saving it for an occasion and I guess this is one. Stutz won’t join us – religious principles – but it wouldn’t hurt you, Vera, to have one. It’d help you relax after your long trip. And the boy could join us. Very weak, mind you, plenty of water in his, just a drop of whisky. All for the sake of the ceremony. It couldn’t hurt.”
“Don’t let us stop you,” said Vera. “But Daniel and I won’t be having a drink.”
“Oh, Jesus, no, I suppose not,” said Monkman, winking conspiratorially at Daniel. “To hell with that then. But later can I feed the boy? I thought the four of us could take supper in the hotel. I told Rita to put roast pork and apple sauce on the special tonight. That’s Rita Benger, the cook. You’d remember her. She’s Charlie Benger’s sister that went to school with you. Charlie Benger with the limp?”
“Can we discuss supper in a bit?” said Vera. “I’d like to know what arrangements have been made for Daniel and me tonight.”
“Arrangements?”
“Yes, arrangements. Like where we’re to stay. Also, I’d like to know where and when I start work.”
“Why, you’ll stay here,” responded Monkman with determination.
“Until we find a place to rent.”
“This is Connaught, daughter. There are no places to rent. I’ve got the two bedrooms upstairs that I thought the boy and I could have. That’d leave you the one down here. More privacy for you that way.”
“I didn’t count on this,” said Vera, drawing together her lips. “I’ll see for myself if there aren’t places to rent.”
“Suit yourself. But looking won’t change anything. There are no places for rent. Unless you’re interested in a fire-trap suite over the poolroom.”
“All right then,” she said grimly, “there are no places to rent. What about work?”
“We’ll settle that in due course. Catch your breath.”
“What the hell do I live on while I’m catching it?” demanded Vera, suddenly exasperated. “All the money I have in the world is two hundred dollars in Canada Savings Bonds in that box,” she said, pointing. “I can’t afford to be a lady of leisure.”
“Christ, Vera, relax. The trouble with you is everything gets blown way out of proportion. Always did. You and the boy are home now. You’re taken care of. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“I didn’t come home to be taken care of. I’m not a child. I came to work. You promised me a job.”
“If I promised you a job, you’ve got a job. I’m your father. What do you expect me to do? Cheat you? Put your mind at rest. You’ve got a job for chrissakes.”
“What kind of job?” Her voice was flat, controlled.
“An easy job. You said you wanted to be able to spend more time with the boy so I got you one. We’ll talk about it tomorrow when you’re not so tired and irritable from your trip.”
“I want to talk about it now. What kind of job?”
Monkman hesitated. “Housekeeper,” he finally admitted, reluctantly.
Vera’s face flushed. “Housekeeper to who?”
Monkman appealed to Mr. Stutz. “Is she serious? ‘Housekeeperto who?’ she says.” He swung back on Vera. “Christ, for who do you think? For me. And for him,” he added, nodding to Daniel. “For once you can be a full-time mother. You can look after your boy.”
“And you.”
“That’s such a hardship? You wash his shirt, throw mine in the machine, too. You boil him a potato, boil me one, too. Where’s the strain in that?”
“That’s not where I expect the strain to come in.”
“So where does the strain come in?”
“I’m a grown woman. I’m thirty-six years old and I want to have my own money. I mean to have a salary, not a housekeeping allowance. I don’t intend to snitch nickels and dimes from household expenses so I can buy myself a new bra when I need one. I want a wage. I’m not sixteen years old like before.”
The word bra caused Mr. Stutz to cast his eyes down to the toes of his boots.
“I was a
“Don’t let us stop you,” said Vera. “But Daniel and I won’t be having a drink.”
“Oh, Jesus, no, I suppose not,” said Monkman, winking conspiratorially at Daniel. “To hell with that then. But later can I feed the boy? I thought the four of us could take supper in the hotel. I told Rita to put roast pork and apple sauce on the special tonight. That’s Rita Benger, the cook. You’d remember her. She’s Charlie Benger’s sister that went to school with you. Charlie Benger with the limp?”
“Can we discuss supper in a bit?” said Vera. “I’d like to know what arrangements have been made for Daniel and me tonight.”
“Arrangements?”
“Yes, arrangements. Like where we’re to stay. Also, I’d like to know where and when I start work.”
“Why, you’ll stay here,” responded Monkman with determination.
“Until we find a place to rent.”
“This is Connaught, daughter. There are no places to rent. I’ve got the two bedrooms upstairs that I thought the boy and I could have. That’d leave you the one down here. More privacy for you that way.”
“I didn’t count on this,” said Vera, drawing together her lips. “I’ll see for myself if there aren’t places to rent.”
“Suit yourself. But looking won’t change anything. There are no places for rent. Unless you’re interested in a fire-trap suite over the poolroom.”
“All right then,” she said grimly, “there are no places to rent. What about work?”
“We’ll settle that in due course. Catch your breath.”
“What the hell do I live on while I’m catching it?” demanded Vera, suddenly exasperated. “All the money I have in the world is two hundred dollars in Canada Savings Bonds in that box,” she said, pointing. “I can’t afford to be a lady of leisure.”
“Christ, Vera, relax. The trouble with you is everything gets blown way out of proportion. Always did. You and the boy are home now. You’re taken care of. You’ve got nothing to worry about.”
“I didn’t come home to be taken care of. I’m not a child. I came to work. You promised me a job.”
“If I promised you a job, you’ve got a job. I’m your father. What do you expect me to do? Cheat you? Put your mind at rest. You’ve got a job for chrissakes.”
“What kind of job?” Her voice was flat, controlled.
“An easy job. You said you wanted to be able to spend more time with the boy so I got you one. We’ll talk about it tomorrow when you’re not so tired and irritable from your trip.”
“I want to talk about it now. What kind of job?”
Monkman hesitated. “Housekeeper,” he finally admitted, reluctantly.
Vera’s face flushed. “Housekeeper to who?”
Monkman appealed to Mr. Stutz. “Is she serious? ‘Housekeeperto who?’ she says.” He swung back on Vera. “Christ, for who do you think? For me. And for him,” he added, nodding to Daniel. “For once you can be a full-time mother. You can look after your boy.”
“And you.”
“That’s such a hardship? You wash his shirt, throw mine in the machine, too. You boil him a potato, boil me one, too. Where’s the strain in that?”
“That’s not where I expect the strain to come in.”
“So where does the strain come in?”
“I’m a grown woman. I’m thirty-six years old and I want to have my own money. I mean to have a salary, not a housekeeping allowance. I don’t intend to snitch nickels and dimes from household expenses so I can buy myself a new bra when I need one. I want a wage. I’m not sixteen years old like before.”
The word bra caused Mr. Stutz to cast his eyes down to the toes of his boots.
“I was a
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