A Village Scandal

by Dilly Court

  Daisy smiled tenderly as Jay took her hand and John Peabody began the ceremony, speaking in a deep, rich voice that echoed off the vaulted ceiling of the old church.

  It was over and the bride and groom left the church to cheers, clapping, and people tossing handfuls of rice. Hand in hand Daisy and Jay walked the short distance to the latest innovation in the village, designed and financed by Jay himself. The manually operated chain ferry was ready to take the guests across the water to a landing stage on the far side, and transport had been laid on to take the bridal party to the manor house for the wedding breakfast. Jay handed Daisy into the boat, followed by his mother, Eleanora and Sidney, Hilda and the two bridesmaids, and lastly eleven-year-old Jack, who jumped aboard at the last minute and went to sit beside Judy. There were more cheers as the ferry was winched across the water, and when they disembarked it was winched back to collect the rest of the family and the guests in relays.

  ‘That’s a wonderful contraption, my boy,’ Sidney said appreciatively. ‘I just hope it doesn’t affect the fishing grounds.’

  Jay smiled and shook his head. ‘It won’t, sir, I promise, and you are welcome to fish in the lake, if that appeals to you.’

  ‘My husband is obsessed with the sport,’ Eleanora sighed. ‘I must admit I’m getting a little tired of eating trout and I dislike pike; it tastes muddy.’

  ‘Cook can do wonders with that particular fish,’ Hilda said eagerly. ‘She stuffs it with breadcrumbs and herbs and I don’t know what, but it’s very good to eat.’

  ‘Lemon juice, Ma.’ Judy met her mother’s surprised gaze with a grin. ‘I learn a lot from watching Cook at work.’

  Sidney patted Judy on the back. ‘I can see we have a budding chef in our midst, Hilda.’

  ‘Maybe Hilda doesn’t want her daughter to work in a kitchen.’ Eleanora shifted from one foot to the other as her high heels sank into the muddy track. ‘Are we getting in the carriage with you, Daisy? Or do we have to wait for another to come and pick us up? I have to say, I don’t want to travel on a farm cart. It would ruin my new gown.’

  Jay handed Daisy into the waiting landau. ‘There’s room for two more and the little ones, because they don’t take up much room. There’s another carriage on the way, but it’s not too far to walk.’

  ‘I hope you’re not suggesting that we ladies trudge up the hill on the muddy track,’ Mary said crossly. ‘I agree with Mrs Marshall. We should travel in the carriage with you.’

  ‘I’ll walk,’ Sidney said firmly. ‘But Mrs Begg ought to ride.’

  ‘I’ll come with you, Mr Marshall,’ Jack said eagerly. ‘I feel like a walk after sitting through all that hymn singing and praying.’

  Sidney ruffled Jack’s curly brown hair. ‘I couldn’t agree more, son. Perhaps Judy and Molly would like to come too, and we’ll have a look at the lake. We might see a few carp.’

  Hilda was about to protest, but Judy had already skipped on ahead. ‘You ride, Ma,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘I want to see the fish.’

  ‘Me, too.’ Molly ran after her.

  ‘See what you’ve started, Sidney.’ Eleanora wagged her finger at him, but her husband merely smiled as he handed her into the carriage. ‘The children need to wear off some of their youthful high spirits, my dear, and I enjoy a bit of exercise.’ He held his hand out to Hilda.

  ‘Thank you, sir. But you will make sure the girls don’t fall in, won’t you? Their dresses are new and they cost a pretty penny. Daisy paid for them herself.’

  ‘Let the girls enjoy themselves,’ Daisy said, chuckling. ‘They’ve played their part today and behaved perfectly in church.’ She moved closer to Jay, slipping her hand through the crook of his arm. ‘Let’s go home.’

  He brushed her lips with a kiss. ‘Drive on, Fuller. We have guests to entertain.’

  ‘Who would have thought that Creek Manor would one day play host to the whole village?’ Mary Tattersall edged into the corner of the seat to make room for Hilda and Eleanora. ‘If you’d told me that when I was a girl, I’d never have believed it.’

  Eleanora turned her head away. ‘We were in London then. Sometimes I wish we’d stayed in Whitechapel.’

  ‘Surely not, Aunt,’ Daisy said anxiously. ‘Would you really prefer to live above the shop than here in Little Creek? You have a comfortable cottage, and it’s all yours.’

  ‘I suppose so.’ Eleanora uttered a loud sigh. ‘But I miss the hustle and bustle of the city, and the shops.’

  ‘Some people are never satisfied,’ Mary said darkly. ‘If you’d suffered the hardships I’ve had to endure you’d be grateful for what you’ve got, Mrs Marshall.’

  ‘I’m sure we count ourselves very fortunate to have come to such a delightful part of the country.’ Daisy spoke before her aunt had a chance to argue. ‘I love Little Creek and I’m more than happy to live in Creek Manor.’ She held Jay’s arm a little tighter. ‘I am the luckiest woman in the world to have such a wonderful husband and family. I couldn’t ask for more.’

  ‘My sentiments exactly,’ Jay said, smiling. ‘I’m married to the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known, and we have everything we could possibly want, so let’s not spoil the day with petty arguments.’

  ‘I’m sure I wouldn’t want to be a wet blanket.’ Eleanora shot a wary glance in Mary’s direction.

  Mary nodded and managed a tight little smile. ‘I didn’t mean to offend you, Mrs Marshall. It’s just that I’ve been the subject of unkind gossip for so many years that I sometimes speak out of turn.’

  ‘Quite so, and as we’re related by marriage I think it only proper that you call me Eleanora. We must support each other, Mary.’

  Daisy leaned against Jay, inhaling the masculine scent that was his alone. She felt at this moment as though her heart would burst with happiness, and the sun was shining. It was a perfect spring day.

  After greeting the guests Daisy and Jay led them into the dining hall, where more tables and chairs had been brought in to seat everyone, and a feast had been laid out in readiness. Wine, ale and cider flowed and, although subdued at first, the guests began to relax and enjoy themselves. Their voices rose in a crescendo, adding to the clatter of knives and forks on china plates and the clink of glasses.

  When at last everyone was satiated with food and drink, there was the traditional cutting of the wedding cake, and then Sidney rose to his feet and raised a toast. Jay made a brief speech in response and announced that there would be dancing in the great hall to the tuneful accompaniment of Mr Keyes, the village shopkeeper, on the concertina and Constable Fowler on the pianoforte. The instrument had been found tucked away beneath a tarpaulin in the coach house, and Mary vaguely remembered the first Mrs Tattersall having the piano in the morning parlour where she spent many an hour playing soulful music. A piano tuner had been summoned from Maldon and now it was as good as new, or almost. Daisy was no expert, but when she had been governess to the Carringtons’ youngest child, she had sat beside Master Timothy in the drawing room of the London mansion while he did his five-finger exercises. The Steinway, which had been imported from Germany at enormous expense, had made the most wonderful sound, even though the young musician was there under sufferance, bribed by the promise of a poke of humbugs if he completed a half-hour practice. The manor house pianoforte could not compete with such a superb instrument, but if the notes were tinny no one seemed to notice, and George Keyes played his concertina with more enthusiasm than expertise.

  Jay and Daisy took the floor and led the dancers in a waltz, followed by a lively polka and then a gavotte. Breathless and smiling, they stopped to take a rest while the guests formed a circle for the country dance, Gathering Peascods.

  ‘This really is a day to remember, Jay,’ Daisy said softly. ‘You were right, it’s good to share our happiness with everyone.’

  He smiled and leaned over to kiss her on the lips. ‘Here’s to a lifetime together, Daisy mine. I’ll never leave you.’

  It was her turn to smile
. ‘Not even to refurbish the Lazy Jane – I know she’s the second love of your life.’

  ‘No, sweetheart. My days at sea are over. I’ll pay another master to take care of the old girl, but this time they’ll trade in legitimate goods. No more smuggling for me.’

  ‘I’m glad. It might have ended so badly.’ Daisy looked up at the sound of someone calling Jay’s name and a young man pushed his way through the dancers.

  ‘Captain, I need to have a word.’

  Jay rose to his feet. ‘What is it, Lewis? I didn’t see you at the wedding breakfast.’

  ‘I was called down to the creek, sir. There’s been a spot of bother.’

  ‘What’s happened?’

  The note of anxiety in her husband’s voice made Daisy reach out to clutch his hand. ‘What’s wrong?’

  ‘I don’t know, but the boy seems to be in a state.’ Jay turned back to Lewis, who was sweating profusely and panting as if he had run a considerable distance. ‘Calm down and tell me what’s happened.’

  Lewis shook his head. ‘You need to come with me, Captain. You’re the only one who can save the Lazy Jane from them Dornings.’

  Daisy leaped to her feet. ‘No, Jay. You can’t leave in the middle of the reception. Whatever it is can surely wait for a few hours.’

  Jay shook his head. ‘It’s not like Lewis to panic. I’ll go and sort it out and be back before you know it. Save the next waltz for me, my darling.’ Jay blew her a kiss and hurried after Lewis, who was already halfway towards the door.

  ‘What’s going on, Daisy?’ Mary was at her side, staring anxiously after her son. ‘Why has Jay rushed off after that boy? I sense trouble.’

  Daisy frowned. ‘I don’t know, Mary. But he promised to come back soon. Jay always keeps his word.’ She watched the man she adored leave the great hall and she felt the cold draught as the door closed behind him. She shivered suddenly as cold fingers of fear ran down her spine.

  Chapter Two

  Toby slipped his arm around Daisy’s shoulders. ‘I’m sure he’ll be back soon.’

  ‘Yes, of course,’ Daisy said without much conviction.

  ‘I’d stay, but I have to report for duty at the hospital tomorrow morning.’ Toby gave her a searching look. ‘And I need to get Minnie back to Mrs Wood’s lodging house before she is locked out. I’ve bribed the maid to let her in, but she might fall asleep.’

  ‘Will you be all right, Daisy?’ Minnie asked anxiously. ‘It seems wrong to leave you like this.’

  Daisy managed a smile. ‘Jay would never miss his own party. But of course you must go now. Fuller will take you to the railway station.’

  Toby gave her a hug. ‘He’d better treat you well, or he’ll have me to deal with.’

  ‘Jay is the best of husbands. He’ll be back soon. I know he will.’ Daisy watched her brother and his fiancée as they took their leave of their aunt and uncle, and she waved to them as they left the great hall. She forced herself to smile, but she had a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. Something was wrong, but Jay would make it right, of that she was certain.

  The dancing grew more energetic and the company more raucous with every glass of fruit punch, ale or cider that was drunk, ceasing briefly when the musicians demanded a break. Daisy tried hard to put her worries to the back of her mind. She told herself that the emergency had been exaggerated and that Jay would return soon. They would laugh about this later, when all the guests had gone home and the house was relatively quiet, but after two hours and no sign of her husband, she was beginning to be restive. She had to fend off questions from her aunt and Mary, both of whom had seen Jay leave with Lewis, and Daisy tried to sound confident when she said that Jay would return within the hour. It was becoming apparent that whatever had called him away must be far more serious than she had thought, and by the time the last guests had left for home Mary was frantic and Daisy had stopped pretending that all was well.

  ‘Should we stay with you tonight?’ Eleanora asked anxiously. ‘Your uncle and I will gladly keep you company until Jay returns home. He’s very thoughtless to leave you like this.’

  Mary bristled visibly. ‘There must be a good reason for Jay’s continued absence. He was always a considerate child and he hasn’t changed.’

  ‘Well, it appears that something very urgent must have kept him away,’ Sidney said mildly. ‘The poor fellow has missed a good party.’

  Eleanora turned on him angrily. ‘Trust you to say something silly like that, Sidney Marshall. Can’t you see that Daisy is distraught? Who knows what might have befallen him?’

  ‘Come, come, my love. I don’t think he’ll have been attacked by wild animals or savage natives in Little Creek.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Sidney. Of course neither of those things will have happened to him, but he might have had an accident of some sort, or fallen into the sea.’ Eleanora turned to Daisy. ‘Can he swim?’

  Daisy glanced out of the window. It was dark outside and the grandfather clock in the great hall had just struck the hour. ‘I don’t know, Aunt,’ Daisy said vaguely. ‘The subject never came up.’

  ‘Then you should find out … And you ought to learn to swim, Sidney. You’re always wading into the river with that fishing rod of yours. What would happen if you slipped and fell? I’d be a widow and how would I manage then?’

  Sidney slipped his arm around her shoulders. ‘Ellie, my love, you’re getting worked up about nothing. I think we ought to go home and leave Daisy in peace. Jay is a sensible fellow and I’ve no doubt he’ll return soon.’

  ‘But he might have drowned!’ Mary’s face paled to ashen. ‘You’re right, Eleanora. An accident must have occurred to keep Jay from his own wedding reception.’ She covered her face with her hands and her shoulders shook.

  ‘There, Aunt. See what you’ve done,’ Daisy said crossly. ‘Of course he hasn’t drowned. We don’t even know why Jay was called away, but there must be a good reason for his continued absence.’

  Sidney gave Daisy a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. ‘I’ll take her home, if your man will send for the carriage.’

  Daisy beckoned to Molesworth, who was standing at a respectful distance. ‘Please send for the carriage to take my aunt and uncle home.’

  ‘I’m not crossing the river in the dark,’ Eleonora protested.

  ‘The ferryman only works in daylight hours, Aunt,’ Daisy said patiently. ‘You’ll have to go the long way round, but it’s a fine evening. You should get home within the hour.’

  Mary paced the floor, wringing her hands. ‘Anything could have happened. If he didn’t go to the ship, he might have gone to one of the farms. He might have been trampled by cows or gored by a bull.’

  Daisy slipped away. She had had enough of such unhelpful speculation and she was growing more and more concerned with each passing minute. Ignoring the fact that she was still wearing her bridal gown and satin slippers, she hurried through the house to the servants’ quarters and snatched a rough woollen cloak from a peg near the rear entrance. A lantern was always left near the door and she unhooked it, struck a match and lit the wick. She left the house unnoticed by the servants, who, judging by the sounds of jollity coming from their quarters, were continuing the celebrations. Daisy smiled in spite of her anxiety. Tomorrow would be a very different story and those who were drinking too much wine and beer would suffer accordingly. But this was a special day, or rather it had been before Jay’s mysterious disappearance.

  Holding the lantern high enough to illuminate the pathway, Daisy quickened her pace as she made her way to the summerhouse. It was the first time she had ventured alone into the underground passage that had not so long ago been used to bring smuggled goods ashore, but she was too worried to think about anything other than finding Jay. If he had stayed aboard Lazy Jane just to help plug a leak or mend a broken mast she would be very angry.

  It was cold below ground level, and damp rose from the mud beneath her feet as she trod carefully on the slippery stones. The thin
beam of light from the lantern bobbed with every step she took, and sinister shadows seemed to close in on her. There was no turning back now and she was determined to find Jay, whatever the cost. The sound of her footsteps echoed off the walls, and for a terrifying moment she thought she could hear someone panting so close to her that she could touch them, until she realised it was her own erratic breathing that she could hear.

  After what seemed like an eternity she saw the entrance to the tunnel illuminated by a shaft of moonlight, and she broke into a run. Once outside she took deep breaths of the fresh sea air, and she could hear the sound of the waves breaking on the shingle. Emerging through the undergrowth, she scanned the horizon for any sign of the Lazy Jane, but there was just the reflection of moonlight on the water. Stunned and barely able to believe her eyes, Daisy realised that the ship had sailed, apparently taking Jay on some mysterious and unexpected voyage. Months ago he had promised her that he would never set sail again, and he had promoted his first mate, Clem Guppy, to handle the ship while trading on the right side of the law. She could not believe that he would have willingly broken that solemn promise.

  She stood for some minutes, wrapping the coarse cloak around her as a chilly east wind rustled the branches of the trees that overhung the beach. She scanned the water again and again in the vain hope of catching a glimpse of the vessel, but apart from a few white-tipped waves, the creek was calm and glassy. Then the thought struck her that perhaps Aunt Eleanora had been right. Lewis had seemed agitated when he came for Jay: maybe there had been a crisis at his father’s farm. She had not seen Mr and Mrs Johnson, Lewis’s parents, at the church or at the reception, so maybe there was something seriously wrong. Daisy retreated into the tunnel and this time the horrors had gone – after all, it was just a short cut back to the summerhouse at the end of the rose garden.

  She entered the house, once again without being seen, and the sounds of merriment were even louder than before. She smiled to think that at least some of the household were enjoying what should have been the happiest day of their mistress’s life, only now it was turning into a nightmare. Daisy had intended to walk to the Johnsons’ farm, but it was a mile away at least and her dancing slippers were already ruined. Besides which, if she turned up at the farm wearing her wedding gown and in an obvious state of distress it would make Jay appear foolish, if he was there – and if he was not, she could hardly bear to imagine what else might have befallen him. She decided to go to their room, although she knew that sleep would evade her until Jay returned. Flashes of lightning lit the room, followed by cracks of thunder that were so close together it sounded like a fusillade of bullets being fired at the house. Daisy jumped into bed, closed her eyes and pulled the covers over her head.