A Dinner Of Herbs (20 page)

Mulcaster and for

him to go to the justice and get them to start digging to prove he’s right.”

He was looking into her eyes now.

“Who do you think they were burying, Mary Ellen?” he said.

“I don’t know,” she answered, her gaze half shaded.

Again he looked away from her before he said, “You know my da disappeared around

that time.

Because they found the horse in Newcastle, they put two and two together and added it

up that he had

skipped with the money on a ship. Never—’ His teeth were ground together before he

said again, “

Never have I believed it. “ His face now darkened and he actually glared at her as he

repeated, “ Never

for one moment have I believed it. “

He was gripping the round iron bed frame so that his knuckles were shining white as he muttered, with

bent head, “God Almighty! If I can prove them wrong. Oh God, if only this proves them

wrong.” Then

his head jerking up, he said, “I’ll soon be out of here, the morrow or the next day. I’m healed, at least

enough to get me on me legs. And you do what Roddy said. But mind, be prepared for

stumbling

blocks:

Bannaman’s a name in the county, at least he is now; they’ve forgotten to ask how he

made so much

money so quickly years gone by. But soon it’ll be explained, please God. “

He put his hand out now and gripped her arm.

“Don’t be put off, will you not? Don’t be put off, because that’s what they’ll do, them up top. They all

stick together, because if this is true, an’ I know it is, aye, I know it is’—his head was bobbing now ‘it’ll

raise such a stink that the smell from

the mill will be like scent in their noses. “ He got up and pulled her to her feet, saying, “

Go on. Get

back as quick as you can. “ And his hand went out as if to push her to hasten her going; but then

stopped midway and, his manner changing and his voice soft, he said, “ Thanks, Mary

Ellen. I’ll . I’ll

never be able to thank you enough for this day. “

She smiled weakly at him now, saying, “Tis all right, Hal. Tis all right. And I’ll do what you say.” Then

in apology for coming empty-handed, she added, “I’m sorry I haven’t brought you

anything.”

“Aw, Mary Ellen, what you’ve brought me is pure gold dust. Go on now;

and travel safely for so much rests on your shoulders. You know that? “

“Aye.” She nodded at him, then said, “Tara then, Hal.” And he answered, “Tara Mary

Ellen.”

The woman had left the table and come down the room, and she opened the door, and

pointing across

the hall, said to Mary Ellen, “You can let yourself out. But be sure to close the door after you. We’re

shorthanded.”

Mary Ellen closed the door after her; but once outside on the cobbled road again, she did not hurry to

where she hoped to find a coach or a carrier cart to take her home, but stood like a

perplexed child

nipping on the nail of her first finger as she thought, What if they don’t believe me, ‘cos he’s a big man, is

Mr. Bannaman. He could easily have me locked up for carrying such a message ‘cos the

gentry are a

law unto themselves. And Mr. Bannaman although not quite gentry was known as a very

worthy man.

There was trouble ahead. Whether they believed her or not, there was trouble ahead.

It was seven o’clock in the evening and she had run all the way from the coach road, past the castle and

up through the woods to the mill, hoping to find Mr. Mulcaster still there. She knew that they banked

down some of the fires after six” but she had heard that Mr. Mulcaster and the clerks

were often in the

offices till late on some nights. It was deep twilight when she surprised a number of men as she

scrambled her way over the horse tracks and stumbled round the mounds of house before

she asked one

of them if the agent was still about or had yet gone to his house which was nearby. No, the man

answered, he was still in his office;

and he had pointed to the buildings across the yard. And there, on her reaching the end one, a door

opened as if at her bidding and two clerks stepped out, staring at her in surprise. But she ignored them

and looked at the man following behind them.

Gasping, she said, “Mr. Mulcaster, please may I have a word with you?”

The three men stood looking at her for a moment before Mr. Mulcaster, observing her

agitated state,

said, “Yes, if it’s all that important.”

“Tis, sir, Tis.”

The clerks seemed now reluctant to leave, until the agent said to them, “Well, get along.”

Then

indicating that she should enter he picked up a lantern from a shelf just inside the

doorway and went

before her along a passage and up a flight of stairs and into a room.

Then having closed the door behind her, he peered at her and said tersely, “What is it that’s brought you

here in such a flutter? You’re Mary Ellen Lee, aren’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Well, speak; tell me what you have to say because—’ he took out his watch and, looking at it, he

remarked, “ I am due for my meal about this time, and ready for it. “ But he smiled kndly at her.

And now she began to gabble; first of all reminding him of what had taken place between his two

workers; then of her visit to Roddy and of his disclosure.

He did not speak or interrupt her gabbled discourse in any way until she was finished and stood gazing

at him through the hazy lantern light when, looking at her steadily, he said as if in

astonishment at her

request, “You’re really asking me to inform the justices?”

“Yes, sir.”

“But... but I can’t do that. Well, not on such ... slender evidence.

Young Greenbank’s mind could have been disturbed in another way by the treatment

from his assailant,

whether it was his friend or, as you maintain, some other. “

“Mr. Mulcaster, sir.” She put out her joined hands as if in supplication towards him.

“Believe me, please. He’s in his right mind, he is. He described how he saw his father flying into the

air. It was when they threw him over the cliff. And then they must have done the same to him. And

what’s more, he knows there was a man buried in a grave. Likely Roddy’s father came on them She

refrained from mentioning Mr. Bannaman’s name again, but said, “ The men were

burying somebody.

That’s why they turned on him. And . ,. there’s something more, sir. “

“Something more?” His face stretched slightly, and she nodded as she went on, “I went to see Hal...

Hal Roystan, an’ I told him. And you know, sir, he’s always been firm about the fact that his father never

stole that money. And he didn’t sir. I ... I know that.” She now closed her eyes tightly.

She had said too

much. If she said she knew where the money was they would ask her why she had kept

quiet about it all

this time. Could she say what was absolutely true, that for years at a time she’d forgotten about it? And

now that place was so overgrown she imagined it would be hard to get at it. Why, trees had sprouted up

all around.

“Why are you so sure he didn’t steal the money?”

She shook her head slightly as she said, “Well... I mean, from what Hal said his father would never have

done a thing like that. And ... and when I told him about the man being buried that Roddy saw I know

he thinks it was his father. And another thing, sir.”

“Yes? Yes? Go on.”

“At odd times over the years, I’ve come across Mr. Bannaman’s man, that Mr. Feeler, up in the wood

on top of the quarry. He always said he was looking for young fir trees, but now I know he must have

been looking for something else, searchin’ like. And even Mr. Bannaman’s been up there at times, again

supposedly gatherin’ fir trees.”

“Not supposedly gathering fir trees, but actually gathering fir trees, my dear girl. With my permission.”

“Yes, but as Kate has often said, I mean Mrs. Makepeace, why did they want to come this end to

gather fir trees, young fir trees, when there’s those plantations nearer them?”

Mr. Mulcaster sat back in his chair as if pondering this point; and he remembered that he himself had

sometimes wondered about it, yet recalling that he had felt a certain pride knowing the pines growing on

the estate were of such a hardy type that they were coveted by others.

He pushed his hard hat gently back from his brow. He had not removed his hat; there had been no need

as this female was of no importance.

But he looked down at her, noting that she had grown into a very bonny girl; in fact, she did not look a

girl but more like a young woman:

her fair hah—was lying in moist ringlets down each cheek; her hat was tilted to the back of her head;

and in this light he did not know whether her eyes were green or hazel, but they were

large and

long-lashed and full of concern. She had a beautiful skin too, and a figure that many a fashionable lady

would envy. He remembered her as a child running wild around the fells, very often

accompanied by the

two boys who were now men and the centre of this tragedy. Well, what was he going to

do? He could

not pass over this information, yet were he to investigate by having men dig in these

places where one or

two of the landslides had happened over the years, what would be the outcome?

Well he’d have to wait and see, wouldn’t he, and in the meantime think about it.

He said quietly now, “Leave this with me, and I’ll think about it.”

Then, to say that he was surprised was an understatement astounded would have been a

better

description of his reaction when this young servant-maid, because that’s all she was,

confronted him

boldy by saying, “There’s no time to think about it sir. If you don’t go to the justice straightaway, and

there’s one lives on the Allendale road, in the Hall there, then I’ll have to make me way there me self

because there’s no time to lose, they’ll be bringing Roddy up afore the justices any time now. And he

could be sentenced and despatched any place. And to prove what I’ve said will take some diggin’, so

please sir, there’s no time to think. What I mean is....”

He held up a hand to check her flow, and he said in an almost placating way, “It’s on

dark now.

Anyway, Mr. Morgan will undoubtedly be at his supper.”

Ignoring that Mr. Morgan might be dining, she persisted, “Tisn’t far, sir. Not more than ten minutes on

your horse. And I can be there as soon as you because I’ll cut across the fields.”

She watched him bring his hat more forward on to his brow now, then place his hand

tightly around his

chin, while continuing to stare at her. Then in a voice that was almost a growl, he said,

“Come along,

girl.”

She scurried after him and into the yard, where a swaying lantern showed up a man

standing at the head

of a horse, and as Mr. Mulcaster made his way towards them he said in an undertone,

“Walk beside

me.”

And so that is what she did: she walked, stumbling by the side of the horse over the rough ground, until

they came to the even pathway that led down to the road below the dam. And both

seemed oblivious of

the men they passed on the way and who must have wondered what a bonny lass like

young Mary Ellen

Lee was doing in the company of the agent and, too, making their way into the night.

“A nice hornets’ nest you’ve stirred up, girl: half the countryside digging the quarry for a body that

nobody can find! Tis the third day they’ve been at it, and people walkin’ miles to see, all because that

fellow thinks he remembers what he didn’t see.”

“He did see, mistress, he did see. And if they’d only fetch him he’d likely point out the place.”

“Don’t be stupid, girl. Thirteen years it’ll be since it happened, whatever did ... if it did.

Anyway, it was

the time Gabriel Roystan did off....”

“Perhaps he never did off. That’s what’ll be proved. Hal’s always said....”

“Hal... Roddy... there’s been too many men in your life girl. You’ve been brought up

along of’em,

granted, but as I said afore, you ran wild with them when you should have been put to

work. Twas that

father of yours thought you too good for service. I took Nell Bradley on when she was

nine. She hadn’t

time to get flighty.”

“Yes, and what did she do, mistress? She flighted off, didn’t she?

That’s when you took me. “ Mary Ellen stayed her retort and bent her head, and in a

whisper now she

muttered, “ I’m sorry, mistress. I am. I should have never spoken like that. “

She raised her eyes slowly and looked at the small plump woman whose face was tight

with her

indignation, and some part of her mind scorned herself as she began to placate her now by saying, “She

didn’t know when she was well off; it was a good thing for me she went. I’m sorry, I am, mistress, but

I’m all upset like.”

“And right you have to be.” The small body was bristling when the kitchen door opened

and Farmer

Davison entered, to be greeted by his wife pointing a short wagging finger at her maid, crying, “You

won’t believe this, Joe, you won’t believe this, but she cheeked me, Mary Ellen cheeked me.”

Joe Davison looked at his wife, raised his eyebrows and said, “Cannot believe that, wife.

Mary Ellen

has never cheeked you afore; thinks highly of you, I would say. Don’t you, Mary Ellen?”