Old Sins Long Shadows (43 page)

  Daniel sat grounding his teeth in anger as Janey gratefully got in
. He had intended to let her walk but even though she was betraying him, he could not let her risk her health. Oblivious to his anger Janey chatted away.

‘
I’m so glad you have come. I was beginning to regret walking into the village. Did David tell you where I was?’ Daniel did not answer. Janey grabbed her seat for support as the trap lurched off and in her surprise she did not notice he had not answered. ‘I have some news. I hear from the vicar that the bank is finally selling Bosvenna Estate. I thought perhaps we could rent the two fields that border our top fields from the new landlord. You said we would need more land. Of course it would be better to buy but we can’t afford it at the moment. I could write to Lady Brockenshaw and ask her to let us know who the new landlord would be. I’ve been meaning to write to her and tell her I’m now married. We had a close relationship when I worked for her and I’m sure she would be interested.’

Danie
l ignored her suggestion, at that moment he did not care about the farm or the business. He cared about his wife’s infidelity.

‘
Why did you go to the village?’  Janey frowned at his angry tone.

‘
For this and that,’ she said evasively. She wanted the dress to be a surprise.

‘For this and that,’ he mimicked cruelly. They had arrived at the farm and he jumped down and grabbed the horse’s bridle. ‘David. David!’ he shouted angrily. The boy came running out of the house, surprised at Daniel’s anger. ‘Unhitch the horse and put the trap away.’ The boy took the bridle and gave a questioning look to Janey. Janey shrugged, she was as confused as he. Carefully she got down from the trap to follow Daniel into the house.

‘
Daniel what is the matter? Why are you so angry?’  Daniel had taken the stairs two at a time and stood looking down at her from the top.

‘
Why did you go to the village?’ he asked again.

‘
I had errands to run, nothing of importance. I know I should not have walked there,’ she said, unconsciously rubbing her pain away again, ‘but I’m home now. I won’t do it again.’  She had almost reached him before he turned and strode off to their bedroom. Angrily he changed his shirt for another one, pulling at the buttons and throwing the one he had worn across the room. He started to pull clothes out of the draws and found the shirt he wanted and all the time Janey stood watching him bewildered.

‘
You are lying.’  Janey shook her head in denial.

‘
No I’m not,’ she replied quietly.

‘
Yes you are!’

‘
Why would you say that?’ she asked. He finished buttoning his shirt and stood in front of her. He looked at her with disgust and bent to whisper in her ear.

‘
I saw you!’ he hissed. The blood ran from Janey’s face. He could only mean one thing - he had seen her talking with Brockenshaw. Daniel pushed passed her and descended the steps two at a time. Janey followed, almost tripping on her dress hem in her haste.

‘
It’s not what it looked like. It was not planned.’

‘Don’t lie to me, Janey,’ his hatred was palpable. ‘You swore to me you would not make a fool of me. You promised you would not meet with him behind my back. How often have you arranged your lover’s trysts?  How long has it been going on or did it never stop?’

‘
You can’t believe I have any feelings for him, Daniel?  It is you I love, not him.’ It was not the time to confess her love for him. Even to her ears it sounded false, a lie to be told to get out of trouble. She did love him, with all her heart, but in her desperation to reassure him the declaration had sounded false. Daniel paced around the kitchen like a wild animal in a cage. His anger at her perceived betrayal had no outlet and he wanted to tear the house apart.

‘
I saw you. I saw him touching you.’

‘
You saw me telling him how much I hated him, how much he makes my skin crawl.’

Daniel scoffed in disbelief.

‘You have always loved him. You made no secret of it. I was nothing to you - just someone to mop up his mistakes. One day you are kissing me, the next you are in his arms. Marriage has changed nothing.’

Edna came into the kitchen and watched in horror at the argument unfolding in front of her
. Guarding the door to keep David away she felt powerless to help. Janey’s eyes blurred with tears.

‘
I don’t love him. It was nothing more than a young girl’s crush. It is you I want, it always has been, I just didn’t realise it,’ she grabbed his arm to keep him still. ‘Please believe me!’

He shook her off and resumed his pacing
. He had seen them together, his eyes did not lie.

‘
How often have you met?  How often have you made love?’

‘
Today was the only time we’ve met since we married. It was not arranged, I did not want to see him. He just appeared!’

‘
Did you make love?’

‘
No! After I told him to leave me alone I came home.’

‘
You expect me to believe that?’

‘
I told you before we were married it has only ever the one time.’

‘
Once?  Why should I believe you?’

‘
It is the truth!’

‘
Where?’ he wanted the details, it was as if he had a sore he could not help but pick.

‘
Please Daniel don’t torture yourself.’

‘
Where?’ he asked again

‘
In my room - in the servant’s quarters.’

‘
Do you still love him?’

‘
No, I hate him.’

‘
Why would a young girl’s crush turn to hate when you have a baby in your belly to bind you together?’

Janey turned away but he grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to face him
.

‘
See, you cannot look at me. You still love him!’

‘
No!’

‘
Then tell me why? Convince me!’ he shouted, giving her a little shake. ‘Convince me!’

‘
Because he raped me!’ she screamed, then, as if exhausted by the confession, more quietly, ‘Because he raped me.’ No one in the room moved. Now she would know if he believed her. Now she would know if he thought she had brought it on herself. Just a look from him, just a hesitation in his voice or manner and she would know.

‘
I’ll kill him!’ he roared heading for the door.

‘
Don’t!’ Janey cried, ‘Stop him Edna.’  Edna had already blocked the door.

‘
Now don’t go doing anything ’asty, boy,’ she said, ‘You’ll get yourself in all sorts of trouble if you go and do something stupid.’

‘
Get out of my way, old woman! He’s going to pay for what he’s done!’ Janey tried to turn Daniel around.

‘
It’s not him that will pay, it will be you on the end of a hangman’s rope. It will be me because you will be lost to me.’ He tried to shake her off, ‘It will be Molly, David and Edna.’

Daniel turned away from her and easily moved the old woman to one side.

‘He can’t be allowed to get away with it. I’ll take the chance. I’ve got to make him pay.’  He lifted the latch.

‘
If you harm him I will kill myself, as God is my witness.’ Janey’s voice was steady as she made her threat. Edna let out a cry causing Daniel to hesitate and turn to look at his wife who stood with a butcher’s knife at her throat. ‘I swear on my life, Daniel, if you harm Brockenshaw, if you step out that door, I will slit my throat right here and now.’

‘
I can take the knife from you.’

‘
But you won’t be able to watch me forever. I swear I will kill myself. I will not live my life waiting for them to arrest you for murder. I will not live my life seeing you swing from a rope and I will not live my life without you.’  Daniel turned to look at the door latch lifted in his hand. ‘Please, Daniel, swear to me you won’t harm him,’ she said more softly. He rested his forehead on the door, a man defeated. As much as he hated the man and what he had done, he loved Janey, his life at the farm and Edna, Molly and David more than to risk losing them over him.

‘
I swear,’ he said, hating the words he was saying. He turned to look at his wife, whose face was now etched in pain. With a shaking hand she lowered the large knife to her side and tried to compose herself.

‘
Well, I’m glad that crisis is over,’ she said bravely as droplets of perspiration started to form on her brow. She dropped the knife from her shaking fingers where it clattered loudly on the large slate slabs that made up the kitchen floor. ‘I think another crisis is about to begin,’ she said. Her smile appeared false, almost contorted as she spoke. She looked down and saw birthing fluid silently seeping from beneath her hem.  With finger like rivulets it reached the blade on the floor, surrounded it and claimed dominance.

Chapter 18

The accus
ations of betrayal were forgotten as Daniel and Edna helped Janey to their bedroom. As Edna took over her care, Daniel saw her look back at him to give him a weak reassuring smile. He felt an oaf that, given the circumstances, she felt the need to reassure him but, as Edna shooed him out of the room claiming that this was “woman’s work”, he knew he could do little to comfort her in return.

  After sending David off to fetch Bertha from the village he went to the kitchen to wait for news
. As generations of expectant fathers before him, he paced the room and listened to the groans of pain above. Molly arrived home from school, and in a whirlwind of excitement at hearing that Janey was in labour, ran upstairs to help. Daniel hoped she would be sensible on entering the room, an excitable child asking questions all the time would be the last thing Janey would need. However, he had faith that Edna would soon send her out if she was of no help, so Daniel did as he was told and waited downstairs. David returned alone.

‘Bertha’s at a birthing down by Willford crossing,’ he told them, still breathless from the ride. ‘Her sister says she will be finished there soon and she will send her up here.’

‘
Well I ’ope she won’t be long,’ Edna said cheerfully, as she fetched a towel that hung in front of the range warming, ‘I’ve never delivered a baby before.’

‘
How is she?’ Daniel was getting concerned, time was passing and he hated to hear his wife sounding more and more distressed.

‘
She’s strong, it shouldn’t be long now. I just ’ope Bertha will arrive soon.’ She disappeared upstairs to comfort Janey, the cheerful façade slipped from her face when she knew Daniel could no longer see. She was troubled and she would be glad when it was all over.

Several
hours passed and for the fourth time Edna came to the bedroom door to call down to Daniel and David.

‘
Is she ’ere yet?’

‘
No,’ Daniel came to the bottom of the stair to talk to her. ‘I’ll ride over to see where she has got to.’ As he turned to go Edna spoke again.

‘
Daniel,’ she called, ‘If you have to drag ’er from the other labour do so.’  The worried look on Edna’s face sent Daniel running to his horse.

Daniel knocked on Bertha’s door, eventually a middle aged woman answered. He knew, as soon as he saw her, something was wrong as a look of horror crossed her face.

‘
Oh no.’ cried Bertha’s sister, ‘I forgot to tell her!’  Daniel felt his heart drop in his chest.

‘
Is she here?’ he asked hopefully, ‘I’ll take her back on my horse. My wife needs her.’  The woman shook her head.

‘
I’m so sorry,’ the woman looked genuinely stricken. ‘She’s not here. She’s gone to Mevagissey to visit our brother. She won’t be back tonight…or tomorrow. Ride on to Doctor Barker. I know doctors usually leave the birthing to the women but he will be better than no one.’

Daniel thanked her for her advice and leapt back into the saddle. He was angry with the woman but she looked genuinely mortified that she had forgotten the message and taking his frustration out on her would help no one
. Digging in his heels his horse lurched forward and he galloped recklessly down the road to the big house at the bottom of the hill. It seemed like an age before anyone answered the door. Between pacing back and forth, Daniel rang and knocked several times. Eventually a maid opened the large neatly painted door.