Soon they reached the tailor's house, and were let in by Maria's mother, a stout lady with more than a little grey in her hair, but kind and in excellent health. She took to Dick immediately, his shyness combined with his tall, strong person were very appealing, and he was dressed very neatly, and groomed immaculately. They had been told by neighbours that Dick Parsons was a dimwit and subject to temper tantrums only his father could manage, with a whip, but Maria had brought home entirely different reports.
No, Maria was a sensible girl to have decided to see for herself, when Beatrice Atkins dropped by to propose her visiting the manor to meet Dick Parsons, who was looking for a girl to settle with. Her mother did wonder what Beatrice had told her daughter to make the young man appealing enough to consider a meeting, contrary to gossip Maria had had at least two potential suitors, farmers' sons both, but she had snubbed them consistently, saying they were bossy louts, who never treated girls with respect and drank too much whenever they had the opportunity.
Well she supposed Maria knew, they had al gone to school together, except Dick, whose mother had not allowed him to go, apparently because he was to stupid to learn. Eventually, they had moved away to a larger farm, and Dick and his parents had been mostly forgotten, except for the occasional gossip about his temper.
After meeting him, Maria was indignant, Dick could read pretty well, and though he was very shy, it was clear he was not dimwitted at all, just slow and thoughtful. And she said he was very calm and almost meek, not the kind to fly in a rage. Something must have been terribly wrong in that family for poor Dick to become unmanageable. Beatrice had assured her that Dick was the model servant, working hard, never complaining, liked by all, even Mrs Beauchamp.
Then Maria would fall silent, as if she knew something about Dick Beatrice had told her, that she couldn't tell her parents. Seeing a certain blush on Maria's cheek, her hair newly done up, both young people almost bonelessly relaxed despite the importance of this visit, the connection between them almost tangible despite them having known each other just over two weeks, Mrs Woods thought she knew what Beatrice had told Maria.
Dick Parsons was probably a lover of notable skill, everyone knew what was going on at the manor house, with Mrs Beauchamp keeping house with an all-male staff. John Atkins had been rumoured to be involved with her, and Beatrice certainly often had that same look Maria now had, a kind of sated superiority, the knowledge her husband pleased her where most others only thought to please themselves.
Mrs Beauchamp had probably broken Dick to loving a lady with skill, and Maria was going to harvest the fruits of the lady's efforts, had already done so. And keeping him sated had solved his temper spells, as well as having him work for a living no doubt, and teaching him useful other skills, like reading. And friendship, of which Maria had proof herself, she had been so well received at the manor, 'They eat like princes, mother, the mistress, as they call Mrs Beauchamp, is a superb huntress and everything she brings home is shared. And then she has a fabulous cook, we had such dainties at tea, and Dick didn't bat an eye, he is clearly used to getting ragouts and game pie and stuffed pheasant.'
All this was buzzing through Mrs Woods' mind as she led her daughter and future son-in-law to the workshop of her husband, where he had asked to meet the young couple.
Maria must have convinced Dick to try out the little dell under the outcrop, halfway down the manor house, and it looked as if they tried it very thoroughly, they practically exuded satiation and a strong connection.
As Dick was bashfully shaking hands with his new father-in-law, Mrs Woods nudged her daughter and asked sotto voce, 'And, was he as good as Beatrice promised?'
It was always such fun to be one step ahead of Maria, she was the smartest of her children and difficult to catch at anything. This was a direct hit, the girl, actually a woman already, froze, looked at her mother with abhorrence, and cried out, 'What? How'd you know?'
Shushing Maria, laughing her ears off but mostly on the inside, Mrs Woods replied, 'It shows. You look smug, both of you, and young Dick is much more relaxed than I'd expected him to be. I did wonder why you went to see him when you'd dismissed all the others. Beatrice must have told you something you were pleased to hear.'
'Mum, you're smarter than me. I admit it. Are you angry? Will you tell dad? Will he see it for himself, is it that obvious?'
The poor girl was getting distraught, and Mrs Woods replied quietly and calmly, 'He will not find out, not by himself, and not from me. You know we did exactly the same? It's a good tradition in these parts, I think few boys and girls enter their marriage unblemished here. Just make sure not to get caught, Maria.'
'We won't mum, thank you. And yes, he was fabulous.'
Her daughter's face showed that her first experience had not been the sweaty disappointment she remembered from her own first time.
'But it's not just that, though Beatrice did tempt me over with reports of his size and his prowess. I truly liked him from the first, he's so sweet and so caring, and at the same time strong enough to lift a horse. I love him already, mum, and I never expected to find a man I could love. I certainly never met a boy I even liked, let alone could imagine loving.'
Mrs Woods hugged her daughter, and said, 'I'm glad to hear that, love, now go help him out, your father seems on the verge of undressing him to see who made his coat.'
For indeed, Mr Woods was very impressed by Dick's outfit, and wanted to know who made it. Dick, of course, didn't know, he had stood still for what had seemed hours, in his underpants, for a neatly groomed gentleman in a handsome suit, who had measured every part of Dick's body to write little wriggly figures down in a notebook.
Then he had shown him a book with pieces of cloth, and Dick had chosen colours and fabrics. Well, actually Patrick and Guy had, with Dennis barging in if they went too dandy on the colours and the patterns.
A week later, the man had come back, fitted the whole to him there and then, adjusted a few seams no-one would ever see, then gone back to the mistress' study, for payment, or to deliver other garments, Dick didn't know.
He merely hung up the suit on a neat peg, put his working clothes back on, and went back to work.
'I think Mrs Beauchamp has her clothes made in London, father. Maybe she had a tailor from town over this time. It doesn't look like anything made locally, and I don't think there is a maker's mark in it. Dick is just a servant, you know. It's a miracle Mrs Beauchamp thought to give him a suit at all.'
'Mrs Beauchamp, there is a woman who knows how to dress.'
Her father obviously admired the lady, who did look very sophisticated even in church. And lately she had been accompanied by her new man, whom Dick seemed to like very much.
'He's my best friend, Dennis is. He took me fishing in the moors, the mistress taught him how to find his way and not to drown in the swamps, so he helped with my chores and then we went out together and I caught five large fish. He watched me fish, he said he'd eat my catch no problem, but he was never going to kill a living creature again. He was in the army, you see, and he killed countless French, and saw nearly all his mates die horribly.
So he left and came to live with us.'
He must have been an officer, this Dennis, for he had the bearing of a nobleman, and the looks. Maria thought Mrs Beauchamp would probably marry him, and maybe finally have some children.
But though Dick was not as handsome, Maria still thought she had the best catch of the two, Dick earned his own keep, and no-one could be as fabulous in making love as him, it just couldn't be. Once Mrs Beauchamp realized that it would be too late, he would be Maria's, and they'd be the happiest couple ever.
After the talking, they went to the living-room to drink tea and chat some more, and an hour later, Maria walked Dick back to the manor, of course he could find his way back there, but she wanted to be with him just a little longer.
They had set a date for the wedding in six weeks, Dick said the mistress had begged him to have the party at the manor, and to live there together in a new set of rooms until they had found their own place.
And then he dropped his bombshell, Mrs Beauchamp must have ordered him to keep it a secret up to that moment, for Dick was not the type to be able to keep secrets from someone he liked.
'The mistress told me she'd buy a cottage for us as soon as we found one we liked. She found out I had never been paid for the work I did, and she promised me to make up for it by giving me and my wife a place to live, as soon as I got married.'
Maria had been stunned, and a bit suspicious. Was that Mrs Beauchamp trying to keep Dick connected to her? But she seemed so attached to her new man, and Dick would never cuckold his wife, would he? She couldn't believe it, this was just his mistress' generosity towards her servants, she fed them venison after all, and dressed them in tailor-made suits.
Whatever the truth, the die had been cast, Maria would marry Dick Parsons in six weeks, and she was looking forward to a smashing party at the manor, and years of happiness after that. They'd find their cottage, and use Maria's savings to buy one of those newfangled sewing-machines, and build a future in which Dick would bring in the basic wages, and Maria would take care of the extras, and then there would be nothing left to wish for but a couple of strapping children.
Dick feared they would be slow like himself, but Maria didn't worry, Dick had obviously been hindered by his overprotective mother and his crude father, their own children would grow up in love and understanding, and would be allowed to make mistakes and find things out for themselves, as Maria and her sisters had been.
When they passed the turnoff to the outcrop, Dick looked at her and smiled broadly, and Maria was tempted to go back there and repeat everything they had done before. But Dick wouldn't go for that, she was sure, he had work to do with most of the manor's inhabitants preparing for a three week stay in London.
