Rosa's Island (12 page)

‘It is,' she replied, feeling embarrassed and shy of speaking to a man out on the street, especially when she hardly ever spoke socially to other men except her brothers or the farm labourers. ‘I'm sorry, I don't remember—'

‘No, you won't. It was quite a few years back. I was about seventeen at 'time and came to help with 'harvest on my uncle's farm on Sunk Island – Ben Lambeth's. You called in one day when I was there. I remember you.' Again he gave her a wide grin and she blushed.

Yes, now she did remember. She remembered the tall thickset youth who had spoken to her and commented that he liked the bonnet she was wearing, when usually the young lads or farm hands avoided speaking to a young girl unless they had to.

She smiled at him. ‘Fred, isn't it?' she said. ‘Fred Lambeth?'

‘You do remember me!' He looked delighted that she had. ‘Are you still on Sunk Island? Or – you'll be married, I expect?'

Again she blushed. ‘I'm not married,' she confessed. ‘I'm at home still. I have to help my ma,' and she wondered why she felt the need to defend her unmarried state. ‘She's not well.'

‘I'm sorry to hear that,' he murmured and looked thoughtful. ‘I've been away for a year or two so I've not caught up with all 'news. I'm a
blacksmith, I've been working all over 'country. I can in this job. But I've come home to Hedon now. I'm setting up shop here, there seems to be plenty o' trade.'

‘Good,' she murmured. ‘You'll do well. Our old blacksmith has just finished. He's left Sunk Island and gone to live with his daughter in Beverley. I'll tell my fayther.'

He nodded. ‘I've just been talking to him, and to some of 'other farmers. I need to get 'word round.'

The door of the inn opened and some of the farmers spilled out. One or two clapped him on the shoulder and said, ‘Don't forget now, Fred. Next week!'

He raised a hand and said that he wouldn't and then Mr Drew came out. Maggie moved back away from the door and stood by the wall so that he had to turn before he saw her.

‘There you are, Maggie!' he said.

‘I've just arrived,' she pronounced. ‘What good timing!'

Fred Lambeth stepped forward. ‘I'll see you on Friday then, Mr Drew? Glad to do business with you.'

‘Aye,' Mr Drew said. ‘Don't be late.' He walked on and Maggie turned around to nod goodbye. Fred Lambeth put his cap on again and gave her a warm smile which lifted her spirits and made her long for Friday to come quickly.

‘ROSA!' MAGGIE WAS
extremely animated with barely concealed excitement. ‘There's a new blacksmith coming this morning.'

‘Oh?' Rosa was bringing in a basket of logs which Matthew had left outside the door. ‘And?'

‘He'll be in one of 'barns I expect, so – well – will you see to Ma's morning drink whilst I take tea out to 'men?'

Rosa smiled and raised her brows at Maggie's flushed face. She brushed the wood dust off her hands. ‘Who is he, then, Maggie? Is he handsome? Can I take a look?'

‘No!' Maggie replied swiftly. ‘If he sees your bonny face he won't look at anybody else!'

‘Maggie! What are you talking about? There's nobody bonnier than you!'

‘Aye, but I'm getting on. Twenty-seven. I'm past my prime.'

Rosa laughed. ‘Course you're not! Who is he anyway? Why haven't we seen him before?'

‘He's been working away. I met him in Hedon when I went in wi' Da. He recognized me,' she said, anxious not to give the impression she had
been talking to a stranger. ‘We met when we were young.' She gave a huge smile which lit her face and dimpled her cheeks. ‘He's right grand, Rosa. I've never seen anybody I've been so taken with afore. He's got such a nice smile.'

‘And he's not married or spoken for?'

Maggie's face paled and she clutched her face with both hands. ‘Oh!' she said. ‘I never asked! He wanted to know if I was, but I never thought to ask him.' Her voice trailed away.

‘Well!' Rosa consoled her. ‘He wouldn't have asked if you were, if he had been, would he? He wouldn't even have stopped to talk!'

‘No, mebbe not,' Maggie agreed reluctantly, but she was rather deflated and as a result, made her way more demurely then she would have done an hour later, when she took out a tray of tea to the blacksmith and his apprentice.

‘Morning, Miss Drew!' Was it her imagination or was he much less friendly than he had been, but then her father and Jim were both there watching him work.

Henry called from the door. ‘Can you come, Jim? A wheel's come off a waggon and I can't fix it meself. How do, Fred? Come back to earn an honest living, have you?'

Fred gulped down his tea. ‘Aye,' he said. ‘I've done my share of travelling. Time to settle down.'

‘Not wed, then?'

Fred shook his head. ‘No, not yet. I need an East Riding lass to look after me.'

‘You'd best tek our Maggie then,' Henry grinned and winked at his sister. ‘She knows how
to look after folks
and
meks best pastry in Holderness.'

Maggie's face went scarlet and she rebuked Henry. ‘Don't talk such nonsense!'

‘Our Maggie can't get wed,' Jim butted in. ‘Who'd look after us?'

‘You could look round for somebody to wed yourself, Jim Drew,' Maggie said angrily. ‘Don't think I'm stopping at home just for your convenience, cos I'm not!' She stormed out of the barn with the men staring after her.

Fred Lambeth looked from Henry to Jim and then said, ‘Now there's a woman with spirit.' He gave a grin. ‘And a good hand at pastry as well?'

Maggie plonked herself down at the kitchen table and put her chin in her hands. It had all gone wrong. She had slept in curl papers all night so that her hair looked pretty, and dressed so neatly this morning, even pinching her cheeks so that the line of her cheekbones would stand out, and what good had it done? She'd shown her temper in front of Fred Lambeth and the last thing he would want was an ill-tempered wife.

She brought herself up short and mentally slapped herself. What was she thinking of? She'd only just met him! Why ever did she imagine that he would be looking for a wife, especially on such a short acquaintance? And he was surely only joking when he said he was looking for an East Riding lass?

‘Those stupid brothers of mine,' she wailed to Rosa. ‘They've ruined everything!'

An hour later Rosa was crossing the yard and saw through the open door of the barn that the
blacksmith was packing up to leave and the boy was loading up the cart with his tools. ‘Hello,' she called to Fred Lambeth and he looked up. ‘Maggie's just boiling 'kettle if you fancy another cup of tea before you go.'

‘Aye,' he said. ‘Thanks, this is thirsty work,' and she watched as he brushed himself down before knocking on the half-open kitchen door.

‘I heard as there might be a cup o' tea going.' He put his head around the door. ‘Or will it be a bother?'

‘Oh! No. No.' Maggie became flustered. ‘It's no bother, don't think it. Sit down, do.'

‘I'll not sit down,' he said. ‘I'm a bit dusty. Perhaps if I can just wash my hands?'

‘Of course.' Maggie moved to the stone sink and put her hand towards the pump to draw water.

‘I'll do that,' he said, and brushed against her arm as he reached for the pump handle.

‘It's a bit stiff,' she said awkwardly. ‘I keep asking 'lads to fix it but they never get round to it.'

He pumped the handle several times. ‘Seems as if 'valves have got dry,' he said. ‘It's not drawing water up as it should. 'Leather's got cracked I should think.' He glanced at her. ‘I can fix it, but I'd rather come back on another day, if that's all right?'

‘Oh, yes!' She beamed at him. ‘That's perfectly all right. Thank you.'

She poured him tea and offered him a scone which she had baked that morning and spread it with plum jam.

‘By, them's grand, Maggie. Just like my ma used to make.'

‘Do you live by yourself?' she ventured.

‘Aye, I've rented a cottage in Souttergate. A woman comes in to clean once a week and my sister drops in with a batch of baking now and again. I tell her not to bother, cos she's enough on with her own family, and I can manage. I know how.' His eyes twinkled as he said, ‘I didn't really mean I needed an East Riding lass to look after me. I know how to look after myself.'

‘Not like Jim and Henry, then?' she said. ‘Or my da? They don't lift a finger. Ma's run around after them all of their lives.'

‘And now they expect it of you?' he asked. ‘You shouldn't let them put upon you. You deserve a life of your own.'

Her eyes stared into his. Nobody had ever said that to her before. Women looked after their menfolk. What else should they do?

‘Are you walking out with anybody, Maggie?' he asked quietly. ‘Any young fellow calling on you?'

She swallowed. ‘No,' she murmured. ‘There isn't.'

He smiled. ‘But you wouldn't mind if somebody asked?'

‘Depends who it was.' She smiled back at him, her spirits rising.

‘What about your ma and da? Would they object?'

‘Ma wouldn't. I'm not sure about Da, he doesn't like his routine changed.' She looked out of the window, seeing Henry and their father
apparently locked in an argument. She took a deep breath. ‘My father likes to make all 'decisions around here. He doesn't like anybody else making them.'

Fred came and stood beside her, following her gaze out of the window. He was much taller than she was, his shoulders were broad and his arms beneath his rolled-up shirtsleeves were hard and muscly. She felt fragile and womanly beside him.

‘Doesn't he?' he murmured. ‘But you're of age.' He looked down at her questioningly. ‘If you wanted to walk out wi' somebody, you can!'

‘Yes,' she breathed. ‘I can. And I will.'

‘Good,' he smiled. His eyes were gentle, his manner assured and she felt as if her heart gave a skip. ‘I'll be back next week, then?'

Their courtship proceeded at a swift pace in spite of Mr Drew's objections. ‘Your ma's ill,' he said, when Maggie announced that she was walking out with Fred Lambeth. ‘Don't be getting ideas about getting wed! You're needed here.'

Mrs Drew made a great effort to run the household affairs again, though she was plainly not well. ‘We can manage, Aunt Ellen,' Rosa assured her. ‘Sit down and put your feet up. Perhaps you could do the mending?' She brought a pile of socks that needed to be darned, and some working shirts that needed repair, and Mrs Drew didn't feel quite so useless.

‘If Maggie should marry Mr Lambeth,' she said. ‘If he should ask for her, I mean, we could ask Delia to come back. I don't think she cares for Hornsea.'

‘I could manage,' Rosa interceded swiftly. She had no wish for Delia to return to the household for she only caused trouble, but, to the family's surprise, on Delia's next visit she was remarkably chirpy and merry. On hearing that her sister Maggie was walking out with the blacksmith, she gave a saucy smile and remarked that she needn't think she was the only one with an admirer and that Hornsea was a grand place to be.

‘Catch me coming back to Sunk Island!' she said to Maggie and gave a sly glance in Rosa's direction. ‘There's nowt going on here. Anyway,' she lowered her voice, ‘I've swapped jobs. I'm not at 'big house now. I'm general maid at an inn that teks in lodgers and guests. I heard they were looking for somebody and I applied. It's much more lively and I get more time off.'

Maggie was shocked. ‘An inn! Is it respectable? Da won't be pleased.'

Delia shrugged. ‘I shan't tell him. There's no reason why he should know.' She looked scornfully at Rosa. ‘Unless anybody here tells him. Anyway, it's perfectly respectable, and it's nice to have company and to be able to chat with customers instead of being below stairs and having to keep my place all of 'time.'

‘Don't worry about her,' Rosa said to Maggie later, when she brought up the subject of Delia once more. ‘She seems so much more cheerful.'

‘Yes.' Maggie was thoughtful. ‘That's what's so worrying. I just hope that she doesn't get into bad company.'

‘She won't,' Rosa assured her. ‘Hornsea's a
very respectable place. She's as safe there as on Sunk Island.'

Fred asked Maggie to marry him. ‘I'm asking cos I knew when I met you that day in Hedon that you were the one for me. I don't want a wife to cook and clean for me. I want a wife I can talk to and have a laugh with, and it seems to me, Maggie, that we can do that. And if you want to have bairns, then that's all right as well, and if you don't, well I shan't mind that either. So what do you say?'

He looked at her rather anxiously as she remained silent. They were walking away from the farm and alongside a deep dyke. There had been a slight frost overnight and the grass had a silver rime upon it. ‘You do care for me, Maggie? I've not been mistaken?'

She stopped and turned towards him. ‘I thought you were never going to ask!' she said. ‘I've been waiting and waiting ever since that day you fixed our pump handle.'

He put his arms around her and drew her towards him and kissed her full on the mouth. ‘Why did you wait?' he asked. ‘Why didn't you ask me?'

‘Ask you?' She put her mouth close to his. Being kissed was so much more pleasant than she had ever imagined. ‘How could I? I'm a woman, we have to wait to be asked.'

He kissed her again. ‘No, you don't. If you'd asked me we could have been wed by now. I was onny waiting cos I wasn't sure how you felt.'

‘Couldn't you tell?' she asked. She was sure that everyone in the community would have been
able to tell from her demeanour and happy countenance that she was in love with Fred Lambeth.