Читать книгу The Sweethearts Collection - Pam Jenoff - Страница 22

Chapter 12

Despite the lavish meal, Colenso was unable to eat a thing. She’d been seated directly opposite the Ferret and each time he raised his fork to his mouth he gazed intently at her chest. Thank heavens she’d kept the spider-gauze overlay on her blouse. She winced as her father tucked into his food like a pig at a trough, while her mamm simpered down the table at Fenton.

‘Nice bit of beef this, Mr Fenton, sir,’ Peder said, looking longingly at the remains of the roasted meat on the silver carver.

‘Do help yourself to more,’ Fenton offered, looking aghast as the man speared the leftover joint with the carving fork and popped the whole thing onto his plate before helping himself to the last of the crispy potatoes.

‘Tasty,’ Peder grinned through a mouthful of food. Colenso looked away in disgust. Really there was nothing to choose between the two men, she thought. Both were swine out to sate their differing appetites. Feeling the Ferret’s eyes on her again, she stared boldly at him.

‘Is something wrong, Mr Fenton?’ she asked. He raised his eyes.

‘Far from it,’ he smiled. ‘I was merely thinking that a gold necklace would look more becoming than that heavy star thing you always wear.’

‘It belonged to my grandmother and is the dearest thing I have,’ she cried, her fingers automatically reaching up to touch it. His gaze followed her move and she quickly put her hands in her lap.

‘I would be delighted to buy you something more, er, delicate and dearer,’ he replied, deliberately choosing to misunderstand.

‘Very kind, Mr Fenton, sir,’ Peder said quickly.

‘But I don’t …’

‘That’s very generous of Mr, er … Henry, isn’t it, Colenso?’ Caja said, shooting her a warning look before turning back to him. ‘Our Colenso’s made a fine job of your drapes and covers.’

‘I would expect no less,’ he replied.

‘You’ll find an invoice with them,’ Colenso told him. ‘I had to purchase tape and thread and of course there was my time.’ Taking no notice of her mamm’s sharp intake of breath, she continued. ‘I’m sure you will agree that I have now more than repaid your debt?’ He raised his brows but chose to ignore her question.

‘I expect your cooking is far superior to the humble fare we’ve just eaten.’

‘But I was …’ she began, seeking an answer to her question.

‘Cooks lovely, she does,’ Caja interrupted. ‘Would be the perfect hostess too,’ she said.

‘I’m sure she would,’ Fenton agreed. ‘Now if you’ve had enough to eat,’ he said, looking pointedly at Peder’s plate before smiling at Caja and Colenso. ‘Perhaps you ladies would like to adjourn to the parlour and I’ll get Mrs Grim to bring some tea. Mr Carne, if you would like to join me for a port or brandy, there is something I wish to discuss with you.’ Her father beamed knowingly at Colenso and her spirits plummeted.

‘Yes, sir. Of course, sir. Off you go, women,’ he said, shooing them away like dogs. Charming, Colenso thought, although she was only too pleased to escape the confines of the dining hall.

‘This is a lovely room, isn’t it?’ Caja enthused. ‘Although it will look a lot better when those nice drapes are hung. You could make some matching cushions for these chairs, put up some pictures, make it real homely.’

Colenso, busy staring out of the window, didn’t reply. Down below, she could see that construction of the showroom was already taking place and the workshops had been extended. The Ferret obviously worked quickly. She wondered how Kitto was getting on in London. Dare she ask if he’d heard anything?

The arrival of Mrs Grim with the tea tray interrupted her musing. Her mamm, presuming the role of lady of the manor, was telling the housekeeper exactly how she liked her tea.

‘No good if you can’t stand your spoon up in it, oh and I’ll have three sugars, if you’re asking.’

‘I wasn’t,’ the housekeeper sniffed, making a great show of measuring out the sugar. ‘What about you, Miss Carne, do you have any specific wishes as to how you’d like your tea served?’ she asked curtly.

‘In a cup, please,’ Colenso smiled.

‘Oh, ha, Colenso, that’s funny,’ Caja chuckled. Clearly the housekeeper thought otherwise, for having poured the tea, she sniffed again and strode from the room.

‘Seen happier corpses,’ Caja mused, holding her cup high and eyeing the bottom. ‘Ooh, Royal Worcester, no less.’ Hearing the door to the dining hall open, Caja put down her cup and turned to Colenso. ‘That didn’t take long,’ she whispered.

‘Ah ladies,’ Fenton greeted them. ‘I’m wondering if we should be celebrating with something more festive.’

‘Celebrating?’ Caja squeaked, almost falling off the chair with excitement.

‘Indeed. Your husband has just given permission for me to ask for your daughter’s hand in marriage,’ he said, beaming so widely Colenso felt sick.

‘Course I did. All we has to do now is set the date. June be a really good month for a wedding,’ he declared, rubbing his hands together.

‘But I haven’t said anything yet,’ Colenso began.

‘Forgive me, my dear. We are being somewhat presumptuous. You wish for time to think?’ Fenton asked, although from his expression he clearly thought it a foregone conclusion.

‘I do,’ she replied, seizing on the excuse. ‘It’s a big decision and I would like to give it careful consideration,’ she added, smiling at him sweetly.

‘Now come on, Colenso, ’tis no good playing hard to get,’ Peder scowled. ‘Mr Fenton, er … Henry here ain’t got all day.’

‘On the contrary, I’m happy to wait until Colenso feels happy to accept. I, myself, shall be busy for the next two weeks showing Mr Quinn around the works and quarries.’

‘Our Colenso could act as hostess for you,’ Caja offered excitedly.

‘Had Colenso felt able to accept my proposal today then, I agree, that would have been an excellent idea. However, under the circumstances, it wouldn’t be right or proper.’

‘But …’ Peder began. ‘Say something,’ he growled, glaring at Colenso.

‘Now, Peder, this has obviously come as a wonderful surprise to your daughter. She needs time to take in her good fortune,’ Henry Fenton said magnanimously. He turned to Colenso, for once staring her in the face. ‘Of course, when you accept, my dear, you can consider your debt repaid in full.’

Seeing his triumphant grin, she was seized with the urge to slap it from his face. Clearly he’d planned this all along, she thought, clenching her fists at her side. Oblivious to her turmoil, he continued.

‘In the meantime, Mrs Grim can hang those beautiful drapes and covers you’ve made. Although of course, I shall be saving the principal bedroom cover for a special occasion.’ He gave Colenso a smirk, his meaning so obvious she had to turn away.

‘Ooh Colenso, did you hear that,’ Caja gasped. ‘Imagine it.’ She’d rather not, Colenso thought, her stomach threatening to bring back the little food she’d managed to force down.

‘Now, regrettably, with the owner arriving tomorrow, I have things to attend to. Thank you for coming and I shall see you on the evening of Sunday 3rd, my dear, when I trust you will have the right answer for me.’

‘But I can’t make that …’ she began, thinking of her date with Kitto.

‘Of course, she can, Mr Fenton,’ Caja interrupted, almost curtseying to him as she left. ‘Thank you for a splendid meal.’

‘Don’t worry, Mr Fenton, sir. I’ll see Colenso gives you the right answer. She’s a good girl really.’

‘Not too good, I hope,’ he chortled. ‘Until the 3rd, my dear. The evenings are lighter now, so we can revisit that nice hotel to celebrate.’ He rang the bell, only for the housekeeper to appear immediately. From her expression it was clear she’d been listening to their conversation. ‘My guests are just leaving,’ he told her.

‘About time too, coming in here traipsing mud all down me clean floors,’ she muttered, leading them back down the hallway. With a sniff, she grudgingly took their outer garments from the big carved stand and held them out at arm’s length.

‘Wait till you has to iron me shirts as well,’ Peder hissed.

It was pouring with rain outside but the wet didn’t do anything to cool Peder’s temper. As soon as the trap moved away he turned to her and shook his fist.

‘Stupid idiot,’ he raged. ‘Didn’t I tell you to say yes when he proposed?’

‘You’ve let us down good and proper,’ Caja wailed. ‘To think, at this very moment, we could have been planning your wedding. And you could have been entertaining Mr Fenton’s important guest.’

‘Yes, and I would have been invited to dine with the owner of the works,’ Peder growled.

‘Well, he’s been spared the embarrassment of your dreadful table manners,’ Colenso retorted. Tired and overwrought, she’d had more than enough for one afternoon.

‘Why, you …’ he began, his hand going to his belt.

‘Leave it, Father,’ Caja cautioned. ‘Colenso’s a good girl. She’ll do the right thing and accept.’

‘She’d better,’ Peder grunted. ‘But in the meantime, you’re to spend your days learning to cook proper dishes. And I mean proper. No more guts of a gudderin gaverick. I want roast beef and all the trimmings like we had today.’

‘Then you’d better pay for it instead of squandering your money in the alehouse,’ she cried.

‘Money won’t be a problem when you accepts. We’ll have all we need, your mamm and I, soon as you wed,’ he boasted.

‘What do you mean?’ Colenso frowned.

‘Promised us a lump sum for you, Fenton has. One of them dury things,’ he grinned.

‘Dury? You mean dowry, Father,’ she told him. ‘But you’ve got it the wrong way round. It’s the father who pays the dowry.’

‘Not this time,’ Peder boasted, rubbing his hands together gleefully. ‘And I stood out for me pound of flesh, what with you being built sturdy, like.’

‘What? You mean you’re selling me, your own daughter?’ she spluttered, staring at him incredulously.

‘Always knew you’d come in useful for som’at.’

Just then, the trap lurched as it rounded the bend towards Cadgwith. Unable to take any more, Colenso leapt down.

‘Where the ’ell do you think you’re going?’ Peder bellowed. ‘I ain’t finished yet.’ But ignoring both him and the sheeting rain, she ran towards Mammwynn’s final resting place.

‘Oh Mammwynn, you’ll never guess what’s happened,’ she cried, throwing herself down on the wet grass. The rowans rustled and, knowing her grandmother was listening, she poured out her tale of woe.

‘To think Father intends selling me. Well, I won’t marry that man, I won’t,’ she cried. The rowans rustled as if in agreement. ‘I knew you’d understand,’ she told them, feeling calmer. ‘The question is what do I do now?’ The necklace pricked her, gently this time and she sat back on her heels and looked around.

In the weeks since she’d last been here the little patch had sprung to life. Herbs and flowers were beginning to flourish, along with the weeds that were threatening to choke them. Heedless of her bare hands, she began tugging at their roots. She worked until the plants were free and, as she did, she found her mind working too. Of course, she cried, jumping to her feet. All I have to do is play along with Father until Kitto returns. Then I’ll meet him at the fair and tell him what’s been going on. The necklace pricked gently again and she knew she’d made the right decision.

‘Thanks, Mammwynn,’ she cried. ‘I can’t tell you how much better I feel.’ As the rowans rustled in reply, she smiled properly for the first time that day.

With the rain having eased, she removed her turnover but kept on her gloves and began picking the tops off the new nettles. As well as making more unguent, she’d make nettle soup for the next day’s supper. After all, her father had told her to spend her time cooking something different, hadn’t he? she thought, grinning down at her laden shawl.

✳

An uneasy truce existed in the cottage as Colenso skirted round her father, meekly doing as she was told. In turn Peder, thinking he’d won, was trying his hardest to be nice to her.

‘We only want what’s best for you, Colenso,’ he murmured over supper the next evening. He took a mouthful of the soup and she tried not to laugh as he grimaced.

‘I know, Father, and I listened to what you said and spent today making this soup. Apparently, it’s the very thing to serve at dinner parties,’ she told him, crossing her fingers in her lap.

‘Oh, er, very nice, yes,’ he muttered, forcing down another spoonful. ‘Cors, when you weds Fenton, your mother will have a fancy kitchen to cook in too.’

‘Will you, Mamm?’ Colenso frowned, wondering what was coming next.

‘I will cos that nice Mr Fenton’s promised me a lovely new home,’ she beamed. ‘Can’t say I’ll be sorry to leave this place,’ she added, staring at the damp walls that had needed lime washing for years, the broken furniture and remains of her crockery set. ‘Might even get some new dishes.’

‘You can have all you want, Caja dear,’ Peder offered, waving his hands expansively. ‘When I’m the caretaker of that fancy new showroom, I shall need a smart house to come home to.’

‘Caretaker?’ Colenso cried.

‘Oh, didn’t I tell you? As well as one of them dury things, Mr Fenton is setting us up in a nice new cottage down by the works and giving me a promotion too. Seen how important I am to him,’ he bragged, puffing out his chest as was becoming a habit. ‘So you wedding him is the best thing for all of us.’

Seeing his excited face, Colenso almost felt sorry for the disappointment he had coming to him. But then she thought of the way he’d had no qualms about selling her, and hardened her heart.

‘Glad you enjoyed it, Father. You were right about me needing to expand my cooking repertoire so if it’s all right with you, I’ll wander up to Mammwynn’s plot tomorrow and gather some more Alexanders. They’ll go nicely with a parsley sauce.’ She looked at him expectantly.

‘Very well. I’m glad you’re taking this cooking seriously. As well as all your feminine wiles, the best way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. That drop of green stuff was very, er, interesting but needed more salt,’ he said, getting to his feet. ‘Now, I’ve an important meeting to go to.’

She helped her mamm clear away then stealing up to her room, she snatched up the tassel of bright red threads she’d so carefully counted and knotted together. It was growing gratifyingly thinner she noticed, as with trembling hands she removed another one. Only eleven remained. Eleven days and then she’d see Kitto again. Her heart raced at the thought of his treacle eyes lighting up when he took her in his arms. As long as she managed to keep up this farce with her father, all would be well. The alternative didn’t bear thinking about.

Quickly she undressed and climbed under the covers. Fenton could keep his fancy velvets, all she needed was Kitto to keep her warm. Cradling the polished heart to her chest, she closed her eyes and dreamed of the time she could marry the man she loved. Having worked on all that red, green and gold fabric, she knew the colours she wouldn’t be using for their handfasting ties.