‘By standing still?’
‘By sheltering, Father. By being patient.’
‘And waiting for what?’
‘For things to settle again.’
‘And if they don’t?’
‘Look, Mr Belderboss is vulnerable at the moment, Father. He’s still confused by everything that’s happened and liable to say things that aren’t entirely accurate. I don’t want you to go back to Saint Jude’s with the wrong impression of Father Wilfred. I know you wouldn’t mean to, but things can often slip out and rumours start to spread. It doesn’t take much for a reputation to be dismantled.’
‘Do you want me to leave, Mrs Smith? Is that it?’
‘No, Father. I want you to be our priest.’
‘So do I.’
‘Then hold onto the rock with us, Father. Until the waters retreat.’
‘Mrs Smith, I understand that Wilfred’s death has been a significant blow to Saint Jude’s, but I think you need to face facts if you want to recover from it. He isn’t coming back. There’s nothing to hold onto anymore.’
‘There is, Father,’ she said. ‘We have Andrew.’
‘And what does Andrew think about that?’
There was silence and after a moment Mummer excused herself curtly and went out of the room. Father Bernard didn’t stir for some time. Then I heard the sound of a bottle opening and its contents going into a glass.
Chapter Twenty-two
The day of the visit to the shrine came around and Hanny was the centre of attention from the moment we got downstairs, where everyone was drinking tea and helping themselves to the apples that Father Bernard had picked the day before. The men had adopted a strange kind of machismo and clapped Hanny on the shoulder and shook his hand, as though they were pages fitting their knight for battle.
Mummer had a basin of hot water ready and she and Mrs Belderboss washed Hanny’s face and hands slowly and carefully.
‘The Lord will come upon you today,’ said Mrs Belderboss. ‘I know He will. You’re ready. It’s your time.’
Father Bernard packed a bag with the things that he would need. Some matches. His stole. A small silver chalice that he had brought from Saint Jude’s.
When he had finished he sat at the table with Monro next to him. He said nothing but stroked the dog’s head and watched them attending to Hanny, who lapped up the fuss and smiled as Mummer combed his hair and then took a pair of scissors to his nails. He caught my eyes and kissed his fingers. The poor sod thought all this was for Else. Perhaps he thought he was going to marry her. That this was the day she would give him the child and they would be together.
‘What does that mean?’ said Mummer. ‘Why is he doing that with his hand?’
‘I don’t know,’ I said.
‘Why don’t you tell him where we’re going,’ she said, nodding at the chair next to her for me to sit down.
I did as I was told and touched Hanny on the arm.
‘Hanny, I said. ‘We’re going to see God.’
At the mention of the name, Hanny looked upwards and pointed to the ceiling.
‘That’s it,’ said Mummer. ‘But we’re not going to heaven. God is going to come down here. He’s going to make a special visit just for you. Isn’t that right, Mrs Belderboss?’
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘We’re going to go to a wonderful place, Andrew. It’s a secret garden where God makes people better.’
‘Now,’ said Mummer, inspecting Hanny’s nails and knocking his fringe about with her fingers until it was as neat as it was ever going to be. ‘I think it’s time for Andrew’s present. Where’s my husband got to?’
‘Oh, don’t worry, I’ll fetch it,’ said Mrs Belderboss and she went out and came back a moment later with a cardboard box tied together with an ivory ribbon. She laid it down on the table and everyone gathered around.
‘Go on,’ said Mummer and gave Hanny the end of the ribbon so that all he needed to do was pull.
Hanny drew back his hand and the bow flopped apart. He opened the lid and put it aside. Inside there was a layer of mist-thin tissue paper. Hanny responded to the hush that had fallen on the room and unwrapped the parcel slowly and gently. Underneath was a new white shirt, the buttons bright and pearlescent, each one etched with a little cross.
‘It’s beautiful,’ said Mrs Belderboss.
‘Just the business,’ Mr Belderboss added.
‘I got it from the shop,’ said Mummer. ‘It was made in the Holy Land.’ And took it out of the box and held it up for everyone to see.
When they had all had a chance to admire it, Mummer gave it to me to hold and made Hanny lift his arms so that she could pull off his vest, taking care not to ruin his hair. Hanny stood and squeezed the fat on his belly between his thumb and forefinger, while Mummer brushed a few loose strands of cotton off the shirt.
‘Here,’ she said and put Hanny’s arm down one of the sleeves and then the other, working his big hands through the cuffs. She moved around the front and pulled it closed across his chest.
‘Now when we get to God’s special place,’ she said, fastening the buttons. ‘You mustn’t be afraid. You mustn’t get upset. Because if you do then God will disappear again. Do as I say and everything will be alright.’
When she finished doing up his shirt, she ran her hand down the buttons and stood back waiting for the reaction she knew would come. No one had spotted it before, but a large crucifix had been stitched into the front of the shirt, the pleat for the buttons forming the upright and the crossbeam devised out of some delicate embroidery that only showed itself now that Hanny was wearing the garment.
‘We have something for you too,’ said Mrs Belderboss. ‘Reg?’
‘Oh, yes,’ said Mr Belderboss and he went slowly over to the sideboard and came back with a long thin box, which he gave to his wife.
Mrs Belderboss opened the box and slid out a long white candle.
‘Here,’ she said, passing it to Hanny to hold. ‘It’s been blessed by the bishop. You can take it with you.’
She hugged him.
‘He’s looks like a crusader,’ she said, noting the way the candle was so long it looked like a sword.
‘All he needs is a shield,’ Mr Belderboss said.
‘He has one already,’ Mrs Belderboss replied, patting the cross on Hanny’s chest.
***
The morning was damp and cold. Low grey clouds sat over The Loney and kept the woods and ditches full of shadow.
‘Nice of you to join us,’ Mummer said to Farther, who had appeared at last, rather subdued and distracted.
‘Not now, Esther,’ he said and cleared his throat.
‘Where have you been anyway? Poking about in that room again, I’ll bet.’
Farther looked at her.
‘It’s important that Andrew has everyone with him today,’ said Mummer. ‘And I don’t just mean physically.’
‘I know,’ he said.
She led the way across the fields with Hanny in tow, fuelling and enjoying his excitement by telling him about the place we were going to.
Quickly, the group stretched and fell apart. Miss Bunce and David negotiated the pools of mud and cow muck hand in hand, Farther followed them, deep in thought and Mr and Mrs Belderboss made up the rear guard, struggling already with the soft, rutted ground and the long detours we had to take around the floodwater.
‘Don’t let them get lost,’ Mummer called back over her shoulder, leaving me and Father Bernard to look after them.
Mr Belderboss leant on his stick, breathing like a dog every few steps but was determined to walk all the way despite Mrs Belderboss fussing over him.
‘Oh, look, woman,’ he said. ‘If Our Lord did forty days and nights in the desert. I’m sure I can manage a mile or two through a sheep field.’