Saraband for Two Sisters

We heard from our mother shortly after Bersaba’s arrival. The messenger had taken letters to the farm and, finding it destroyed, had come on to Flamstead. I was so glad that I received those letters because I could imagine my mother’s distress if the messenger had gone back and told her what he had seen at the farm. The West Country was fairly quiet, she wrote. She wished that we were with her. At times like this it was good for families to be together. She wanted news of the babies. She longed to see them but she would be terrified if we attempted to cross the country at such a time. We would understand her anxieties and she knew we would seize every opportunity to sends news to her.

We wrote at once telling her about the disaster at the farm. She already knew of Luke’s death. It would comfort her to know that we were together. When the messenger had left we talked and talked about home and our parents, and when we went to our rooms I found Grace there instead of Meg. “Meg has a headache, my lady,” said Grace. “I said I’d come in her place.”

“Poor Meg. She must ask Mrs. Cherry for something.”

“She will, my lady, if it gets worse. It is a sorry matter for Mistress Longridge, but happy, I said to Meg, that she be here with you.”

“Yes. I am glad that I am able to have her with me. She has suffered terribly.”

“And it will be good for you to have her here when your time comes, my lady.”

Grace was watching me intently and I felt the color rising to my cheeks.

‘When ... my time comes. ...” I repeated foolishly.

‘Well, I could be mistook hut I don’t think so. I know the signs. It’s being so much with it, you might say.”

“You ... know?”

Grace nodded slowly.

So my secret was out.

I wanted to tell Bersaba first so I did that day. She was silent for a while. Then she said, “It was when he came home in May.”

I nodded and noticed that her mouth turned down momentarily and she looked almost angry. I was filled with sympathy, for I guessed she was thinking of Luke. Then she smiled and said, “You’ll have to take care this time, Angelet.”

“I am determined to.”

“I wonder if it will be a boy?” she mused. “He would like that.” Then she talked about how she had waited for the births of Arabella and Lucas and it was very cozy. I was happy because I felt that my state was taking her mind off her own terrible tragedy.

Because of the war we had very few servants now. There were only the Cherrys, Jesson, Meg, and Grace. Jesson managed the stables with two young boys from the village to help him. They weren’t old enough to go to the war, but if it continued I supposed when they were we should lose them.

This had made a different relationship between us. We were more intimate, and Mrs.

Cherry had become more of a friend than a servant. It might have been because the Royalist cause was being undermined and a great many people were predicting a Parliamentary victory, which would have an equalizing effect on society. She came into my room one day and said I was looking peaky and she had a good pick-me-up tonic. “You can’t beat herb-twopence,” she told me. “I’ve always said that was a cure for every ailment under the sun.”

“I’m afraid of taking tonics, Mrs. Cherry,” I said. “I want everything to be natural.”

“My patience me!” she cried, her cherry face wrinkling up with mirth. “If herb-twopence ain’t the most natural thing on God’s earth, my name’s not Emmy Cherry. A little dash of it would do you the world of good.”

“As a matter of fact I feel very well indeed. If I look a little wan, it’s nothing.” ‘Well, we’ve got to take care of you. You’ve got your sister back again. I reckon she’ll keep her eye on you.”

“I’m sure she will. And she’s experienced too.”

‘Then we’ve got Grace. We’re lucky, I reckon that’s what. Does the General know?”

Her eyes were sharp suddenly.

“Not yet. It’s not possible to reach him. We don’t know where he is. This terrible war... .”

“So he don’t know yet.” She shook her head. “If you was to be able to get in touch,” she said, “tell him it’ll be all right, will you? Tell him that Cherry and me will see everything’s all right.”

“I will, Mrs. Cherry. You’re fond of the General, I know.”

“Well, you might say that was putting it mild like. Cherry thinks the world of him. Served with him. Would be with him now if he was fit and well ... like the rest of them. And all the time I’ve been here ... well, I’ve got to look on him ... more than a mere master.”

“He is a man who inspires great respect.”

She lowered her eyes to hide her emotion, I guessed. Then she said brightly, “Well, if you was feeling a bit under the weather you come to me, my lady. I reckon you won’t be scorning my herb-twopence once you’ve felt its effects.” When she left me I went to Bersaba and told her that Mrs. Cherry thought I ought to try some of her cures.

“Do you remember Mrs. Cherry’s soothing mixture?” I asked.

“It sent you to sleep, didn’t it?”