by Dilly Court
It was only a short walk to the church, which was set within a well-kept graveyard where the tombstones gleamed in the sunshine as if polished especially for the occasion. Ancient yew trees had been clipped to neat shapes and these gave much-needed shade on a hot day. There was a large crowd of onlookers waiting outside the lychgate, and the air buzzed with excitement as they waited to see the bride and her retinue arrive. It was obvious to Daisy that the vicar and his family were well respected and well liked.
Daisy walked a step or two behind her aunt and uncle, with Ivy and Flora following as they entered the cool interior of the church. Dove was already there, seated on the bridegroom’s side of the aisle, and Nick was standing beside Toby, who kept glancing over his shoulder. Daisy could see beads of perspiration standing out on her brother’s forehead and she knew that he was nervous, but all she could do was give him an encouraging smile.
The organist was playing music that seemed very appropriate for a wedding and he could actually hit the right notes, unlike Lavender Creedy. The pews filled rapidly and Daisy saw Toby run his finger round the inside of his starched collar as the organist launched into the ‘Bridal Chorus’ from the opera Lohengrin, the verger energetically pumping the bellows.
The whole congregation turned their heads simultaneously to see Minnie walking up the aisle, clutching her father’s arm, with her younger sisters following behind as bridesmaids. She caught Daisy’s eye as she processed towards the altar, and she smiled.
There was a sudden rustle amongst the people seated at the back of the church as the door opened to admit a latecomer. Daisy was more interested in watching her brother and Minnie, and she paid little attention to the disturbance, but when a man edged his way into the pew to stand next to her, she turned to give him a warning look, and she froze.
‘Jay!’
He smiled. ‘Sorry I’m late, darling.’
‘Shhh.’ Eleanora turned round, giving him a stern look.
Daisy stared at him in disbelief. Jay was immaculately dressed in clothes that must have cost a great deal of money, judging by the cut and fit of the jacket and the tailored pin-stripe trousers. His face was tanned and lean, and his blue eyes gleamed with amusement as he met Daisy’s astonished gaze. He put his finger to his lips, and his generous mouth widened into a mischievous grin.
Daisy looked away. She had to take a firm grip on her emotions or she might have slapped his face and brought the ceremony to a halt, but she resisted the impulse and the even greater temptation to push past him and run from the church. She took a deep breath and stared straight ahead, but she heard nothing of the ceremony. Her actions were purely mechanical: she kneeled when the congregation went down on their knees to pray and she stood when everyone rose to their feet. She was in a state of shock, while Jay seemed to be enjoying himself. He sang the hymns in a loud, clear voice, and responded at the end of each prayer with a clear ‘Amen’. If looks could quite literally kill, Daisy would have slain him there and then.
Afterwards, when everyone congregated outside the church to throw rose petals at the happy couple, Daisy found Jay once again at her side. He took her hand and tucked it into the crook of his arm, despite her attempts to pull away.
‘You might look happy to see me, my love,’ he said soulfully. ‘I’ve returned to you, fully recovered and ready to start afresh.’
Daisy looked round at the happy faces and the radiant smile on Minnie’s face as she emerged from the church on her new husband’s arm. This was not the time to make a scene. Daisy forced her lips into a smile.
‘I’ll deal with you later,’ she hissed, but her heart sank when she saw Mary threading her way through the crowd.
‘Jay, my boy.’ Mary hurried over to throw her arms around him. Then she stood back and slapped him hard on the cheek.
His hand flew to cover the red finger marks on the side of his face. ‘What’s that for, Ma? I thought you’d be pleased to see me.’
‘Please don’t tell everyone, Mary,’ Daisy said in a whisper. Luckily only a few people had witnessed the scene as most of the guests were concentrating on the newlyweds.
‘All right, but you deserve to be horse-whipped, Jay. I love you, son, but I can’t forgive you for what you’ve done to Daisy, and that poor, silly girl from Dorset.’
Jay threw his head back and laughed. ‘Oh, Ma! You don’t change, do you? But where did you learn that right hook? You could do a few rounds with the champion.’
‘Stop it, both of you,’ Daisy said anxiously. ‘Please keep this to yourself until we get home, Mary. Then we can sort it out quietly and in private.’
‘You’re right.’ Mary shot an angry glance at her son. ‘But you take after your father, Jay. I hoped that you wouldn’t inherit any of the squire’s bad traits, but I see that I was wrong. I won’t say any more now, but I’m ashamed of you.’ With her head held high, Mary stalked off to talk to Minnie’s mother and father.
Sidney had been eyeing them with a pleased grin and he rushed over to pat Jay on the back. ‘Glad you could make it, old chap. Daisy’s had a lot to contend with while you were away. I hope you appreciate what she’s taken on in your absence.’
Jay smiled confidently. ‘Yes, sir. Indeed I do. I’m a very lucky man.’
Daisy waited until her uncle was out of earshot and she snatched her hand free. ‘Your luck has run out, Jay Tattersall, or should I say Jay Fox. That’s the name you go by in Dorset, isn’t it?’
‘Let’s forget that for today, shall we, my love?’
‘Why did you come here, Jay? What do you want?’
‘I came to support you, my dear. After all, it is a family wedding.’
She stared at him in amazement. ‘You expect me to act as if we’re still married?’
‘We are, aren’t we? I seem to recall going through the ceremony twice.’
‘But you already had a wife and children.’
‘Oh, that!’ He shrugged. ‘Bessie and I were very young when we tied the knot, and her father insisted that I make an honest woman of her. She’s a good sort, but you are the love of my life, Daisy mine.’
‘If you say that once again I swear I will tell everyone here what you’ve done.’
‘Do you mean to say that no one knows?’ Jay glanced round at the guests, who were strolling off in the direction of the vicarage, eager to sample the delights of the wedding breakfast.
‘Do you think my uncle would have spoken so pleasantly to you had he known the truth?’ Daisy demanded crossly. ‘I’ve been keeping it a secret until you put in an appearance, but I certainly didn’t expect to see you here. How did you find out that the wedding date had been changed, and how did you know where to come?’
‘That’s simple. I went home to Creek Manor, but I received an icy reception from James and Molesworth. When I refused to leave they sent for Linnet, and she told me what had happened and where you’d gone – so I’m here to support my wife.’
Daisy clenched her fists at her side. ‘Stop it, Jay. You know very well that we’re not legally wed. Bessie is your wife – I’ve seen the entry in the parish register – and, what’s more, she turned up at home demanding to be treated as lady of the manor.’
Jay threw back his head and laughed. ‘That sounds like my Bessie. I knew you’d found out about us because old man Coker, Bessie’s pa, was the driver who took you to Osmington. He gave me a detailed description of you and Marius, and he said you stayed together at the hotel on the seafront. What’s going on there, Daisy?’
She rounded on him. ‘How dare you ask me that? Marius was going to Weymouth to find you and I travelled with him, otherwise I might never have discovered the truth.’
‘You were with another man and no chaperone.’ Jay put his head on one side, giving her an impish grin. ‘Tut-tut, my love. What will the village gossips say about that?’
Daisy walked off, following the last of the guests to the vicarage. If she stayed with Jay a moment longer she was afraid she might strike him, and tha
t really would create a stir. She quickened her pace and caught up with Ivy and Flora, who, as usual, were dawdling along, chatting and giggling.
‘When can I come to Creek Manor?’ Ivy asked eagerly. ‘Do you think the Lazy Jane will put into port soon?’
Daisy composed herself with difficulty, but she managed a vague smile. ‘When I find out I’ll let you know, Ivy. We can make arrangements then.’
‘You don’t want to get tied to a sailor,’ Flora said, curling her lip. ‘He’ll go off to foreign parts, and you’ll have to bring up the nippers on your own. Why not go for someone like my Hubert?’
Daisy eyed her curiously, momentarily diverted from her own problems. ‘Who is Hubert? I thought you had your sights set on Julian Carrington.’
‘He thought I was easy game, and he lost interest when he discovered that I wasn’t.’ Flora tossed her head. ‘Then I met dear Hubert. He’s a clerk in the City, and he’s due for promotion soon. What’s more, he’s madly in love with me, and we plan to get married and have a nice little terraced house somewhere respectable.’
‘I’m happy for you, Flora,’ Daisy said equably. ‘But Ivy must make up her own mind. She could do a lot worse than Clem Guppy. He’s a good, honest man, and he wouldn’t let her down.’
‘Oh, look!’ Ivy cried excitedly. ‘They’ve set out tables on the lawn. Isn’t that delightful? I do love being away from the smoke and dirt of the city. I think I’d be quite happy to live in a village.’
Daisy left them to make their way to a table while she went to congratulate her brother and Minnie. But Jay was never far away and he, too, offered his congratulations to the happy couple, although Toby received them coolly and turned his attention back to Daisy. He waited until Jay wandered a little way off to speak to Eleanora.
‘Is everything all right, Daisy?’ Toby asked anxiously. ‘You look upset.’
She decided quickly that a lie would only make things worse. ‘I didn’t know that Jay was coming today. It was a surprise, and I’m annoyed that he left everything to the last minute.’
‘If you want me to have a brotherly word with him, I will.’
‘No, thank you, I can handle Jay. You enjoy your day, Toby. I know you’ll be very happy with Minnie.’
He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. ‘I hope Jay does right by you, Daisy. He’s a charmer, but he’s unreliable. Quite honestly, I think he exaggerated his memory loss and traded on your good nature. I don’t trust him and I worry about you.’
‘There’s no need, Toby. I can look after myself and you must concentrate on Minnie – she’s a treasure.’ Daisy glanced at Minnie, who turned to give her a sunny smile. Behind her Daisy could see Nick, and he was beckoning to her. ‘I think Nick wants a word,’ she said hastily, and walked over to him.
Nick was frowning ominously. Daisy could only suppose that Linnet must have told her sister why she was needed at Creek Manor, and that Dove had passed the titbit of gossip on to her fiancé.
‘What’s Jay doing here, Daisy?’ Nick said in a low voice.
‘I didn’t know he was coming,’ Daisy said defensively.
‘Dove told me everything. You should have come to me with your problems. I might have been able to help.’
She shook her head. ‘It’s not as easy as that, Nick. You must know that Jay’s wife turned up at Creek Manor with her two children. I could hardly throw her out.’
‘I’m going to have words with Jay. He can’t treat you like this.’
Daisy laid her hand on his arm, alarmed by the angry look on his face. ‘No, Nick. Not now, please. I can handle Jay, but this isn’t the time or the place.’
‘I suppose not,’ Nick said reluctantly. ‘I thought Jay had changed when he married you, but I was obviously mistaken. He’s the same irresponsible, selfish fellow he always was. I’ll say nothing today, but if he crosses my path when we return home, he’ll be sorry.’
‘Let’s get through the wedding breakfast without any fuss. Toby and Minnie deserve a day to remember for the right reasons. I want you to promise you won’t say anything, no matter how Jay provokes you.’
Nick met her anxious gaze with an attempt at a smile, which did not reach his eyes. ‘You have my word.’
‘Thank you, Nick. I’ll deal with this my way.’
‘You’re a remarkable woman, Daisy. I only wish that things could have been different between us.’
‘You can’t choose the person with whom you fall in love, Nick,’ Daisy said ruefully. ‘It just happens.’
‘Do you still love him, Daisy?’
She thought for a moment; it was not a simple question. ‘I don’t think I can answer that, Nick, because I really don’t know.’
‘He doesn’t deserve such generosity.’ Nick glanced over her shoulder and his expression changed subtly. ‘Dove is coming. I won’t mention the subject again, at least for now.’
Daisy turned to greet Dove with a genuine smile. No matter how badly Jay behaved it made no difference to her affection for the rest of the Fox family.
Dove wrapped her in a warm embrace. ‘Daisy, I can’t believe that my brother is here. I’m so sorry for what he’s done. You don’t deserve such treatment.’
‘Let’s forget it for today. This is a happy occasion, and I won’t allow anyone to spoil it.’
‘You always were too good for him,’ Dove said in a whisper. ‘I love my brother, but sometimes I despair of him.’
‘I haven’t eaten yet.’ Daisy eyed the tables set with pies, savoury pastries and platters of cold meat, not to mention the trifles and dainty cakes. ‘I think we’d better help ourselves before everything disappears. Minnie’s younger brothers and sisters are obviously dying to get their hands on the cream cakes, and they’re only waiting for a word of encouragement from Mrs Cole.’
Nick made a visible effort to smile. ‘Why don’t you two find a table? I’ll brave the vicar’s children to fill a plate with some of those tempting dishes.’
Dove led the way and they found a table in the shade of a stately oak tree, but any chance of a private conversation was lost when they were joined by Eleanora, who had apparently lost Sidney to a group of Minnie’s uncles, who were all keen fishermen.
Somehow Daisy managed to get through the rest of the reception, and she avoided Jay, but after the bride and groom had left for the railway station the wedding party began to break up.
Fortunately for Daisy’s peace of mind, Jay was staying at an inn on the edge of the village, and their paths did not cross that evening. He had gone off with a group of young men, who seemed to be related to Minnie, and were eager to escape from the restraints of their older relatives. Daisy could imagine that they would spend the evening drinking and telling bawdy jokes, and she was glad that there had been no room vacant for Jay where she was staying. She planned an early start next morning and her aunt was in agreement. Uncle Sidney would have little opportunity to argue when Eleanora eventually managed to separate him from his new friends.
Jay was nowhere to be seen when Daisy arrived at the station next morning together with Mary, Eleanora and Sidney. Daisy had been dreading the journey in Jay’s company, and she sighed with relief when the train pulled away from the station and there was still no sign of him. She needed to speak to him in private, and she hoped that he would follow them on a later train, but with Jay there was never any certainty. He might have taken off in a quite different direction, and could disappear again for weeks or even months. The situation at Creek Manor was as yet unresolved, and Daisy braced herself to face the inevitable problems that would meet her when she returned. She settled back in her corner seat and stared out of the window at the summer meadows, studded with poppies, cornflowers and moon daisies, and fields filled with ripening corn, bounded by shady woodland. It was a glorious day, but what awaited her when she arrived home? She tried to put it from her mind.
It was late afternoon when they arrived at Little Creek. Daisy had sent a telegram from one of the stations en route,
and Fuller was there to meet them with the barouche. They dropped Eleanora and Sidney off at Creek Cottage before making the last leg of the journey to the manor house. Mary had been chattering happily for most of the journey, but even she was quiet as the carriage pulled up outside the front entrance. Daisy looked out of the window, expecting to see Molesworth standing in the doorway, but to her amazement it was Jay who sauntered down the steps to open the carriage door before Fuller had a chance to climb down from the box.
‘How did you get here before us?’ she demanded as he took her by the hand and helped her to alight.
‘I caught the earliest train this morning,’ Jay said casually. He proffered his hand to his mother. ‘Come on, Ma. Jump down and come inside. You look tired, old girl.’
Mary accepted his help and then pushed him away. ‘Less of the old girl, thank you. And you’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Jay.’ She marched up the steps and brushed past Molesworth, who was standing to attention, staring straight ahead.
Daisy followed Mary into the house, acknowledging Molesworth with a hint of a smile. She turned to Jay, frowning. ‘I want to talk to you, in private.’
