A Village Scandal

by Dilly Court

  Marjorie’s angry expression melted into a confused half-smile. ‘I – er – I’m not one to boast, Captain.’ She turned with a start as Miss Creedy grabbed her by the hand, pumping her arm up and down.

  ‘How very kind of you to invite me, Mrs Harker. The old squire would have slit his throat rather than entertain we commoners from the village.’

  Daisy laid her hand on Miss Creedy’s shoulder. ‘Come with me, Lavender. I’m sure you could do with some refreshment after that long walk from the ferry.’

  ‘I’m dry as a bone, my dear. How nice of you to think of me.’

  ‘We can’t have the church organist going thirsty, and maybe you would like to give us a tune on the pianoforte later in the evening.’

  Lavender Creedy’s pale grey eyes filled with tears and she took off her steel-rimmed spectacles to wipe her eyes. ‘So kind, Mrs Tattersall, and you’re so brave bearing up to the loss of your husband. Jay was a nice boy in spite of what people say about him. I remember a time when he carried my basket all the way from the village shop to my cottage.’

  ‘Take her away,’ Marjorie whispered through clenched teeth. ‘Put her in a corner somewhere.’ She gazed blankly at the Johnson family, who were all spruced up in their Sunday best. ‘Who are you?’

  ‘Josiah Johnson, ma’am. And this is my missis, Edna, and my daughter Janet, and three of my boys, Eddie, Wilfred and William, but young Lewis insisted on going to sea on that coffin ship, the Lazy Jane.’

  ‘Oh, all right,’ Marjorie said faintly. ‘Follow the others. There should be refreshments in the great hall.’ She shot a venomous look at Daisy. ‘If you feed my best champagne to these peasants I’ll charge you for every single bottle.’ She turned back to greet Nick, Dove and Mrs Bee, who were closely followed by Daisy’s aunt and uncle. ‘At least I know you, Dr Neville,’ Marjorie hesitated, adding with a sigh, ‘and I see you’ve brought your servants with you.’

  Daisy did not wait to see the expression on the faces of Dove and Mrs Bee, and she hurried off, leading Miss Creedy and the Johnson family to the great hall where side tables were groaning with bottles of wine and cider, as well as barrels of beer. The money available had not run to champagne, which was just as well, although there was sherry for those who wanted it, and port for others, as well as a fruit punch laced with brandy. Molesworth must have emptied the cellar in order to provide such a variety, but at least it would make the evening go with a swing.

  Having settled the new arrivals, Daisy returned to the entrance hall to greet her aunt and uncle. She found them chatting to Toby and Minnie, who had been joined by Ned Tighe-Martin. Ivy seemed to have been forgotten and she hovered awkwardly in the background – there was no sign of Flora.

  Daisy placed her arm around Ivy’s shoulders. ‘Come with me. I think there’s someone you might like to meet.’

  ‘Oh, Daisy, before you disappear again.’ Her uncle broke away from the group and hurried to her side. ‘I wanted to tell you that Abel Perkins is down at the lake with all the fishing gear, and I’m going to join him, so if any gentlemen are interested we’ll be ready to help them enjoy an evening’s sport.’

  ‘That’s splendid, Uncle. I’ll inform all those who might enjoy that, but right now I’m just going to introduce Ivy to someone and then I’ll be back.’ Daisy propelled Ivy in the direction of the great hall.

  ‘I don’t want to take you away from your family, Daisy.’

  ‘Nonsense. There’s someone I’d like you to meet. Eddie Johnson is the eldest son of one of my tenant farmers, and he’s a fine upstanding young man.’

  Ivy blushed prettily. ‘I’m not looking for a husband.’

  ‘Of course not, but a partner for the evening will make the party much more enjoyable.’ Daisy caught her by the hand as Ivy was about to turn back. ‘Come on, he won’t bite.’

  The Johnsons were grouped together, looking decidedly out of place and uncomfortable, but Daisy was not going to be put off. She approached them with a bright smile.

  ‘Mr and Mrs Johnson, may I introduce my good friend Ivy Price. She’s from London and she doesn’t know many people, so I thought perhaps you might look after her.’

  Ivy opened her mouth to protest, but Josiah stepped forward. ‘How do, miss?’

  ‘You’re very welcome to bide with us,’ Edna said eagerly. ‘Eddie, step forward and get a glass of something for Miss Price.’

  Eddie shot a warning look at his two brothers, who were grinning at him. ‘What’s your pleasure, miss?’

  ‘I believe the fruit punch is very refreshing,’ Daisy suggested when Ivy seemed at a loss.

  ‘Yes, thank you. That would be nice,’ Ivy said shyly.

  Eddie filled a glass cup from the punchbowl and handed it to her. ‘Do you like dancing, miss?’

  ‘I do,’ Ivy said enthusiastically.

  ‘Then will you keep the first dance for me?’

  ‘Oh, yes. Thank you.’ Ivy smiled up at him. ‘Where is your farm, Mr Johnson?’

  ‘It’s not far away. If you’re here tomorrow morning I’d be pleased to show you round.’

  Ivy’s smile made her look almost pretty and Daisy left them to get to know each other. She returned to the entrance hall feeling pleased with herself. Now all she had to do was to keep Flora under control and hope that the rest of the evening went off well. But one look at Marjorie’s face was enough to convince her that there would be trouble ahead. She rejoined her family group and was pleased to see that Nick had introduced Dove to Toby and Minnie, while Mrs Bee looked on, smiling benignly. The hall was getting crowded and guests were still arriving, although Marjorie’s smile had turned into a rictus grin, and she shook hands like an automaton. Daisy almost felt sorry for her, but then Marjorie had brought it on herself, and if she would just relax a little she might even begin to enjoy the party.

  Patience had slipped in unnoticed and had stationed herself beside Fuller, who was tuning up his fiddle. George Keyes had arrived, bringing with him his wife as well as his prized concertina. Daisy was pleased to see that Patience had made an effort to look presentable, probably aided by Hilda, who would not stand for any nonsense. But it was Charity who caused a stir, exactly as her mother had planned.

  The moment the door closed after the last guest had been admitted, Marjorie held up her hand for silence and Charity paused at the top of the stairs before descending slowly with one hand trailing on the banister rail. All eyes were upon her but then disaster struck as she caught her heel in the hem of her long, floaty white lace gown and she clutched wildly at thin air and tumbled down the last six or seven steps. She would have hit the floor with a resounding thud had it not been for Ned Tighe-Martin, who leaped forward and caught her.

  There was a moment of silence and then a ripple of applause turned into an ovation as he set Charity on her feet. They gazed into each other’s eyes and Daisy held her breath. She felt that she was witnessing a relationship that was truly love at first sight, and it brought a lump to her throat. However, it was obvious that Marjorie did not feel the same and she bustled over to them, placing herself between Ned and Charity.

  ‘That was well done, Captain,’ Marjorie said briskly. ‘Come with me, Charity. We have our duties to perform.’

  Dazed and still gazing at Ned over her shoulder, Charity allowed herself to be led to the great hall.

  ‘Music, Tattersall,’ Marjorie snapped as she surged past Daisy. ‘Get them to play now.’

  Torn between amusement and annoyance at the brusqueness of Marjorie’s tone, Daisy went over to Fuller and George Keyes. ‘Is Constable Fowler here?’

  ‘I believe so, Mrs Tattersall,’ George Keyes said politely. ‘I think I saw him heading for the great hall. I expect he wants to try out the pianoforte.’

  ‘That’s good, because Mrs Harker would like you to start playing as soon as you’re ready. Perhaps a country dance would get people in the mood, or maybe a jig.’

  Fuller played a few notes on his fiddle. ‘Will there be plen
ty of ale, madam? Playing is thirsty work.’

  ‘As much as you can drink without spoiling your performance, Fuller.’

  ‘Say no more,’ Fuller said, chuckling. ‘Come on, George. Let’s show them how it’s done.’ He strolled off in the direction of the great hall with Mr Keyes following him, and Patience was not far behind them.

  Daisy looked round for Ned. His height made him easy to spot in a crowd. She moved swiftly to his side. ‘I’m sure Mrs Harker didn’t mean to be rude, Captain. She was probably in a state of shock.’

  Ned smiled. ‘I’m a soldier like my father, Mrs Tattersall. I’m not easily frightened.’

  ‘I’m glad to hear it. Charity needs someone strong to help her stand up to her mother.’

  ‘I’ve never seen such a beautiful girl in my whole life.’

  ‘She seems to like you, too.’ Daisy eyed him thoughtfully. ‘There’s a treasure hunt later. I don’t think Charity has a partner for it, as yet.’

  ‘Thank you for telling me. I’ll make sure I put myself forward.’

  Just at that moment, Daisy spotted Julian and his Foreign Office colleagues heading for the great hall. She grasped Ned by the arm. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be familiar, but you see those three gentlemen who are about to disappear into the great hall?’

  ‘I do, indeed. Are you telling me that they are the enemy?’ Ned’s blue eyes sparkled with amusement.

  ‘Two of them are merely hopefuls, but Julian Carrington is the one to watch. He’s a fortune-hunter, Captain. I know from experience that he is not trustworthy.’

  ‘Thank you for the warning. I think this calls for strategy.’

  ‘Maybe you ought to ask Charity for the first dance. If you hurry you might get to her before Julian does.’

  ‘Just one thing, Mrs Tattersall. Do you know why Mrs Harker might object to me paying my respects to her daughter?’

  ‘She doesn’t want Charity to marry a soldier. It’s as simple as that.’

  ‘I see. Well, we’ll see about that. Charity might not agree with her mother.’

  Daisy watched him stride off purposefully and she smiled. Perhaps Marjorie Harker had met her match, but that was the least of her concerns. She checked to make sure that her aunt was being entertained and found her in the great hall, chatting happily to Mrs Bee over glasses of fruit punch. Judging by the rosy colour on their cheeks and the smiles on their faces, the punch was laced with a generous amount of brandy. Molesworth was standing by to top up the bowl when needed. Farmer Johnson and his two younger sons were quaffing ale from pint tankards, while Edna sipped sherry and her fourteen-year-old daughter, Janet, was sharing a glass of punch with Patience, and both had reached the giggling stage.

  The noise level rose and the band struck up a lively jig, which Daisy knew would have been frowned on by those who attended formal balls, which would inevitably begin with the grand march, followed by the first waltz. However, the residents of Little Creek did not seem to care and they seized their partners and danced with more energy than elegance.

  Marjorie stood beside Charity, gazing at the scene with undisguised horror. She seemed to be struck dumb by the noise and the cavorting, and when Ned approached Charity and asked her to dance with him, Marjorie merely nodded wordlessly and turned away as her daughter laid her hand in Ned’s and allowed him to lead her onto the floor. They remained together when the music stopped, and melted into each other’s arms for the waltz. Daisy was about to make her way to the dining hall to check on the arrangements for supper, when Nick approached her.

  ‘May I have the pleasure of this dance, Daisy?’

  ‘Shouldn’t you be asking Dove?’

  ‘I’m asking you. Don’t you want to dance with me?’

  She laid her hand in his. ‘Yes, but—’

  ‘No buts, Daisy. We are old friends, are we not?’

  She laid one hand on his shoulder as he whirled her round in time to the music. ‘We are,’ she said breathlessly. ‘But Dove is sitting there on her own. This doesn’t feel right, Nick.’

  ‘It’s the only chance I have to speak to you in private, Daisy.’

  She stared up at him, trying to gauge his mood, but he was staring straight ahead as he steered her through the crush of enthusiastic dancers. ‘What is it you want to say?’

  ‘Only that I still love you. I tried to tell you the other day, but I didn’t get very far.’

  ‘Nick, you know it’s impossible. Even if I knew for certain that Jay wouldn’t be coming home, I still love my husband.’

  ‘I’m prepared to wait. If there’s a chance that you could return my feelings I’ll let Dove down gently. I should never have taken up with her anyway, and I only turned to her because I was lonely.’

  ‘If you don’t love her then you must tell her so, because it’s not fair to keep her dangling, but don’t throw away what you have with Dove in the hope that I’ll change my mind. I won’t, Nick. I’m very fond of you, but that’s all.’

  ‘Maybe in time …?’

  ‘No, never. I have to be blunt if that’s the only way I can make you understand.’

  ‘But we work together so well. Remember the cholera epidemic – we were a team, Daisy. We conquered the disease together.’ His grip on her hand tightened and he held her so that she could not break away without causing a disturbance.

  ‘Stop this now, Nick. I won’t be bullied into saying something I’ll regret. Let me go, please.’

  Just at that moment Julian spun Flora to a halt at their side. ‘Is this person bothering you, Daisy?’

  ‘No, I’m all right, thank you,’ Daisy said icily.

  ‘I’ll thank you to mind your own business, sir.’ Nick glared at Julian. ‘I know who you are.’

  ‘Come away, Julian.’ Flora tugged at his arm. ‘Leave her alone.’

  Daisy broke free from Nick’s grasp. ‘I’m sorry, but I have things to do.’ She edged her way through the couples and found herself face to face with Marjorie.

  ‘Well, what sort of display was that?’ Marjorie demanded angrily. ‘Do you flirt with every man you meet?’

  ‘My private life has nothing to do with you, Mrs Harker. Now, if you’ll excuse me I need to go and check that everything is laid out ready for supper.’

  ‘This is my house now,’ Marjorie said in a low voice. ‘I’ll thank you to remember that, and as such I expect you to behave with decorum.’

  Daisy did not dignify this with an answer and she walked away, but Marjorie followed her.

  ‘I was speaking to you, Tattersall.’

  ‘My name is Daisy or Mrs Tattersall. You’ve rented my home but you haven’t bought me, Mrs Harker. I’m doing what you wanted me to do, so please allow me to get on with my task.’

  ‘You haven’t shown me the menu, and I don’t know if you’ve followed my orders or not. I want to see for myself.’ Marjorie followed Daisy through to the great dining hall where the servants were putting the finishing touches to the spread laid out on the long refectory table, and several smaller tables. Silver platters were piled high with meat pies, and golden-brown fried sausages. Joints of roast ham, pork and beef were ready to be sliced and baskets of freshly baked rolls were placed at intervals along the table, together with huge pats of buttercup-yellow butter. Several types of cheese were arranged on boards decorated with rosy-red apples from the fruit store, and sparkling jellies wobbled temptingly together with blancmange and bowls of trifle. The aroma was intoxicating and Daisy was delighted with the effort that all the kitchen staff had made. She turned to Marjorie with an expectant smile.

  ‘Oh, my dear Lord!’ Marjorie covered her face with her hands. ‘This is peasant food. It looks like a harvest supper. It’s not what I ordered, Tattersall. Did you do this to make me look foolish? I’ll be the laughing stock of the officers’ mess, and Roland can say goodbye to his promotion. Get out – I’ve had enough of you, and your wretched family. You can vacate the cottage tomorrow, and I never want to see you again.’

&n
bsp; Chapter Twelve

  Daisy stared at Marjorie in disbelief. After all the hard work that each and every member of the household had put in to make this party a success, and this was all the thanks that she was to receive for organising the event. She was tempted to walk out there and then, but the cottage was home to Mary, Hilda and the children as well as for herself, and to be evicted at such short notice would be a disaster. She knew that she would always have a home at Creek Cottage with her aunt and uncle, but Mary and the others depended upon her, and she could not let them down.

  ‘Well! Don’t stand there staring at me like a codfish,’ Marjorie stormed. ‘Get out now, or do I have to get Molesworth to throw you out bodily?’

  Daisy looked up at the portrait of the late Squire Tattersall, Jay’s natural father, and for a moment she thought she saw him wink at her. The old squire was notorious for being a bad employer, a bad landlord and an extremely bad father – but he would not have stood for any nonsense, especially from a social-climbing nobody like Marjorie Harker.

  Daisy took a deep breath. ‘Mrs Harker, you are the most ungrateful, ungracious person I have ever met. Your servants and mine have slaved night and day to make this party a success. What you demanded was impossible and you must know that, unless you are extremely stupid. This is my home and you cannot throw me out – in fact it should be the other way round. You never thought to obtain a legal contract with me, so it’s my word against yours, and I have the whole village here, who will back me up.’

  Marjorie opened and shut her mouth several times, reminding Daisy of a fish landed on the river-bank. Then, before Marjorie could think of an appropriate response, the double doors opened and guests flooded in with the general, his wife and son at their head.

  ‘By Jove!’ Major-General Tighe-Martin exclaimed, gazing round with an appreciative smile. ‘What a feast you’ve laid on for us, Mrs Harker. Just the smell of that roast beef is making me hungry.’

  Mrs Tighe-Martin nodded enthusiastically. ‘How clever of you to keep to the country theme, Marjorie. This is much more appetising than some of the fancy food served up at the military balls. I must compliment you on your originality.’