t listen to what I have to say.’

  She raised her head. ‘You can’t have anything to say that would interest me. We’ve been through all this before and nothing has changed.’

  ‘Only that you’ve named the day. You’re throwing yourself away on a toff with more money than sense, who’ll probably get killed by the first German bullet that’s fired.’

  ‘That’s a horrible thing to say, even for you, Bowman.’

  ‘But it’s true. You belong to me, Daisy Lennox. Heart and soul. Don’t deny it.’

  Their eyes locked as if in mortal combat and she knew that part of what he said was true, but it was not meant to be. Their story could never have a happy ending. ‘You’re married,’ she said abruptly. ‘And even if you were a free man it wouldn’t make any difference. You’re a womaniser, Bowman. You take what you want and then you tire of the poor soul who’s fallen in love with you.’

  ‘I’d never tire of you, Daisy. I love you truly and deeply. I can’t sleep for wanting you, but we’re worlds apart and I don’t intend to drag you down to my level.’

  Her whole body felt as though a flame had passed through it. The scent of him filled her nostrils and her heart beat all the faster. Whatever it was that drew her to him was stronger than thought alone. No matter how hard she fought against it, she knew it was a basic animal instinct that made her want him as much as he wanted her. Those hypnotic brown eyes held her gaze, drawing her towards him, robbing her of the will to simply walk away. His lips invited hers to open and taste his kisses . . .

  ‘Daisy.’ Beatrice’s voice made Daisy come back to earth with a jolt that was physical in its intensity. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere.’ Beatrice raced up to them, stopping dead when she saw Bowman. ‘Oh, hello. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt, but I must speak to my sister.’ She grabbed Daisy by the arm and drew her aside. ‘Jimmy’s going to pick me up in th
e dog cart. I’m to wait here for him. That is all right, isn’t it, Daisy? You won’t tell Mother where I’ve gone?’

  Dazed and disorientated, Daisy took a moment to gather her thoughts. ‘Why ever not?’

  ‘Because we’re going into town for lunch and maybe we’ll go to the picture house or something. Mother doesn’t mind when I’m at the farm with Jimmy’s family, but she wouldn’t approve of us being seen together in public. You won’t say anything, will you, darling Daisy?’ Steepling her fingers as if in prayer, she gave Daisy her most appealing smile. ‘Please promise me this one little thing.’

  Daisy sighed. ‘I suppose nothing I can say will stop you.’

  ‘Oh, thank you.’ Beatrice hugged her and raced back towards the post office.

  ‘I must go,’ Daisy said unnecessarily. ‘This conversation never happened, Bowman.’

  He bowed his head, saying nothing, and she walked on slowly, forcing herself to put one foot in front of the other. This time she believed him. She knew for certain that his love for her was as real as hers was for him, but that did not make it right. They had met at the wrong time and in the wrong place. There was no beginning and there would be no end. She made her way to the post office and general store to hand in the grocery list.

  Life went on much as usual in Rainbow’s End, despite the fact that Teddy had left home filled with enthusiasm for his new career in the Rifle Brigade. Gwendoline openly mourned for him, but, as usual, Victor kept his feelings to himself. The only comment he made was that it was dashed inconvenient businesswise, but very soon he had hired someone to take Teddy’s place at work.

  Arley Meadows was a quiet young man who lived with his widowed mother on the outskirts of Colchester. Daisy had only met him once when she called in at the office to beg a lift home with her father, but she had been less than impressed by Arley’s subservient demeanour. There was nothing she could put her finger on but she knew from the first moment she saw him that he was not as meek and mild as he pretended to be. In his cheap but immaculate black cut-away jacket, starched wing collar, pinstripe trousers and white spats worn over his highly polished shoes, he was patently trying to be something that he was not. Daisy had no patience with humbugs and mountebanks. She hoped that her father would not put as much trust in Arley Meadows as he had in his former partner, who had let him down so badly.