Homecoming Girls (29 page)

Clara gasped. How cross Jewel would be!

However, I think it’s not all to do with Jewel, but that he and his father had quarrelled and Dan decided to strike out for himself and
asked Gianna if he could travel with her. Aunt Ruby, of course, is very anxious about him
.

She went on about other happenings in the town and ended by saying that she was expecting a visit from Elizabeth that afternoon and so would write again soon.

‘Mama may consider that Dan’s journey is not all to do with Jewel,’ Clara murmured to herself. ‘But I would say that it is.’

She heaved a sigh and slid down beneath the sheets. Jewel will not want Dan here, especially not now when she is on the verge of finding out more about her background. But, most especially, not now that she and Lorenzo have rediscovered each other. Dan is the last person on earth that Jewel will want here.

Hull

The day after posting the letter to Clara, Grace put on her bonnet and took a warm shawl from the cupboard. The days were getting colder, autumn leaves were falling fast and there was a tang in the wind as it blew in from the estuary, a sharpness which gave a tingle to the nostrils, a reminder of the saltiness of the sea from whence it came. Winter will soon be upon us and the year will be gone, Grace thought. A slight smile played around her mouth. And what will the New Year bring?

Something good. Ever optimistic, Grace felt a fluttering of excitement. An excitement which had begun the day before with the news that Elizabeth had brought with her. And Clara will surely be home by then, she thought. She will be able to share in the joy.

She walked across town to visit Ruby, for she had to tell someone and Elizabeth had said that she might, knowing that her mother would want to confide in her oldest and dearest friend.

But Ruby wasn’t in. The house and shop were shut. A notice on the shop door said that it would be open at two o’clock.

So where is she, Grace wondered? Shopping? Or at the workshop helping with the orders and the packing as she sometimes did? She turned away from the corner of the Land
of Green Ginger, retraced her steps and headed for Trinity House Lane and the warehouse close by Holy Trinity Church where Daniel and his sons built their toys and nursery chairs and tables and anything else that small children required.

She pushed open the door and went inside. Grace had been a regular visitor since the very early days when Daniel had first set up in business, so there was no need to knock or make an appointment. She was a welcome caller at any time.

At first no one seemed to be about, but then she heard someone whistling. ‘Hello,’ she called. ‘Is anyone there? Daniel! Thomas!’

Ahead of her was an office partition, built of plywood but with large windows so that anyone within could see out into the warehouse space. A head popped up. Thomas. She smiled. He must have been sitting down and not seen or heard the door open.

‘Thomas. Hello. I didn’t mean to disturb you. I’m looking for your mother. She’s not at home.’

He came to the office door to greet her. ‘No, she’s not. She’s gone to Beverley with Da. I said she should let him go alone, let his misery keep him company. But you know Ma.’ Thomas grinned as he spoke. ‘He’ll have to come out of his strop sooner or later. Will you come in and sit down for a bit?’

She smiled and agreed. Thomas was nearly always cheerful. If he had any worries he kept them to himself.

‘Is he still cross about Dan going away?’

‘I think he’s angrier with himself,’ Thomas said thoughtfully. ‘Reading between ’lines, I reckon he wishes he’d been more understanding.’ He pulled a chair away from a drawing table and invited her to sit down. On the table was a sheet of paper with drawings on it.

‘I’ve disturbed you,’ she said. ‘You’re busy.’

‘No. No, it’s fairly quiet at ’minute. Apprentice is out at ’back making up some boxes for ’next delivery and I’m just thinking of what we might do for Christmas. We need to have something a bit different so I’m just doodling – well, trying to boost trade if I’m honest. Da seems to have tekken a back seat
since Dan left.’ He grinned again. ‘Lost ’will to live if you ask me. No, I’m joking,’ he said, seeing her frown. ‘But he doesn’t seem to have his heart in ’business any more.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she began, but he interrupted her. His face was serious.

‘Why?’ he said. ‘Why is Da so set against Jewel? He told Dan that if he married her he needn’t come back home.’ His face creased with anxiety and puzzlement. ‘He’s always been against her, but more so since we grew up.’ A torrent of words tumbled out. ‘This’ll sound daft, but it’s as if he’s scared of her for some reason, and more scared that Dan might ask for her. Not that she’d have him, of course,’ he added.

Grace gave a sigh. ‘I think we’re all agreed on that. But as for why . . .’ She hesitated. ‘Have you spoken to your mother about it?’

He gave a small shrug. ‘Not really. I don’t like to interfere. But it’s Ma who takes ’brunt of his bad humour, and lately she hardly talks to him. It’s as if she’s given up trying to coax him any more.’

‘He never used to be like this,’ Grace said softly. ‘He was the kindest, gentlest man you could wish to meet.’

‘Well, you knew him better than anybody, Aunt Grace. Why do you think he’s changed so much?’

Grace knew why; she’d always known the reason for Daniel’s discomfort when Jewel was around, but it wasn’t her place to tell his son.

‘You’ll have to ask your ma and da, Thomas,’ she said. ‘I really couldn’t say.’

He nodded, and changed the subject. ‘Have you heard from Clara? I’ve only had one letter.’

‘Not since they left for California, but I’ve written to her to tell her about Dan travelling with Georgiana.’ She frowned a little. ‘Georgiana wrote to tell Jewel, but she was unsure what his plans were, whether he would go to Dreumel’s Creek or travel to San Francisco . . .’ Her voice tailed away. ‘What do you think, Thomas? What do you think he’ll do?’

‘I hope he’ll be diverted from thinking about Jewel by being
in another country and seeing different things,’ Thomas said. ‘He’d be devastated if he travelled to San Francisco and Jewel didn’t want him there. I just hope that there’ll be so much for him to do and see that she won’t be ’chief object of his thoughts. She’s always distracted him from ’true purpose of his life.’

‘Which is?’

‘Why, being happy and satisfied with what he does. He’s a fine wood worker. He never really enjoys making small crafts as I do; but he could build a house if he’d a mind to.’

‘And what about you, Thomas?’ Grace smiled. ‘Do you never get distracted?’

‘Oh aye!’ Thomas’s cheeks took on a rosy hue. ‘All the time. But ’difference between me and Dan is that I have hope, and I’m prepared to wait for what I want. And in ’meantime, while I’m waiting, I’m busy. Busy thinking and making plans.’

He took a breath and chewed on his lower lip, and Grace realized that he wasn’t as confident or self-assured as he made himself out to be. ‘But what I need is somebody to say I’m doing ’right thing.’ He swallowed. ‘And that somebody isn’t here right now.’

Ruby called round to see Grace later in the day. ‘Thomas said you’d been whilst I was out.’ She slipped off her shawl when Grace asked her to sit down and rang for tea. ‘Did you come for owt in particular?’

Ruby always slipped into her local dialect when she was with Grace or people she knew well, although she tried her hardest to modify her voice when she was with customers, even though Grace told her that she should always remain true to her real personality.

‘I did,’ Grace said, unable to keep a beam from her face or her voice. ‘Elizabeth visited us yesterday. She has some news and she said that I might tell you.’

‘Oh!’ Ruby put her hand to her mouth. ‘She’s expecting?’ she breathed. ‘Is she?’

‘Yes. Isn’t it wonderful? I’m so pleased.’ Grace clasped her
hands together. ‘I was bursting to tell you and you weren’t there! I didn’t say a word to Thomas, of course; it’s early days and Elizabeth’ll want to make the announcement herself once they’ve told Patrick’s parents.’

‘Is he pleased? Patrick, I mean.’ She leaned forward and whispered confidentially, ‘He seems such a cold fish. I wouldn’t know what to say to him; not that we’re likely to mix in ’same circles.’

Grace laughed. ‘I think he’s better for knowing. Elizabeth says he’s very witty, but I can’t say I’ve noticed. But yes, Elizabeth says that he’s delighted and of course he’s hoping for a son.’

Ruby preened, having two sons of her own. ‘Well, he will be.’ Then she smiled. ‘And you’ll want a little girl.’

‘As long as it comes safely, I shan’t mind what it is,’ Grace answered softly. ‘But it’d be rather nice to have a little boy to play with. I haven’t told Clara yet. I’d only just posted a letter to her when Elizabeth called. She’ll write to tell her herself, of course.’

‘I won’t breathe a word, I promise,’ Ruby said, and then looked rather disconsolate. ‘I wish my lads would shake themselves up in that department. I don’t know what Dan’ll do if – when Jewel spurns him.’

‘Ruby, you ought to speak to Thomas,’ Grace said earnestly, and then waited as the maid brought in a tray of tea and left it on a side table for her to pour. ‘Tell him why his da’s acting in ’way he does over Dan and Jewel. It would clear the air.’

Ruby took a sip of tea and nodded. ‘I know, but I can’t. I’m too embarrassed and ashamed, if I’m honest.’

‘Oh, Ruby!’ Grace exclaimed. ‘It was such a long time ago. We were living a different life then. Your sons and my daughters have no idea what we went through, although I’ve told some of it to Clara and Elizabeth. Martin and I did that when they were small children; we took them to see ’courts and alleys where ’poor still live, to give them some understanding that life is not always fair.’

Ruby took out a handkerchief and wiped her eyes. ‘I know you did; but you pulled yourself up, Grace. I fell into ’gutter,
and sometimes,’ she gave a huge sigh, ‘sometimes I feel as if that’s where I really belong.’

As she walked back home, Ruby huddled into her shawl. Grace had told her that she shouldn’t feel any shame. That what she did was her means of surviving, but Ruby couldn’t see it that way. I was wicked, she thought, and that’s why Daniel acts in ’way he does. He just never forgets that he wasn’t ’first.

She went into the house by the side door. There was a fire burning brightly. Somebody was home and had added more coal. I’ll never get used to seeing a fire burning in ’hearth, she mused. It’s one of my greatest pleasures; that and having food on ’table every day.

She called out ‘Hello’, and two voices answered. Daniel and Thomas. ‘You’re both home, then,’ she said with forced cheerfulness as she went into the kitchen. ‘That’s good. I’ve got some nice chops for supper. I’ll put them on in a minute.’

Her boots were nipping her toes and she sat down to take them off.

‘Here, let me do that.’ Daniel knelt on the floor beside her and began to unfasten the laces. He pulled off her boots and tenderly rubbed her toes.

Ruby gazed at him in astonishment. They had travelled to Beverley and back in virtual silence. No topic of conversation she instigated had brought any more response than a brief yes or no. So what had happened since then to make a change in him?

‘Da and me have been having a bit of a chat while you were out, Ma,’ Thomas piped up. ‘We’ve got summat to discuss.’

‘Have you?’ Ruby said nervously. ‘What?’

‘Mainly about Jewel and why Da’s set against her. When I asked him he promised he’d discuss it when you came home.’

‘Nay, lad,’ Daniel broke in, getting to his feet. ‘I’ve nowt against Jewel personally.’

Thomas gave a grunt. ‘You could’ve fooled me.’

‘No,’ Ruby said slowly. ‘He hasn’t. It’s me. It’s me and our Dan that your da’s got a concern about. He’s scared that Dan
will ask Jewel to marry him and that she’d be family – not that she’d have him, but your da can’t see that any more than Dan can.’

‘I don’t understand,’ Thomas said. ‘Will somebody please explain?’

‘Yes,’ his mother said. ‘I will. It can come out in ’open and then you, Daniel, once I’ve spoken of my shame, can decide what you want to do. We can live in harmony as man and wife or I can just become somebody who cooks and cleans for you.’

‘Ruby!’ Daniel protested. ‘Don’t say such a thing.’

She ignored him, even though she could see tears in his eyes. ‘When I was young, Thomas, I was as poor as ’proverbial church mouse—’

‘I know that, Ma,’ Thomas said.

‘But I reckon that ’church mouse had more to eat than I did.’ She went on as if he hadn’t spoken. ‘Or Grace did or anybody that I knew, including your father, did. Church mouse at least had a bone or two to chew on. Grace sold a few things in ’market. Do you remember that, Daniel? After you’d left to go to sea, she sold some of ’carvings that you’d left behind for her to burn on ’fire. Me and my ma, we didn’t have a hearth so we had no fire. Nothing,’ she said bitterly. ‘We had nowt but a mattress on ’floor. Not even a chair to sit on.’

She took a breath, and when she began again her voice trembled and Daniel put his hands over his face.

‘But I got an offer,’ she said. ‘From a gentleman; and I accepted it. This gentleman fed me and clothed me, gave me a room of my own with a hearth and furniture – and a bed. It’s that bed that’s causing your da such a problem. Oh yes,’ she added. ‘And this fine gentleman was so besotted with me that he left his wife and asked me to go away with him to America.’