Their voices came to her muted, then rising and falling, and she did not pay much attention until she heard Mark say, "I'm sorry about Parliament, it will be beyond me"; then Harry's answer, "That's all right, I was never keen on it anyway. But I'll be grateful for another year up there. You can bring it down to a hundred, I can manage on that."
"No, we'll keep it to a hundred and fifty."
"Is there no hope at all of the mine being reopened?"
"None whatever I should say, well, not without a lot of money being spent on it. And you know that's an impossibility for me now, it will take me all my time to support Eileen and the children from my investments, and these, as you know, fluctuate. Should they go down ...
well, I'm afraid this place will sink with them."
"How many have you employed here now, Father?"
"Oh, about a dozen inside and out. It's nothing I suppose, but they all need feeding and clothing and by some of the bills Mrs Lucas presented me with last week they must be eating their heads off down there.
Still, what can you do? I don't suppose it could be run on less." There was a long pause; then as Tilly went to close a drawer her hands became still as she heard Master Harry say, "Where's Trotter, next door?"
"No, I thought she went upstairs. Yes, she went up there. Listen."
She, too, listened to the faint footsteps going across the nursery floor and wondered for a moment who it could be. Then Harry's voice brought her head jerking towards the half-open door as he said, "How do you find her?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, how do you find Trotter?
Is she quarrelsome, throwing her weight about, anything like that?"
"Don't be silly. What are you getting at?
She's the best thing that's come into my life since this happened. Oh"--there followed a laugh now
--"you've been hearing the witch story."
"Witch story?"
"Yes, some of them think she's a witch. Can you believe it? Ignorance, you know, Harry, can be really terrifying, for if there was anyone less like a witch than that girl it would be hard to find."
"No, I hadn't heard the witch story So they think she's a witch, do they? Good heavens!
Likely that's what it's all about."
"What what's all about?"
"They want rid of her downstairs."
"They want what!"
"Mrs Lucas and the cook, I think they're going to present you with an ultimatum, either she goes or they do."
In the silence that followed Tilly's imagination couldn't conjure up any picture of the reaction these words had on the master until she heard his voice filling the room like a bawl now: "My God! an ultimatum? Either they or she? The bloody craven upstarts!"
"Now, now, don't excite yourself."
"Excite myself? God! I wish I were on my feet. I'd give them ultimatum. Anyway, I can do it from here."
"Now! now! now! Father. Now please don't get so excited, you'll only make yourself ill."
"Shut up! Shut up! I'm not an invalid.
I'm handicapped but that's all. Anyway, you can tell them to come up and present their ultimatum."
"What do you intend to do?"
"Take them at their word. They go, every damn one of them who won't take orders from Trotter... they go."
"But you can't do that, Father, you can't leave the house without a staff."
"I can leave the house without a staff of that kind; and perhaps you don't know it but there are people roundabout here crying out for work."
I
sne
"But they won't be trained to this kind of work."
"Look, Harry, Trotter wasn't trained.
She was an ordinary had one advantage, she could read and write, but you know something, she's better than any of those damn nurses I had. And as for Simes, she could wipe her feet on Simes. What's more, she's intelligent! I've thought these last few days, given the chance she could be something greater-than that girl. Old Burgess set her off reading. No, no, it was the parson's wife. But he took her deep into it, Voltaire as ever was. Can you believe it, Voltaire? She admits she doesn't understand it but she will some day I'm sure. But as for that ignorant lot, ultimatum! Well, let them bring their ultimatum. You tell Lucas I want to see her."
"I would ... I would rest on it, Father, if I were you,. The Christmas holidays are on us and it would only make things very unpleasant-
"But aren't they already unpleasant?"
"Well, think it over. Let them come to you."
"Get me a drink will you, Harry? The decanter's in the cupboard in the dressing-room."
Tilly opened her mouth wide, then closed it and turned sv caret very to stand with her back to the drawer, her hands outstretched at ea* S1"...ence of it. And that was how Harry saw her when he entered the room.
When she swiftly put her fingers to her lips he gave a slight nod, went to the cupboard, took out the tray with the decanter and a glass on xbbgreater-than and returned to the bedroom.
A few minutes later, excusing himself, he went into the dressing-room and closed the door; but finding the room empty, he went out into the corridor before making his way to the nursery floor; and as if she had been waiting for him Tilly faced him as he entered the schoolroom)"'
Smiling at her, he said, "They say listeners never hear any good of themselves, but that wasn't true in this case, was it, Trotter?"
"I'm ... I'm sorry, Master Harry, I'd no intention of listening but... but when you mentioned my name, well, I couldn't get out of the room."
"I understand. Well, anyway, you now know about the ultimatum."
"It's better that I go, Master Harry."
"Oh no, no, Trotter, I don't think so.
I ... well, I agree with father, there's changes needed in the house, and outside too. Just before I met you in the garden yesterday I had come across both Pillby and Summers fast asleep in the greenhouse. I know it is whiter and the grOan"
1So too hard to dig but from what I could see during my walk, there were a thousand and one things they could have been doing; the gardens are very neglected. Yes, I think there are changes needed both inside and outside the house, but it is making the change that is going to be awkward. My father thinks he could re-staff from the men and women who are out of work at the mine."
"Aye, yes, he could do that." Her eyes widened and an eager note came into her voice. "I don't want to see anybody pushed out of a job, Master Harry, but I can tell you this much, he could do that and save himself a deal of money into the bargain, because most of them would just work for their food and shelter."
"Oh"--his face stiffened-"'t would never be allowed, we're not starting a new slave trade."
"I ... I wasn't meaning to annoy, Master Harry, but what I say is true. With all the master's workmen and their families, the main concern is food. Yet"--her voice sank--"after saying all that I feel it would be better if I went."
"My father wouldn't hear of it. But don't worry, something will work out. It's strange how such trifles are overcome."
... Such trifles.
At half past three the following afternoon Tilly was hurrying back from a visit to the Drews.
Early that morning the master had given her half a sovereign to buy herself a present for Christmas, and she had taken it to Biddy, and Biddy had held her in her arms, and Katie had fallen on her neck, and the youngsters had cried, and she had cried with them.
She had not stayed more than fifteen minutes because she was eager to get back to her duties, and in spite of the bitter winds the whole Drew family had insisted on setting her to the end of the row, and their cries of "Merry Christmas, Tilly!" as she ran along the road into the deepening gloom had warmed her.
She was taking the short cut behind the lodge at the back gates of the estate when she stumbled into Frank Summers, a small basket of eggs in one hand and a rough parcel from which protruded a side of bacon in the other. They both stopped and stared at each other.
&n
bsp; It was she who spoke first. "I ... I advise you to take those back, Mr Summers," she said.
There was a pause before he answered; then, "Mind your own
bloody business you!" he growled, "else I'll give it to you where it hurts most, right atween your eyes. I've had enough of you. The lot of us have. You! You young scut!"
He put down the basket and parcel in front of the door and began to advance on her, and she cried at him, "Don't you dare! Don't you dare lay a finger on me! If you do you'll know about it. Now I'm warnin" you."
But even as she spoke she backed from him and rounded the corner of the lodge towards the drive, the while he slowly advanced on her. muttering, "You dirty sneaking young runt you! Puttin' Master Harry on tousyesterda'!"
"I did no such thing."
"Who else then?"
"Perhaps he's finding things out for himself." She was still moving slowly backwards.
"You're a menace. You know that? You're a menace."
"An' you an' the rest of you are a lot of thieves. You've been robbin' the master for years.
You've been stuffin' things in there"--she flung out her arm now--"all summer. You're as bad as them in the house, chargin' the master double for everything with their share-outs once a month. You should be ashamed of yourself, the lot of yous."
"Shut your mouth, you sneaking little witch! The bits we take nobody would miss."
"Bits!" She was yelling back at him now.
"Dozens of eggs at one go; and pigs ... I know, I've seen you at it afore. And they're picked up for the market, aren't they? And the fruit from the greenhouses. For two pins I'd go back right there and tell the master everything."
"You do, me dear, you do, an' you take it from me you won't be able to see out of your eyes or walk for weeks. This is one you haven't got frightened, witch or no witch... . Look, I'm not afeared to grab you."
As his hands came on her she screamed and tore at his face with her fingers. But it was all over in a moment because she seemed to be torn from him and thrust into the long grass, and as she saw a whip descend across his shoulders she held her hand tightly over her mouth.
When she scrambled to her feet Summers was standing bent against the wall of the lodge holding his hand to his neck.
"Go on! Get away and pack up whatever belongs to you and get off this land as from today!"
"You ... you didn't employ me."
Summers was walking backwards now, still holding his neck. was "Tis only the master can sack me!" and Harry followed him, saying, "Well, I'm acting for the master, and--" He now looked towards the parcel and the basket lying at the lodge door and ended, "Give me the key of the lodge."
"I haven't got it."
Harry turned his head and looked towards Tilly. She did not speak but bent down and groped in the grass. After a moment she found the stone and took from under it the key and handed it to him.
Opening the door of the lodge, Harry went inside. On the bench in the scullery there were three empty fruit skips and, leaning against the wall under the bench, was a sack filled up to its gaping top with potatoes.
Turning to Tilly, he said, "Bring those packages in, Trotter"; and when she entered the scullery, he said, "Put them on the bench there and take up the empty ones."
She did this and went outside again where Summers was standing some distance away scowling darkly. When Harry said to him, "Get back to your quarters and stay there until I come," the man moved his head slowly and ground his teeth before turning away.
Harry now looked at Tilly, saying quietly, "Throw those skips into the grass. Whoever is going to pick that stuff up"--he nodded towards the window--"will come before dark surely... . Can you lead a horse?"
"I...I haven't done so yet, Master Harry."
"Well, come." He led the way on to the drive, saying, "He's gentle. Just take the lead, walk by his side, and take him to Leybum. No, on second thoughts, I'll tie him up along the drive."
"But... but what if there's more than one of them, Master Harry?"
"Don't worry; I'm not going to do anything brave, I'm just going to see who picks the stuff up. But I don't think it'll be any of the miners or those really in need, not if, as you say, this has been going on for a long time."
She lowered her head as she muttered now, "I've
... I've wanted to speak about it but I knew it would only cause trouble."
"You say inside is as bad too?"
"Worse, if anything, Master Harry. The bills could be lessened by half, I know that."
"Are they all in it?"
"Aye, yes."
"Good Lord!" He jerked his head. "How does it work?"
"They dish it out according to their positions."
"And you? How did you come off when you looked after the children?"
Her head was bent again. "They allotted me coppers, I didn't want it but ... but they had enough against me so I took it to keep the peace."
"Well, well, we live and learn. I know there's always bound to be rake-offs, but I thought it would only be the butler with the wine, you know, or the housekeeper getting a little percentage back from the tradesmen. But you think everything has been doubled?"
She didn't answer for a while, but then moved her head in an uncertain movement, saying now,
"Well, I don't know what the bills were but it seemed a lot of money to me that was doled out from Cook's book."
"Cook's book?" There was a high enquiry in his voice now.
"Well, she was over the kitchen staff and ... and
... Oh, I feel terrible, Master
Harry, saying all this."
"Well, you're only confirming what I already overheard from the road. And apart from that, I think I came just in time because that man was vicious, he could have done you an injury; and apparently"--now he poked his head towards her--"he isn't afraid of witches."
She didn't smile, she was sick to the pit of her stomach. Mr Pike, Simes, Mrs
Lucas, the cook, Maggie Short, Ada Tennant, Amy Stiles, Phyllis
Coates-Oh aye-Phyllis. What would happen to Phyllis? And Fred, Fred Leyburn. And then the outside men. She didn't care what happened to Summers, nor yet to Pilby, but Mr Hillman ... well, he had his cottage, and his wife wasn't in the best of health either. She had at one time been one of the laundry maids but she'd had to give it up when the daily ones came in. ...
It was Christmas and they'd all be out of work. She'd be putting them out of work. Oh no, she couldn't take the blame for that.
"Go along now; but don't say anything to my father."
She turned away and went up the drive and into the house by the side door, and when she reached her room on the nursery floor she lit the candle and sat down for a moment on the side of the bed. She was still in her outdoor clothes, but she was cold right to the heart of her. What was it about her that seemed to invite trouble? Was she so different from other girls? No, not that she could see. The only difference was that she could read and write a bit; but as yet her writing wasn't up to much. These two accomplishments were the only difference that divided her from the rest of youth because she was sure her feelings were just like those of other girls of her age: Katie, for instance, although she was younger; Maggie Short in the kitchen. There now came a doubt in her mind. Did they lie awake at night thinking of love? Not by anybody. Oh no not by anybody, just by one person. But no matter what they thought, people didn't react to them like they reacted to herself. And it wasn't only women who were against her, it was men too. They either loved her or hated her, there was no in between, no friendliness. That's what she wanted. If she couldn't have love, then friendliness was the next best thing, and at this moment that seemed as remote from her as the nightly desire and dream that Simon Bentwood was laying his head on her breast.
She rose from the bed and took off her coat and hat before putting on her bibbed apron and her white linen cuffs; smoothed her hair back, then adjusted her starched cap on top of it and, ready, she went down to the next floor.
<
br /> The Christmas holidays came and went, as did New Year, and there was no jollification in the house. The staff were perturbed; since the dismissal of Summers they had been waiting daily for a call to the master's room; but no such call had come. It was as if the master was ignoring the whole affair, and soon there were heard murmurs amongst them that Frank Summers deserved all he got, doing a bit on the side like that. And apparently not just a bit, by what John Hillman let out, because both Pilby and Hillman had been in on it. Nobody else had known about it, not even Leyburn because his work mostly kept him to the yard. But that the master was annoyed about something was evident in the fact that this year there had been no Christmas gifts sent down to the servants"
hall, and no message to Mr Pike to take a bottle or two from the cellar. But that hadn't stopped him, of course. Then again, they thought this omission could have been because there was no mistress in the house and it was usually the mistress who remembered these kinds of things.
So with time passing and Mr Harry now gone, their anxiety disappeared, although the perplexity still remained, and there was resurrected the feeling against-that one, because again, hadn't she been the cause of trouble?
If she hadn't sneaked on Frank Summers he'd still be here, wouldn't he? So what was going to be done about her? Nobody was safe as long as she stayed.
Then out of the blue the call came down to the kitchen. The master had summoned Mr Pike, and Pike came back downstairs on legs that were feeling decidedly weak, and he, summoning Mrs Lucas, the cook, and Simes, announced, "The master wants to see you all."
On this Mrs Lucas demanded, "Why wasn't I informed if the master wanted to see any member of the female staff?"
And to this Pike replied wearily, "What you forget, woman, is that I am really in charge of the house, but I've let you take the lead for years, it's saved trouble. And now let me tell you, I think we're all in for trouble."
Tilly opened the door to them and she could have been an automatic hinge on it for all the notice any of them took of her for their eyes went directly to the basket-chair and the man sitting upright in it.
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