Maggie nodded. She had noticed the threadbare rugs on the cold stone floors, the moth-eaten curtains that hung at the windows, the sparsely furnished sitting room and nothing in the hall. She shuddered when she thought of what Hannah had got used to in her life at Selwyn Lodge.
“We’ve lots of land though, and an orchard, a paddock and lots of trees. There’s a stable and a workshop that Eddie will make into a builder’s yard. We have a quarry too, which will go someway to paying our bills.”
“And two servants to pay wages to, Hannah. How on earth have you been managing since I’ve been away?”
“From my allowance, and of course Eddie’s wages from Sheldon, but he finished there last week. Up to now Michael has not put a stop to my allowance, which is giving Eddie a fighting chance of setting up for himself.”
There came a knock on the door as Maggie began to formulate some questions for her stepdaughter. Sadie put her head around it.
“Dinner on the table in ten minutes, Missis. I take it your mother’s staying so I’ve laid an extra place.”
“Ten minutes to try to feed my baby, Hannah. Would yer leave us and I’ll wake her, then I’ll see if she’ll have a go.”
“She’s in the front room, Eddie,” said Hannah, as her husband walked in through the back door and took off his jacket.
“Who is?” asked Eddie, wondering who on earth could be in the sitting room. His heart sank into his boots when he thought it might be Alice or even Michael, then he quickly realised they didn’t know where they’d moved to.
“Mother and her little girl, Rosemary. She’s feeding her and naturally she wants a bit of privacy. Which reminds me, I’ll be needing to feed Georgie in an hour or so. Are you rushing off after dinner, Eddie? I don’t want to leave Mother on her own.”
“I’ll look after Johnny fer yer, if yer want,” broke in Sadie. “He can come with me after I’ve fed him his dinner, then he’ll be out of the road.”
“Oh, thank you,” answered Hannah, pleased that her maid had offered her help though it was really her half day off. That’s what she liked about both her servants; nothing was too much trouble and they didn’t ask for extra pay.
“How’s she looking?” asked Eddie, as the couple walked into the orchard while they waited for their meal to be served. Neither had got their servants’ measure and didn’t want to be overheard.
“A lot plumper, but her face looks older and haggard. That sparkle she used to have has gone and her eyes look full of misery.”
“Has she said anything about Sheldon, what her plans are, what she’ll do with Michael? Is she in any position, now she has the baby, to carry on?”
“Oh, hang on, Eddie, she’s only just got here. Give her a chance. I’ll suggest I take care of Rosemary this afternoon, while she has a sleep in her bedroom. Yes, she’s staying, Eddie. Then perhaps this evening we can all sit round and discuss it.”
“As long as she doesn’t get on at me for anything. I did the best that I could fer her and I do deserve that loan.”
Chapter 23
“Have yer seen any sight of your Uncle, Eddie?” Maggie asked, as the three of them settled in front of the fire in the sitting room, that evening. “I wondered if he had called in to see your parents at Christmas time. He has in the past, hasn’t he?”
Eddie shook his head, regretfully. “No, no one’s seen him since yer came over together that time from Liverpool, but me Dad did say he was thinking of giving the sea up and starting a business somewhere.”
“Aye, that’s what I thought, but he didn’t tell him where?”
Eddie shook his head again and wondered when they were going to get round to discussing the business. He felt unsure and very nervous at what Maggie’s reaction would be to him taking the loan. Hannah also felt tense on her husband’s behalf; he shouldn’t have done it without consulting her mother. Maggie could get very angry if she thought someone was trying to pull the wool over her eyes.
“So what do yer think of Rosemary, then?”
This was Maggie trying to lull the conversation. She knew the couple had a lot to say, but wasn’t ready to hear it yet.
“She’s beautiful, a little poppet,” Hannah cried. “I hope I have one just like her next time.”
“She looks like Georgie, both have the hair colour and dark eyes. Don’t yer think so, Maggie?”
“Probably because they’re both Dockertys, Eddie. I’m sure that Hannah has already told yer the tale.”
Eddie coloured slightly and looked at Hannah.
“Yes, but it’s up to you what yer do with yer life.”
“Shocking behaviour, though. A woman of my age gallivanting off and having an affair with your uncle. Not the done thing, eh, Eddie?”
“Well, it seems to have caused a lot of complications.”
“Exactly, and that’s why I’ve come back, and you’re here, and me baby is sleeping upstairs with your two.”
“Mmm,” said Eddie.
“So who wants to start first? Shall I?” The couple nodded. “Well, I want to know what happened from the very beginning. I trusted yer both to get on with things while I got on with what I had to do in Ireland. Everything was legal; you had all the authorisation, Eddie. You, Hannah, only had to continue taking care of Selwyn Lodge. Then I get a letter. Michael’s come back from the Army. So, had I left him in charge, made him my manager? No, it was you, Eddie and now you’ve let me down.”
“But what could we have done, Mother?” Hannah cried, seeing the hurt in Maggie’s eyes. “I’m not your legal daughter, am I? I had Grandmama on my back pointing her fingers, Michael threatening to see a solicitor and Mr. Arlington poking his nose in. We were worried at what they could do to us, because Eddie had borrowed a substantial loan. We were treading on egg shells. Like I said, we didn’t know what they were up to, so we panicked and here we are telling you the tale.”
“Nothing changes, Hannah,” Maggie said sadly. “Alice has had it in fer me since your father went off to work fer Lord Belsham. She hated the fact that I stood on me own two feet and made a success of my business. This would be her chance to create my downfall. By putting Michael into Sheldon, she knows the place will fail.”
“So what can we do then?” Eddie said “I don’t want to go back there, Maggie. I’ve a chance here of building up a good business for meself. There’s a quarry included with the property and I can sell the stone on to local tradesmen and there’s a place at the back, which I can turn into a builders’ yard. Hannah loves it here, don’t yer darlin’? And there’s space when they’re older, fer the kids to run and play.”
“I suppose I’ll have to sort it out meself then, though I’m loathe to go just yet, as you can see. I’m tired and Rosemary takes a lot of energy. It could wait another week, don’t yer think?”
“Oh, yes,” Hannah said eagerly, relieved that Eddie and she had got off so lightly. “You’re very welcome to stay, that’s if you don’t mind the austerity. But, Mother, you’ve made no mention of this loan from Sheldon. Richard Clegg is not to blame; he did ask for collateral.”
“You’re frightening me now, Hannah. How much was the loan for? Eddie did have authorisation, after all.”
“Five hundred and thirty pounds,” Eddie mumbled, waiting for his mother in law to erupt in flames.
“Oh, is that all? I thought you’d gone and bankrupted me. Though I suppose a letter to let me know would have saved you both from going to Hell and back, as it were.”
The next morning was as bright and spring like as the day before and Maggie, having lain in bed most of the night worrying about the future, suggested that Hannah take her for a guided tour of the surrounding area.
“It will take me mind off me troubles, Hannah and I’m sure the walk will do us all good.”
They stood at the side of the narrow country lane, deciding on their direction. Redstone House was near a crossroads, so they had four different ways in which they could go.
“If we go down that way, it le
ads to Frankby,” Hannah said. “There’s a village, a church and an old manor house. If we go to the left, it eventually leads to Caldy shore; to the right lies the village of Greasby – that’s at the bottom of Arrowe Brook lane. Then up there is Irby, with a village, a tavern and another manorial hall.”
“What do you feel up to then? We’ve got the babies to consider and little Johnny too. Which do yer think is the shortest way for us?”
“I think we’ll go up this way. There’s a duck pond by the windmill that Johnny will be interested in, then we’ll cut through the lane to a tea shack and we can have a little rest. Are you sure you don’t want Rosemary opposite Georgie in the perambulator? Johnny can walk very well now, you know.”
“No, I like her here next to me, Hannah, tucked up in my nice warm shawl. Yer know in Ireland they don’t have these fancy prams that we have. All the mothers that I saw carried their babies under their shawls.”
The two women walked companionably along, taking in the fresh air and cooing to Georgie and Rosemary. Johnny gabbled unintelligibly, pointing out ‘birdies’ as they flew in and out of the hedgerows intent on making their nests, mooing as he heard the cows lowing in the pastures nearby and clapping his hands excitedly when he saw the plump white ducklings as they swam around the pond.
“He loves coming along here, Mother. Watch. Now here’s the windmill, Johnny. What do the sails on the windmill do? Whooooooooosh!”
Both of them laughed as the little boy made circling movements with his arms. It was a time of contentment for Maggie and she felt all her tension begin to drain away.
Later, when they sat having their drinks in the friendly woman’s garden, Maggie asked the questions that had begun to niggle her.
“Yer know, Hannah, I find it puzzling that you and Eddie gave in to Michael so easily. Is there something yer hiding; something yer not telling me? It’s hard to understand, especially when I know that as a child you would never give in to your brother. He was always coming ‘telling’ when he couldn’t get his way.”
“Jeremy Adshead, Mother!” Hannah replied, blushing as she said the name, but knowing that Maggie would understand.
“Well, the little so and so. How did he find out about it? What did he say? Oh no, he never tried to blackmail you?”
“I faced him out and told him I’d sue for defamation; that Johnny is my husband’s child. But I couldn’t let even a whisper get to Eddie’s ears.”
“Of course not,” Maggie soothed. “Well, now he’s made me mind up. I’ll sell the company from under him; then he’ll get what he deserves.”
“No, Mother! You can’t do that. You’ve been building Sheldon up for over twenty years. He’s right, it’s his inheritance, not mine nor Eddie’s or the children’s. What you have is his.”
“Yes, but not until I’m dead, Hannah, and I’m not willing to hand over the reins to him just yet. Then there’s Rosemary. How am I going to explain her existence? You see, I had my life planned out until I got your letter. I’d bought a small cottage in Killala and I was going to live there with Rosemary.”
“Then Eddie and I threw the towel in and we’ve left you high and dry.”
“Something like that. I thought that Michael was safely with his regiment, that I wouldn’t have to face the problem fer many years to come.”
“Another cup, ladies?” The woman who ran the tea shack came to their table with a teapot in her hand. “ And we’ve some freshly made biscuits, if the little boy would like one to eat with his lemon drink.”
“Thank you, but we’re just going,” Maggie replied. “Can I pay yer what we owe? A nice cup of tea by the way, Missis, and we’ll buy a few of your biscuits for little Johnny to be munching on.”
“I was just saying to my daughter,” the woman said to Hannah. “You’re the lady who bought the Kennets house down at the crossroads, aren’t you? Are these all your little babies too?”
Maggie looked at Hannah helplessly. She was going to have to get used to this. People asking, people being curious, even if it was kindly meant.
So she was shocked when Hannah took the problem from her and smilingly gestured at the little ones.
“This one is Johnny, he’s my eldest and a little monster. Then the baby in the pram’ is Georgie and over here is Georgie’s twin. Her name is Rosemary.”
“Oh, they’re all little darlings, aren’t they? And Rosemary, what a pretty name. Well, I’d better let yer get on then. You must be so proud to be their granny.”
The woman smiled at them happily, then went back to the tea shack to get the biscuits that Maggie had said she would take with her.
“What was that all about, Hannah?” said Maggie tersely, as they walked up the hill to the village. “Did yer have to show me up like that? I could have explained meself, yer know.”
“Well yes, you could have, Mother, but what would you have said? I’m a mum again at forty two?”
“Women do have babies at my age, Hannah and I’ll have yer know I’m not forty two until August.”
“Yes and what if it was mentioned to someone who knows you? Hannah Dockerty’s mother has a baby too, you know!”
“You’ve an answer fer everything, you have. Pity yer couldn’t have thought of something better than leaving me to face all these problems you’ve created; then I could be hiding meself in Killala and not being such an embarrassment.”
“Natter natter. Natter natter,” Hannah covered her ears with her hands, pretending she couldn’t hear what Maggie said.
“Oh, you,” Maggie said laughing. “You never change, do yer? I remember that’s what yer used to do when you were just a child yerself.”
“Now here we are in Irby, Mother. To your right, you’ll see the Anchor Inn. Eddie’s been in there and he said they do a good drop of porter. To my left is Manor Farm, which has been on that site for nearly a hundred years. Over in the trees is the manor house. A black and white half-timbered dwelling that is now in use as a farmhouse. In the village is a blacksmith, a wheelwright, a shoemakers and a general store. How’s that, Mother? A potted version of what there is to see in Irby. In modulated tones, copied from Miss Buckley, my old teacher, when she showed us round the Chester walls!”
Maggie started to laugh again. Her spirits were beginning to lighten by the minute.
“I knew that expensive education would stand yer in good stead one day, Hannah.”
“So what do you think?”
“Think about what?”
“You know, me looking after Rosemary while you go and sort out this empire of yours?”
“Oh, I don’t know, Hannah, she’s my responsibility. Let me give it a few more days, then I’ll let yer know how I feel.”
It was drizzling with rain on the day that Maggie returned to Selwyn Lodge, having borrowed the carriage and horses from Eddie. With his mother in law’s encouragement, he was seeing a local inhabitant, who had applied for the position of quarry foreman. Her clothes were dripping as she stabled the horses, rubbed them down, gave them a bucket of feed, then let herself in by way of the conservatory.
The house was silent, other than a wooden clock ticking away on the mantelpiece. The kitchen range stared at her blankly as she took off her travelling coat and hung it over the wooden clothes maid that someone had left unfolded there. It was chilly and the place smelt damp. There was a kind of dreary sadness in the room, as if it knew it had been abandoned. Joan had gone, Olive had gone. Never to come back and work in her kitchen again.
Maggie shivered and started to make up the fire with what was left of the kindling. She checked there was coal in the scuttle; at least she was able to make herself a cup of tea. She wandered while the fire took hold in the range, checking windows and doors, taking stock of the furniture, opening curtains that someone had left closed. She nibbled on a piece of cheese that Hannah had wrapped in a cloth for her, along with a twist of tea and a half loaf of bread, waiting with impatience for the kettle to sing.
Her eyes met the hands
of the clock; it was twenty five past two. She thought about her little girl and wondered what she had done. Was the child already missing her, knowing that the breasts that suckled her weren’t the one’s she’d got used to? Was she being lovingly cuddled or was Hannah too busy with Georgie, her little son?
Maggie cradled her head in her hands, trying not to let the tears start flowing. This was something she had to do; a sacrifice she felt was necessary. So sitting there moping wasn’t helping anyone. She made her drink, ate her food, then got changed into her finery.
“Good afternoon, can I help you?” Another new girl on the office desk, thought Maggie, as she entered the Sheldon rooms.
“I’m Maggie Haines, the owner of this place. Kindly tell the manager I would like a word.”
“Oh,” said the young woman in a startled tone.
“Do you want to see Mr. Clegg or Mr. Arlington, Mrs. Haines?”
“I think both of them will do, don’t you?”
“Would you like to go on up then, Mrs. Haines? Both are in the Loan Department, going through some papers there.”
“I’d like that, thank you.” Maggie walked quietly up the carpeted stairs.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Arlington, Richard,” Maggie said, as she opened the door of the office. Why should she knock anyway? The place belonged to her.
She could see the men had got a shock when they both spun around upon hearing her voice. They seemed to be having a serious conversation, standing by the filing cabinets at the far end of the room.
Dreams Can Come True Page 33