her so long as they had the means to pay. But Maria wasn’t concerned about the woman’s reputation at present. She had far more pressing things on her mind.
‘I er . . .’
As Maria faltered, the woman went on, ‘After our Lennie, are yer? Well, you’ll ’ave yer work cut out to find ’im now! I don’t know what it were as yer said to ’im but within an hour o’ yer visit he’d packed his bags an’ scarpered like a cat wi’ its tail afire. Gone to sea, so he has, an’ I’ve no idea when – or if – I’ll see him again. Now sod off an’ leave a body in peace, can’t yer!’ And with that another door was slammed resoundingly in Maria’s face.
She stood there feeling as if the bottom of the world had dropped out. Lennie had gone! He had left her to face her trouble alone. But what would happen to her now? She knew that her mother had already guessed at the plight she was in, but if her father was to find out, there would be blood on the moon.
Tears trickled down her frozen cheeks as she stood there but she was so shocked that for a time she did not even realise that she was weeping. Eventually she turned and slowly made her way home. There was nowhere else for her to go.
‘Why, whatever brings you back so soon?’ Martha gasped when Maria staggered in some half an hour later.
‘Mrs Everitt is ill so she isn’t opening the shop today,’ Maria said in a small voice.
Martha peeled her shawl from her daughter’s shoulders and after shaking the snow from it she threw it across the large wooden clothes-horse that stood in front of the fire. It instantly began to steam along with the other wet clothes that Martha had just washed as the woman pressed Maria down at the scrubbed oak table.
‘A good hot brew will do you a power of good,’ she commented as she bustled away. Seconds later she returned with a large brown earthenware teapot, and after pouring some into a cup she handed it to her daughter saying, ‘Now get that down you, lass.’ Wiping her wet hands down the front of her apron she then took a seat opposite and asked, ‘And what else is on your mind?’
Maria knew full well what her mother was referring to but after the shock she had just had from Dora Glover she still wasn’t ready to confide.
‘The thing is . . . Mrs Everitt intimated that I might not be needed again, even when she is better.’
‘Oh.’ Disappointment clouded Martha’s face. ‘Then we’ll just have to find you some other form of employment, won’t we? If you’re fit enough to work, that is.’
Again, Maria ignored the insinuation and shrugged, saying miserably, ‘Of course I’m fit enough.’ As she drained the cup of tea, however, she felt warmth begin to flow through her again.
‘Right, then go and get changed out of those wet clothes before you catch your death of cold,’ Martha ordered. ‘You can help me with all this washing today if you’ve a mind to. We’ll face tomorrow when it comes.’
Without a word Maria rose and went to do as she was told. As Martha watched her go, she bit down on her lip. Oh, her lovely girl – what was to become of her? Turning about, she snatched up another pile of dirty washing and carrying it to the copper boiler that stood in the corner by the scullery she pushed it deep down into the hot soapy water with a pair of long wooden tongs.
‘So what is this then?’ Edward asked when he came in shortly before lunchtime. ‘Why aren’t you at your job, girl?’ He stamped the snow from his boots as Maria continued to lay the spoons and dishes on the table.
‘Mrs Everitt is ill,’ Martha answered for her, with a warning glance at her daughter. ‘But worse than that, it appears that she may have no further need of Maria even when she is recovered. It comes as no great surprise really. She has never made a secret of the fact that she begrudges having to pay someone to help her, has she?’
‘I see.’ Edward scowled as he sat down at the table and Martha instantly
‘I er . . .’
As Maria faltered, the woman went on, ‘After our Lennie, are yer? Well, you’ll ’ave yer work cut out to find ’im now! I don’t know what it were as yer said to ’im but within an hour o’ yer visit he’d packed his bags an’ scarpered like a cat wi’ its tail afire. Gone to sea, so he has, an’ I’ve no idea when – or if – I’ll see him again. Now sod off an’ leave a body in peace, can’t yer!’ And with that another door was slammed resoundingly in Maria’s face.
She stood there feeling as if the bottom of the world had dropped out. Lennie had gone! He had left her to face her trouble alone. But what would happen to her now? She knew that her mother had already guessed at the plight she was in, but if her father was to find out, there would be blood on the moon.
Tears trickled down her frozen cheeks as she stood there but she was so shocked that for a time she did not even realise that she was weeping. Eventually she turned and slowly made her way home. There was nowhere else for her to go.
‘Why, whatever brings you back so soon?’ Martha gasped when Maria staggered in some half an hour later.
‘Mrs Everitt is ill so she isn’t opening the shop today,’ Maria said in a small voice.
Martha peeled her shawl from her daughter’s shoulders and after shaking the snow from it she threw it across the large wooden clothes-horse that stood in front of the fire. It instantly began to steam along with the other wet clothes that Martha had just washed as the woman pressed Maria down at the scrubbed oak table.
‘A good hot brew will do you a power of good,’ she commented as she bustled away. Seconds later she returned with a large brown earthenware teapot, and after pouring some into a cup she handed it to her daughter saying, ‘Now get that down you, lass.’ Wiping her wet hands down the front of her apron she then took a seat opposite and asked, ‘And what else is on your mind?’
Maria knew full well what her mother was referring to but after the shock she had just had from Dora Glover she still wasn’t ready to confide.
‘The thing is . . . Mrs Everitt intimated that I might not be needed again, even when she is better.’
‘Oh.’ Disappointment clouded Martha’s face. ‘Then we’ll just have to find you some other form of employment, won’t we? If you’re fit enough to work, that is.’
Again, Maria ignored the insinuation and shrugged, saying miserably, ‘Of course I’m fit enough.’ As she drained the cup of tea, however, she felt warmth begin to flow through her again.
‘Right, then go and get changed out of those wet clothes before you catch your death of cold,’ Martha ordered. ‘You can help me with all this washing today if you’ve a mind to. We’ll face tomorrow when it comes.’
Without a word Maria rose and went to do as she was told. As Martha watched her go, she bit down on her lip. Oh, her lovely girl – what was to become of her? Turning about, she snatched up another pile of dirty washing and carrying it to the copper boiler that stood in the corner by the scullery she pushed it deep down into the hot soapy water with a pair of long wooden tongs.
‘So what is this then?’ Edward asked when he came in shortly before lunchtime. ‘Why aren’t you at your job, girl?’ He stamped the snow from his boots as Maria continued to lay the spoons and dishes on the table.
‘Mrs Everitt is ill,’ Martha answered for her, with a warning glance at her daughter. ‘But worse than that, it appears that she may have no further need of Maria even when she is recovered. It comes as no great surprise really. She has never made a secret of the fact that she begrudges having to pay someone to help her, has she?’
‘I see.’ Edward scowled as he sat down at the table and Martha instantly
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