A Mother's Duty

by June Francis

‘I don’t know. It’s you that’s supposed to be the brains of the family. Think of something!’

  ‘I thought the Irish great-uncles would be of some use but they seem to like him,’ murmured Mick, noticing the girl who had stopped outside their hotel. ‘“Big strong fella just what your mammy needs!”’ He mimicked his great-uncle Kevin. ‘And you can’t deny that, Teddy. The big fella is just what Ma needs. Neither of us want to work here after we’ve finished school. I hate it! Especially when it’s bursting at the seams like it is now.’

  ‘I know! But we’d still have to live here and I don’t want him bossing me around. So what do we do?’ said Teddy.

  ‘Don’t ask me,’ muttered Mick. Opening the door, he went outside, glad that Annie, who had been a lot more cheerful this week, had gone out for a few hours, taking her goofy sisters with her. For once he and his brothers had the place to themselves. Ben was upstairs in the attic but most of the guests had gone to the races and were not back yet. Kitty and the big fella had also gone to Aintree with the O’Neills. He thought about how excited Kitty had looked and he realised how seldom she had a day out. Even so, he felt certain it was not only going out that had made her look like she had picked out the winner for the National.

  He stood on the step, his hands in his trouser pockets, and stared at the girl coming towards him. He had been right. It was Celia. The black hat had put him off the scent because he had never seen her wear one before and it made her appear older. She was carrying a puppy. His puppy! The one that favoured a black eye patch.

  ‘Hi!’ he said and walked towards her.

  ‘Hello, Mick.’ Her smile revealed how unsure of herself she was in this different setting. She wore a brown coat which made her look thinner and which somehow did not go with the hat. He realised close up she had been crying.

  ‘What’s up?’ he said gently.

  Immediately her eyes filled with tears. ‘Me gran’s dead and she’s left only enough money to bury herself. Me mam’s furious.’ Her voice trembled. ‘I had to get out. She was screeching right, left and centre and she had a man there taking away the animals. I only just about managed to save Nelson. I’ve brought him for you.’ She held the puppy out to him.

  Mick stared at her in astonishment and took the dog from her and automatically began to stroke it. Nelson turned his head and licked his hand. Mick’s mind began to race frantically in search of a way he could keep the dog and pacify his mother at the same time.

  ‘He likes you,’ said Celia, managing a watery smile.

  ‘I like him,’ he said simply. ‘Are you coming in?’

  ‘Will your ma mind?’ she said anxiously.

  ‘Of course not! Besides she’s not back from the races yet.’ He led the way indoors. ‘Want a cup of tea?’

  ‘Love one.’

  He led her into the warm kitchen, which was redolent with the smell of roasting mutton and baking. Nelson’s head went this way and that and he struggled to get down. ‘I’ll have to put him in the yard,’ said Mick. ‘Ma’ll go mad if I let him loose in here.’

  ‘Perhaps I shouldn’t have brought him after all,’ said Celia doubtfully. ‘But I knew how much you wanted him and they’d probably have drowned him.’

  ‘No! It’s OK! It’s just that Ma has a thing about dogs and mess. My gran was the same.’ He opened the back door and placed the puppy in the yard. Nelson started to sniff around.

  ‘He’ll be all right,’ said Celia confidently. ‘Feed him on bread and milk and little scraps and he’ll cope.’

  Mick felt sure Nelson would, but his main worry was where to put him until he had a chance to explain to Kitty how useful a dog could be. Perhaps he could hide him in the outhouse? It was far enough away from the hotel for any noises not to penetrate the kitchen. He put some milk on a saucer and put it outside.

  He had just made tea when Teddy sauntered into the room. He nodded in Celia’s direction and said to his brother, ‘Everything OK?’

  ‘Celia’s lost her gran.’

  He grinned. ‘Where did she lose her?’

  Mick frowned. ‘She’s upset, dope. They’ve got no money and her ma’s had to close the pet shop.’

  ‘That’s tough luck,’ said Teddy sympathically.

  Celia swallowed. ‘We’re both going to have to find jobs. I didn’t realise it but Mam’s got herself into debt again. I don’t know what to do! I wondered if you’d heard anything from Little John. He can calm her down like no one else can.’

  Teddy’s eyes gleamed. ‘Funny you should say that. He’s working here. As soon as he comes in we’ll tell him about your trouble.’

  Celia stared at him. ‘Working here! But why?’

  ‘He’s after me ma that’s why,’ he said impatiently.

  ‘You mean—?’

  ‘It looks like wedding bells,’ said Mick gloomily. ‘You can see it in the way they look at each other.’

  Teddy pulled a face. ‘You think they’d be too old for all that soppy stuff but they’re goo-goo eyed about each other.’

  ‘You mean they’re in love!’ exclaimed Celia, her eyes unexpectedly bright. Mick and Teddy said nothing but she did not seem to notice. Then her expression altered. ‘Oh lor’! This changes things. I can’t ask him to speak to me mam now. Yours wouldn’t like it.’

  Teddy exchanged glances with Mick before smiling at Celia. ‘Ma wouldn’t mind. A good Christian woman is our ma. Although she doesn’t have time to get to church she’d help anyone in trouble. Why don’t you send yours round here? She could have a job. We could be getting rushed off our feet more often now the O’Neills are going to advertise our hotel on their ships.’

  Celia looked at Mick. ‘You really think your ma would give her a job?’

  ‘I’m not saying anything,’ he said, scowling at Teddy.

  ‘Sure she will,’ said his brother, pulling out a chair. ‘Sit down, Celia.’

  She sat, gazing about her. ‘Is it all as nice as this?’

  ‘What? The kitchen?’ said Mick, going over to the back door and opening it to check the puppy was all right. It was sniffing the drainpipe.

  She grinned. ‘No, the hotel. I’ve never been in one before.’

  ‘You’re not missing much. I’d rather have a proper home.’

  ‘Oh I don’t know. Gran always said it’s people that make a house a home.’ Her eyes filled with tears and Mick said hastily, ‘Don’t cry,’ handing her the nearest thing to hand which happened to be a tea towel.

  Celia looked at the size of it and laughed. ‘I don’t know why I’m crying. She had as happy a life as anyone could, she always said.’

  ‘She was nice.’ Mick smiled and Celia returned his smile.

  Teddy stared at the pair of them. ‘Perhaps Celia would like to see over the place?’

  She turned her smile on him. ‘I’d love it.’

  ‘Not the guests’ bedrooms, though,’ said Mick swiftly. ‘Ma wouldn’t allow that.’

  Teddy nodded and held out a hand to Celia but Mick brushed it away. ‘After she’s finished her tea I’ll show her around.’

  Teddy grinned. ‘OK, big brother. I think I’ll slip round to the engineering works if I’m not needed here. Ma’ll be back soon, don’t forget. See you later.’

  There was silence after Teddy had gone. Mick made the tea before picking up a knife and removing a cloth from one of the square baking tins on the table. He knew his mother had been up at four that morning to get a headstart on the day and saw that she had made bakewell tart. His mouth watered and then, with a spurt of irritation, he remembered that guests came first and replaced the cloth. ‘Jam buttie?’ he asked, going over to one of the bread crocks.

  ‘Thanks,’ said Celia. ‘Who does the cooking?’

  ‘Ma. She does most things with Annie and our help. At the moment we have her two younger sisters helping as well, but they’re hopeless.’

  ‘And Little John. What does he do?’

  Mick considered as he sliced bread. ‘You could say a bit of ev
erything. I’ll give him that he’s prepared to help Ma where and when she asks him,’ he said grudgingly.

  ‘You don’t like him.’ Celia stared at him and, after a moment’s hesitation, added, ‘I suppose it’s natural.’

  He frowned. ‘What do you mean it’s natural?’

  ‘An older man in the house. You’re jealous.’

  ‘I’m not jealous!’ He slapped plum jam on the bread. ‘I did have a father once, you know, and an uncle living here.’

  Celia continued to stare at him and he felt discomforted. He handed her the buttie on a plate. ‘I’m not jealous,’ he repeated, and bit into the bread.

  ‘If you say so.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ he said with his mouth full and a glint in his eye.

  ‘What I said. If you say so it must be true.’

  Mick swallowed. ‘It is true. I just don’t think Ma needs a husband. A man around the place – yes, I can accept that. Me and Teddy aren’t strong enough to do some of the things he can but why does she have to marry him?’

  ‘Has she said she’s marrying him?’

  He shook his head.

  ‘Then why—?’

  ‘Because,’ he said vehemently, ‘it’s as I said before, it’s the way they look at each other when they think none of us are watching. It makes me feel …’ He searched for words and then wondered why he was telling Celia all this when he didn’t have to. ‘Let’s forget them,’ he muttered. ‘Drink your tea and I’ll show you round the place. That’s if you still want to see it, and you think it’s all right to leave Nelson alone in the yard?’

  ‘I do want to see it,’ she said hastily. ‘As for Nelson, the way you talk about your ma, it might be a good idea if you tell her Nelson’ll make a good guard dog when he’s bigger. He could chase off any other Charleys that might come round.’

  Mick grinned. ‘I suppose it’s worth a try.’

  ‘Nothing ventured, nothing gained,’ said Celia.

  He showed her the main rooms downstairs and the bathroom on the first floor. ‘Ma’d like one on every floor and washbasins in all the rooms with hot and cold running water. It’s her dream.’

  ‘It’s lovely!’

  ‘What?’ Mick blinked at Celia.

  She smiled and folded her arms across her budding chest. ‘You are lucky. It must be really interesting having different people coming and going. Where do they come from?’

  Mick had never considered himself lucky in that way. Lucky in having food and clothes and shoes on his feet, yeah! But not—

  He saw she was waiting for an answer. ‘America, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Holland, Sweden, Norway. My grandfather was a Norwegian whaler and we have relatives there that we’ve never met. Although Ma sends a card at Christmas and her Norwegian aunt sends her one back.’ He waved a hand. ‘People from all over the place! England included!’ He grinned, feeling unexpectedly better about living in the hotel.

  ‘Lovely,’ she repeated quietly. ‘I like people. I’m going to miss the shop. We used to have sailors coming in selling us parrots and monkeys before the Depression and there was a good trade for them then. Ma used to chase me out. I reckon now it was so she could flirt with the men. I don’t think I’ll tell her Little John’s here.’

  Mick stared at her. She seemed quite different all of a sudden. Before he lost his nerve he leaned forward and kissed her. It was a clumsy kiss and almost missed its mark but she did not seem to mind. Only when she stepped back from him did he see that her cheeks were rose-petal pink.

  ‘I’d better go,’ she said with an unexpectedly mature air.

  ‘Why?’

  Celia hesitated. ‘I’d just better.’ She leaned forward, kissed his cheek and fled.

  Kitty hurried upstairs, with John dogging her footsteps, and into her bedroom. He followed her in, closing the door behind him. She whirled and they stared at each other. Her bones felt as if they were melting. ‘There isn’t time,’ she said, withdrawing a couple of hat pins and removing her hat. ‘Some of the guests are already home and they’ll be wanting their dinner.’

  ‘Not even time for one kiss,’ he murmured, reaching for her.

  She dropped her hat on the bed and went into his arms. ‘Only one,’ she said firmly.

  They kissed as if they had not met for a month instead of having spent most of the day in each other’s company. She had enjoyed herself immensely. The crowds had been huge and although the Prince of Wales had disappointed by not being at the races, the Princess Royal had looked lovely in a fur-trimmed coat and a chic little hat. Mr Churchill had worn a snappy grey trilby and carried what must have been the largest binoculars on the course. An Irish horse tipped by the uncles had won the race, so it looked like Ben would not have to worry about her not giving him sweetie money for weeks, because the uncles had bet a whole shilling each way on Kellesboro Lad for each of the boys. Daniel and Rebekah had been good company and John had amused. Although some of his remarks had been slightly barbed and aimed at the nobs, that was probably down to the poverty he had experienced in his wanderings.

  Poverty! Kitty might have discovered there was a life for her besides work, but she only had to wander some of the back slums in the ’pool to come face to face with the degradation which lack of work and money could cause. She was not about to forget she had a hotel to run just because she wanted the big fella to make mad passionate love to her. It was something they had not done – yet. ‘John, let me go,’ she muttered against his mouth.

  ‘I don’t want to let you go.’ He lifted and flung her on the bed and dropped beside her. ‘We’re lying on my working frock,’ she whispered, hoping none of the boys were in their bedroom and that Annie would not choose this moment to come in.

  ‘Sod your frock,’ he said, dragging her against him. ‘Marry me now, Kit. I want you and it’s no use your saying you don’t feel the same way.’

  ‘I do, I do,’ she said softly. ‘But you haven’t been back a week – and what about the boys?’

  He groaned and was silent a moment before saying, ‘Teddy resents me being here as things are. So what’s going to be different?’

  ‘We’ll be married. You’ll be here for ever.’

  ‘That’s what I want to be.’ He gazed into her eyes and his hand caressed her breast. ‘Say yes. Everything’ll be all right, sweetheart.’

  She was silent, considering the life he had led. ‘Are you sure you really want to stay for the rest of your life? If you upped and left because, maybe, you’re not used to being in one place,’ she said in a rush, ‘I wouldn’t like it very much.’

  ‘Trust me. This is where I want to be.’ His face loomed close and he kissed her again.

  There was a knock on the door and instantly she pushed him away and rose swiftly from the bed. ‘Who is it?’ she called.

  ‘It’s me, Annie. I’ve taken the meat out and put the vegetables on. Will you be doing the gravy?’

  ‘Yes. I’m just changing. I’ll be down in a minute.’

  ‘OK.’

  There was the sound of retreating footsteps and Kitty glanced at John. ‘I’ll have to get ready.’

  He sat back against the pillows and smiled. ‘When we get married we’ll have to buy a longer bed.’

  She shook her head at him. ‘Never mind that now. If we don’t get cracking there won’t be any money for a bed. Out please.’

  ‘Seeing as how you said please I’ll go.’ He stood, hugged her in passing, and left the room.

  ‘Everything OK, Annie?’ asked Kitty, reaching for her pinafore when she entered the kitchen.

  ‘Don’t ask,’ muttered her cousin, not looking up from stirring soup. ‘Our Mo has walked out and taken our Barb with her. She dropped a plate and when I told her off she had the nerve to say she couldn’t work with me. Jobs as hard to find as gold dust and she’s flung in the towel! I ask you, Kit, where’s her brains? Mam’ll have a fit. I mean our Barb would have gone anyway. She’s too young to be working all hours but our Mo is just
a lazy madam.’

  ‘Damn!’ said Kitty, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. ‘Where are Mick and Teddy?’

  ‘Mick’s seeing to the fires and Teddy’s carrying the hot water up. They’re good lads. Although I had to speak to Mick a bit sharp-like. He seemed in a bit of a dream.’

  Kitty was silent, wondering if it was John’s presence which was having that effect on her eldest son. She took out the cornflour.

  Annie glanced at her. ‘He’ll be OK. I believe boys go through it as well as girls at that age.’ Kitty stared at her uncomprehendingly. ‘The growing up-like, Kit! He’ll come round to the big fella and you getting married. You are getting married?’

  Kitty hesitated. ‘We haven’t known each other long. It’s a big decision, Annie.’

  ‘How long d’yer need at your age?’ said her cousin scornfully. ‘I was ready to marry Mr Jones just to have a father for the baby and to get away from everything, but thank God I don’t need to now.’ Annie’s period had come the evening she had gone to the Pivvy with the old man. ‘I know the big fella’s got no money but he’s strong and, give him his due, he’ll work.’

  ‘I wish you weren’t going, Annie. I could up your wages a little. Even more so if we stay busy.’

  Annie shook her head. ‘Ta, but I’ve made up me mind. You give me a good reference and I reckon I’ll have no trouble finding work in London.’

  Kitty hoped Annie was right, for her cousin’s sake, but comforted herself with the thought that if Annie was wrong she would be back in her old job before too long.

  John entered and Kitty asked him to cut bread to go with the soup and serve the first course with Annie. He nodded and they all got on with what they were doing. The boys came in and for the next hour or so they were all rushed off their feet.

  It was only later, when the kitchen was silent for a few minutes, that Kitty became aware of a dog yelping, but she ignored the sound. It was only when she went into the yard to put something in the dustbin that she realised the noise was coming from the outhouse. She hesitated a moment before making her way down the darkened yard.

  She did not open the door straightaway but stood listening, thinking that it did not sound like a very big dog. She inched the door open and immediately a damp nose thrust its way into the opening and against her leg, its owner emitting short sharp yelps. It did not look very fierce but she had never had a dog and closed the door quickly before running up the yard.