The Buffer Girls

by Margaret Dickinson

  Trip touched her arm. ‘Come on, Emily. Leave it.’

  Sadly, Emily turned away. She was sorry to lose the goodwill of their neighbours and wondered just how long she and Trip would be able to live in such a cold and unwelcoming atmosphere. But they set off together, hopeful that by the end of the day both of them would have secured some kind of employment.

  They separated with a kiss and went in opposite directions; Trip to seek work in the bigger factories, Emily to visit the small workshop she had helped to set up. It was worth a try, though she wasn’t hopeful.

  As she walked through the door, she was greeted by the noise of two buffing wheels, whilst two lay idle. Only Ida and a girl she didn’t recognize were working and there was no sign of the errand girl, Jane. She glanced around and saw Lizzie and Nell talking together in the far corner. Above the noise of the machinery, she couldn’t hear what was being said – and she had never quite mastered the art of lip-reading – but by the look on both their faces, and the fact that Nell was standing with her hands on her hips, Emily knew they were arguing. Ida had spotted her standing uncertainly by the door and she went across to Nell and Lizzie to speak to them. Then all three girls looked in her direction.

  Emily lifted her chin defiantly. She had a right to be here; hadn’t she helped to start all this?

  Lizzie said something she couldn’t hear, but it was Nell who walked towards her.

  ‘Come outside a minute, Emily. We can’t talk properly in here.’

  They stepped outside and turned to face each other. ‘I’m sorry, Emily,’ Nell said at once, ‘but Lizzie is adamant you can’t come back here, even though . . .’ She paused and bit her lip.

  ‘Even though . . . what, Nell?’ Emily prompted.

  Nell sighed. ‘Since you left, the business has been going downhill. Even in that short time. We’ve lost two of our customers – our biggest – and haven’t been able to replace them. Even Mr Hawke has removed his trade. Lizzie hasn’t got your business head, nor has she the right attitude with the customers. Oh, she flirts with the men, flutters her long eyelashes at them, but that’s not what businessmen want, is it?’

  Emily shook her head. ‘But she won’t let me come back?’

  Nell shook her head. ‘Won’t hear of it. That young lass we set on just before you left, Jane, she’s gone and we can’t afford to pay an errand lass now. And she was shaping up to be a really good worker – she was almost ready to start training on a wheel – and although we’ve taken on another lass, Flo, her work’s rubbish at the moment, to be honest. Lizzie won’t condescend to work at the machines any more and me and Ida can’t do it all. We’ll lose more customers, if this goes on, just because we can’t cope with the work we are still getting.’

  ‘I’m sorry, Nell,’ Emily said, and she meant it. ‘But if Lizzie won’t let me come back, there’s nothing I can do.’

  Nell eyed her for a moment before stepping closer and lowering her voice. ‘If you decide to set up somewhere else – and I reckon you could – let me know, won’t you?’

  Emily stared at her. She’d thought that Nell and Lizzie were bosom pals. As if reading her mind, Nell smiled wryly. ‘Oh, I can guess what you’re thinking. I’m being disloyal to Lizzie, but to be honest, I don’t agree with the way she’s treating you. I know what she’s like with men and I believe you when you say that you told her from the start that Josh was engaged to someone else. But if Lizzie gets a bee in her bonnet, she keeps it buzzing. She won’t give in. I know I’m her friend, but when it comes to my livelihood, then I’m afraid that’s where friendship ends. I – I don’t tell many people this, Emily,’ she glanced around to make sure no one was listening and then lowered her voice, ‘but I’ve got a kiddie to support. I can’t afford to be out of work.’

  Emily knew Nell wasn’t married, but she hadn’t known she had a child. Nell went on to explain. ‘I was a fool, taken in by a charmer who turned out to be a real bad ’un. Me mam was a brick. She looks after Lucy all day while I’m at work. That’s why I never come out in the evening. It’s not fair to expect Mam to do more than she does already. I do let Lucy’s dad see her now and again, but there’s no way I want a bloke like him in our lives permanently. He’s a wrong ’un and he was a mate of Mick Dugdale’s at one time, though I think there’s been a bit of a falling out. Anyway, that should say it all. My dad was killed in the war, so you see I have to work to support the three of us.’

  ‘Nell – I’m sorry and I wish I could help you, but I’m desperate to find work myself at the moment.’

  Nell nodded. ‘Keep in touch, though, won’t you? Are you still living in that court off Garden Street?’

  Emily nodded. ‘At the moment, but no one is speaking to us.’

  ‘Huh! Lizzie again, I expect.’ She paused and then added, ‘Us? I thought your family had all gone back to Ashford?’

  Emily smiled. ‘They have, but Trip and I are married and we’ve come back together to find work.’

  Nell smiled and squeezed her arm. ‘Well, that is a bit of good news. I’m right pleased for the pair of you. You and Trip will do well together. You’ve got each other.’ There was a wistful tone in her voice and Emily was moved to give her a swift hug.

  ‘Good luck, Emily.’ And with that, Nell hurried back inside.

  Forty

  Emily tramped the streets for the rest of the day, but there was no work to be had and when they met again at home that evening, Trip had the same story.

  ‘There’s nothing – at least, nothing that anyone will give me. I really think my father has a hand in all this. Some of the foremen and managers I spoke to looked distinctly uncomfortable and avoided meeting my eyes. I reckon he must have put the word around amongst his cronies and they aren’t willing to cross him. So, I went to see Mr Bayes just to see if he knew anything.’

  Emily gasped. ‘Weren’t you worried you might run into your father?’

  Trip shook his head. ‘No, I know where he parks the car when he’s at the works and it wasn’t there, so I thought I was pretty safe.’

  ‘And what did Mr Bayes have to say?’

  Trip set down his knife and fork as he finished the meal that Emily had prepared. ‘Not much. He seemed a bit agitated. Kept saying that he was so sorry about what had happened between Father and me and asking if my mother was all right.’

  ‘Does he know your mother?’

  Trip frowned. ‘I suppose he must have met her a few times over the years. Not that she comes to the factory often, but I think she used to attend the annual ball in the early days.’ Trip sighed. ‘I suppose he thought that perhaps all the trouble had upset her, but I was able to put his mind at rest and tell him that she was on our side and how she’d helped us.’

  ‘I expect your father’s said nothing to him about – about us.’

  ‘No – he didn’t even know we’d got married, but then I must be persona non grata with my father.’

  Emily laughed. ‘What’s that mean when it’s at home?’

  Trip grinned sheepishly. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to sound—’

  Emily touched his hand. ‘I know you didn’t. But tell me what it means.’

  ‘It’s Latin and means “an unwelcome person”.’

  Emily was not in the least offended by his use of words she didn’t understand; his education had been far superior to her own, but she was willing to learn. Now, she almost wished she hadn’t asked. How sad, she thought, for him to feel like that.

  Swiftly, she changed the subject, trying to erase the pensive look on his face. ‘You know I went to see Lizzie and the others, well, there was nothing doing there. Not that I thought there would be, but Nell came outside to talk to me. The business is falling apart. Lizzie isn’t running it very well and they’ve lost several customers. Nathan Hawke is one of them.’

  Trip looked up. ‘Did you go to see him?’

  Emily bit her lip and shook her head. ‘I didn’t like to. He was so good to us and helped us so much when we first se
t up.’

  ‘Then I think you should. It’s worth a try, Emily. He must have had good reason to take his work away from them.’

  ‘I don’t know how he’ll greet me,’ Emily said worriedly. ‘He might blame me for the breakdown of the buffing business.’

  By the end of the week, when there was still no job offer for either of them, Trip persuaded Emily to see Nathan Hawke. ‘He can only send you off with a flea in your ear. I’ll come with you, if you like. I really think he’s our last hope.’

  Emily’s concerns were unfounded. Nathan Hawke greeted her, literally, with open arms. ‘My dear girl, how glad I am to see you. And you’ve got young Thomas Trippet with you too,’ he said, smiling and holding out his hand towards Trip.

  ‘We’re married now, Mr Hawke.’

  The little man beamed. ‘That’s even better news. So, you’ve come back to your little business, I take it.’

  Emily shook her head. ‘I’m afraid Lizzie and I had a falling out over a personal matter and I was asked to leave. So it’s no longer Dugdale and Ryan – just Dugdale.’

  ‘Mm,’ Nathan said thoughtfully. ‘I thought something must have happened because it was Lizzie who came to collect and deliver the work.’ He sighed. ‘And I’m sorry to tell you that I’ve had to remove my patronage from there. The work was no longer up to standard and when I asked why Nell wasn’t still doing all my work as we’d originally agreed – because I knew she wasn’t – Lizzie was so off-hand and said that no customer could demand a particular buffer. I was getting complaints from my customers and I can’t have that. I’m a one-man band and I can’t afford to lose their good will. So, I had to take the bull by the horns and stand up to Mick Dugdale. I’ve been expecting repercussions, but nothing’s happened yet. So, are you looking to work for someone else or are you going to set up again on your own?’

  Emily stared at him. ‘We’ve been tramping the streets – both of us – and no one will offer us anything. But I have to admit that I hadn’t seriously thought about setting up again myself.’ She turned to her new husband. ‘What do you think, Trip? Could we do it?’

  Trip chewed thoughtfully at his lip. ‘I think you could, Emily, yes. But there wouldn’t be anything for me. It was the making of the cutlery that I learned. Mind you, you need premises and then there’d be machinery to buy . . .’

  ‘No problem about a workshop,’ Nathan said. ‘Upstairs is still empty and, as you know, I own it, so it can be yours if you want it. There’s a wooden staircase to it outside as well as one inside, so you don’t even have to come through my workshop all the time.’ He chuckled. ‘More’s the pity! It would make my day to see a bevy of pretty buffer girls passing through my workshop every morning. But,’ he went on, more serious now, ‘you can have it rent free until you’re up and running.’ He held up his hand as Emily was about to protest. ‘It needs a bit of work before you can use it, so if you do that, I’ll waive the rent for at least six months. And there are still some old machines up there. I’ll see about getting them repaired.’

  ‘Oh Mr Hawke, I could hug you.’

  With a wink at Trip, the older man said, ‘Well, don’t hold back, luv. T’ain’t often I get the chance to hug a pretty lass. Now,’ he went on briskly when Emily had given him a grateful bear hug, ‘about you, young feller. I’m surprised you can’t find work. George Bayes – he’s a good friend of mine and we play bowls together – always said what a quick learner and an excellent worker you were. His words were, “He’ll mek a fine master cutler one day and be a good boss to work for, an’ all.” I’ve heard rumours, but I don’t really know what the truth is. So, tell me – what’s gone wrong?’

  The man had been so kind to them that Trip felt he could confide in him. ‘My father threw me out. He’s disowned me because I wanted to marry Emily. Father didn’t marry my mother for love, he married her for her money. I expect he wanted me to do a similar thing. Marry someone who was “suitable” in his eyes. Well, I wasn’t going to do that.’ He put his arm around Emily’s shoulders. ‘Whatever happens, I know I’ve done the right thing even if – even if it means being estranged from my father.’

  Nathan glanced at the young couple. He was sure that Trip meant every word he said, but the older man knew only too well what strains and pressures could be brought to bear. He hoped their love was strong enough and that one day Trip would not come to resent Emily because she had been the cause of the rift with his family.

  ‘What about your mother?’ he asked quietly.

  ‘She paid for our wedding and held the reception for us at home. She’s on our side, but I just hope my father doesn’t take revenge on her in some way.’

  ‘Oh, I wouldn’t worry too much about that. From what I hear, your mother still has independent means of her own. Her own father was astute enough to leave her well provided for.’

  ‘Was he? I didn’t know that, though I had wondered. I’m relieved to hear it.’ Trip paused a moment and then asked, ‘How – how do you know all this?’

  Nathan tapped the side of his nose. ‘There’s a cutlers’ grapevine, my boy. I don’t miss much of what goes on in this city. And besides, like I said, I’m good friends with George Bayes. He’s worked for your family’s firm a long time. What he doesn’t know about the Trippets isn’t worth knowing.’

  The three of them laughed together and then Nathan said, ‘I tell you what, Thomas. How about you come and help me a bit? I’m getting arthritis in my hands and they’re quite painful at times. I can’t promise you full-time work and I can’t pay you much, but it’ll keep the wolf from the door whilst Emily gets her business set up again and, of course, all my buffing work will go to you, lass.’

  ‘Oh Mr Hawke,’ Emily said, with tears of gratitude. ‘I think that deserves another hug.’

  Forty-One

  So, Emily started over again, setting up a little buffing business just as she had before, but this time, she was completely on her own, so Nathan’s work filled most of her time. For the moment, she didn’t need to look for any more. Trip started working alongside Nathan, the older man teaching him the gaps in his education where the making of cutlery was concerned.

  ‘It’s all very well, you learning from the bottom up, and I suppose your father was right in that, but you only learn one process at a time in a factory. I’ll show you everything I know.’

  So Trip, quick and eager, learned far more from the little mester than he had in the years he had worked at Trippets’. And best of all, he was only downstairs from where Emily was working. They’d worked hard together to clean out and restore the little workshop and now she was installed and happily busy.

  One morning, when she’d been up and running for about three weeks, she paused in her work at the wheel to wrap a batch of spoons she’d just finished polishing. She heard footsteps on the stairs outside and the door opened. She looked up to see Nell standing there. Emily went towards her. As she drew nearer and Nell’s face was visible, she could see that there was a despairing, almost desperate, look in her eyes.

  ‘Oh Nell, whatever’s the matter? Is it – your little girl?’

  Nell shook her head. ‘No, no, she’s fine. At least –’ she stopped and gulped painfully – ‘she would be, if only – if only . . .’

  ‘Is it your mother, then? Has something happened to her?’ Emily couldn’t imagine what could have caused Nell to be in such a state. ‘Come inside and sit down. I’ve only old wooden boxes for us to sit on, I’m afraid, but—’

  ‘It’s fine,’ Nell said swiftly, ‘but I shouldn’t keep you from your work.’ Even so she stepped into the workshop and sat down. Then she glanced around her. ‘Are you working here on your own?’

  ‘Yes. Mr Hawke gives me all his work, but I’ve no other customers so I can manage for the moment.’

  ‘I see.’ Nell’s tone was flat and Emily felt it held disappointment. She couldn’t think why. And then Nell burst out with the reason for her visit as if she couldn’t hold back the words any longe
r. ‘I’m out of work. I haven’t worked for three weeks.’

  Emily gasped. ‘Oh no! It wasn’t anything to do with my visit, was it? Did Lizzie see you talking to me and . . . ?’

  But Nell was shaking her head. ‘No, it wasn’t that, but it did happen soon afterwards.’

  ‘What did?’

  ‘We – the business closed. We couldn’t run it any more. For all her fine words, Lizzie was useless. Oh, she was a good buffer girl, I don’t deny that, but after she got rid of you – and it was her, Emily, who wanted you gone, not the rest of us – she became the big “I Am”, fancying herself as a businesswoman. But you were the brains behind it all. We all knew that – all except Lizzie. Even Mick couldn’t help her this time.’

  ‘Oh Nell, I’m sorry, truly I am.’

  ‘It’s not your fault. None of us blame you.’

  ‘So, are you all out of work now? Even Lizzie?’

  Nell nodded.

  ‘She’s never said anything, even though she’s living next door in the court. Mind you,’ Emily gave a wry smile, ‘none of the Dugdale family are speaking to us. In fact, no one is.’

  ‘Well, she wouldn’t, would she? Too proud to admit she was wrong.’ There was a pause before Nell said tentatively, ‘Emily, would you come back and start up the business again? We’ve still got the premises, because we’ve managed to scrape up the rent between us, just in case.’ Nell grasped her hand. ‘Oh Emily, please say you will.’

  Emily bit her lip and frowned, thinking hard. ‘I’ll have to talk to Mr Hawke first. He’s been very good to us and this is his workshop that he’s rented to me. I don’t want to let him down. But I don’t think Lizzie would—’

  ‘We don’t want Lizzie involved any more – or her precious brother. Ida and Flo agree with me; we just want you to come back. And don’t forget, our workshop belongs to Mr Hawke too, so he’s going to lose one or the other anyway. And maybe you could keep this place on too. Just think about it, Emily, you could have two workshops running.’