Chapter Nine

AUGUST 16TH, 1914

All too soon we were back at Northholme Manor.

Our return was barely noticed. No maid or footman rushed out to take our bags, and there was no sign of the butler at all.

‘They can’t all have vanished,’ exclaimed Mouse, as we paused in the great hallway. From the direction of the kitchens there came the reassuring clatter of a pan being dropped, accompanied by the roar of the Northholme Cook. A door was flung open, and the sound of sobbing and the scent of roasting beef drifted up to us.

Footsteps creaked on the stairs above. ‘Oh, my goodness!’ It was one of the undermaids, face scarlet, her arms filled with bed linen. ‘I’m so sorry, Lady Margaret. We weren’t expecting you so early today. The beds are nearly made up. It won’t take me a minute.’

‘Don’t worry about that,’ said Mouse. ‘There’s plenty of time. Rose, where is everyone?’

‘Oh, miss.’ Rose’s eyes filled with tears. ‘They’ve gone.’

‘Gone?’ Mouse stared at her. ‘They can’t all have gone.’

Rose sniffed loudly. ‘All the men, miss. At least, all the men who aren’t married who are old enough to fight. And some of the married men volunteered too.’

‘What on earth possessed them?’

‘Lord Northholme, miss. When he came back from London he said men were volunteering all over the country, he wasn’t going to be seen lacking in his duty, and all the men on the estate should march down to the village together and volunteer.’ She burst into tears. ‘Some of the labourers went straight from the fields.’

Alice and I gently removed the sheets from the poor girl’s arms, while Mouse led her to a chair. ‘Did your brothers go?’

Rose nodded. ‘Yes, miss. Both of them.’ She blew her nose. ‘Don’t get me wrong, Lady Margaret, I know they are wonderfully brave and I’m so proud of them, and they were so excited to be going. And I know they say this war won’t last long, but it’s such a thing. My poor mother won’t stop crying, and Dad is at his wits’ end to know how they are going to get the harvest in.’

‘I’m sure they’ll all be home soon,’ said Mouse firmly. ‘Besides, it doesn’t make sense to send the farmhands. They’ll have to send them back. If there’s no one to get in the harvest we’ll all starve and that won’t win anything.’

A shout echoed up from the direction of the kitchens. Rose jumped to her feet. ‘I must get the beds done. Cook is in such a temper with the kitchen maids being directed to do so much of the work in the house, she’s said I’m to go and help her as soon as the rooms are ready.’

‘Don’t worry about the beds, Rose,’ said Alice. ‘I’m sure we are capable of making them up.’

‘And Cook need never know,’ I added, as Rose began to protest.

‘Go on,’ said Mouse, shooing Rose downstairs.

As we made our way up to our rooms, I could see dust already gathering in the corners of the stairs. On one of the landings, a vase of flowers was fading, surrounded by a drift of pink rose petals on the windowsill.

Mouse and I made up the beds and neatened the rooms in silence, while Alice disposed of the dying flowers, replacing them with fresh roses from the gardens.

‘I’d better go and talk to Papa,’ said Mouse gloomily, as the sound of Lord Northholme’s automobile returning drifted up through the silent house. ‘He can’t send off half the staff and expect all our comforts to carry on as before. We can at least make poor Cook’s life easier.’ She sighed. ‘Not that he’ll listen. I do so wish Owen was here. He’s the only one who can make Papa see sense.’

An uneasy quiet hung over Northholme that day. From the windows we looked down over fields still rich with golden corn, where nothing moved. Machinery lay abandoned by the hedgerows. A cart stood idle beside one of the estate cottages, where baby clothes hung unmoving on the washing line.

Hugo sent a message that he would be coming to take us back to Hiram the following morning. I couldn’t help feeling thankful. I felt sorry for Mouse, who was stomping around like a bear after her earlier attempts to speak to her father, but I wanted nothing more than to return home. I needed action. I needed to talk to Hugo and learn as much as I could about the essentials of running the Hiram estate while I could. I was impatient to set my resolution, and my new life, in motion.

Hugo was as good as his word, arriving straight after breakfast in the Silver Ghost. He was not in uniform, I was thankful to see. Perhaps he would be given some kind of administrative post. Perhaps he would never even need to leave England. Perhaps I would not be running Hiram completely alone after all. A touch of disappointment went through me. But of course, on reflection, that would be the best solution: Hugo and I working together, him safe and well. He would still be preoccupied with his official duties, and I would have the opportunity to prove myself in his absences.

On the drive back the three of us spoke little, and nothing of the war. It felt unreal. Very little had changed. Flags had appeared in the villages, and in one we passed a small group of volunteers marching to the train station. We heard cheers from the car as they passed. But flowers bloomed in the gardens and the hedgerows. Men still worked in the fields. As we reached the coast, families were picnicking on the sand and children playing in the water’s edge. I had never been so thankful to see Hiram’s familiar outline as we reached Port Helen.

‘They are sending me to Belgium,’ announced Hugo, when Alice had retreated to her rooms and I joined him for tea on the terrace.

‘Belgium?’ I did my best to keep my voice even. ‘Isn’t that where the fighting is?’

‘We are only there to assist the Belgians. I shall not be on the front line. They need experienced officers to keep the supplies moving. They say on the quiet it’s a shambles out there. They need men like me.’

‘Of course,’ I murmured, ashamed of my selfish sense of relief and afraid that Hugo was not telling me everything. He was still going where fighting was taking place. He would still be in danger. Before I could open my mouth to ask a hundred questions, Hugo forestalled me. ‘You needn’t worry: I’m not going to leave you on your own, my dear. I’ve been arranging to hire a Steward to take over the running of the estate while I’m away.’

‘A Steward?’ I stared at him, my plans and my dreams slipping through my fingers before they had even begun. I struggled to gather my scattered thoughts. After all, a Steward, like any employee, would be under my command when Hugo was not present. If Aunt Catrin could gain the respect of the farmers of Anglesey, who had refused to even speak to her when she had first taken over the farm, then I could gain the respect of a Steward. It might even work in my favour. If Hugo heard praise of me from a man he respected, it could only further my case.

‘Yes, my dear. A most excellent man. James Connors. He was working for Ford.’

I stared at him. ‘I thought he was a gardener, not a Steward?’

Hugo frowned. ‘He’s very capable. He’ll be much in demand now.’

‘But we agreed to speak to him after Christmas.’

‘Things have changed.’ Hugo’s tone was defensive. ‘Mr Connors came to see me a few days ago. I told him I would think the matter over. But, on consideration, I feel it is for the best.’

‘Mr Connors came to ask you take him on as a Steward?’ I could barely hide my astonishment.

‘It was an excellent suggestion.’ He was refusing to meet my eyes. ‘I would have thought of it myself had I not been certain Ford would not wish to release him. But Applebourne has been requisitioned by the War Office to be a hospital for the wounded. I thought they might decide on Hiram, but Applebourne has more rooms and is nearer Portsmouth, so far more suitable. Ford has relatives in America and is taking his family to stay for the duration. We really must be grateful.’

‘Yes, of course.’ Could the government really take over a house like Hiram, without the occupants having any say? A shiver ran through me. There were already hospitals. All those London hospitals within a few hours of the South Coast. Were they really expecting enough wounded to fill a large house like Applebourne?

‘It will all be settled before I leave. I’ll speak to Mr Connors tomorrow. I can’t get through to Applebourne on the telephone, I expect they are busy with the arrangements. I’ll drive over there in the morning.’

I pulled myself together. I had never fought Hugo’s decisions before, but I was going to be heard for once. I was not going to remain a child, helpless and useless while a war raged and those I loved were prepared to put themselves in danger. ‘Hugo, I’m not sure Mr Connors is the right person.’

Hugo paused in helping himself to a slice of Cook’s best fruitcake, an expression of astonishment on his face. ‘How can you say that? You’ve barely met the man.’

‘I’m not sure Mr Connors would respect me.’

He bristled. ‘Good Heavens, Elin. What evidence do you have for such a statement?’

‘His manner.’ Even without my plan, if this war was going to last for months – a year, even – the last thing I needed was to be in daily contact with someone who would not listen to me. At least Hugo, in his own way, was fond of me. He could not bear to see me unhappy. Whatever lay ahead, I would need someone who was at least on my side. I took a deep breath. ‘Could you not leave me to interview various candidates, including him. So I can be sure that Mr Connors is a man who could respect a woman’s point of view. Otherwise, I fear that, whatever the reality, he would see himself as the master.’

Hugo snorted. ‘Good grief. You sound like Alice after one of those infernal lectures on rights she’s always taking herself off to. You forget, my dear: Connors will be the servant. He will respect you as my wife. We must all do our duty in this war. You must put aside these sensitivities, which are down to your imagination. Connors is highly regarded, and you will feel the same once you get to know him.’

A sense of injustice shot through me. Did Hugo have no respect for my opinions at all? I might not have seen much of the world, but I had known my fellow creatures all my life. I’d tried to smooth over first impressions before. Sometimes I was wrong, but often that instinctive like or dislike had been based in something concrete, something I could only explain when I got to know that person better.

Hugo straightened his shoulders. ‘This question of supplies is urgent. I am needed at the front directly. I have been given so little time to make arrangements. Connors is a blessing. Heaven knows how long it would have taken me to find a Steward at such short notice, with so many men volunteering.’ He reached across the table, taking my hand and raising it to his lips. ‘My first concern is for you, my dear. I could not bear to leave you without knowing you were safe.’

‘Yes, of course,’ I murmured. I glanced at his face, but it held the closed expression I knew so well. I could hardly forget that Connors’ presence had caused Hugo so much distress in that first meeting, and yet he was prepared to put it aside. I gritted my teeth. It seemed that I must learn to do the same.

* * *

Hugo was out early the next morning. ‘I’ll bring Mr Connors back with me, my dear. Then we can go over matters together. That will put your mind at rest.’

After the sound of the Silver Ghost faded into the distance I found I could not settle to anything. I concentrated on ensuring Hugo’s bags were packed and ready for his departure the following day. Then I helped Cook and Alice with the cold meat and pies Cook was preparing for Hugo to take with him.

I was almost relieved when I heard the sound of an engine from the driveway. ‘They’re early,’ I remarked, looking up from wrapping a cold apple pie.

Alice ran to the window. ‘That doesn’t sound like the Silver Ghost,’ she said. There was a swirl of gravel as the vehicle screeched to a halt. We met each other’s eyes.

‘Mouse,’ we said in the same breath.

A battered army truck was slewed in front of the house. By the time we reached it, Mouse had jumped out of the driver’s seat and was racing her way up the steps towards us.

‘Hello, you two,’ she called, with a kind of brittle cheerfulness that wasn’t cheerful at all. ‘I managed to cadge a lift with Owen. He and Edmund are busy in Portsmouth, something to do with the mobilisation stuff. So I borrowed this and came over while I could.’ She hugged us. ‘I’ve missed you both. Northholme isn’t the same without you.’

‘Come and have some tea,’ I said.

Mouse shook her head. ‘I can’t stay long and I don’t want to waste a moment on tea.’ Her face darkened. ‘Papa’s forbidden me to fly. He says I could be shot down as a spy, or an enemy. He’s insisting I’m only being selfish and my bi-plane could be better used by the army. It’s being taken away tomorrow. I’ll never see it again.’

‘Oh, Mouse,’ exclaimed Alice. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Mouse sighed. ‘It’s so utterly stupid. I’m not allowed to do anything. I could have gained information for the army. I could have flown over Prussia and taken photographs of their mobilisation.’

‘That sounds dangerous,’ I said.

‘No more dangerous than being shot at or hand to hand combat. I could have been out of there before anyone noticed. I’m quick. I could have dodged their aircraft and been back over the channel before half of them were in the air. And anyhow, I’ve friends in France. I could have easily hidden in a barn and flown at night. And now Edmund is saying they may have to ration petrol for civilians if this carries on for much longer, so much is taken up already with moving troops and equipment. So I might not even be able to use the Chevrolet. I had to come and see you both. Who knows when I might have the chance again?’ Her eyes lit on the bags in the hallway.

‘They’re sending Hugo over to Belgium to supervise supplies,’ I explained.

‘I’m sorry, Elin.’ Mouse hugged me close. ‘This must be so awful for you. I never think, do I? I don’t want to intrude.’

‘You’re not intruding. Hugo has business to attend to and won’t be back for a while. And to be honest, I’m rather glad of the distraction. I’m not sure parting is such sweet sorrow, after all.’

‘You can say that again. Edmund and Owen came back with George just after you left. The way they talk, as if the war is some great adventure. Like King Arthur, or Shakespeare, or those adventure books they were always reading as boys. They keep on saying if they don’t go now they’ll never get a chance before it all blows over. They’ll all be off to France in a few days’ time.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I said quietly.

Alice said, ‘I’m sure they will be back in a few months.’

‘Well it’s unfair,’ said Mouse. ‘That’s what it is. They want people to join up, yet they won’t let me do my bit. It’s so stupid. Papa spent so much money sending me to that tedious finishing school in Paris so I could snare some French aristo. He was so cross when I got bored and went off exploring the villages and the chateaux instead. How many men are there who can speak French like a native and have driven miles through the countryside round Paris, and flown over it all, too?’

‘You can’t really want to go and fight?’ said Alice.

‘Why ever not? I wouldn’t mind being a nurse, or anything. It’s rotten that I could do so many useful things and they won’t let me. And of course Papa is hopeless. He just says I should find a husband and start breeding before the best men start disappearing off to the front. He’s quite convinced it’s all going to last for ages, like the Balkans, wherever they are. Apparently they’ve been fighting amongst themselves for years.’

There was a moment’s silence. Mouse was biting her lip. Alice had begun to look deeply thoughtful.

‘Come on,’ I said hastily. ‘Let’s walk along the cliff path. It’s so beautiful today, and I can watch for Hugo.’

But as we reached the kitchen garden, I could make out the dust clouds of an automobile approaching, accompanied by the familiar roar of Hugo’s Silver Ghost.

‘I’d better go,’ said Mouse, her eyes following mine. ‘Owen and Edmund will be wondering where I am.’

‘We’ll find a way of meeting up with you,’ I said. ‘Hugo’s still got his old Rover in the barn and he always keeps fuel there. We could meet halfway. And there are bound to still be trains. They can’t always be full of troops, surely.’

‘Of course,’ said Mouse, kissing me and hugging Alice tight. ‘We won’t be beaten.’ Her eyes darkened again. ‘And, whatever it takes, I’m not going to be stopped from doing my bit by Papa and all those horrid, stupid old generals. I’m not giving up. Not when Owen and my brothers and more than half the men I know are going to be out there, any day now, risking their lives. I can’t just stay here and do nothing. I just can’t.’