Lament for a lost lover

He was right about that. Rye bread was brought and cold bacon with mugs of cider.

We were about to eat when we received a stern look from our t We had not thanked God for what we were about to receive.

The simple food, however, tasted like ambrosia and nectar to though I was too excited to want to eat a great deal.

Carleton sat at the table as we ate and plied us with questions -bout our house in Chester. Between them, he and Harriet did very well. Harriet described it in detail. She spoke of flower beds bordered with rosemary, lavender and marjoram and how she enjoyed cultivating her flowers.

She became fascinated by the idea and went on to describe the exquisite blooms she grew, and I was sure she had never pruned a tree or pulled up a weed in her lifetime. Carleton looked at her sternly and asked in a cold voice whether she could devote her time to a more useful purpose than growing flowers which were no good for anything but to be looked at.

Harriet demurely lowered her eyes and murmured, “God made flowers beautiful,” she reminded him, “but I see, my friend, that you have immediately probed my weakness. So much do I love flowers that they have become a vanity.”

“Vanity should be suppressed,” said Carleton, folding his hands together and raising his eyes to the vaulted roof, and I wondered whether he was immune from that sin-and even on such a short acquaintance I could well believe that he was not. “A sin,” he went on, “a snare. Continually must we fight to avoid the pitfalls which gape at our feet.”

“Amen,” said Harriet, and I thought of how we should laugh about this when we were alone.

I must confess a certain curiosity to see the woman who had married this man. I knew she existed because Edwin had mentioned her, so I said I was wondering if we should be honoured by meeting the lady of the house.

‘Mistress Eversleigh is away from home at this time,” he told me.

“Then we shall not have the pleasure of thanking her for her hospitality.”

“We are not put on earth to take pleasure, mistress’ said Carleton, “so it is mercy that you are prevented from indulging in it.” I fancied I saw a twist of his lips as though he might be enjoying the scene. “And your name is ...?”he went on turning to Edwin.

“Edward Leeson,” replied Edwin glibly. “My wife Bella and my sister-in-law, Harriet Groper.”

Carleton bowed his head.

“When you have eaten you shall be taken to the rooms I have allotted to you. I doubt not the journey to Chester and back will take a few days. You are the guests of Eversleigh until the time your man returns.”

“God will reward you in heaven for your goodness to these poor travellers,” said Edwin piously.

“I seek no reward,” retorted Carleton. “I only seek to do my duty to God.” I wondered whether they were carrying this a little too far, but my experience of the next few days taught me that this was a normal conversation in a Puritan home. It would be small wonder if there was unrest throughout the country and people were looking to the new King to come back and set up a new set of customs and behaviour. We were given rooms side by side, and what cold, dreary rooms they were! The only furniture the bed, a court cupboard and a chair. There was a chill about the place which suggested that no fires were ever lighted in these rooms even in the heart of winter. I was glad it was the height of summer.

Our bed was a large one with four posts. I was sure that once there had been elaborate hangings, but these were there no more and it looked starkly naked in some way. There was no rug on the floor ... only the cold wooden boards. Harriet’s room next to ours was similar, only slightly smaller.

“When you have washed you can come to my library,” said Carleton. “I will explain the way to reach it.”

Edwin was unable to suppress a smile. He knew every inch of this place. Wasn’t it where he had spent so much of his childhood.

AND NOW he had to pretend he had never seen it before, and I wondering how he was going to suppress that emotion which returning from exile to a well-loved home, he must inevitable felt It must be difficult for Carleton to act his part. He did it supremely well though.

When we were alone in our room Edwin took me in his arms and danced round the room with me. Then he drew me to the bed and sat down on it beside me. “What do you think of my Puritan home and Puritan cousin?”

“They are both a little unreal,” I said.

“They are. Where are all the tapestries, the bed hangings, the paintings, the best of the furniture? That’s what I want to know. I can hardly believe it’s the same place.”

“Your cousin will doubtless explain.”

“And him ... what of him? I confess, I was hard put to it not to burst out laughing.

He plays his part uncommonly well, don’t you think?”

“Are you sure he has not turned Puritan?”

“Absolutely sure. Are you glad you came?”

“Edwin, I was so unhappy when you went and now ...”

“You are here, in a Puritan land. You will sleep with me in a Puritan bed and we will make Puritan love ...”

“How will that be?”