A Safe Harbour (19 page)
Authors: Benita Brown
Tags: #Technology & Engineering, #Sagas, #Fisheries & Aquaculture, #Fiction
‘So what are we going to do now?’ William asked.
‘We’ll go home, shall we?’
‘Home? You mean . . .’
‘Yes, back to Cullercoats. We’ve been keeping folk guessing long enough. Although I must say Kate hasn’t been fooled. William, I want you to come and visit my parents. My mother always cooks too much lunch on a Sunday, especially if she thinks I’m coming home.’
‘Do I have to keep these clothes on?’
‘Well . . .’
‘I wouldn’t be able to do justice to your mother’s cooking if I was worried about popping the buttons on this waistcoat.’
Jane couldn’t help smiling. ‘All right, we’ll go back to Jesmond and you can change. But, perhaps, you should keep that tie on. It’s . . . it’s a little newer than yours.’
William took her arm and began to walk away briskly, obviously relieved and happy to be going back to Cullercoats. And apparently not at all nervous about the meeting with her parents. He had known them all his life. Not only because his sister and Jane were friends but also because everyone in the village knew Jane’s father, the village cobbler. Jane wondered whether he had understood what she’d meant. Did he realize that she wanted folk to accept them officially as a courting couple? She hoped so but, just in case he didn’t, she would prime him on the journey down to the coast on the train.
‘Please don’t walk so fast,’ she begged. ‘I can’t keep up with your long legs.’ He smiled an apology and slowed down. Next time she spoke she was a little breathless. ‘Then after lunch,’ she said, ‘we’ll visit your parents, shall we?’ Her voice faltered. She liked William’s mother very much but the thought of facing Henry Lawson was frightening. Especially if he’d had a drink or two. ‘Perhaps we won’t stay too long there.’ She paused to gauge his reaction. He was still smiling. She hurried on, ‘Because I think we should spend the rest of the day with Kate. She must be lonely living in that cottage by herself and it’s time I visited her.’
‘Anything you say, sweetheart.’
William grinned and Jane realized that he had understood what she’d meant, after all. Perhaps he didn’t altogether approve of her plans for their future, but she thought that the fact that she was prepared to go with him and tell their families that they were going to be married had lifted his spirits.
William was still smiling. He was happier than he’d been for a long time.
‘Jane, I’m very happy for you.’
William had been summoned to the boat field by Thomas, who said that a few of the lads wanted to ask his advice about something, so Kate and her friend had taken their chairs into the back yard of Belle Vue cottage in order to catch the evening sun while they gossiped.
‘I hoped you would be,’ Jane said. ‘And I’m determined to make a success of it, you know.’
‘I should hope so. You’ll have me to answer to if you don’t. And my mother, probably.’
Jane frowned. ‘Well, it’s nice of you to say so but I didn’t get the impression that your mother was very keen on the idea. No, not very keen at all.’
Now it was Kate’s turn to be puzzled. ‘I’m sure you’re wrong. For as long as I can remember she’s wanted you and William to get married.’
‘Oh, dear.’ Jane looked abashed. ‘We’ve been talking at cross purposes.’
She didn’t have to explain; Kate understood immediately. ‘I meant I was happy that you and my brother are going to be married—’
‘—and I thought you were happy about my shop. Are you, Kate? Are you pleased about my new venture?’
‘Does it matter what I think?’
‘Of course it does.’
‘Why?’
‘You’re my best friend – my only friend – and you are William’s sister. So of course it matters what you think.’
Kate turned her head to find Jane staring at her intently. ‘Do you want me to convince William that your idea is the right one? Is that what you really mean?’
‘No . . . I mean yes . . . oh, this is difficult. Yes, I’d like you to talk to William but only if you really think it’s the best thing to do.’
Kate smiled. ‘Well, I certainly can’t see you as a fisherman’s wife. You have no idea how to bait the lines, or gut a herring.’
Jane pursed her lips with distaste. ‘I should think not! Oh . . . I mean, I know you have to . . . I’m sorry.’
‘Don’t worry. I’m not offended. I’m not ashamed of being a fish lass, but you have other skills – and you should be proud of them. And I’ll tell William so. But after that it’s up to him what he decides to do.’
‘Apart from my parents, who are pleased about it, you’re the only one who knows about William’s . . . William’s new position.’
‘If he gets it.’
‘Well, of course. He didn’t want to tell your mother because she might tell your father. William thinks it better to wait until things are more definite.’
‘Very wise.’
They looked at each other solemnly, both knowing very well that Henry Lawson would oppose most strongly the idea of William’s leaving home.
‘Your father wasn’t at home when we called,’ Jane said.
Kate smiled. She guessed that Jane would have been relieved to find that so. ‘How was my great-grandmother?’
‘She was sleeping, I think. She was very quiet.’
‘I miss her.’
‘Kate, why can’t you go home? Whatever you did to anger your father, surely he’ll have forgotten about it by now.’
‘He won’t forget.’ Kate rose from her chair before Jane could respond. ‘But William will be coming back soon and I promised you some kind of meal. Shall we go in and see to the table?’
When Jane and William had arrived Kate had been pleased to see them but mortified that she had nothing much to offer in the way of refreshment. She knew without looking that the larder contained an oven-bottom bread cake, some cheese and three salted herrings. She supposed that would just about do but then she had noticed that Jane was carrying a basket.
‘Your mother sent this,’ her friend had told her. ‘She said if William is going to have his meal with us she felt obliged to contribute.’
The basket contained a small joint of home-boiled bacon, a dozen plain scones and half a pound of butter. Kate had silently blessed her mother for trying to spare her embarrassment. But in any case, she’d thought, Jane has probably never had to think about what’s in the pantry. She can have no idea of what it’s like to live from day to day as I am doing now.
With a choice of ham, cheese and salt herring to be followed by the scones, the table didn’t look too meagre, and when she heard William crossing the yard Kate lifted the kettle from the hob and poured boiling water into the teapot.
Jane’s smile was brilliant when he entered but Kate thought her brother looked troubled. He didn’t speak, and after a while Jane’s smile faded. ‘What is it?’ she asked. ‘Has something happened?’
‘No,’ William said. But his expression didn’t alter.
‘Then why do you look so grim?’
‘Grim?’
‘Yes, grim!’
There was an impatience in Jane’s tone, an expression of irritation that Kate’s mother would never have dared use when dealing with Henry. Kate watched them and wondered how her brother would react. He seemed to shake himself before he framed an answer.
‘There’s nothing wrong. It’s just Thomas and his hot-headed friends. They talk a lot of nonsense. I . . . I worry about them.’
A picture from the recent past sprang into Kate’s mind: Thomas sitting by the fire in the mission hall with Jos’s brother Matthew and a group of their friends.
‘
Jos said we should settle for the bastard!
’ That had been Thomas, his voice tight with fury.
Jos said we should settle for the bastard!
’ That had been Thomas, his voice tight with fury.
And then someone else spoke . . . ‘
Now that he’s gone we mustn’t forget.
’
Now that he’s gone we mustn’t forget.
’
‘We must act together . . .’
‘Show Adamson we won’t be beat . . .’
‘Sink the bastard . . .’
The voices faded. Kate looked at her brother, who was trying to convince Jane that nothing was wrong. William hadn’t been part of that group at the funeral tea so why was she so sure that that was what was troubling him?
Kate asked them to sit at the table and began to pour the tea. Suddenly William looked as though he’d come to some sort of decision. ‘Kate,’ he said, ‘have you become friendly with the American artist?’
This took her so completely by surprise that she found herself sitting down quickly. The teapot wobbled in her hand and Jane reached over and took it from her. She noticed that her friend looked as surprised as she was.
‘Why do you ask?’
‘There’s gossip.’
‘Gossip?’ Kate raised her chin and her eyes flashed.
William wasn’t intimidated by her angry stare. ‘You’ve been seen talking to him.’
‘And where was that, exactly?’
‘On the beach. And one night . . .’
‘Yes?’ Kate’s chin went up and she could feel the heat rising. ‘One night?’
‘One night you were seen walking home together – alone.’
Kate saw that Jane’s eyes were round with surprise. William, on the other hand, looked uncomfortable. So uncomfortable that, although her temper was racing, she took pity on him and took a deep breath before saying anything.
‘Who saw us?’
‘What do you mean?’
‘That’s not a difficult question, William.’ Her ire was rising again. ‘Who saw me walking home –
alone
– with Mr Munro?’
alone
– with Mr Munro?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘Then who told you about it?’
‘Jos’s brother.’
‘Matthew?’
‘That’s right. Before you ask, I don’t know who told him. But apparently more than one person has noticed . . . has noticed . . .’
‘Noticed what?’
‘You and the American. They’re of the opinion that you’re over-friendly.’ At this point William raised his hand and extended it, palm out, towards her. ‘And before you fly off the handle,’ he said, raising his voice, ‘just remember that I’m your older brother and I have every right to bring this matter up. I wouldn’t do so if I didn’t care for you.’
‘What does caring for me have to do with it?’
‘You’re a woman living alone; you must know that you’ll have to guard your reputation. And if this gossip ever got to our da there’d be hell to pay. Our mam would suffer for it and, furthermore, I wouldn’t be able to protect you if he caught you alone here.’
Kate put her hands flat on the table at each side of her plate. Grown woman though she was, the thought of her father in a rage was intimidating. When she’d been a child he had terrified the family with his shouting and his violence, and although nowadays he relied less on physical violence and more on shouting, that did not mean his nature had changed. If the drink was on him his behaviour was dangerously unpredictable. Fortunately William and Thomas were able to keep an eye on him and help shield their mother, but now that Kate lived alone in this cottage she might not be able to rely on her brothers’ protection.
She controlled her anger. ‘So this gossip has not yet reached our parents?’ she asked.
‘No. You have friends in the village, Kate. People feel sorry for you. Not only because you lost Jos, but also because our father turned you out at such a sad time in your life. They also admire you for trying to make a living for yourself. Our father . . .’ he paused, ‘our father has angered many people in the past. He’s not well liked.’
‘But my “friends” in the village did not hesitate to tell Matthew Linton?’
‘No, but they weren’t being malicious.’
‘Really?’
‘No, Kate. They feel you are innocent—’
‘Of course I’m innocent!’
‘Let me speak. They feel that you don’t realize that Mr Munro might be taking advantage of you.’
‘Well, he’s not. He’s just being kind. The first time he spoke to me it was because he was worried about me.’
‘Worried about you? Why should he be worried about you?’ Jane was unable to keep silent any longer. ‘Why should a perfect stranger be worried about you?’
‘Because he knew what had happened and . . . and he saw me go into the cave one day and he doesn’t know about the tides. He thought I might drown and he wanted to make sure I was all right.’ Both Jane and William looked at her doubtfully. ‘It’s true,’ Kate said. ‘Mr Munro is an artist. He’s not like the people we grew up with.’
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