A Dinner Of Herbs (51 page)

Before descending the shallow oak stairs, Kate stood for a while gathering up the front of her gown;

then she was walking down towards her family. There they all were: John and Tom,

standing together as

they nearly always did, two fine looking men, fair-haired and fresh complexioned and of their father’s

build, of medium height and broad with it; at the foot of the stairs, Hugh, tall and thin, with hair and eyes

so dark as to appear almost black, and looking older than his elder brothers;

next to him, Gabriel, who looked like his mother and had her colouring of skin, which the girls were

constantly pointing out to him was wasted on a fellow; then directly at the foot of the stairs stood Maggie

and Florrie, both with their father’s colouring, Maggie as tall as her mother, but Florrie small made, her

frame seeming to match her voice which was quiet and rarely raised. But standing behind them all was

the man she thought of as her father. And it was to him she looked as she descended the stairs.

Amid the chatter and murmurs of approval from the men, she moved towards him; and

silently he held

out a cloak and put it around her, then ceremoniously drew her arm through his, and with her was making

for the door when suddenly he stopped and, looking down the hall, said, “Where’s

Annie?”

It was Maggie who answered: “Likely finishing her crying in the kitchen and saying it’s only her sniffles,”

she said on a laugh.

“Go and fetch her, the silly bitch.”

“I’ve no need to be fetched.” Annie came through the far door and into the hall. Although she had

thickened out with the years her build in her younger days had been much the same as

was the bride’s

now; in fact, many a time she had been taken for Kate’s mother, so similar were they.

And also over the

years, she had been of invaluable help and even comfort to Mary Ellen; in fact, she’d had as much to do

with the bringing up of the family as had Mary Ellen herself, and more so with Kate. At times, Mary

Ellen had become a little mystified and more than a little troubled as she’d seen her

daughter develop into

almost a replica of Annie, and Annie’s devotion to the child had at times irritated her, for she would act

as though Kate were really hers. Even when the others came along she never gave them

the attention she

gave to Kate.

“My! that’s a new bonnet.” Hugh nipped the velvet strings hanging from the brown straw bonnet with

his finger and thumb. And Annie’s tone was one of assumed grievance when she

answered, “Give over,

you! I can have a new bonnet, surely.”

“I don’t know so much about that. I don’t think you’ve worked for it of late. Taking to your bed

because your nose runs.”

On this the whole party went out laughing, some more heartily than others, but all, to Kate’s ears,

forced.

The church was almost full. There were smelting families from Langley with whom Hal

had kept in touch

over the years; there were farmers and their wives from round about; there was Doctor

Brunton and his

wife and two daughters from Hay don Bridge, who over the years had been close friends

to the family;

but there was no relative of Mary Ellen’s or yet of Hal’s present, for they had none that they knew of.

But, as yet, the bridegroom and his best man had not appeared, nor yet any member of his family;

there were, though, a number of his friends, mostly men, seated awkwardly at the left-

hand side of the

aisle towards the back of the church.

The bride’s company arrived at the church five minutes late, but as Hal went to help Kate down from the

brake, the Reverend Scott came towards them from around the side of the church, passing through

scattered onlookers, and in a hushed tone he said to Hal, “The groom hasn’t arrived yet.

He must have

been held up on the way.”

Kate, about to step down on to the grass verge, seemed to hang in mid air, her face

looking down

questioningly into Hal’s, until he said, “Sit yourself down a minute. I don’t suppose he’ll be long.”

As Kate sat back on the seat next to Mary Ellen she shivered, and Mary Ellen said, “Nice thing. And it

isn’t very warm out here; this wind goes right through you. Put the rug round your legs.”

“No.” Kate put out her hand and stopped Mary Ellen from taking the rug from under the

seat, saying,

“I’m all right. I’m all right.”

The family had now gathered round the brake.

Mary Ellen sat back in her seat and drew in a long breath before casting a glance towards her other

daughters, and it was Florrie who spoke, saying, “Tis a good distance he has to come;’

but then Maggie

asked bluntly, “ Is there anyone inside belonging to him? “

The men standing on the road looked at one another;

then Hal said to John, “Go on and enquire, quietly like.”

They waited in silence but with evident impatience till he returned, which was a good

five minutes later.

“Well?”

John looked at his father.

“There’s no one of his family there,” he said, and turned his back on the brake and

walked slowly along

the grass verge, and the men followed him; and when at some little distance he stopped, they went into a

huddle and he said quietly, “I had a word with two of his cronies. Apparently they were on a drinking

spree last night in Allendale, finished up in some house or other, paralytic by what they said. They drove

him home towards midnight.”

“God in heaven!” Hal was beating on his mouth with his closed fist. It was as if his hand was cold and

he was blowing into it, for his breath was making hissing sounds.

Tom said, “He could be sleeping it off.”

“Tis turned twelve in the day. He had animals to see to. He wouldn’t be sleeping it off till this time. My

God! If he’s let her down I’ll slit his throat. I will, I swear on it.”

“Be quiet!” Hal turned on Hugh now.

“It’s as Tom says, he’s likely sleeping it off. And what cattle there is to see to, his father could have

done that. There must be an explanation.” He jerked his head to the side as if rejecting other thoughts.

“I talked to him only yesterday afternoon. We had an understanding.”

“What kind of understanding. Dad?” It was John asking the question.

“Oh.” Now Hal flung himself round and looked towards where his womenfolk were

sitting in the brake

and, staring at them, he muttered, “I set him up, with a promise of more if he made good on it.”

“How much?” Sounding already like a man of the law Hugh repeated, “How much?”

Hal turned towards him saying, “A hundred.”

All the men seemed to toss their heads at once, very like the horses were doing, impatient with standing.

But it was Gabriel who said, “What did you say, Dad? A hundred pounds? You must

have been mad.

By!

I bet there was a hole made in that last night when he entertained his friends in Allendale.

“

“Tis usual to have a do before a wedding.”

“Yes, on somebody else’s money?”

Hal now turned to John, saying quietly, “She wanted to be settled. It seemed her only

chance. Although

why? In the name of God! why? I don’t know, for she’s worth all the bloody women in

the county:

she’s got a head on her shoulders and common sense enough for ten; there’s nothing she can’t do inside

or outside the house; and she’s got a nature that’s pure gold....”

“Then why did you sell her to him?”

Almost as if he was going to strike Hugh, Hal now turned on him, grinding the words

from between his

teeth, “Because I understood her, Mr. Big-mouth. She’s a woman, not a lass any more,

and she has her

needs, of which you’ll learn, I hope, some day. She wanted children.

He was the only one that had offered. She’s twenty-four years old, by which time your

mother had

almost all of you lot. “ He cast his eyes angrily round them, and when a voice came from the brake

calling, “ Hal! Hal! “ he marched away and towards Mary Ellen.

“What’s the matter? What’s up?”

“Nothin’. Nothin’.” His voice was light.

“Just saying, the groom must have made merry last night and has slept in.” He smiled at Kate, but there

was no answering smile on her face. And now they all looked towards where Mr. Scott

was hurrying

through the chattering onlookers, and, having reached them, he said, “Would you like to come and wait

in the vestry? The wind is rather cutting.”

“Yes. Yes, thank you.” Mary Ellen nodded to him. Then for the first time they all got

down from the

brake, and followed the parson through the gaping and now very interested spectators

around to the

back of the church and into the small bare-looking room that was furnished with only a table, sni chairs

and a bookcase.

In a few minutes they were joined by the men, and now the room was crowded, and the

parson,

addressing Hal, said, “What do you think could have happened, Mr. Roystan?”

“I don’t know. Reverend. But he’ll likely come galloping up at any minute. And believe me, he’ll get the

length of me tongue afore he gets into your church.”

The Reverend Scott emitted a slight titter at this, but there was no echo from the others present in the

room. When half an hour passed and Harry Baker had not come galloping up on his

horse, Kate said

quietly, “I want to go home, Mam.”

“Hold your hand a minute.” Hal bent over her and, looking into her face, said quietly,

“There could be

an explanation. As I’ve told you, they had a little do last night and likely he had one over many and, not

being used to it—’ He had no knowledge whether that fellow was used to drink or not but he went on, “

It takes you that way. After the first real booze-up I ever had I slept for twenty-four hours, missed me

shift. “ He straightened himself and, smiling now, nodded to his sons.

“It’s a fact. Weird feeling to miss a whole day. But worse at the end of the week when me pay packet

was light....”

At one o’clock the family mounted the brake and the trap under the eyes now of the

whole church

company, some of the faces showing their deep concern and pity, while

others grinned and were impatient to be away to spread the news that Hal Roystan’s big lass had been

left at the church door. Others, more piously spiteful, would say, “Well, it was God’s will and God’s

way of punishing Mary Ellen Lee for her sin in begetting a child outside of marriage.

Anyone responsible

for giving life to a bastard couldn’t expect to get off scot-free. They might prosper, as she had, but God

was not mocked. He had His way in the end.” . When the party arrived back at the farm

Terry Foster,

who had worked for Hal since he was ten years old and, still unmarried, lived in a

comfortable room

above the stables, gaped in astonishment at the bride being helped down from the brake and then,

surrounded by her family, all looking grim, making for the house. It was to Annie coming in the rear he

said, “What’s happened? What’s up?”

Annie stopped and, taking him by the shoulder, twisted him around before she whispered,

“He didn’t

turn up. And you know something? I’m glad, because she was throwing herself away.

I’m glad, I tell

you.”

And with this, she gave him a slight push before turning and following the family into the house.

The women went into the sitting-room with Kate, the men remained in the hall, and it

was Hal who said,

“Get the horses saddled.”

“Aye, we’ll get the horses saddled. By God! we will.” It was Hugh who was speaking.

“But let’s get this damn finery off first, because I won’t want these togs splattered with blood, and by

God! ...”

“Hugh’—Hal’s voice was low and grim ‘leave this to me. You can come along of me,

and you an’ all,

John, but you two’—he glanced at Tom and Gabriel ‘get the horses ready, then stay

around in case he

should turn up here.”

They set about obeying his commands without further murmur, and he turned and walked

slowly

towards the sitting-room.

Kate was sitting without her veil and shawl, her hands were lying limp on her lap, her head was bent

slightly; her sisters, one at each side of her, were commiserating the only way they knew how, saying

words to the effect that it would be all right, that there must be some explanation, he’d likely fallen off his

horse and was hurt. It was when Florrie said, “You’ll find you’ll have to go through all this tomorrow

again,” that Kate raised her head slowly and, looking first from Florrie to Maggie, then to her mother,

and after holding her sad gaze for a moment, she finally lifted her eyes to Hal standing now to the side of

Mary Ellen, his hand gripping his wife’s shoulder, and she said gently, “There’ll be no tomorrow for me.

Perhaps it’s just as well. It was never meant to be. “

“The bloody swine!”

“Tis all right. Dad,” she said, and now with a swift movement she got to her feet, saying,

“I’ll get out of

these things.”

“I’ll help you.”

She put her hand out towards Florrie in a firm movement, saying, “No, no; thanks, dear.

I’ll see to me

self Then she went swiftly from the room, leaving the others silent, heads hanging as if the shame lay on

their shoulders.

After a moment Hal looked at Mary Ellen and said, “I’m off to change;