The Country Bride

by Dilly Court

  Farmer Trundle knocked the dottle from his pipe into the fire. ‘Let me see that cut, son. It looks quite deep. It might need a stitch or two.’

  ‘It’ll be fine, sir,’ Rob said hastily. ‘No need to worry.’

  ‘Scared of the needle, are you, son? It’s better than having a scar or the wound turning nasty. Sit tight and Seth will fetch Mother’s sewing box. We’ll have you sorted in minutes.’

  ‘I told you that Pa would know what to do,’ Seth said triumphantly.

  ‘Stop talking, son, and fetch the sewing box, and some hot water from the kettle. I’ll have to wash the blood off first.’ Farmer Trundle turned to give Judy an appraising look. ‘If you’re squeamish best look away, miss. I’ll get to you and take a look at your ankle when I’m done here.’

  ‘You seem to know a lot about medical matters, Mr Trundle,’ Judy said nervously.

  ‘I tend my animals, miss. There ain’t much difference when it comes to fixing up injuries of any kind, although horses and cattle can’t talk.’

  ‘And they can’t complain either.’ Mrs Trundle bustled into the kitchen armed with a copper warming pan. ‘This belonged to my parents, but it still does the job.’ She scooped a few glowing coals from the fire and placed them in the pan. ‘This will make your bed nice and cosy, miss. If you’d follow me I’ll find some dry clothes for you and then you must join us for supper.’

  Farmer Trundle selected a large needle and a spool of thread from the sewing box. ‘Best leave her here, Mother. I need to look at her injuries.’

  ‘I can tend a sprained ankle well enough, Joe. There’s no need to make a song and dance about it. Come with me, miss.’

  Judy cast an anxious glance in Rob’s direction. He looked pale and the cut was still bleeding, although not as much as before. ‘Will you be all right, Rob?’

  He curved his lips in a wry smile. ‘I’ll try to be brave.’

  Judy followed Mrs Trundle to the bedroom upstairs where a fire had been lit in the grate.

  ‘This is the only spare room we have, my dear,’ Mrs Trundle said apologetically. ‘But don’t worry, your young man will have to double up with Seth, although I’m afraid my boy snores.’

  ‘My mother will be worried,’ Judy said, sighing. ‘This is all so unfortunate, but of course we’re very grateful to you for taking us in.’

  Mrs Trundle ran the warming pan over the sheets. ‘I’ll do that again before you turn in, dear. The damp gets everywhere at this time of the year.’ She tipped the coals into the fire and a warming blaze roared up the chimney, sending a shower of soot onto the hearth. She laughed and wiped a smut off the tip of her nose. ‘Oh, Lord! I forgot that the chimney hasn’t been swept for a while. Anyway, let’s get you out of those wet things.’ She opened an oak chest and took out a plain woollen gown that was at least two sizes too large for Judy’s small frame. ‘This will have to do until your clothes are dry. Now let’s get that boot off so that I can take a look at that ankle.’

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Trundle. You’ve been so kind.’

  ‘It’s Prudence, dear. No need to be formal.’ She helped Judy to take off the boot and examined her ankle. ‘It is just a sprain. You’ll need to rest as much as possible, but it will soon get better. Now let’s see to those wet garments.’

  Half an hour later, wearing Mrs Trundle’s old grey dress and with her hair hanging loose around her shoulders, Judy went downstairs to join the others. She was pleased to see that Rob’s wound had been neatly stitched and was no longer bleeding. He had swapped his wet clothes for an old pair of trousers and a shirt that probably belonged to Seth, and the colour had returned to his previously ashen cheeks.

  ‘You should wear your hair like that more often,’ Rob said, smiling.

  ‘You’re a very pretty lady,’ Seth added.

  ‘Mind your manners, son,’ his father said, frowning. ‘We don’t make personal remarks, do we?’

  ‘Leave the boy alone, Joe.’ Mrs Trundle proceeded to arrange their damp garments on a clothes horse in front of the range. ‘Set the table, please, Seth. I’ll serve supper as soon as I’ve done this.’

  ‘Is there anything I can do to help?’ Judy asked anxiously.

  ‘No, miss. You’re a guest in our humble home and we don’t allow guests to lift a finger. Seth, do you hear me? Lay the table.’

  Joe Trundle pulled up a chair and sat down at the head of the table. ‘We’ll go out first thing in the morning to see what damage is done to your carriage, Rob. There’s nothing we can do until then.’

  ‘Has it stopped snowing?’ Judy took her seat beside Rob. ‘How will we get home to Little Creek?’

  ‘You can ride, Judy. I’ll remain here to help move the wreckage or at least to see if it can be salvaged. Is there a smithy near here, Joe?’

  Judy smiled to herself at the familiarity that had sprung up between the two very different men. Joe Trundle was old enough to be Rob’s father, and Rob was a wealthy landowner, but that did not seem to bother either of them. She glanced at Seth, who was scowling like a spoilt child and it was obvious that he resented the fact that his father seemed to have taken a liking to the stranger in their midst.

  ‘I can take you home on the cart, miss,’ he said sulkily. ‘It ain’t a smart vehicle like your chaise, but it’ll get you to where you want to go.’

  ‘That’s very kind of you, Seth.’ Judy flashed him a sympathetic smile. ‘We might still be suffering had you not decided to come out and look for us. We’re very grateful to you, aren’t we, Rob?’

  ‘Yes, indeed. You showed great presence of mind, Seth. Thank you.’

  Mrs Trundle placed a heavy iron pan on the table and when she lifted the lid a delicious aroma filled the kitchen. ‘Hand the plates round, Seth. There’s a good boy. I’ll take the bread from the oven and then we’ll eat.’

  ‘We’ll say grace first,’ Joe said, glaring at each of them in turn as if he expected someone to object. ‘And when we’ve eaten it’s bed for all of us. We’re early risers here,’ he added, fixing Judy with a hard stare. ‘Five o’clock and we’re up and about. There’s milking to be done and animals to feed.’

  Prudence pulled out a chair and sat down. ‘Don’t take any heed of my husband, Judy. You get up when it suits you. No one expects you to earn your board. Do they, Father?’ She gave her husband a stern look.

  He folded his hands and closed his eyes. ‘For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful. Amen.’

  Next morning Judy was awakened by the sound of activity. Doors banged, heavy footsteps trod the stairs and she could hear cows lowing as they waited to be milked. She rose from the bed and shivered as her feet touched the bare boards. The water in the ewer on the washstand had frozen and the fire had died to nothing but ashes. She drew back the curtain and even though it was still dark the snow gleamed white and sparkling in the moonlight. She wrapped the coverlet around herself and went downstairs to the warmth of the kitchen. As she had hoped, the men had gone about their work, leaving Mrs Trundle to her household duties.

  ‘Good morning, Mrs Trundle.’

  ‘It’s Prudence, dear. As I told you last evening. Did you sleep well?’

  ‘I did, thank you. Is Rob still asleep?’

  ‘No, my dear. Not much chance of that when he was sharing with Seth. They went out together to see what can be done with your vehicle, if anything.’

  ‘I left my Christmas presents in the chaise,’ Judy said, sighing. ‘I don’t know if they’ll have survived the accident, but I’d really like to go and see.’

  Prudence filled a cup with tea and handed it to her. ‘Not before breakfast, dear. I make it a rule that everyone has to have something in their belly before they go out, especially in this dreadful weather.’ She ladled porridge into a bowl and slapped it on the table. ‘There you are, Judy. I don’t want any arguments.’

  Smiling, Judy sat down. ‘You sound like my mother. She’ll be out of her mind with worry.’

  ‘Of course
she will, and so would I in the circumstances. Anyway, you heard my Seth last evening. He said he would drive you home in the farm cart, that’s if you don’t mind travelling in such a way.’

  ‘No, of course I don’t. I’d be most grateful.’ Judy drank her tea and then started on the porridge, which was very good. She finished it with a sigh of satisfaction. ‘Thank you, that was really lovely.’

  ‘Your clothes are dry, so I suggest you take them upstairs and put them on, and then you can borrow my woollen cloak. It’s old-fashioned but it’s warm, and from what Seth told me it’s about a mile along the road to Maldon that you’ll find your vehicle.’

  ‘Thank you. I will go because I spent my last penny on the gifts and my family will be very disappointed if I go home with nothing.’

  ‘My dear, I think they will just be pleased that you came home in one piece. Now go and get dressed, and for heaven’s sake wrap up warm.’

  As Prudence had predicted, it was bitterly cold out of doors. An east wind bullied the powdery snow into fantastical shapes, and it slapped at Judy’s cheeks as she walked, head bent and her feet sinking up to her ankles in the snow. Each breath felt like icicles stabbing her lungs, but she was determined to rescue anything she could from the wreckage. It seemed like much further than a mile, but eventually she spotted what remained of Rob’s chaise and she quickened her pace. Rob and Seth were attempting to move the damaged vehicle to the side of the road, but it was an almost impossible task.

  ‘It’s no use,’ Seth said, straightening up. ‘I’ll have to get Pa and a couple of the heavy horses to move this, but I don’t fancy your chances of getting it fixed, at least not in a hurry.’

  Rob kicked the broken shaft out of the way. ‘You’re right. Who would imagine that a falling tree could cause so much damage?’ He looked round. ‘What are you doing here, Judy?’

  ‘I came to retrieve the presents I bought yesterday. Unless someone has taken them.’

  Seth chuckled. ‘Look at the road, miss. Not a sign of cart tracks or footprints. It would have to be a big bird that flew in to pinch your things.’

  Judy said nothing as she climbed over splintered wood and the spokes of a shattered wheel, but there, beneath the driver’s seat, she spotted the basket containing her purchases and she reached in to retrieve it. ‘There it is.’ She opened the frozen paper with trembling fingers and sighed with relief. ‘All here and, as far as I can see, undamaged.’

  Rob turned to Seth. ‘Is there anywhere we could hire any kind of vehicle that would get us home?’

  ‘No, mate. I said I’d take you back to Little Creek, but you’ll have to wait until I’ve finished my chores around the farm. Pa is very particular about that.’

  Judy was about to walk back to the farm when the sound of muffled hoofs and the rumble of wheels made her hesitate. ‘Maybe we could beg a lift, Rob?’ She shielded her eyes against the white glare of the snow, but when she recognised the man driving the barouche, she knew that there was nowhere to hide. The pain and humiliation she thought she had conquered now came flooding back, but she braced herself for the inevitable encounter with the past.

  Chapter Seventeen

  ‘Judy! Good God, so it was you I saw at the inn.’ Jack leaped down from the driver’s seat, leaving Jay holding the reins. He came towards her, smiling delightedly.

  Judy struggled to maintain a calm exterior. ‘You can walk again, Jack.’

  ‘It was as your Dr God said. After a while I found I could stand, and then slowly I regained full movement, as you can see.’ He eyed her warily. ‘Aren’t you pleased to see me?’

  ‘You left without a word,’ Judy said in a low voice. ‘You didn’t tell me that you were going away with your brother. I had to hear it from someone else.’

  ‘I was a sick man, Judy. Surely you can understand that?’

  ‘Might I suggest we continue this touching reunion at a more appropriate time?’ Jay climbed down from the carriage. ‘Looks like you had a serious mishap,’ he said, turning to Rob.

  ‘Seems so, but we’ll manage.’ Rob met Jay’s amused glance with a straight look. ‘You don’t remember me?’

  It was a statement as much as a question and for a moment Jay looked at a loss, but he recovered quickly. ‘No, you have the advantage.’

  ‘It will come back to you, I expect.’

  ‘Is this some sort of riddle?’ Jay demanded irritably. ‘You have a strange way with words.’

  Judy shivered. ‘This is ridiculous. We don’t need your help, Jay. Why don’t you go on your way and leave us in peace?’

  ‘Now that’s not very nice, Judy,’ Jack said, chuckling. ‘I expected a warmer welcome from my girl.’

  Judy was about to protest, but Rob placed a protective arm around her shoulders. ‘It’s too cold to stand about gossiping. There’s room enough for you to get past, if you’re careful.’

  Jay nodded. ‘Yes, easily. I stopped in case you needed help, but clearly you prefer to suffer.’ He turned to Judy. ‘We could take you back to Little Creek. Are you still living in the cottage on the estate?’

  ‘Why are you here, Jay?’ Judy eyed him curiously.

  Jay puffed out his chest. ‘I’m a very wealthy man now. I’ve decided to buy back my family home.’

  Judy exchanged meaningful glances with Rob. ‘You don’t know then?’ she said slowly.

  ‘Know what? What’s going on?’ Jay leaned against the wheel of the barouche.

  ‘You tell them, Judy,’ Rob said casually. ‘I need to talk to Seth about getting the chaise moved.’ He beckoned to Seth, who had been listening to the conversation open-mouthed, and they moved a little further down the lane.

  Judy looked from one to the other. ‘Creek Manor burned to the ground. It’s no longer there, and the original purchaser sold the entire estate. You are behind the times, Jay.’ She had the satisfaction of seeing both the Fox brothers taken by surprise, and their shocked expressions might have been funny in any other circumstances.

  ‘The old house needed to be razed to the ground. It was draughty and would have fallen down in time. However, I’ve made a fortune in Australia, and I want my son to inherit the estate and the title.’

  ‘Creek Manor has a new owner who might not wish to sell.’ Judy glanced at Rob, but he was deep in conversation with Seth. She was tempted to tell Jay that Rob was the new owner, but that could wait. She was so cold that she was losing the feeling in her feet and fingertips.

  ‘Everyone has a price,’ Jay said sulkily. ‘I’ll pay whatever is necessary.’

  Judy shivered convulsively. ‘I’m cold so you’ll excuse me if I don’t wait around.’ She set off in the direction of the farm, but Jack caught her up before she had gone more than a few yards.

  ‘We’ll take you home in the barouche, Judy. There’s no need for you to wait here unnecessarily.’

  ‘Thank you, Jack, but I’m fussy about the company I keep.’ Judy was about to walk on, but he caught her by the wrist.

  ‘Judy, please. I came back to fetch you. I sent you letters.’

  She turned to give him a searching look. ‘I never received anything from you.’

  ‘On my honour, I wrote once a month – well, maybe not that often, but I did send you a letter telling you that I had recovered. Let us take you home, please.’

  ‘I don’t know. I can’t leave Rob here.’

  ‘What is this fellow to you? Do I have competition?’

  ‘Jack, I’m shivering and my boots are leaking. I refuse to have this conversation. Let me go.’

  ‘Then I’ll call on you at the cottage.’

  ‘The estate was sold, Jack. We were evicted from the cottage months ago, and now that too is razed to the ground.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Go and see your sisters. They’ll tell you everything – just leave me alone.’ Judy limped off in the direction of the farm. She was still getting over the shock of seeing Jack so unexpectedly, and even more confused by his attitude toward
s her. It was as if he had just returned from a term at university, and he expected everything to carry on as normal; but for her nothing would ever be the same. The closeness they had once shared was gone, as was the trust. She walked on, slipping and sliding on the icy surface of the snow, but determined to remain independent.

  Prudence greeted her with a smile that faded into a worried frown. ‘Are you all right, dear? You look peaky.’

  ‘I’m cold and my feet are wet, Mrs Trundle. Might I sit by the fire for a while?’

  ‘Of course, you may. I’ll make you a nice hot cup of cocoa. That always works when my Seth is feeling low.’

  Judy took off the cloak and hung it back on its peg before going over to warm herself by the fire. Prudence made two cups of cocoa and the delicious aroma of hot chocolate filled the kitchen. Judy sat down to enjoy it, resting her feet on the brass rail of the range.

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Trundle. You’ve been so good to us. I wish there was something I could do to repay you.’

  Prudence sipped her drink. ‘Having female company is reward enough, dear. I love my menfolk, but sometimes I wish I had a daughter to talk to. There are things that husbands and sons just don’t understand.’

  Judy nodded. ‘Sometimes I think we speak a different language than they do.’

  ‘Yes, indeed. Have a rock cake, dear. They’re still warm from the oven.’ Prudence took a cake from the cooling rack, placed it on a plate and handed it to Judy. ‘These will be gone in a flash when Joe and Seth come home, so eat up while you have a chance.’ She pulled up a chair and sat down. ‘Perhaps you feel like telling me what’s upset you since you left the house this morning. You were bright as a button first thing, but when you came in that door I thought, my goodness, something or someone has upset the poor girl.’

  ‘It’s a long story,’ Judy said apologetically.

  ‘That don’t matter, dear. I’ve got all morning. It’ll take the men that long to shift the wrecked vehicle.’ Prudence sat back, sipping her cocoa and listening in silence while Judy talked.

  ‘Well, dear, that’s some story indeed,’ Prudence said when Judy had finished speaking.