The Shoemaker's Daughter (40 page)

‘Hello Hari, gel.’ Cleg smiled widely at her, looking unfamiliarly clean and scrubbed with little sign of his occupation as coal man. His dark hair was still wet from washing and clung to his broad forehead in small tufts.

‘I’ve made the boots,’ Hari said standing in the doorway of the kitchen, the basket held out before her. ‘I hope they are going to be all right.’

‘
Duw
, I’m sure nobody could do a better job than you, Hari, sit down and let’s have a look at these boots then.’

He took them out of the basket one by one, turning them soles up and examining them carefully.

‘Looks all right,’ he said dubiously, ‘though there’s not much difference between left and right is there?’

‘Just enough to make Billy walk straight, I hope,’ Hari said anxiously.

Beatie pushed aside the remains of a meal and lifted Billy up to sit on the table. ‘Let’s have your good foot first, boyo,’ she said gently to her son. It was easy slipping the boot into place and tying it up and all the time, Billy stared at his mother curiously, it was a long time since he’d worn boots.

‘Now for the bad one,’ Beatie said, ‘that’s going to be the test.’

‘The boot opens up quite a good way down the uppers,’ Hari said, ‘so you don’t have to hurt the boy getting it on.’

‘Aye, good idea,’ Beatie said grudgingly. ‘But what about when he stands up, that’s what I want to know.’

She fastened the boot securely and then, taking a deep breath, lifted Billy to the floor. For a moment, the child stood uncertainly looking about him not knowing what was expected of him. It was Hari who held out her hand.

‘Come by here, Billy,’ she said coaxingly, ‘let me see your lovely shiny new boots.’

He took a tentative step towards her and then another and then, more confidently, he stepped out quickly crossing the room to her side.

‘
Duw
, will you look at that!’ Cleg said, ‘he’s walking almost straight, it’s a damn near miracle!’

Hari looked towards Beatie who was standing with her hands clasped over her mouth, her eyes filling with tears.

It was several moments before Beatie could speak but she came to Hari and, taking her hands, kissed them. ‘Thank you, Hari Morgan, from the bottom of my heart,’ she whispered, her face still running with tears. ‘You’ve given my boy the chance to lead a normal life and I’ll never forget you.’

Hari found her own eyes were moist. ‘It’s all right,’ she said softly, ‘it’s all right.’

Cleg moved to the tea tin high on the shelf and poured out coins of various denominations. ‘There’s our savings, Hari, you take just what you want out of that, we can never repay you for what you’ve done.’

Hari forced a laugh. ‘The boots didn’t cost one quarter of that, Cleg, in any case I want some coal delivered so we’ll call it quits.’

As Hari made her way back home, she felt as though she was walking on air herself, from now on she would make this sort of work her main objective, it was far more rewarding than anything she’d ever done.

As she entered the house in Chapel Street, she became aware that something was wrong. The nursemaid was in the hall with the baby in her arms and the doctor was just coming down the stairs.

‘Mrs Morris,’ he said in some relief. ‘Thank goodness you’re home, your husband has been asking for you.’

‘What is it?’ Hari asked, her mouth dry. The doctor drew her to one side.

‘From first appearances, it would seem that Mr Morris has a severe lung condition,’ he said quietly, ‘I fear he is going to need a great deal of bed rest and some careful nursing, I trust you will be able to cope?’

‘Yes,’ said Hari dully, ‘of course I will cope, Edward’s my husband and while he needs me, I’ll be at his side.’ Hari drew in a deep breath and began resolutely to make her way up the stairs. Life was again flinging her a challenge and she would face it with whatever courage she could muster.

26

Emily found that being married to John Miller was the most wonderful thing that had ever happened to her. He was kind and considerate and it was clear from the very beginning that he worshipped the ground she walked on.

She lay in the warmth of the bed aware that he was not beside her but then, by the time she awoke, he had usually been working for some hours.

John was extremely good at figures she’d found and he could work out the monthly accounts much more efficiently than she’d ever done. Apart from which, he more than pulled his weight in the workshop. She laughed softly to herself, none of that really mattered, she loved him and that was enough, everything she had was his.

She ate a desultory breakfast and then dressed in her everyday working clothes, a skirt of dark worsted and a thick cotton blouse covered by a workman-like jacket. She knew her appearance was not at all in keeping with what fashions demanded but she’d found that fussy crinolines were not conducive to quick movement or to bending over, trying shoes on indecisive customers.

Sarah was in the shop and already had some of the less senior girls dusting the shelves and arranging new displays of boots and shoes to the best advantage.

‘Morning, Miss Emily,’ she said respectfully for it had been tacitly agreed that in working hours some degree of formality was necessary even though Emily was now the girl’s stepmother.

‘Morning, Sarah, morning, girls, keeping busy I see?’ Emily smiled pleasantly though she felt she had lost face in the eyes of her staff by marrying a man they considered was ‘beneath her’.

‘Miss Emily,’ Sarah said, ‘there’s a little bit of a problem, some of the boots and shoes are just not selling. My dad thinks they are out of date and perhaps we should have a sale to shift them before new stock is brought in.’

‘That sounds a very good idea,’ Emily said concealing the chagrin she felt that John had discussed the matter with his daughter before consulting her.

She moved through to the workshop though she seldom invaded what she saw as John’s domain. His face lit up when he saw her and he came to her side immediately.

‘I understand we need new stock?’ She spoke a little coldly and John was aware of her tone at once.

‘Yes, I think so,’ he replied, smiling easily. ‘Is anything wrong?’

‘No,’ Emily said quietly, ‘but I would prefer to be consulted about such matters before you speak to Sarah or anybody else on the subject.’

John drew her outside the door and the coldness of the early spring air stung Emily’s face.

‘Am I to be treated as simply an employee without initiative then, Emily, or can I be allowed to do what I feel is my job without applying to you for permission every time?’

‘Of course you don’t have to ask my permission.’ Emily was flustered, ‘But I would like you to talk to me about any changes you wish to make.’

John bowed his head. ‘So be it, Emily, I will make no decisions without referring to you first.’

‘No, John!’ Emily protested, ‘I didn’t mean that, oh, heavens, I don’t know what I mean.’

But John had disappeared into the workshop and Emily stood for a moment debating whether to go after him or not. What did she want? she asked herself, was John her husband and naturally in charge now of their financial affairs or did she want to keep a stranglehold upon him questioning every move as if he were a child?

She returned to the shop and forced a smile. ‘Prepare to have a sale immediately,’ she said to Sarah, ‘I’ll leave it to your father to decide the new prices, perhaps you will talk to him about it.’

She turned as the door swung open and her smile became fixed as she saw Lady Caroline enter the shop, her daughter Elizabeth in her wake. Both of them wore billowing gowns under good topcoats and it was so clear to see how Elizabeth would look in years to come that, in spite of herself, Emily almost laughed.

‘My little girl wants some new boots,’ Lady Caroline gushed, ‘something strong but not too heavy, she has tiny feet as you know.’

Emily wondered why Lady Caroline was patronizing her ready-made shoes when she had made such a fuss about her daughter’s delicate feet requiring specialized fitting. She did not have to wait long to find out.

‘Poor Hari Morris, you must have heard about her problems.’ Lady Caroline draped herself in a chair and waved a gloved hand to one of the girls.

‘A cup of mint tea and make sure it’s hot,’ she ordered. She returned her attention to Emily. ‘Mr Morris has been taken poorly,’ she lowered her voice and glanced around furtively, ‘his lungs, I think. Very sad.’

Emily was concerned. ‘I hadn’t heard, is it very bad then?’

Lady Caroline adjusted her full skirts. ‘I should think so, these lung sicknesses are usually fatal. In any event there have been no new designs forthcoming lately though of course the workshop continues to turn out the old ones.’ She smiled disparagingly.

‘The trouble with such individually made shoes is that you can only wear them on a few occasions because once seen they are not forgotten.’

Emily murmured a suitable response but she was thinking about Hari, how painful it must be for her to nurse a sick husband and with a young baby to take care of too.

‘My Elizabeth must have some of your best boots,’ Lady Caroline was off on another tack, ‘nothing cheap, mind.’ She looked up archly, ‘You know she is walking out with Craig Grenfell, don’t you?’

‘Is she?’ Emily said noncommittally. ‘I’m so glad for her.’

‘Isn’t life strange?’ Lady Caroline remarked staring at her gloves intently. ‘I did think that you and Craig would have made an ideal couple but there, life takes strange turns and one person’s loss is another’s gain.’

Emily gritted her teeth resenting the implication that she had been the one to lose, but then Lady Caroline was a shallow woman, not given to fine sensibilities.

‘I hope they will be very happy,’ she said, glancing across to where Sarah was kneeling before Lisa, trying on a high-laced boot that rested snugly around the girl’s small ankle.

Elizabeth was a nice enough girl, somewhat overshadowed by her mother, but sometimes with a glint of amusement in her eyes that revealed another side to her nature, a side that Emily rather liked.

She hoped the girl had spirit, she would need it if she was to cope with a man like Craig who was headstrong and used to getting his own way.

Lisa, it seemed, had made up her mind on a pair of dark leather boots and some indoor slippers, a speciality of Clark’s of Street.

‘They are so warm and comfortable, mother,’ she said enthusiastically, ‘why don’t you have some too?’

‘Why not indeed?’ Lady Caroline said smiling. ‘I’ll take half a dozen pairs.’

‘But mother,’ Elizabeth protested, ‘they are stout enough for indoor use and will last you simply ages, what do you want so many pairs for?’

‘It pays to order in bulk, my dear.’ Lady Caroline took the tea that Sarah held towards her and settled back in her chair, ‘I know that dear Emily will give me a special price for buying so much at one time, after all that’s just what Hari Morris would do.’

Emily resisted the temptation to refuse quite baldly and forced a smile. ‘I’m sure we can come to some arrangement,’ she said.

‘Right, then send my dear husband the bill as usual, and have the shoes packed up and delivered as soon as possible.’

Sarah followed Emily to the desk and smiled up at her understandingly. ‘Not going to charge the old bat the full price, are you?’ she asked laughing. ‘Those were the things that were going to be in the sale.’

‘Exactly,’ Emily said, ‘and it serves “the old bat”, as you call her, right, doesn’t it?’

‘Aye, I couldn’t agree more,’ Sarah said, hand over her mouth to stifle the giggles.

‘Send one of the girls to bring some more tea, Sarah, and I’ll go and talk to the old . . . Lady Caroline, I can give her prior information about the sale, but be sure not to put the slippers out on show just yet, mind.’

Emily moved back to where Lady Caroline was sitting and smiled questioningly. ‘Have you finished your shopping, if so we could go to the tea rooms for more refreshments. I’d like to tell you about our coming sale, I’ll be reducing some of the stock tomorrow and of course you must have prior notice seeing that you are such a valued customer.’

Emily was aware of a quick ironic look cast in her direction by Elizabeth who was standing next to her mother’s chair.

‘Oh, dear me, no,’ Lady Caroline shuddered, ‘I don’t want
sale
goods, what would people say?’

‘Well, if you choose now, no-one will know.’ Emily said reasonably, ‘I haven’t yet put up the new prices.’

‘Go on mother,’ Elizabeth urged, ‘we could get in a stock of things as you usually do and save daddy some money into the bargain.’

Her eyes met Emily’s and they were filled with laughter. Lady Caroline considered this and then inclined her head.

‘You could be right, darling, well then, let’s have a look if it’s what you wish.’

She handed her cup to Emily and rose regally from her chair. ‘Come along then, Elizabeth, I shan’t have more tea, we haven’t all day.’

Emily gestured for Sarah to come over. ‘Make up some prices, use your initiative but don’t take too much off, all right?’

‘Right.’ Sarah winked like a conspirator and led the women to the shelves with an air of servility that Emily knew from experience was totally false.

She moved upstairs and placed the used cups in the kitchen and then sat at the table, chin resting on her hands. She would take John to Somerset, no, she corrected herself, she would
ask
John to go to Somerset with her and choose some shoes from Mr Clark’s stock.

It was high time she made her husband feel that he really was part of the business. She could see now that she had never been willing to relinquish the reins. If she’d wished to stay in charge of her own business so entirely then she should never have got married in the first place. As it was, John was entitled to take complete charge of the business if he wished but he simply was not the sort to wield his marital rights like some stick to beat her with.