Page 26 of Echoes on the Wind (Borrowed Time #2)

“It will be a shame to see you go, but I can’t deny I won’t enjoy having some extra space,” Nellie said as we walked arm in arm through the town to dinner.

The evening was warm and dry, making the walk to Awbrey’s house a pleasant one, if not a little long, and I used the time to tell her about Mair’s invite for us to move in as we strolled a shortcut through the park.

It had taken me a while to broach the subject, fearing we would seem ungrateful by moving out at the first opportunity, but she’d taken it well and knew that Mair and Zack would need the extra income more than she or Gethin did. And with Betty’s baby on the way, the house was already far too crowded as it was.

“Do you plan on making the move soon?” she asked.

“I haven’t really thought about it, to be honest,” I replied. “At the end of the week, I would imagine. We’ll pay you for the rest of the month though, of course.”

“There’s no need to do that,” she responded.

“It’s the least we can do,” I argued. “You’ve been so good to both of us. Still, it’ll be nice for you to get your house back. You and Gethin can finally get some peace.”

She pulled me in closer, but the bustle tied around her waist to keep her skirts up over her bottom kept a barrier between us, and made me walk slightly lopsided.

“He’s too busy with his affair,” she said, as nonchalantly as if she were telling me the time.

I stopped dead in my tracks, the new direction of the conversation catching me off guard, but Nellie continued on, pulling me along with her. Despite her revelation, neither her pace nor her demeanour changed.

I began to panic as I picked up my pace, letting an odd silence hang over us. I’d dreaded this conversation since I’d found Gethin with the May Queen. Keeping it to myself felt like a betrayal of her trust, and I hated knowing that he was going behind her back, but the cowardly side of me didn’t want to be the one who threw a bomb into the middle of her marriage.

“An affair?” I asked, trying to play it cool. “Why do you think that?”

“Oh, Thomas,” she said with a shake of her head, as though I’d said something incredibly stupid. “It can't have escaped your notice that he makes every effort not to be at home anymore. Late nights, early starts, meetings in Cardiff. He never had to do any of those things before.”

“Well, he did say that the school has an inspection coming up,” I replied. I had no idea why I was covering for him, but I was so taken aback by the conversation that I didn’t know what else to say .

“You’re smarter than that, Tom. And despite what my husband might think, so am I. No, I’m quite certain.”

Unlinking her arm from mine, she turned to face me on the pavement. I was struck by how calm she seemed, and confused by her desire to share her thoughts with me. Embarrassment would cause most people to keep news of this sort to themselves, but she seemed almost unconcerned by it.

When I’d first met them a few years ago, back when they were still engaged, Nellie had been absolutely smitten. And yet, it was hard to deny that a different side to Gethin had emerged since their wedding that hadn’t been as evident before. He had expectations of what a wife should be, but now that she was a bit older, with a career of her own, she was showing a strength and resilience that I couldn’t help but admire.

“Has he mentioned anything to you? Wait. No. Don’t tell me. I’d rather not know.”

“Have you spoken to him about any of this?”

She let out a small laugh as she smiled, and her pace slowed down to a stop.

“Before you came to Bryncoed, we had a neighbour, Mr Barnaby. His affairs were conducted with little discretion, and were the talk of the town. In quiet whispers, of course. One day, Mrs Barnaby decided to confront her husband. I don’t know why. Perhaps she didn’t like being the topic of gossip anymore. Either way, we could hear their rows through the walls all evening.”

She looked around from side to side as though to make sure nobody was listening in, then leaned a bit closer to me as she continued, this time in more of a whisper.

“Two days later, a carriage arrived outside the house. We thought nothing of it at first, of course, until Mrs Barnaby was brought out, her face beaten and her clothes torn, as two men manhandled her into the back. They took her away and she’s never been seen again.”

“She’s dead?” I asked, horrified.

“Don’t be dramatic, Tom,” she replied as she adjusted her gloves. “Mr Barnaby had her taken to Glamorgan Lunatic Asylum. She’s still there, as far as I know. He was packed up and moved out within three weeks. He’s living with another woman in Barry, so the ladies at the hall tell me. So you see,” she said, as she took hold of my arm again and began to walk, “I have a vested interest in keeping this information to myself.”

“So why are you telling me?”

“Because I trust you. And because I needed to tell someone, in the hope that it would stop my urge to scream.”

“And has it?”

“Not really,” she smiled. “But I have to learn to live with it. He’ll never leave, of course, and he’d never agree to a divorce, even if the law allowed me to petition for one. The shame would ruin him. The best I can hope for is that he conducts his affairs with enough discretion that I don’t become the topic of gossip, or that I never end up like the hundreds of other Mrs Barnabys, accused of hysteria and locked away forever to not be an inconvenience.”

“But surely you don’t think Gethin would do something like that? ”

“I’ve learned never to underestimate a man who is angry at a woman. I mean no offence, Tom, of course, but the world wasn’t built in our favour.”

“It won’t always be this way,” I said as we turned onto Victoria Gardens. “You’ll see.”

“I wish I had your certainty,” she replied, then she straightened her back up and picked up her pace. “Now, are you ready to face Mr Awbrey?”

“I’m already working out how to make a quick and early exit, so make of that what you will.”

When we reached the house, Nellie let go of my arm and I straightened myself out as she gave me her nod of approval. Despite having nothing particularly formal to wear, I still managed to scrub up fairly well, and Nellie, in a beautiful, olive-coloured dress, had provided me with a matching handkerchief for my breast pocket. All in all, we made quite the handsome couple.

The door swung open as we approached, and Lee greeted us with a smile, beckoning us in.

He threw his arms around my shoulders, then took Nellie’s hand and planted a kiss on it. “Just the two of you?”

“Gwyn and Gethin both had to work, sorry.”

“I’ll let my mother know to reset the table,” Tish said from behind him, then she rushed off down the hallway.

“Let me get you a drink,” Lee said as he ushered us into one of the rooms off the hall.

The house was lavish by any standard, and the room we were in was beautifully decorated with Chinese antiques and expensive carpets, but Awbrey’s money problems were evident. There was a tear in the settee, some of the wallpaper was peeling, and everything looked like it needed a good clean.

Nellie and I took seats at the window between two large, dusty bookcases, while Lee pulled a decanter from one of the cabinets and started pouring drinks. “So what’s this about?” I asked, still curious about Awbrey’s motives.

“Your guess is as good as mine, brother,” he replied.

He handed me a glass with a drop of whiskey in it, then held another out for Nellie, but when she waved it off with a polite smile, he poured it into mine.

“You can’t honestly believe he’s got us here to make peace?” I asked.

“That’s what he says.”

The door swung open and Tish popped her head in, bringing my enquiries to an end. “Would you all like to come through?”

“Doesn’t he have a maid for this?” I whispered as we followed Tish into the dining room.

Lee looked at me and shook his head. “I’ll tell you about it later.”

Mrs Awbrey proved herself to be a pleasant host, and far more warm and personable than her quick-tempered husband had proven himself to be. All throughout the meal, she led the conversations, taking a keen interest in my background, and enthusiastically discussing the topics of the day, sharing her opinions on everything from fashion to Gladstone and the current election .

Mr Awbrey, on the other hand, despite his supposed desire to make amends, made little effort to engage with anyone, speaking only when directly addressed or complaining about something.

He did, however, observe. He listened intently to every word, but his focus seemed to be entirely trained on me, whether I was speaking or not. His looks weren’t threatening by any means, but they couldn’t exactly be described as friendly, either. It felt more like he was trying to work me out, to see what I might say or do next, and it kept me on edge for much of the evening.

When the main course of dinner was finished, Mr Awbrey let out a loud, exaggerated cough, and everyone, with the exception of me and Nellie, fell silent. It took Lee kicking me under the table for us to realise that we were expected to follow suit, and with a disapproving look from the host, we brought our discussion to a close.

“I suppose you’re wondering why I brought you here?” he said after making us wait an uncomfortably long time in silence.

He cast an imposing figure, leaning slightly in his chair with a clenched hand raised to his hip, and I could feel myself shrinking back in my seat as I waited for his explanation.

“The invitation was a surprise,” I replied, trying to keep my voice strong so that I didn’t seem worried about what might come next.

“Firstly, I’d like to offer an apology to Mrs Evans. Interrupting your dinner party was unforgivable. I hope you’ll pass that on to Mr Evans, too. ”

Nellie smiled and shook her head as though it was nothing. She was far too polite to tell him how she really felt, or that as apologies go, his was piss poor, so he seemed satisfied that that matter was now closed.

“Mr Jacob,” he continued, turning his attention to me. “We will be family soon, and there’s no room in a family for a feud. Obviously, what you did was very foolish…”

I opened my mouth to speak, but Lee gave me another kick under the table, so I closed it again.

“...but I am willing to forget it for the sake of Letitia and, I suppose, for your brother. In fact, as a show of my good nature, I’d like to offer you a job. Lee has told me you have clerical experience, and I need someone to cross the T’s and dot the I’s.”

The wine I was sipping went down the wrong way, and I let out a choked cough. Suddenly, all eyes were on me. It had to be a joke, surely?

“Oh, Daddy, what a lovely gesture,” Tish said excitedly, but when I looked at Lee, he just shrugged, seemingly as surprised as me.

“That’s very kind of you, Mr Awbrey,” I said when I regained my composure. “Really, it is. But I’m not quite sure I’d be a good fit for the mine. Thank you, though.”

He kept a smile on his face while I spoke, but there was a flicker in his eyes that told me he was unimpressed by my refusal, which made his grin seem more menacing.

“You’re not going to insult me by refusing, are you, boy?”

Calling me ‘boy’ was just about the quickest way he could have gotten under my skin, and I had to do everything I could to bite my tongue and not snap back at him.

“Of course he isn’t,” Lee jumped in, and I suddenly felt ambushed. “You’ve been looking for work, haven’t you, Tom?”

I cast him an unimpressed look, annoyed that he was answering on my behalf and sucking up to the man who’d hit me in the face. He was the one who told me to stay as far away from Awbrey as possible, and yet here he was, trying to convince me to take a job with him.

“I was looking for work,” I said, trying my hardest to keep an even tone and a smile on my face, “but something has already come up.”

Lee knew I was lying. He always knew. He didn’t say anything to give me away, so for that, I was grateful, but instead, he leaned back, curious, waiting for me to explain, so I had no option but to keep digging.

“I was going to tell you tonight, actually,” I continued, trying to think on the spot. “I’m opening my own business.”

“Not another mine, I hope,” Mrs Awbrey said, almost entirely into her glass of wine.

“An agency,” I said defiantly. “In fact, Nellie and I went to view the premises today.”

“We did?” she said, almost choking on her wine. I don’t even know why I dragged her into it, I just hoped that it would add some legitimacy to my lie. Luckily, she straightened herself up and wiped her mouth, cottoning on quickly. “I mean, we did! Very nice it was, too. ”

“What kind of agency?” Tish asked, still filled with excitement, and apparently completely oblivious to the game going on around the table.

“Yes, Tom,” my brother chipped in, finding amusement in my being on the spot. “What kind of agency?”

“Estate,” I replied, feeling slightly smug that I was able to answer without pause.

Tish leaned on the table, looking puzzled, and cocked her head to the side. “What’s an estate agency?”

Mr Awbrey continued to grin from the top of the table, twirling his moustache as he watched me squirm. I wasn’t sure if he was amused because he knew I was making it all up, or because someone had dared to say no to him, but his gaze was making me uncomfortable.

I was given a reprieve from the questions when three thunderous bangs came at the door, loud enough to make Tish jump in her seat, and turn all attention towards the dining room door.

For a moment, the Awbrey’s stared around at each other, waiting for someone to answer, but with no staff in the house, Mr Awbrey was forced to his feet. Furious, he threw his napkin down onto his plate before storming into the hallway.

Tish and her mother began whispering amongst themselves, and I leaned over towards Nellie and lifted my napkin to my mouth. “Do you think any of them believed it?” I whispered.

“Tish, perhaps,” she replied with a grin, and her chest heaved as she stifled a laugh .

“How dare you,” Mr Awbrey shouted from the hallway, and all attention turned to the door once more. “Get out of my house this instant.”

Lee got up and rushed from the room, and as curiosity got the better of me, I did the same.

Out in the hallway, Mr Awbrey had a young, suited lad by the scruff and was marching him to the door, while another stood motionless nearby, reading from a notice. It was difficult to pay attention to what he was saying, given the commotion, but as the door to the parlour swung open and two men exited carrying a chaise, it became quickly evident that they were bailiffs.

“Daddy, what’s going on?” Tish cried out as her mother held her back near the staircase.

Mr Awbrey came back into the hall, dusting off his hands, but the boy he’d thrown out came right back in behind him and went into the parlour with the other men.

“Put that down,” Mr Awbrey ordered, but the movers ignored him and carried on down the path to a waiting wagon.

The man who had been reading the notice fell silent, then rolled it up and stiffened his back. “Mr Awbrey,” he said sternly. “It’d be better if we don’t have to get the constables involved.”

He stood tall and broad, and showed no fear as Mr Awbrey lunged toward him, red-faced with arms outstretched. I’d no doubt that he could handle himself if necessary, but Lee jumped in between them and pushed Mr Awbrey back, catching a clip to the chin in the process .

“You don’t want to get yourself arrested,” my brother said as he took hold of his jaw and stretched it from side to side. He turned to the bailiff, took the notice from him, and began to read it, before glancing up at Mr Awbrey. “Items to the value of seventy pounds?” he said, and he pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a sigh.

The two movers passed us again, this time with a walnut side table and an antique vase, and Mrs Awbrey cried out before rushing into the dining room and slamming the door closed behind her. A moment later, the younger bailiff came out carrying a portrait of Letitia in an ornate frame, and she turned her face into my brother's chest and began to sob.

Nellie and I glanced at each other, feeling awkward and embarrassed, and she indicated towards the door with her head, ready for us to make our escape.

I stepped forward, about to announce our departure, right into the path of Mr Awbrey. He seemed to have momentarily forgotten about our presence, but now looked ready to throttle me.

“What are you staring at?” he bellowed, then he balled his fist up and pointed to the door. “Get out! Both of you!”