The Christmas Wedding

She was about to clear the table when Linnet appeared, carrying a tray. ‘I’ll do that, miss. Your aunt sent me.’

Daisy knew better than to argue. ‘Thank you.’ She hesitated in the doorway. ‘I seem to have nothing to do so I thought I’d walk to Creek Hall and fetch my brother. Which way is it?’

‘Creek Hall is on the edge of the wood overlooking the saltings. Just follow the creek.’

‘The saltings?’

‘It’s a salt marsh that’s covered by the sea at high tide. It’s not the place to go walking unless you know the area well.’

‘Don’t worry, I’m not that adventurous, but I will take a stroll.’

Having left Linnet to do her work Daisy retrieved her bonnet and cape from the row of pegs in the entrance hall before setting off. The sun was shining and the threat of more snow seemed to have passed, but the bitter east wind made her eyes water. The ground was uneven and she had to take care not to trip over the ridges created by wagon wheels or to step into the ruts filled with snow melt. Despite the chill, the air was bracing and the sun’s rays reflected in the water, trapping the pale blue of the winter sky in the ripples, although as she approached the woods the shadows grew longer and the water lost its sparkle, appearing muddy and menacing. Daisy walked on, wrapping her woollen cape tightly around her. She quickened her pace and it was a relief to come out into the open where the saltings stretched out in front of her in a mass of vegetation growing haphazardly like a jigsaw puzzle tossed into the brackish water.

To her left she spotted Creek Hall, standing on its own at the edge of the wood with an uninterrupted view of the salt marsh. Sea birds circled overhead, mewing and crying like lost souls, while others waded in the shallow water, probing the mud with their long beaks in the search for food.

As she drew nearer she could see that the carriage sweep was losing the battle with couch grass and weeds, and some of the windowpanes in the upper floor were missing, but there was something about the warm red bricks of the Tudor house that spoke of permanence and solidity – two factors that appealed strongly to Daisy. She trod the gravel path, avoiding the patches of fast-melting snow, and went to knock on the door. After a while it was opened by a young woman who bore a striking resemblance to Linnet.

‘Good morning,’ Daisy said, smiling. ‘I came to see if my brother, Dr Marshall, is still here.’

‘You’d best come in then.’ The girl, who was probably a year or two older than Linnet, stood aside, staring curiously at Daisy as she crossed the threshold.

Daisy returned the stare. ‘Are you related to Linnet Fox, by any chance?’

A slow smile curved the girl’s generous lips. ‘I’m her sister, Dove.’

‘Dove?’

‘Yes, miss. Our mum loves birds. We all had such names.’

‘Dove, who is it?’ Nick’s voice rang out from somewhere at the far end of the entrance hall.

‘It’s Miss Marshall, Doctor. She’s come for her brother.’

Dressed for riding, Nick came to greet her. ‘Miss Marshall, this is an unexpected pleasure. I hope you weren’t worried when Toby failed to return home last night.’

Daisy smiled. ‘Not at all. I’m afraid it was blatant nosiness that brought me this way. I was eager to see Creek Hall.’

‘And here you are. I’d be delighted to show you round, although you might be disappointed.’

Daisy eyed his riding boots and topcoat. ‘But you’re going to Maldon to see your solicitor. You mustn’t let me hold you up.’

‘Another ten minutes or so won’t make any difference, but first you must have some refreshment. It’s bitterly cold and you’ve obviously walked here.’ He turned to Dove. ‘We’ll have coffee in the dining room.’

‘Yes, Doctor.’ Dove hurried off.

‘Toby is just finishing his breakfast and there’s a fire in the dining room. I only use a couple of the downstairs rooms – the others are under covers all winter, although I’m afraid that does encourage damp.’ Nick eyed her, frowning. ‘Would you like to take off your cape, or would you prefer to keep it on?’

‘I’ll keep it on for the time being, if you don’t mind.’

‘Not at all. I’m wearing several layers myself. Come this way.’ Nick led her across the wainscoted hall, through a door at the far end and down a long corridor to the dining room, where Toby was seated at the table. He pushed his plate away and jumped to his feet.

‘Good Lord, Daisy. Are you checking up on me? I thought Aunt Eleanora was bad enough, but this takes the biscuit.’

‘Don’t be so touchy, Toby. I’ve already admitted that I was curious to see Creek Hall, and I’m not disappointed.’

‘You aren’t?’ Nick said. ‘It’s not exactly a grand house.’

‘It feels homely, unlike the Carringtons’ mansion in Queen Square. It was grand and expensively furnished but it wasn’t a home.’

‘If you equate homely with shabby, then you’ll love Creek Hall. I’ll show you round,’ Nick said cheerfully. ‘Although I’m afraid the rest of the house is even colder than it is in here.’ He turned to Toby, who was munching a slice of toast and marmalade. ‘Are you coming with us?’

Toby shook his head. ‘No, thank you. I’m not nosy like my sister. I’ll sit here and finish my breakfast in peace.’

Daisy chose to ignore her brother’s teasing and she followed Nick from the room. The floorboards creaked as they negotiated the narrow passageways, and there were patches where the plaster had crumbled away from the walls, leaving the laths exposed. But if there were whispers from the past in the old house, the memories were happy ones.

‘I’ll introduce you to my housekeeper, Mrs Boynton, or Mrs Bee as I call her,’ Nick said over his shoulder as they approached the kitchen at the back of the house. ‘Mrs Bee has been with the family ever since I can remember, and she’s a wonderful cook. I don’t know why she stays on but she looked after my father in his last days – she was devoted to him.’

Daisy gathered from his tone that Mrs Bee’s opinion mattered, and as they entered the kitchen she braced herself for the inevitable interrogation. But it was the size of the kitchen and the height of the beamed ceiling that took her by surprise. At the far end of the room there was a huge open fireplace as well as an ancient range. The heat from a blazing log fire contrasted sharply with the chill rising from the flagstone floor.

A thin elderly woman, dressed in black from head to foot apart from a spotless white apron, rose from a chair at the table where she had been writing something in a ledger. ‘Good morning, Master Nick.’

‘I’ve brought Miss Marshall to meet you, Mrs Bee. She’s Toby’s sister.’

Mrs Bee looked Daisy up and down and a slow smile softened the harsh lines on her face. ‘You’ll be the young lady who’s just moved into Creek Cottage.’

‘I’m staying with my aunt and uncle, although I might return to London. I haven’t quite decided.’

‘We need new blood in the village. I hope you’ll make your home in Little Creek, Miss Marshall.’

‘If anyone can persuade her I’m sure you can, Mrs Bee.’ Nick leaned over to brush the housekeeper’s thin cheek with a kiss. ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’

‘You’re just like your late father: he could charm the birds from the trees if he so chose.’

‘He loved Creek Hall and so do I, but everything depends upon my visit to the solicitor today.’

‘It will be all right. There’s nobody going to take Creek Hall away from you. It’s been in the family for over two hundred years. You tell him that, Master Nick.’

‘I will, and if all else fails I’ll take you with me next time, Mrs Bee. We’ll leave you in peace, but I had to show Miss Marshall the beating heart of Creek Hall.’

‘Get away with you.’ Mrs Bee shook her head, but she was smiling as she sat down and picked up her pen. ‘Good day to you, Miss Marshall. I hope we’ll see more of you at Creek Hall.’

‘It was nice meeting you, Mrs Bee,’ Daisy said over her shoulder as she hurried after Nick, quickening her pace in an attempt to keep up with his long strides. ‘Do you really think you might lose Creek Hall?’

‘My father left considerable debts. He was a good doctor but a poor businessman, and he rarely charged any of his poorer patients. Unless I can find a way to pay all or even some of the money back to the creditors, it looks as though I’ll have to sell Creek Hall.’

‘That’s terrible. I can see how much it means to you.’

He came to a halt as they reached the entrance hall. ‘You don’t think I’m being overly sentimental?’