About The Hollow Ground – Episode 50
About The Hollow Ground by Pamela Kavanagh
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There was solace in work and Nan strove doggedly on, refusing offers of help from the men.
She relished looking after the farm, and found the company of the horses a comfort.
She thought of Merriman often. Had he managed to disperse the cloud under which he had left his former place of employment? Would she see him again?
The weather put a temporary stop to the visits to her mother at Upton, but when the local lanes became passable Nan made the requested visit to Barnhill.
Here she was warmly received, which dissolved any apprehension Nan had harboured over the event.
With Amelia’s health failing, it was Charlotte who acted as hostess.
She played the part well, and not by a flicker betrayed that her contact with Cross Lanes had never dwindled in the interim.
Nothing was revealed about their mother. Nan accepted that it was best so and made the ride home in a far more uplifted frame of mind.
With February came the first anniversary of Henry’s death.
Nan passed the day quietly, visiting his resting place with an offering of snowdrops from the orchard. Then it was back to managing the farm.
While recognising a bending of attitude from her two most long-term employees, Nan maintained her dignity. She was gaffer here and the men must not be allowed to forget it.
Many were the times Nan blessed the drainage system engineered by Merriman. Many were the times she thought of him in other ways, too.
One bright morning towards the end of the month, almost a year to the day Merriman had appeared at her door, she was grooming Minstrel on the sun-washed yard.
The horse was losing his winter coat and clouds of dusty hair flew chokingly under Nan’s brush strokes.
She paused to sweep away the resulting dander from her face with her hand, and in that moment she spotted a tall figure approaching along the muddied cart-track.
Nan squinted against the dancing sunlight, her heart somersaulting.
Farmyard, big wooden gates and trees not yet in new leaf all swayed before her vision.
“Mistress?” The voice was wonderfully familiar.
Nan drew a steadying breath.
“Why, Merriman. It’s you. Good morrow, sir.”
“Good day, mistress. I’ll not beat about the bush. I’ve something to say. Something crucial.”
The warmth was there in the hazel eyes that beheld her so intently. She had not imagined it.
“You’d best come into the house,” she replied. “Let me call one of the men to stable Minstrel.”
The caller had not gone unnoticed, and as they entered the farmhouse Mercy appeared with tea and a smile on her face.
“We’ll take that in the parlour. Then you may go, Mercy.”
Once the door had closed on the maid, Piers went to stand by the casement and was taking in the vista of fields crowned by the peaks of the Cheshire hills.
Nan went to join him.
“You have information for me?” she said gently.
“That’s right.”
He turned to face her, making her acutely aware of her appearance.
Her working smock over her drab everyday gown was liberally coated with horse hair. Her hands were grubby and she had hay-seeds in her hair.
It struck her that Piers had changed during his sojourn. There was a new air of reassurance about him that she liked.
The haunted look was gone, to be replaced by one of confidence and maybe a touch of apprehension.
“Clearing my name of what I told you when we last spoke was not as difficult as l’d expected. Goff had been caught again with his hand in the farm’s cash-box – this time by the master himself.
“He was dismissed on the spot. When I relayed my story, the master wouldn’t let the matter rest. Goff had gone to ground thoroughly, but every effort was made to find him.
“This took a while, hence my delay in responding to the letter.”
“Letter?” Nan repeated, puzzled.
“’Twas from a matron by the name of Candice Lowe, bidding me return to Cross Lanes, since someone was in need of my presence.”
Her mama had done this on her behalf! Nan’s heart sang.
“With Goff located, my flight from Elmtree was verified. It didn’t take long to get the truth from him. Goff knew when he was beat.”
A rush of pure relief swept through Nan. She could only stand there and smile at him foolishly.
