The Christmas Wedding

‘It’s our Christmas morning treat, miss. I made it this year, so I know what to do.’

‘Lots of sugar,’ Daisy said, smiling. ‘You do that and I’ll see what I can find to make you more comfortable.’ She hesitated in the doorway. ‘You heard about Jack’s injury, I suppose?’

‘Hattie told me, miss. She said that you and the doctor had looked after him. He’s a young limb if ever there was one, always in trouble, but he’s a good boy at heart.’

‘I believe that, Linnet. He was very brave when Dr Neville set his arm.’

Daisy left Linnet to make the cocoa while she went upstairs to take the coverlet and a pillow from Toby’s room. It was unlikely that he would come to stay in the foreseeable future, but she did not want to offend her aunt by allowing a servant to sleep in his bed. There were a couple of small attic rooms beneath the eaves on the top floor. Hattie had one and with a little effort the second could be made habitable for Linnet. It would be up for discussion tomorrow, when, she hoped, Aunt Eleanora would be in a happier mood, and Daisy would bring up the subject of taking care of young Jack. It would make life a lot easier if his sister were to live in – Daisy smiled to herself. With luck all the pieces would fall into place, and just maybe her aunt would feel more settled in the country. It would be a shame to return to London too soon. There were people who needed her help, Dr Neville being one of them.

Chapter Six (#ulink_50763e81-7a35-56fd-be9c-efd131d881c1)

Daisy was up early next morning, but she was not the first down to breakfast. She entered the small dining room to find her uncle had finished his meal of eggs and bacon and was about to leave the table.

‘I didn’t expect to see you up so early, Uncle.’

Sidney wiped his lips on a clean white napkin. ‘Ah, but I have a purpose for getting up from my bed this morning.’

Daisy sat down opposite him. ‘That sounds interesting.’

‘The landlord of the village pub has fishing tackle he wants to sell. I’m going to take a look at it and make him an offer.’

‘Do you know anything about fishing, Uncle?’

‘Not a thing, but I’m eager to learn. It would give me something to do and put food on the table. We have to be careful with the pennies now that I’ve retired from the business.’ He stood up and stretched. ‘That was an excellent breakfast. Everyone should have a good start to the day.’ He headed for the door. ‘If your aunt says anything, tell her I had to leave early or I might not get what I want.’

Daisy smiled and nodded as he left the room. She had never seen her uncle so enthusiastic about anything.

The door had hardly closed when it opened again to admit her aunt.

‘Really, he’s like an excited child,’ Eleanora said crossly. ‘He’ll spend money on a fishing rod and it will be thrilling for five minutes. He’ll change his mind when he spends hours on the river-bank and catches nothing other than a cold.’

‘He might enjoy it, Aunt. And Hattie can cook the fish he brings home.’

Eleanora went to the sideboard and filled a bowl with porridge. ‘I have so little appetite these days,’ she said as she took her seat and reached for the sugar bowl. ‘Pass the cream, please, Daisy.’

Daisy did as she asked and sat back, nibbling a slice of buttered toast as she watched her aunt spoon porridge laced with cream and sugar into her mouth.

‘Thank goodness Hattie came with us,’ Eleanora said, scraping the last morsels from the bowl. She licked the spoon with obvious enjoyment. ‘She is such a good cook.’

‘It was kind of you to take Linnet on. She’s a bright girl and eager to learn.’ Daisy eyed her aunt warily. So far so good. ‘Do you intend to make her position permanent?’

‘We have certain standards to keep up, and I can hardly expect Hattie to do all the work. She’d pack up and return to London in a blink of an eye.’

Encouraged, Daisy leaned forward, giving her aunt a persuasive smile. ‘Then perhaps Linnet ought to be given a room of her own. There’s a small one in the attic, next to Hattie’s.’

Eleanora reached for a small brass bell and rang it. ‘If you say so, dear. I haven’t been up there myself, but it does make sense to have the girl living in, and it will take some of the burden from Hattie.’

‘That’s a yes, then?’

‘I said so, didn’t I?’ Eleanora was about to ring the bell again when Linnet burst into the room.

‘You rang, missis?’

‘You are supposed to knock,’ Eleanora said firmly. ‘And you address me as Mrs Marshall or ma’am.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ Linnet placed a plate of crisp bacon and two fried eggs in front of Eleanora. ‘Is there anything else, ma’am?’

‘Yes, Linnet. My niece tells me that you will be happy to live in. There’s a room next to Hattie’s that you may use. Daisy will help you to make it comfortable.’

Linnet’s cheeks flushed and her eyes shone with delight. ‘Ta, ever so, missis. I mean, thank you, ma’am.’

‘That’s all. You may go.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ Linnet gave Daisy a radiant smile as she hurried past her and almost ran from the room.

‘She’ll have to learn a few manners, but she’ll do. One can’t expect town polish in a backwater like Little Creek.’ Eleanora picked up her knife and fork and began to attack the bacon with a determined look on her face.

‘I was wondering …’ Daisy began tentatively.

‘What, dear? Don’t start a sentence and let it hang in the air.’

‘Well, I know how kind-hearted you are, and Linnet’s younger brother had an accident yesterday. Dr Neville and I happened to be passing and we took him home. Jack had broken his arm and he was very brave when Dr Neville was treating him.’ Warming to her subject Daisy leaned across the table. ‘The family are so poor, Aunt. You can’t imagine how they live. Their cottage is damp and in a dreadful state of disrepair. Mr and Mrs Fox are both ill with chest complaints and they have barely enough to feed them, let alone a sick child.’

Eleanora looked up from her plate, frowning. ‘It’s sad, but that’s how the lower orders live, Daisy. There are plenty of poor people in London who are living in even worse conditions. We can’t look after them all.’

‘No, of course, not,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘But I was wondering if Jack might stay here for a week or two, just until his bones mend. Dr Neville thinks it would be a very good thing.’

‘Does he indeed? Then perhaps Dr Neville ought to take the boy into his house and look after him. Hattie tells me that Creek Hall is huge. She had it from someone she met in the village whose sister used to work for the old doctor.’

‘Nick can’t afford the upkeep of the hall, Aunt. He thinks he might have to return to London, or find a practice elsewhere. He might even have to sell his old home.’

‘That is a pity, but there’s nothing we can do about it, dear.’ Eleanora reached for a slice of toast, broke off a shard and dipped it in the egg yolk. She ate it with relish. ‘You ought to have a cooked breakfast, Daisy. You’re all skin and bone as it is, and in this weather you need a bit of flesh on your bones.’

‘I had a big meal at Creek Hall last evening, Aunt. Mrs Bee is an excellent cook.’

‘I’m sure Hattie is the better of the two.’

‘Oh, undoubtedly,’ Daisy said tactfully. ‘But what about young Jack? I can imagine Toby might have been like him when he was younger.’

Eleanora hesitated with the toast halfway to her lips, and Daisy knew she had scored a point in Jack’s favour. Toby was her aunt’s favourite – she had always known that, but it had never bothered her. Toby had a way with him that women of all ages found irresistible.

‘How old is the boy?’ Eleanora popped the toast into her mouth.

‘He’s about nine or maybe ten. I didn’t ask, but all he needs is a comfortable bed and good food. He’s very undernourished. I would hate to think of Toby suffering like that.’

‘Your uncle and I have given our lives to rearing you and your brother. Never let it be said that I turned my back on a child in need. You may bring him here and he can stay until his broken bones knit together, but then he must return to his family. I want that clear from the start.’

‘Yes, absolutely, Aunt. If it’s all right with you I’ll go and tell Dr Neville the good news and I’ll leave it to him to persuade Mr and Mrs Fox that it’s the best thing for their son.’