The Forest - Edward Rutherfurd [381]
‘“You’d better tell me who it was,” I said. “At least he can help you.”
‘“I don’t think he can, Dad,” she said. She didn’t want to tell me who it was, but I talked to her quietly for a while and in the end she shrugged and said, “It doesn’t make much difference, anyway.” And then she told me it was Mr Minimus Furzey.’
George stopped. For a moment Sally wondered if he was going to continue. Then she realized that he was weeping. There was no sound, just a gentle shaking of his broad shoulders.
Sally waited.
‘I suppose it was foolish of me to have let her go there,’ he said at last. ‘I shouldn’t have trusted him, should I?’
‘I don’t know about that, George,’ said Sally.
He remained silent for a few moments more.
‘The next day I went to see Mr Furzey. I was very angry, as you can imagine. Betrayed, really. But when I got over to their cottage I was very polite. I asked if I could have a private word with him. So he came out, looking a bit awkward. And when we were standing in his little garden where no one could hear us I told him what I knew and asked him what he was going to do about it. And do you know what he said?
‘“Oh dear,” he said, “I’m always doing this.” And he just shakes his head. “I haven’t any money, you know.”
‘I’m not sure what I might have done just then. But at that moment Mrs Furzey came out, smiling at me kindly, and I realized she didn’t have an idea of what was going on.
‘“What’s this?” she said to me. “Is there anything we can do for you?”
‘“Nothing much,” I said. “I just wanted to ask Mr Furzey about a bird’s nest I found.” I was so angry about Dorothy, but when I saw Mrs Furzey like that, I felt sorry for her too.
‘“That’s good,” she said. “He knows more about the wildlife in the Forest than anyone.”
‘“Well,” said Furzey quickly, “we’ll talk about this further, Pride. Give me a day or two.” And because I didn’t want to say anything in front of Mrs Furzey, I left. But of course I never did hear from him. That’s the way he was. He was a devil, really, you might say, but there wasn’t that much you could really do about it.
‘It was my wife who made me go and see the Colonel. I’d waited a week before I told her. She was very angry. And she let Dorothy have it. Didn’t mince her words at all, which perhaps was a pity.
‘I wasn’t so sure about going to see the Colonel. God knows none of this was his fault. And you’ve got to be careful, haven’t you? The Colonel was a verderer and the verderers employed me. It isn’t such a good idea to embarrass your employer. But my wife went on at me so hard that in the end I rode across to Albion Park.
‘I felt so awkward, but I just explained as simply as I could what happened that how I was still waiting for Mr Minimus Furzey to say something to me.
‘The Colonel went so red I was afraid he was going to have a heart attack.
‘“You did quite right,” he said, “to come and see me.” I was glad he said that. “That man,” he was shaking with anger, “ought to be horse-whipped.” Then he was silent a few moments. “Does my daughter know?”
‘“No Sir,” I said. “And I don’t mean to tell her.”
‘“Good. I appreciate that, Pride.” He shook his head. “I’m very sorry about your daughter. This isn’t the first time.” He looked thoughtful, then he started: “I assume you’re certain …” but then he stops himself and banged his fist on the desk. “No, no, of course it was him, damn him. Pride,” he said, “leave it with me. Something will be done.” He gave me a look. “I don’t wish it spoken of. Can you manage that?”
‘“Yes, Sir,” I said.
‘And sure enough, a week later, Furzey turned up to see me, looking pretty sheepish and gave me ten pounds with a promise of more when the baby arrived. I dare say it came from the Colonel, really. “We shall take an interest in the child,” he said to me. “I’m to tell you that. It’ll have all it needs.”
‘So Dorothy stayed at home and had the child. I rather wished we’d been at the woodman