A Dinner Of Herbs (71 page)

“Well, whatever I’m not gona like, girl, you’ve broken your neck to get here to tell us, so out with it.”

“He’s ... well, he’s not what he seems, ‘cos ... and she’s ... she’s sly, she must have known.”

“In the name of God! girl, spit it out.” Hal had pulled himself to his feet, and now

Maggie, stepping

back towards her mother, muttered, “He’s ... he’s bought the ... the Bannamans’ farm.”

They all stared at her in disbelief.

“Tisn’t true.” Mary Ellen’s voice came out on a hissing whisper.

“It is, Mam, it is. Andrew heard it in Newcastle. His father had heard it had been sold but didn’t know

who to. Then yesterday when passing he saw a lot of workmen and enquired. But the

gaffer said they

had been engaged by an agent. Then when Andrew came home he said it was in a

roundabout way he

got to know, ‘cos the agent’s son is in rooms next to his and studying for the same thing.

And he got on

talking about the American for whom his father was doing business and had bought a

house out

Andrew’s way. That’s how it came about.”

When Hal yelled, “God’s truth!” and ending on an oath that caused Mary Ellen to screw

up her face

and Maggie to step back against the bookcase in fright, they all thought for a moment that he was going

to throw the glass paperweight that he was gripping in his hand at one of them. And he might have done

this, except that John’s voice, quick and calm now, said, “Look Dad. Look, hold your

hand a minute.

He could have done it blindly. He may not have known.”

Hal gripped the shawl tight around his throat and for a moment it looked as if he was

about to choke.

But when Mary Ellen, full of concern now, went to his side, he thrust her off and,

dropping down into his

chair, he now beat his closed first on the leather-topped desk, muttering thickly, “She must have known.

All the time she must have known. “ Then looking up at Mary Ellen, he said, “Can you

believe it? Kate,

she must have known.”

There must be some other explanation,” John’s voice broke in quietly again. But once

more Hal went

into a fury, crying now, “ Explanation!

Never off his doorstep, then bringing him here. And he sat at our table and hoodwinked the lot of us

with the American jabber.

Explanation! You don’t buy a house overnight. It takes time, meetings, deeds. Don’t I

know. But this

explains it, her worried look of late, guilty look I should say. I would never have believed it of her.

Never! Never! Never! “ He banged his fist on the table, emphasizing each word.

“I would have staked me life on her up righteousness As for you, girl’—he now turned

his full attention

on Maggie ‘you were glad to bring this news, weren’t you? Oh yes, you were. Yes, you

were.

Broke your neck to get back here and drop ‘em. You’re another one that’s devious. Get

out of me

sight. Get out! “

So great was his anger that Mary Ellen turned hastily and took Maggie, who was now

shivering with

fear, from the room. And John, with difficulty keeping his voice low, said, “Why take it out on her?”

“Cos she’s being spiteful.”

“Well, you’d rather that one of us brought the news than hear it from outside, wouldn’t you? Because

then you wouldn’t have been able to fly your kite.”

“Now don’t you start on me. God! in heaven, don’t you

start. “

“I’m not starting, Dad’—John’s voice was stiff ‘only I’m going to say this. If Kate’s kept quiet about it,

him buying the Bannamans’ place, there’s a good reason, and the first that springs to

mind is she was

afraid of your getting to know.”

Hal now slumped in his chair, muttering, “She can’t live there. I won’t let her. No, I won’t let her.”

“I can’t see what you can do about it if she’s already made up her mind.”

“She’ll unmake it. She’ll have to. She owes me that. Why?” He moved his head slowly

from one side

to the other.

“I’ve looked after her from the day she was born. Why, I brought her into the world; She was

something special to me....”

“Yes, we all know that.” John’s tone brought his father’s eyes towards him, and he

demanded of his

son, “What do you mean by that? I’ve never neglected any of you.”

“No, you haven’t neglected any of us, but Kate’s been first with you, and we’ve all been made aware of

it, one way or another.”

“That’s a bloody lie. I’ve never shown preference.”

“Oh, Dad, Dad, you couldn’t help yourself. We were the eldest, Tom and me, we were

lads and we

didn’t mind so much. But Maggie did. And so did Florrie, in her own kindly way. When

the topic once

came up she explained it like this. She said you were trying to make up to Kate for not being her father,

for after all she was only half related to us being step-like. And that’s why, as Maggie more strongly put

it, it’s been Kate this, Kate that, and Kate the tother. So I for one can understand

Maggie’s attitude the

day: in a way she was hitting back, not only at Kate, but at you.”

“My God!” Hal now drew on a long gasping breath before he said, “It’s like a day of

revelation, I’m

being shown up for what I am.”

“Don’t be daft. Dad. You know what I’m saying is true. And if you take my advice you’ll calm down

before Kate comes in, because no good will come of your raging at her;

she could up and walk out, you know. “

“She never would. She never would.”

“But she would. In a way I know Kate better than you, because I don’t view her like you do, like a

possession, she’s just me sister. And what’s more, she’s a woman. She’s not a girl any longer, and

there’s nothing to stop her going to him, and him being a man of means.” John paused

here, then wagged

his finger at his father, saying, “That’s it.

You see, there could be an explanation. Not knowing anything about the Bannamans or

the farm, he

wanted to surprise her and bought the place and is getting it ready as a sort of. well, it could be a

wedding present. “

There was a long pause before Hal said, “I wish I could think that, then I would only have him to deal

with.”

“Well, think on it until she comes in, and then you’ll know for sure.

Now settle yourself down and calm yourself down. I’ve got to get back to the yard. “

With this John

turned and walked out of the room, there to meet Mary Ellen hurrying across the hall.

Stopping for a

moment, he said to her,” You better pray, Mam, that Kate knew nothing about this, else there’s going to

be hell to pay. “

Mary Ellen said nothing but went towards the office, thinking.

There’ll be hell to pay anyway, for there’s something not right with Kate. Ever since

she’s got to know

that fellow, she’s become a different person. There was something strange about that

fellow.

She couldn’t put her finger on it. Only one thing she was sure of, he wasn’t all he

appeared to be.

John met Kate in the yard and he breathed a sigh of relief when he saw she was riding

alone. She had

ridden in ahead of the cart, and Charles and Florrie were riding behind more leisurely.

And so he had

time to say to her, “You better prepare yourself. You’re in for a blow up.

Have you any idea what it’s about? “

He stared at her for a moment, and when she didn’t

answer he said, “Well he knows about the house ... your Ben buying the house.” He

watched her draw

in a long shuddering breath and when all she said was, “Oh?” he came back quickly at

her with, “You

can say “ Oh? “ like that. Don’t you know what you’ve done?”

“I’ve done nothing, John.”

“Well, I mean what you know and haven’t let on?”

“There was a reason, a good reason, and likely you’ve experienced some of it already.

He’d go mad

when he heard.”

“Mad’s the word. You’d better go in and get it over with afore the others come.”

As she handed the horse’s reins to him he said, “How did the market go, by the way?

He’ll want to

know that when he calms down.”

“Not in the way that will please him. Prices being up, folks aren’t spending, so the stall-holders say.

Some of them can afford to wait.

We brought four dozen eggs back and ten pounds of butter. “

“Lordy, lordy. It’s going to be that kind of a day.”

In the kitchen Kate was confronted by Annie. Maggie was there too, but she was sitting on the settle,

her face towards the fire and she didn’t turn and look at Kate. And Annie said quietly, “I saw John

talking to you: you’ll be prepared for the hot blast awaiting you in the office. Go on in now, lass. And

speak the truth and shame the devil. Tis the best way in the end.”

Kate did not immediately move away but, looking at Annie, she said, quietly, “If it was only as simple as

that, Annie, I would have no fear.” Then she walked up the room leaving the elderly

woman staring after

her, her head moving in small jerks, her teeth nipping at her lower lip.

Kate paused outside the office door; then turning the handle, she walked briskly in to see her mother and

Hal sitting side by side, their eyes staring at her.

Getting to her feet, Mary Ellen said quietly, “We’ve been waiting for you, lass.”

“So I understand.” Kate nodded at her. Then looking at Hal, she said, “Before you start on me, let me

have my say. It won’t all be the truth, I’ll tell you that at the start, because you wouldn’t be able to take

it. But this much I will tell you. I knew nothing about him buying that house until it was done; I was as

shocked as you are. If I hadn’t loved him so much I would have flown from him; in fact, I made an

effort, but it was no good; I care for him in a way that I never imagined possible to care for anybody. So

whatever he does is right with me, because—’ She held up her hand silencing Hal,

saying, “ Just another

minute, Dad. I repeat, whatever he does is right with me, because he’s a good man. And I’ll say this,

too, you think that you had one hell of a life when you were young, but let me tell you, it was nothing

compared with his. He’s fighting his way back, I could almost say to sanity. Now that’s as much as you

need to know of his life at the moment. But with regard to the house, he bought it for a purpose. “

“You could have told us.”

She walked nearer to him and, looking down on him, she said, “How could I? How could

I have come

in here and said cheerfully, Ben has bought the Bannamans’ farm, knowing how the very

name upsets

you and that you couldn’t bear the thought of me living there?”

“My God! You’re not going to live there? Oh, no. I couldn’t have that.” He pulled

himself to his feet

now and stood glaring at her.

“No, Kate, you wouldn’t do that to me, go and live in that place.”

“He cannot see why not.”

“Well, I’ll bloody well tell him why not. You bring him over and I’ll give him the

history.”

“He already knows the history.”

“My God! He knows the history and yet he buys the place and wants to take you there.

He’s a swine

of the first water.”

“Hal! Hal!” Mary Ellen was gripping his arm now.

“Stop it. It’s not going to do any good. Sit yourself down.” She pushed him back into the chair, and he

yelled at her, “Did

you hear what she said? He knew about it, knew the history. “

Mary Ellen now looked sadly at Kate, and Kate, looking back at her, said quietly, “He

imagines he can

purge evil. As you know, it’s a fine house, and all that happened in it is past and gone these twenty odd

years.”

Hal was now holding his head, muttering, “I can’t believe this. I just can’t believe this.”

He glanced at

Kate, asking now, “Is he getting over mental trouble or something? By what you said

earlier, has he had

mental trouble?”

“No, not in the way you mean, but he suffered from someone who had.”

“I give up. I give up.” His hand on his brow, he stared towards the fire, and Kate, her voice soft now,

said, “I wouldn’t hurt you for the world, Dad. He knows that. But I can’t help my

feelings. And you

should understand this part of it anyway: your feelings for Mam’—she glanced at Mary

Ellen ‘and hers

for you; well, in a way, I feel I’m lucky, not only to have found someone to love, but to be loved by a

man like him. And he does love me, this I know, and would lay my life on. I can’t

understand it, why he

should do, me looking like I do, and knowing that I’ve been overlooked by all the men in the district,

except that Harry Baker, which was no more than a beggar’s choice. You thought so

yourself, beggars

can’t be choosers. I was in that category. But along comes a man of class who says he

loves me, and

did from the moment he saw me, and I him. To my mind, it was like a miracle, and you

don’t ignore

miracles, you grasp them with both hands and hold them tight.” And she joined her

hands, giving

emphasis to her words, and pressed them hard between her breasts.

Hal and Mary Ellen stared at her. It was as if they had been mesmerized by her words.

Then as if

protesting against the intrusion of reason, Hal flung his head to the side and, once more banging his fist on

the desk, he cried, “Aye, well, when all that’s said and done, there’s still the house. You can’t go and