hard look, then nodded. “I ought to swing for you, Danny Costessey, getting ready to marry my girl.”
“Well, begging Effie’s pardon, but I’m glad enough you turned up in time to stop me. It’s good to see you back, Toby. Mam’ll be that pleased.”
“After she boxes my ears, maybe,” Toby said ruefully as they walked together back toward the church.
Danny decided it wouldn’t help none if he told his brother he deserved it. “So where have you been these last weeks? And how did you find out about the wedding?”
Toby rubbed his neck, squinting into the watery January sun. “Mr. Luccombe came to tell me. Brought me back in the motorcar and all.”
Philip ? Danny stared, uncomprehending. “Mr. Luccombe? But he’s—” Abruptly, he remembered Effie’s quiet presence and caught himself before he went on to explain how Philip wasn’t his, not any more.
“Aye. Well, it was Miss Shorwell as was driving, at a fair old lick, too, to get back here in time. They guessed I’d gone to Wainwright’s.”
“ Billy’s ? You were at Billy’s all this time?”
Toby shrugged. “Didn’t know no one else in Pontefract, did I? Thought he might be able to get me a job at the yard, but I didn’t much like working with dry, dusty stone, the hammers making my ears ring and my head ache all day long. I’ll be glad to be back working on the gardens.” “ If they’ll take you back on, after all this.”
“Course they’ll take me back on.” Toby rolled his eyes. “Mr. Luccombe’s going to raise my wages, too, seeing as I’ll be a married man, and give us some money to set me and Effie up. Told you, he came to get me special. Him, and Miss Shorwell, and Mr. Matthew Cranmore too.”
“He was there?” Danny swallowed.
“I told you Mr. Luccombe was there. Got cloth ears all of a sudden?”
“No, I meant Mr. Cranmore.” He badly wanted to ask how they’d been together, if they’d seemed like lovers. It didn’t make sense. If Philip and his cousin were lovers, why would Philip go to so much trouble to fetch Toby back?
But Toby wouldn’t welcome that sort of question, nor know how to answer it neither, Danny reminded himself. “How’s Billy then, and those young’uns of his?” he asked instead.
“Loud,” Toby said ruefully. “I didn’t get a decent night’s sleep whole time I was staying there; the baby cried that much. S’pose that’s something I’ll have to get used to, eh, lass?” He gave Effie’s shoulders a squeeze, and she smiled up at him.
“Come along, now,” Danny said as they hesitated on the church steps. “Time to face our mam, young Toby. I’ll warrant you’ll be longing for the peaceful sound of Billy’s babe howling when she gets a hold of you.”
“And oh Lord!” Effie snatched her hands to her mouth. “Mrs. Standish was laying on a wedding meal for us. Baked a cake and all. What’s she going to say now the wedding an’t happened?”
“Two bridegrooms is one too many for any lass, so I’ll leave you to find that out by yourselves,” Danny said. He’d a feeling his presence would only cause embarrassment to folks. What did you say to a man who’d been cut out of his own wedding by his brother, after all? “Toby….” he clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back. And I’m right sorry I hit you.”
Toby shrugged. Danny guessed he was aiming for nonchalance, but it came off a bit forced. “Didn’t hurt none, anyway,” he muttered. “You punch like a girl, Danny Costessey.” But he rubbed his face as he said it and gave a crooked smile.
Warmth flooded through Danny like a river after rain. “Then it’s as well I’m not planning to do it no more. I’ll see you later, Toby. Good luck in there.” He turned and walked off home, his heart much lightened, but still troubled.
P HILIP hadn’t liked to go to the church. If Toby did his part— if he did it, and didn’t once more get cold feet, there would be drama enough
“Well, begging Effie’s pardon, but I’m glad enough you turned up in time to stop me. It’s good to see you back, Toby. Mam’ll be that pleased.”
“After she boxes my ears, maybe,” Toby said ruefully as they walked together back toward the church.
Danny decided it wouldn’t help none if he told his brother he deserved it. “So where have you been these last weeks? And how did you find out about the wedding?”
Toby rubbed his neck, squinting into the watery January sun. “Mr. Luccombe came to tell me. Brought me back in the motorcar and all.”
Philip ? Danny stared, uncomprehending. “Mr. Luccombe? But he’s—” Abruptly, he remembered Effie’s quiet presence and caught himself before he went on to explain how Philip wasn’t his, not any more.
“Aye. Well, it was Miss Shorwell as was driving, at a fair old lick, too, to get back here in time. They guessed I’d gone to Wainwright’s.”
“ Billy’s ? You were at Billy’s all this time?”
Toby shrugged. “Didn’t know no one else in Pontefract, did I? Thought he might be able to get me a job at the yard, but I didn’t much like working with dry, dusty stone, the hammers making my ears ring and my head ache all day long. I’ll be glad to be back working on the gardens.” “ If they’ll take you back on, after all this.”
“Course they’ll take me back on.” Toby rolled his eyes. “Mr. Luccombe’s going to raise my wages, too, seeing as I’ll be a married man, and give us some money to set me and Effie up. Told you, he came to get me special. Him, and Miss Shorwell, and Mr. Matthew Cranmore too.”
“He was there?” Danny swallowed.
“I told you Mr. Luccombe was there. Got cloth ears all of a sudden?”
“No, I meant Mr. Cranmore.” He badly wanted to ask how they’d been together, if they’d seemed like lovers. It didn’t make sense. If Philip and his cousin were lovers, why would Philip go to so much trouble to fetch Toby back?
But Toby wouldn’t welcome that sort of question, nor know how to answer it neither, Danny reminded himself. “How’s Billy then, and those young’uns of his?” he asked instead.
“Loud,” Toby said ruefully. “I didn’t get a decent night’s sleep whole time I was staying there; the baby cried that much. S’pose that’s something I’ll have to get used to, eh, lass?” He gave Effie’s shoulders a squeeze, and she smiled up at him.
“Come along, now,” Danny said as they hesitated on the church steps. “Time to face our mam, young Toby. I’ll warrant you’ll be longing for the peaceful sound of Billy’s babe howling when she gets a hold of you.”
“And oh Lord!” Effie snatched her hands to her mouth. “Mrs. Standish was laying on a wedding meal for us. Baked a cake and all. What’s she going to say now the wedding an’t happened?”
“Two bridegrooms is one too many for any lass, so I’ll leave you to find that out by yourselves,” Danny said. He’d a feeling his presence would only cause embarrassment to folks. What did you say to a man who’d been cut out of his own wedding by his brother, after all? “Toby….” he clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “I’m glad you’re back. And I’m right sorry I hit you.”
Toby shrugged. Danny guessed he was aiming for nonchalance, but it came off a bit forced. “Didn’t hurt none, anyway,” he muttered. “You punch like a girl, Danny Costessey.” But he rubbed his face as he said it and gave a crooked smile.
Warmth flooded through Danny like a river after rain. “Then it’s as well I’m not planning to do it no more. I’ll see you later, Toby. Good luck in there.” He turned and walked off home, his heart much lightened, but still troubled.
P HILIP hadn’t liked to go to the church. If Toby did his part— if he did it, and didn’t once more get cold feet, there would be drama enough
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