The Rufford Rose Page 13

  Thomas burst out laughing.

  ‘Well, I think Miss Jennet and her sisters have made a favourable impression on you, Cuthbert.’ He smiled to himself. Was his friend truly smitten on this their first encounter? ‘Come on, time we got back too before the light goes completely.’ They returned in silence to the village, Cuthbert stopping at the forge whilst Thomas and Alfred continued on to their lodging. All three young men had a lot to think about that night and, for once, it wasn’t just about the work they were doing.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  Abel was pleased with the progress of the building. The two wings were roofed over and the internal work was going well. Some of the glass for the windows had arrived two days before and the men were creating frames to fit. Each little diamond pane then had to be enclosed in lead strips and inserted in the frame. It was time-consuming work but the result would be stunning, especially when they started on the vast windows of the Great Hall. Lord Hesketh wanted his main room to be flooded with light and his commission for the great compass window at the western end was one of the biggest Abel had constructed.

  Inside, nearly thirty men were fitting all the internal walls and furnishing the dozens of rooms. Some were to be panelled, others left with the bare plaster which would be decorated later. There was little decoration in the east wing: this was the working part of the house but the buttery needed to be fitted out with racks to hold the barrels of ale, the dry goods storeroom needed shelves all round to hold the stores that would be needed to feed such a large household, the scullery needed lead lined sinks for cleaning the pots, pans and utensils used in the great kitchen. This latter building was away from the main house as fire was such a great danger in a wooden building. All day long there was the noise of hammering and sawing, planning and shaping. Ezekial was constantly replenishing the wood store with every kind of wood he was asked to find. The Hesketh estates included many acres of mixed woodland and his gang spent all their time felling whatever was required. Everyone, from the youngest apprentice to the Master Builder, was working long hours to finish the house.

  As he stood outside watching great slabs of stone being stacked near to the Great Hall, ready for hauling up to the roof Abel was counting the days to when it would be complete. Since that early day Lord Hesketh had not visited more than half a dozen times and then only briefly. That was the way Abel liked it, being left to get on with it without what he called interference. No more wild suggestions and modern ideas of which he disapproved. The further on the work progressed the less likely that major alterations to the plans would be suggested. Soon he would be able to turn his attention to detail within the house especially the Great Hall. He himself planned to do some of the decorative carving as befitted his position as master builder, and he had asked one or two of his chosen men to do the rest, but not Cuthbert. He gritted his teeth as he thought of that man. At least he had done as he had been ordered and not worked on anything in the centrepiece of his creation. Abel had gone into the west wing one evening when he was alone. He had been pleased with what he had seen but had no way of knowing what any individual had done. He did not find any of the carving that Cuthbert had shown him as his own designs. All that he found was of the basic designs Abel favoured although he had to admit the carving was very fine. He did not look hard enough though and missed some beautiful floral designs Cuthbert had executed in a dim corner of the solar. Early in the morning the sunlight would catch the panel but late in the evening it was hidden in the shadows. Cuthbert was working his magic as he had done at Whalley but only those who were shown it knew where to look and they would not betray their good friend, Cuthbert.

  Cuthbert was, in fact, creating many pieces of work which he hoped to use in other more prominent positions. One or two had already been used in the Great Hall, inserted by one or other of his friends so that Abel would think it was their work. It was rather a sneaky way to go about it but, at the moment, Cuthbert could see no way to progress. His friends were rather enjoying the subterfuge and in no way felt it detracted from their own handiwork. Fixing a piece of delicate carving high up on the walls was part of their normal work, so who was to ask who had actually made it? One of the bracing pieces beneath one of the hammer beams was Cuthbert’s work, put in place by Thomas under the watchful eye of Abel! Thomas had told Cuthbert later that he had found it hard to concentrate with his beady eye on him but he dared not betray any idea that it was not his own work. A carving of foliage over a doorway was also by Cuthbert, fixed in place by Alfric.

  The most difficult person to deceive was Will. He was a man who could look very busy without actually getting anything done. He would bustle about carrying pieces of wood or tools but nobody saw him actually use either. If Abel happened to be near he would make an effort and start to take measurements or hold a piece of wood in place as though that was his purpose at that moment but as soon as Abel left, Will would move on somewhere else. He was very good at watching and Cuthbert frequently turned from doing a particular job to find him leaning in the doorway watching him. Cuthbert talked to the others about Will’s lack of work.

  ‘Does he ever do anything?’ he asked one evening as they ate a late meal.

  ‘Not if he can help it,’ replied Alfric. ‘He imagines himself in Abel’s position, giving orders, supervising others, being the master. What he doesn’t realise is that even masters have to learn the job from the very beginning. Abel worked for his grandfather for years before he got to the position he’s in now. He may be stuck in his ways now but he knows what it is to work hard at every aspect of this job. He could turn his hand to making simple pegs as easily as any raw apprentice. I don’t know why he hasn’t realised that Will is just a lazy so-and-so, too keen on causing trouble to be trusted with any responsibility.’

  ‘He would rather be chasing the village girls than putting in a full day’s work,’ said Harry through a mouthful of bread and cheese. ‘He doesn’t have much success there either, from what I’ve heard. They soon realise he’s only after one thing and avoid him if they can. There are a few fathers who would like to catch him with their daughters and give him a beating, I can tell you.’

  ‘If he’s so lazy himself why does he resent anyone else working. It’s not as though we were taking work away from him if he’s not doing it anyway,’ reasoned Cuthbert.

  ‘That’s just Will,’ said Thomas. ‘It doesn’t surprise me in the least that he’s taken a dislike to you, Cuthbert. You are the newest here and he is making sure that you know he can cause you problems if you cross him.’

  ‘But I haven’t crossed him. I’m only doing my job.’

  ‘He recognises a fine craftsman and you came on the recommendation of a member of the landed gentry. Will would rather be in their position than working as a humble carpenter.’

  ‘I heard there was some history to his life. What is it? Do you know?’

  ‘Not really. When he first appeared he used to hint that he had come from a good family, that he had relatives in high places,’ said Thomas. ‘The only high place he’s been is up a ladder.’

  This caused much laughter but Cuthbert wondered whether there was a shred of truth behind the rumours. Will wouldn’t be the only young man to be disowned by his family for some grave misdemeanour in his past and the truth would catch up with him one day.

  The year was drawing from autumn to winter. The daylight was closing in and they worked shorter hours on the house. There was still plenty to do and despite the cold evenings Cuthbert was often to be found carving some piece by the light of a lantern.

  ‘You’ll ruin your eyes,’ cried Liliath, catching him working, hunched over, by the fire.

  ‘Almost finished,’ replied Cuthbert, blowing the last shavings away, and he held up a piece of wood with the strange face of a man on it.

  ‘Whatever is it?’ asked Liliath. ‘It’s an ugly thing, whatever it is.’ She turned it about, looking at it from different angles.

  ‘It’s an idea for one of the car
vings in the Great Hall,’ said Cuthbert. ‘There was one on a misericord at Whalley Abbey which fascinated me. It is an ancient symbol going back centuries. The face of a man surrounded by leaves and vegetation, it looks like a mask. Some have shoots and other vegetation coming out of the mouth but this is just a face.’

  ‘A face with its tongue hanging out,’ laughed Liliath. ‘Are you trying to say something, Cuthbert?’

  ‘I wondered whether I dare put one up in the Great Hall.’

  ‘I hate to think what Abel would say,’ she cried. ‘Would you dare?’

  ‘I don’t see why not. He likes decorative carvings and he must have seen something like this somewhere.’

  ‘But is it in his range of carvings? He won’t like it if he hasn’t approved it. Dare you face his wrath?’

  ‘He may not even notice it, but perhaps I should keep it here for the time being.’

  ‘It may be safer to.’

  So the Green Man’s carving joined several other pieces which he had produced over the months and was saving until there came an opportunity to use them.

  Another project Cuthbert was involved in was trying to meet, or just see, Ebenezer’s daughters again, especially the eldest, Jennet. He had never really taken much notice of young women before despite there being many on the periphery of his life in Chester. He had always been too busy working and those he did meet were sisters or nieces of people he knew. Mildred had once teased him that Nell was soft on him but she was a child as far as he was concerned. Jennet, however, was different. There was something about her that he found attractive, something he couldn’t quite put his finger on. She was pretty but not of the pale simpering sort that many men liked. Hers was an attractiveness unlike any he had seen before. Her hair was of a lustrous shade that caught the sunlight in the strands and made it glow. Her flawless skin shone with health from the outdoor life she led. She was tall and slender with an enchanting, teasing smile that she had no idea had melted something in him. When he had seen her with her sisters he had noticed the way she was attentive to them but not over bearing. They clearly adored her as much as she did them. She was often in his thoughts as he went about his work and he wondered what colour her eyes were, what made her laugh, what she enjoyed doing when she wasn’t helping her mother with the household tasks. Did she sew? Did she make baskets like Nell had sometimes? Did she feed the chickens or milk the cow? Did they even have chickens and a cow? He was ignorant of life in the countryside but would willingly learn if it meant he could see more of Jennet.

  His chance csame one late autumn Sunday afternoon. Like everyone else he had attended prayers that morning with the village priest and after a meal of bread and cheese had taken his drawing implements and wandered along by the Mere, looking for inspiration from nature around him. He was sitting on a fallen log drawing some of the ducks that were feeding in the water when he heard voices approaching along the bank. As they drew near he saw that it was Jennet and her sisters, ambling slowly through the trees, talking and laughing together. They clearly hadn’t seen him and he remained still, watching. They made an enchanting group, three pretty girls, their hair the colour of the autumn leaves around them, a picture of loveliness, and he quickly began to sketch them. They had paused and one of the younger sisters was gathering some of the glorious golden leaves and entwining them to make a coronet which she placed on Jennet’s head.

  ‘Queen of the woods,’ she pronounced, and all three giggled as Martha and Mary made mock bows to her. Jennet struck a regal pose, accepting their gestures with dignity.

  Cuthbert was enchanted, but the scene was spoiled when Will stepped out from behind a clump of bushes a little farther along the bank.

  ‘Well, well, well! What do we have here? A royal court, no less, and such enchanting ladies to attend their queen.’ He made a deep but mocking bow and drew nearer. The girls turned towards him and crept together as he approached, their faces clearly showing their shock at his presence. ‘Come, let me pay homage to such beauty. A kiss at the very least.’

  He stepped up to the youngest girl and would have put his arm around her waist if Jennet had not moved quickly to her side and moved her behind her.

  ‘Leave us alone, Will. There is nothing for you here,’ she said, defiantly.

  ‘I only beg a kiss, a simple kiss from each of you,’ he pleaded, smiling sweetly.

  ‘There will be no kisses for you,’ said Jennet. ‘Go, leave us be.’

  Will persisted, the smile on his face becoming a sneer as he tried to grab the younger girl by the arm.

  ‘Think you are too high and mighty because your father is the woodman, do you? A mere woodman. I tell you, I come from better stock than a humble woodman. I could give you a far better life than you would have from some village yokel.’

  ‘Leave us, I say. I know what your intentions are and you will find no easy conquest here. I know what you want, I have heard what you do with other poor girls and I tell you, you will have none of that from my sisters or from me. Go, before you regret it.’ She stared at him fiercely, a wolf protecting her cubs.

  ‘You will regret this,’ hissed Will.

  Cuthbert stepped forward.

  ‘Leave them alone, Will,’ he said, quietly. ‘They do not want you near. Go now and we will hear no more of this.’

  Will looked at Cuthbert, startled at his sudden appearance.

  ‘You!’ he cried. ‘I should have known you would come to the rescue. The hero, saving the damsels in distress. Well you listen to me, master carver. Your day will come, you watch out, one of these days I will put a stop to you and your plans to show me up.’

  ‘Why should I want to show you up?’ replied Cuthbert. ‘What have I done to attract your animosity? Why do you so resent my presence?’

  Will had no answer but turned furious eyes on the girls.

  ‘You’d better watch out,’ he said, menacingly. ‘One day, when you’re out alone I will get you. He won’t always be there to protect you. Be aware. I will find you and I will take what I want whether you like it or not. It is my right.’

  He turned on his heel and ran off, back through the woods towards the village.

  Cuthbert approached the girls.

  ‘Are you sure you are all right?’ he asked.

  ‘Yes, he did us no harm,’ replied Jennet, hugging her two sisters to her. ‘He scares me though. I have heard what he has done to some of the village girls and father has told us to keep out of his way but how can we when he lives almost among us?’ There was a note of panic in her voice and one of the other girls was crying quietly.

  ‘Why does he do it?’ she quavered. ‘Why does he want to hurt us? What have we done?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ replied Cuthbert. ‘Have you any idea why he keeps saying he is better than us, that he could treat us as he wants if he so wished? Who is he? Where does he come from? Who is this family that he keeps alluding to? Do you know?’

  ‘No, we don’t. He came with Abel and his men but we don’t know any more than that. Abel may know but he’s not saying.’ Jennet squared her shoulders. ‘We have to be strong and try to keep out of his way.’ She turned to face her sisters. ‘Don’t you ever go out alone, do you hear me? Always go together or with me.’

  ‘We won’t,’ they nodded.

  ‘I will walk home with you, if I may?’ said Cuthbert. ‘I want to ask your father about some extra wood.’

  ‘Oh, what are you making? Something special? Liliath showed me the little rabbit you made. It is beautiful.’ Jennet’s face lit up as she spoke, and something turned over in Cuthbert’s chest. There was a lump in his throat and he cleared it noisily before he spoke.

  ‘Er, yes, I have an idea for something for the house but don’t say anything to Abel. I want to try it out first. If it doesn’t work, no one will know.’

  ‘Will you show us first if it does work out?’

  Cuthbert couldn’t resist her plea.

  ‘I may do,’ he teased, ‘but no more questio
ns now. Let’s walk back to the village.’

  The walk was only about half a mile but to Cuthbert every inch of the way was precious. He longed to hold Jennet’s hand, feel her touch on his skin, but he restrained himself, not least because of Mary and Martha. He walked on air through the wood, his heart thumping in his chest. Afterwards he had no idea what they had talked about but the time sped by and soon they were approaching the cottage where the girls lived with their father and mother. Ezekial was hoeing the weeds in the small garden at the side, clearing them from the rows of beans which were coming to the end of their growth. He paused when he saw them and leaned on his hoe as they approached.

  ‘Now there’s a glad sight!’ he declared. ‘Nice to have the time to stroll by the Mere and through the woods.’ He smiled at Cuthbert. ‘Enjoy your walk?’ There was a twinkle in his eye which Cuthbert did not fail to notice and, to his horror, he felt himself blush.

  ‘I happened upon your daughters not far from here and decided to walk back with them,’ he said.

  ‘He saved us from Will, too,’ blurted out one of the twins. Ezekial’s face instantly became serious.

  ‘Him! What did he want? I hope he didn’t touch any of you.’

  ‘No, father,’ replied Jennet, quickly. ‘Luckily Cuthbert arrived and told him to leave us. Nothing happened.’

  ‘I don’t trust that young man with any female, young or old,’ snarled Ezekial. ‘He’s a bad lot. You are sure you are all right?’

  ‘Yes, father, don’t fuss.’ She took her shawl from her shoulders and headed for the house. ‘Let’s go and help mother with the meal.’

  Ezekial watched them to the door then turned to Cuthbert.

  ‘What was Will after?’ he asked.

  ‘The usual. He didn’t see me at first but when he tried to grab one of the girls I thought I’d better intervene.’

  ‘Thank the Lord you were near! The tales I hear about him are not good. I don’t know why Abel doesn’t get rid of him. He does next to no work anyway, from what I hear.’