Rosa's Island (24 page)

‘No,' she gasped. ‘Don't. I'll tell you. I'm sorry.' Tears ran down her cheeks. ‘I'm sorry, Da, really I am.' She glanced at them all in turn and finally at Rosa. ‘I can't,' she sobbed. ‘I can't tell them.'

Rosa took in her blotchy face and shaking body and knew that Delia couldn't disclose the news to her father, that she was too afraid of the consequences. But the confession must be made. There was no doubt that he had to be told before he found out for himself.

‘Delia's expecting a child,' she said quietly and unemotionally. ‘And the father can't marry her.'

There was a sudden hush. Even the fire seemed to stop its crackling and the kettle its hissing.

‘What? What did you say?' Mr Drew stared at Rosa and then at his daughter. ‘Expecting a child! A bastard?' His face grew scarlet and sweat stood out on his forehead whilst Matthew and Jim rose simultaneously and gazed numbly at Delia.

‘You strumpet!' Disgust lined Drew's face. ‘Can't marry you? Who is he? I'll have him horse-whipped!'

‘He's gone,' she wept. ‘You'd never find him. I've not seen him for weeks.'

‘Gone, has he?' His tone was harsh and bitter. ‘And that's what you can do, young woman. Go! I'll not have any fornicating trollop living in my house.'

Rosa drew in a sharp breath at his coarse language and Matthew started to object.

‘Be quiet!' Drew bellowed. ‘I'm master in this house and I'm telling you I'll not have her here. Get your bags and go!'

DELIA COLLAPSED SOBBING
into a chair and the only sound in the room was of her weeping, until her father turned towards the door. ‘Ten minutes,' he barked, as he brushed past her. ‘I'll give you ten minutes to get your things together, then be off wi' you.'

‘Da!' Matthew started to say. ‘Let's talk about this.'

‘Mr Drew,' Rosa began.

He put up his hand to silence them but as he came towards Jim, who was blocking his way, Jim stopped him. ‘Hold hard a minute, Da,' he said quietly. ‘Don't be hasty. She's your daughter and our sister and you can't just turn her out.'

‘Can't I though?' his father said savagely. ‘She might be your sister but she's no daughter o' mine.'

‘She is your daughter and you know where she'll finish up if you turn her out?' Jim stared him in the face. ‘She'll finish up in 'streets of Hull – or in a brothel!' His last few words dropped to a whisper so that Rosa, who was contemplating Delia's future if her father refused
to have her at home, didn't quite catch what he was saying.

But James Drew did and he blinked rapidly and opened and closed his mouth. Then he composed himself. ‘She can go to 'devil for all I care,' he muttered.

‘Aye,' Jim said softly. ‘Well, isn't that where we'll all meet up? It'll not be in heaven, that's for sure.'

His father pushed past him and went out of the room, but Jim followed him, giving a quick glance at Matthew as he did so, and putting up his hand to stop him following.

‘Where shall I go?' Delia moaned. ‘Who'll have me?' She appealed to Matthew. ‘Do you think our Maggie'll let me stop with her?' Her face was blotched with crying and her eyes red and swollen.

Rosa's eyes were drawn towards the window. Jim had his hand raised in a fist as he was talking, and although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could see that his father was angry as he too was waving his arms about.

Presently Jim returned to the house. ‘You can stop for a bit till we decide what's best to be done.' His voice was shaky but he had a set determined look on his face.

Delia started to cry again and Rosa said to her, ‘Why don't you go up to your bedroom until things calm down. Of course your da is angry. He's had a shock. He's upset.'

She nodded and rushed upstairs and Matthew asked Jim quietly, ‘How did you manage to make him change his mind?'

‘He hasn't changed it!' Jim gave a deep sigh and sat down and started to drink his now cold tea. ‘I've just reminded him of a few things. It's a temporary reprieve, that's all.'

‘Reminded him of what things?' Matthew asked curiously.

‘Nowt that concerns you.' Jim's face was creased with tension. ‘Just summat that happened a long time ago. I needed to refresh his memory that none of us is perfect.'

‘I thought Da was,' Matthew said cynically. ‘At least that's 'impression we were always given.'

‘Jim!' Rosa butted in. ‘It seems that your da will listen to you, more than he'll listen to Matthew and certainly more than to me. So I was thinking. Will you tell him that if he won't let Delia stay, then I'll leave because there's too much for one person to do, and he'll have to get a housekeeper and a girl in to do for you. He won't like that,' she added. ‘He won't want strangers in the house.'

Jim nodded. He appeared strained after the heated discussion with his father. ‘Aye, I'll tell him when he's cooled down a bit.' He looked up at her and his eyes searched her face. ‘But don't think that he won't listen to you. He will. He has you on his conscience.'

‘On his conscience? Whatever do you mean?' She was totally puzzled. James Drew had never shown her any concern.

‘Never mind,' Jim said abruptly. ‘I've said too much already.' He rose from his chair. ‘Come on, Matthew. We've work to do before supper.'

‘Conscience!' Matthew exclaimed with sudden
enlightenment as Jim went out of the door. ‘Yes. That's it! That was 'word I was searching for that day we went to see your gran – years ago, don't you remember, Rosa? And then we went to Marsh Farm and frightened Jim out of his wits? I said there was another reason why Da said you should live with us, but I didn't know 'word for it then. I couldn't explain myself!'

She vaguely remembered, but it was a very long time ago and somehow it didn't seem important. Not when there were so many difficulties looming ahead.

Yet, strangely, there was never any further discussion on Delia's future and so she stayed. But her father didn't speak to her, neither would he eat at the same table. Delia took her food alone, either before or after everyone else had eaten. Rosa felt sorry for her but tried not to show it and Delia never commented on her exclusion, but grew silent and discreet in her father's presence as if trying to be invisible.

‘Should I take her to see 'doctor?' Matthew asked Rosa one day, some weeks later. ‘I'll drive her over in 'trap. And mebbe we should tell Maggie and Flo?'

Rosa agreed. No-one else had been told and Delia had kept to the house and yard, never venturing even into the fields during harvest time in case anyone should see her and comment on her being at home.

‘I'm going to ride into Hedon tomorrow,' she told him. ‘The pedlar hasn't been and we need some things for the house. I'll call on Maggie and tell her myself.' She didn't know what was
needed for a pregnant woman when she began in labour, but thought that Maggie being an eldest daughter might know. She would ask her anyway. They needed to be prepared.

Maggie was in sparkling form and delighted to see Rosa, who had not visited her in her neat little house before. ‘Come in and I'll show you round,' she said, and took Rosa into her tidy kitchen and cosy parlour. Then she led her through the staircase door and up the wooden stairs to the bedroom. There was another door in the bedroom and through it was another very small room. It smelled of new paint, and Maggie showed her the flowered curtains she was making for the windows.

‘Can you guess why we're preparing this room, Rosa?' she asked, and half covered her face with her hands as she hid a smile.

Rosa shook her head. ‘Expecting visitors?'

‘Not visitors,' Maggie said. ‘Someone permanent.'

‘Permanent? Who? Oh! Not a baby?' She gazed at Maggie, who was oozing suppressed delight. ‘Oh, Maggie! I'm so pleased for you.' And how can I tell you now of Delia? she reflected. I can't spoil your happiness by bringing you news of your sister's disgrace. ‘When?' she asked. ‘When will it be?'

‘Sometime in January, 'doctor thinks. I would have come over to tell you but Fred has been busy and he won't let me drive 'trap on my own, not now. He's like a dog with two tails, Rosa! Though he said he wasn't bothered one way or another when we wed, he's that proud now and
he runs around after me, won't let me do a thing and makes me sit with my feet up!'

‘I'm so glad for you, Maggie, and for Fred.' And so sorry for Delia, she considered, who has no-one to love her or think well of her baby. ‘And of course you must take great care of yourself.'

‘I know. 'Doctor says I'm in good health and very strong and even though I'm old for a first babby, he says if I rest a bit each day, I'll be all right.

‘I'm scared though, Rosa,' she confessed. ‘I remember when Ma had Matthew, she nearly died, and then she went on to have Delia. I wish she was here,' she said, suddenly tearful. ‘She'd tell me what to do.'

‘She would have been so glad for you,' Rosa said, and added, ‘So what kind of things do you need? I mean, perhaps I can get them for you?'

‘Oh, bless you, that's all arranged. I've got lying-in sheets and a crib, and ordered a layette, though I haven't collected it, it's supposed to be unlucky to do that before 'babby is born. And 'midwife has been to see me already.'

‘A midwife! Of course!' Rosa pondered. She hadn't thought about a midwife and she doubted if Delia had either. But then Delia hadn't discussed her forthcoming confinement at all. And of course she wouldn't. She couldn't discuss it with her brothers or her father. So there's only me, and she has never liked me. But there, she thought. We will both have to forget our differences and plan for the future.

She had tea with Maggie and then set off back on the long road to Sunk Island. As she reached
the village of Ottringham a waggon was coming towards her. As it drew near she saw that Fred was driving. She greeted him and gave him her congratulations.

He beamed. ‘Aye, it's grand news. Best yet. So! What news from Sunk Island? Or have you given it all to Maggie?'

She hesitated. Should she give Fred the news of Delia, so that he could tell Maggie at a suitable time? She decided that she would, she had always found him to be a responsive man. He drew into the side of the road when she said she wanted to talk to him, and she slipped down from the saddle and with the horse held on a long rein, she climbed onto the waggon seat next to Fred.

‘It's not good news,' she began. ‘And I didn't tell Maggie because she's so happy and I didn't want to spoil things for her, but—' She told him as plainly as possible of Delia and her trouble, and that she was at home, on Sunk Island.

Fred's expression hardened. ‘And this man won't marry her?'

‘Can't.' Rosa's voice was low. ‘He's married already.'

‘She's been consorting wi' a married man?' he said heatedly. ‘Did she know he was married?'

‘I don't know,' Rosa confessed.

‘Well, if she did, I've no sympathy for her! None at all and I'm not sure that I want my wife to be in her company!'

Rosa was taken aback. She had not expected sympathy for Delia, but some compassion at least.

‘Shameful behaviour such as this reflects on everybody, Rosa.' He was quite emphatic. ‘It brings disgrace on 'whole family.'

‘That's what her father said,' Rosa answered. ‘He won't talk to her, won't let her eat at 'same table with him.'

‘But he's let her stop? He hasn't turned her out? There's many a father wouldn't have her in the house. But then, he's a good church-going man is Mr Drew.'

‘He said at first that she had to leave, but Jim persuaded him to let her stay,' she explained. ‘He said that he'd reminded him that none of us is perfect.'

‘Well, that's true,' Fred admitted. ‘But it doesn't alter 'fact that what she's done is wrong.'

‘And what about the man?' Rosa asked. ‘Hasn't he done wrong too?'

‘Well, yes, of course he has, and if it was my daughter I'd search him out and give him a beating.' Then he became thoughtful. ‘It's funny, you know, but when you're about to be a father your ideas change. If I have a daughter and she goes astray—'

‘Yes,' Rosa said. ‘What would you do?'

He was silent for a moment. ‘I don't know. I really don't. I'd need to be sure that I'd allus been honourable and just, in order to cast 'first stone. And I know that I haven't allus been.'

He gave a deep sigh, then said, ‘I'll not tell Maggie yet. Like you say, she's very happy right now and I don't want to spoil that. But in a week
or two I'll bring her over to visit and Delia can tell her for herself. It's her disgrace so she can impart it.'

After Rosa had left that morning, Delia cleared the breakfast things, washed the dishes, built up the fire and fetched in more wood. She only half filled the basket for it was heavy if it was filled to the top. Jim had caught her carrying it one day and had told her not to, that she had to ask him or Matthew to bring it in for her. But she knew that Rosa filled it and carried it every day and she didn't want to be beholden to her, or for Rosa to think that she was shirking.

They hadn't had much conversation, she and Rosa, but Delia admitted to herself that she wasn't patronizing or condescending towards her as she had thought she might be. She didn't care for her any more than before. She didn't like Rosa's efficient manner, nor the way she was so independent and would go off on her own whenever she wanted to. Delia had never been interested in the river and its moods nor in gazing at the swaying corn in the moonlight, as she had seen Rosa do. But I'm going to need her if Da lets me stop at home to have 'bairn. I can't have it on my own so I'd better try and be nice to her, she thought.