by Mary Wood
By the time Hattie swept back into the room saying, ‘Reet, get your teeth into this lot, girls,’ Megan had managed to comfort Issy and get them both to a place where they felt they could cope.
Hattie placed a tray, piled high with sandwiches and cakes, onto the occasional table in the centre of the room. Behind her, and shaking with nerves so much that the large tea pot and cups and saucers on the tray she carried rattled precariously, came the young girl they now knew was Sally. Megan jumped up to help her and sought to put her at her ease. ‘Hello, Sally. You’ll not know me. I’m Megan, Hattie’s mate. Hattie and me grew up together.’
The girl smiled. ‘Were you an orphan an’ all?’
‘Aye, we’re all in the same boat. I could tell you some tales of Hattie when she were a young ’un. I will one day. They’d make your hair curl even more than it does already!’
‘Oh, no! Don’t say that, Megan. She’s forever trying to straighten her hair. She wants one of these bobs as they’re all wearing.’
‘Huh, and there’s me tying mine in rags every night to get this frizz to form proper curls. I’d give owt to have your mop, Sally.’
Sally giggled at this.
‘I don’t like to butt in, but if we don’t tell of what we’ve come for, we’ll have to go for our train and miss the opportunity.’
‘Oh, aye, Issy, you said as you’d come about Megan getting her life sorted. Well, Meg love, as you’ve not seemed to come with the intention of leaving Bert, I guess you’ve thought about making the clothes for the girls. Is that reet?’
‘Aye, I am thinking on taking up your offer, but I just wondered if there were a way it could be done with me staying where I am? Issy needs me around. She needs help with the babby and, well, everything.’
‘Of course, I can see how it is for you, love. Look, I’ll show you the catalogue I told you of and that’ll give you an idea of the kind of clothes and undies the lassies like. There’s nowt that will be a problem to you. You could make them easily, I know that.’
Whilst Hattie was sorting through a pile of magazines, Sally said, ‘Are you a seamstress, Megan? I like sewing, and I’m good at it. I had to do all the mending when I were with me aunt, and she’d accept nothing unless it were perfect. She’d rip it undone and make me start over. And when I got really good, she’d take in mending from her customers and set me at it.’
‘She sounds like Madame Marie, the woman who trained me.’
‘Here it is. Have a look.’ Hattie passed the catalogue to Megan. After a moment Hattie asked, ‘Well, what d’yer think, now you’ve had a flick through?’
‘I’d have no problem copying any of this stuff. I could do some designs of me own along the same lines an’ all. Trouble is, I just don’t know how I’d go about it. I mean, there’s a lot of problems, like getting the cloth the lassies choose back to Issy’s. And they’ll have to have fittings. There’d be such a lot of comings and goings, I’d not be able to keep it all from Bert. It’s hopeless. I shouldn’t have come.’
‘It’s not hopeless, Megan. We can come up with sommat. For a start, I’d take care of getting cloth to Issy’s. I’ve a car now and a driver – I had to have one, so as to get back and forth to me house. Daisy and Phyllis are there now. I try to get Sally to stay there an’ all, but no, she’ll not leave me side, so she comes and goes with me. Isn’t that reet, lass?’
Sally looked embarrassed, but smiled at Hattie. The smile lit up her face and held love in it. It would seem that things were a lot better in that quarter than Hattie had realized; if only she could get the guilt to leave her, as it was making her see things that weren’t there.
‘Now, about the fittings. What if the lass having sommat made came to your cottage, Issy? I mean, it wouldn’t be often, would it, Megan? Once you’ve got the size of them all, they’d only need to come when they’re having a special garment made.’
Issy looked up from the catalogue she’d taken from Megan. ‘I don’t see why not. After all, nobody knows who me friends and acquaintances are. Lassies could be passed off as them as I worked for, so that’d explain the car. And I don’t see how Bert would find out, either, as you’ll be doing nowt different to what you’ve been doing over these last couple of years, and he’s not cottoned on yet. I’ll tell you sommat, though, Megan: if lassies are willing to pay the prices in this here catalogue, you’re soon going to be rich. Nine and eleven! For a pair of knickers! And they’d not cover owt, neither. You’d catch your death in them. They haven’t even got elastic in the legs.’
Megan and Hattie burst out laughing.
‘You’re right about prices, Issy. They are steep for what they are, but there’s quite a lot of work in some of them pieces. Though, when I work out what to charge, I’ll have to consider the lassies will be buying their own cloth, and Hattie’ll have to foot the cost of the delivery, so my costs won’t be very high.’
‘You come up with a fair price, but don’t stint yourself, Megan. You must know the going rate for making up? Well, take that rate and double it, and my lot’ll be happy. They’ll still be making savings and they’ve money to spend. And plenty of it an’ all.’
‘Well! There you go, Megan love. You’ll have that shop you want in no time. Eeh, that’ll be a grand day, lass!’
Megan felt a smile forming at Issy’s words. It was one of relief and hope and excitement and was made even bigger at the thought of all the wonderful colours of the fabrics, the creation of frocks and handling all the different cloths. Ideas buzzed around her head and, best of all, she felt that the future now held better things for her and Billy.
Hattie broke into her reveries. ‘Megan love. In a couple of years I’ll be ready to invest in another business, and I reckon as it’ll take you that long to get near to what you need, so how about I become a partner, eh? Whatever you’ve got in two years’ time, I’ll double it.’
‘You’d really do that? Oh, Hattie.’
‘Aye, I would. It’d give me an income and a means of getting out of this game. Are you sure as you’d have me as a partner? And maybe some of the lassies could work for us? Give those who want it a chance at doing sommat decent for a living, eh?’
‘I could help. I’ve been on with telling Megan about me stitching.’
Megan looked at Sally as she said this, and then at Hattie. In each face she saw a plea. And suddenly it was as if the boot was on the other foot and she held the key that would be the saving of them. ‘Of course I’d have you. I’ll have you both and would be glad to. You say you’re good with hand-sewing, Sally? Well, how about you do the hemming? That’s always a problem if the client isn’t present, as getting the right length really needs them there. That’d be ideal for you, as you’re based here. I’ll come over with the first batch and show you how to pin up and mark the hem so you get the right length, and then we’ll see how you go. If you’re good, I’ll pay you for every hem. We’ll work out how much between us, eh?’
‘Well! It seems we’ve got it all sorted. By, you’re full of surprises, Sally. And I’m reet glad to hear you putting ideas forward. You can’t go wrong, having a trade like Megan has. It always comes back to you and is there for you if you need it.’
‘Thou knows, Hattie, it’s like me dream’s come true already. It all seems really possible now.’
‘It is, Megan. And I’ll be your first customer. I’ll study the catalogue and pick out anything that I like, and you send me a few drawings of winter clothing. We’ll start from there. How would that be?’
‘That’d be grand, Hattie. I’ll send you drawings in the post as soon as I get back. I’ve been on with designing for you for a good while. I’ve a whole collection just for you. It includes a lot of the kind of frocks I see in me mind for you to wear when you’re with Arthur, as well as what I call your working clothes.’
‘Fancy that, Megan. You sitting doing stuff for me!’
‘I like doing it, Hattie. It keeps you close to me, makes it feel like I’m with you.’
They held each other. Megan knew no more words were needed. She’d not spoil the moment by speaking again of her worries about what might happen if Bert found out.
PART FIVE
‘The Affair’
1930
31
Megan’s Joy – Hattie’s Heartache
Megan drew in a deep breath in a fruitless effort to quell her excitement.
‘Look, lass, wait and see. Hattie’ll be here any moment,’ Issy had said when Megan broached the subject again a few moments ago. Megan didn’t blame her for sounding impatient; she hadn’t been able to talk of anything else since she’d received the message that Hattie had news and that she herself, not one of the girls, would be coming on the next visit. And that next visit was to be today! Her concentration was nil, and for the umpteenth time she stuck the needle into her finger. She winced and then jumped up. A motor engine. At last!
After a flurry of cuddles and kisses with Sally and Hattie, Hattie held her at arm’s length. ‘Well, lass, I’ve brought good news, and I hope as you’re ready to take on the next stage of our plan.’
‘I am, Hattie. Every stitch I’ve done in these last two years has been for bringing me to this moment.’
‘And you’ve done a few, love. It’s a miracle how you’ve managed to keep it all from Bert.’
‘I know, but I’ve had a few scares – especially with Billy. He’s getting to be a handful, but he knows he’ll also feel the wrath of his dad if he gets mad, so that’s been stopping him saying owt. Mind, he’s not been above using blackmail. He worries me at times, Hattie. He seems to have a lot of his dad’s traits.’
‘He’ll be reet. He’s just at that age, I reckon – not that either of us has had any dealings with lads afore, but I’ve heard as they’re a handful when they’re growing up. Sarah and Sally get on well with him, so he can’t be that bad.’
‘He’s all right, Megan. He’s no different to any lads as I’ve known,’ Sally chipped in.
‘Happen you’re reet. I hope so, and I hope as getting him away from his dad will make a difference.’
‘Well, love, if you’re ready, I reckon that can happen now.’
Issy interrupted Megan’s response as she bustled in with the kettle that she’d been filling out the back. ‘Hello, Hattie. Am I glad to see you! Megan’s been driving me mad over this visit. I expect as you’ll be ready for a drop of tea, eh?’
‘It’s good to see you an’ all, Issy. You look well. I’ll not have tea, though. It’s too hot for that, thanks, love.’
‘Well, get yourselves into the parlour. It’s cool in there, and I’ve some lemonade as I’ve made. It’s in pantry on slab, so’ll be nice and cold. I’ll bring some of that in to you.’
Megan felt her jaw drop. Had she heard right? Hattie had been keeping all the money she’d made in a bank account for her, and had helped to increase it in such a short space of time by using her contacts to get material direct from the warehouses that supplied the trade. And here she was now, saying she had a total of one hundred and fifty pounds!
‘ . . . so with me doubling that, we have a grand total of three hundred pounds, and I reckon that’s enough to start looking for a place. What do you say to that, Madame Megan?’
Megan couldn’t speak, though a stifled giggle did tickle her insides. Madame Megan – Hattie hadn’t forgotten what she’d said she was going to call her dream place, then? When she’d first voiced the name she hadn’t truly thought it could happen. But now she really felt inside her that it could. She looked down at her hands, on which her own contribution was visibly etched. At times they had been sore and bleeding with the amount of sewing she’d done, and her back had ached until she’d hardly been able to straighten it. Tears welled in her eyes at the thought of all that she’d been through.
‘Well, lass? Are you ready?’ Issy asked.
Three faces looked at her – three very dear faces that were waiting for her to speak – but she could only nod her head to tell them, yes, she was ready.
Sally clapped her hands. Hattie let out a relieved sigh. Issy stood still, her hands clasped under her bosom, her head shaking. ‘Eeh, lass, lass . . .’
Hattie took charge. ‘Reet! That’s settled then. I’ll get me solicitor onto looking out for a place for us. I thought we’d stay in Leeds, in the suburbs. Somewhere moneyed folk’d find acceptable, though we’d not want to pay a big rent.’
‘Leeds? I hadn’t thought to stay that close. What about Bert?’
‘He’ll not find you. For a start, he’ll not think for one moment as you’ve your own business. How could he?’
‘No, you’re right, but . . . Oh, I don’t know. It all seems frightening, now that it’s likely it’s going to happen. Me insides are all churned up. I can’t think straight.’
‘You don’t have to, love. I’ll do all the thinking. You just have to be ready to leave when I come for you. It’s as simple as that. And remember: it’s your dream. It’s what’s kept you going, and it’s about to come true!’
The realization finally hit home. ‘Oh, Hattie, Issy – it is, isn’t it? My dream. I’m about to catch me dream!’
Issy’s jaw dropped.
‘What’s wrong, Issy? Are you all right?’
‘Aye. It were just what you said about catching your dream. I’ve only ever heard that saying once afore. A long time ago.’
‘Oh, I know, it’s an unusual saying, but . . . well, I’ve only heard it once meself, and it just seemed right for what’s happening to me.’
Issy didn’t say any more, and Megan was glad. She didn’t like lying to Issy and didn’t understand her own compulsion to keep the locket a secret. Nor could she understand how it was that Issy often caught on to something she said, or a way that she looked, and went on about folk she’d known in the past. It was unsettling.
Hattie smiled. ‘Well, Megan. You’re happy, I can see that.’ She took hold of Megan’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. ‘But, love, your happiness is no more than mine, because what you’ve done, Megan, has given me hope an’ all. I’ve come to see that in the future I really might be able to change me way of life. The business will grow enough to keep us both in time, I know it will.’ She hugged Megan to her and, as she squeezed her, her voice filled with emotion. ‘We’re going to win through, you and me, Megan. We’re going to win through.’
Megan felt uneasy for a moment. Something . . . But it passed as Hattie continued, ‘So, Megan, that’s it then. Everything’s coming together. Well, we’d better be getting back.’
Sally had already set about the task of emptying the large shopping bag of the paper it had been stuffed with, and filling it with the garments that were ready to be taken back. The shopping-bag ploy had worked well. When there was no material to bring in, the girls always stuffed the bag with paper, so that no suspicion was aroused about them coming empty-handed, but leaving with a full bag.
‘By the way, I forgot to tell you about another idea as I’ve had,’ Hattie went on. ‘I were thinking of telling the girls they’re not to order owt for a while, Megan. And if you’ve nothing on for your other customers, I thought maybe you could make up a couple of your designs from the material you have in stock. Sommat really special. Say, a daywear outfit and an evening frock? Then we’d have something to dress the window of the shop, to give folk an idea of what we’re about. What do you think?’
‘Yes, I’ve allus thought that’s what I’d do, and I’ve nowt on at the moment for Manny’s lot. Thou knows sommat, Hattie? I’ve an idea to drape the background of the window with swathes of cream satin. Would you get me a few yards ordered? It’d make a really grand background to me designs.’ Warming to her theme, she went on, ‘Oh, and we’ll need—’
‘Hold on, love. This is your dream, remember? So I’ll find the place, then if rooms above aren’t what you can live in straight away, you can stop with me for a bit whilst you get everything you need to make them – and the shop – just as you imagined it all to be, e
h?’
Megan laughed. ‘Aye, you’re right. Ta, Hattie. Me dream wouldn’t be mine if I left everything to you. I need to see it all through to the end.’
When they’d waved off Sally and Hattie, Megan clasped her hands together.
‘Oh, Issy, I never thought this day would come. But now it has, I’m ready! I didn’t think I were at first. I felt scared, like, but I am ready. I can do it. I know I can. Me head’s buzzing with lists of things I’ll need and . . .’
‘Megan, I’m reet happy for you. But, by ’eck, I’m going to miss you, lass!’
‘I know, love, and I’m going to miss you and Jack. I mean – well, all of you. You’re me family.’
‘I know how it is with you, where Jack’s concerned. I know you’ve never got over your feelings for him, and it’s a credit to you that you’ve never done owt about it. It couldn’t have been easy, with Ciss gone these past two years and the way being clear, so to speak. But I knew as you’d think on where the young ’uns were concerned and not cause a scandal as’d outcast them. You’ve done well, lass. And it’ll be easier, now that you’re going to be away from him. He’ll soon be just a figure from the past.’
‘Happen . . .’ She could think of nothing else to say. The way Issy had put it was how it should be, but she knew it wouldn’t be. Not ever. Jack was part of her very being and always would be.
Issy had set about clearing away the tumblers they’d had their lemonade in, and Megan gave her a hand. They were by the sink when Issy spoke again. ‘You know, Gert’ll be at questioning me again, now Hattie’s been. She always gets tongues wagging, does Hattie.’
‘I know, though she’d not looked so bad today with one of her “Arthur” frocks on.’
‘Well, I don’t know. There’s just sommat about her that gets eyebrows raised.’
‘Aye, happen she thinks as she looks reet. Maybe if she could get out of the game, things’d change. Funny, though, how she put so much store on the shop being her means of getting free of it all. I thought she were giving up and selling to Mavis and moving into her house. Thou knows, she never mentioned Arthur. Do you think there’s sommat up?’