by Joan Jonker
Edwina didn’t even bother to take her coat off before following him up the stairs. Every room was beautifully furnished and gleaming. In the bathroom there were fresh towels on the rails, toilet rolls on the stand, and soaps in the dishes. He felt proud of what had been achieved in such a short time, but there was no praise from his wife. She huffed and grunted until he could feel his temper rising. If he didn’t get away soon, he’d strangle her. When they reached the kitchen, he opened the door to the larder, then opened the cupboard doors in the big dresser to show her there was everything they would need in the food line. He even lit the gas rings so she could see how they worked. All this was done without his wife uttering one syllable. But he was determined there would be no harsh words spoken before he left. After all, how long would it be before he saw her again? Hopefully not before they were no longer man and wife. ‘There is a telephone in the hall in case of emergency.’
Donning his hat, and pulling on his gloves, he turned and walked away from her towards the front door. ‘Goodbye, Edwina.’ He wasn’t surprised when she didn’t answer, he hadn’t really expected her to.
Outside, he stood on the pavement and breathed in the cold, fresh winter air. Thank God that chapter in his life was over. Tomorrow was the start of a new chapter.
Agnes watched the taxi drive away before turning to walk back up the path. She was brushing her palms together as though ridding them of something unpleasant. When she saw Kitty and Jessie standing in the hall with grins on their faces, she herself had to smile. ‘I don’t want to speak too soon, but I hope that’s the last we see of Miss Edwina.’
Kitty was almost dancing for joy, thinking of the many times she’d been treated like a slave by that woman and her daughter. ‘Good riddance to bad rubbish, that’s what I say. I’ll not be shedding any tears for her. All that extra work we had to do, packing that stuff away while she looked on to make sure we didn’t break any of her precious ornaments. And the look on her miserable gob was enough to turn the milk sour. We stayed behind every night, but did we get a smile or a thank you? Did we buggery! She thinks it’s beneath her to talk to the likes of us common folk. Stuck-up bitch.’
‘Well, she’s gone now, sunshine, so we’ll have a break to make up for the extra work we’ve had to do. All that bedding to be washed, dried, ironed and aired, it nearly broke me bleedin’ back. I’ll put the kettle on while you collect yer cleaning things, and you, Jessie, give Pete a shout, please. I made a batch of scones, so tell him there’s a treat in store for him.’
Agnes and the cleaners were sitting around the table when Pete came in in his stockinged feet. ‘Me feet don’t smell, so don’t be making any cracks,’ he warned them. ‘The soil’s wet and me shoes were caked, so I left them outside. No point in cleaning them when I’ll be going out again in fifteen minutes.’
The housekeeper sat back in her chair and folded her arms under her generous bosom. ‘Me and the rest of the staff have decided we deserve a reward for the way we’ve worked all week, so sit back and don’t bother keeping yer eyes on the clock.’ The scones had been warmed and the butter was melting on top. ‘There’s three each, so get stuck in while they’re still warm.’
Pete’s mouth was watering as he reached towards the plate. ‘Two treats in one day, it can’t be bad. Getting rid of the Missus and a plate of Aggie’s scones.’ He took a bite and a look of bliss came over his face. ‘If this is heaven, I’ll book me seat now.’
‘Go ’way, yer silly sod,’ Kitty said. ‘Won’t do yer no good going to heaven if Aggie isn’t allowed in. And to be frank, I can’t see her making it.’
Pete ran the back of his hand across his chin. ‘No, with my luck, I’d get a seat next to Miss Edwina, or Victoria.’
‘Yer’ve no fear on that score, Pete, ’cos neither of them stand a snowball’s chance in hell of making it up that stairway to heaven.’ The housekeeper nodded her head, not only to stress what she thought, but what she hoped. ‘No, they’re destined for down below. And for the first time in their lives they’ll have to work. The devil won’t let them sit manicuring their nails all day, he’ll have them throwing coal on the fire.’
‘Well, I hope he doesn’t give them a ruddy shovel!’ The little cleaner had only bad wishes for the two departed members of the family, and who could blame her after the way she was treated. ‘Let them use their fingers to throw the coal on, that’ll teach them.’
‘We’re a bloodthirsty lot,’ Agnes chuckled. ‘Anyone listening would think we didn’t like our dear departed friends.’
‘I won’t miss them.’ Jessie’s pretty face was serious. ‘I didn’t like them one little bit, and I don’t like that man Miss Victoria’s married.’
‘What I can’t understand is, why they’re so bleedin’ high and mighty.’ This came from Kitty, who had just finished her third scone and was swinging her legs under the chair. ‘They think they’re better than any of us, but they’re not. In fact, they’re not as good as us, ’cos no matter what anyone says, I’ll bet a pound to a pinch of snuff that Miss Victoria didn’t elope because she thought it was romantic. Nah, she was the type to want a posh society wedding with all the big nobs there. I’ll have a bet with anyone that she’s definitely up the spout.’
Agnes dropped her head for a second to compose her face. When she looked at Kitty, she put on an air of being disgusted. ‘What a terrible thing to say! Honestly Kitty Higgins, ye’re as common as muck. Just for once, couldn’t yer have been a little more genteel and say she had a bun in the oven?’
The gardener, the cleaner and the housekeeper doubled over with laughter. But Jessie sat straight-faced for a while. Then in a quiet voice, she said, ‘When anyone in our street is having a baby, my mam says she’s joined the club.’
The laughter increased in volume and young Jessie couldn’t understand why. I mean, she was only telling the truth. That was what her mam said.
It was laughter that greeted Robert when he came through the back door half an hour later, and it rang in his ears like sweet music. After the week he’d had, it was a welcome sound. And it was a sound he hoped would be heard often in his house.
Agnes was wiping the tears from her eyes when she saw him. ‘Home at last, eh, Mr Robert? We haven’t seen much of yer this week. I’ve got the dinner on the go, but would yer like a sandwich to tide yer over?’
‘A cup of tea would be fine, Agnes, and perhaps a slice of cake if that’s possible? I’ll wait for my dinner until the children come home. We will be eating in the dining room tonight, and every night in future.’
The housekeeper put her palms on the table and pushed herself up. Her hips waddling, she bustled to the stove. ‘Shall I bring a tray through to the drawing room for yer?’
‘No, I’ll have it here, if I’m not interrupting.’
‘Of course ye’re not interrupting. It’s your kitchen, isn’t it? We’re having a longer break than usual because we’ve had a lot of extra work to do getting everything packed and the bedding all laundered. And Pete had to help the blokes dismantle those beds – two men couldn’t manage it on their own they were that heavy. Still, it’s over now and we can get back to normal.’
‘I’ve forgotten what normal is, Agnes. My head’s been spinning for days and my brain isn’t capable of thinking clearly.’
Kitty wouldn’t have dared be so forward if she didn’t think her boss looked really worn out. ‘Mr Robert, the children won’t be home for about two hours. Why don’t yer finish yer tea and put yer feet up for a nap on that couch thing in the drawing room.’
Robert closed his eyes; surely he wasn’t going to smile, was he? But he couldn’t help himself. That ‘couch thing’ the cleaner mentioned was an antique chaise longue for which he had paid a fortune. But what did that matter? Kitty, with her thin pixie-like face, had her priorities right. ‘That’s a very good idea, and it’s precisely what I will do. An hour’s rest will do me the world of good.’ He pushed his chair back and got to his feet. ‘I’ll take the tea th
rough with me, Agnes, and I’d be grateful if you’d give me a knock about half an hour before Nigel and Abbie are due in.’
The housekeeper waited until he was out of earshot before shaking her head and saying, ‘If ever anyone deserves a better life, it’s that man. Ever since I’ve worked here, he’s put up with more than any man should have to. Let’s hope that Lady Luck is going to come knocking on his door soon with an armful of happiness. I’m going to do my bit to make sure he knows how much I respect, admire and appreciate him. And I know the children will.’
‘I’ll do more than a bit,’ Kitty said. ‘Me and Alf would have been on Queer Street many a time but for him.’ And her words brought nods from Pete and Jessie.
Agnes had set three places at one end of the long dining table, and Robert, after an hour’s sleep, was more relaxed and tucking into his dinner. ‘This is nice and cosy, isn’t it?’
‘You’ve been working too hard, Dad,’ Nigel said. ‘You should have let me take a few days off to help you.’
‘It has been pretty grim,’ his father admitted, ‘but it’s over now. I could have spread it out over a few more days, but I didn’t want to do that. It would have meant journeys back and forth from here to Rodney Street, with your mother and Victoria coming and going as they pleased. I wanted a break, and although it has tired me out, it’s over and I can start to get my life together again.’
Abbie was quiet as she pushed a potato around her plate. Then she asked, ‘Will we be visiting Mother and Victoria?’
‘That is entirely up to you, my dear. I shan’t be visiting, unless there is an absolute need. But they are your mother and sister, so only you can decide what to do.’
Abbie turned to her brother. ‘Will you be going, Nigel?’
‘I’ll give it some thought.’ Nigel didn’t think he’d ever forgive them for the way they’d treated his father. But if a child was on the way, that would make a difference because he would be the child’s uncle. ‘Perhaps in a few weeks.’
Robert decided a change of subject was in order. ‘I’m behind with all your news, so fill me in. Where are you off to tonight?’
‘I’m staying in to do some homework, Dad,’ Abbie told him. ‘I’m doing quite well, or so the teacher tells me.’
‘I’m going down to Bobby’s,’ Nigel said. ‘He sent in a written application for the job of second man, Dad. I haven’t mentioned it to you because you had enough on your plate, but he’s had a reply to go for an interview next Tuesday.’
‘Oh, I didn’t know,’ Robert lied. He’d told Jeff to watch out for the application and had been kept informed. ‘Is he nervous or excited about the prospect?’
‘Both. I’ve told him not to worry, because what will be, will be. He’s got nothing to lose as he’ll still have his job at Owen Peck’s to fall back on.’
‘Well, I hope he gets the job,’ Abbie told them. She felt she had a bigger stake in this than either of them. Bobby still treated her as he always had, but when he thought she wasn’t looking she’d glimpsed a certain look in his eyes and she’d swear he felt the same about her as she did about him. Why he was holding back, she just didn’t know. ‘He’ll be as good as any of the others applying.’
‘He knows I won’t be interviewing him, doesn’t he?’
Nigel nodded. ‘Yes, I told him.’
‘I could help by telling him the questions he’ll be asked,’ Robert said. ‘That might stand him in good stead. And as Mr Seddon will be the one interviewing him, it won’t really sound like favouritism if I just put him wise on what he’ll be asked.’ Robert folded his napkin and pushed his plate away. ‘Would you mind very much if I lit a cigar?’
‘Dad, you can do as you like now, there’s no one to wrinkle their nose or ask you to leave the room. Besides, I love the smell of cigars.’
‘Me too.’ Abbie ran to the table in the bay window, picked up the heavy ashtray and placed it in front of her father. ‘If Nigel is taking Bobby for a run tonight, why can’t he bring him here? Unless you’re going out, Dad?’
‘No, I’m not going out, my dear, I haven’t got the energy. Bring Bobby by all means, Nigel, but this house is going to come as a shock to him. And if the situation is not handled with care, you could lose him as a friend. So when you get here, come in through the kitchen and I’ll make sure Agnes is put in the picture. We’ve got a gem in Agnes, she’ll make anyone feel at home. And if Abbie just happens to be sitting in the kitchen too, it will look nice and homely. It’s just a pity Kitty won’t be here, she’s very funny and would get on well with Bobby.’
‘Kitty was still here when I came in to dinner,’ Nigel said. ‘I was talking to her.’
Robert’s exit was hasty. He’d disappeared before Nigel or Abbie realised what he was going to do. In the kitchen he found Kitty sitting opposite Agnes and they were chatting away happily. ‘Kitty, I thought you would be gone by now.’
‘I should be, by rights. But me and me mate decided, as we’ve worked like ruddy dockers this week, that we’d sit and wind down for an hour.’
Robert pulled out a chair. ‘I want to ask a favour of both of you, if you don’t mind.’
‘Are you sure this is all right?’ Bobby asked, gazing at the big house he’d been told to stop the car outside. ‘I don’t think we should be doing this, it’s not fair on yer dad.’
Nigel had talked all the way through the journey, telling Bobby about his mother and sister. ‘My dad’s worked his socks off this week, but when I told him I was bringing you here, he was pleased. But he’ll want an early night, so we won’t stay long.’ He waved a hand at the house. ‘I told you we lived in a big house, and there it is. Now come on, before it gets too late.’
It was a warm, comfortable scene that met young Bobby’s eyes when they entered the kitchen. Mind you, his mam’s whole house would fit in this one room, but he liked it, it was friendly. And so were the faces that greeted him.
‘So at last I get to meet Bobby,’ Agnes said, her homely face one big smile. ‘The young man what is supposed to be funnier than me.’
‘Well, your face is funnier than his, Aggie,’ Kitty grinned. ‘So that should even the score.’
Bobby was chuckling, and his handsome face beaming. ‘Don’t tell me, it’s Agnes and Kitty. I’ve heard all about you from me mate, Nige.’
‘And what about me, Bobby Neary?’ Abbie tried to look put out, but she was thrilled to see him in her home. ‘Have you heard all about me?’
‘Oh, ye’re there, are yer? I might have known it wouldn’t be a show without Punch.’
‘Sit yerself down, lad, and I’ll put the kettle on.’ Agnes pointed to the chair next to Abbie. ‘And don’t let Kitty lead yer astray.’
‘I bet yer haven’t heard that about me, Bobby?’ Kitty eyed him with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘I’m a real man-eater. That’s why I’m so bleedin’ thin, chasing after the fellers.’
‘Have yer caught many?’ Bobby asked, his nose twitching as he sniffed up the smell of freshly baked scones. He wasn’t to know it, but tired as she was, Agnes had baked another batch specially in his honour.
‘Ah, well, yer see, lad, that’s the story of me life. I only ever caught one, and that’s ’cos he wanted to be caught. There’s times I think he regrets running so slow, that’s why I tie him to a chair with ropes before I come out. I can’t have him escaping on me, now can I? He says I’ve seen too many cowboy pictures, the ungrateful sod.’
‘Watch yer language, sunshine,’ Agnes said. ‘Yer don’t want him to know ye’re as common as muck.’
‘I’m sorry, queen, but I didn’t know no swear words until I came to work here. It’s you what taught me.’ She turned to Bobby. ‘Yer’ll have to excuse me, lad, but I pick things up very quick and Aggie does swear a lot. Sometimes she has me blushing right down to me toe-nails.’
‘May God forgive you, Kitty Higgins, yer haven’t got a blush in yer.’ The housekeeper set a plate of scones on the table and a dish of butter. ‘Help yerself, lad.
Miss Abbie, will yer give me a hand with the cups and saucers, please?’
Bobby’s eyebrows nearly touched his hairline. Miss Abbie? Just in time he stopped himself from cracking a joke about it. And when Mr Nigel was asked to pour the tea out, he realised they weren’t joking and was glad he hadn’t made a fool of himself. But when Agnes said, ‘Have another scone, Mr Bobby,’ a crumb went down the wrong way and he took a fit of coughing.
Half an hour of enjoyable fun later, Bobby felt he’d known these women all his life. He didn’t feel out of place with them, they were just like his mam. He kept stealing glances at Abbie, and this didn’t go unnoticed by Agnes. He’s sweet on her, she thought, and doesn’t know what to do about it. Well, she’d try and give him a little push. ‘I believe ye’re a good dancer, Mr Bobby? So Miss Abbie says, anyhow.’
‘Have yer ever seen Fred Astaire, Agnes?’
‘Yeah, I saw him on the pictures a couple of weeks ago. Ay, he certainly knows what to do with his feet, doesn’t he? Talk about fast, he was like greased lightning.’
‘I’m better than him.’
Nigel chuckled. ‘A slight exaggeration, I think, Bobby.’
Abbie wasn’t so kind. ‘You’re not half big-headed, you are. And a big liar into the bargain.’
‘Why not let me and Kitty be the judge of that?’ the housekeeper said. ‘Go on, Mr Bobby, ask Miss Abbie to dance and put yer feet where yer mouth is.’
He grinned. ‘I can’t dance without music.’
‘We can supply the music.’ Agnes didn’t seem to feel as tired as she had an hour ago. It must be the young company that livened her up. ‘Kitty’s got the voice of an angel. What will yer sing for them, sunshine?’