DELIA REFUSED MATTHEW’S offer to take her to Patrington to visit the doctor. ‘I can’t,’ she wailed. ‘Everybody will see me and gossip about who the father is.’
Rosa stayed silent for a moment, then she asked, ‘Will you have ’doctor here, if he’ll come? You’ll have to see him sooner or later. I know nothing about babies. Suppose it comes early, what would we do?’
Delia pouted and Matthew grew impatient. ‘You can’t pretend that it isn’t going to happen, Delia,’ he pointed out. ‘Rosa’s right. You’ll need some help.’
With very little grace Delia said that she would see the doctor at home. ‘Onny make sure that Da’s not about,’ she said. ‘And who’ll pay him?’ She started to cry. ‘Da won’t and I haven’t any money.’
Rosa hadn’t any either. Only the housekeeping money, and Mr Drew went over her housekeeping bills meticulously.
‘I’ll pay,’ Matthew said. ‘And I’ll ask Jim to chip in. I’ll go tomorrow to Patrington and ask him to call.’
‘I’ll go,’ Rosa interrupted. ‘I want to see Gran. Flo sent a message to say that Aunt Bella is ill and won’t last much longer.’
I’ll also tell Flo about Delia, she thought. She ought to know, and perhaps she’ll write to the twins and tell them.
She thought of Maggie, who had come with Fred just a few days earlier. Rosa hadn’t told anyone of Maggie’s forthcoming confinement, for she guessed that Maggie would want to tell her father and brothers herself, but the first person Maggie saw as she entered the house was Delia, and Delia was stretching her back after putting the kettle on the fire in the very same action that Maggie herself used. Her pregnancy was obvious, and Maggie had drawn in her breath and held onto the back of a chair.
‘Delia!’ Maggie gazed at her sister and then across at Rosa, who was folding sheets. ‘Delia! You’re—!’
‘Yes,’ Delia said rebelliously. ‘I am. And it looks as if you’re in ’same boat.’
‘No,’ Maggie said slowly. ‘I don’t think so! I’m carrying my husband’s child. Whose child are you carrying?’
Delia hadn’t looked at Maggie, and she thrust her chin in the air as she’d replied, ‘Somebody else’s husband’s.’
Maggie had lowered herself into a chair. ‘You never told me, Rosa,’ she accused. ‘Why didn’t you?’
Rosa came and knelt beside her. ‘How could I?’ she’d said softly. ‘How could I spoil your joy?’
Maggie had wept and then Delia, in her shame at ruining her sister’s tidings, cried also, and Maggie, after having a cup of tea, was driven home again without seeing her father or brothers. It was left to Rosa to give them the news that Maggie too was expecting a child.
Only Matthew seemed to be glad to hear of it. Mr Drew merely grunted and said that the event was predictable, whilst Jim seemed so preoccupied, it was as if he wasn’t really listening.
Rosa looked across at Marsh Farm as she passed it on the way to Patrington. The roof on the barn had had some new tiles fitted and she saw that there was an empty waggon in the yard, and wondered why it was there, when usually the waggons were kept at Home Farm.
Flo opened the door at Aunt Bella’s house and put her finger to her lips. ‘Doctor’s here,’ she whispered. ‘It doesn’t look too good for Miss Dingley. She’s sleeping a lot, we can barely wake her up to feed her.’
Rosa wondered what her grandmother would do when Aunt Bella died. Flo, she knew, would marry her faithful Tom and leave Patrington, but Gran is getting old, she thought, will she be able to live alone?
They were talking in the parlour when the doctor came downstairs followed by Mrs Jennings. ‘You’ll know my granddaughter, Rosa?’ she said to the doctor. ‘She lives with ’Drew family on Sunk Island.’
‘Yes, of course I do.’ The doctor nodded to her. ‘Mrs Drew sang your praises – said you were like a daughter to her. Well, I must be off, Mrs Jennings,’ he said. ‘I’ll look in tomorrow. There’s no more to be done, I’m afraid.’
‘Doctor—’ Rosa hesitated. ‘Could you call at Home Farm some time soon?’
‘Who’s sick? Not Mr Drew?’
‘No.’ She pondered. Now it would come out. ‘It’s Delia. She needs to see you.’
‘Delia?’ Flo said in astonishment. ‘She came home then?’
‘Will you come?’ Rosa asked the doctor again. ‘It’s urgent.’
He asked what was the matter with Delia and why couldn’t she come to see him?
Rosa looked at Flo and then at her grandmother. ‘She’s not sick,’ she said in a low voice. ‘She’s expecting a child. She doesn’t want anyone in Patrington to see her.’
The doctor lowered his head and gazed at her solemnly and then said he would come as soon as he could, within the next few days.
‘Delia expecting!’ Flo exclaimed when he had gone. ‘I can’t believe it! Who’s the father? When is she to be wed?’
Mrs Jennings tutted. ‘Dearie me. One poor soul on her way out to mek room for another coming. ’Good Lord knows what he’s about, I expect, even if we don’t. She doesn’t know who ’father is?’ she queried. ‘Is that it?’
‘She does know who he is,’ Rosa defended. ‘But she won’t say. He can’t marry her. He’s married already.’
‘Aye, well. Of course he is.’ Mrs Jennings sighed. ‘They allus are. Poor young lass. She’ll have a rough life from now on.’
‘What does Da say about it?’ Flo was aghast. ‘Is he letting her stay?’
‘For the moment,’ Rosa said. ‘But he won’t speak to her and she can’t eat at ’same table as him. And I don’t know what will happen when ’babby is born.’
‘An outcast! A pariah, that’s what she’ll be.’ Mrs Jennings nodded sagely. ‘And babby as well. But those who shut ’gates on pity must first look to see that their own hands are clean.’
‘Gran! What will you do when – if – anything happens to Aunt Bella?’ Rosa asked.
‘It’ll be when, not if,’ her grandmother said. ‘Her time’s almost run out, like it does for all of us eventually. And – well, I don’t rightly know what I’ll do. I should have planned things better, but summat will work out I expect.’
‘Yes.’ Rosa was thoughtful. ‘I expect it will. Gran, do you think – that is, if I can arrange it with Mr Drew, would you come and live with us at Home Farm and help with Delia’s baby?’
The days were getting shorter and a chill wind whipped around the island, heralding the winter which was to come. On most days, if Rosa finished her chores early and whilst Delia prepared supper, she put on her cloak and walked along the river embankment.
The onset of winter held no fears for her. She loved to watch the turbulent waters of the Humber as it lashed across the salt marsh, its foamy spray dashing against the high embankment as if trying to claim back its rightful habitat. The migratory birds were flying in from their long journey overseas, and mallard and teal were to be found hanging in many larders of the farmsteads.
Today, as she walked along the high river wall, the tide was out and the saltmarsh and mudflats were thronging with vast flocks of wading birds: dunlin, plover, shelduck and redshank were feeding on the prolific supply of crustaceans. She stood still for a moment, watching, and not wanting to disturb, the long-legged curlews as they dropped onto the flats to burrow with their curved bills into the mud, searching out lugworm and ragworm.
As she watched, Rosa deliberated that she still hadn’t approached Mr Drew about her grandmother coming to stay for Delia’s confinement, but she could put it off no longer. Aunt Bella had died the previous week and Mrs Jennings was sorting out her cousin’s possessions and had to make a decision about her future. I’ll ask him today, she determined. No, I will tell him! There is no alternative that I can think of.
She walked on until she came to Stone Creek, where she stood looking down at the boats moored in the harbour. Fishermen were sitting on upturned barrels mending their nets, men were unloading coal from a seagoing vessel and another group of men standing apart from the others were in a serious discussion. One of them was James Drew. Two others were the Irish brothers.
Rosa realized that if they turned they would see her standing there and she pulled her hood over her head and turned around, wondering at herself for not wanting to be seen by Mr Drew, for she was entitled to be out if she wished. She started to walk back along the track watching the river and its traffic and saw a cutter, midway in the river, drop its anchor almost opposite to the Stone Creek harbour.
She heard a voice from behind her hail ‘Hello,’ but she kept on walking and saw in the distance a figure coming towards her. A man with a gun and a dog which wagged its tail in acknowledgement of her.
‘Rosa!’ The voice called her again and she recognized it as John Byrne’s. She turned and he was running along the track towards her. His brother and James Drew were out of sight. ‘Rosa!’ This time the call came from the other direction, from the man with the dog. Jim.
John Byrne reached her first and he smiled. ‘Are you running away from me?’
‘No. Why should I be?’
‘From James Drew then?’ There was a hint of a laugh in the question but his voice was probing.
‘No need for me to run away from him either,’ she answered calmly. ‘I’m free to do as I wish.’
‘Ah,’ he sighed. ‘If that were only true. We are none of us totally free.’ He looked up as Jim drew nearer and dropped his voice. ‘The man yonder looks familiar. One of Drew’s sons?’
She didn’t answer but turned to Jim as he approached. ‘This is a busy thoroughfare today,’ she said lightly. ‘Stone Creek’s as busy as Patrington market day and I was expecting to be alone.’
‘There’s allus somebody about when you least expect ’em.’ Jim spoke to her but stared at John Byrne, who returned his gaze.
‘Jim Drew?’ John Byrne asked. His voice had a hard edge to it.
‘Aye, ’same.’
It seemed to Rosa that the men were like two dogs sniffing and circling as they gave their greetings.
‘John Byrne?’ said Jim.
‘Indeed. Sure and I never thought that we’d meet again.’
‘Nor I,’ Jim answered. ‘It’s been a long time.’
‘Too long.’
‘I wouldn’t say that,’ Jim said slowly. ‘I’d no wish to see you or your brother again.’
Rosa was startled. Jim was often blunt and plain-spoken but never uncivil, as she felt he was being now.
‘Your father is glad to see us.’ John Byrne had a cynical smile upon his lips. ‘We have a little business venture going.’
‘He doesn’t need any other business,’ Jim said abruptly. ‘We’re farmers.’ He glanced at Rosa as he spoke. ‘Neither should it be discussed here. It’s not right or proper.’
‘Oh, but I think it is.’ The Irishman turned to Rosa as if he was including her in the discussion. ‘It’s as if we’ve come full circle. The second generation!’
‘No! Not on any account.’ Jim’s voice was full of suppressed fury.
‘You wouldn’t want your father’s name dragged in the mud?’ There was a threat in John Byrne’s voice.
‘I’ll not have Rosa brought into it.’ Jim shifted his hand on his gun.
‘But she is in it,’ Byrne said smoothly. ‘When her father disappeared and she was born, she surely took on his mantle?’
‘You’re talking rubbish,’ Jim snarled. ‘You were always full o’ damned moonshine and me, young fool that I was, used to believe it.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Rosa broke in. ‘What mantle? What about my father?’
‘Nowt!’ Jim said. ‘Get off home, Rosa. I’ll not have you involved in his shady business.’
‘Protective, aren’t we?’ Byrne sneered. ‘Why’s that, I wonder? And I also wonder why your father took her under his wing? He’s hardly got the milk of human kindness in his blood. Not from where I’m standing anyway.’
‘Get off home, Rosa,’ Jim repeated. ‘I’ll sort this out once and for all.’
‘No!’ Rosa had seen his fingers shifting on his gun and was afraid that he might fire. ‘I want to know what all this is about.’ She turned to John Byrne. ‘The last time we met you said that my father had a ship. Was he a smuggler? Is that why you were here on Sunk Island?’
He gave her a lazy smile. ‘What a clever girl. Brains as well as beauty!’ His eyes appraised her and she felt herself blushing. ‘We were smuggling sure enough. Had a good business going too until we came to this lonely land.’ He grimaced. ‘Then your daddy fell in love and became senseless. We don’t know what happened next, except that Carlos disappeared and Seamus and me got caught by the Customs.’
He looked at Jim, who was eyeing him with loathing.
‘As for Jim here.’ John Byrne shook his head. ‘He did whatever his father told him, didn’t you, Jim? Just as you will this time.’
Rosa watched Jim’s face. He seemed to be struggling with fear, defiance and humiliation.
‘He doesn’t have to do anything he doesn’t want to,’ she said boldly. ‘Especially if you’re planning something else that is against the law.’ She looked back towards Stone Creek and couldn’t believe that Mr Drew would become involved in something illegal. ‘I’d have thought you would have learned your lesson if you’ve been in prison already.’
Byrne stiffened. ‘It’s because I’ve been in prison that I’ve come back! Somebody has to pay for those years.’ His words were harsh. ‘I was only a boy when I was caught. I grew up in jail. I want some answers and I’m going to get them.’
Jim defied him. ‘You’re full o’ bluster, Byrne. An ass, that’s what you are. An ass in a lion’s skin! There are no answers! Can’t you get it into your head? It’s finished! Over! We should all get on with our lives as best we can.’
There was a burning obsession in John Byrne’s eyes as he spat out, ‘Never! Never while I live. Whilst I have breath in my body I’ll find out the truth and somebody will pay.’