Justice Is a Woman by Yelena Kopylova

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