Sentence of Marriage (24 page)

Susannah and Jimmy were out till well into the afternoon. The following day Amy and Susannah were busy all morning with cleaning the kitchen, and Amy spent much of the afternoon giving the rest of the house a thorough dusting and polishing the furniture, so she had little chance to talk to Jimmy. But all that Saturday she hugged to herself the thought of going to church the next morning and showing him off to everyone she knew, especially Lizzie.

On Sunday morning Amy took her good dress out of the wardrobe and looked at it critically, hoping it was smart enough. She had made it out of pink and white striped cotton, with a deep flounce around the hem and a white lace collar. She had been delighted with it the previous summer, but now when she put it on and tweaked the collar in front of the mirror she wondered how it would look to Jimmy, who must be used to seeing women in the latest fashions.

Well, it was the only smart dress she had, and it would have to do. At least her boots were stylish, the finest Ruatane’s shops could offer, even if they did not compare with any of Susannah’s. They were of fine brown kid leather, and as she did them up with her buttonhook she admired them all over again. She pinned the cameo brooch her grandmother had given her below her left shoulder, tied a pink ribbon around her hair, then gave the folds of her dress a final shake.

Jimmy looked wonderful, and Amy had to make herself look away when she realised she was staring. He was wearing light-coloured trousers of a much slimmer cut than she was used to seeing, a white shirt with a high starched collar, and a striped tie. His short jacket and waistcoat were dark, and he had a gold watch chain across the front of the waistcoat, with a smart silk top hat completing the effect.

Jack laughed when Jimmy appeared.

‘Oho, a fine swell we have here! Careful when you sit down, lad, you don’t want to split those trousers!’ John and Harry laughed with him, and Amy felt embarrassed and annoyed at the same time. She flashed Jimmy a silent plea, begging him to understand that she wasn’t part of the laughter. He smiled at her in return, rewarding her with an admiring glance at her own appearance.

‘Really, Jack, where are your manners?’ Susannah snapped, and for once Amy agreed with her.

Of course Susannah insisted on sitting beside Jimmy in the buggy, and Amy had to ride next to her father on the front seat while her brothers went in on horseback ahead of them. She found it disconcerting to be directly in front of Jimmy, not knowing if he was looking at her, and unable to turn and look at him. When she tried to peep around, all she could see was Susannah’s face turned towards Jimmy. Amy found the hour very long.

They arrived at church barely in time to take their seats. To her delight Amy found herself sitting beside Jimmy, who had Susannah on his left hand. It felt wonderful to be sitting next to this man who so obviously outshone all others there. Amy had trouble concentrating on the service, and felt guilty when she realised it was nearly over and she could not remember a word of the sermon. She was aware of Lizzie in her pew a few rows behind, craning her neck to catch a glimpse of Jimmy whenever they rose to sing.

After the final hymn was sung the congregation spilled out of the church, and Lizzie rushed to Amy’s side, soon followed by her parents and most of the neighbours. Jimmy had to be introduced to them all, with Susannah proudly taking that role.

‘This is my brother James, yes, down from Auckland for the summer… yes, that’s right, he works at our father’s firm.’ She kept a proprietorial grip on Jimmy’s arm as she repeated her speech. Amy had to admit they looked well together. Susannah was no beauty, but she was tall and carried herself admirably, and Jimmy was several inches taller than her. In her green flowered silk, Susannah outshone the women in style almost as much Jimmy did the men. Jimmy made a better partner for her than Jack, who was now nearly fifty and quite portly.

Amy and Lizzie went a little aside from the main group to talk.

‘What do you think?’ Amy asked eagerly. ‘Isn’t he just
so
elegant? And such manners.’

Lizzie gave Jimmy a keen stare. ‘He certainly dresses well. And he’s very tall, and he’s got a friendly smile. His eyes are a bit close together, though.’

‘Lizzie!’ Amy said, irritated that Lizzie could dare feel anything negative towards Jimmy. ‘What a silly thing to say! You’ll be saying his trousers are too tight next. His eyes are as far apart as anyone else’s, I’m quite sure.’

‘Well,’ Lizzie said, ‘I’ve always heard people with their eyes too close together aren’t all that trustworthy. But maybe that’s not true. And you’re right, he does look very smart. There’s nothing wrong with his trousers. What’s he like?’

‘Just wonderful.’

Lizzie looked at her doubtfully. ‘Is he any good on the farm?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Amy. ‘Well, he’s not really used to it yet… well, I suppose he finds it all a bit strange after life in the city, and he’s not used to heavy work.’

‘Hmm,’ said Lizzie. ‘And what does he do in Auckland?’

‘Works with his father.’

‘Yes, but doing
what
?’

‘Oh, I don’t know, something to do with building things, I think.’

‘And what prospects does he have?’

‘Prospects?’

‘Yes—you know, does he have a house, what’s his income, will he inherit the business?’

Amy realised she had done a good deal more telling than asking in her conversations with Jimmy, and had very little idea just what he did. Her guilty awareness made her answer sharply.

‘Honestly, Lizzie, he’s not a prize bull I’m thinking of buying! I haven’t asked him all those personal questions.’

‘Well, it doesn’t hurt to know these things,’ Lizzie said, rather primly Amy thought. She wondered if Lizzie was perhaps a little jealous of Amy’s sophisticated house guest, though it seemed unlikely. She and Lizzie had never been jealous of each other before.

Anyway, he isn’t really
my
visitor, it’s Susannah he’s come to see
.

But over the next few days Jimmy continued to seek out opportunities to spend time with her. Most days he somehow contrived to cross her path when they were both alone, especially when she was working away from the house. Early morning was the best time for these meetings, when the men were milking and Susannah was not yet up. By now it was accepted that Jimmy just couldn’t seem to get up in time for the morning milking; Jack had teased him about it, but good-naturedly. On one of these occasions Amy plucked up her courage to ask him what he did in Auckland.

‘Just a boring desk job in Father’s building firm, I’m afraid. I’m called assistant manager, but it just means when my father says jump, I jump.’ He smiled ruefully. ‘Actually, I had a bit of a spat with the old man—over nothing in particular, really, but that’s the main reason I’ve come down here for a while.’

Amy immediately pictured a bad-tempered and unreasonable man who did not appreciate his son. Susannah must take after her father, at least in being hard to please. But she was, nevertheless, grateful to the ‘old man’, as Jimmy called him, for inadvertently sending Jimmy to her. She did not feel able to question him about his prospects. It was enough just to have his company.

When the following Friday came around, Amy was startled to realise she had only known Jimmy for one week. It already seemed like much longer. Jimmy joined her again for her butter making, and afterwards they breakfasted together. She was about to suggest a walk to the northern end of the farm, where he had not yet been, when Susannah surprised them both by appearing much earlier than normal. She gave Amy a sharp look when she found the two of them chatting away happily.

‘Perhaps you wouldn’t mind spending a
little
time with me this morning, James?’ She sounded hurt. Jimmy tried to hide a sigh, and smiled at his sister by way of reply.

‘Good,’ she said. ‘Bring your tea out onto the verandah, and we can sit together for a while. I won’t keep you
too
long.’ Jimmy followed her out, with only time for a brief glance at Amy, but she thought he shaped the word ‘Later’ to her as he left.

Later will have to look after itself
. She wondered if she would get the chance to talk to him again that morning. Well, she had plenty to keep herself busy with. It was time to shake out the rugs again, for one thing.

After clearing away the breakfast things Amy went through to the parlour, intending to start on the rugs there. She noticed that the door out to the verandah was slightly ajar; if she listened carefully she would be able to hear Susannah and Jimmy. She knew she should leave the room straight away so as not to overhear their conversation; instead she crept closer to the door and pressed her back against the wall, standing very still.

‘I do wish you wouldn’t keep wandering off without telling me where you’re going, James,’ Susannah said in an injured tone. ‘It’s such a long time since I’ve had anyone to talk to. I’ve missed you especially. I’ve been so looking forward to having you come, and now you seem to be hanging around with that girl all the time.’
‘That girl’ indeed!
‘I didn’t know you were so fond of children,’ Susannah added, rubbing salt in the wound.

‘Hardly a child, Susannah,’ said Jimmy. ‘Quite a young lady, I would have said.’

‘She’s still in pinafores,’ Susannah said dismissively. Amy looked down at her clothes in dismay. She did still wear little-girl dresses that only came to her calves, with a white pinafore over the top to keep them clean.

‘Yes, and filling them out delightfully,’ Jimmy retorted.

‘James,’ Susannah said sharply. ‘These country girls are very bold and forward, and Amy probably seems older to you than she is. But it’s just rudeness masquerading as maturity—she really
is
just a child.’ There was a moment’s silence while Susannah let her words sink in. ‘And a vexing child, at that. Now don’t be tiresome, James. You’ve no idea what my life is here.’ Amy could imagine the tears forming in Susannah’s eyes to go with the slight catch in her voice. ‘No culture, no society. Just mud in the winter and dust in summer, and drudgery all the year round. I did so hope you’d help me take my mind off things for a while.’

Amy heard sudden steps on the verandah and had a moment of panic, thinking one of them might burst through the door and catch her listening. But it was only Jimmy crossing to Susannah’s chair.

‘Of course I’ll keep you company whenever you want,’ he said in a much softer voice. ‘And you’re quite right, I’ve been neglecting you shamefully. It must be lonely for you here. I’m afraid I’ve been very selfish—enjoying all the fresh air and sunshine, and forgetting about you stuck here by yourself with no one to talk to. I tell you what, why don’t you and I go for a nice walk after supper when the heat goes off, and I can tell you about the ball I went to at the Fowler’s in September. Would you like that?’

‘Oh, yes, darling. And you
must
tell me absolutely everything about it, who was there and what they all wore. But tell me, is Catherine Fowler still walking out with that army officer?’

Their conversation became full of names that meant nothing to Amy. She slipped away to sit by herself in her bedroom.

‘Eavesdroppers never hear any good of themselves,’ her granny had always told her, and had reinforced the lesson with a strapping when she had once caught Amy listening at a door. Well, she had learned the lesson all over again today. So she was being bold and forward, it seemed. Jimmy had not argued with Susannah about that; in fact he had fallen over himself to be nice to her.

She would have to be more reserved with Jimmy. She would hate him to think she was pushing herself on him when she wasn’t wanted. A sad face looked back at her from the mirror. It wasn’t going to be easy.

December 1883

Amy barely spoke to Jimmy the rest of that day. She was busy with her own work in the house, while he helped around the farm, spending most of the day outside. He glanced at her from time to time during lunch and dinner, apparently noticing her silence, but she avoided his eyes.

Susannah spoke enough to cover any lack of words on Amy’s part. As soon as dinner was over she and Jimmy set off for the promised walk. Just as he reached the kitchen door, Jimmy turned and looked across the room at Amy with a questioning gaze. She dropped her eyes quickly and stared in apparent fascination at the dirty dishes she was stacking until she heard the door close.

Jimmy came out when Amy was alone in the kitchen on Saturday morning. She made a show of busyness as she prepared breakfast. ‘Can I help you with anything?’ he asked.

‘No, thank you,’ Amy said shortly. ‘I’ll get it done faster by myself.’

‘Oh. Well, if I’m in your way I’d better leave you alone.’ He sounded hurt, and Amy turned to apologise, but he was out the door before she had the chance to say anything.

I hope I’m not being rude now
, she fretted. It was so hard to know what was the right way to behave. Still, at least no one could accuse her of being ‘forward’.

Amy again sat at Jimmy’s right hand at church that Sunday; it would be too obvious a snub if she avoided sitting beside him. She was also very aware of Lizzie watching them, and she didn’t want to have to answer a lot of silly questions about whether she and Jimmy had ‘fallen out’. Besides, she had to admit to herself that she enjoyed sitting next to Jimmy, even if she couldn’t talk to him anymore.