by Iris Gower
‘That’s not all of it, Dafydd!’ Jayne interrupted. ‘The girl answered me back. She was insolent to me and I will not tolerate it.’
With a sigh Dafydd put down the papers. ‘Go and get your things, Katie, and I’ll drive you over to Mr Morton-Edwards’ house. I’m sure he’ll have a place for you.’
‘But, Dafydd,’ Jayne protested, ‘you must let the girl find her own situation. Why should my father take her in?’ She spun to face Shanni. ‘And trust you to be involved in all this! You can’t keep away from my husband, can you?’
‘Jayne! Control yourself and act like a lady, not a fishwife.’
Katie watched the colour recede from Mrs Buchan’s face, and felt almost sorry for her.
‘A fishwife, is it?’ Jayne asked, her voice low with anger. ‘And I suppose you have always acted like a perfect gentleman, have you?’
‘Jayne,’ his voice held a warning, ‘don’t say something you might regret.’
Katie backed towards the door. If man and wife needed to argue, it should be done in private. Shanni, however, stood her ground, apparently enjoying every minute of the confrontation.
‘Oh, no, you must appear faultless, mustn’t you, Dafydd? No one dares to speak of your shameful liaison with Llinos Mainwaring, do they? But everyone talks about you behind your back, Dafydd, and you know what they say?’ She did not wait for a reply. ‘They say it is still going on now, husband. What have you to say about that?’
Dafydd ignored his wife and opened the door of the drawing room. ‘Ladies,’ he said, ‘after you.’ Katie almost ran from the room. ‘Get your belongings, Katie.’ He spoke kindly. ‘As I said, I’ll take you over to Mr Morton-Edwards’ house as soon as the carriage is ready.’
Katie went upstairs with Shanni, who looked around her with shining eyes. ‘Well, that put Mrs High and Mighty in her place!’ she said. ‘And even with all this wealth and luxury she doesn’t know how to keep her husband happy.’
‘Hush!’ Katie warned. ‘You don’t want any of the other servants to hear, do you?’
‘I don’t give a fig,’ Shanni retorted. ‘Come on, now, let’s get your things and join Dafydd, shall we?’
The ways of some folks were a mystery to Katie, and she wished she was back at Greenhill, living quietly at home with her parents. But they were dead and she was on her own now. She glanced at Shanni. No, not quite on her own, she had Shanni as a friend and – her heart missed a beat – she was walking out with Bull Beynon, the handsomest man in Swansea.
CHAPTER TEN
Bull ran his hands around the collar of his one good shirt, feeling hot in spite of the cold weather. He sat in the plush room of Government Buildings aware that he was being judged by the man seated before him. On him rested his future as a manager on the Great Western Railway.
‘So, Mr Beynon, you wish to become a manager?’ Mr Morton-Edwards looked closely at him, sizing him up.
‘Yes, sir,’ Bull replied. ‘I’m used to the railways, well versed in the stresses and strains of steel, and I know how to check the rolling stock and make sure the tracks are in good condition.’
‘But only in the way a navvy would be familiar with the workings of a railway, is that right?’
‘Not quite, sir. I read and write, I have studied plans with the engineers. I think I know a great deal more than a nayvy.’ Bull’s fate might have been in the hands of the man seated opposite him, but he had no intention of crawling to him.
‘Beynon is a remarkable man, Eynon,’ Mr Cookson, who was also at the meeting, said slowly. ‘I have the utmost faith in his ability or I would not have raised the matter. He knows all about Mr Brunel and his work on the Landore Viaduct.’
Bull remained silent, studying Morton-Edwards, knowing how shrewd a businessman he was. The talk on the line was that he had acquired railway shares when they were scarcer than hen’s teeth. As he was wealthy and influential it had not been long before he was asked to join the board of governors of the South Wales line.
‘Very good.’ Morton-Edwards looked at Cookson. ‘Well, I’m satisfied that the cost of training Mr Beynon would be well worthwhile, but I’d like to know what the other board members have to say about it. We’ll be in touch, Beynon, and thank you for your time.’
Bull got to his feet. ‘Thank you, sir,’ he nodded to Morton-Edwards, ‘and thank you for your faith in me, Mr Cookson.’
Outside, the air was cold on his face. He turned to look at the large building, grand and imposing in the fading light. Men like Eynon Morton-Edwards were used to such finery, and one day, Bull vowed, he would be too.
He mounted the horse lent to him by Mr Cookson and turned it towards home, which was still just a shanty on the edge of the muddy workings. One day, home would mean something very different.
‘He’s a fine young man,’ Eynon said later, at his house. ‘I liked the cut of his jib, though he’s an independent sod.’
‘The thing about Bull Beynon,’ Cookson said, ‘is that he’s his own man, not open to coercion or bribery, a man of intelligence and a man to trust.’
‘So, perhaps we should look to getting him trained properly.’
‘I’m glad you agree, but I would prefer to wait until the line to Swansea is opened. At the moment he’s too useful to part with.’
‘I’ll leave it with you, then, but in the meantime I’ll bring it up with the other governors. I don’t anticipate any problems there.’ Eynon was more than happy to propose the young man and with Cookson seconding him, Bull would have his promotion. ‘Now, will you take a glass of my new Madeira?’ Eynon liked Cookson: the man was talented – honest into the bargain. ‘It’s not everyone I’d share my wine with,’ he said, ‘but I think we both deserve a drink in celebration of setting a young man on the road to better things. Apart from that, the Madeira is rich and fruity and slides down a dry throat like silk.’
‘Just what the doctor ordered.’ Cookson loosened his waistcoat buttons and settled more comfortably in his chair. ‘Do you mind if I smoke my pipe?’ He held it up.
‘Please do and I think I’ll join you.’ Not having a woman about the place certainly had its advantages, Eynon reflected. ‘My house has been a haven of peace since my daughter married,’ he mused. ‘I never thought I’d say it but I’m glad to be on my own again.’
‘And I’d give anything to have a good woman around,’ Cookson sounded wistful, ‘but being an engineer’s wife is no life for a woman. She either travels with her husband or waits at home alone. No, I’m better off as a bachelor, at least for now.’
‘Don’t say that! A young man like you needs a wife and children. You’ve a great deal to offer so don’t sell yourself short, Cookson.’ He rang the bell, and shortly afterwards he heard a light tap at the door. ‘Ah, Katie.’ He smiled. The girl had fitted into his household again with little trouble – relieved, it seemed, to be away from Jayne’s iron rule. ‘Will you fetch me my best Madeira, Katie, and two glasses?’
She bobbed a curtsey and hurried away to do his bidding.
‘I think my daughter was too strict with the girl,’ Eynon observed. ‘Jayne gave her quite a time of it before she dispensed with Katie’s services because she caught her gossiping when she was supposed to be at market. Women! Will we ever understand them?’
Cookson smiled. ‘Well, if you, a twice married man, can’t, I have no chance!’
‘Aye, twice married and none the wiser.’ Eynon shook his head. ‘Give me plain honest business and I know where I am – and I’m more than happy to help Beynon.’ He smiled wryly. ‘But he’ll have to dress in respectable clothes before I introduce him to the rest of the board. It’s surprising how men of education and wealth will judge a man by his dress not his intelligence.’ There was another tap at the door and Katie appeared with a tray, the glasses and a decanter of the rich brown wine. Eynon poured it and handed Cookson a glass. They sipped silently for a few moments. Then Eynon took out his pocket watch and stared down at it, screwing up his eyes in an effo
rt to see the hands. ‘Got the time, Cookson? My eyes are not what they were.’
‘It’s sixteen minutes past six and I really should be going.’
Eynon nodded. ‘Thank you for introducing me to your prodigy. He’s a fine young man and worthy of your interest.’ He stood up and opened the door to let Cookson into the hall. Katie was there at once with the man’s coat and hat. She bobbed another curtsey and waited in silence until Cookson had gone and the front door was closed behind him.
‘Why are you hovering, Katie? Did you want to speak to me?’
‘I did, sir. I wondered if I may have a few hours off this evening.’ She smiled, and Eynon’s face softened: she really was a pleasant child.
‘What’s the occasion?’ he asked. ‘It looks as though you might have found a sweetheart – you seem excited.’
The lace on the edge of her cap cast shadows over her eyes so that he could not read her expression as she said, ‘I’ve been invited to supper, sir, with Shanni Morgan. I hope you don’t mind, sir.’
‘Why should I mind?’ Eynon asked. ‘If you’ve made friends with the girl, that’s your business and no one else’s. Go with my blessing.’
He returned to the sitting room, amazed at how easy it was to make some people happy. Little Katie was thrilled with such simple treats – her choir practice and now her new friends. Poor child, she must have had such a sheltered background. It was to be hoped that her innocence was not spoiled by some unscrupulous young man. Still, that was none of his business.
He poured himself another glass of Madeira and sat in his favourite chair. The fire glowed in the hearth, and outside the rain had begun to fall. He would be content if only Llinos were seated opposite him as his wife. But that would never be. Llinos was his friend, and that was all she could ever be so he might as well accept the situation.
Katie hesitated before she knocked at the door of the cottage. She could see a lamp burning inside and the sound of voices made her heart flutter. It was childish to be so excited by an invitation to supper with her new friends, but she couldn’t help it. In any case, Shanni had invited Bull too, and that was enough to bring the colour to Katie’s cheeks.
The door opened and Shanni was there smiling. Her red hair was swept up in curls at each side of her face, she was dressed in a good gown of heavy velvet and she looked every inch the grand lady. Katie felt dowdy in her heavy dark skirt and plain turnover.
‘Come in and sit by the fire, Katie, love. You must be frozen, but at least the rain has stopped.’ Shanni drew her into the room and closed the door on the misty night. ‘Come and meet my husband, Pedr. You already know his friend, Bull Beynon, don’t you?’ She linked arms with Katie and drew her into the warmth of the parlour, where the fire blazed brightly. ‘Peck, come and meet Katie.’
Pedr was dark and well built but when Bull Beynon came to stand beside him he towered a full six inches over him.
‘Nice to meet you, Mr Morgan,’ Katie said. She glanced up at Bull, who smiled encouragingly.
‘Hello, Katie,’ he said. ‘It’s lovely to see you again and I didn’t think it would be so soon.’ He grinned wickedly. ‘I think this is some sort of matchmaking plan, don’t you?’ His look was meaningful and Katie smiled: she could hardly have expected Shanni to know that she and Bull were already walking out together.
‘What do you mean by “so soon”?’ Shanni asked. ‘What have you two been up to? Come, sit down and tell us all about it.’ She nudged Katie’s arm. ‘Are you a bit of a dark horse, then?’
‘Well, Bull and me have been out together a few times now, haven’t we, Bull?’
‘Well,’ Shanni put her hands on her hips, ‘and there’s me thinking you a shy little girl! You do surprise me.’ She laughed. ‘I’m only teasing – don’t look so worried.’
Bull took a seat near Katie and she felt his magnetism. So did Shanni.
‘Saints alive,’ Shanni said, ‘I think you’re the luckiest girl alive, walking out with a man like Bull Beynon.’ She touched her husband’s arm. ‘If I wasn’t married to this one here I’d be setting my cap at Bull and no mistake.’ She got to her feet. ‘Well, supper won’t make itself so I’ll go and see if the meat is done.’
‘I’ll come and help you, love.’ Pedr paused in the doorway and looked back. ‘Be good now, you two, because I’ll be keeping an eye on you.’ He winked to show he was just joking but the colour rose to Katie’s cheeks.
‘They mean well,’ Bull said easily. ‘It’s just their way of throwing us together. Have you noticed that married folk can’t wait for the rest of us to tie the knot?’
Katie wondered if he was annoyed. ‘Shanni and I have met in town a few times and I never told her anything about us, I promise.’
‘Don’t worry, I’m proud and happy that you’re my girl. I want the whole world to know so talk away and I won’t mind one bit.’ He put his hand over hers. ‘Perhaps I haven’t told you this but I do love you very much indeed, Katie Cullen.’
She felt a flutter of her heart as he spoke her name – she had always thought it plain but it wasn’t when he said it. His words thrilled her and she looked up at him shyly, wanting to kiss him.
He leaned forward. ‘Isn’t it nice being together like this? I could almost imagine we were sitting together in our own little house. Once I’m manager, Katie, we can start to make plans.’ He was so in charge of himself, so at ease with the situation that Katie felt like a lost little girl. Why couldn’t she think of something clever to say or, better still, make a tender remark? Her mouth was suddenly dry.
‘In the meantime, you’re well placed working for Mr Morton-Edwards, aren’t you?’ Bull went on.
‘Yes, I’m happy up at the Big House,’ Katie said. ‘Mrs Buchan could be very difficult.’
That, she thought, was putting it mildly. Strange that a nice man like Mr Morton-Edwards had fathered a girl like her.
Bull sat back in his chair. ‘I’m hoping Mr Morton-Edwards will speak soon to the board of governors of the railway. I want to know if I’ve got the job.’
Katie would have liked to ask Bull about his plans for the future. Would he have to go away once the line was finished?
He glanced at her and smiled. ‘I’ll have to travel wherever the work takes me,’ he seemed to know what she was thinking, ‘but I won’t be going away until the line into Swansea is open and by then I hope we’ll be . . .’ His words trailed away as Shanni came back into the room. ‘Come on, you two turtle-doves,’ she said playfully. ‘I’ve been slaving over the fire making a good meal for you so come and eat it and don’t dare to leave a morsel.’
Katie got to her feet, her heart fluttering. Had Bull been about to mention marriage?
‘We’ll talk more when I walk you home afterwards.’
Bull had spoken quietly but Shanni heard him. ‘Of course you must walk her home. An innocent like Katie needs a strong man at her side.’ She laughed as Katie blushed. ‘Don’t be shy, girl, and don’t be slow! You’ve got a catch there that any girl in Swansea would give a month’s wages to have.’
Katie walked into the kitchen beside Bull, her heart full of happiness. She was in love and it was the most wonderful feeling on earth.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
‘Oh, but darling, you know how much I was looking forward to this evening. Do you have to work tonight?’ Jayne was aware that she sounded pettish but this was the third time Dafydd had gone back on his promise to be in for supper with her father.
‘I’m sorry, my dear, but it’s something I can’t put off.’
‘Well, you do realize that Papa will be upset, don’t you? He’ll think you’re doing this on purpose, that you’re afraid to face him.’
Dafydd frowned. ‘I’ve never hidden from anything or anyone in my life and I don’t intend to start now, but I have a business to run, or have you forgotten? Your father has the luxury of being retired – oh, I know he dabbles in the railway but otherwise he has all the time in the world, which I do not.’
Jayne tried a different tack. ‘Please, darling, just for me, just this once.’ She put her arms round him. ‘Please, Dafydd, I don’t ask much, do I?’
‘Jayne, be told, I can’t come tonight.’ Clearly he was in no mood to be coaxed.
‘Oh, go to your stupid meeting or whatever it is,’ she snapped, and drew away from him. She wondered why he was avoiding her eyes. ‘You wouldn’t be seeing Llinos Mainwaring by any chance, would you?’
A strange expression flitted across his face, and suddenly she was frightened. ‘You surely haven’t taken up with that old woman again?’ Her voice was shrill, and fear clawed at her – fear and jealousy that her husband had made love to another woman. ‘You’re still in love with her, aren’t you?’
‘Don’t be silly, Jayne!’ His voice was sharp. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Jayne clenched her hands, feeling her nails cut into the palms. ‘I’ve hit on the truth, haven’t I? You don’t love me, you love her.’ Her anger dissolved and she sank into a chair, her hands over her face.
Dafydd’s silence spelt out his guilt. Jayne raised her head and studied his face for any sign of tenderness, but all she saw was discomfort.
‘Why did you marry me if you didn’t love me?’ Tears welled in her eyes and ran down her face. ‘Am I to be a brood mare to give you legitimate sons? Why are you torturing me like this when I love you as I never loved anyone in my life?’
He sighed. ‘Come here.’ He drew her to her feet and put his arms round her. ‘Hush, now. Of course I love you, you are my wife. I made my vows to you and I mean to keep them.’
‘Oh, Dafydd, please tell me you’re not seeing Llinos any more – tell me she’s not your mistress, please!’
‘I have not laid a finger on Llinos since you and I were married,’ he said. ‘Don’t forget that she has principles and she would never do anything to hurt you. Try to understand that. She’s a good woman.’
It was as if he was turning a knife in her heart: he was defending Llinos, pointing out her virtues as if his wife should be grateful to her. She exploded with rage. ‘Get away from me! You’re not denying you love that woman, not for one minute! All you do is defend her. I think I hate you!’ She paused for breath. ‘You do still love her or you wouldn’t talk about her like that, telling me how good she is. Well, perhaps it’s time I told you a few home truths.’ She was past thought now. All she could feel was pain. She seemed overtaken with the desire to hurt him as he had hurt her. ‘You have never given yourself to me wholeheartedly. I can tell that by the way you make love to me. I have always felt disappointed when you leave my bed and now I know why.’