‘That’s an excellent idea,’ Dorcas declared, wondering why her heart was pounding with excitement. Since Gerald had been gone, she’d gradually began to realise how much she still cared for him. But even if she ever managed to see him again, would his feelings for her still be the same? She could see all too clearly now how demanding she had been and how much she had taken him for granted, to the point that the poor man had felt he had no choice but to run away. Guilt, sharp as a knife, pierced her.If only I could have the chance to speak to him one more time, I would tell him how sorry I am, she silently promised herself.
Once Hetty had set off to fetch the milk, Dorcas stared down at the money in her lap, lowered her head and cried, feeling lonelier than she had ever felt in her life before.
Later in the morning as Dorcas was rolling pastry for a steak and kidney pie, Sybil arrived dressed in her usual drab gown with a warm cloak around it.
‘Come in and sit down. I’ll make you a cup of tea,’ Dorcas invited and Sybil raised her eyebrow as she settled in the wing chair to the side of the fireplace. ‘I hear Jasper is home; how nice for you.’
‘Hm.’ Sybil stared moodily into the flames as Dorcas filled the sooty-bottomed kettle and stood it on the hob.
‘Yes, he’s home but he doesn’t seem very happy about it,’ Sybil admitted. ‘He and his father have had words already. I don’t know what gets into the boy, I really don’t. He’s had the best of everything all his life: the best clothes, the best holidays, the best education, but he still doesn’t seem to want to buckle down and learn how to manage the farm.’
‘I suppose I could say the same about Abigail,’ Dorcas admitted. ‘She couldn’t settle down to this way of life at all and soon flew the nest for the bright lights of London. Emerald is there too, admittedly, but at least she went to help out.’
There had been a subtle change in her and Sybil’s relationship over the last few weeks, for the more she saw of her the more Dorcas realised that she was actually a very lonely woman. Of course, Sybil was far too proud to admit it, but now that they lived so close together Dorcas couldn’t help but notice how much time Bernard spent away from home. She had an idea that he probably spent that time with the fancy woman it was rumoured he had, and suddenly she found herself feeling almost sorry for her sister-in-law.
‘I’m sure he’ll settle down eventually.’ Dorcas spooned some tea leaves into the best china teapot she always used when Sybil came to call, although she and Hetty tended to use the sensible old brown pot for themselves now. As Dorcas had discovered, it didn’t have to be fine bone china for the tea to taste nice – that was just one of the lessons she had learnt. She only wished she could have learnt them sooner.
‘Emerald tells me that the new venture Jake has set up for treating the poor is going well now. You must be very proud of him,’ Dorcas said, hoping to change the sombre mood.
‘Yes, I suppose I am,’ Sybil said thoughtfully. ‘But Jake was always the more thoughtful of the two boys – probably because, being the oldest, he didn’t get as much attention as Jasper did.’
‘I must admit the same applies to Emerald and Abigail. If only we could turn the clock back, eh? And try to put everything right.’
She took a seat next to Sybil and poured the tea as each of them sat silent and thought back over their lives.
It was very dark, rainy and windy whenThe Mermaidpulled into the port at Le Havre late that night. Bad weather had slowed the journey and Abi felt as weak as a kitten and couldn’t wait to feel solid ground beneath her feet again.
‘I’ll fetch your bag up for you, Miss Winter,’ the captain offered sympathetically as Abi hung over the rail like a limp rag while the sailors began to haul the gangplank into place.
While he was gone Abi noticed that the docks were teeming with people, despite it being so late at night. Ships of all shapes and sizes were lying at anchor while sailors loaded them with cargo so they would be ready to sail with the morning tide.
‘There y’are, me dear.’ The captain took her elbow with one hand and gripped her bag with the other. ‘Let me ’elp you down the gangplank, eh?’
Abi felt so weak that she was glad of his help and once they were on the quay, she gave him a grateful smile.
‘Now, if you’re lookin’ for somewhere to stay the night, I suggest you walk straight up that street there. At the top of it you’ll see a little guest house wi’ blue shutters at the winders. Madame Bisset runs it; it’s cheap an’ cheerful but it’s clean enough an’ if you tell ’er Captain Marks sent you she’ll see you right. She talks quite good English an’ all so you shouldn’t have any problems wi’ her. Goodbye, me dear.’ And with that he turned and was off back up the gangplank to shout orders at his crew.
Abi turned in the direction he had pointed and as she picked her way across the quay she was shocked to see some women with heavily made-up faces and wearing indecently low-cut dresses hanging around the sailors who were just coming in to port. No doubt they were after the sailors’ hard-earned wages and as she passed them, they glared at her, fearing she was a threat. She smiled. Little could they know that there was only one man in the world for her and hopefully she would be seeing him very soon.
She had no trouble in locating the small guest house, and Madame Bisset, a small, motherly looking woman with soft grey hair and a plump figure, ushered her inside out of the cold.
‘I ’ave one room that might suit you, mademoiselle,’ she told Abi in broken English. ‘It is at the top of the ’ouse but it eez warm and comfortable. Please to follow me.’
As they mounted the stairs she asked, ‘Do you know ’ow long your stay might be? And ’ave you eaten?’
‘I’m afraid I don’t know how long I shall be here,’ Abi answered. ‘And no, I haven’t eaten. I’m afraid I was rather ill on the ship.’
‘Ah, then you must ’ave some soup,’ the woman told her with a kindly smile. ‘Eet will settle your stomach.’
The room she showed Abi had sloping ceilings and it was sparsely furnished but there were crisp white sheets on the small iron bed and it was clean. ‘This will be satisfactory, yes?’
Abi was so exhausted that she would have said yes to anything and she nodded as she dropped her bag on to the floor. ‘It’s very satisfactory. Thank you.’
‘Good, that ees good. Now you must take off your coat and come down for some food. You weel feel so much better with food in your belly,mon cherie.’
Abi gave her a weak smile. She doubted she would be able to eat a thing but, not wishing to appear rude, she did as she was told, then followed the woman back down the stairs where she was led into a small homely dining room. She was the only person there and within minutes Madame Bisset bustled back in with a tray containing a steaming bowl of chicken soup and some thick slices of freshly baked bread spread with rich creamy butter.
Abi thanked her and picked up her spoon tentatively, but seeing that Madame Bisset was waiting for her to start, she took a sip from her spoon and suddenly realised how hungry she was. The kindly landlady left the room with a smile and it wasn’t long before Abi had eaten every morsel and felt remarkably better for it.
