by Dilly Court
‘But you know nothing about the shipping business.’ Jay leaped to his feet. ‘Why did you have to interfere?’
‘What would you have done in similar circumstances?’ Marius asked. ‘Why don’t you sit down and allow your wife to explain?’
‘Mind your own business,’ Jay said angrily. ‘I don’t know how you came to be so well known to my family, and you seem to be a little too friendly with my wife.’
‘But you don’t remember me, do you, Jay? I’m nothing to you.’ Daisy faced him, searching his face for a spark of recognition and finding none. ‘You loved me, or you said you did. How could you forget what we had?’
He turned away. ‘I’m trying hard to place everyone, but Marius hasn’t answered my question. Who are you, sir?’
‘Marius is my business partner,’ Daisy said icily. ‘Ask your mother, if you don’t believe me.’
‘I’m a shipping agent.’ Marius looked Jay squarely in the face. ‘My relationship with your wife, whom I might add is a woman I admire and respect, is purely based on business. We met by accident and our partnership is proving beneficial to both parties.’
‘Perhaps, but I’ve returned now, and the Lazy Jane is my business. From now on your dealings will be with me, should I decide to continue with the so-called partnership.’
‘But that’s not fair,’ Daisy protested. ‘You have no idea what we’ve been through in your absence. You can’t walk in and take over without a by-your-leave.’
‘Yes, I can. I don’t remember living here or even being married to you, but I do know how to sail a ship and manage a crew. From now on you will have nothing to do with business matters, Daisy. You will leave everything to me, as a woman should.’
‘Do you remember how you made a living from the ship?’ Daisy asked angrily. ‘Do you recall the father who led you into the world of smuggling? That’s how the squire made his fortune and he duped you into working for him.’
‘I don’t believe it.’ Jay stared at her in disbelief. ‘You’re lying.’
‘Daisy, please. This isn’t the right time,’ Mary protested. ‘Let his memory return gradually.’
‘I’m not saying any more, but I suggest you’d better talk to your son, Mary. Tell him how it was and how it is now. He won’t listen to me.’ Daisy walked towards the doorway. ‘I’m sorry, Marius. I seem to have had matters taken out of my hands, so I’ll say good night.’
He followed her from the room. ‘We’ll talk in the morning, but in the meantime I’ll have a few words to say to your husband. The only excuse I can make for his behaviour is that the bump on his head has affected more than just his memory.’
She smiled reluctantly. ‘Thank you for everything, but it looks as though this is goodbye.’
‘We’ll see about that. Good night, Daisy.’
She paced her bedroom floor until she was too exhausted to take another step, and she sank onto her bed. The feather mattress welcomed her into its soft folds, but she could not relax. All she could think of was the way that Jay had behaved towards her. The months of worry and hard work, the humiliation of being treated like a servant in her own home, and the struggle to survive financially had counted for nothing in Jay’s eyes. All he cared about was the Lazy Jane. He had once warned her that he was a wanderer, and now she could see that it was true. She closed her eyes and eventually drifted off into a fitful sleep.
She awakened with a start to find the room flooded with early morning sunlight. It was the beginning of another day, but nothing was certain. She rose from her bed, washed and dressed and prepared herself for whatever might happen. She checked her appearance in the mirror before going downstairs to face any problems that might arise. Daisy Tattersall was not a woman to give up easily, and the sooner Jay realised that, the better.
To her surprise she found him seated at the dining-room table, eating a hearty breakfast of bacon, eggs and devilled kidneys. He made to stand, but she motioned him to remain seated.
‘I think we need to talk, Jay.’ Daisy sat down and filled a cup from the silver coffee pot. She added a dash of cream and took a sip, eyeing him warily over the rim of the cup.
‘I realise that I should have been more considerate last evening,’ Jay said reluctantly. ‘You have to understand that I’m struggling to overcome this loss of memory, and it’s far from easy.’
‘I try to, but it doesn’t give you the right to belittle me in front of others.’
‘If you mean Marius, then I agree. He pointed out my shortcomings in no uncertain terms after you had gone to bed last night. I know I was a little harsh, but the one thing that has become clear to me is that the Lazy Jane holds the key to my past and to my future.’
‘What are you saying?’
‘I’ve been up all night trying to decide what is best for all of us. I accept that I married you for love and probably with the best of intentions, and Mary told me about the old squire, my father. It still seems like a story about someone else, but I know it must be true.’
‘You accept the fact that Mary is your mother?’
‘She has no reason to lie, and I feel something for her. I can’t explain it, but I know that I can trust her.’
Daisy put her cup down, gazing at him intently. He was obviously sincere, but that did not make his words any easier to understand. ‘So where does this leave me? Are we still married?’
He smiled ruefully. ‘You are a beautiful woman, and from what other people tell me, you are brave and resourceful and a wife that any man could be proud of.’
‘But you feel nothing for me?’
‘I wish I could say that I did, and it’s for that reason in particular that I’m leaving.’
‘Leaving? You don’t mean it.’
‘Marius informed me that the Lazy Jane will be sailing on the tide.’ He glanced at the clock on the mantelshelf. ‘I have to hurry or I’ll be too late.’ He pushed his plate away and stood up. ‘I’ve written to the bank, giving you authority to draw money as and when you need it. I know that you’ve been running the estate in my absence and I’m asking you to continue to do so.’
‘You’re abandoning your family, to say nothing of your responsibilities.’
‘It’s better this way. I don’t know if I’ll ever regain memories that mean anything to me.’
‘You’re a coward, Jay Tattersall,’ Daisy said angrily. ‘You’re too afraid to stay and take up where you left off.’
‘Perhaps you’re right, but it’s the only way for me. I have tried, believe me, but I can’t go on like this. I know when I feel the deck beneath my feet that I’ll be the person I was.’
She followed him from the room. ‘What about Marius? He’s invested money in the business.’
‘He’ll be paid as any shipping agent would be. I know what I’m doing, Daisy.’ Jay strode into the main entrance hall where Molesworth was waiting with a large valise at his feet.
‘Your luggage, sir.’ He picked it up, his expression carefully controlled, but Daisy knew the butler well enough to detect a note of satisfaction in his voice.
Jay took the bag, acknowledging Molesworth with a casual nod of his head. James opened the door and Jay stepped outside without a backwards glance.
‘I assume that the master will not be back in time for dinner, madam?’
Daisy met Molesworth’s knowing gaze with an attempt at a smile. ‘Not today, anyway.’ She turned away and came face to face with Marius.
‘You knew that he was going,’ she said in a low voice.
‘We had a long talk last evening, Daisy. I know this is hard for you to understand, but I think he’s right. Perhaps he’ll find himself when he’s at sea, which is something he might never do had he decided to stay.’
‘I can’t agree.’
‘You might in time.’ He gave her a searching look. ‘Have you eaten?’
‘I’m not hungry.’
‘Well, I am and it’s a long ride back to Maldon. Will you at least keep me company?’
&nb
sp; ‘I will, but only if you promise to tell me exactly what was said last evening after I went to my room. I want to know where I stand.’
Later, after Marius had ridden off in the direction of Maldon, Daisy was in the morning parlour with Mary and Hilda.
‘I can’t believe he would treat you this way,’ Hilda said, collapsing onto the nearest chair. ‘After all we went through with that woman here.’
‘He’s my son, but I’m ashamed of him,’ Mary added, sighing. ‘Of course he’s like his father. The squire was unpredictable and selfish. I don’t like to say it of my son, but he should have stayed and taken his responsibilities seriously.’
‘We managed on our own before,’ Daisy said firmly. ‘We can do it again, but this time there won’t be a problem with the bank.’
‘Will we see that nice Mr Walters again?’ Hilda asked eagerly. ‘He’s such a gentleman, and he gave my nippers bags of toffee when he arrived yesterday. He came to the cottage to see them.’
‘I don’t think he’ll be back. Jack has taken the one thing that Marius and I had in common as business partners.’ Daisy looked from one to the other. ‘We’re on our own, but we can manage. However, I think we need a plan.’
‘I agree,’ Mary said, nodding. ‘What do you suggest?’
‘You know the running of this house better than anyone, Mary. Would you be happy to resume your duties as mistress of Creek Manor?’
‘Would I be taking over from you entirely?’
‘Of course.’
‘Then yes, I will gladly.’
‘That’s excellent, and I must learn to run the estate properly. We can’t afford to pay the land agent, so I will make it my business to visit the tenant farmers and collect rents. I also intend to make sure that the renovations of the cottages owned by the estate are completed quickly. You lived in one for long enough, Mary, so you know what they were like.’
‘What about me?’ Hilda said plaintively. ‘Have I got a part in all this? I know I’m lame, but I can manage.’
Daisy eyed her thoughtfully. ‘You’ve done so well with your small plot, I think you ought to be put in charge of the kitchen garden. Mountjoy is getting old and I don’t think his eyesight is as good as it was. I think he would be grateful to have someone take over from him.’
‘He’s been a gardener here since I was a girl,’ Mary said hastily. ‘You’re not going to retire him, are you?’
‘No, but I’d like Hilda to make the important decisions and to supervise the work. I’ve noticed that the beds aren’t being weeded properly and we aren’t getting as much fresh produce as we should. Besides which, the roses need deadheading and the hedges need trimming, and I think it needs a housewifely approach. Poor Mountjoy is too tired to cope any longer and the under gardeners take advantage of him, but I’m sure they would respect you, Hilda, and should you get any trouble, refer them to me. I was used to dealing with difficult patients at the hospital.’
‘Do you include me in that?’ Hilda asked, laughing.
‘No, my dear, you were a model patient. Anyway, I know you’ll be kind and sympathetic to Mountjoy and his rheumatics. He was telling me all about it the other day.’
‘He passed on his knowledge to me, and I’ll be glad to help him now. I can do it without upsetting him, and I love being out in the fresh air. I could never be a house servant, or a cook like my Judy.’
‘If we get surplus fruit and vegetables we might be able to do a deal with Mr Keyes in the village shop, or even take them to market in Maldon.’ Daisy warmed to the subject. ‘I don’t know much about farming, as yet, but I’m thinking of fencing off the deer park and replacing the deer with sheep.’
‘You can’t get rid of the deer,’ Mary protested.
‘Of course not. I’ll simply move them to another part of the estate, and I think there’s an old pigsty at the back of the barn. Keeping a pig or two would be handy and they could eat up all the scraps, but I need advice, and I’m going to start right away by going to see Farmer Johnson. He’s a sensible man and I know I can trust him.’
‘Well, I never did!’ Hilda said, chuckling. ‘Who would have thought that the elegant young lady from London would take up farming?’
Mary sighed, shaking her head. ‘When I was a young skivvy, terrified of the master and all those above me, I couldn’t have imagined that one day I would be the one in charge, or that the child I was carrying would be the rightful heir to all this. I just wish that Jay would recover and become his old self.’
Daisy reached out to pat Mary’s hand. ‘He told me that he felt something for you and he believed that you were his mother, despite the fact that he remembered nothing of his old life.’
‘Apart from the blessed ship,’ Hilda added drily.
Daisy rose to her feet. ‘That’s true, but we’re not going to sit here and complain. We’re going to bring Creek Manor Estate back to its days of glory, and we’re going to do it on our own.’
Chapter Eighteen
When Daisy rode into the farmyard later that week she was surprised to see Patience Harker chatting to Will Johnson.
Will broke off the conversation to greet her. ‘Good morning, Mrs Tattersall.’
‘Good morning, Will.’ Daisy dismounted. ‘Good morning, Patience. It’s nice to see you again.’
‘And you, Daisy,’ Patience said with a cheeky grin. ‘Or should I call you Mrs Tattersall now?’
‘I’m quite happy with Daisy. How are your mother and sister?’
‘Mama is on tenterhooks waiting to hear if Papa has got his promotion, and Charity is utterly boring. All she can talk about is Tubby Tighe-Martin. I like calling him that because it infuriates her. Anyway, she mopes around all day with his letters tucked into her blouse. I wish they’d elope and get it over and done with.’
‘And your mama is well, I trust?’ Daisy said, changing the subject. She was not in the mood to listen to Patience grumbling about her sister.
‘She is as always.’ Patience shrugged and turned her attention to her horse.
‘What might we do for you, ma’am?’ Will asked hastily.
‘I’d like to speak to your father, if he’s not too busy.’
‘He’s in the dairy, miss. Shall I get him for you?’
‘No need, I’ll find him, but I’d be grateful if you would look after Cinders for me – I wasn’t sure where to tether her. I won’t be long.’ She handed him the reins and picked her way carefully across the muddy farmyard, taking care not to tread on any of the fluffy golden chicks that puttered about, copying the mother hens as they pecked at tiny insects and crumbs of food. A cockerel displaying his gaudy plumage to the hens gave Daisy a malevolent look as she walked past, and she quickened her pace.
In the brick-built coolness of the outbuilding Josiah Johnson was in the middle of berating two dairymaids, whose faces were flushed and eyes downcast. They were standing over large bowls of creamy milk with skimming ladles in their hands, but, judging by the scolding they were receiving, they had not been performing their work to Josiah’s satisfaction.
‘And if you two spent more time concentrating on your task in hand than in gossiping we would not be having this conversation,’ Josiah said angrily. ‘Get on with it, and not another word from either of you.’ He turned his back on them and led Daisy out into the yard.
‘This isn’t the place for you, Mrs Tattersall. Shall we go into the house?’
‘Actually I was hoping you would have time to show me round the farm. I’m going to take much more of an interest in running the estate now that my husband has gone back to sea.’
Josiah nodded wisely. ‘I could see it coming, if I might be so bold, ma’am. My Lewis begged me to let him go back to sea until I gave in just to get some peace and quiet. He sailed on the Lazy Jane with Clem Guppy and Eli Ramsden. So Master Jay has gone along as well, has he?’
‘Yes, and I am in charge now, but I will need some advice and I couldn’t think of anyone better qualified than you, Mr Johnson.�
�
He puffed out his chest and the colour in his ruddy cheeks deepened. ‘Well, that’s very nice of you, ma’am. I do pride myself on being the biggest and best farmer in the area.’
‘And I’m not setting up in competition with you, Mr Johnson. I’m happy to buy our dairy produce from you, as always, but I intend to keep pigs and sheep, and put the fields to good use. I’ll get to know all my tenant farmers and maybe I can help them out in times of difficulty. I’m sure we would all profit by co-operating with each other.’
‘You’ve set yourself a hard task, ma’am, if you don’t mind me saying so, and you being a townsperson into the bargain.’
‘I can learn, Mr Johnson, and that’s why I’ve come to you in the first place. I’ll do it stage by stage, season by season, but you’ll find me an eager pupil and a quick learner.’
He inclined his head in acknowledgement. ‘I dare say you won’t remember it, but you took care of my dear old mother when she suffered from the cholera. You pulled her through when everyone said she was a goner. She’s still with us; a bit older and more crotchety, but she has a wise old head on her shoulders.’
‘I do remember her,’ Daisy said, smiling. ‘I’m glad she’s recovered fully.’ As far as Daisy could remember, the old lady was one of the most difficult patients she had nursed, and now she was well again she probably spent her days bullying her poor daughter-in-law.
‘Well, let’s start by showing you the piggery.’ He led the way out of the dairy and across the muddy yard to a row of brick pigsties, the occupants of which were snuffling around for food or sleeping peacefully under cover.
‘Is there much work involved in keeping pigs?’ Daisy asked, eyeing the boar nervously. He was in a separate pen and he looked as if he could be fierce, if annoyed.
‘They need to be fed and kept clean,’ Farmer Johnson said, chuckling. ‘A bit like human beings, and they don’t like being dirty, as some folk think.’
‘We have an old pigsty amongst the outbuildings. It wouldn’t take much to renovate it.’
‘A bit like them old cottages the squire owned,’ Farmer Johnson said, with a wry smile. ‘I hear as how you’re doing a fine job there, Mrs Tattersall.’
