Daughters of Courage

by Margaret Dickinson

  ‘Waterfall’s are going into receivership,’ Ruth told Emily one Monday morning in early April.

  ‘What’ll happen to Mr Crossland?’ Emily asked Ruth.

  ‘He’s worried, I know that. He doesn’t think he’ll find other employment at his age.’

  Emily frowned thoughtfully. ‘I’ll talk to Trip. We’ll see what we can do.’

  ‘We wouldn’t expect you to make a job for him, Emily. Times are tough for you, too.’

  Emily patted Ruth’s shoulder. ‘Leave it with me, but don’t say a word to Eddie yet. I don’t want to get his hopes up.’

  ‘Funnily enough,’ Trip said, when Emily told him of the recent developments that evening over dinner. Lewis was in bed and sound asleep and the two of them had time to talk. ‘I’ve had two young chaps give their notice in today. Two brothers. They’ve decided to emigrate – Australia, I think. Or Canada. I’m not sure which, but wherever it is, they think their prospects will be better there. They’ve no ties here. They’re not married and their parents both died in the influenza epidemic in 1919. So, they can take the chance. But what I mean is, it leaves me suddenly short. Whereas I might have been relieved to see one less, two leaves me in a bit of a pickle, so yes, perhaps Eddie could help us out. But it would mean working at a grinding machine. Do you know what his skills were before he became a foreman? And besides, perhaps he wouldn’t take kindly to such a demotion.’

  Emily shook her head. ‘I’ll ask Ruth tomorrow.’

  ‘This must be my lucky day,’ Eddie said, as he shook Trip’s hand warmly two days after Emily’s conversation with her husband. ‘I was a grinder for ten years, Mr Trippet, before Henry Waterfall made me foreman. I don’t reckon it’d take me long to hone my skills.’

  ‘But it’d be a step down for you, Eddie – and please call me Trip.’

  ‘I’m not a proud man, Trip. None of us can afford to be these days. I’m just grateful you’re offering me work. That’s if you are.’

  ‘Of course I am, but have you got to work any notice?’

  ‘Not really. The old man says he’s got to close the doors in a month, but he’s told all of us that if we can find work, we can leave whenever we want. D’you know, Trip, he’s not been an easy man to work for, but I really feel sorry for him now. The factory has been his life. He worked his way up from the bottom, took it over, and now he’s going to have to close it down. Sad, isn’t it?’

  ‘It is,’ Trip said soberly, silently praying that the same would not happen to his family’s business.

  And so, once again, it was the Trippet family to the rescue. Trip had inherited his mother’s generous nature and Emily’s shrewd business brain was coupled with an innate kindness. Together, the two worked hard, yet they were ever watchful to see that family, friends and all those around them were cared for. And they were rewarded by loyalty and hard work from their employees. Despite the hard times, because they were all in it together, there grew up a kind of camaraderie. They all watched out for each other. Bess continued to care for Lewis and plans had been made so that when he started school the following year, Emily would take him in the morning and Bess would fetch him home each afternoon. And even Lizzie regained some of her old bubbly, outgoing nature. The memory of her nefarious brother and all the trouble he had caused was dimming for all of them with the passage of time.

  ‘It’s high time Lewis had a baby brother or sister,’ she teased and Emily retorted by saying, ‘And it’s high time you put poor Billy out of his misery and named the day.’

  Since Billy had begun working at Ryan’s, it was not only obvious that he adored Lizzie, but also that she too was growing fonder of him. Now, she actually blushed. He was constantly finding some excuse to trot between the two workshops to see Lizzie. ‘We have talked about getting married, but it doesn’t seem right to have a big fancy wedding when there’re folks on the breadline.’ She sighed. ‘But I do so want to get married in white, Emily.’

  ‘Of course you do. Every girl wants a special day – a day to remember for the rest of her life.’ Emily narrowed her eyes thoughtfully, but for the moment, she said no more.

  The following Saturday afternoon, Trip drove them to Ashford-in-the-Water. It was Easter weekend and they were all to stay at the Riversdale Hotel. There would be plenty of willing hands to care for Lewis, and Trip and Emily could take some long walks around their old haunts.

  ‘We don’t see half enough of our little grandson,’ Martha said. ‘You leave him with us for the afternoon on Sunday. Walter will love it and Harry’s so good with little ones.’ She laughed. ‘He’s had plenty of practice.’

  Since Josh had given up the candle-making business for good, the front room at The Candle House, which no doubt would always bear that name, had been turned into a front parlour for Martha. On that Sunday afternoon, the floor was strewn with toys and the youngsters played noisy games of Snakes and Ladders, Ludo and even draughts. Harry, a sturdy boy of nine with fair curly hair and hazel eyes, was in charge. He marshalled his younger sister and brother with a firm but gentle hand, whilst Lewis leaned against Walter’s knee watching the other children longingly as if he wanted to join in.

  ‘D’you know how to play these games, little feller?’ Walter asked him and when Lewis shook his head, his grandfather suggested, ‘Why don’t you and me do this wooden jigsaw, eh? It’s one your mummy had when she was a little girl.’

  ‘But I want to play with them. I’ll be a good boy. I’ll do what Harry tells me.’

  ‘He’ll be all right, Grandpa,’ Harry said. ‘We’ll play Snakes and Ladders now. That’s a bit easier. Move over, Sarah, and let Lewis sit between you and me and we’ll teach him how to play.’

  Sarah, at nearly six, was a slim, shy child, with fair hair and delicate features like her mother, Amy.

  Seeing them happily settled, Emily and Trip turned to go. ‘It’s a shame Josh and Amy can’t join us. We’re going to walk up to Monsal Head.’

  ‘Josh has a busy weekend,’ Martha said, not even trying to hide the pride in her tone. ‘With you all there too, I think the hotel is full. I’m on duty tonight to cook the evening meal and Amy will be waiting on the diners. Bob and your dad look after the children. It’s all worked out very nicely . . .’ She glanced at Trip and had the grace to add, ‘Thanks to your mother.’

  As they left the cottage and walked hand in hand up the hill towards Monsal Head, Emily said, ‘Trip, I’ve been thinking . . .’

  Trip pretended to groan. ‘Oh dear, that sounds ominous. When you’ve been “thinking”, it usually means you have plans to expand – again!’ He was teasing her, yet there was no hiding the pride in his tone. ‘Go on,’ he added with an exaggerated sigh. ‘Tell me.’

  Emily laughed, lifting her face to the sun, exhilarated by the wind in her hair and a precious few hours alone with Trip. ‘No, nothing like that. Not this time,’ she joked in return, ‘though I’m making no promises on that front.’

  Trip chuckled but said no more as he waited for her to explain.

  ‘It’s about Lizzie and Billy . . .’ she began and went on to recount her conversation with her friend ending, ‘I was wondering – if you’ve no objection – if I could ask your mother if she would hold a reception at Riversdale? They could be married in Ashford’s church.’

  ‘I think it’s a splendid idea, but what about all her family and friends from Sheffield? Would they want to come all the way out here to attend the wedding?’

  ‘I don’t think either of them have much family and, as for their friends, we could hire a charabanc to bring them all here.’

  ‘You have been thinking it all out, haven’t you?’

  ‘Mm.’

  ‘I’m sure Mother would agree. In fact, I think she’d think it would be a wonderful way to advertise the hotel as a wedding venue.’

  ‘Oh, it would, it would. I hadn’t thought of that. How clever you are, Trip.’

  They continued discussing the idea as they climbed steadily but when the
y reached the top and stood on the edge of Monsal Head looking out over the breathtaking view, they fell silent, drinking in the panorama before them. Far below them the River Wye curved through the dale, with one or two houses scattered along its banks. Then it disappeared between the hills. To their left was the viaduct that carried the railway that ran from Rowsley through to Buxton.

  ‘You know,’ Trip said at last, ‘I never realize until I’m actually standing here again, just how much I miss this place.’

  ‘I know,’ Emily said, her voice a little shaky. ‘I love the city life – I really do – probably more than you do, but this is still the place I consider my home – my roots.’

  Trip put his arm around her shoulder. ‘Do you think Mrs Dugdale could manage to look after another little one?’

  Emily twisted her head to look up at him. ‘Another? Why, do you know someone who is looking for a childminder?’

  Trip turned and smiled down at her, a roguish twinkle in his eyes. ‘Sort of. Darling, I think we should have another baby. But only if you’re agreeable, of course, Mrs Trippet.’

  Emily gasped, startled for a moment, then she wound her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. ‘I’d love to have another baby, Trip,’ she said softly, ‘and this time, it’ll be a girl for you.’

  Thirty

  Constance was enchanted by the idea of holding a wedding reception at the hotel for Lizzie and Billy and even agreed with her son’s proposal.

  ‘In which case,’ she said firmly, ‘I suggest we offer Billy and Lizzie a very special price, explaining, of course, that we’re doing it because we want to use the occasion to promote the hotel as a wedding reception venue.’ She gave a huge wink as she added, ‘That way they won’t feel embarrassed.’

  Later that afternoon, the five of them – Constance, George, Josh, Emily and Trip – were in the small room in the hotel set aside as the office.

  ‘I’ll hire a professional photographer,’ Constance went on. ‘There’ll be photographs for them, of course, of their big day, but I’ll see that he takes some that we can use for promotion. Now, you must tell them they’ll need a special licence, unless one of them can come and live here for the required number of weeks before the wedding. I’m not sure how long it is. I’ll check with the vicar, if you like, to see what they need to do.’

  ‘Whoa, whoa, steady on, Mother,’ Trip laughed. ‘We haven’t even asked them yet. They might not want to get married away from the city.’

  ‘Ah – I hadn’t thought of that. Sorry, I was getting a bit carried away.’

  Emily turned to her brother. ‘Are you all right with this, Josh?’

  ‘I am if Lizzie is,’ he said. ‘I’m delighted she’s realized just how much Billy loves her. I hope she truly loves him, though.’

  There was a moment’s silence before Constance said, ‘You think they might refuse because it’s Josh who’s the manager here? That he’ll be the one organizing their reception?’

  ‘I could keep out of the way, if necessary,’ Josh offered. ‘Once everything’s in place, I needn’t even be here on the day itself, if my presence is likely to cause any awkwardness.’

  ‘And there’s Amy too. She’s so good at waitressing; she’d be a natural choice to have on duty on such an occasion.’

  ‘I’ll talk to Lizzie – explain everything to her and see what she says,’ Emily promised.

  Lizzie was overwhelmed by the offer. ‘How kind of Mrs Bayes. Oh Emily, I never thought –’ she shook her head in wonderment – ‘that you and your family would be so good to me, not after everything that’s happened. You’ve already saved Mam and me from starvation and now this.’

  Emily laughed as she hugged her. ‘I think you’re exaggerating a bit.’

  ‘No, I’m not.’ Lizzie was serious. ‘You could have made life very difficult for both of us after what Mick did. You’re a very generous-hearted woman, Emily. How can I ever thank you?’

  ‘By being happy, Lizzie dear, that’s how. And whilst we’re talking about the past, I’ll never forget the way you helped my family when we arrived in the city. But for you – and your mother – I don’t know how we’d have managed. Even Mick – in the early days – was generous.’

  ‘But none of us realized his generosity came from his criminal activities. Even Mam and me didn’t guess. How blind we were!’

  Emily had always secretly wondered whether Bess Dugdale and Lizzie had truly not known that Mick had been a leader of one of Sheffield’s notorious gangs or whether they had chosen to ignore it whilst the goodies kept coming their way. And a few generous gifts had come the way of the Ryan family too at that time, she had to admit, but back then, Emily had been a naïve country mouse lost in the big city. But she wasn’t any more. Now she understood urban life, but still loved it anyway. And Bess and her daughter had been punished enough for something that had never really been their fault. Lizzie’s only mistake had been to imagine herself in love with Josh and let her resentment fester when Josh had gone back to Amy. It was then, seeing his sister’s unhappiness, that Mick had decided to try to wreak revenge. But Mick was gone now, fleeing from a vengeful Steve Henderson. She hoped he would never come back, though she felt for her friends. Mick was still Bess’s son and Lizzie’s brother. A mother herself now as well as a sister, Emily could understand their heartache.

  ‘Just one more thing – are you going to be all right around Josh and Amy? Josh runs Mrs Bayes’s hotel now.’

  Lizzie bit her lip. ‘If I’m honest, I don’t know how I’m going to feel when I see him again, but I promise you I won’t make trouble. It’s obvious that it was always Amy he loved. He’s happy with her and their children. I swear I won’t do anything to spoil that. And besides –’ she forced a smile onto her mouth – ‘Billy loves me devotedly and I wouldn’t hurt him either. He’s been the only one to stand by me through all the trouble – apart from you and Nell. The name of Dugdale is mud in this city now. No one else will touch me with a barge pole.’

  ‘Oh, Lizzie,’ Emily said, hugging her again, ‘it’ll all come right. You’ll see.’

  It wasn’t until much later that Emily realized that Lizzie had not actually said that she loved Billy.

  Lizzie and Billy’s marriage was a pretty village July wedding attended by their friends and a few relatives. Nell and Steve came, bringing Lucy. Ruth Nicholson arrived wearing a smart fashionable outfit with a brand new hat on which she’d spent a week’s wages in honour of her son’s wedding.

  ‘She’s made that dress herself,’ Bess whispered to Emily as they waited in the church for the arrival of Lizzie on the arm of the man who was to give her away. ‘Isn’t she clever?’

  Having no father or brother either now, the choice of who should give Lizzie away had presented a difficulty until Nell had said bluntly, standing with her hands on her hips, ‘Steve’ll do it, if I ask him.’

  ‘Would he?’ Lizzie had said tentatively.

  ‘It’s high time the hatchet was well and truly buried,’ Nell had laughed wryly, ‘and, preferably, not in someone’s head.’

  ‘Only thing is, I think Billy was going to ask Steve to be his best man.’

  ‘Ah, I didn’t know that.’

  ‘There’s Trip,’ Emily had suggested, ‘but I tell you what, why don’t you ask Mr Hawke? He’s not been well lately and I think his trouble is loneliness. I think it would cheer him up no end.’

  Lizzie’s face had brightened. ‘Now, that is a good idea.’ But then her expression had sobered. ‘Unless he can’t abide the name of Dugdale.’

  ‘I don’t think Mr Hawke is the sort to bear a grudge against you, Lizzie. Besides, he can always refuse, but you won’t know until you ask him.’

  Nathan Hawke had been delighted to have been asked to give the bride away. ‘I’ll be able to imagine, just for a day, that I’m walking my daughter down the aisle.’ The poignancy of his word brought tears to Emily’s eyes. ‘And I’ll be happy to escort Mrs Dugdale to the reception
too, if she doesn’t mind.’

  Bess didn’t mind. In fact, as all the guests from the city piled into the charabanc to take them to Ashford, Nathan and Bess sat together, causing more than a few nudges and winks.

  It was a happy day apart from a brief moment of awkwardness when Lizzie and Billy arrived at the hotel to be welcomed by Josh, smartly dressed in his morning suit for the occasion. But Josh had decided exactly how he would play this. He stepped forward, shook hands with the nervous groom and kissed the bride on the cheek without a trace of embarrassment. Then he introduced his staff – including Amy – one by one and then led the couple into the bar area where champagne was being served.

  After the sumptuous meal, a witty and humorous speech from Nathan Hawke and a nervous reply from Billy, the guests mingled together, renewing old acquaintances or meeting new people. The photographer whom Constance had hired took numerous pictures both inside the hotel and outside on the lawn, whilst the children played around them.

  ‘What say you we go for a walk?’ Harry whispered to Lucy. At nine he considered himself far too old now to be playing childish games of tag and he was sure this pretty girl, who must be at least two years older than him, felt the same. ‘Only as far as the bridge. We can ask my gran if she’s anything we can feed the ducks with. But let’s not tell the others. They’ll all want to come and I don’t fancy being held responsible for anyone falling in the water. My little brother’s a nightmare and Lewis isn’t much better.’

  ‘Which one’s your gran?’

  Harry grinned. ‘She’s in the kitchen. She cooked the dinner.’

  Lucy gasped and stared wide-eyed at him. ‘Your gran cooked all that wonderful food? I’ve never tasted anything like that in my life. I don’t think I’ll need to eat for a week.’

  Harry basked in the reflected glory being heaped on Martha Ryan, but was honest enough to say, ‘She didn’t do it all on her own. Mrs Froggatt’s in charge here and Mrs Partridge helped out too, but they’re all great cooks.’