The Royal Lacemaker (5 page)

Watching him go, Lily couldn't
help thinking that if they could be wed, many of her problems would be solved. But
etiquette decreed she must wait six months since her father's passing. Thank
goodness she didn't have to walk the rest of the way home, she thought,
wearily climbing onto the donkey's back.

Back at the cottage, she found her aunt
hovering anxiously on the step.

‘There you are, my dear. I was
that worried when Doris came back without you. You'll have to make sure
she's securely tethered in future. I suppose old Ned was too busy supping down
at the alehouse to notice she'd gone.'

‘Yes, Aunt Elizabeth,' Lily
replied, deciding to keep her suspicions to herself for the time being.
‘How's Mother?'

Her aunt clucked her tongue and shook
her head. ‘She's gone into decline. The shock of losing her home, on top
of everything else, is plaguing her something dreadful.'

‘I'll go straight in and see
her,' Lily said, shrugging off her shawl.

‘No, don't disturb her.
I've given her some more valerian root to make her sleep. Beth's woolly
to the world
too. Now sit yourself down and tell me what
you've decided to do about the squire's proposition?'

Lily smiled wryly. If only her aunt knew
how close to the truth her words were.

‘I've thought of little
else. In fact I'm surprised I've been able to work at all.'

‘Well, that's probably your
conscience pricking you. Poor Robert's been fretting all day. He feels bad he
can't take over here as your dear father intended, God rest his soul. Of
course, if your brother Timmy had lived, then things might have been
different,' her aunt said with a sigh.

Lily thought of the little brother
she'd loved and then of the twins who'd been born sleeping two years
later. And now her father was buried in the churchyard
alongside … Realizing her aunt was still speaking, she forced herself back
to the present.

‘Still, I told Robert you'd
have the right answer for the squire when he returns in a couple of days, what with
you being such a sensible lass,' her aunt said, patting her hand.

‘Look, Aunt Elizabeth, you might
as well know that I have no intention of going into service for the squire,'
Lily said.

‘I know you like working for Mrs
Bodney, but your family need a home and working for the squire would provide the
perfect solution.'

‘I said no, Aunt Elizabeth, and I
meant it,' Lily shouted.

‘There's no need to get
uppity, Lily. Sometimes we have to think of others in this life. Out of the goodness
of his heart, the squire is offering you a respectable position.'

‘Respectable?' Lily
shrieked, shaking her head so
violently, her aunt looked
momentarily shocked, but then reached out and patted her arm gently.

‘Well, if you're that
insistent, where do you propose living?'

Lily looked down at the ground, for the
truth was, although she'd thought until her head hurt, she hadn't been
able to find a solution.

‘There's the old cottage Pa
Perkins had before he died. Perhaps the squire would let you rent that,' her
aunt suggested.

‘I hardly think so,' Lily
spluttered, hating the thought of even asking.

‘Well, you'll have to think
of something soon, my girl. Sometimes we have to put up with things not being
exactly as we want them to be in this life. Surely working for the squire is
preferable to being out on the streets?'

‘Never! You do know he preys on
innocent girls up at that fine manor of his? Why, he—'

‘Tut, tut!' Aunt Elizabeth
cut in. ‘And he's tried it on with you, I suppose? You should be careful
what you insinuate, Lily. There are smuts where there's smoke, and smuts
stick, believe you me.'

‘And you'd know about such
things, I suppose,' Lily said, narrowing her eyes. For a moment she thought
she'd gone too far.

Then: ‘Just be careful,
that's all I say,' her aunt muttered, looking away quickly. In the heavy
silence that followed, Lily felt as if the walls were closing in on her. Unable to
bear the tense atmosphere any longer, she fled back outside.

A stiff breeze was blowing in from the
sea, and she
shivered, wishing she'd grabbed her shawl.
Hearing the sound of waves pounding the base of the cliffs made her think of Tom.
How she wished she could talk things over with him. Still, it was obvious her aunt
didn't believe her so why would he?

Doris ambled over and nuzzled her
pocket. With a sob, Lily buried her head in the animal's fur. What was she to
do? Despite what her aunt thought, she knew that if she agreed to work for the
squire, he'd take it as a signal she was willing to accept his advances. If
she didn't they'd have nowhere to live and it would be her fault.

Although it was barely light when the
lace makers filed into the workroom next morning, Mrs Bodney was pacing the room,
impatient to address them. Seeing the stern expression on her face, their friendly
chatter turned to silence. Lily hurriedly took her seat, determined to push her
domestic worries to the back of her mind.

‘Ladies, I want you to listen
carefully to what I have to say,' their employer said, pausing to make sure
she had their attention. ‘Whilst you've been learning the pattern and
making a start on the sprigs for the flounce, I've let you work at your own
pace. Yesterday evening, I inspected your work and whilst the quality is acceptable,
the quantity is not. In order to meet the deadline, it is imperative your output
increases substantially.' Again she paused, her bright eyes surveying the room
to make sure they were paying attention. Lily bit her lip, wondering if they were
going to have any money deducted from their wages.

‘You've all mastered the
design now, haven't you?' Mrs Bodney asked. Anxious to please their
employer, they nodded. ‘Good. Then I'm sure your speed will pick up and
this won't pose any problem. Now I'll leave you to get on.'

On that note, she swept from the room,
leaving the lace makers feeling stunned. Lily and Mary exchanged worried looks. The
intricate pattern took great concentration and hurrying would only increase the
chances of
making mistakes. As if she didn't have enough on
her pillow, Lily thought.

‘Slave driver,' Cora
muttered.

‘Well, even if I agree, I'm
not saying anything. I need the money to feed my kiddies till my old man sees fit to
find a job,' Anna said.

‘I've still a good mind to
tell her what she can do with her job,' Cora snorted, narrowing her green
eyes.

‘Hush, Cora, Mrs Bodney might hear
you,' Lily whispered, bending her head over her work.

‘
Hush, Cora, Mrs Bodney might
hear you
,' Cora repeated, imitating Lily's voice.
‘You're such a Goody Two-Shoes it makes me sick,' she spat.

Lily stared at her, wondering why she
seemed to have taken exception to her, but before she could respond, Mary hissed,
‘For heaven's sake get some lace made before we all find ourselves out
on the street.'

Obediently, they picked up their bobbins
and the room fell silent. As she worked, Lily couldn't help thinking back to
the conversation she'd had with her aunt the night before. She was hurt the
other woman didn't take her seriously about the squire and resolved to have it
out with her as soon as she got home. If there was one thing she wasn't, it
was a liar. It wasn't like her aunt to act like that so perhaps she was in awe
of the squire's social position. So intent was she on sorting things out in
her own mind, she almost put a pin up in the wrong place. Cursing under her breath,
she pushed the thoughts of her aunt to the back of her mind and focused on her
work.

All morning, she willed her fingers to
move quicker, concentrating so hard her head began to throb, for although
she'd memorized the pattern, she knew it would take longer
to rectify any mistakes than it did to make them. As she worked, though, she
couldn't help dreaming of Tom and the lace she'd be making for her own
wedding dress.

Lost in thought, Lily jumped when Mrs
Bodney reappeared and rang the bell for their noon break. Mindful of the
woman's earlier words and determined to increase her output, she didn't
look up from her work. As usual, though, the other woman's keen eyes missed
nothing.

‘Come along, Lily Rose, stop your
work and join the others in the yard. The sun's shining and it's rather
pleasant outside.' Lily looked up, surprised to see Mrs Bodney giving her a
rare smile.

‘I'll just complete this
first, Mrs Bodney,' she answered.

Instantly, her employer's smile
vanished. ‘No, Lily, I must insist you go outside now.'

Lily stared at her in surprise.
‘But if I carry on I'll get more done.'

‘You won't, Lily. Your body
needs sustenance and your mind time to clear, or you won't be productive at
all this afternoon.'

Hearing the firmness in the other
woman's voice, Lily picked up her piece from her bag and took it outside. The
warmth of the sun was a welcome tonic after the gloom of the workroom and as she
tucked into her bread and cheese, she found herself relaxing.

‘Hobnobbing with the boss lady
now, are yer?' Spinning round, Lily saw a plump figure glaring at her from the
side path.

‘Seems to me yer makes a habit of
sucking up to them what's higher than yer, Lily Rose.'

‘I don't
know what you mean,' Lily gasped in surprise. The figure sneered; her lips
almost vanishing into a mean slit.

‘No, course not. Thinks yer better
than us and can use yer slim figure and long hair to—'

‘Molly Baker, you're paid to
deliver victuals, not slander, so take your gossiping tongue off my premises before
I set the goose on you.' Mrs Bodney might have been half the size of the
rotund Molly but, as she stood there, hands on hips, eyes icy as a morning frost, it
would have been a formidable person who dared argue with her.

As Molly slunk away muttering curses
under her breath, Lily shivered. Two years older than she, Molly had been at the
charity school with Tom and had taken offence to what she saw as his rejection, when
he'd started walking out with Lily. Knowing Molly would do anything to make
her look bad in his eyes, she sighed.

Looking up, she saw her employer eyeing
her speculatively before ringing her bell to signal the end of their break.

‘I never knew Mrs Bodney had a
goose,' whispered Nell as they rinsed their hands together at the pump.

‘She hasn't, silly,
you're the goose,' answered Mary, and as they dissolved into giggles
Lily felt her spirits lift.

Back in the workroom, they resumed their
lace making, working as quickly as their fingers would allow. Once again, the room
fell silent apart from the rhythmic clicking of bobbins, for they had no time to
waste on idle chatter, and the afternoon passed in a haze of concentration. None of
them could afford to be dismissed for not meeting their quota.

Although Lily was
working diligently, she couldn't help glancing up when a shadow clouded the
window. A tall, dapper gentleman with a shock of dark hair, wearing a fine black
coat, was alighting from a carriage that had pulled up outside. When he saw her, he
gave a broad smile. Mortified she'd been caught staring, she quickly bent her
head back over her pillow, but as she weaved the threads back and forth she
couldn't help speculating about the handsome stranger. Who was he and why was
he visiting Mrs Bodney?

Her musing was interrupted by a
plaintive wail. Looking up, she saw Mary shaking her head from side to side, tears
coursing down her cheeks.

‘Whatever's the matter,
Mary?' Lily asked, fearing the older woman was ill.

‘I've gone wrong and I
can't see where. I tried to work faster and now I've made a mess. Dear
God in heaven, what can I do? Mrs Bodney will dismiss me, I know she will,'
she cried.

‘Hush now,' Lily soothed,
jumping to her feet. ‘Here, let me take a look.'

‘Oh, would you?' Mary asked,
looking at her hopefully. ‘What about your own work? You can't afford to
get behind too.'

‘Don't worry, Mary,'
she said, bending over the other woman's pillow and immediately spotting where
she'd gone wrong. ‘Look, here's the problem.' She pointed to
the twist some rows back. ‘You've put the pin up in the wrong place,
there see?'

Mary groaned. ‘That'll take
me ages to put right. I gets in a right muddle working the bobbins back
again.'
Lily sympathized, knowing the older woman had
struggled to get to grips with the intricate pattern in the first place.

‘You carry on working my pillow
and I'll sort things out here.'

‘You'd let me work your
pillow?' Mary gasped in disbelief.

‘Quick; swap places,' Lily
whispered. ‘The sooner we start, the sooner it'll be done.'

Ignoring the curious looks from the
others, Mary went and sat on the stool Lily had vacated.

‘Blimey, you're taking a
chance,' Nell gasped, shaking her head so vigorously that her cap fell
sideways and her copper curls cascaded onto her shoulders.

‘I know,' Lily whispered.
‘But I really must help Mary. I'm sure it won't take
long.'

‘Rather you than me,' Nell
muttered, impatiently scooping her hair back under her cap and picking up her
bobbins again.

‘Don't expect us to support
you if you get found out,' snorted Cora.

‘Oh, don't be so mean, Cora.
We'll be working together for the next few months so it makes sense to help
each other if we can,' Anna said, smiling at Lily.

Lily smiled back gratefully then settled
to her task. It took her longer to correct the work than she'd thought it
would and, whilst outwardly she appeared calm, her insides were churning like butter
in the dairy. She just hoped Mrs Bodney's visitor would keep her entertained
until she was back in her own place, for her hawk-like eyes missed nothing and to
swap pillows was an unforgivable
sin. She also prayed Mary
wasn't making a mess of her sprig otherwise they'd both be sent
packing.

‘There, Mary, that's fine
now,' she whispered, a while later.

‘Oh, Lily, I can't thank you
enough.' The older woman's eyes shone with gratitude as they swapped
back to their own pillows, but Lily barely had time to check her own work was in
order before Mrs Bodney swept into the room, the full skirts of her long black dress
swishing around her ankles.

‘Right, ladies, time to call it a
day,' she announced and there was a collective sigh of relief and much
scraping of stools as they reached for the sheeting to cover their work. As Lily
hurried to the door with the others, Mrs Bodney called her back.

‘Lily, I'd like a word
before you go, please.' Although her employer spoke mildly, Lily's heart
flopped.

‘She's found you out,'
Cora smirked, her eyes sparkling, as she strutted outside.

Slowly, Lily retraced her steps and
Mary, looking worried, came to stand by her.

However, Mrs Bodney waved her away,
saying, ‘No, you can go home, Mary. It's Lily I wish to see.'

Mary glanced at Lily. ‘Better do
as she says,' she whispered, but as the woman scuttled away, Lily's
heart was beating furiously. Cora was right. Somehow her employer must have found
out she'd swapped pillows with Mary.

‘Right, Lily,' Mrs Bodney
said, firmly shutting the door. ‘Tell me how this afternoon's lace
making has progressed, if you please.'

‘Everyone worked hard, Mrs
Bodney,' she said, striving to keep the tremor from her voice.

‘There have been
no problems then?' The other woman shot her a penetrating look. Lily shook her
head and Mrs Bodney arched an eyebrow.

‘Well, in that case, let's
see what has been achieved,' she said, walking over to the first pillow and
lifting the cloth. As she went around the room inspecting all their work, Lily held
her breath. By the time she reached Mary's pillow, Lily's heart was
thumping so loudly she was sure her employer must hear it.

‘Hmm,' Mrs Bodney said,
before moving on to Lily's pillow. A few moments later, she turned to Lily,
frowning. ‘Whilst you were having your noon break I checked your lace and was
impressed with the progress you'd made. I have to confess, I'm surprised
you haven't produced more this afternoon.' Mrs Bodney's eyes bored
into hers and Lily almost wilted under the woman's scrutiny. ‘Of course,
had you been helping somebody else, that would explain why your own work has
suffered,' she said, looking at Lily knowingly.

‘I might have done,' she
stammered.

‘Well, whoever corrected
Mary's mistake has done a fine job. It's not discernible, even to my
expert eye.'

Lily's eyes widened; was the woman
a witch?

As if guessing her thoughts, Mrs Bodney
smiled. ‘No, I'm not clairvoyant, Lily, merely observant. I spotted
Mary's mistake at lunchtime.'

‘Well, if you did,
why …?' her voice trailed off. She didn't wish to appear
impertinent.

‘Why didn't I point it out?
I wanted to see how long it was before she noticed and what would happen when she
did. I must confess to keeping my ear to the wall, so
to speak. I
suppose Mary panicked and thought I'd send her packing? No, don't
answer,' she said holding up her hand as Lily opened her mouth to protest.
‘I can see you're trying to be loyal to your friend and I respect
that.'