A Village Scandal

Daisy backed away. ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Sykes. But thank you for your help.’ She started back up the lane to where Barney was waiting with the horses.

‘You might find out things best left forgotten,’ Mrs Sykes called after her.

Daisy returned to the manor house, and she made an excuse to go out again after a quick luncheon with her mother-in-law. Mary, like herself, was growing more worried with every passing minute that there was no news, but Daisy had no intention of giving Jay’s mother false hope and she did not mention her conversation with Mrs Sykes. The Dorning brothers might be exactly what their aunt said, a pair of good-for-nothings, but on the other hand they might know what had distressed Lewis and made him seek Jay’s help. The message he had given Jay was the key to the whole mystery, and Daisy knew that something serious must have happened to keep Jay from her, particularly on their wedding night. She would discover the truth, no matter what it cost.

Daisy entered the smoke-filled taproom of the Anchor with Barney at her side. The old pub on the water’s edge was crowded with fishermen and farm workers, and the air was heavy with the smell of ale and rum. A driftwood fire crackled in the hearth and straw covered the flagstones, absorbing the mud brought in on the men’s boots. Conversation ceased abruptly as heads turned to stare at the well-dressed young woman who had suddenly entered their domain. The potman hurried up to Daisy.

‘This ain’t the place for a young lady like yourself, miss. Why not try the hotel in the main street?’

‘I haven’t come to stay,’ Daisy said hastily. ‘I’m looking for the Dorning brothers.’

The silence grew more intense and the atmosphere changed noticeably. Daisy could feel a buzz of unease in the room, as if a beehive had been disturbed by robbers after the honey.

‘You’ll not find them here.’ The potman edged her towards the door. ‘I’d go now, if I was you, miss.’

‘At least tell me where I might find the Dornings,’ Daisy said in desperation.

‘Aye, boss. We know their cousins,’ Barney added. ‘Got a message from the family, so to speak.’

‘Why didn’t you say so afore?’ The potman shooed them outside. ‘I wouldn’t say so in front of them in there, but I’ll give you this bit of advice. Try the old chapel on the edge of the marsh, but don’t say I said so.’

‘Where is it exactly?’ Daisy asked eagerly.

‘The boy will take you there.’ The potman turned to Barney. ‘You know the one I mean, son?’

‘I think I do.’

The potman chuckled. ‘That’s right, boy. Don’t give a straight answer, or you might find yourself in hot water.’

‘Tell me where this place is, if you please.’ Daisy was growing impatient. It was late afternoon and in an hour or two it would be too dark to find their way. She had a sudden vision of Jay facing some unknown danger and she could do nothing to save him.

‘… And then you keep on following the coastline until you come to the chapel. Did you get that, miss?’

Daisy stared at the old potman. Her thoughts had been miles away, but out of the corner of her eye she could see Barney nodding, and she managed a smile. ‘Yes, thank you. You’ve been very helpful.’ She took her purse from her reticule and gave the man a silver sixpence. He raised her hand to his lips and bowed his head.

‘Ta, miss. You’re a real lady.’

‘We’d best go now, missis,’ Barney said in a low voice. ‘We’ve still got a long way to go.’

The haze of doubt and longing cleared from Daisy’s brain and she took a deep breath. ‘Fetch the horses, Barney. We’ll be on our way.’

They rode for several miles and the sun, which had come out briefly, was now plummeting to rest behind a bank of purple clouds. A chill, salt-laden wind blew in from the sea and Daisy was glad of her thick riding habit and leather gloves. Barney was not so well wrapped up, but he did not seem to feel the cold and he was obviously enjoying his time away from his normal routine in the stables. They had left the village behind and were now in open countryside with a distant view of the sea. Daisy was beginning to think they were lost when Barney pointed excitedly and over the rise she saw the roof of the small Saxon chapel.

‘Best let me go first,’ Barney said in a low voice. ‘If the boys are there and you ride up they’ll either run or they might turn nasty.’

‘Surely they wouldn’t attack a woman?’

‘I wouldn’t count on it, ma’am.’

‘All right, but don’t take risks. If they seem unfriendly just walk away. If they seem reasonable ask for a parley.’

‘For a what, ma’am?’

‘Tell them that Captain Fox’s wife would like to speak to them. They might know my husband by his former name.’

With a nod and a wave of his hand, Barney urged his horse to a trot and headed for the chapel. Daisy could only wait and hope that if the Dorning boys were there they would be willing to cooperate. She leaned over to pat Cinders’ neck, crooning softly to the horse, who showed her appreciation with a gentle whinny. But dusk was rapidly swallowing up the saltings, and in less than an hour it would be dark, with no lights to guide them on their way home. Daisy waited anxiously and was beginning to think that something dreadful might have befallen Barney when she heard the muffled sound of hoof beats on the tussocky grass and he rode into view.

‘Well?’ She could hardly wait for him to catch his breath.

He shook his head. ‘No one there and no sign of anything untoward, missis. They’re not stupid enough to leave anything for the law to find, and it didn’t look as if anyone had been there for quite a while.’

Disappointed, but not surprised, Daisy nodded. ‘Thank you for trying, Barney. I think we’d better head for home. It’ll be nightfall soon and it looks like rain.’

The rain came down in sheets, not little dainty spots, but a torrential shower that soaked through Daisy’s clothing in minutes, despite the thickness of the material. They rode on in silence as darkness enveloped them, blotting out the landscape. Daisy had to rely on Cinders’ surefootedness to get them across the clifftops to the lane, which led eventually to the gates of Creek Manor. The gatekeeper rushed out to admit them, and if he was surprised to see the lady of the manor dishevelled and soaked to the skin, he was too well trained to show any emotion. Daisy rode on and dismounted outside the main entrance, leaving Barney to lead Cinders to the stables for a rub down and a well-earned feed and a rest.

James stood by the open door, staring straight ahead, for which Daisy was grateful. She caught sight of herself in one of the long mirrors as she headed for the staircase and she was shocked by her bedraggled state. It was one thing to feel wet and uncomfortable and quite another to see her wet hair hanging loose around her shoulders and her perky little riding hat totally ruined. She doubted if her habit could be saved, but that would not have mattered an iota had she come home with news of Jay’s whereabouts. She reached the top of the stairs and was about to enter her bedroom when Mary came hurrying towards her.

‘Oh, my goodness, just look at you, Daisy. Where have you been?’

Hilda was close behind her. ‘Never mind that. You need to get out of those wet clothes or you’ll catch your death.’

‘I thought you were going for a ride around the estate,’ Mary said, frowning.

Daisy opened her mouth to reply, but her knees buckled and she drifted into unconsciousness.

Chapter Three

Daisy suffered nothing worse than a mild chill and she recovered quickly, although Mary insisted that she must rest in bed for a few days. Keeping to her room was a way for Daisy to evade the inevitable questions about her attempt to find the elusive Dorning brothers. Their apparent disappearance was explained when she was glancing through the local newspaper, and their names were mentioned in a report on the assizes in Chelmsford. The Dornings had been convicted of some minor crime, and were languishing in prison – so much for seeking their help. Daisy was disappointed but even more determined to discover what had happened to her husband. She refused to believe that he had abandoned her and his family, but there was no word of the Lazy Jane, and the mystery deepened.

Although Jay’s continued and unexplained absence haunted her night and day, the estate had to be managed. Mary was too distraught about her son’s disappearance to be any practical use when it came to running the house, even with the help of her old friend Ida Ralston. Daisy learned that the two women had started work at the manor house as young girls, and Ida knew all about the late squire’s unwanted advances, which had left Mary pregnant with Jay, alone and unprotected. Even so, Mary seemed unable or unwilling to take on the responsibilities that had been thrust upon her since she had married Squire Tattersall on his deathbed.

After a visit from a frantic Mrs Ralston, who thrust a sheaf of unpaid bills and demands for payment at her, Daisy decided that lying about in bed or on the chaise longue in her boudoir was not going to help. She washed and dressed in one of her best morning gowns and sent for Hilda, who had shown a marked aptitude for hairdressing. She put up Daisy’s hair in a very becoming style, and when Daisy looked in the mirror at her wan face, Hilda suggested the application of a little rouge to her cheeks and lips. The result was very effective and the reflection smiled back at Daisy, making her feel able to cope with almost anything. Daisy went downstairs to the study, taking with her the unpaid bills. She sat down at the large, leather-topped desk and opened the ledger containing the household accounts.

The amount outstanding was quite frightening to someone unused to handling such matters. Jay had managed the finances since he inherited the estate, but it did not take Daisy long to realise that he had let things slide. The debts were huge, and the servants had not been paid since the beginning of the last quarter. When she opened the safe there was very little cash in the strongbox, and she realised now that leaving financial matters to her husband had been a terrible mistake. She had believed him when he said he was capable of running a large estate, and she had been content to trust him, but now she regretted her complacency.

She had abetted him when it came to spending money on the refurbishment of the cottages they owned in Little Creek, which the late Squire Tattersall had allowed to fall into rack and ruin. Mary had raised her children in one of these dwellings, which were unfit for human habitation – even pigs would have turned up their snouts if they had been housed in any one of them – so Jay had first-hand knowledge of what it was like to live without even the most basic amenities. It was from the overflowing privies of these hovels that the cholera epidemic had stemmed last summer. Improving the cottages was a project that she and Jay had begun immediately after Christmas, and the tenants had been moved to Creek Hall, Dr Neville’s family mansion, which he had turned into a cottage hospital. The very young and the elderly were all in need of medical care, and those who were reasonably fit were treated for minor ailments and either continued their outside occupations or helped with the cleaning or found work in the kitchen garden. Perusing the accounts book, Daisy was horrified to discover just how much money Jay had paid out, and there was still money owing. He might return today or tomorrow, but his continued silence did not bode well. Daisy realised that she must take control and the first step would be to visit the bank in Maldon. She reached for the bell pull to summon a servant and send for the carriage.

The bank manager was polite, but wary, and the reason for this as Daisy discovered, was that Jay had withdrawn a large sum of money the day before his sudden departure. Whether or not he had visited the bank in person was something that the manager could not confirm. He sat behind his large imposing desk, steepling his fingers as he rested his elbows on the tooled leather top.

‘I’m sorry, Mrs Tattersall. I’m unable to give you any more information.’

‘But I need to know my financial situation, sir.’

‘The account is in your husband’s name. I cannot divulge any details, even to you.’

‘But I want to withdraw money. I need it to pay the servants and run the estate in my husband’s absence.’

He shook his head. ‘I’m afraid not, Mrs Tattersall. Your husband didn’t make any such arrangement.’ His expression softened. ‘I’m sure he will return very soon and you will not need to worry.’

Daisy stared at him in dismay – if only she could be so certain. Jay had once told her that he was a wanderer at heart, and maybe the chance of one last trip at sea had been too tempting to refuse. Whatever the reason for his disappearance, it was unforgivable to leave her and the estate virtually penniless. She rose to her feet.

‘I can see that I’m wasting your time and mine,’ she said stiffly. ‘Thank you for being so frank with me.’

He stood up awkwardly. ‘I’m so sorry I can’t be of assistance, Mrs Tattersall. But rest assured …’

Daisy did not wait to hear the end of the sentence. She left the office and walked out of the bank to find Fuller waiting with the carriage. James leaped from the box to open the door and put down the steps. She climbed in and sat down, still feeling dazed and disorientated.

‘Do you wish to go home, ma’am?’ James asked anxiously.

She shook her head. How would she break the news to Mary, let alone the servants? Unless Jay returned within the next few days they would face bankruptcy. ‘I want to go to Creek Hall first.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’ James closed the door and she heard him climb back onto the box and pass on her instructions to Fuller.

The carriage lurched forward and Daisy closed her eyes. She needed to speak to someone, and her first thought was her old friend Nick Neville.

Nick poured sherry into a glass and handed it to her. ‘You look as though you need this, Daisy. It’s purely medicinal, so drink up.’

Her hand trembled as she took the glass from him and she sipped it slowly. It would not do to be drunk in the early afternoon. ‘Thank you, Nick.’

He pulled up a chair and sat beside her. ‘This is about Jay’s sudden departure on your wedding day, isn’t it? From the state you’re in I’d guess that he hasn’t returned.’

‘No, he hasn’t. I haven’t heard a word from him.’

Nick took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. ‘I’ve known Jay all my life, and this wouldn’t be the first time he’s gone missing. I know it’s different now you’re married, but for a man who’s spent almost half his life on board ship, it can’t have been easy for him to give it up.’

She took another sip of the sherry. ‘Are you saying he’s run away to sea?’

‘No, of course not, but he still owns the Lazy Jane, and don’t take this the wrong way, Daisy, but that bundle of wood and canvas was his first love. If the master he put in charge was cheating him or running the vessel into danger, Jay would go to the rescue.’

‘Yes, and that’s the thought that I’ve been clinging to. But I paid a visit to the bank this morning and, apparently, the day before he left so suddenly, Jay withdrew a large sum of money. He must have gone to the bank, knowing that he was leaving me to run the estate, but he made no provision for me to draw funds.’

‘I’m so sorry, Daisy. That does look bad, but I know that Jay loves you, if that’s any comfort.’

‘You always say the right things, Nick. I wish I could believe you, but I just don’t know what to think.’

He released her hand and reached for his glass. ‘You’ll manage until he returns, and if there’s anything I can do to help, you have only to ask. I haven’t much money, but if you need a loan …’

‘No, Nick. That’s not the answer, although it’s very generous of you to offer. You’ve helped enormously. I was panicking, but you’re right – I can cope, and I will. I’ll find a way to keep things going until Jay returns.’

‘You’re a very competent nurse. I’d employ you willingly, although I couldn’t afford to pay you much.’

She smiled and placed her empty glass on the table. ‘I think Dove might have something to say about that, Nick.’

‘She’s a wonderful woman, but I run the cottage hospital and I make all the decisions.’

Daisy pulled a face. ‘That should change when you’re married.’

‘We have an understanding, it’s true, but I haven’t proposed marriage yet.’

‘But you will.’

‘Almost certainly, but I need to be very sure that I’m doing the right thing, for both our sakes.’

Daisy rose to her feet, gazing down at the man she had once thought she might marry. Nick had many good points, but she herself could never live with a man who wanted to dominate her so completely, and she felt almost sorry for Jay’s sister. Dove was a nice young woman and she deserved a husband who would love her unreservedly and treat her as an equal.

‘Thank you for the sherry and for listening to me so patiently, but I must go back to the manor house. I have a lot to think about and some important decisions to make.’

Nick stood up and grasped her hand, giving it a squeeze. ‘If there’s anything I can do, or if you simply want to talk, you know where to find me.’

When Daisy arrived home she went straight to the drawing room where she found Mary seated by the fire, mending a small garment.

‘Well, what happened at the bank? Did they give you enough money to pay the servants?’

Daisy perched on the edge of a chair, clasping her hands tightly in her lap. ‘It’s not good news. Jay withdrew a large sum of money, but he made no provision for me to draw on the account.’

‘The servants have to be paid and the tradesmen won’t wait for ever. We can’t exist on credit much longer.’

‘I know, and then there’s the renovations to the Little Creek cottages. They will have to cease for the time being. We will just have to economise and hope that Jay returns very soon.’ Daisy tried to sound positive, but for the first time in her life she was at a loss as to what the next step should be.

‘You’ll think of something, Daisy. You’re a bright girl and Jay was fortunate to marry someone like you. I know you’ll make the best of things. I just wish I knew what had happened to my son.’

‘I’m sure we’d have heard if there had been an accident of any kind, Mary. We just have to trust him and hope he comes home soon.’ Daisy tried to sound positive, but with every passing hour her hopes were fading. She rose to her feet. ‘I’m going to my room to take off my outdoor things. I’ll see you at dinner.’

In the sanctity of the room she had shared so blissfully with her husband, Daisy sat on the dressing-table stool and took off her bonnet. She was a married woman but she owned nothing. Everything was in her husband’s name and even if she had money of her own before their marriage, it would now belong to Jay. It was something she had never had to think about before now. It was a sorry state of affairs, and meant that she was unable to raise the money to settle their debts. She knew nothing about the process of bankruptcy, but unless she could work miracles, it was more than a possibility. Then there was the disgrace and scandal – the name of Tattersall, which had been tarnished by the old squire’s actions, would be permanently dishonoured.

Suddenly she needed some air and time alone. Daisy hurried from the bedchamber and made her way unnoticed out of the house, using the door of the flower room, which led straight into the garden. The air was fresh and clean after a sudden shower, and sunlight sparkled on the raindrops that were left hanging from the branches of the cherry trees. She walked towards the summerhouse, admiring the daffodils as they nodded their golden trumpets, and the sweet scent of pink and blue hyacinths wafted around her like expensive French perfume. Birds were nesting and it seemed as though the world was beginning anew.

‘That’s what I must do,’ Daisy said out loud. ‘I must begin again.’ Without thinking she mounted the steps and lifted the trapdoor.

It was dark and musty in the passageway that led to the cove, but Daisy managed to light the candle that was always left at the bottom of the steps together with a tin box containing matches. She made her way carefully at first, and when she saw a glimmer of light she quickened her pace. She felt an urgency and a quiver of excitement in her belly as she burst out into the fresh, salty air.

There, a hundred yards or so from the shore, was a sight that made her cry out with joy. The Lazy Jane was bobbing gently at anchor in the cove, and a jolly boat had been beached and apparently abandoned on the shingle.

She cupped her hands round her mouth and shouted. ‘Ahoy there.’

When there was no response she called again, but there did not appear to be anyone on board. If Jay had returned he would have come straight home, of that she was certain, and the feeling of elation faded into one of concern. He would not have left the ship unmanned. For a moment she was tempted to row out to the vessel, but climbing the Jacob’s ladder in a voluminous silk morning gown would be difficult, not to say impossible. She hesitated, torn between the desire to go on board and the practicalities of such a venture. Besides which, she might have missed Jay. Perhaps he had seen Lewis home, in which case their paths would not have crossed. She turned and made her way back to the tunnel, negotiating it in the dark and feeling her way along the walls. Next time, she would bring a lantern, but if Jay was at home she vowed she would never venture below the ground again.

Daisy searched the house, but there was no sign of Jay. She was tempted to ask the servants if he had been seen, but something held her back. Perhaps it was fear of what she might learn, or maybe she already knew the answer. Jay had not come home. Disappointment and depression threatened to overwhelm her but Daisy had little choice – to give way to despair was unthinkable. She changed out of her best gown and dressed in one of her oldest and plainest skirts and a simple white blouse. Wrapping a shawl around her shoulders she set off to walk to the Johnsons’ farm, but a brief chat with one of the workers convinced her that Lewis had not returned, and she retraced her steps. Then she remembered that Jay’s first mate, Clem Guppy, lived close by, and she made her way to the cottage where he lived with his mother when he was between voyages.

A small wizened woman in her sixties opened the door just a crack, peering suspiciously at Daisy. ‘What d’you want?’

‘I’m Mrs Tattersall and I’m looking for your son, Mrs Guppy.’

‘He ain’t here.’

‘Do you know where I can find him? I need to speak to him urgently.’

‘I don’t know nothing.’

Mrs Guppy was about to shut the door when a voice Daisy recognised called out, ‘Let her in, Ma.’

Reluctantly his mother stood aside. ‘Don’t come here causing trouble, missis. You might be lady of the manor, but I won’t have my son put on by the likes of you.’

The door was wrenched unceremoniously from her hand and Guppy lifted his mother bodily aside. ‘Good afternoon, Mrs Tattersall. What can I do for you?’

‘The Lazy Jane is at anchor in the cove,’ Daisy said boldly. ‘Did you bring her back to Little Creek?’

‘She’s out to cause trouble, Clem. Send her on her way.’ Mrs Guppy glared at Daisy, but Clem brushed her aside.

‘Go and put the kettle on, Ma. Where are your manners? That’s what you’re always saying to me.’

‘Cheeky devil!’ Mrs Guppy retreated into the house, leaving her son standing in the doorway.

‘Are you going to invite me in?’ Daisy looked him in the eye. ‘I’m not leaving until I have some answers, Clem.’

He stood aside. ‘You’d best come in then, but Lewis is here, too.’

‘His family are worried about him. He should go home.’

‘He will, when the time is right.’ Clem ushered her into the room that served as kitchen and living room with a staircase on the far side, leading to the first floor.