Heartbreak in the Valleys

by Francesca Capaldi

  That Mrs Meredith had concocted the same excuse for the ladies Anwen did find perversely amusing, smiling wryly as she let herself out of the front door.

  In the back garden she found Elizabeth, removing weeds from a patch of soil, unbothered by the wind that was causing Anwen to hold onto her skirt. She straightened up, waving as she spotted Anwen. ‘Have you come to help? Don’t think the black dress and clean apron is quite the outfit for this job.’

  ‘Elizabeth, the police have arrived. Your mother is in the kitchen with them and wants the two of us to join them.’

  ‘Goodness, how intriguing.’ She brushed dry earth from her hands, following Anwen to the outside door into the scullery. Onner, the laundry woman, was removing sheets from the washing line, struggling against the billowing fabric.

  A piercing voice could be clearly heard as they entered the house. Rose had taken umbrage at something. Entering the kitchen, they saw the table covered with food. Packets and tins, a roasted lamb joint, unskinned rabbits and three bottles of whisky were among the large array of provisions.

  ‘I’m just saying, I do as I’m told. I didn’t purchase the food. I collected it from the shop or delivery man and stored it away as I was instructed. I don’t know where it came from before. Not my business to ask, is it?’

  ‘What’s going on?’ said Elizabeth.

  Mrs Meredith’s face had drooped with weariness. ‘Someone has reported our family for hoarding food.’

  ‘Is it a crime now to store food away?’ Elizabeth’s question was aimed at Sergeant Harries.

  ‘Not in itself, Miss, but there’s been reports of people hoarding food and alcohol in order to sell it on at inflated prices.’

  ‘I bought much of it at inflated prices!’ Mrs Meredith said with exasperation, her Welsh accent more in evidence now. ‘Aren’t there worse things going on in Ireland the police should be sorting out?’

  ‘There’s not a lot we here can do about Ireland, Mrs Meredith,’ said Sergeant Harries. ‘And that’s no excuse to turn a blind eye to what’s going on in our own back yard.’

  ‘Calm down, Mother. We will get this sorted out. Sergeant, who reported that we were hoarding in order to profit, which is what I presume you are in fact accusing us of?’

  ‘We all know who the informant is,’ Rose bellowed, pointing a stick finger at Anwen.

  She knew it was only a matter of time until Rose accused her. ‘It wasn’t me. I didn’t even know all this foodstuff was in the pantry. I’m not allowed in there.’

  ‘Wouldn’t stop you sneaking in, would it? And how’d you know it came from the pantry, eh?’

  ‘Where else would it have been?’

  ‘Funny how the food theft stopped when you were questioned about it.’

  ‘Probably because the real thief realised they’d been found out.’

  Rose got up close, pushing her face towards Anwen’s. ‘Things went missing on several occasions.’

  ‘How do you know?’ Anwen was aware of the policemen studying each of them as they spoke.

  ‘Because I know my own pantry!’

  ‘Enough!’ Elizabeth currently displayed more authority than her mother, whose slumped posture was uncharacteristic. ‘I thought this visit was about a report on profiteering, not about the apparent thefts.’

  Rose piped up, ‘They weren’t apparent—’

  ‘Please, Rose!’

  ‘No one’s said you’ve been profiteering, Miss Meredith,’ Harries said. ‘Only that you might be hoarding in order to do so in the future.’

  ‘It amounts to the same thing.’

  Another thought occurred to Anwen. ‘If Mrs Meredith has bought these items from traders at increased prices, why aren’t the traders being interviewed?’

  ‘We’re getting to that, Miss,’ said Harries. ‘But just because someone buys items at inflated prices, doesn’t mean they’re not going to sell them on at even bigger cost when food becomes really short.’

  ‘Mama, where did these items come from? I was unaware there was quite as much as this in the pantry.’

  ‘Only from the butcher and greengrocer. They called them “comestibles for their valued customers”.’

  ‘Some of them are groceries.’

  ‘They were special items, they said, that Mrs Brace couldn’t get.’

  ‘For goodness’ sake, Mother! This has trouble written all over it. And “valued customers” clearly means those who can afford it.’ Elizabeth sounded like the parent. ‘I’ve been telling you for a while we should learn to cope with less food before we are forced to. And is it fair to have so much when the villagers have increasingly less?’

  Mrs Meredith stared hard at her daughter. ‘Really Elizabeth, between that, your vegetable scheme and the Suffragettes, I swear you’re becoming more of a socialist every day.’

  Elizabeth ignored this. ‘Sergeant Harries, are you making any kind of arrest?’

  ‘Not at this juncture, Miss Meredith. Clearly quite a lot of investigation is going to have to take place. This is a starting point.’

  ‘You must know who reported us.’

  ‘As it happens, Miss, I don’t. It was reported at Rhymney police, see. They contacted us as it’s our patch.’

  ‘How very strange.’ Mrs Meredith took a handkerchief from her sleeve and dabbed at her nose.

  ‘We’ll leave you to it now, but we may well be back in touch.’

  ‘Show them out, Rose.’

  ‘But that’s Anwen’s job, not—’

  ‘And I’m asking you to do it!’ It wasn’t clear if her employer was about to burst into tears or explode with rage. Rose didn’t risk either, doing as she was bid.

  As they left, Mrs Meredith told Anwen. ‘I think it might be best if you went home for today.’

  ‘But Mama, Anwen clearly didn’t have anything to do with this.’

  ‘I’m not saying she did. I just think it would be best for now. Come back tomorrow morning at ten. I’m going out.’

  ‘Very well, Madam.’ Anwen went to the scullery to change back into her own clothes, throwing the black dress and apron onto the table in a fit of pique. She was putting her coat on when Onner struggled through the door with a basket of sheets, thumping it down onto the table.

  ‘Phew! You off now, love? Bit early for you. Was just going out to get the washing in when the police turned up. What’s going on?’

  Anwen didn’t want to explain it all so simply said, ‘Not entirely sure myself. Mrs Meredith has asked me to come back tomorrow morning at ten.’

  Onner tutted. ‘Trouble everywhere at the moment.’

  ‘See you tomorrow, Onner.’

  Onner nodded, getting on immediately with folding the sheets. Anwen left through the back door. She was soon wondering about the mystery informant. If she couldn’t prove her innocence, it would certainly make it more awkward taking a trip out with Tom. But then, that was always going to be a delicate matter, and one they’d have to keep to themselves. It might prove impossible if Tom thought she was a thief.

  * * *

  When Anwen entered the scullery at the time requested the next morning, the laundry woman was there, busy ironing the items from the day before.

  ‘Hello Onner. Bit less windy today, I’m glad to see.’

  ‘Hello, love. Rose has been sounding off something rotten about you. She thought you’d been sacked when you didn’t arrive this morning.’

  Anwen was about to explain the situation to her when Rose came thundering through from the kitchen, a broom in her hand. ‘What are you doing here? Off with you, sneaking in to steal more food, no doubt.’ She thrust the broom at Anwen’s legs.

  ‘Stop that! Mrs Meredith asked me to come in.’

  ‘Liar! She dismissed you.’

  ‘No she didn’t.’

  ‘I don’t think she did sack her, Rose,’ Onner shouted over the clamour.

  ‘Of course she did!’ Rose lifted the broom and swung it, catching Anwen on the cheek.

  ‘H
ere, stop that now, you mad woman,’ Onner shrieked, grabbing the broom off the cook.

  Rose was trying to snatch it back when Elizabeth rushed through the door and took the cook by her arms, pulling her away from Onner. ‘What on earth do you think you’re doing, Rose? My mother sent me down to accompany you and Anwen to the dining room. Onner, my mother would like to speak to you after she’s dealt with this. I’ll come and get you when she’s ready.’

  Onner leant the broom against the table. ‘What’s that all about, Miss?’

  ‘She’ll explain when she sees you.’

  Elizabeth led the way out of the scullery, through the kitchen and into the hallway.

  Rose pushed Anwen along, muttering for her ears only, ‘This’ll be the finish of you here, you wait and see. No more lunches with Mr Tom or gadding about like Lady Muck at performances with your betters.’

  Elizabeth opened the dining room door, stepping back to let the two younger women in first, then came in after them, shutting the door. Mrs Meredith was sitting at the table.

  ‘Ah, Anwen and Rose.’ She pulled a piece of paper out from the stack on the table and placed it in front of her. ‘Rose, could you tell me again why you think Anwen reported me to the police.’

  Oh dear. This had not started well.

  Rose smirked, her nose wrinkling. ‘Well, like I said yesterday, Madam, the food thefts stopped when you challenged her about them. Reckon she thought she’d get her revenge.’

  ‘That is very interesting, Rose.’

  ‘Thank you, Madam.’

  She was going to believe Rose on the strength of her opinion?

  Mrs Meredith continued. ‘Because I drove into Rhymney yesterday to talk to the police there, and the description they gave me of the informant did not fit Anwen at all. You picked on Anwen, but she is not the only one who works in the kitchen and scullery area, is she?’

  Anwen’s breath caught. There was someone else, of course. How had she not thought of it before? And Mrs Meredith was going to deal with her next.

  Rose voiced Anwen’s thoughts. ‘You mean Onner, Madam?’ The cook seemed pleased with her own deduction. ‘I never did like the woman.’

  ‘The description given to me was not that of an older woman, but of someone in their twenties – with curly blonde hair.’

  Anwen’s eyes widened as realisation dawned. She glared at Rose as the colour drained from the cook’s already pale face.

  ‘They – they wouldn’t tell you that,’ Rose blustered.

  ‘Not normally, but I am good friends with Chief Constable Perryman’s wife. We were at school together.’

  ‘There are lots of people with blonde, curly hair!’ Rose insisted.

  ‘No, I don’t believe there are that many, not around here, not people who know me and are in a position to tell the police what is in my pantry.’

  Rose opened her mouth to speak but closed it without saying a word. She alternated squeezing and plumping her lips, maybe trying to think of something to convince them all she was innocent. Elizabeth, standing to one side of her mother, didn’t look at all surprised.

  Mrs Meredith continued. ‘I took a chance on you when I employed you as a nineteen-year-old, with only six months’ experience as an under cook. I believe you’ve been treated well here. Yes, I bought more food than we currently need because I was afraid of it becoming scarce. Now I have to ask myself, if you’re capable of telling lies about being the informant, what else have you told lies about?’

  Elizabeth took over at this point. ‘You accused Anwen of informing when it was you. You insisted also that she was the one who stole the food, so we can only conclude that was you too. Presumably you either sold it or took it home to your family, and you’ve been trying to frame Anwen and get her fired.’

  ‘Rose, you are dismissed,’ Mrs Meredith pronounced.

  ‘Well!’ Rose stamped her foot. ‘There’s grateful for all the work I’ve done. I didn’t like this job anyway. Too casual a household, what with housemaids being over-friendly with the family.’ She gave Anwen a sideways glance as she sneered. ‘Having favourites among the servants is not right at all.’

  ‘You may go and collect your things.’

  ‘I’d be glad to.’

  ‘I will drive you home,’ said Elizabeth. ‘That will give me a chance to explain to your parents exactly why you’ve been dismissed.’

  ‘Don’t expect any sympathy from them.’ Rose humphed, stomping off to the door, flinging it open.

  ‘If you do any damage to my house, I can assure you I will deduct it from your wages,’ Mrs Meredith called. She followed Rose, saying as she went, ‘I had better make sure she doesn’t take anything she shouldn’t.’

  Elizabeth waited till her mother was out of earshot. ‘I’m so sorry that you got involved in all this, Anwen.’

  ‘I assume I’m not being dismissed.’

  ‘Good gosh, of course you aren’t. I’ll let you into a secret. Chief Constable Perryman wouldn’t tell Mama who the informant was, but she’d long suspected the thefts were Rose. She wanted to see how far she’d go and whether she’d catch herself out if she went along with it. Mama took a chance today, saying the police had told her, but it paid off.’

  So Mrs Meredith had never really suspected her? That was a comfort at least.

  ‘I think we will all have to muck in together now, you, me and Mama. You may well look surprised,’ Elizabeth laughed. ‘I was when my mother suggested it. But she used to cook when Tom and I were little, when we lived in Georgetown and Father was a humble examiner.’

  The confession was a revelation. Somehow Anwen had imagined this family had always held their current station. ‘An examiner?’

  ‘Why yes. Living in one of the terraces, rather like the ones on West Street. When my parents were first married, he was a hewer. They lived in a small house in Bedwellty then.’ She came forward to peer out into the hall, making sure no one was about before shutting the door. ‘You see, Anwen, we haven’t always been middle class. But don’t tell my mother you know that.’ She grinned like a naughty schoolgirl.

  Anwen experienced a new admiration for the Merediths. They’d worked to be in this lofty position, not been born into it, as she’d assumed.

  ‘Why does your mother want to speak to Onner if she’s not responsible for the trouble?’

  ‘To offer her a few hours cleaning, so you can help with the meals.’

  They had been busy, planning it all out.

  ‘While you’re here, I want to give you a magazine to read. Hold on.’ Elizabeth left the room, soon returning with a copy of Woman’s Life. ‘This magazine has exercises for recovering invalids, to help them walk after a long period in bed. I wondered if they would help your mother. You did say the doctor could see no reason why she hadn’t recovered.’

  Anwen scanned the pages being held open. It was a splendid idea – in principle. ‘My father thinks—’

  ‘Yes, I am aware of what he thinks. He is not a medical man though, so he cannot possibly know. Please, take it. If it doesn’t help, at least you have tried something.’

  Anwen took the proffered magazine. ‘Thank you, Elizabeth. I’ll show Mam this evening.’

  Then she’d have to hide it, for sure. Who knew what Da would do if he found it?

  * * *

  It was a dull evening. Anwen shivered a little as she went to her mam’s bedroom window, noticing the volunteers busy working on the plot opposite her house. She must get ready soon and join them, before the light faded.

  In bed, the covers thrown off, Mam was lifting and lowering each leg in turn, as detailed in the magazine. Anwen hadn’t been able to find it in her room earlier. Perhaps Mamgu had borrowed it to study the next set of exercises, since she was helping Mam to practise during the day. The progress, being able to lift her legs a little higher each day, had given Anwen new hope.

  Enid took a break, sitting back on the mountain of pillows. ‘Such a shame about Jane Harris and her kiddies having t
o move in with Florrie. It can’t be easy, having seven grandchildren living with her. She might be a bit of a card, but her heart’s in the right place.’

  ‘I guess the widow’s pension doesn’t go far with a big family. I heard Jane couldn’t afford the rent. I saw her the other day, dragging herself along the pavement with her three youngest. Looked like the life had been sucked out of her, poor soul. She and Robert were childhood sweethearts.’ A little like her and Idris, she thought.

  ‘It’s lucky Cadi managed to find new lodgings with Rhonwen Evans. At least she’s a little less quarrelsome than Florrie.’

  ‘That’s true.’

  ‘If you go into my bottom drawer, cariad, you’ll find some old clothes I used to use in the garden years back. Blue serge skirt and a green linen blouse. Past patching but useful for gardening.’

  ‘Thank you. I’ll try not to ruin them further.’

  ‘I wouldn’t worry. I’ll not use them again.’

  Enid’s head went down and she closed her eyes for a moment. She looked up towards the window, her eyes sad. ‘I used to love being in the garden, growing the vegetables and the few flowers, being at one with the soil. Being at peace. When the four of you were all little and either helping out or running around the hillside where I could see you, laughing and playing, I felt the luckiest woman alive. Your father was different then. Always quick to temper, but there were still happy times. Then sometimes we’d have a picnic up on the hill, with sandwiches and the nettle pop I used to make. Your father would tell you all stories he’d made up. He was good at that.’

  Anwen left the drawer open, going to her mother and taking her hand. ‘Oh Mam. You’re doing well with those exercises. I’m sure we could get you walking again. Then you could help on the allotments. It’s certainly helped me take my mind off… things.’ In fact they’d been a godsend, particularly coming not long after Sara’s death. Her mother was right: there was something peaceful about being one with the soil. Sara had enjoyed doing little jobs in the garden, so would have loved helping on the allotments.