A Dinner Of Herbs (68 page)

much of their friendship, as she calls it.”

Hal stared at her now, saying, “Do you think it’s something more?”

“Could well be.

“Cos any man with a spark of intelligence would find Kate good company. And that

would be the least

of her attractions, because once she starts talking you forget about her plainness. In fact....

“ Aye, in fact

what? “

“Well, sometimes she doesn’t appear plain at all.”

“You’re learning, woman, you’re learning. Anyway, there’s got to be change one way or

tother. She’s

got to stop her traipsing for her own sake, or he’s got to take on the journey this way.

Why he hasn’t

done it afore has puzzled me, I might as well tell you. So now you go on along to her

room there and

sort things out’... A few minutes later Mary Ellen knocked gently on Kate’s door. She

had done this for

some time now, yet she never knocked on Maggie’s or Florrie’s door, nor yet on her

sons’. However,

she always made herself known with her voice before she entered their rooms, that was, since the day a

few years ago when she had left Tom and John’s room with a red face, when John had

cried at her, “

Aw, look Mam, I’m out of nappies, and I feel bare even in me long clothes. “

When Kate said, “Come in,” she entered, saying, “Not in bed yet?”

“No, I was reading a bit.”

“You won’t do your eyes any good reading in a single candle light.”

They looked at each other. Kate had on a long grey woollen gown over a blue cotton

nightdress. Her

straight black hair was hanging in two long plaits over her shoulders, the tapered ends reaching her waist.

Her face in the candlelight looked warm and soft, and the sight of her thus made Mary

Ellen think, She’s

worth any man’s love.

“Something wrong, Mam?”

“It’s how you look at it, lass.” Mary Ellen sat down on the edge of the bed and with the first finger of

her right hand she began to scrape the inside of the thumb nail on her left hand, while concentrating her

gaze on it; the action had become a habit over the years and portrayed an inner anxiety.

After losing her

two youngest children, she had sat doing this for hours on end.

Looking at the picking finger, Kate said quietly, “What is it, Mam?”

“Tis about your rides out, lass. You’re going to get yourself talked about.”

“How?” The syllable was sharp and brought Mary Ellen’s attention from her fingers to

Kate’s face, and

now her voice low and her words rapid, she said, “People have tongues and eyes. They’re linking your

name with this fellow.” She had no proof of this, but she knew it could happen, so she felt no

compunction in enlarging on it, saying, “You’ll soon be the talk of the place. Every week, regular as

clockwork, going across there. Why can’t he come across here?”

“Because I wouldn’t let him, because you would have all put two and two together and

made half a

dozen out of it. Mam’—she put her hand out and gripped Mary Ellen’s knee “ I asked

you a little while

ago to have patience. “

“I’ve had patience, lass, and’ so has your dad, but it’s running out.

We were worried sick inside ourselves, about . about him . Roddy, your father coming.

Then we

knew relief after how you took him.

But now, the night with Maggie. “ She bowed her head, and Kate came back quickly, “

Oh, Maggie.

Maggie’s tongue. “

“Aw, lass, I don’t want you to be hurt again.”

“I won’t be, Mam. There’s only two people in the world can hurt me now and they are

you and Dad.”

Mary Ellen screwed up her face and stared at her daughter before she said, “What about him, your

friend?”

“He’ll never hurt me.”

“You seem very sure of that.”

“I am, very sure.”

Mary Ellen got to her feet, saying warily now, “Aye, well, the world’s changin’. In my time there was no

such thing as a friendship with a man. It was either one or the other, something or

nothing.”

“Good-night, Mam.” Kate leaned forward and kissed her mother, but Mary Ellen did not

return the

kiss. Turning away slowly, she said dully, “Good-night, lass.”

Kate now went to the door and gently slid in the bolt. The only one who was likely to

visit her at this

hour would be Florrie. She didn’t want to talk to Florrie tonight. Returning to the bed, she dropped on

to her knees and, burying her face in her hands, she prayed: Show me what to do. And in the silence that

seemed to envelop her she waited, and after some minutes, when the answer came into

her mind, she

rose from her knees, snuffed out the candle and got into bed.

The answer had been simple: there was no need for them to know who he was. His name

was Benedict

Fraser Hamilton. She could marry him tomorrow and be Mrs. Fraser Hamilton. The

Bannamans were

all dead and gone, all of them that is except the grandmother. She was in America and a very old lady

and no threat. She had been silly to worry. The day after tomorrow she would go up there and fetch

him home.

She rode out on the Thursday and was late coming back. They were finishing the meal

when she

walked into the dining room, and they all turned and looked towards her. Her face was

flushed, her eyes

were bright. She had taken off her hat and her hair looked tousled. Going up to the table, she looked at

her mother and said, “I’m ... I’m sorry I’m late.” And Mary Ellen, looking up into her face, said quietly,

“I put the pie back into the oven.”

“I’m ... I’m not hungry. I’ll just have some bread and cheese.... Mam.”

“Yes, lass?”

“Would ... would it be all right if my friend came to tea on Sunday?”

The room was enveloped in silence, until Mary Ellen said, “Certainly, lass, certainly.

He’ll be welcome.”

She now looked towards Hal and she said, one word, “Dad?”

Hal, swallowing the remnants of a mouthful of food, covered his surprise by being jovial.

“Well, I don’t know. Will he bring his own bait?”

The men all laughed, and Florrie laughed, only Maggie’s face was straight. Then Hal

said, “Whoever you

bring here, lass, is welcome.”

Thanks, Dad. “ She sat down now at her place at the table, and when John handed her the platter with

the remains of a crusty loaf on it, he looked into her eyes and smiled.

It was Maggie who next spoke, “I can’t wait,” she said flatly. And Florrie ever quick to pour oil on

troubled waters piped in brightly, “Nor can I, Kate. Charles says he’s a splendid fellow and very

intelligent, being widely travelled.”

“Oh, my godfathers!” Gabriel now was pretending to choke, and he said, “I’ll stay in the cow byres,

and you two better keep me company’—he nodded at his elder brothers ‘because we’d

never be able to

pass ourselves.”

He was smiling at Kate as he finished, and she, coming back at him said, “Oh, don’t

worry, Gabriel,

he’s met a lot of idiots in his time.

He’ll understand that you’re not responsible for your low mentality.

One cannot help how one is born. “

This retort brought laughter again, yet it wasn’t whole hearted. Their Kate was different somehow. No

one of them could put his finger on it.

Perhaps John came nearer to it as he looked at her, thinking, She’s not aware of herself any more. It’s

as if her looks and size no longer matter to her. Or perhaps she’s put a true value on them.

Whatever it

is, she’s changed and is happier. That’s all that matters.

Kate did not ride out to meet her friend on the Sunday afternoon. He was to arrive at

three o’clock and

the house had been agog since early morning; in fact, it could be said it had been agog for the past two

days, because Mary Ellen had made as much preparation for Kate’s friend’s visit as she had for Kate’s

father.

The chores in the farmyard had been got through early and the men were in their Sunday best, as were

Mary Ellen and the girls. But Maggie had added an extra touch:

she was wearing a brown velvet band around her neck with a tiny locket dangling from

the middle of it,

and in her hair, which had been arranged in loose rolls on the top of her head, she had inserted a

matching bow, and she brought with her a strong aroma of lavender water. Kate’s attire in comparison

looked utterly plain, yet her grey poplin sat on her figure as if moulded to it. And

evidently she had been

conscious of this, for she placed a pale blue sash high up on her waist below her breasts.

The men were in the sitting-room, all definitely ill at ease. Even Gabriel was finding nothing funny to say

at the moment. And when, just on three o’clock, Mary Ellen, Florrie, and Maggie entered the room, Hal

stopped his pacing up and down between the windows and, turning to Mary Ellen, said.

Three o’clock,

she said, didn’t she? Well, where is he? “

“It’s only ten to.”

“Where’s she?”

“She’s in the hall. And sit yourself down and try to act as if it was an everyday occasion.”

“Huh!” The quiet exclamation from Maggie brought her mother’s eyes sharply on her,

but she said

nothing. And now, turning her attention to her eldest sons, she said, “You two are sitting there like

stuffed dummies. Why can’t you read the newspaper?”

“You forget they don’t know how to read. Main.” Gabriel’s revival to lightness caused a little titter.

Then a flurry of movement affected everybody in the room as Hal jerked himself round

from the

windows, saying, “Here he comes.” . Kate walked out of the front door and across the

gravel to where

Ben was dismounting, and, as if it hadn’t been arranged, Terry ambled up and took the

visitor’s horse,

saying, “I’ll see to him, sir.”

As Terry led the horse away, Kate and Ben faced each other for a moment; then in an

undertone, he

said, “How’s things going?”

“All very stiff and proper. They’re sitting in there as if for a church meeting. Now Ben’—

her voice

changed, dropping low ‘you’ll be careful, won’t you?”

“I’ll be careful. I am one Benedict Fraser Hamilton. I had forebears by the name of

Fountain, which,”

he added, ‘is perfectly true. I shall not mention having bought Rooklands Farm. But what I shall do

before I leave is to ask your father for your hand in marriage. “

“Oh, Ben. I’m ... I’m quaking inside.”

Ben bent his head towards her, saying in an undertone now, “That is a very good lead up to a

conversation. I understand there’s a sect in Allendale who go under that name.”

“Don’t joke.”

They were walking towards the front door now, as he said, “I’m as nervous as you.”

She cast a quick glance at him, saying, “Really?”

“Yes’—his voice was serious now ‘because I feel I’m here under false pretences. If I had my way I

would....”

“Please, please, Ben.”

“All right, all right, as we arranged.” He smiled at her now. And then they were in the hall, and there

were Mary Ellen and Hal coming towards them, and Kate found herself chattering, as

Maggie or any self

conscious girl would have done, saying, “You’ve already met my mother and father,

but... but this is Mr.

Hamilton.”

“Mr. Hamilton, is it?” Hal’s hand was extended, and Ben shook it, saying, “I’m very

pleased to make

your better acquaintance, Mr. Roystan. And ... and yours too, Mrs. Roystan.” He was

now shaking

hands with Mary Ellen who didn’t speak, merely inclined her head and watched as he

looked about him

and then won her over immediately by saying, “What a fine hall.”

Now she said, “Yes, yes, it is a nice hall. Will... will you come and meet my family?”

“It will be a pleasure.”

The men were standing when they entered the drawing—room, only Maggie and Florrie

remained

seated,-as they had been taught to do by the dame at the school. Ladies never rise at the entry of

gentlemen, had been her advice.

It was Mary Ellen who was making the introductions:

“These are my eldest sons, John and Tom,” she said.

“How do you do?” Ben held out his hand, and it was shaken vigorously by the twins.

“And this is my youngest son, Gabriel.” And then she made a joke that broke the

formality.

“He was named after an angel,” she said, ‘but I felt it was a mistake from the beginning, and time and

again I’ve been proved right. “

“Aw, Mam. Mam.” Gabriel was laughing at the visitor, and Ben was laughing at him as

he said, “Well,

the fallen angel often comes out on top. But you know what they say. God is good with

advice but the

devil pays in cash.”

Amid the laughter, Hal said, “Well, I’ve never heard that afore.

Anyway, say hello to my two girls here, and you’ve seen them afore an’ all, then settle down and make

yourself at home. “

As Ben bowed, first towards Florrie, and then towards Maggie, saying each time, “My

pleasure. My

pleasure,” they inclined their head towards him, and Maggie’s smile was sweet and her

eyes lingered on

him, and he appraised her for a moment before turning to Hal and saying, “You have a

very fine family.”

“Aye, well, they’re not bad. Are you from a big family?”

“No, unfortunately....” He had only just stopped himself from saying, ‘fortunately’, and went on, “I was