Rosie’s education had been sketchy but she could read well enough to know that Watt wanted her back. He asked for another chance to talk to her. He even signed the word ‘love’ on the bottom of the page.
Rosie felt her heartbeat quicken. Did Watt love her or was it just a word he used to sign off his message? In any case, she must see him, give him the chance he asked for. She took a sheet of paper from her drawer and began to write. Her letter was brief and to the point. She had agreed to see Watt and talk to him but he must take nothing for granted.
She folded the note and let her lips rest for a moment on the cool paper. She wanted Watt to love her more than she had ever wanted anything in the whole of her life. But for now, at least, Rosie would stay where she was really needed, at Alice’s side.
‘You were making sheep’s eyes at her all the time we were there.’ Lily was sitting on the edge of her chair in Polly’s luxurious sitting room. ‘I have never been so humiliated in all my life!’
‘I was the one to be humiliated!’ Matthew was standing before the fireplace, a glass of port in his hand. His colour was high; he did not appreciate his mistress’s attempt to belittle him before Jem and Polly. ‘You contributed nothing to the conversation, all you did was make a tasteless remark to our hostess. I suppose the lack of breeding was bound to show one day.’
‘How dare you!’ Lily stood up abruptly, her face as red as Matthew’s. ‘I’m not a whore or a serving wench, I am a respectable woman.’
‘So it’s respectable to live like a parasite on a foolish old man, is it?’ Matthew demanded. ‘Well, I’ve had enough of you, Lily, you are free to go and be respectable at someone else’s expense.’
Polly tried to intervene; she raised her hands and looked to Jem for help. ‘Don’t let’s argue,’ she said, ‘we will all feel better when we calm down.’
Lily ignored her. ‘Very well, I’ll go then.’ She walked to the door. ‘If you no longer want me, Matthew, I won’t stay around. I have my pride you know and I am not the fool you take me for, Matthew.’
He refused to answer, keeping his face turned away from her; his shoulders were hunched. He was really angry; he wanted her out of his life. A great sense of bitterness filled her. Matthew was the one man with whom she had felt safe. He had been protective and kind, but now he wanted another woman and Lily was to be cast away like a worn coat.
‘She’ll never have you,’ she said bitterly. ‘Alice Sparks is too wise for that. Do you really think she would tie herself to an old goat like you when she has pots of money of her own?’
Matthew turned and glared at her, his eyes were bright with anger. ‘Leave now, madam.’ He ground out the words. ‘Leave before I lose my temper and raise my hand to you.’
Lily saw that he meant every word. She left the room and hurried across the hall to the front door. Her vision was blurred; she had burnt her boats. Matthew would never forgive her now.
Polly followed her and caught her arm. ‘You silly little fool!’ she hissed. ‘You handled that the wrong way. Matthew would have pensioned you off, made sure you kept the house, all sorts of things. You know what men are like when they feel guilty; they’ll give you the earth. Now you’ll have nothing.’
‘Go back to your husband, Polly,’ Lily said wearily. ‘I’ve learned a lot from you, remember? I have stored away gifts of money and jewellery as well as my share of the money for the painting you sold that art dealer. You see, I can thieve and cheat and lie, you taught me well.’
She climbed into Matthew’s carriage; she was damned if she was going to walk back to her house. She smiled at Matthew’s driver. ‘I’ve got a headache, Johnson,’ she said softly, ‘the master wants you to take me back to his house at once.’
The man obeyed without question and Lily sank back in the seat. She turned to look back once, watching the small figure of Polly disappear from view, and then she began to make plans for her future.
She would go to Matthew’s house, take everything of value she could carry. Then, when she was ready, Lily would shake the dust of Swansea from her feet for ever.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Llinos stared into the fire; the house seemed even emptier without Charlotte’s cheerful presence. Was it only a week ago that she had seen her sister-in-law safely on the coach to Joe’s estate on the borders of England and Wales?
Dear, sweet Charlotte had held Llinos in her arms and apologized for not being able to do more for her.
Llinos had been reassuring, telling her to enjoy her holiday and to come back refreshed.
A gentle tapping on the drawing-room door startled her out of her thoughts. ‘Llinos, it’s me, am I disturbing you? I’m sorry to call so late.’
‘Come in, Watt, I’ll be glad of the company,’ Llinos said quietly.
Watt sat down. ‘Terrible about Mr Sparks dying in the fire. I knew he was a crook but no-one deserves such a fate. Anyway, I was wondering what would happen down at the bank now he’s gone.’
‘Everything will be sorted out, it will just take time. But that’s not what you want to talk about is it? What’s really bothering you?’ Llinos asked.
‘I always knew you could see right through me.’ He handed her Rosie’s note. ‘See? She wants to stay with Alice Sparks at least until the woman is well again.’ He sighed. ‘Oh, I suppose she’ll come up to Greenhill every week to see the boys. She’ll do the washing and spend a few hours baking but she won’t stay. It looks to me as if Rosie has got a taste for high living these days.’
Llinos read the brief letter. ‘I’m sorry, Watt,’ she said returning the note. ‘I can’t blame her for not leaving Alice Sparks right now. The poor woman sounds quite ill and she
has
just lost her husband. Look on the bright side, at least Rosie’s willing for you to call and talk to her, that’s hopeful isn’t it?’
Watt threw the letter into the fire. ‘I’m a fool,’ he said. ‘I didn’t treasure Rosie when I had her. Well, the shoe’s on the other foot now.’
‘She’ll come round, just give her time.’ Llinos bit her lip; who was she to advise when her own life was far from perfect? But then no-one’s life was ever perfect. Folks had to make the best of what they had.
‘Watt, do you mind if we talk about business?’ Llinos asked. He nodded and she took a deep breath. ‘I haven’t heard anything from John Pendennis, it looks like he’s backed out of the deal he made me.’ She stood up and paced across the carpet.
‘I’ve been so weak, I’ve let everything slide because my husband deserted me. But that’s all in the past now I’ve decided not to sell. I’m going to fight tooth and nail for the pottery so at least I can say my career was a success.’
‘I’m so glad!’ Watt said quickly. ‘That’s more like the Llinos I knew.’ He leaned forward, his expression earnest. ‘Remember when your mother died? You were little more than a child, I was even younger, yet we muddled through somehow, didn’t we? You were so brave then, I admired you so much.’
‘Well, I’m going to be brave again, Watt.’ Llinos rubbed her hands against her skirts. ‘I’m going to see Alice Sparks, ask her to make amends for what her husband has done. She can well afford it from what I’ve heard.’
‘You heard right! Mrs Sparks inherited her father’s estate; she has more money than she will ever use. But whether she will hand any of it over to you is another matter.’
‘I’m sure I can persuade her,’ Llinos said. ‘Rosie is so loyal to her Alice Sparks can’t be all bad.’ She suddenly felt alive again, inspired. She was like a sleepwalker waking from a long dream. ‘She might be obliged by law to repay the bank for the money her husband embezzled but, even if that is the case, it would all take far too long. I’d be bankrupt by the time the matter was settled.’
She smiled at Watt. ‘So I mean to approach Mrs Sparks woman to woman, it’s by far the best way. In the meantime, I will send letters to my creditors, tell them about the trouble at the bank. Surely the whole country must have heard of the fire that burnt the manager’s house to the ground and him with it?’
‘I’m sure you’re right,’ Watt said, ‘repercussions will be felt outside the Swansea bank. And I do feel that Mrs Sparks will be held morally responsible if not legally responsible for her husband’s debts.’
‘That’s the way forward then. You see, Watt, I’m beginning to find my courage again.’
‘I can see that the light of battle is back in your eyes, Llinos, and it warms my heart. Look, I’ve got some money put away, you can have that to start with.’
‘But you were saving to buy a little house, I can’t take your savings,’ Llinos said.
‘Call it a loan,’ Watt replied firmly. ‘I’m quite happy in the little house in Greenhill, keeping an eye on Pearl’s boys.’ He grimaced. ‘Not that they need me very much these days, they are out working or courting most of the time.’
‘Well then, if you’re sure about the money why don’t we become partners?’ Llinos said. ‘If we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps we might even make a profit again one day.’
‘That sounds like an excellent idea. Let’s get started right away. You write the letters to the creditors and I’ll deliver them in the morning for you.’
‘Oh Watt, we’ll make it work, won’t we?’ She rubbed the tears away from her lashes.
‘Hey!’ Watt said. ‘Don’t go all weepy on me now! And yes we’ll make it work, I promise you.’ He walked towards the door. ‘Now I’m going to bed but, first thing in the morning, I’ll want those letters ready, all right?’
Llinos walked across the hallway with him. ‘I’ll have to dig out my old aprons,’ she said.
Watt glanced at her, his eyebrows raised. ‘Why, taking up cooking are you?’
‘No I am not taking up cooking, but I’ll need to work just as hard as you in the pottery, I’ve done it before and I can do it again.’ She shivered in the cold night air.
‘Good night, Watt, and thank you, for everything.’ She watched as Watt walked across the yard then she returned to the drawing room and, taking some sheets of paper from her desk, she began to write.
John had packed his few belongings in a shabby bag and now he was waiting near the fire at the Mackworth Arms Inn for the coach that would take him round the borders of Gloucester, through Bristol and back to Cornwall.
He frowned; he was going home as penniless as when he had left. The watch he had taken from Edward Sparks had made him enough for the trip but with very little left over.
There was nothing in Swansea for him now that Polly had dismissed him from her life with a few well-chosen words. She had learned about his trips to the bawdy houses of Swansea and, worse, that he had brought whores into the house she had bought as a love nest. Curse Polly!
He felt a blast of cold air as the door swung open; a woman stepped inside, her eyes darting anxiously around the room. John stared at her. She was well dressed, her bag was new and shiny, everything about her appearance spoke of affluence.
She felt John’s gaze and looked directly at him. He recognized her then, she was Polly Boucher’s friend and Matthew Starky’s mistress.
‘Good evening.’ He crossed the room towards her. ‘We’ve met before, I’m sure you remember.’
She clearly did remember because she smiled and held out a gloved hand to him. ‘Of course, Mr Pendennis, how good to see a familiar face.’
‘I see you are going on a journey, would you like to sit with me while you wait for your transport?’
She smiled up at him in relief. ‘Thank you so much. I’d been uncomfortable with the idea of travelling alone.’
‘Where are you heading?’ He led her to the corner seat he had secured for himself. ‘And why are you leaving Swansea?’ He wondered if his abrupt questions were too impertinent but she looked up at him, her eyes bright with anger.
‘It seems I have served my purpose, I no longer have a place in Matthew Starky’s life.’
He heard the bitterness in her voice and recognized it as an echo of his own.
‘As for where I’m going,’ she continued, ‘I have no idea. I booked on the first coach travelling to the West Country. And you?’
‘Like you I have no reason to stay in Swansea now,’ he said. ‘When that fool of a bank manager burnt down his house, he ruined me.’ He looked at her carefully. Lily was wearing good jewellery and her boots were made of the finest leather, she was, obviously, still quite affluent.
It was possible that Matthew Starky had given her a good pension, which was the usual way a man disposed of a troublesome mistress. In any case it looked as if Lily had been wise enough to feather her own nest. It might be to his advantage to throw in his lot with her if only for a little while. He cursed his honesty in telling her how he was placed. Still, he might be able to salvage something from the situation with a few well-chosen lies.
‘Come with me to Cornwall,’ he said. ‘I have an estate there, you know.’ He was at his most charming. ‘I wanted to make my own fortune instead of living on my father’s money but, there,’ he shrugged, ‘I didn’t account for a crooked bank manager.’
‘I never liked the Sparks man,’ Lily said, ‘but all the same it was dreadful that he burnt to death.’
‘I agree, of course,’ John said hurriedly. ‘Well now that we’ve established that we know each other, what do you think? Are you coming with me to Cornwall? I can offer you protection until you find your feet, as it were.’
‘I have only booked the coach as far as Bristol.’ She looked up at him from under her lashes, her flirtatious expression encouragement enough.
‘That can soon be remedied.’
‘Well, let me think about it on the journey.’ Lily was being cautious. ‘We have plenty of time to get to know each other, haven’t we?’
‘Of course, you’re right,’ John said, making an effort to smile. He must be patient, the journey would involve several days of travelling, he had time enough to charm her. They would be obliged to make overnight stops at coaching inns and John had no money for such luxuries but with Lily so well placed that would be no problem.