Izz walked stiffly across the wooden floorboards of the barn, rubbing her hands together to ward off the cold of dawn that was threatening outside. Today would be a beautiful day, but nonetheless right now it was freezing outside. Izz sat down on a small three legged stool beside a big caramel coloured cow and began her day's work as a dairymaid. The other girls had been awake for nearly an hour and were already gossiping amongst themselves when Izz had arrived. Usually she did not listen, but today their topic was different, of a more serious tone, rumours of a girl in the north named Tess had made Izz listen to their idle discussion.
"Did you all hear 'bout that lass up in tha north? Near Wessex I think it was, Tess something, Durbyfield I think." Said Annie, a small, frail woman from the area around Wessex, she had heard news from her sister who had recently visited the dairy.
"Ie, sad story that one. D'urberville her name was, Tess D'urberville. She passed through this way some time ago lookin' for work, I couldn't give 'er any, though she seemed like a nice enough girl. Pretty as a pin." Said Mrs Forster the farmer's wife as she churned the butter.
"Why, what happened to her? What's so sad about her? Last I heard she had married that divine Clare boy and was headin' off for a honeymoon." One of the girls said from behind a cow.
Izz had stopped milking now and was sitting quietly behind her cow, listening to every word that the women were saying.
Annie sighed and readier herself to tell the story. "Well, the way I 'eard it was that she was married to the Clare boy, and 'appy as all 'eaven they was for a short while, when Clare up and left 'er. Off to South America 'e went, or some such nonsense. Well, Tess went back to 'er parent's house, but I suppose she must have felt unwelcome or soemthing, for she left shortly afterwards and went searchin' for work."
"Ie, that's also what I heard from my mother. Apparently Clare had found out some secret he didn't like about Tess and couldn't stand the sight of 'er any longer. Right sad if you ask me, a gentleman like that treatin' such a kind soul as Tess in such a 'orrible manner." Mrs Forster said, nodding her head in agreement.
"Well, next thing she's workin' out in the country on a farm, and this lad comes about 'er, wantin' to marry 'er. She says no, but he won't take it for an answer, and so he follows her about beggin' till she has to leave on Lady day for her family's home because her Ma has taken sick."
Izz could feel her face getting hot from the knowledge that she knew the girl who was the topic of gossip for these simple women.
"When she got back home 'er father up and died from a 'eart attack, and the family had to move out to a lodgiging somewhere else. That lad that had wanted Tess's hand managed to convince her that Clare weren't comin' back, and so they were married and livin' in a lodging of their own, with the lad, Alec I think his name was, supportin' the whole family. Anyhow, they was all livin' happy, except Tess I suppose, who I heard only married that sod Alec for the good of 'er family."
Izz felt tears burning in her eyes at the thought of Tess being deserted by Angel, and she bitterly remembered the day that he had come upon her and asked her to come with him to Brazil. Poor Tess! Had she known Angel was such a…such a cruel man, she would not have spent all of her time pining over him.
"…Next thing you know she's written to her former husband regarding 'is return, and not received a word in return! So she's lost all hope of ever seein' the likes of Mr Angel Clare again, when 'e returns up outta the blue!" Annie was enjoying the role of narrator now, gesticulating with her worn hands and generally making good of the attention that was being paid to her by the other women.
"So 'e turns up to see 'er, and finds 'er in the company of such a 'orrible man as that Alec fellow, who the whole time of 'is marriage to Tess has been tauntin' her like, about her failed marriage to Clare. Right 'orrible of him, seein' as she still loved Clare so much. Anyhow, Clare comes to see 'er, and she see 'im, but shortly afterwards turns 'im away, not bein' able to bare the thought of him having returned to 'er, seein' as she is now chained by marriage and want of a good life for her family to Alec." Annie sighed and moved her stool closer towards the other maids so that she was able to lower her voice for effect.
"So then she goes back upstairs to 'er and 'er 'usband's rooms, and has to put up with him tauntin' 'er again. She doesn't take so well now that Clare be back in the country, so you know what she does? She butchers 'im up good and proper with a butter knife! The owner of the rooms they was leasin' was sittin' in her room below when Tess left the 'ouse, and saw the red stain from the blood keain' through her roof to the drawin' room below! Must have been a sorry sight when they found 'im!" Annie said a little to jovially for Izz's liking, as she slapped her knee.
Izz let out an involuntary gasp and covered her mouth. How could such a thing have befallen her dear, sweet Tess? Such an innocent creature did not deserve such things to stain her life!
"So Tess runs away from the house, because she's right sick now, in 'er mind like. And she finds Clare, and they elope into the country! Now from here I don't rightly know what happened to them, some say that they hid in a house that was empty for near a week, after which the caretaker found the, and thinkin' it cute to find such a pair in such fine clothin' as them, sleepin' in the master bedroom of an empty house, she went to tell her neighbours, who realise who it was, and called the authorities! Next thing the two 'ave left, and right 'appy they must have been to 'ave been so lucky as to find each other and spend some time in each other's company, because they were soon to part again.
"They came to Stone Henge, out in the country it was, and there Tess wanted to rest, and rest they did on one of them big sacrificial stones, until Clare woke to see police like ghosts comin' out of the surroundin' stones. So 'e begged the to let 'is wife sleep on, they stood and waited for 'er to wake so they might take 'er away to Wessex to be tried for murder." Annine nodded as a few of the girls gasped in indignation. "And tired she was, and convicted proper, too. They 'ad 'er ended, and Clare then went off with Tess's little sister. Though it should be mentioned that was what Tess had asked for 'im to do. Rightly thought she would live on through 'er sister, Tess did, and so that's what 'appened. Care and Eliza, I think her name was, were married and they lived together in the country of 'is parents. They be as 'appy as any other newlyweds. Except for Clare, my sister saw 'im once, walkin' in the village with 'is brother, deep in conversation. Seemed the death of 'is wife had taken toll on 'im, for 'e looked properly sick, like a ghost, and all the time 'is brother addressed 'im, 'e looked off into space, as though he were starin' at the face of his one love, and I don't mean young Eliza, neither."
Izz could bare it no longer. She stood hurriedly from her stool and ran out of the barn, she felt a lack of air to her head so she could no longer think properly. She ran down the grassy slopes leading to the unused barn and towards the room she had shared in the house with the other maids.
"Poor Izz, she once spoke to me of a dear friend, by the name of Tess. I wonder if were the same lass." Mrs Forster said quietly to the girls, back in the cow barn. She paused momentarily, deep in thought and wore a deep frown as she began to churn again. "Come to think of it, she also mentioned herself as in love with a fellow by the name of Clare. Oh, the poor dear!"
*
izz was pacing back and forth across her room, thinking of all she had just heard. Dear Tess, if only you had told me! I would have been the very best of sympathisers. Izz could barely feel the tears that were now streaming down her face, she could only think of all that Tess had gone through, and Angel for that matter! For a brief moment in the barn Izz had thought ill of Angel! But what a revelation! Dear Sweet Tess and perpetrator of such actions? It was barely conceivable. How could she do it? What could have possibly been so bad about Alec that Tess would have wronged him so? He must have wronged her in some way, for I know the nature of Tess, and she would never, never wrong a person out of spite or malice. Such a pure and innocent soul as Tess could not do such a thing for no reason. Izz had known Tess well, or so she had thought, and she had certainly known Angel even better. Her only conclusion was that Tess had done what she did for love of Angel.
Izz had loved Angel more than any other person in the world, or so she had thought. Though now she knew she could not love him more than Tess. Tess's love for Angel had been of a nature so consuming and full in it's entirety that it had ended her life. And Izz knew that Tess would have no ill feelings towards Angel, and set him with Eliza to live so Tess might watch over him, and live through her sister. But Angel - and Izz - knew it would not be the same, a piece of him had died with Tess.
"How tragic." Was all Izz could think to murmur through her tears. How tragic, for it is the nature of such people as Tess to take that they love, and those who love them the most, with them to the grave.