Homage and Honour (15 page)

“Who’s that man
beside her?” asked Jess. Beth stayed silent, apprehensive about
meeting the Crawford family.

“My father,”
answered Jess with pride. That she adored her tall handsome father
was easy to see, “and behind him is my sister Anne, we call her
Annette.”

“What are the
two younger ones called again?” whispered Beth who didn’t want to
make any mistakes.

“Xavier, he’s
six and little Ruth who is four.”

“Annette?”
asked Tana.

“Eleven.”

“Will she bond
with a Lind like us do you think?”

“You can never
be sure but she’s never expressed an interest,” said Jess, “Ruth
though, I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Xavier?”

“He wouldn’t
thank you for it. He wants to farm like father. He took over many
of my jobs when me and Mlei left.”

“Not
Annette?”

“She’s a real
home bird. Wouldn’t last two bells at Vada,” pronounced Jess.

“At least she
would know what to do in the cookhouse and the latrines,” said Beth
with wry humour as they began their walk down to the farm. Her
early attempts cleaning latrines would go down in history as the
worst ever.

“We can’t all
be good at everything,” said a sympathetic Jess, “look how good you
are at sewing.”

“Wish we could
do a permanent swap,” said Tana who hated everything to do with a
needle and did not mind chore duties in the cookhouse.

“Wouldn’t be
allowed I’m sure,” answered a despondent Beth.

“Leave her be
Tana, she improves but your fine needlework continues to be less
than averagely good and likely to remain so for all that you were
brought up in the trade.” She egged Mlei forward faster, anxious to
get home.

The other four
held back as they approached the house and watched Jess dismount.
Both she and Mlei were immediately deep inside a family gaggle of
excited people all talking at the full pitch of their lungs.

“The wanderers
return,” intoned Tana to Beth who giggled.

It was little
Ruth who was the first to disentangle herself from Mlei who she had
been hugging with ecstatic abandonment and approach her sister’s
guests, her voice trilling with delight as she espied Tavei and
Xei.

Two new
victims
, thought Tana as the little girl ran towards them. Mlei
had warned both Tavei and Xei what to expect. Out of the corner of
her eye she saw Xei brace himself against the miniature onslaught
as Ruth reached for his face with two caressing hands.

“You are so
beautiful,” uttered the mite as she performed her ministrations.
Xei’s violet-striped face bore a pained look, Tavei, if she could
have seen it, an apprehensive one as he watched and wondered how
Ruth would greet him. Mlei had informed both he and Xei that Ruth
had retained, from her baby days, a great interest in whiskers and
he was not relishing the prospect of his being played with.

By then the
Crawford family had reached their two guests (Mlei stayed behind,
recovering, and thankful that there were now another two Lind to
share the burden of Ruth’s exuberances) and, absently disentangling
her youngest daughter’s fingers from Xei’s whiskers, Anne welcomed
them.

“Which one of
you is Beth?”

“Me, I’m Beth,”
the words emerged as a strangled whisper.

“Climb down
from that mountainous Lind of yours and give me a hug.” Jess had
written to her mother telling her about Beth’s antecedents and Anne
had decided that the girl needed a surrogate mother’s care. To
Beth’s embarrassment she was subjected to a very public and
affectionate welcome, the like of which she had never experienced
before.

Tana, watching
this display with growing horror, dismounted and shook both Jess’s
father’s and brother’s hands in what she considered a manly way and
much to David Crawford’s amusement. She smiled at Annette and
little Ruth, daring them to copy their mother at their peril. Ruth
had moved from Xei to Tavei and, kneeling down, was examining his
forepaw with great concentration, impervious to what was going on
around her and to Tavei’s great mystification as to what was so
interesting about his paw.

“Shall we go
inside?” offered David.

Tavei
extricated himself from Ruth with some difficulty and he and Xei
joined Mlei, the latter announcing their intention in a loud voice
of going off to explore the woods nearby and that they would return
before darkness fell by which time, as he telepathed privately,
young Ruth would likely be in bed and asleep.

The farmhouse
kitchen was all that a farmhouse kitchen should be. It was warm and
inviting, its large, central and well-scrubbed table full of good
things to eat, bread rolls filled with appetising fillings, slices
of meat, and Tana’s nose twitched, pickled white-roots, her
favourite.

Seated at the
far end of the table, on a chair placed near to the wood-stove sat
a white haired old lady with a sad face, although laughter lines
crinkled round her mouth and eyes. She was wearing a high-necked
white blouse. A large pendant broach shone stark against it.

Town-bred Tana
knew quality when she saw it and she wondered how a farmer’s widow
could have afforded such an expensive jewel.

The old lady
was introduced to Beth and Tana as Jess’s grandmother and the
guests discovered pretty sharpish that she was an integral part of
the household. Granny Robson was seventy-six years old and
physically frail but her mind was as sharp as ever. “Come sit by
me,” she ordered Beth in a kind voice.

Tana had
entered the kitchen deep in animated discussion with Xavier about
the farm and the surrounding countryside whereas Beth had entered
trying to hide behind her hostess so as not to draw attention to
herself so perhaps old Jessica Robson’s prescience was not to be
wondered at.

Soon the two of
them were deep in conversation about the different threads that
could be used to sew a wall hanging the old lady was repairing,
both seemingly oblivious to the babel of conversation elsewhere in
the kitchen. It was Annette’s turn to help her mother serve the hot
dishes and generally keep everybody supplied with food and drink.
Beth felt herself begin to relax and enjoy herself.

“Your turn
tomorrow Jess,” announced her mother, “let’s let Tana and Beth down
gently.”

“Will do
Mother,” said Jess with a resigned grin at her friends that said
‘told you so’.

Tana looked
disappointed. She had hoped Jess and Mlei could help her explore
the surrounding countryside.

Jessica Robson
saw the look, “perhaps Beth might like to stay at home and help
tomorrow instead of Jess,” and was rewarded by a shy smile from her
southern guest. “Let Jess show Tana around.”

“Would you mind
awfully?” asked Jess, turning to Beth, “I did say that I’d show
Tana the lichen woods and it’ll take most of the day to get there
and back.”

“No, I’d like
to,” said Beth with another shy smile at Jessica Robson.

“But you must
see them too,” protested Tana.

“Beth can see
them another day,” said Jessica Robson.

“That’s settled
then,” said Anne. “Does Xei go with them?”

“I’d like to
go,” announced a wistful Xavier.

“Me too,” piped
up Ruth.

Annette also
expressed a wish to visit the woods. She had an old skirt she
wished to dye and lichen would provide her with the means to do
it.

“You can’t all
go,” protested Anne.

Beth’s next
words surprised even herself, “if Xei is agreeable Annette could
ride him,” she suggested in a half-scared voice, “then Tana could
take Xavier pillion and Jess, Ruth.”

“Good idea,”
announced an enthusiastic Tana, “we could take a picnic as we will
be out all day.”

“And Beth and I
can get to know one another,” finished Jessica Robson with an
approving nod.

No-one tried to
argue and as both Tana and Beth were to find out, nobody ever did
argue with Granny Robson and win.

All Anne did
was nod and enquire of Beth if she was sure.

Beth, having by
now gained Xei’s acceptance of the scheme, assented with relief. In
her eyes a day spent in the farmhouse with the two adults was to be
preferred over a day with Jess’s siblings. She wouldn’t have minded
if Annette had wanted to stay. She sensed a kindred spirit there.
Whilst Jess, Xavier and little Ruth were confident and go-ahead
youngsters, it was obvious who was the quiet one in the Crawford
family.

In this
instance however, Annette was flushed with excitement at the
thought of being permitted to ride Xei to the woods and she was
thinking happily about the large amount of lichen she would be able
to gather. Perhaps there would be enough to dye her heavy wool kura
winter coat as well as her skirt! Both items had been inherited
from Jess when her older sister had grown out of them and had seen
better days. Okay, Jess hadn’t worn either much, trews and tunics
were more her line, but worn them she had on occasion and it
showed. Jess was always hard on her clothes.

“Mlei and the
others are coming back,” announced Jess at this point and there was
a mad rush to get the tea things cleared away.

Annette opted
to wash the dishes and Beth volunteered to help her. Xavier and
Ruth led Tana and Jess into the parlour to inspect the sleeping
arrangements, Ruth conveniently forgetting that now was her bedtime
and ignored her mother when she called after her.

“She can have
her sleep out in the morning,” said David Crawford with an
indulgent shrug that said don’t make a scene, this is her big
sister’s first night home.

Tana exclaimed
her delight and voiced appreciative thanks to Anne.

“We quite
thought we’d be housed in the barn,” she enthused, “this is pure
and undiluted luxury. Tavei will love it.”

“I hope the
trestles are strong enough,” said Anne in a doubtful voice.

“There’s oodles
of room and they’re plenty strong enough,” countered Tana, “and
after the barracks, well, our beds are not exactly uncomfortable
but ...”

“More often or
not you sleep with Tavei on his bed,” Jess continued for her, “quit
exclaiming and I’ll show you the farmyard before it gets too dark
to see properly, we can go out with Dad later when he checks the
stock. He said that, with us here, he won’t need to do the outer
field checks as we can do them faster with Mlei and Tavei. Do you
mind?”

“I’d love to,”
announced Tana, “now?”

At Jess’s nod
the two girls sped out of the parlour, through the kitchens,
followed by the plaintive cries of both Xavier and Ruth who wanted
to go too, but were halted on their way to the door by their father
who pointed to the stairs with mock severity and uttered one word,
“bed!”

The two
youngest Crawfords grumbled but did what they were told. Annette
and Beth exchanged a look that said it all.

“They’ve so
much energy,” whispered Annette, “are you sure Xei doesn’t mind me
riding him tomorrow?”

“He’ll be glad
to,” Beth reassured the younger girl. “Mlei has told him of the fun
he used to have chasing the vuz when he came here when he was
younger. He’ll have a great time. Now, that’s the last dish, where
do we put them?”

“Over there,”
answered Annette pointing to a large allst-wood dresser set against
the wall. Largest at the bottom.”

“Smallest
dishes at the top,” smiled Beth, picking up the first group of
dinner plates. “I used to watch the servants doing it when I was a
little girl.”

“Servants?”
queried Annette. “Is your family rich then?”

“They’re not my
family any more,” Beth replied.

“You ran away
to join the Vada didn’t you!” marvelled the law-abiding
Annette.

“Something like
that,” was Beth’s non-committal answer.

“Don’t ask so
many questions young Anne,” instructed Granny Robson who had
excellent hearing and had been listening.

Annette
subsided but there was an element of heroine-worship in her gaze
every time she looked at Beth after this. The older girl looked so
reserved, so shy and quiet, that Annette found it difficult to
believe it possible.

Jess, Tana,
Annette, Xavier, Ruth and the three Lind left for their expedition
not long after breakfast the next morning and Beth was soon hard at
work helping with the many tasks a busy farmer’s wife had to
perform every day. She struggled with some of them but not as much
as she would have during her first days in Vadath. After a light
lunch, Anne left Beth with her mother intending to spend a few
bells tending to her kitchen garden, refusing Beth’s offer of help
with a laugh and asking her to keep Granny Robson company.

“My mother gets
a bit lonely sometimes.”

“I can’t just
sit there doing nothing,” protested Beth, “everyone seems to be
busy all of the time.”

“The cost of
living on a working farm,” she was informed, “Xavier and Annette
were up before dawn doing their chores so that they could go to the
woods after breakfast.”

Beth was rather
diffident about what she was about to offer, but ploughed ahead,
“do you have any sewing or mending I could do? I like sewing.”

Anne Crawford
laughed, “there’s always mending to do with a family like mine.”
She hesitated. In her mind it was not fair to ask a guest to mend
trews and darn socks. The Crawford farm was not the biggest or
richest in the area. The family were not poor, not by a long shot,
but they had to be careful.

“I’d like to,
really,” insisted Beth.

“Let her,”
ordered Granny Robson. “Light’s good at the window. I can sit in my
rocker and Beth and I can have a chat. Off with you Anne, you’re
dying to get into the fresh air. It’ll do you good; you’ve been
looking a bit peaky lately.”

Like her
children, Anne didn’t even consider arguing with her mother, “I’ll
get the mending basket.”