The Copper Sign (56 page)

Ellen looked at her sullenly. “That’s hard to believe, as round as you already are!”

“I think there are two. The midwife says that, too. They’re already jumping around.” Rose blushed again.

Suddenly, Ellen’s anger was gone. Rose was Rose, and you just had to like her for what she was. “I want to speak with Jean about the future of the smithy,” Ellen said. Her voice sounded severe. After a short silence she added, “I’m getting married.” She stood up and kicked a little crayfish back into the water.

“Ellenweore! That’s wonderful!” Rose stood up as well and wanted to embrace her friend, but Ellen quickly sat down again and slumped over.

“There’s nothing wonderful about it. I am bound by the oath that I swore to my dying sister. There is nothing else that could induce me to marry Isaac.” The words now came pouring out. “You know what he thinks about women who are smiths. From the very outset he couldn’t stand me, and he’ll never forgive me for seeing to it that his hand was amputated, even if it saved his life. And he detests me even more now because I can still work as a smith while all he can do is to sit around doing nothing.”

Rose looked at her in astonishment. “Oh, Ellen, I am so sorry!” She put her arm around her friend’s shoulder, trying to console her.

Ellen was silent. For a while she sat there on the bank without moving, staring into the sparkling water. Then she rose to leave.

“You have my blessing, even if you don’t need it. I’ll discuss with Jean what needs to be done next.” She dusted off her dress and walked back to the smithy.

“Thank you, Ellen,” Rose whispered, and remained there by the brook.

“You can take over the smithy if you wish,” Ellen said to Jean, even though she was still somewhat offended. “You will have to pay me rent, but you could be your own boss.”

“No, Ellen, I’m much too young for that. That wouldn’t work out, and to be honest there are still too many things I have to learn from you. I’d rather continue working for you and forge swords again—as we used to.”

Ellen smiled and thought it over for a moment. Then she turned serious again. “It seems like it’s been here forever. What will happen to Osmond’s smithy if you don’t take it over?” For a moment she thought of Leofric and could almost hear his laughter. She sighed quietly.

“How about Arthur?” Jean asked. “Perhaps you can lease the smithy to him. He has made a good name for himself, and he is old enough.” He gave her a questioning look.

“And how about you? Will you really come along with me?” Only now did Ellen realize how much she feared losing him forever.

“Yes, if Rose can come along. She could take care of the children, and your sister’s children, too, and the house, just like here. You are the best smith I know, but Rose is the best cook.” Jean gave Ellen a mischievous look. “And you and I could make swords, only swords. How does that sound?”

Ellen pretended to be thinking it over for a moment. She had come back to Orford not just because of the smithy but mainly to bring Jean and Rose back with her to St. Edmundsbury. Jean’s idea of leasing the smithy to the journeyman seemed quite reasonable, and she nodded thoughtfully. “I have been working for the monks in St. Edmundsbury. They want to outfit a larger contingent of soldiers, and we must try to get a contract for the swords. Then we could even keep Peter.” Her eyes began to sparkle.

Jean embraced her. “It’s so great you are back! We missed you so much!” He laughed, lifted her up, and twirled her around.

“Just a moment, young fellow,” she interrupted him. “We still have some serious things to discuss.”

Jean stopped, startled, and put her down again.

“Rose is in a delicate situation because of you.” Ellen tried to sound strict. “You know what that means, don’t you?”

Jean looked at her, wide-eyed.

“Well, you certainly intend to make her your wife, don’t you?”

Jean laughed with relief. “You can certainly bet on that.”

“Then you should marry as soon as possible. We have to return soon.”

“Thank you, Ellen. I knew you would understand.”

Do I, really?
Ellen wondered. She could hardly remember anymore what love felt like. Jocelyn and William—that was all so long ago.

After the marriage, Jean and Rose set up their quarters in the smithy.

“I’m worried about Ellen,” Rose said, when they were alone.

“You don’t have to be,” Jean replied, putting his arm lovingly around her round belly and kissing her neck tenderly. “She’s a big girl, just like you,” he whispered, nibbling on her ear.

“One could think you never met Isaac. But you worked for him and you know him. Ellen and he—that’s something that will never work out.” Rose turned around angrily and glared at Jean.

“Oh, come now. Isaac will calm down. He’ll just have to accept that his wife is a smith. After all, she will be the breadwinner for him and his family!” Jean raised his eyebrows.

“That shows again what a child you still are. How can you seriously believe they will ever learn to get along? Just imagine if I had to feed you and could do the same things you do, only better? I don’t think you would like that. Ellen really deserves a bit of happiness, but Isaac? I’m really sorry for her.”

“Isaac is not a bad fellow. I’ll admit he has his views about women, and Ellen is not happy about that, but he isn’t the only one to think that way and it also doesn’t make him a bad person. I’m certain he will eventually recognize Ellen’s talents.”

“To recognize them is one thing, but to value them is something else!” Rose objected, and she seemed ready to quarrel about it.

“You’re right, love,” he said, softening his tone. “But we’ll not be able to change any of that tonight. So come and lie down in my arms,” he said, pointing to the bed.

“I’m sorry for her just the same, you ladies’ man!” Rose teased him, and lay down with him. “If I just weren’t so tired…” She yawned.

“Then just to make your point you’d sleep standing up all night like the horses, I know,” he mumbled, and yawned at the same time.

Shortly afterward, Ellen came to an agreement with Arthur on a fair cost for lease of the house and smithy. The four of them gathered their belongings, put them on a cart, and left Orford. They all felt a bit melancholy about leaving the place that had been their home for so long, and the only one excited about the trip was William.

When they arrived in St. Edmundsbury, they found everyone in a gloomy mood.

Eve greeted them cordially but seemed edgy.

Marie and Agnes just stood there looking back and forth from Ellen to Rose.

Isaac did not even show up in the yard.

The only one who appeared relieved at Ellen’s return was Peter, but when he heard that from now on Jean would also be working in the smithy, his eyes widened with dismay.

William fidgeted and kept asking, “Where is Uncle Isaac, anyway?” He paid no attention to his two little cousins.

“He’s no doubt in his room resting,” Ellen replied with irritation. She found it hard now to tolerate the adoration her son had shown for Isaac from the very outset.

“No he’s not!” Isaac grumbled, coming around from behind the house.

Jean was shocked at how bad Isaac looked. He hadn’t been able to think of the smith any other way than the way he used to be—hardworking and happy. It was only when he saw the stump that he understood how miserable Isaac must feel. Isaac looked at the new visitors one after the other. “Are you all going to settle in here now?” he asked, but before anyone could reply, young William came running up to him.

“Uncle Isaac, will you put me up on your shoulders?”

Jean grabbed the boy by his smock and pulled him back. “You’re really too big already for such antics!” he scolded so Isaac didn’t have to respond.

Isaac didn’t even try to smile at the boy, glanced at Rose and her belly with contempt, and then shuffled back to his room.

William looked up at Jean, puzzled.

“Uncle Isaac doesn’t feel well right now, but he’ll get better,” Jean reassured him. “What do you say we go into the smithy with Peter?”

William shrugged.

“Come on, now!” Jean took him by the shoulder and guided him toward the forge.

Eve and Rose went into the house.

“How about us all baking a cake?” Rose asked the girls, patting them on the head. The two nodded enthusiastically but looked carefully in Eve’s direction when Rose rolled up her sleeves.

“We don’t have much flour left,” Eve said pointedly.

“Let’s have a look.” Rose said, glancing into the sack of flour.

“Oh, that will be enough for at least a week.”

“But it has to last until the end of the month,” Eve objected.

“There are a few more mouths to feed here now, and it will in any case be used up faster than we expected. When the flour is gone, we’ll just have to buy more—after all, Ellen and the men will be working hard and need to be well fed.”

“And in the winter, we’ll go hungry,” Eve hissed, “but go ahead, do whatever you want.”

“Fine, then we can begin. Marie, go and get two eggs, but be careful not to drop any.”

Marie went proudly to get the two eggs and put them carefully on the table. “There are still fourteen of them in the little basket, and tomorrow we’ll get seven or eight more!” she said. “I can already count, you see!”

Rose smiled at her. “Well, if that’s the case, then I know already what we’ll do with the rest of the eggs this evening.” Rose went to get a bowl in which they would stir the dough.

“Bake a cake? This isn’t a holiday!” Eve grumbled.

Rose decided not to respond and to give her a little time to get adjusted. If after a few days Eve still hadn’t understood that they were in charge now, then Rose would speak with her.

“Mmm, I’ve missed your cakes and pies,” said Ellen, licking her lips contentedly, “and these scrambled eggs and bacon today were just wonderful.” Jean looked proudly at Rose.

“It’s good Eve didn’t hear that,” Rose said, laughing.

During Ellen’s absence, Eve and Peter had slept in the smithy. Today after work they went back home again. Ellen sat at the end of the table, but the seat opposite her, where Isaac should be sitting as the head of the family, was empty. He had recovered long ago but refused to eat with the others. Eve had taken him a bowl of food before they left. Rose and the girls sat on one side of the table, and opposite them Jean and William had taken a seat.

When the twins are old enough, we’ll need a larger table
, Rose was thinking. She smiled when she thought of that but avoided talking about it openly. It would bring bad luck to talk about the children and make plans for them before they were born. After all, what would become of them was all in God’s hands. Talking about them too much could anger the Lord, and He would punish those who did so with a stillbirth or a crippled child. She wondered whether He had punished Ellen by twisting her son’s foot. And if so, why? Because she wasn’t married to William? Shocked at this thought, Rose held her breath.

“Rose, can’t you hear?” Jean nudged her. “Ellen would like to know how Eve managed in the house.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I was thinking of something else.” Rose blushed.

“She kept everything in order, but I think she is not especially happy with my being here. After all, for a while she had been doing things her way, and now I’m suddenly here telling her what to do. But she’ll get used to it. If it had been up to her, you wouldn’t have gotten any cake today.” Rose smiled at Ellen. “But I wanted you to quickly feel at home here.”

“Thank you, Rose. Under different circumstances I could indeed feel happy here.” She stared at the curtain separating Isaac’s room from the dining area. She didn’t mind if he heard it and understood it. William noticed the angry glance she cast at his uncle’s room and looked sadly into his bowl.

“Eat, William,” Jean told him. “You want to become big and strong, don’t you?”

“Don’t forget, you won’t get your piece of cake until you finish eating,” Rose added, trying to encourage him.

“Why can’t Uncle Isaac eat with us?” William asked, slowly putting a spoonful of egg and a piece of ham in his mouth.

“What nonsense!” Ellen scolded her son. “Of course he can eat with us, but he just doesn’t want to.”

Looking defiantly down at his plate, William poked around in the egg until it seemed to be growing rather disappearing. “I’m not hungry anymore,” he said in a barely audible voice.

Ellen noticed again how much the child looked like his father, and swallowed hard. Recently she had been thinking a lot about William and longed for his forceful manner, his strength, and his unshakable belief in himself. He would never give up like Isaac. Involuntarily she held her breath. She felt queasy at the thought of the upcoming wedding. She still had time until the year of mourning was over, but the day would probably come sooner than she wanted.

“Tomorrow I’m going to the abbey to ask about the weapons for the new troops,” she announced suddenly.
Work is the best way to drive away melancholy thoughts
, she thought, taking a good swig of the apple juice. It had already started to ferment and tickled her tongue. “Reminds me of cider,” she said softly, with a bit of nostalgia.

The following afternoon when Ellen returned from the abbey, she looked irritated.

“You didn’t get the job, did you?” asked Jean, raising his eyebrows.

“But I did!” Ellen said briefly, without looking especially happy about it. “We’ll have to start again with simple lances. Conrad, the guild master, is an arrogant fellow. He was there at the abbey, too, and criticized us because, as he says, there is no master in the shop.” At that, Ellen’s voice almost cracked.

“But Isaac…didn’t you…?”

“Of course I mentioned Isaac, but Conrad had already heard of his accident and knows he can’t work in the smithy anymore. They only let Isaac keep the smithy because he has a good reputation and friends among the guild members. This matter of the guild makes me so angry! If there had been something like that in Orford, we could have leased Osmond’s smithy to Arthur only with permission from the guild. Can you imagine that!” Ellen paced restlessly back and forth.