Re: Knowl Park

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 9 Part 1

“Of course we should attend. We were present when Kenneth received his University Degree, and I clapped the loudest when he was given his certificate. I see no reason why we should not be present when Philip is presented with his College Diploma where I shall again be the one to clap the loudest.”

Anyone who knew Sarah and Albert Marsden Marsden knew that they had never had an argument since the day they met. For them to have any sort of disagreement was unusual because Albert would always give way to his wife’s wishes, but today he just could not understand why she was saying they shouldn’t go to see the culmination of their youngest son’s educational achievements.

“No Bertie, we should not attend,” replied Sarah.

“Why ever not? I do not understand your suggestion at all.” He knew however that he was not going to get his way. As soon as she called him Bertie, he knew anything he said was a lost cause.

“Because we have not been invited.”

“Of course we are invited.” Pointing to a spot in the manor library he went on. “Philip stood right there and read out the letter from his college saying he was welcome to bring guests.”

“Yes Bertie, but he never asked us to be his guests. He hasn’t invited his brother either, although I know they discussed it whilst Philip was in town yesterday.”

“But *Sally, we don’t need to be asked. It goes without saying that he would want us there. It is expected of us to attend. He must have invited somebody. He wouldn’t go to such a thing like that on his own.”

“He has invited Amanda.” His wife answered.

“Well that is no surprise. In fact, I would have been surprised if he hadn’t invited his friends. That still does not explain why you think we should not go.”

“Friend, not friends. He has only invited Amanda. He means to take just her and nobody else.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that. What does it mean? Is he finally going to put the poor girl out of her misery do you think?”

“One way or another, yes I think he is.”

“Or another?” asked Albert. “Whatever do you mean?”

“She has her eye on him you know,” Sarah replied.

“Well of course she has. The poor girl has been keen on our Philip since she was eleven”

“No Bertie, not Amanda. The pretty girl who works for Mrs Beasley,” explained his wife.

“Clara? No that simply isn’t possible Sarah. I don’t believe it for one moment.”

“No silly, not Clara. Annette, the girl about Philip’s age at the tea rooms. She is always looking across at him when he is there, and always makes sure she is the one to serve him. They seem to be getting on very well.”

“What? Exclaimed Albert. “I never noticed when I was there.”

“Well of course you didn’t. Anyway, I think Philip is either going to declare his love for Amanda, or he is going to break her heart. I cannot think of any other reason why he would take her and nobody else.”

“What will she do if it is the latter do you think,” asked Albert.

With a look of sadness, Sarah replied, “She will hand in her notice and go back to live in Forge Cottage. I fear her friendship with Philip will not survive if that happens, and that will make things very difficult for William and Millie to remain friends with them both as well.”
“Amanda is such a lovely girl and would make a lovely wife once she is older. I really don’t know what is in Philip’s mind. The only thing we can hope is that he is waiting for her as you waited for me until I turned eighteen before you asked my father if you might court me.


Amanda was excited, but also apprehensive. She had never been on a train before, nor had she ever been further than the city, but today she would be travelling over forty miles on two trains, and the same on the way back.
Albert and Sarah had insisted on taking her and Philip to the town station. The pair said goodbye to his parents once he had bought the tickets before passing through the stone arch and onto the Northbound Platform.
There were four tracks but only two platforms. Philip walked his friend to one end of the platform to briefly explain about the points and signals that enabled trains that didn’t need to stop to pass through on the middle pair of tracks without having to wait for trains standing in the station.
After that they walked back a little way, and waited on a seat for their train.



© January 2021

*Author's note: - Less popular now, Sally was sometimes used as the diminutive for the name Sarah.

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 9 Part 2

Sights, sounds, and smells, all assaulted Amanda’s senses. When their train arrived, she was terrified at first by the huge beast of iron with fire in its belly, belching smoke and steam as it clanked along the tracks towards them.
Philip sensed her fear and slipped his arm around her shoulders, holding her tight against his side, speaking quietly, reassuring her until she was calmer. He had travelled this route at least once a month for nearly three years and assured her he would not have brought her along if he did not think it was safe.

She had only been to the station once before. That was when she had helped Philip to ensure his friend Charlotte had married the man she loved. On that occasion they had not ventured anywhere near the locomotive, so until now Amanda had never realised how big and imposing they were.

Once the train came to a stop, several people got off before Philip chose an empty compartment with the door already open, but explained that other passengers may well join them for the relatively short journey to the big city.
Amanda had on her favourite green dress and thought it such a treat not to be wearing her maid’s uniform with it. Even so, her clothes were a little old fashioned and a little faded, but she didn’t care what others thought.
If they didn’t like it they should keep their own council.

Philip helped his friend to negotiate the gap and narrow step up into the carriage, which Amanda thought a little awkward and daunting at first, before suggesting she take the seat by the window facing the way they would be travelling.
Once they were settled, Philip began to explain the sequence of events involved in getting the train ready to depart, reminding her of what she had seen and heard when he had misled Sir Charles into getting onto the wrong train.

Philip pointed to the platform clock, and a few moments later there were shouts, the banging of doors, the guard’s whistle followed by piercing blast of the engine whistle. Telling Amanda to hold his hand he then warned her that there would be a series of sharp jolts as the train started to move, but it would settle down very quickly after that.

The girl sat and stared out of the window in amazement as the platform slid past as if it was the station itself that was moving rather than them. She turned excitedly to Philip as they picked up speed, only to find him watching her intently instead of out the window.
He smiled then used his free hand to gesture towards various sights such as the Town Hall, the river, and the canal with its warehouses alongside. After a few minutes they were past the outskirts of the town and into open country.
With a look of wonder Amanda said, “It’s so fast. Much faster than I have ever travelled before.”

“We won’t get much above thirty-five miles per hour, but once we change trains in the city, we might get up to sixty miles an hour on the main line towards London.”

To the girl, thirty-five miles an hour sounded incredible, and once up to speed, she could not conceive how it would be possible for them to travel nearly twice as fast on the next train.

The pair had made an early start at Philip’s insistence, not wanting to miss their train due to unexpected delays such as a problem with their horse or the carriage itself. Once they were in town however, Philip took them all to Mrs Beasley’s, saying that it would only take a few minutes to walk to the station afterwards, so they now had time to spare.

Clara was delighted to see them all, and Annette was pleased to see Philip again, although he seemed pre-occupied and not so inclined to chat as much as he normally did.
The serving girl noticed too that Philip was dressed very smartly, and the maid was wearing nice clothes as well instead of her normal drab brown dress and uniform.
“Perhaps they were all going to another wedding,” Annette thought, not realising that only the two youngest members of the group would soon be travelling unaccompanied.


Now that he and his friend had alighted at the city station, Philip was beginning to regret having had an extra cup of tea earlier.

Not wanting to leave Amanda alone on the busy platform, he suggested she stay in the First-Class Waiting Room whilst he dealt with a call of nature. The two had known each other so long that neither were ever embarrassed if either one of them needed to use a lavatory.
Amanda had not realised until then that they would be travelling First Class on the mainline train because Philip had kept it a secret, hoping to surprise her once they got to their carriage.
Whilst attending college he had told her he always travelled second class, or even third class if it was possible, explaining that the less he spent the more often he would be able to buy a train ticket to come home and visit his friends and family. As a result, Amanda had just assumed they would be travelling in the same manner that Philip had always done whilst living away to study.

He led his friend to a comfortable chair within the empty waiting room, saying he would only be gone a few minutes, and they had at least fifteen minutes before their next train was due to arrive.


“Is there a problem?” Philip asked as he re-entered the waiting room.

A rather surly looking man in a Station Porter’s uniform turned to look at the newcomer, noting that the young man who had just spoken was smartly dressed in well-made moderately expensive clothes, but not too extravagant to be risked for travelling by train.
“Obviously a sensible young gentleman from a wealthy family,” thought the porter.


© January 2021

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 9 Part 3

A couple in their late sixties or possibly early seventies had arrived whilst Philip was away, and were now sitting opposite Amanda, looking somewhat bemused. Amanda herself looked both confused and upset.

“I was just explaining to this … girl that she should not be here,” replied the railwayman. “Look at her sir, the way she is dressed makes it quite obvious that she cannot afford to travel first class. Indeed, she does not have a first class ticket upon her person but has instead made some excuse that her friend has it.

“I see an attractive, smartly dressed young woman with a perfectly reasonable explanation why she does not have her ticket with her.” Philip responded.

Indicating the older couple he continued, “I’ll wager that this attractive, smartly dressed young woman here does not have a ticket upon her person either. Am I right Miss?”
The older woman was delighted with the compliment and immediately replied that no, she did not have a ticket of any kind.

“I’ll warrant this handsome young man here beside her has gallantly purchased his young sweetheart’s ticket, and is guarding it with his life.”
“Is that not so young sir?

“Precisely so,” replied the old gentleman with a twinkle in his eye.

Philip turned his attention back to the porter, countering with, “Are you going to insist this young lady leaves as well as the young Miss here then, because neither have a ticket about them?”
Before the porter could reply, Philip continued, “Of course you aren’t. Now, this young lady is my best friend. Here is her ticket, and here is mine.” Handing both pieces of card to the astonished porter, Philip continued, “and I’ll trouble you not to make assumptions about a lady simply because of the way she looks.”

“I, I … I’m sorry sir, miss, I had no idea.” Stammered the porter.

“Indeed no sir, that is quite obvious.” Philip stated as a rebuke. “I suggest in future you do not jump to conclusions. Now if you will excuse us, my friend and I have a train to catch.”
Turning to the older couple Philip quipped, “I wish you success in your elopement, and that you have a long and happy life together.”

Philip took Amanda’s hand and escorted her out of the waiting room, exchanging smiles and a wink with the older couple as they did so.

Once they were settled in their compartment, Philip apologised for abandoning his friend, and for the way he had behaved. Amanda replied that it was worth it to see the look on the porter’s face when Philip had handed him two first class tickets.

Five minutes later, they were on their way. It took longer to reach the city suburbs then open countryside than the first part of their journey, but Amanda was just as enthralled with the sights passing by as they picked up speed.
She asked Philip to explain what everything was as it all looked so different from her viewpoint, and also got Philip to tell her why things close to went by in a flash, but things further away looked as if they were being passed at a walking space.

He had warned her about sudden noises that would occur as they passed under bridges or through a tunnel, the scariest thing however would be when another train passed in the opposite direction. Philip had been holding her hand the whole time, and gave it a reassuring squeeze when she jumped and cried out in alarm the first time it happened.
Amanda was mesmerised when they entered Box Tunnel as the image of fields suddenly changed to her own reflection in the dim lights of their compartment.
At one point Philip took out his pocket watch and then timed the distance between mile-markers, declaring that they were travelling at slightly over sixty miles an hour.
Ascending the incline at Dauntsey Bank, the train began to slow before maintaining that speed over the last few miles until it finally stopped at their destination in what Amanda thought of as “Philip’s college town”.

He had arranged for them to visit Mrs Phillips, his former landlady who he had also invited to his presentation. He explained the different routes he normally walked from his lodgings to college to the station and back depending on where he needed to go at the time.
Today they would be going first to collect Mrs Phillips, then walk with her to the college, then have a light lunch at a small family run tavern that did good wholesome food at reasonable prices he had treated himself to once a week.
Mrs Phillips had told him in their correspondence that she would then visit a friend in the town, so Philip would not need to accompany her home afterwards. Philip would then show Amanda the way back to the station from there that he rushed to do so many times straight after his lectures had finished.

Philip took a short cut through Victoria Park, named of course for their Queen, passing through the biggest glass-house Amanda had ever seen, full of strange and beautiful plants.

“Touch the wall,” he told his friend.

“It’s warm!” she exclaimed. Philip then told her that there were small stone outbuildings on the other side containing a series of coal fed fireplaces, and chimneys that ran along and up inside the wall to keep the glass-house warm whatever the weather.

“It’s not uncommon for homeless people to be found sleeping in those little buildings when it is very cold outside.”
Amanda couldn’t imagine a life without a permanent home. How lucky she was to have two.


© January 2021

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 9 Part 4

The pair only had to wait a few moments for Mrs Phillips to open her door after Philip had knocked. The older lady was delighted to see her former lodger, but was somewhat taken aback when she was introduced to Amanda, before apologising.
“I’m sorry. I knew that Philip wrote to his friends and family on a regular basis, but he never told me that his best friend was an attractive young lady. He kept that quiet.”

Amanda reached the front gate a few paces away first, only to realise that Philip and his landlady had not moved. She heard the first part of their conversation but not what was said afterwards, and was intrigued by the brief exchange she had partly witnessed.

Walking together arm in arm with a lady on each side, Philip played a game of Piggy-in-the-Middle as the two women exchanged information about each other, and to his embarrassment, gossip about Philip. Thankfully both ladies came to the conclusion that Philip was a well behaved and considerate young gentleman.

Upon arrival at the college, they were directed to a small auditorium that Philip explained he had sat in about once a week to attend lectures. He stopped briefly to chat with some of his fellow former students once the two ladies had been seated.
One of these young men asked who the girl was, and after being given the answer, another asked in a stage whisper, “Best friend is it? Have you tupped her yet?”

“Don’t be so crude, of course I haven’t. Why, have you tupped your best friend yet?” Philip angrily retorted before walking away, followed by laughter and the sound of the rude young man being ridiculed by the others in the group.
Living amongst a farming community, Amanda was well aware what the word “tupping” meant, and was amused by Philip’s suggestion that the other man had been intimate with another. The mocking he was now receiving served him right.


All the young men gradually drifted off, only to appear one by one as their names were called to be presented with a beribboned scroll and a narrow lightweight wooden box to keep it safe.
Each man then stepped down from the raised dais at the front to join their friends and family.

Seated in the tavern afterwards whilst waiting for their food to arrive, Amanda insisted on seeing Philip’s scroll, and then proudly read it out loud before handing it back with a flourish.


Having later bade Mrs Phillips goodbye, the pair then made their way to the station. Once aboard their train, Amanda settled in her seat by the window facing the way they were travelling. The view from the carriage this time was of the opposite side of the railway line to their outward journey.

After a while, she closed her eyes as the dappled sunlight filtering through trees warmly caressed her cheek as she went over the events of the day in her head.
She had really enjoyed her day out with Philip, especially the parts where there had only been the two of them.
Normally their other two friends would be with them, but not today. They hadn’t been invited; nor his parents or brother. She understood why Philip’s newly married friend Charlotte hadn’t been invited, but not why she had been the only one.
Still, she was delighted that she had Philip all to herself.
Thinking back though, she was confused by what had taken place by his former landlady’s front door when Mrs Phillips had asked if Amanda was his sweetheart.
If someone was asking in rude way, he would simply say, “No” and say nothing further. In general conversation though he would normally say something like, “No, Miss Prentice is my best friend, but we are not romantically involved.”
This time his answer was different. He had spoken only two-words, but said so quietly that she couldn’t hear. Mrs Phillips had looked surprised by his answer, then smiled and touched Philip on the arm before replying in an equally quiet voice.
Her friend then offered his arm to his former landlady and walked her to her front gate before offering his usual gentlemanly arm to Amanda as well.


Sunday morning. That’s what it felt like. Sunday morning when she didn’t have to get up early, so instead she would lie in bed and drift in and out of a delicious light sleep. It was like floating on the softest goose feathers ever plucked.
Sunday morning, when she awoke in her bed at Forge Cottage, having been escorted home after work the evening before. Sometimes she would walk home, sometimes she would ride in the covered buggy if it was raining. Sometimes William and Millie escorted her, sometimes it was the cook and her husband, sometimes the butler and his wife. Once it had even been Mr and Mrs Marsden themselves. Best of all though was when it was Philip.
Normally it took her twelve minutes on foot, or five in the buggy which had to take a slightly longer route.
She deliberately took longer if she was being walked home by Philip, fifteen minutes if she could get away with dawdling, but they were never alone. No matter who took her home there were always at least one other person. She had asked Philip why, and he had simply said it was to protect her reputation.
She knew her parents trusted Philip implicitly and never considered for one moment that their daughter needed a chaperone when she was with him. Their friends, and indeed nearly everyone who knew them thought much the same, so she wasn’t actually sure from whom he was protecting her honour, but was honoured that he did so.

As she drifted into wakefulness, she thought how different it was today. Oh, they might be together on their own if their paths crossed in the manor, or the village, or in a crowd at the town market, but he never contrived to be alone with her at any other time, yet here they were, just the two of them.
Alone. On a train, miles from home.



© January 2021

Re: Knowl Park

Chapter 9 Part 5

Gradually she became aware of her surroundings as she slowly opened her eyes.
She must have fallen asleep. Opposite her was the same middle-aged couple that had entered the carriage after she and Philip had sat down. The man was looking out of the window, but the lady was looking at her and smiled as she did so.
Philip had been sitting in the middle seat to her right, and had taken her right hand in his left, then placed it on the seat between them. When she awoke, he was still holding her hand, but now it felt different.
When all her senses began to function, she realised that things had changed. This wasn’t like the dull, leaden feeling followed by pins and needles she sometimes got if she somehow fell asleep in an awkward position. This was more like … looking around a room in the dark after the candles had been blown out, and gradually becoming aware of her surroundings as her eyes adjusted to the gloom. In this case, she was gradually becoming aware of her body, as if parts of it were gradually coming back to life.

Her right hand was no longer in Philip’s left, but in his right, which was now resting palm upwards on his left thigh. To her surprise, she then discovered that her left hand was resting on Philip’s chest, and her head was resting on his shoulder, with his left arm around her, holding her close to him by her upper arm.

Intimate was the word that first popped into her mind. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder and he had wrapped her up next to him. He had not tried to move her, discourage her, or awaken her. Whatever discomfort he had felt with her lying against him he had endured without protest.
At that moment she felt closer to him than she had ever felt before. She was in love with him, and wanted to tell him right now in that railway carriage, but she knew it would do no good.
She was no longer a child, but she knew he would say she was still too young, and probably still say that they could not be together.
As the train slowed for the final curve into the big city station, she looked up at him and smiled, even though she felt pain inside.
He looked down into her eyes and smiled before kissing her on her forehead, saying, “Hello sleepy head. We need to change trains now”

He didn’t offer an arm as he usually did when he escorted her, but instead took her hand to ensure they did not become separated. He led her along the platform, then over the iron footbridge to the platform where the train to the town near their home would depart.

Finding a vacant bench seat, they both sat and waited. He was still holding her hand. “What was happening?” She thought. Was he going to tell her something she didn’t want to hear? He had been so kind, so gentlemanly … so honourable towards her that she couldn’t help feeling he was about to break her heart, even though it was the last thing he would ever want to do.
When she had told her parents that Philip had not invited anyone else, her mother sat her down and warned her he may be going to tell her bad news. If he was with someone else, or wanted to be with someone else, he would tell her, not let her find out some other way.

After a while she spoke. “What did you tell your landlady? I know I have no right to say, but when she asked you about us, you said something different to your normal answer.”
Looking at the expression on his face she suddenly said, “I, I, oh, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked.”
Leaning towards his friend he said quietly, “We were talking about you, so you have every right to ask, and every right to know what was said.”

Leaning closer still he began, “When she asked me if you were my sweetheart, I said …”
His lips pressed against her thick, red-brown hair, making it tickle her cheek as he did so. It was late afternoon but the air was still warm, yet she shuddered as his hot breath fluttered around inside the shell of her ear as he spoke.

It wasn’t the sudden shrill blast of a locomotive steam whistle that made her jump; it was the two words he breathed into her ear, so close that another person standing next to them could not have heard it.

She went rigid, not wanting or daring to look at him as he broke contact with her before looking at the platform clock, saying, “We have plenty of time yet. There is no rush.”

She remembered very little of the rest of the journey back to the manor. Like an automaton, she got on the train and allowed Philip to hold her hand, got off at the other end and rode home in in the jaunting car driven by William.
Afterwards she couldn’t even remember talking to Millie. She wasn’t even sure she had been there.

That night it took a long time for her to get to sleep, and then only fitfully, remembering over and over again every time she woke those two words that Philip had spoken directly into her ear.

Over and over in her head flashed all her memories of Philip from the day they first met and he had given her some of his toys. How he had saved her when she was attacked. Their friendship ever since.

But now, nothing was ever going to be the same again. Philip, the man she loved, had in saying those two words, changed her life forever.
Her pillow was wet with tears as she eventually fell into a deep sleep.

That night she dreamed a strange dream. When she was younger, her father had been commissioned to make some branding irons for a company that wanted its name burned into every box and packing case that left its manufactory.
For her thirteenth birthday he had made her a branding iron that spelled her name. Despite protests from her mother, he had heated the iron in the forge before running through the cottage and then with a flourish, burned his daughter’s name into her bedroom door.
She remembered the smoke and flame, and tiny bits of charred wood that fell to the floor as he pressed the dull red iron brand into the wood.

In her dream, the letters on her door changed, and instead of her name, her father burned the two words that Philip had spoken, over and over again into hundreds of imaginary doors until she awoke, sweating, sure that she could still smell the fire and see the smoke in her room.




© January 2021

Re: Knowl Park

Oooh! A mystery. I wonder what those two words were!

Re: Knowl Park

I thought about revealing it in the next (final) chapter, but have decided to add conundrum as an ending instead.
One will be answered in the epilogue, and one in a postscript that will follow it.

Re: Knowl Park

Re: Knowl Park

'Tis finished. I shall let it brew for another day before giving it a final proof read, and then I'll post it.