Justice Is a Woman (6 page)

the rest of them, put a face on their situation and pretended nothing had changed in their way of living

during the past ten years.

Lady Kathryn Fowley was the only one among them who seemed to face facts. She

helped herself by

growing quite a lot of her own food. And then there was Betty, his new sister-in-law. But then Betty

didn’t seem as if she really belonged to that family. He could never imagine her being Elly’s sister. It

wasn’t only the six years’ difference in their ages, it was the whole overall look of her.

She was a

different type altogether. He had the idea that Elly had made use of her over the years, but then she was

the kind of person who let herself be made use of. She seemed to like it; she was a cheery individual.

She had told him she had worked in munitions during the war and had also driven an

army truck, and he

could well imagine it. When the thought passed through his mind that it was a pity that some of Betty’s

robustness hadn’t rubbed off on to Elly, he had a feeling of guilt and he told himself hastily that it was

because Elly was who she was that he had fallen in love with her; he could never have fallen in love with

Betty. The very thought brought a smile to his lips. Poor Betty.

He had covered half the journey home when, passing the end of the Menton estate, he

saw the

unmistakable shape of the old Rolls. David had come back for him.

“Hello, David. You shouldn’t have turned out again.”

“I thought you might get molested on the road; you never know what happens on a dark

night.”

They both laughed as Joe took his seat and banged the door closed.

“Did you have any trouble back there?” Joe was watching David as he backed the car on to the grass

verge, pulling hard on the wheel as he said, “No; no trouble; but madam, your wife, said she wanted to

be taken home.” He swung the wheel round again, the car straightened out, and it had

gone some

distance down the road before Joe said, “You haven’t taken to her, have you?”

“Well now’ David’s gaze was still directed ahead ‘that’s neither here nor there. Whether I’ve taken to

her or not is no matter. The fact is she hasn’t taken to me. She dislikes me intensely.”

“Nonsense!”

David’s head jerked round now towards Joe and he said flatly, “It isn’t nonsense, and you know it isn’t.

She sees me as a black man and, what is even worse, married to a white woman; and,

added to that,

living in a decent house; and what is even worse still, not to mention incomprehensible, is that my master

treats me as an equal. He speaks to me as if I were a human being and, of course, one shouldn’t treat

servants like that; it isn’t done in good-class society.”

“Stop it, David.”

For answer, David brought the car to a grinding halt and, his hands gripping the wheel, he bent over it

and with his head down, he said, “This thing’s got to be faced, Joe. We’re all in a new situation. You

yourself are responsible for it. And she’s not really to blame for her attitude; you can’t expect her to

understand. If you want peace you have to face up to the fact that I am the chauffeur—

gardener and you

are the master; and in future you’ll have to add a slight air of condescension to your manner when dealing

with me.”

“Don’t talk such bloody rot! Even if I could bring myself to do it, I wouldn’t, not for her or anyone else,

you know that.” David drew himself upright now from the wheel and lay back against the seat, his hands

lying limp on his thighs. Joe sat in a similar position.

“We’re stuck, aren’t we?”

Joe nodded his head twice before repeating, “Yes, we’re stuck. As it was in the beginning is now and

ever shall be.”

“You’re going to have a rough time of it, then.”

“I’ll manage that side of the business, never fear.”

“What does himself think of her?” The question came low, muttered.

“I don’t really know, but he talks to her and she to him;

in fact, she seems to like going up there. “

“Well, that augurs good, I should say, although it’s a bit surprising.”

“Don’t take that attitude, David.”

“I’m sorry.” David now twisted around in the and, putting his hand on Joe’s knee, he gri it and shook it

as he said, “I won’t make it difficult; I’ll work in.” They now looked at each other

throughout fading light

and they both grinned weakly, b David turned to the wheel again and, startin the car, drove towards the

house.

On 12 May 192. 6 the General Council called off the national strike.

For nine days the country, the working part of the country, had supported the miners, but now the latter

were on their own, and so they were to remain as the weeks grew into months. And that’s what Mary

Duffy said to Ella as she stood sullenly by the kitchen table:

“They’re on their own and likely to remain that way even for a long time yet, so be

thankful you’ve got a

full belly, miss; you would have something to grumble about if you were like most of

them back in the

town there; there’s hardly a fat woman left. You’re Jane to her, an’ that’s all there is about it. You

should be used to it now.

You’ve got to take it as one of the things the likes of us have got to put up with. “

The name’s Ella. “

“Aye, we all know it is, lass, but himself has agreed to it. Don’t forget that.”

“She’s got him turned soft.”

“Don’t you believe it. He knows what he’s doin’. He’s out to keep the peace, an’ if by allowin’ you to

be called Jane he can manage it, then I’m with him.”

“I could spit in her eye every time she calls me Jane.” 57 “Now, now.” Mary turned

heavily around

from the stove and placed one foot firmly before the other as she slowly advanced to the table and,

bending across it, thrust her finger out towards her niece as she said, “Listen to me, miss.

We’ll have

none of that talk. No matter what you think about her, you’d be wise to keep it to

yourself, an’ the fact

that you want to spit in her eye will soon become clear to her if it isn’t already, so use your head, girl, and

keep your tongue civil ‘cos, mind, I’m tellin’ you this: Master Joe might appear easy but let him find out

you’ve been rude to her in any way an’ by God!

you’ll wonder which cuddy kicked you. He closes his eyes to lots of things but I wouldn’t answer for

your chances to be kept on here if he found you openly cheeked her. “

“He stood up for me about me name that time, I heard him.”

“Aye, you’ve said that afore; well, I wouldn’t push your luck. The trouble with you is you don’t know

you’re born yet; you’ve never wanted for anything, you’ve had life served up to you on a plate. And

remember your place, we’re servants here.”

“Oh, you’ll never let me forget that. Aunty Mary. Servants.” Now Ella poked her face

towards her

aunt and hissed, “That’s all you hear:

mind your place, you’re a servant. Well, let me tell you. Aunty Mary, I hate being a

servant. And who

are they after all? Me da said me granda worked with his granda and himself an’ all; and himself started

at the bench an’ called himself an engineer. Labourer he was, with hardly any schooling.

But if all tales

are true there were some things he didn’t need school in’ for, an’ you haven’t to go more than a few

yards to prove it. And if he hadn’t any money at the time .. “

“Shut your mouth! Shut your mouth this minute, girl! And if I hear you open it again in that direction I’ll

go up to the missis me self

It’s a great pity, I’ll say to her, but your mother’s sick and she needs you at home. Now I’m warnin’

you. You say you hate being a servant, but there’s something you hate more, an’ I know it, an’ that’s

being one of four in a bed. Now go on and pick up those silks’ she pointed to the small pile of black silk

lingerie that was lying on a side table ‘and get them washed, and carefully, an’ towel-dry

‘em and iron

‘em, and be quick about it. And if I hear another word out of you this day I’ll take me hand and I’ll

wring your ear. “ The look on Ella’s face said plainly, “ You try it,” but her lips remained tight as she

floundered around and, grabbing up the silk underwear, strode across the kitchen, through the door

which she banged after her, and to the wash-house across the yard. Mary stood

supporting herself

against the back of a chair as she drew in one deep breath after another, and when the door leading to

the hall opened and her husband appeared she said to him straightaway, “ That one’s

playin’ up again.

She’ll say something one of these days and that’ll be the end of her. There’s always

something to worry

the life out of you. “

“Well, I can give you something more.” Duffy placed the tea tray, with the silver tea service on it,

carefully on the table before he went on, “In fact, two things more. Firstly, she wants the bills presented

to her every Friday mornin’.”

“But she gets the accounts book.”

“Aye, she gets the accounts book, but she says she wants the things itemised That’s the word she used, i

... tern ... ised. Aye, everything we order has got to be put down in black and white. She’s got wind of

something; she must have seen the hairns leavin’ with the bags.”

“Oh, my God! But anyway’ Mary now bristled ‘himself wouldn’t mind; as for Master Joe

he wouldn’t

give a damn, he’d give them the stuff.”

“Aye, Master Joe might, at one time, but don’t forget he’s married now, an’ that makes a difference.”

“As if I could.” Mary’s attitude was now quite different from that which she had

presented to Ella when

speaking of her mistress.

“There’s never been a moment’s peace since she came into the place.

But the other thing? “

“She caught David handing out tomatoes and taties to Clan Egan and another fellow, an’

by the sound of

it she not only put a stop to it but she put David in his place; at least, she tried to, and they’re going at it

hell for leather up there now about it.”

“Master Joe and her!”

“Aye.”

“Do you think she’ll get the better of him?”

“That remains to be seen. He’s in an awkward position is Master Joe, at ween the devil and the deep

sea, you could say.”

And that’s just what Joe was thinking as he sat holding his wife’s hands in the sittingroom upstairs. He

could see that she had a point.

As she said, if she was mistress of the house the expenditure was her business. What was more, she

had been used to seeing to household books since she was eighteen. Accounts were the

one thing she

was good at and the accounts in this house, she felt, when gone into would prove that they were being

robbed, and not only inside but outside too. She had emphasised the latter.

He stroked her fingers gently now as he said, “Why worry your head about such trifles? I know they

order more than they should but, as I see it at present, it’s for a very good cause. You know, dear,

some of them down in the village are near starvation, the women in particular; they won’t eat themselves

in order that the children can get a better share.”

“That’s all very well, Joe, but it really isn’t your concern. The authorities and the Poor Law are taking

care of them and they won’t starve; there’s soup kitchens and ...”

She was almost thrust from him now as he rose abruptly before going to the window to

look out on to

grounds that were parched in the mid-day heat.

It was impossible to hose all the lawns and the sun was shrivelling the grass. It was a glorious summer.

The weather had brought on the fruit and vegetables apace: the greenhouses were

bursting with

tomatoes; the apple and pear boughs were bending towards the ground with the weight of their fruit;

they’d had loads of strawberries, gooseberries, raspberries and black currants the cellar had shelves full

of preserves and jams, and in the house they’d eaten their own fruit every day for weeks, besides which

they took for granted a three course lunch and a four-course dinner every day.

Sometimes, as they sat eating their fill, he would find it difficult to keep his mind off Fellburn and the

villagers; yet she had just said they wouldn’t starve down there. Would she ever

understand them?

Would she ever fit in?

Yet she seemed to fit in upstairs well enough with his father, and with Marcus and Lena Levey too.

Marcus thought she was great fun, and Lena had said she was beautiful, while Doris, their daughter, had

a schoolgirl crush on her. It was strange, but it seemed to be only in the kitchen quarter of the house

where she didn’t fit in; and, of course, at The Cottage, for she had taken a strong dislike towards David

and Hazel, most openly towards David. It wouldn’t have been so bad, he thought, had she detested all

the rest of them, even his father, if only she had taken to David.

Still with his back to Elaine, he spoke David’s name now: saying stiffly, “David has my permission to

give all the surplus vegetables and fruit to the miners. I’ve told you this before; and you’ve no right to

interfere with that arrangement.”

He sensed she was on her feet now and he could gauge the expression on her face from

the tone of her

voice: “And I told you I didn’t agree with it, at least not in the quantity he gives away, and always to that

man Egan, who’ll likely go and sell it and drink the proceeds.”