Eve and Her Sisters (40 page)

‘Yes, Alexander is at home.’

She did not elaborate. Perhaps she did not consider it any of his business. He walked across to the window and flung it open - the room smelt stuffy. When he turned, she was still standing in the doorway looking about her, and something in her face made him say self-consciously, ‘Not much changes here, as you can see.’

He saw her swallow. Then she said, ‘That’s not quite true, from what I hear. You’re selling the inn, I understand.’

‘Yes, I am. Who told you? Nell?’

‘No, it was Mrs Ramshawe.’ She gave a small smile. ‘She took great pleasure in telling me something I didn’t know.’

‘Aye, I can imagine. There’s more than one like that round here. We don’t need no telegram service in Washington.’

She looked down at her joined hands. ‘Where are you thinking of moving to? Anywhere near here?’

‘Abroad.’ She said nothing, merely raising her eyes to his face, so in spite of himself he felt compelled to say, ‘I was thinking of Australia at one stage, there’s lots of opportunities out there, but on further investigation’ - he liked that, further investigation, it made it sound as if he knew what he was on about, which in truth he didn’t feel he did - ‘I favour New Zealand.’

She inclined her head. ‘What will you do out there?’

‘What I know. Open an inn. Leastways, that’s the plan.’

He expected her to say something more but when she merely stared at him, he raked his hair back from his forehead as he always did when at a loss.‘I’ll leave you to it if you’re sure you don’t want me to make the bed.’

‘No, no, I’ll do it. Of course I’ll do it.’

‘Will you be wanting a meal tonight?’

‘I-I don’t know. No, perhaps not. I shall go and see Nell later. She should be home once it starts to get dark. I’ll probably eat with her. In fact I might go soon and get something ready for them for when they come in.’

He stared at her. Bluntly, he said, ‘Is there anything to get a meal with?’

‘Aye, yes, I’ve taken care of that. I . . . I got some things delivered earlier today from the Co-op.’

He nodded. ‘Right.’ Lady Bountiful. How would Toby take that? And then with a feeling of shame he said to the bristly wounded part of himself, Nell’s her sister, of course she would help out. ‘Well, I’ll leave you to it then.’ He walked across the room and she stood aside for him to leave.

On the landing, Caleb screwed up his eyes and breathed out hard through his nose. Dear gussy, what was he going to do now? Why did she have to come back? He felt like beating his hands against the wall or screaming, anything to express the raging feeling inside him. He had been settled, he had known what he was going to do and how he was going to go about it, and then she had to turn up like this.
Damn it!

He strode along the landing. And the way she’d strolled in, as bold as brass. Anyone would think the last eight years hadn’t happened. What did she think he was? Something to be picked up and dropped whenever she felt like it?

The feeling inside him had to have some expression and as he reached the top of the stairs he kicked out at the wall with his good leg, nearly breaking his toes in the process. The pain provided a focus and after a moment or two when he was in danger of throwing up, he made his way downstairs to the kitchen. Ada turned from the range. ‘I’ve just made a fresh pot of tea. That other was stone cold.’

He nodded and sat down at the table. ‘Thanks.’

‘That was a turn-up for the book, her arriving out the blue.’

Without looking at Ada, he said, ‘It’s perfectly natural. She used to work here and we have guest rooms.’

‘Aye, mebbe, but without so much as a by your leave? I’d have thought she’d have let you know.’

‘You heard what she said. She didn’t expect she’d be staying the night.’

‘All seems a bit cheeky to me but then, what do I know?’

‘Leave it, Ada. All right? Just leave it.’

‘Well, we don’t hear anything for years and then she swans in like—’

Caleb jumped to his feet, his face as black as thunder, and disappeared into the scullery. A second later Ada heard the back door bang.

She stood for a minute gazing after him.Then her eyes moved upwards as though she could see through the ceiling to the rooms above. ‘Well,’ she breathed out softly. ‘So that’s the way of it. Who would have guessed?’

Eve had purposely not bought any sacks of coal. She had imagined that might serve as a red rag to a bull as far as Toby was concerned. She knew how the miners regarded blacklegs, whether or not they were drafted in from other counties, and it would be blacklegs who had mined the coal, in Toby’s opinion. But the logs from the stack now piled outside were blazing and a pot of thick beef stew was simmering in the range oven when Nell walked in as it was getting dark.

Nell stood in the doorway, the children clustered wide-eyed behind her. She looked at the warm kitchen, the table set for dinner and smelt the stew. Her eyes fastened on Eve who was smiling uncertainly. Then she burst into tears.

For a minute or two all was consternation and bustle. The children weren’t used to seeing their mother break down. She was the cornerstone of the family. But eventually Nell was laughing and smiling and they all sat down to a hearty meal. Once they’d finished, the children licking their plates clean, Nell sent her offspring up to bed. Betsy was asleep on her feet as it was.The two sisters sat at the table drinking their third cup of tea and talking quietly.

‘I can’t believe what you’ve bought.’ Nell reached out her hand and grasped Eve’s tightly. ‘I tell you, lass, today was my worst day yet. It was such hard work in the fields, not for myself but the bairns I mean. They’re all pale and washed-out looking but they worked the whole time with not one word of complaint. Our Robert’s got a mouthful of ulcers and the lassies’ impetigo just won’t clear up.’ She stopped, shaking her head. ‘I looked at the four of them and, well, I despaired, I suppose. And then on the way back the lads took it in turns to carry Betsy on their backs. No one asked ’em to, they just did it, and that more than anything . . .’

‘Oh, Nell, don’t cry.’

‘I told meself I couldn’t go on. We had no food in the house and nothing to light a fire with. The vegetables we got from Farmer Brown I thought we’d have to eat raw. And then I come in and you were here.’

‘Please let me give you more money, Nell. Please.’

‘No, lass. You know what Toby’s like. What he’ll say when he sees what you’ve bought, I don’t know, but,’ Nell sniffed and straightened her back, ‘I’m glad you did, lass. We were desperate and I’m not too proud to say it.’

‘Oh, Nell. What’s mine is yours. What’s the good of me having money if I can’t help you when you need it most? I’m going to say that to him when he comes. Would you mind if I did? He must let me help more, it’s the least I can do.’

‘You say it, lass. If you can persuade him to accept help, I’ll dance a jig. It’s funny ’cos me and Toby are all right, I mean we are, really, but he don’t see it like I do. To me the bairns are more important than anything, but his pride . . . But then all the men are the same. Well, most of them.’

‘But this isn’t like charity or accepting help from virtual strangers. We’re flesh and blood, family.’

‘I don’t know what we would have done without what you send for the bairns, Eve. It’s helped me pay a bit off the back of the rent now and again, enough to stop us being put out. The Lees were evicted a month ago, living rough by the old quarry, they are, but they won’t be able to keep that up with the cold weather coming. It’ll be the workhouse. The Crofts went in last week and her with a newborn baby. Pitiful, it was.’

Eve let her sister talk, sensing Nell needed to spill out her fears and worries. Nell was so strong for the children and for Toby too, but she couldn’t constantly keep everything bottled in. Nell talked for nearly half an hour but at the end of it she looked brighter. It was then she said, ‘Toby can sleep on the settle tonight, lass. You can bed down with me.’

‘It’s all right.’ Eve took a deep breath. She had a good idea what Nell was going to say next. ‘I’m staying at the inn.’

Nell’s face straightened. ‘No, lass. Oh no. Have some sense. Don’t start that, seeing him.’

‘It’s all right,’ she said again. ‘It was my decision. Mrs Ramshawe told me about Caleb selling up and, well, to be truthful, I had to see him, Nell. I know you think I’m daft but I can’t help it.’

‘I do think you’re daft,’ Nell said flatly. ‘The man’s poison where you’re concerned. Rat poison, in my opinion.’

‘That’s a bit strong, lass.’

‘Look here, Eve—’

Whatever Nell had been about to say was cut short by the sound of a knock at the back door. It was thrust open to reveal Toby being supported by two other miners. He had dried blood over his face and one eye was closed, the flesh so distorted on that side of his face it was like a football. But it was the state of his right leg that brought Nell to her feet, moaning, ‘Toby,Toby.’ His trousers were in shreds below the knee and the bone of his leg was sticking through his flesh.

The miners carried him to the settle, one saying, ‘It was the law, lass. Great big so-an’-sos on horse-back. They were waiting for us an’ we never stood a chance. Peaceful march, it was, but they weren’t having it.’ Toby said nothing. He had passed out.

Once they had laid Toby gently on the settle, the two men straightened. They were both bloody, one had a gaping flap of skin hanging down from his cheekbone. Nell knelt at Toby’s side, her face awash with tears.

‘They went berserk, Nell. Some of the lads had brought their wives along, but men or women, they didn’t care. Leathering into us with their truncheons and the horses trampling folk down. Lonnie’s been arrested and a couple of the other lads.’

‘He would never let me go on the marches,’ Nell whispered. ‘He said they were no place for women.’

‘He was right an’ all. That’s been proved the day.’

‘How did you get back?’ She raised her head. ‘You didn’t carry him all the way from Boldon?’

Both men nodded. ‘Aye, lass, what else?’ the first one said. ‘Look, that leg’s bad, you’ll need a doctor.’

Eve had been standing with her hands pressed over her mouth. Now she roused herself to say, ‘I’ll see to it. Can-can I get you a drink?’

‘Aye, lass. Mine’s a double whisky,’ said the man who was doing all the talking with grim humour. ‘Look, we need to be away, Nell. Me brothers were on that march and we all lost sight of each other with what was going on. I want to check they’re back and everything’s all right.’

‘Aye, aye, you go, Joe. An’ thanks. Thanks, Ronald. I’m grateful. You’re good pals to Toby.’

‘It’s nowt, lass. Toby’d do the same for us.’ When the door closed on the two men, Eve knelt down by her sister. ‘I’ll get a doctor. Do you want me to help you first? Shall I get some hot water and disinfectant?’

Nell’s face was chalk white.‘He’s unconscious, Eve. What if that blow to his head has done for him?’

‘He’s fainted with the pain. Do you hear me, Nell? He’s going to be all right but I need to go for the doctor. Look, I’m going to wake Matthew.’ At eleven Matthew was a chip off his father’s block and very protective of his mother. ‘He’ll come and sit with you until I get back.’

Nell made no answer but when Eve came downstairs with a sleepy Matthew, Toby’s eyes were open and Nell seemed to have pulled herself together. ‘Hello, Eve,’ Toby said weakly. ‘Bit of a to-do, this.’

‘I’m going for the doctor, Toby. You need to get your leg seen to. I won’t be long but just lie still.’

‘No, no doctor. I don’t want no doctor, I’ll be all right.’

Eve stared into the grey face of her brother-in-law. ‘If you don’t have a doctor you’re likely to lose your leg,’ she said steadily. ‘Do you understand me? If you do nothing else for your family for the rest of your life, Toby Grant, do this for them now. Let me help you. I have more money than I will ever need and apart from my son, Nell is my only flesh and blood. Who knows but that I was meant to marry Howard for just this moment? Please don’t shut me out.’

He closed his eyes. ‘You’re a good woman.’

‘Howard used to say I was too bossy.’

When he opened his eyes she was smiling at him. ‘Aye, well that aside . . .’

‘I won’t be long.’ She pulled on her hat and coat and hugged Nell who was crying again. ‘I’ll be as quick as I can.’

‘There’s a new doctor, Eve.’ Nell followed her into the hall. ‘The old one retired a few years back. This one’s Dr Hogarth and he lives two doors up from the police station.’

Eve flew down Spout Lane but as she reached the square, she hesitated and then detoured into the inn yard. In the kitchen, she said to a surprised Ada, ‘Would you go and fetch Caleb for me? Tell him it’s urgent. It would cause less interest if you go in, Ada.’

Caleb was back with Ada in seconds and she swiftly put them in the picture, adding, ‘Would you go to Nell’s, Caleb? Toby’s leg’s bad and I think it would be good for another man to be there. I don’t know what the doctor will want to do.’

They left the inn yard together, Eve to fetch the doctor and Caleb running in the direction of Nell’s house.

Thankfully Dr Hogarth was at home. His wife showed her into a small room off the hall which was furnished as a waiting room, but she didn’t have to wait more than a few moments. He proved to be a young man with the broad physique of a labourer rather than a professional man. She quickly acquainted him with the facts and even as she talked he was reaching for his black bag to which he added a few bits and pieces. He left the house with her, and as they walked she said breathlessly, ‘Please do whatever is necessary, doctor, regardless of expense. I shall meet the bill immediately you present it.’

‘And you are?’

‘Nell’s - Mrs Grant’s sister. My name’s Eve Ingram.’