Hope - Lesley Pearse [271]
‘Always so practical and level-headed!’ He nodded. ‘But my dear girl, you have been through so much since Betsy was born, far too much, and we must be sure there is no repetition of what occurred last night.’
A cloud passed over her face. ‘I don’t know what possessed me,’ she said, dropping her eyes shamefacedly.
‘The human mind can only take so much,’ he said gently. ‘I have seen many men become irrational after battles and hardship, I suspect it is nature’s way of demanding that they allowthemselves to rest. But Bennett is back safe and sound, and I hope you will let me take care of my family now?’
‘Your family?’ she repeated, looking up at him in wonder. ‘That sounds so lovely.’
Angus put his arms around both mother and child and drew them to his chest.
‘It sounds lovely to me too,’ he said softly, his voice breaking with emotion. ‘I’ve never had a family, I was always the cuckoo in someone else’s nest. But the extraordinary thing is that if I could have handpicked the people I wanted in my family, you are all the very ones I would have selected. And with young Betsy, I will be able to give her the love and attention I never got the chance to give you. I think that makes me the luckiest man alive.’
Christmas, something Nell and Hope had barely thought about until the men came home, was suddenly only a week away and each day was full of frantic preparations. Bennett was still too weak to do more than play with his daughter as the women made pies and puddings and cleaned silver around him. Angus chopped wood, brought in huge bunches of holly and ivy, and went off to the market in Bristol. He brought home not just provisions, but a horse to pull the trap which had languished in one of the sheds since he’d been away.
Willow End was full of chatter and laughter. There were so many stories to share, lengthy discussions on past events, and what they would like for the future, but every now and then all four adults would sit around the kitchen table, just beaming at one another in their delight that they were all together again at last.
How much, or how little, they were going to tell the rest of the family about Hope and Angus when they arrived for Boxing Day was a source of endless debate. It was Angus who finally suggested they should wait until Christmas Day in the company of Rufus, Uncle Abel and Alice and make the decision then, with them.
At five in the afternoon on Christmas Day it was already dark outside, but the dining room at Willow End was ablaze with light from two dozen candles and a roaring fire. The ceiling beams were decorated with garlands of holly, ivy and red ribbon, and the red tablecloth was barely visible beneath the wealth of glasses, plates and silver tureens. The goose was a mere skeleton now, the vegetable tureens empty. Everyone had agreed they’d need a rest before they could possibly manage plum pudding.
‘I had dreamed of a Christmas like this for years,’ Bennett said reflectively. ‘But I never thought it would come true.’
He looked around the table, aglow with wonder that he’d survived to be here today with all the people he loved: Hope in a red dress on his right, her dark curls shining like ebony in the candlelight; Nell wearing pale blue came next, followed by Uncle Abel, Alice and finally Rufus. Not forgetting Betsy, who lay gurgling in her crib by the window.
For Bennett, past Christmases had been mostly rather dismal affairs, usually spent with people he didn’t much care for, or barely knew. Even the ones spent with Uncle Abel had not been happy because of their often strained relationship.
But everything had come right at last. Abel had grown very fond of Hope, and he was clearly proud of his nephew now. Alice had always shown Bennett a great deal of affection, but she was positively radiant now that she could do this openly, and lavish attention on Hope and Betsy too.
Nell was just as Hope had described her, placid, kind and motherly, yet she was not dull as Bennett had feared,