The Shoemaker's Daughter (19 page)

Hari watched as Emily sank down into a chair. ‘You know what we’re doing, don’t you?’ Emily said, wearily. ‘Just what Craig wanted, we are snapping at each other like two fishwives. I tell you my cousin doesn’t want us to succeed.’

Hari sighed heavily. ‘Perhaps you’re right. In any case one good thing about all this is I’ve had my say. I can’t do it all, Emily, with the best will in the world, I just can’t. You must help a bit more, can’t you see that?’

‘Go on,’ Emily said, ‘we’ll talk this out reasonably like two sensible women and then we’ll think about what’s to be done.’

‘I want to go out more,’ Hari smoothed the creases out of her dress, ‘I want to go to Goat Street and mingle with the theatre people. I want to make specialized boots like those I made for Charles, I don’t want to spend my days kowtowing to a lot of bored rich ladies.’

‘I see your point,’ Emily said and Hari sighed with relief.

‘I’m not grumbling, mind,’ she added quickly, ‘but now that it’s all out in the open, I’m glad.’ She smiled. ‘Seems like Craig did us a favour after all.’

‘Maybe,’ Emily said slowly, ‘but I really don’t think that’s what he intended.’

‘Don’t be too hard on him,’ Hari said gently, ‘I know you feel he let you down but he’s had a bad time of it too, mind, it couldn’t have been much fun in prison.’

‘But if he hadn’t been so feckless, Craig would have kept an eye on business matters. It was he who allowed his brother the freedom to dip into the till.’ Emily smiled suddenly.

Emily moved to the door, ‘Don’t let’s talk about Craig any more. You’ll be pleased to know that I’m going to have my first experience of being a saleslady.’ She paused. ‘You are quite right, Hari, this is a partnership and I shouldn’t expect you to do anything I won’t do.’ She took a deep breath and Hari watched as Emily made her way downstairs to the shop floor.

Hari followed her and stood just outside the door watching, she saw Emily approach one of the ladies who was tapping her foot impatiently, waiting to be served. There was in fact quite a queue of ladies, all of them fretting impatiently, at this rate, Hari mused, they would be losing customers. Perhaps it was time that the company of Grenfell and Morgan branched out and took on some extra sales staff. But in the meantime Emily needed help. Hari took a deep breath, fixed a polite smile to her lips and walked out on to the shop floor.

Craig was immersed in the task in hand, he stood in the warehouse near the docks and ticked off the shipment of leather just come in from abroad. There had been an increase in the demand for French calf and Craig had enough foresight to buy all the existing stocks.

It had taken a great deal of cunning to persuade the French company to make him the sole agent in Wales, but he had done it on the grounds that it was cheaper to sell to him in bulk.

It made sense to send the leather on one trip to Swansea rather than transporting small amounts to various parts of the country, a point the French after some argument had appreciated.

He closed his book with a smile of satisfaction, now the small boot and shoemakers would all have to deal with him if they wanted the good calf from abroad. And that included dear Cousin Emily, now she would have to overcome her pig-headed pride.

He knew that he could sell the calf at a good profit; it seemed his business was recovering, at last, from his brother’s mishandling.

Edward Morris had employed another accountant to work with him and to Craig’s great pleasure had delegated the accounts of Grenfell and Morgan to the new young man.

Craig nodded to the warehouse man and moved towards the door.

‘Time for a drink, Ianto, I’m sure you could use one, we’ve worked hard this afternoon.’

‘Aye, could that, Mr Grenfell, sir.’ Ianto locked the warehouse door. ‘The smell of the leather there don’t half make a man have a thirst.’

The two men walked towards the Castle Inn in silence, leaving the sounds of the docklands behind them. As he strode along Wind Street towards Castle Square, Craig could not help glancing towards Emily’s shop with its usual gaggle of women outside on the pavement.

‘Fine boot and shoe place there, mind,’ Ianto said conversationally. ‘And not just for the rich folks, mind.’ He paused and rubbed at his eyes a little self-consciously.

‘The little lady shoemaker, Angharad Morgan, made the finest pair of boots for my youngest boy, you never seen anything like them and him with a gamey leg since he was born. Fit him like a glove they do and built up like, so the boy don’t have to limp any more. Didn’t charge over much either. Grateful I am to that little lady, would help her in any way I could if she should ever need it.’

Craig was thoughtful, he could see a ready market for special shoes for people like Ianto’s son. It seemed that Hari and Emily along with her was going to be a very successful businesswoman.

But then he’d always known she had spirit from the first moment he’d set eyes on her in the small kitchen of the house in World’s End. In spite of her fear, she had hidden him from the constables, given him shelter when he needed it and, all things considered, he owed her a great debt. Perhaps, he mused, it was time he repaid that debt, the only problem was working out the best way of doing it.

13

It was hot in the workshop and Hari pushed back a curl of hair that had fallen over her eyes. ‘No, William, not like that, let me show you.’

Hari took the thick needle from William and caught the leather upper neatly to the sole with a deft stitch. ‘Try it again and don’t worry, it took me years of training with my father to handle the waxed thread.’

She moved along the bench watching Ben Jones who, though not a cobbler by trade, was skilful and strong and coped well with the ordinary repairs which against Emily’s wishes Hari had insisted they continue to do.

‘That’s a neat job of soling and heeling if I ever saw one.
Duw
, Ben, I’m that glad you came to work for me, I don’t know what I would have done without you.’

He winked at her. ‘Nor me, either! Between sitting in the boiling heat smelling leather in my nostrils all day and driving that van, I’m having a high old time of it. I must be mad, risking my life I am with that scatterbrained horse every time I make a delivery.’

He smiled. ‘Not complaining, mind, glad to be doing a proper job instead of standing behind the counter in my dad’s shop. Felt like an old woman there I did.’ He looked round. ‘Where’s Lewis today?’

Hari sighed. ‘When I employed him, I knew his mam was very poorly and he’d sometimes need time off to look after her, though I really can’t really spare him, these days.’

‘Too soft you are, Hari.’ Will spoke up with the knowledge that he was privileged to air his opinion.

‘Oh?’ Hari crossed her arms over her leather apron and stared down at William with raised eyebrows. ‘And pray why am I too soft?’

‘Well, I’m not saying it’s Lewis’s fault but his mam puts it on, mind. Strong as a horse she is, I see her often enough when I’m out on errands. She’s in Swansea Market more times than the women who sell cockles, Lewis’s mam is.’

‘Poor Lewis,’ Hari said softly, ‘I think his mother is more demanding than a wife.’

Ben smiled over his shoulder at her. ‘I wouldn’t know about that, nor would young Will there.’ He nudged William’s arm. ‘We are both in love with our boss, aren’t we Will, can’t settle for any other lady.’

‘Well,’ Hari smiled, ‘don’t wait for me or you’ll wait for ever my lads.’ She took off her apron. ‘I’m a career woman now and I’ve got a long way to go before I settle down for marriage and children.’

‘Wait till you fall in love with someone.’ It was William who spoke, ‘I’ve seen it happen with my sisters, all five of ’em. Go all goggle-eyed they do when they fall in love, daft women.’

‘Don’t worry,’ amused, Hari put her hand on Will’s shoulder, ‘I won’t go all goggle-eyed I promise you.’

Hari moved to the door of the workshop situated to the rear of the shop premises in Wind Street and paused for a moment in the doorway, comparing the spacious well-equipped room to the small shed she rented in World’s End. The difference was marked and Hari felt a sense of achievement as she stared round her.

She sighed with pleasure as she moved into her office, sunlight spilled into the room slanting across her drawing board on which was pinned one of her latest designs. It was a good feeling to be successful.

She stood before the board, examining the design, it was for a soft kid shoe with a pattern punched in holes on the instep and a removable bow that slid into two of the holes. The bow would come in a choice of colours to match any occasion and Hari felt it was an innovation that would be very pleasing to her customers.

She worked silently for some time, modifying and clarifying the drawing and then sank into her chair, brushing her face with her hand. It was very hot in the office and she looked longingly out into the street.

The traffic was quite heavy with delivery vans and pony and traps jostling for prominence. Not far away was the bustle of the docks with the hooting of ships and the scents of spices mingled with rope and tar and the salt of the sea.

The sea, how wonderful it would be to plunge into the cool of the gentle waves that lapped Swansea Bay. But dreaming didn’t get the work done and, reluctantly, Hari returned to her drawing board.

While Hari worked alone at the back of the large premises, Emily was busy taking orders from one of her customers.

‘I want only the most exclusive of your designs, nothing is too good for my daughter’s drawing-room with the queen.’

‘Of course, Lady Caroline.’ Emily smiled politely. ‘Coming out is a really special day and I think Lisa will have a wonderful time.’

‘My dear, I do think in the circumstances you should refer to my daughter as Miss Elizabeth, I mean you are not quite on the same footing with her now, are you?’ She didn’t wait for an answer.

‘Of course my daughter will be seen by the queen herself.’ Lady Caroline stared at Emily shrewdly. ‘I understand some people have to make do with one of the princesses. Of course, you never came out, did you? Not properly, I mean.’

‘You are quite right,’ Emily said forcing herself to speak evenly. ‘My first ball was at the Assembly Rooms but it was still a fine occasion with the ladies dripping in diamonds and precious stones.’ She stared dreamily into the distance, ‘I remember daddy wearing his gold Albert and I had on my mother’s emeralds.’

‘Yes, well, it’s a great pity that coming from such a once-rich family you had to go into trade, isn’t it?’

Emily looked at her sharply. ‘Trade is not prostitution, Lady Caroline, it is quite honest and respectable.’

Lady Caroline sniffed into a lace handkerchief. ‘All right for a man but not quite the thing for a lady, but I suppose it’s needs must when the devil drives. And your marriage to Craig Grenfell came to nought, such a handsome man and doing so well for himself now I believe.’

‘Shall I take your order, Lady Caroline?’ Emily’s patience was fading fast. ‘I really do have other customers to see to you know.’

‘Oh, very well,’ Lady Caroline fanned herself with her scrap of lace. ‘Make it six pairs of shoes, in French calf and let’s say about five pairs of satin slippers.’

She paused. ‘That’s just for my dear Elizabeth, I shall need at least a dozen pairs of shoes for myself, some riding boots and say half a dozen pairs of slippers. Only the best calf, remember.’

‘Of course, excuse me a moment.’ Emily spoke quietly to the new assistant she had recently employed.

‘Sarah, will you pop along to the office and ask Miss Morgan if she can spare me a moment.’ More loudly she said, ‘I have a very important customer who requires to be measured for new shoes.’

Sarah bobbed a curtsy and hurried to the rear of the shop, disappearing into the nether regions where the office and workshop were now situated.

‘Shan’t be a moment, Lady Caroline,’ Emily said quietly. ‘In the meantime would you like some iced tea in the restaurant? We have moved it upstairs so that our customers have a fine view over the town and the hills beyond.’ The view was just a glimpse of the rooftops but Emily doubted if someone as insensitive as Lady Caroline would notice anyway.

Sarah returned shortly, following Hari at a respectful distance. It was clear that Sarah did not quite know what to make of Hari Morgan who though seeming equal in status to Miss Grenfell spoke very much the same way as did Sarah herself.

Emily drew Hari to one side. ‘We have boring Lady Caroline here, full of airs and graces as usual but with a very good order for us. She wants several dozen pairs of shoes and slippers for herself and her daughter and some best riding boots as well.’

Emily saw Hari frown. ‘I’m sure we can manage that,’ she said. ‘Could we just have a word before I see to the fitting?’

‘What is it?’ Emily was slightly impatient. ‘Surely it can wait, Lady Caroline is about to spend a great deal of money with us.’

‘I’m running short of calf,’ Hari said, ‘and I’ve just learned that the French company I buy from have made Craig Grenfell the sole supplier for Wales.’ She paused, ‘I’m so angry that I don’t know what to do about it.’

‘Damn my cousin!’ Emily said, her colour rising. ‘So he’s sinking to underhand dealings now, is he? Just wait until I see him, he’ll have a fine piece of my mind.’

‘Wait a bit,’ Hari said quickly, ‘let me speak to him, if we upset him he might not let us have the calf and then we’d be in a pretty pickle.’

Emily clenched her hands into fists, she knew what she’d like to do to Craig and that did not include toadying to him like some poor supplicant.

‘Damn him!’ she repeated. ‘I’ll go down to Bristol and buy calf from there.’

‘That’s all right as a last resort,’ Hari said gently, ‘but think of the extra cost involved, we’d have to pay for the leather to be transported across the Bristol Channel for a start and then brought over here from the docks. Apart from being expensive, it would take a lot of time.’