‘How shall we travel, Annie?’ Robin could scarcely contain himself for joy. ‘We still have Sorrel, Josh keeps him well shod. And I hire a cart when I’m travelling.’ He added anxiously. ‘Though perhaps it’s more fitting for you to travel post-chaise now that you’re married to the captain?’
‘Being married to Captain Linton hasn’t put more money in my pocket,’ she said. ‘I have money belonging to Mr Sampson which he gave me to bring you back, but we won’t spend it unwisely. Besides, no chaise could get up those roads. No, if I’m to go and see Mr Sutcliff and persuade him that you’re a suitable person for his youngest daughter to marry, I’ll travel with Henry on Sorrel, and you can follow in the cart with your belongings, when you’ve made your arrangements with Moses and said goodbye to your family. Oh, and you’ll bring Charlie?’
She knew it would be hard for Robin to take his leave of his sister and Josh who had cared for him, and guessed too that he might want to make arrangements with Moses to visit him when he was settled in York. He had an eye for business had Robin, now that he was older, she was convinced of it. And as for Charlie, the dog had greeted her deliriously, giving her great licks with his pink tongue and his long tail swishing.
‘Aye, I’ll not come without Charlie, he’d pine without me, besides, he can guard young Henry when we’re busy in ’shop.’
Already he was assuming an essence of propriety, ever since Annie had told him of the draper’s shop in Fossgate, York; of its large window and open floor and oak counters, and the walls of shelves which were stacked with rolls of linen and muslins and silks and satins, and of the hangings which she draped for display.
As she urged Sorrel on towards the rolling hills and dales of the Wolds, she felt a surging emotion. It was almost a feeling of going home, yet she hadn’t felt this before. When she had come the first time she had been overwhelmed by the openness, by the vast green pasture-land. Then she had been loath to leave behind the safety of the river, feeling unsure of herself as she left the long ribbon of water behind.
But now, as she trotted along the narrow tracks, scattering pheasants and rabbits and pointing out to Henry the disappearing tail of a fox as it slid beneath a hedge, and showed him the foxgloves and leafy ferns that were growing along the stone walls, she felt a sense of belonging. There was a sweet smell of wild thyme and the heavy scent of elderflower and a great joyful sound of birdsong as if she was being welcomed back.
‘This is where your father lived when he was just your age, Henry. This was his home.’
‘But where is his room?’ Henry looked about him. ‘Where is his shop?’
‘Your father didn’t have a room above a shop; he lived in a great house with a lot of rooms and large gardens, gardens as big as the park where Polly and I take you to play, and he had a horse of his own, and dogs.’
‘I’m going to have a dog,’ said Henry decisively, looking about him. ‘I’m going to have Charlie. Robin said I could share him. Then I’ll bring him out here to play in this park.’
Annie smiled down at him and then reined in to point down a valley. ‘Over there, Henry. Hidden in that hollow, is the house where your grandfather lives.’
‘Can we go and see him? I’ll tell him about James’s grandfayther; he might know him.’
She shook her head. ‘Perhaps one day, but not now.’ I don’t know if we’ll be welcome, she thought, in spite of what Matt said. ‘We must get on if we’re to see the Sutcliff’s. There’ll be a welcome there for us, I’ve no doubt about that.’
But, though the Sutcliff girls greeted her with open arms, and made a great fuss over Henry, she felt a slight restraint from Lily. She was welcoming enough, but seemed nervous and jumpy. Mr Sutcliff had hurt his back lifting a barrel of ale and was hardly able to get out of his chair and all of his daughters were scurrying around trying to do the jobs which he normally did.
‘There’s a lot of heavy work running an inn,’ he complained. ‘The lasses are strong enough but they can’t shift ale barrels around.’
‘They can if they do it properly,’ Annie said. ‘I know how, I’ll show them.’ She had shifted many barrels of fish in her time, she was sure she hadn’t lost the knack.
‘Find the pivot,’ she told them. ‘Then it’s easy.’ She rolled the barrel on its axis as easily as she ever did. ‘I can’t think why your father hasn’t shown you before.’
‘He allus took care of the ale,’ Lily told her, wiping her pale face with her shawl. ‘We allus looked after ’house. Annie,’ she whispered anxiously. ‘I have to talk to thee. I’m that worried.’
She took Annie up to her room, and left Henry in the charge of Rose. ‘It’s Sergeant Collins,’ she blurted out. ‘He’s here, hiding in ’barn.’
Annie stared. The escaped soldier! Not Sergeant Collins?
‘He said he’d had enough. Something happened to make him run off, but he wouldn’t say what. I’m that scared of what me fayther will say if he finds out. It’s onny by chance that he didn’t find him, he can’t get outside because of his back. Oh, Annie, I want him to stay. And if he can’t stay, then I’ll go with him.’
‘His wife?’ She put her hand to her mouth as the words came out. She’d forgotten that Lily didn’t know that Sergeant Collins was married.
‘He told me,’ Lily nodded, ‘but he says he has no wife, onny in name. He hasn’t seen her for years. And now, well, he can’t go back, not now; there’ll be a warrant out on him.’
‘No,’ said Annie softly. ‘He can’t go back.’ Only to the gallows or a flogging to the death.
‘Take me to him,’ she said urgently. ‘We’ll have to decide what to do before your father finds out.’
They slipped out of the kitchen door and across the yard and into a foldyard. Annie remembered the way, this was where Mr Sutcliff had brought her when she’d brought the run liquor and they’d stored it in the pit.
Sergeant Collins was lying in a corner of the barn with a blanket wrapped around him. He’d discarded his red tunic and wore a shabby coat which Annie suspected had once been Mr Sutcliff’s. His once shiny boots had a film of dust and his breeches were muddy.
He sat up instantly as they opened the door and Annie saw him reach for a heavy stick which was lying by his side. He relaxed when he saw who it was and stood up. His face was pale and he looked younger than he did when he was in uniform.
‘I’ve brought Mrs Hope to talk to you, she has a clear head.’ Lily stood by his side. ‘She might know what we can do.’
Sergeant Collins glanced at Annie. He’d been there when she’d changed her name to Linton, but she hadn’t yet told the Sutcliffs.
‘Why?’ Annie asked. ‘Why now? I thought you were a soldier through and through.’
‘I was,’ he muttered grimly. ‘Even though the army wasn’t what I would have chosen – if I’d had the choice. But who of us does have the choice? And they made it sound tempting. There was regular pay, though it was a pittance, and I did have some satisfaction out of an orderly life, even though it was hard.’
He put his hand to his head. ‘But there are so many injustices. You can feel the dislike of the ordinary folks, the hatred of the mob. I got to be able to smell the fear of the young soldiers when they had to face them.’ He nodded his head towards Annie. ‘Like the soldier who fired at you and Master Linton.’
‘But you’d put up with it for so long, and you had responsibility!’
He gave a grim smile. ‘Aye, but not for much longer. Roxton was out to get somebody for losing Captain Linton, and he told me that day on the dockside, that I’d obstructed him. He was set to stop the marriage.’
Lily had a puzzled frown on her forehead but she didn’t interrupt.
‘But neither did I fancy a sea voyage. Half those men won’t come back and though I’m no coward I’d already decided that there must be some other life, a better one than dying on foreign earth.’
‘But,’ he said in merely a whisper. ‘It was when I saw ye and Captain Linton that I made my mind up. Ah. Ye might not have the chance of a life together, who knows what might happen out there on the ocean? But I watched you make a pledge in spite of that, and I knew then what I wanted. I wanted to be with Lily. It might not be for long if I’m caught. But even so, it’s what I want more than anything else. I’m sick of battling with my Calvinistic conscience. I want a taste of happiness too.’
He sat down on the floor and put his head in his hands and the two women stayed silent. Then Lily gently stroked the top of his head. ‘Don’t worry, Stuart. We’ll take our chance. I’ll run with thee if need be.’
Annie made up her mind to speak to Mr Sutcliff immediately. She went into the room where she had tasted the sumptuous food which Lily had prepared on her first visit and found him with Henry on his knee. He’d miss Lily’s cooking, she mused. Joan isn’t nearly as good a cook and Meg is so scatty she’d burn everything. And dear Rose, I hope, is coming with me.
She’d managed to whisper to Rose that she had some good news coming to her and the girl’s lovely face had lit up with a huge smile. She had been a pretty child but now she was beautiful, just grown into womanhood. There was no wonder, Annie thought, that Robin was so smitten, she would turn any man’s head. But she worshipped Robin, there was a smile in her eyes at the very mention of his name.
‘Run and find Rose,’ she told Henry. ‘I want to talk to Mr Sutcliff.’
Henry obediently slipped off his knee. ‘Are you a grandfayther? I’ve got a father and a grandfayther just like my friend James.’
‘Has he, Mrs Hope? Have you told him his fayther’s name?’ Mr Sutcliff looked up at her from his chair.
She nodded and sat down opposite him. She knew that he wouldn’t know anything. Lily was the only one who had known about Matt and Annie knew she hadn’t spoken of it. The others had expressed complete astonishment on meeting Henry.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘He knows his father, my husband – Captain Linton.’
Mr Sutcliff tried to rise from his chair. ‘Well, I never. Please excuse me Mrs Linton – I had no idea. Does Lily know.’
His face was red with embarrassment and she hastened to reassure him. ‘She does now.’ Sergeant Collins was no doubt telling her of the marriage at the quayside in Hull. ‘Captain Linton has been pressed into the navy.’ She dropped her voice to a whisper. ‘He was also caught by the Customs; there’ll be no more goods I fear.’
‘Dear, dear. Not a naval ship! That is hard luck. Can’t he buy himself out?’ he added. ‘A man like him – his father would have influence!’
It was something she had pondered on too. Money and influence could have done much to persuade the authorities to release him. But she knew how proud Matt was. He wouldn’t go to his father for help, not at any price.
‘If he bought his way out of the navy then the Customs would be waiting for him; he couldn’t easily avoid gaol. There’s a price to be paid for what we do, Mr Sutcliff – we’re none of us innocent as we both know, and if Captain Linton stays in the navy then the Customs can’t bring him to court.’
‘That’s true.’ Mr Sutcliff ran his fingers thoughtfully through his short beard and she thought she saw a vestige of relief in his eyes. ‘And though we know that the captain wouldn’t give evidence, there’s a few folk will sleep easier if they know there’s no-one to give out their names. And I’m not talking about folks like thee and me, like me, I mean to say,’ he added hastily and she hid a wry smile, ‘I’m talking about some of ’nobs who don’t mind handling run goods.’
She nodded and thought of Mr Beddows the magistrate who would be very embarrassed if it came out that he had a regular delivery of smuggled brandy and tobacco.
‘I wanted to talk to you, Mr Sutcliff, about a young man I know, who so far in his life has managed to avoid temptation. He’s had no brush with the law and has always managed to work honestly for his living.’
‘If there is such a man, I’d like to meet him,’ Mr Sutcliff snorted. ‘It’s not possible to keep tha hands clean these days. I don’t know of anybody, except for my four lasses, and they’re both honest and trustworthy, and that’s why they’re not wed. There’s nobody fit for ’em round here. They’ll stay spinsters even though I’ll miss out on having a grandson like your young ’un.’
‘This young man has,’ Annie insisted. ‘And what’s more he’s about to embark on a new career in trade. He’s set to make his mark in drapery. But,’ she sighed. ‘His heart isn’t in it. He’s so smitten with a young lass that he can’t bear to leave without her.’
‘Then why doesn’t he wed her and take her with him? It’s the obvious thing to do. He can’t be that bright if he can’t see that!’
‘Oh, he knows that. But he thinks that the girl’s father won’t let him near his daughter.’
‘Then her fayther must be off his chump. By, I’d let one of mine go if I thought there was a chance like that!’
‘Would you, Mr Sutcliff?’ Annie leaned towards him. ‘Would you let Rose go?’
‘Rose?’ His mouth opened wide in astonishment. ‘Little Rose! Does somebody want that bairn?’ He blew out a breath. ‘Well I never.’
His eyes narrowed as he pondered. ‘I might have trouble persuading her. I think she’s smitten with young Robin Deane. You know, yon fellow who first brought thee here. I’ve seen ’em with moon eyes every time he comes, they think I don’t notice. He’s an upright young fellow, but no prospects. Tha’d have to help me talk to her, Mrs Linton.’
She sat back in the chair and waited for the notion to sink in. It took only a few minutes. He looked up. ‘It’s him, isn’t it? Robin Deane? I think tha’d better tell me about it.’
She finished her explanation and an agreement was made. Robin would present himself formally to Mr Sutcliff on arrival. Rose would be informed and Robin would speak to her and then she would accompany Annie back to York.
‘If onny my back wasn’t bad I’d come wi’ thee,’ Mr Sutcliff said. ‘First of my daughters to be wed, – she’ll be onny one I expect, unless tha can come up wi’ some others,’ he added roguishly.
‘You’ll need one daughter at home to look after you?’ she asked. ‘You couldn’t manage otherwise?’
‘Oh aye, but our Lily’d stay. She’ll not wed, she’s past ’time of passion. She’d not leave her Da.’
‘Mr Sutcliff! Now that we’ve got the business of Rose settled – I need to talk to you about Lily.’
It was as difficult as she expected it to be. He ranted and raved about deceit and trickery and she sat and waited until the fury over the alleged duplicity had blown out. Yet though he blustered that he’d have no soldier living under his roof, she felt that his real fear was in losing Lily.
‘I have to warn you, Mr Sutcliff, that Lily will go with Sergeant Collins if you won’t accept him here. She said she would go with him. They’d have a life of misery, for ever hiding and moving on, but still she would go. You wouldn’t want that would you – not for Lily?’
He heaved himself painfully out of his chair and staggered across to the window. He stood for a few moments just staring out, not speaking. Then he turned towards her.
‘It’s not been easy bringing up four lasses. I did my best by ’em and tried to treat ’em all equal. But Lily, she was allus special to me, being ’first. I wanted a lad of course, what man doesn’t. A lad that could take over here when I’m past it, which won’t be long,’ he groaned as he eased himself back into the chair. ‘But Lily was like a mother to other ’bairns. It was hard for her when her Ma died, but she never complained. Never once as far as I remember.’
‘Then isn’t she due for some happiness, Mr Sutcliff?’ Annie pleaded. ‘They might not have long together. If the army finds him and takes him back, then she’d lose him for good. You can’t deny her a chance.’
He shook his head. ‘Military wouldn’t find him up here. They never come now. They’re too busy fighting ’French to come looking up here for a deserter for one thing; and for another, we get very few travellers in this part of ’Wolds for ’word to get out. And if local folk round here did find out about him, their lips ’d be sealed, they’d say nowt.’ He folded his arms across his chest purposefully. ‘Not if he was wi’ me, they wouldn’t.’
She was halfway to victory. She rose to her feet. ‘I must relieve Rose of Henry. Perhaps you’ll think about it?’ She opened the door and a smell of onions and wild garlic drifted through from the kitchen.
‘Something smells good,’ she said lightheartedly. ‘She’s a good cook is Lily.’
‘Aye, she is,’ he said gloomily. ‘She takes after her mother.’
As they were preparing to sit down to supper, Mr Sutcliff pulled out a chair at the table for Annie, and one next to her for Henry. ‘Rose,’ he said. ‘Come and sit by me. If I’m to lose thee soon then I’ll have thee next to me.’
Rose blushed and glanced shyly from beneath long dark lashes at Annie and then at Joan and Meg who were bringing in the supper dishes.
They both looked up and glanced at her and then their father, but asked no questions. Joan put a pie dish on the table, its contents hidden beneath a golden crust.
‘Mm, that looks good Joan, thy hand’s improving then?’ her father remarked.
She giggled. ‘Don’t tease, fayther. Tha knows it’s not mine. Nobody makes paste like our Lily.’
Her father sighed. ‘Aye, tha’s never spoken a truer word.’
Lily sat down and cut into the crust and a fragrant spiral of steam rose from the incision. Her face was drawn and she avoided looking at her father.
‘Excuse me, Lily, but hasn’t tha forgotten summat.’ Mr Sutcliff’s words broke the silence.
She dropped the spatula with a clatter, spilling gravy on to the table and looked up in fright, her face whiter than ever.
‘Nay lass. Don’t look so scared,’ he said quietly. ‘I’m not going to bite tha head off.’
‘I’m sorry fayther. Wh- What have I forgotten? Everything’s out I think – extra gravy and ’taties.’
‘I was thinking that it’d be polite to wait on our other guest to join us before starting on our supper, and tha hasn’t set an extra place at ’table!’
Lily stared at her father, her face set, her eyes enormous. She said nothing and the other girls moved only their eyes from one to another, as if aware that something momentous was about to happen, but dare not for the life of them ask what it was.
‘Joan’ll dish up,’ he continued. ‘Meg, fetch another plate from ’rack. Go on then, Lily,’ he said gently. ‘Bring tha friend in before ’supper gets cold.’