Abby Ch. 34

"Yes, Mr. Perry. I am sure he did. Marion was very distressed and mostly unintelligible, but to me it was obvious what happened. I had some Yarrow and Comfrey at my Den and gave her some to treat herself as best she could. I offered to help her back to the station but she refused."

"And Marion made you promise not to tell anyone?"

"She did. I feel so guilty, I should never have made that promise, but Miss Marion was very insistent. Once made, I couldn't break my silence. Now that I know she is dead, I feel able to reveal what happened. I am so sorry."

"We have to tell Mr. James. He will know if Abby should be told. Let's go back to the farm, I'll telephone him."

Woody was very concerned. "No, Mr. Perry. I could not face him. Not at this moment. Please tell him yourself."

Sam understood that Woody, who had kept a low profile for all these years, had summoned just enough courage to tell him about this, but that courage was quickly failing. "Yes, Woody. I will tell him, but you must understand that he may want to speak to you."

Woody nodded unhappily. "I know, Mr. Perry, I have a debt to Miss Marion and to Miss Abby. If he has questions please tell him that if he comes to Huish, I will find him there."

Sam took the quick way back to Gallow Farm. He was as close to tears as he had even been in his life. If before he had felt sympathy for Marion when he first talked with Abby, his sympathy was far deeper now. She had been ignored by her father and her life ruined by a dissolute bastard. As he neared the farmhouse his sadness turned to anger. Anger at Thomas Tregonney but especially anger at Ralph Gore. He called James as soon as he got back. For once he would not tell Mavis. She would not be able to keep her mouth shut for long. Sam asked James if he could come up and see him, rather than James come down to Gallow, not wanting to take the risk that Mavis would come upon them and hear this terrible news.

"Come up, Sam." James responded happily.

"Is Abby there?" Sam asked.

"No, why do you want to speak to her as well?"

"No. It's a bit private."

"Come up now, Sam."

James was curious. His last conversation with Sam hadn't gone the way he would have wished; now he wondered if Sam was going to continue in the same way. Fifteen minutes later, Sam arrived. The speed with which he came alerted James to a possible emergency. Sam waited at the front door until James came and took him through to the Breakfast room. "Would you like some coffee, Sam?"

"Thank you Mr. James, but no. You may want something stronger though."

"Why? Sam." In a few short, terse sentences, Sam related Woody's tale. James was to say the least shocked and angry.

"The bastard!" Sam agreed with that epithet. James had more to say. "Dad always said he was trouble, but mother insisted that he should stay. I suppose because of Amelia Gore, her friend in Berkshire"

"I know Mr. Gore hasn't been here for years, but if he were to show his face... Mr. James. Accidents have been known to happen with Farm machinery."

"He will never be back, Sam. He was killed years ago." He went on. "It's a good job he is as I could not stop myself from ripping the guts out of him."

"I will not mourn him." Sam knew how James felt and agreed with him.

"I doubt that few did. He died in a car crash. He had another man's wife with him at the time, and she died as well."

Sam nodded. "It would seem that he had the same morals right to the end."

James did make coffee as this information sank in. He turned to Sam as the kettle boiled. "Do we tell Abby?"

"I don't know, Mr. James. I suppose she has a right to know, but after finding out how her grandfather died, do you think it would be too heartbreaking for her?"

James came to a decision. "I don't think we should tell her." He decided. "She doesn't know who her father was and has accepted that she probably never will. Knowing that she was conceived in such a way and by such a man is a tragedy we can keep from her. What do you think, Sam?"

"Part of me says we shouldn't keep secrets. But then, does knowing help at all, especially under these circumstances. Woody has kept it secret all these years, perhaps it's best if goes on being secret."

James was in agreement. "Who else beside Woody knows?"

"No one."

"Good, we'll keep it to ourselves." He put a cup of coffee in front of Sam, and sat down himself. "How much unhappiness can one family have? For all the success Abby had in the City, how do you balance that with the horrors that this valley has inflicted on her?"

Sam was pleased that Mr. James was thinking of Abby but had to point out that Abby would never know about this, and the only tragedy as far as Abby was concerned was her grandfather's death. He went on. "If you want to see Abby happy, you have it in your own hands to give her that happiness. Mr. James." James was not happy to be reminded again.

The following day James rode up to Huish Coppice making his presence obvious. He was joined after about forty minutes by Woody. Woody gave his word once more. No one would know about the attack on Marion.

That evening James came into the Combe Inn, eagerly looking for Abby. She wasn't at the bar or in the Lounge. He asked Mary if Abby would be down that evening. She looked concerned. "No, Mr. James. I thought you would know. She paid her bill up to date, and left this afternoon. She had a suitcase with her."

To be continued