Promise Made

by Linda Sole

  ‘He was a victim of the war like so many others,’ Daniel said with a grim look. ‘If I had been here I could have taken some of the strain, but I was stuck in that damned camp siting on my backside and twiddling my thumbs. Don’t blame yourself, Emily. Blame the war or fate or the government, but not yourself.’

  ‘No, I shan’t,’ she promised. ‘I’ll go then – but don’t forget what I said the other day. If you need money …’ Daniel shook his head, making her smile because he was the same old stubborn Dan. ‘I know it isn’t what you want, my dear, but it’s there if you need it. Take care of yourself and Alice – and little Danny.’

  Emily walked away from the church to her car. Nanny was waiting patiently, but Robert was pulling at her hand. He broke away from her as she came up to them, stumbling towards her on his chubby legs. Emily bent down to sweep him up in her arms. She held him close, loving the clean fresh smell of his soft body. Her love flowed towards him, wrapping about him. He was so precious and she loved him so much. She hugged and kissed him, setting him down again next to Nanny, who captured his hand.

  ‘Shall we go home?’ she asked. ‘Is everything packed, Nanny?’

  ‘Yes, madam,’ Nanny replied. ‘I daresay you will be glad to be on your way. These occasions are very sad.’

  ‘Yes,’ she agreed. ‘Very sad. My brother wasn’t old, Nanny. He just seemed that way.’

  Emily was thoughtful as she started the car and moved off. She wasn’t sure how long it would be before she came down again. Since her marriage she had always stayed with Henry at the farm when she visited. It was as if something had gone, cutting off her links to the past.

  She realized that she would no longer think of this village as home. Daniel, Frances and Connor were still here, but they didn’t need her and her home was at Vanbrough House now. Her future belonged with Vane and Robert … and Amelia, of course.

  Four

  Emily was standing staring out at the night sky when Vane entered the small sitting room. She sensed he was there, though he didn’t speak, and turned to smile at him.

  ‘Come in, Vane. You’re not disturbing me.’

  ‘You seemed lost in thought. I wasn’t sure if I was intruding.’

  ‘No, of course not. I was about to order some hot cocoa before I go to bed, but I don’t suppose I can tempt you?’

  ‘I would prefer a brandy,’ Vane said and chuckled as he saw her fine brows lift. ‘I know the doctor says that I ought not to indulge, but what is the point? I shall live as long as the powers that be intend and no longer.’

  ‘Do you really believe that?’ Emily asked. ‘Is the future all mapped out for us? Do we have any choice?’

  ‘Are you thinking of yourself?’ Emily shook her head. ‘Your brother? It was sad to die at that age. If he was in trouble you should have asked me, Emily. I might have been able to arrange something with my bank – an extended loan or something …’

  ‘Henry would never have agreed. He had no head for book work, but he was a good farmer and a proud man. If he could have hung on for a while Daniel might have sorted things out, but it was too late …’

  ‘A pity, my dear,’ Vane said. ‘I am very sorry.’

  ‘Yes, so am I,’ Emily said. ‘I think I shall go and ask for my cocoa now. Goodnight, Vane.’

  ‘Goodnight, my dear. I missed you and I am glad you’re back.’

  Emily smiled but didn’t answer as she left the room. He stared after her. The smell of her perfume lingered, filling his senses. He was disturbed by some news of his own, news which might mean that the convalescent home would close. He must think of something to keep Emily busy and fulfilled or he might lose her.

  ‘I was sorry about your brother,’ Sam Danby said when he met Frances in the high street a few days later. ‘I would have come to the funeral but I was in London.’

  ‘Henry was ill,’ Frances replied coldly. She lifted her head, giving him a proud stare because she did not need his sympathy. ‘It’s Mary I feel sorry for. She is alone in that big house and she doesn’t know what to do with herself.’

  ‘No, I suppose it is very difficult for her. Her boys are both at school, aren’t they?’

  ‘Yes. Why do you ask?’

  ‘We need help in the house. Rosalind likes your sister-in-law. She wondered whether she should offer her a little job …’ He held up his hand as Frances glared at him. ‘No, please don’t look at me like that, Frannie. I’m not saying she’s only fit for housework and I’m not taking advantage. She must be finding it hard with the bankruptcy sale coming up soon. I only wanted to help.’

  ‘I think we can look after her ourselves,’ Frances said. ‘Daniel has given her a little money and Marcus is giving the same.’

  ‘That son of mine is a damned fool!’ Sam muttered angrily. ‘What does he mean by working for that tuppenny-ha’penny firm when he might be his own boss?’

  ‘Marcus makes his own decisions,’ Frances said. ‘If you will excuse me, I must get on. I have a lot to do today.’

  ‘I miss having my tea with you,’ Sam said. ‘Why don’t you bring the boy to tea with Rosalind? She was saying that she hasn’t seen you in ages – except at the funeral, of course.’

  ‘I shall ring her,’ Frances said. She wasn’t particularly fond of her motherin-law, but Rosalind had done nothing wrong. It was only right that she should see her grandson now and then. And Sam couldn’t touch her or give her those looks in front of his wife. ‘Yes, I should like to visit soon.’

  ‘Good!’ Sam looked pleased with himself. ‘I’ll tell her later. She will have something to look forward to. Get off then. I shan’t keep you from your work.’

  Frances walked away. Marcus would be pleased she was going to have tea with his mother. He might hate his father, but he still saw his mother as often as he could, usually when his father was out.

  He had been very good about his drinking since the night Henry died. Frances hadn’t noticed him drinking anything more than a glass of wine with his dinner. Things were better between them again. He was loving and charming, as he had always been. She believed that it was all going to be perfect again, just the way she had planned it when she married.

  ‘I was sorry to hear about your brother,’ Amelia said as they were drinking tea together in the front parlour some days after Emily’s return. ‘It was a sad business, because he was quite young, wasn’t he?’

  ‘Yes, he was and it was awful,’ Emily agreed. ‘I knew he was ill but I didn’t expect him to die like that, so suddenly. The worst thing was that we had all gone out to dinner and he was alone.’

  ‘Yes, that was unfortunate,’ Amelia agreed, her fine brows lifting as she looked at Emily. ‘I worry about Vane. He’s had one severe attack. Another might kill him.’

  ‘He seems to be much better. He is always working or going to meetings.’

  ‘Yes, I know – but if he were to be really upset over something …’

  ‘What are you saying, Amelia?’

  ‘Vane would be most upset if you left us.’

  ‘I have no intention of leaving.’

  Amelia smiled her satisfaction. ‘Vane thought you might decide to go and live near your family. I told him he was worrying for nothing. We are both so fond of you, Emily. Vane missed Robert terribly when you were away. He is all we have, you see. It would upset him if you took the boy away from us.’

  ‘Yes, I know that,’ Emily said. She felt a tingle at the nape of her neck. Amelia was smiling. Nothing she had actually said could be taken as a threat, and yet it felt that way. ‘But I have not thought of leaving. This house is home to me now, Amelia. Robert loves it too.’

  ‘Yes, he does,’ Amelia said. ‘That is good, because it will be his one day – the title too. You wouldn’t want to jeopardize that, would you, Emily?’

  ‘No …’ Emily hesitated. The threat was veiled but it was there beneath the surface. ‘You don’t need to worry, Amelia. I’m not going to take Robert away again – not for quite a while. No
w that Henry is dead and the farm is to be sold it doesn’t seem the same.’

  ‘Such a pity that it had to happen,’ Amelia said. ‘Was there no way your other brothers could save the farm?’

  ‘Unfortunately not,’ Emily said. She stood up, feeling that she had had enough of Amelia’s questions for the moment. ‘I’m going upstairs to see Robert for a few minutes, and then I shall go down to the home to see how things are.’

  ‘Yes, of course, you must,’ Amelia agreed. ‘Robert is quite tired, I think. He had a lovely time in the gardens this morning. Vane gave him a model boat and we sailed it in the lily pond. Don’t look so alarmed, Emily. Nanny was there too. He was perfectly safe. You must know that I always take care of him. I would never let any harm come to Robert. He is such a little darling and we all love him. Besides, he is Vane’s heir, isn’t he?’

  ‘Yes, we do love him,’ Emily agreed, ignoring what she felt was a taunt. ‘But in future I would rather you asked before letting him play near water, Amelia.’

  She left the room before Amelia could answer. It irritated her because Amelia took so much for granted. She behaved for much of the time as if she thought Robert belonged to her. Emily tried to be understanding. Amelia had wanted to give Vane another heir but it had not happened. That was a shame but it didn’t give her the right to act as if Emily’s son were her own.

  Sometimes, Emily wondered if she ought to devote more of her time to Robert, and yet the home was important to her – and to Vane. He relied on her to run it and she enjoyed having the responsibility. No, she couldn’t give it up, she decided. Besides, it would be unkind to deny Amelia her part in Robert’s life. She loved him and he loved her. Emily was foolish to be jealous. She must share him with Vane and his wife.

  It was the price she had to pay for letting Vane believe that the boy was his grandson.

  ‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ Daniel asked of his sister-in-law. It was just two weeks since the funeral and she was talking of taking a job with the Danbys. ‘You don’t have to work, Mary. The rest of us will make sure that you don’t go without. Connor is willing to look after the pigs and that will bring in a few pounds every now and then.’

  ‘Connor has been a good boy,’ Mary said and smiled. ‘Henry always kept a few pigs in the orchard, apart from the rest of the livestock. We never sold them, just killed one when we needed it.’

  ‘And you still can if you wish.’

  ‘I think I shall sell them.’ Mary shook her head and sighed as Daniel protested. ‘You’ve all been so kind, but I can’t expect Connor to keep giving up his free time. I’ve still got my home and a little bit in the bank, which I didn’t expect – but I don’t mind giving Rosalind Danby a hand a couple of days a week. I like her and she made it sound like a favour to her. She sat here in my kitchen and told me she was lonely, asked me if I would come and do a bit for her if I had the time. I shall be cooking and doing light housework. She already has a cleaner. I thought it was kind of her to offer and it gives me some independence.’

  ‘Well, if it’s what you want,’ Daniel said. He had already given her as much as he could afford, but he knew Emily would have sent a regular payment if he had asked. He frowned as he thought of something. ‘You won’t come to the sale tomorrow? It’s machinery and bits and pieces – the horses too.’

  ‘No, I shan’t come,’ Mary said. ‘Shall you go?’

  ‘Yes, I believe I shall,’ Daniel replied. ‘I might buy a few things myself. Danby thinks a lot of it will go for a song. Money is tight at the moment – and it happens at bankruptcy sales.’

  Mary frowned. ‘That sounds so awful. Bankruptcy sale. I can’t imagine what your father would have thought, Daniel.’

  ‘He would have been angry,’ Daniel said. He wasn’t happy about it himself, but was brushing through as easily as he could for her sake. ‘It might not have happened if Father hadn’t married again. Margaret wanted her money when she went off, which left us with a huge debt. It was worse because Cley demanded his share too. The way things were during the war with all the restrictions, Henry didn’t stand a chance of paying it off.’

  ‘You would have managed it better,’ Mary said. ‘Henry often said it. He knew all there was to know about the land, but he wasn’t a business man. The interest kept mounting up and he just ignored it because he couldn’t find a way to pay it off.’

  ‘It wasn’t his fault. If Cley hadn’t wanted out, Henry would have had the help he needed. Two heads are always better than one.’

  Daniel left his sister-in-law busy in her kitchen. She was baking cakes for a church bazaar and seemed to have settled down well enough. He had been worried about how she would cope, but now that the funeral was over she seemed to have accepted her situation – at least she wasn’t wearing her grief on her sleeve. He didn’t particularly like the idea of her working for Rosalind Danby, but he couldn’t forbid it. On top of the bankruptcy it felt too much like humiliation, but Mary didn’t see it that way.

  He was frowning as he got into his truck. Cley hadn’t come up with any money as yet. It was about time he paid his brother another visit.

  Frances looked at the pretty gilt clock on the mantelpiece. The sale of farm goods would be starting in half an hour. She knew that Daniel was going, but she couldn’t face it. She didn’t even want to go to the village shop, because she knew that people would be talking about the sale. Some of them would laugh behind their hands. They would take pleasure in seeing the downfall of the Searles family – and it was humiliating whatever Daniel might say to the contrary. Henry had allowed things to slide and Frances felt he had let them all down. She knew that he had been ill in the past few months, but she didn’t understand where all the money had gone. There had been plenty when her father was alive.

  She decided that she would catch the bus into Ely and get her hair done. She preferred the hairdresser there to the village salon. Besides, she would avoid all the sly looks and sniggers if she went into town.

  Daniel watched as the auctioneer knocked down the farm machinery for a fraction of what it was worth. He ground his teeth, swallowing his bile. All this was so damned unfair! And there was nothing he could do about it. The bank had taken over and they didn’t care that the carts and tractors could have been sold for more money, and the horses! They were good stock. Sold privately, they might have made at least fifty pounds more than they had today. All the bank wanted was to recover the debt. Daniel had hoped that something might have been saved from the mess, but now he realized that they would be lucky to clear the debt.

  ‘Rotten shame,’ Sam Danby said coming up to him as the last of the horses went for next to nothing. ‘I thought this might happen. Your brother should have sold to me a year ago. I would have bought him out and given him a fair price.’

  Daniel nodded, a grim expression on his face. He wanted to tell Danby why Henry would never have sold to him, but he bit back the bitter words. Henry hadn’t trusted the man, but it may have been better to swallow his pride and taken a decent offer, rather than let things get to this fiasco. He would probably have persuaded Henry to let him handle it if he’d been home.

  ‘Henry thought he could get through,’ Daniel said in defence of his brother. ‘It is a pity but he was too ill to manage the business. If I had been home it might have been different.’

  ‘Great shame. Don’t like to see it, Dan. If you’re interested in selling those fields of yours, I’ll give you a good price.’

  ‘Thanks,’ Daniel said. ‘I haven’t made up my mind yet, but I’ll speak to you first if I sell.’

  ‘Good man,’ Danby said. ‘I think I’ll get off now. I have an appointment in Ely. It’s a sorry day, Daniel. Your father wouldn’t have liked this.’

  ‘No, he wouldn’t.’

  Daniel cursed inwardly. As if he needed reminding! Robert Searles would have fought tooth and nail to keep his land! He felt as if he had failed his father, the shame of seeing the family brought to this sat like a sour lump in h
is chest. Yet he had been powerless to help stuck in that damned prisoner of war camp. He felt icy shivers down his spine as he recalled the hell of those wasted months and years. The nightmares still haunted him and they didn’t always come in the hours of darkness.

  He’d had enough of this shameful business! Daniel turned and walked off. Cley had promised to give him the five hundred pounds this afternoon. He had wanted the whole two thousand, but Cley wouldn’t budge. Daniel knew that he might have to settle for what he could get. At least for the time being.

  With five hundred pounds he could at least get started. There was a barn behind the house he’d bought for Alice. He could work on renovating second-hand cars there for a while – until he could find enough money to set up the garage he wanted with a forecourt, showroom and petrol pumps. It was a long way from what he had planned, he reflected grimly, but it looked as if he was stuck with a bad deal.

  He had arranged to take the pig sties and a few pigs from Mary, which would give her a little money. He had room in the orchard that backed on to the house in the fens, and he would keep hens and chickens there. Perhaps a few geese as well, and of course he would grow all the vegetables they needed.

  He frowned as he recalled what had got him into this fix. He had given into Margaret’s blackmail the night Cley had raped her. He ought to have refused, let her call the police. Cley deserved a prison sentence for what he’d done to her.

  Daniel shook his head, smiling grimly as he admitted to himself that he could never have done it. Poor Dorothy would have been wretched over it, and Frances would have felt humiliated. Emily would have hated it too, though she would have got on with things – and she was away from it now. He was glad she hadn’t been here today to see the way things had gone.

  Daniel felt some of the bitterness ease as he thought of his favourite sister. Emily had wanted to help him get started, but a man had his pride. He wouldn’t ask Emily for money unless he was desperate.

  Frances frowned as she approached the bus stop in Ely and saw the bus drawing away. The hairdresser had kept her waiting while she finished putting the dye on someone else’s hair, and that meant Frances was stuck here for at least another hour. Muriel was looking after Charlie, but she would be wanting to get off home soon.