to my uncle, it seems.’
‘He said so, Sir. He gave me this.’ She fumbled in the neck of her gown and pulled out a gold ring threaded on a cord. ‘I can’t wear it on my finger. He said never to let Mrs Harriet see it. You won’t tell her, Sir – now you’ve sworn?’
I could see why my aunt would disapprove. ‘A ring? Why?’
‘For cleaning him up when he was stinking,’ she whispered. ‘Mrs Harriet wouldn’t, you see.’
‘I thought my aunt cared for him until she took you on.’
‘She burnt rosemary in the room, Sir, and scattered orris. But she never went near the bed. It wasn’t a job for her; she’s of noble blood.’
‘So you did all that.’
She nodded. ‘And laid out his body, Sir.’
‘You were with him a long time, then … Did you ever think, Tamar, that my uncle had something on his conscience? Something he wanted to put right before he died?’
Tamar’s eyes had been veiled, turned towards the ground. Now she lifted her face and looked directly at me. She was nearly as tall as I and for a moment we stared at each other in silence. Something was working behind her fox features, sharpening them to a new intensity.
‘Yes, Sir,’ she whispered at last. ‘He talked of it. He’d done somebody a wrong – he had to make amends. He was frightened of dying, Sir.’
‘He told you that?’
‘It wasn’t like telling me, Sir. He didn’t know I was there, not at the end. But he said it over and over. I heard him very clear.’
‘Who was the person? The person he had injured?’
Her eyes swivelled away. ‘He never said.’
It would do no good to press her just then. Instead I said, ‘When did this happen?’
‘Just before Mr Mathew came.’
‘My father arrived because of a letter. That was the letter you gave to the man in the village, wasn’t it?’
‘If you say so, Sir. Mrs Harriet was angry, she didn’t want Mr Mathew here. You won’t tell her it was me that brought him, will you?’
‘I’m a man of my word, Tamar. If you remember anything more –’
She stiffened. ‘Listen – the Mistress –’
On the breeze came my aunt’s voice: ‘Tamar! Tamar!’ The girl gathered up her skirts and ran into the house.
* * *
My dear son ,
I write again to call you home since your father misses you greatly. There is another reason why I would wish you to be with us – a matter of some importance. I know that after reading this you will not remain longer than is necessary to render good service to your aunt in her time of need and will soon return to your most loving
Mother
Dearest Mother ,
I am in receipt of yours and will return as soon as I may. My aunt has yet a good many apples to be picked and pressed, but I proceed with all haste. I am concerned at your ‘other reason’. Pray send one of the village boys to me if something ails you; let me know it, and I will render what assistance I may. I am sure you can find a way of wrapping it up that will leave him none the wiser and I will gladly reimburse him for his trouble .
Your loving son ,
Jonathan
* * *
As I had informed my mother, there still remained a goodly number of apples to pick and press, but I was not ‘proceeding with all haste’; I dawdled and spun out my time as I pondered what Tamar had told me. Aunt seemed to take pleasure in talking, for once, and was in no hurry to send me away; everything was playing into my hand.
I must not go just yet. A few days more and I might win Tamar’s trust; I was now convinced that, if she chose, she could point to the injured party. She had been with Uncle Robin through his last hours. If he was indeed raving, surely he had spoken the one name that pressed so cruelly on his conscience? As I worked I left the door of the cider-house open, and I waited.
At last, shortly after breakfast one morning, I heard a scraping sound outside.
‘Let me help you, Tamar,’ I said, emerging into the sunshine.
‘Thank you Sir, but the mistress says I keep you from
‘He said so, Sir. He gave me this.’ She fumbled in the neck of her gown and pulled out a gold ring threaded on a cord. ‘I can’t wear it on my finger. He said never to let Mrs Harriet see it. You won’t tell her, Sir – now you’ve sworn?’
I could see why my aunt would disapprove. ‘A ring? Why?’
‘For cleaning him up when he was stinking,’ she whispered. ‘Mrs Harriet wouldn’t, you see.’
‘I thought my aunt cared for him until she took you on.’
‘She burnt rosemary in the room, Sir, and scattered orris. But she never went near the bed. It wasn’t a job for her; she’s of noble blood.’
‘So you did all that.’
She nodded. ‘And laid out his body, Sir.’
‘You were with him a long time, then … Did you ever think, Tamar, that my uncle had something on his conscience? Something he wanted to put right before he died?’
Tamar’s eyes had been veiled, turned towards the ground. Now she lifted her face and looked directly at me. She was nearly as tall as I and for a moment we stared at each other in silence. Something was working behind her fox features, sharpening them to a new intensity.
‘Yes, Sir,’ she whispered at last. ‘He talked of it. He’d done somebody a wrong – he had to make amends. He was frightened of dying, Sir.’
‘He told you that?’
‘It wasn’t like telling me, Sir. He didn’t know I was there, not at the end. But he said it over and over. I heard him very clear.’
‘Who was the person? The person he had injured?’
Her eyes swivelled away. ‘He never said.’
It would do no good to press her just then. Instead I said, ‘When did this happen?’
‘Just before Mr Mathew came.’
‘My father arrived because of a letter. That was the letter you gave to the man in the village, wasn’t it?’
‘If you say so, Sir. Mrs Harriet was angry, she didn’t want Mr Mathew here. You won’t tell her it was me that brought him, will you?’
‘I’m a man of my word, Tamar. If you remember anything more –’
She stiffened. ‘Listen – the Mistress –’
On the breeze came my aunt’s voice: ‘Tamar! Tamar!’ The girl gathered up her skirts and ran into the house.
* * *
My dear son ,
I write again to call you home since your father misses you greatly. There is another reason why I would wish you to be with us – a matter of some importance. I know that after reading this you will not remain longer than is necessary to render good service to your aunt in her time of need and will soon return to your most loving
Mother
Dearest Mother ,
I am in receipt of yours and will return as soon as I may. My aunt has yet a good many apples to be picked and pressed, but I proceed with all haste. I am concerned at your ‘other reason’. Pray send one of the village boys to me if something ails you; let me know it, and I will render what assistance I may. I am sure you can find a way of wrapping it up that will leave him none the wiser and I will gladly reimburse him for his trouble .
Your loving son ,
Jonathan
* * *
As I had informed my mother, there still remained a goodly number of apples to pick and press, but I was not ‘proceeding with all haste’; I dawdled and spun out my time as I pondered what Tamar had told me. Aunt seemed to take pleasure in talking, for once, and was in no hurry to send me away; everything was playing into my hand.
I must not go just yet. A few days more and I might win Tamar’s trust; I was now convinced that, if she chose, she could point to the injured party. She had been with Uncle Robin through his last hours. If he was indeed raving, surely he had spoken the one name that pressed so cruelly on his conscience? As I worked I left the door of the cider-house open, and I waited.
At last, shortly after breakfast one morning, I heard a scraping sound outside.
‘Let me help you, Tamar,’ I said, emerging into the sunshine.
‘Thank you Sir, but the mistress says I keep you from
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