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CHAPTER ELEVEN

A Promise From Bathsheba

For the next few months, Bathsheba lived quietly. She made Gabriel Oak the manager of her farm. Boldwood was very unhappy. He was no longer interested in his own farm and he did not often leave his farmhouse. So he also made Gabriel his farm manager. Then, very slowly, Boldwood began to hope again.

‘Perhaps, one day, Bathsheba will marry me,’ he thought. ‘Troy is dead. Bathsheba won’t think about marriage again for a long time. But I’ll wait. And if she does marry again, she’ll marry me!’

Bathsheba left Weatherbury and went to visit her old aunt at Norcombe. She was away for two months.

It was now late summer. Nine months had passed since the report of Troy’s death. Bathsheba returned to Weatherbury at the time when the hay was harvested.

One morning, Mr Boldwood came to Bathsheba’s fields and found Liddy working there. He spoke to the young girl.

‘I hope that Mrs Troy is well after her time away,’ he said.

‘She’s quite well, sir,’ said Liddy.

‘Does she ever speak about marrying again?’

‘Never, sir,’ said Liddy. Then she went on, ‘Well, she did once say that she might marry again at the end of seven years. But only if Mr Troy doesn’t come back before then.’

A few minutes later, Boldwood left the fields. So there was reason for him to hope. Perhaps, one day, Bathsheba would marry again. His love for her was deep and strong. He could wait.

It was time for the Sheep Fair at Greenhill. The fair took place in Greenhill once every year, and many people from Weatherbury went there. Visitors could play games or watch entertainments. And they could buy or sell clothes, drink, food and animals. Gabriel Oak took sheep from both Bathsheba’s and Boldwood’s farms. He hoped to sell the animals for a good price.

At the centre of the fair there was a large circular tent. Inside the tent, musicians and a travelling circus gave performances. And one of the entertainers in the circus was Sergeant Troy.

After the sailors pulled Troy out of the sea at Lulwind Cove, he decided to stay with them. However, a few weeks later, Troy realized that he did not want to work on ships. But he did not wish to go back to Weatherbury.

‘I don’t think that Bathsheba will want me there,’ he thought. ‘We can never be happy together. We’ll both think of Fanny Robin and how she died. And perhaps life on the farm isn’t going well. Perhaps Bathsheba has less money now.’

So Troy had become an actor in the travelling circus. He acted as a famous highwayman. In his performance, he rode a big black horse and wore a big hat, a long cloak and a thick black moustache.

And now, at Greenhill Sheep Fair, Troy suddenly saw Bathsheba. She was sitting with Boldwood and they were watching the play.

At first, Troy was shocked to see her. Then he saw how beautiful Bathsheba was - and he wanted her again.

‘And she’s still my wife!’ Troy thought. He quickly pulled the cloak up to his ears. Then he walked out of the tent and into the crowd of people. He wanted time to think.

Later in the afternoon, Boldwood rode back to Weatherbury beside Bathsheba, who drove her carriage.

‘Mrs Troy,’ he said. ‘Will you ever marry again?’

‘My husband’s body was never found,’ Bathsheba said. ‘He could still be alive.’

‘Your husband disappeared a year ago,’ said Boldwood. ‘If he doesn’t return, you can marry again after seven years. This is what the law says. If Troy doesn’t come back, then you will have to wait for six years from now.’ Boldwood’s face was sad. ‘You almost became my wife once,’ he said. ‘But that’s nothing. You never liked me.’

‘I did like you,’ Bathsheba said. ‘And I respected you too.’

‘And do you like and respect me now?’ he asked.

‘Yes,’ she said quietly. This conversation was making her feel uncomfortable. ‘Mr Boldwood, I’m sorry that I made you unhappy. I shall always be sorry. It was wrong of me.’

‘Don’t worry,’ he said. ‘Don’t blame yourself too much. But if you learnt that your husband was dead, would you marry me?’

‘I don’t know,’ she replied.

‘But perhaps one day?’ Boldwood said.

‘Perhaps,’ she said.

‘So after six years…’

‘Six years is a long time,’ Bathsheba said.

‘The time will pass quickly,’ said Boldwood. ‘Please, listen. If I wait for six years, will you marry me? It would put right all the wrong things that you’ve done to me. Do you want to be the wife of any other man?’

‘No!’ she said. ‘I mean - please, I don’t want to talk about this now. It isn’t right. My husband may still be alive.’

‘Of course,’ said Boldwood. ‘We won’t speak about it, if you don’t want to. But perhaps you can promise me this. Promise me that if you marry again, you’ll marry me.’

‘I’ll never marry another man while you want to marry me,’ she said at last. ‘I can’t say more than that.’

‘So will you promise?’ he said, excitedly. ‘In six years time, will you marry me?’

‘Oh, what shall I do?’ she cried. ‘I don’t love you! I’m afraid that I’ll never love you as much as a woman should love her husband. But it seems that I can make you happy with only a promise. So, yes. If my husband doesn’t come back at the end of six years… I’ll think about marriage. I’ll think, and perhaps I’ll make a promise soon.’

‘Soon?’ Boldwood said. ‘But “soon” could mean “never”.’

‘Well, perhaps I’ll make a promise by Christmas,’ she told him.

‘Christmas!’ he said, happily. ‘Then I’ll say no more about marriage until then.’

As the weeks passed, Bathsheba became very worried. One day, she was speaking with Gabriel Oak and they began to talk about Boldwood.

‘He’ll never forget you, ma’am,’ said Gabriel.

And suddenly, Bathsheba told Gabriel about her worries. She told him about her conversation with Boldwood. And she spoke about the promise that she had to make at Christmas.

‘And if I don’t promise, I’m afraid that Farmer Boldwood will go mad,’ she said. ‘It’s terrible! I don’t love him, Gabriel.’

‘And is it right to marry a man that you don’t love?’ he asked.

‘Perhaps it isn’t right,’ said Bathsheba. ‘Oh, I wish that I’d never sent that valentine card! I sent the card, so Mr Boldwood began to love me. Now he wants to marry me. I’ll be punished for my foolishness. But am I free to marry him?’

‘You are free to marry, if you believe that your husband is dead,’ said Gabriel. ‘Most people believe that Mr Troy drowned in the sea.’