For a Father's Pride (19 page)

Angelina swept out of the room and left the two men smoking and talking over their cigars and port. Her plan had worked: she’d got her father to push William that little bit further into
the family firm, and now they were properly in business. A factory making that blessed woman’s recipe. She hated the sight of Daisy Lambert, but her culinary skills were going to make them
rich. Anyway, she’d devised a plan to get rid of her. She was going to do it after Christmas. That stupid Jim had scuppered her hope that, once Daisy had returned home, she might have stayed
there. But now she’d deal with Daisy herself, for there was only room for one woman in the Mattinson family. Still, the stupid bitch was going to make her – Angelina – a woman of
substance, and her family envied. She hummed a song as she climbed the stairs. This was going to be a Christmas Day to remember.

‘Aye, Mary, that was a grand dinner. The goose was so tender, and that plum pudding was so light. I’m fair full. I don’t think I’ll ever move
again.’ Daisy sat in front of the fire with her good friends, Fergus and Mary McGregor.

‘Well, it was nice to have a bit of company on Christmas Day. It’s usually just me and the old fella.’ Mary grinned, her cheeks glowing red in the light of the glowing
fire.

‘Less of the “old fella”, for you’re no spring chicken yourself,’ laughed Fergus. ‘But aye, it’s good to have a bit of company and a bit of fresh news.
I’m right glad you’ll be living over the shop, albeit just until after Christmas. You’ll be glad of a bit of time away from that Italian woman – her family has a reputation
for getting what they want, no matter how they get it.’ Fergus emptied his clay pipe into the fire and refilled it, lighting it while looking slyly at Daisy.

‘I’m not keen on her, and I’m glad I’m away from Newtown Terrace. Angelina has a fearful temper, but I shouldn’t speak ill of her. I’ve a roof over my head, a
full belly and a job – I’ve been a lot worse off in the past.’ Daisy twiddled her thumbs and decided not to say much more, else she’d not be able to stop herself.

‘Well, you watch yourself, lass, because from what I hear, if you stand in the way of the old father, you end up the worse for it. And we can’t be having that.’ Fergus took a
long draw on his pipe and stared into the fire.

‘She knows she’s got to look after me, for the sake of the shop, and William’s and Jim’s profits, so don’t fret.’

‘Aye, well, you just take care of yourself. Keep making them money, and don’t mention being friends with us, or else she’ll put two and two together and get half-a-dozen. Keep
yourself to yourself, lass, and keep ’em happy, and you’ll be there as long as you are useful. But mark my words, one day they’ll not want you – they are that
sort.’

Daisy knew what Fergus said was true, but she hoped that day was a long time off. She liked working for the Mattinson brothers, and tended to forget that the Petronelli family was the backer of
the enterprise.

Soon the group of friends found themselves going silent, basking in the warmth and their full stomachs, and feeling content with one another’s company. That night they were in good health
and good spirits, with a day without work to look forward to.

The blushing couple looked at one another with love in their eyes, as the announcement was made. The atmosphere in Newtown Terrace’s drawing room was heavy with the
weight of jealousy and hatred, as Angelina refused to look at the besotted bride-to-be. Susie showed off the gaudy engagement ring upon her long, thin finger, and Angelina glared at William, not
saying a word about the latest member of the family, her face belying her thoughts.

‘Innit lovely. I love him so much. I came to my senses when I nearly lost him last year. What idiot would turn a man down like my Jimmy?’ Susie giggled and clung to Jim’s
arm.

‘Who indeed?’ William Mattinson looked at his younger brother and at the common whore he knew to be ‘Shipley Susie’.

‘And where do you think you are both going to live?’ asked Angelina. ‘You can hardly live above the shop. There isn’t room to turn around in that poky place.’

‘Now, sister-in-law, stop fretting. We’ve just come back from looking at some new houses they are building at a place called Roundhay Park on the other side of Leeds. From what my
brother tells me, we’ll be able to afford a spot like that, now that your father’s making us go into full-scale production.’ Jim couldn’t stop himself –
Angelina’s face was a picture, and he loved rubbing her nose in it.

‘Tah. Exactly – it is my father you should be thanking, you and your common whore, you
bastardo
!’

‘Oi! Who do you think you are calling a “common whore”? I’m respectable, me. I know only gentlemen!’ Susie glared at her sister-in-law-to-be. She wasn’t going
to let the Italian bitch get the better of her.

‘Stop it! I’m sure you’ll be moving as well. We may well both be millionaires in another few years. Now, where’s Daisy? She’s not at the shop. We called there, as I
wanted her to be the first to know, but there was only young Freddie serving.’ Jim Mattinson looked questioningly at his brother.

‘She’s downstairs, in her bed. After she came back from your rooms in the New Year, she took sick. She’s been ailing for a week or two now.’ William bowed his head.

‘Has she seen the doctor? What’s wrong with her?’ Jim fretted for the health of Daisy. ‘I’ve never known Daisy complain or be ill before.’

‘Of course we have. You may think we don’t care, but we do!’ Angelina glared at Jim. ‘The doctor says the air in the town does not suit her country lungs, and has advised
her to return home. She wrote to her sister last week, asking her if she may return to live with them.’

‘But she hates her family – she’d never do that!’ Jim shook his head in disbelief.

‘Go and see for yourself. Both of you go down and see her, and tell her your news. I’m sure Daisy will be glad to hear you are to be married.’

Angelina smiled a cunning smile, knowing full well that the imminent marriage of Jim to Susie would be the final straw in the downfall of Daisy. Her plan was working even better than she had
expected. No one had suspected her of adding a little grain of arsenic, now and then, to Daisy’s meals, making her so ill that she was no use to the business. Now, the marriage of Jim to
Susie would definitely break her heart. She’d seen how the stupid girl had been enthralled with her brother-in-law. This, combined with Daisy’s culinary talents, meant that Angelina had
to get rid of her. Daisy threatened her position, and no one could be allowed to do that!

‘Susie, wait here. I’ll go down and see Daisy. I need to break the news of our marriage myself.’ Jim loosened his starched collar. Unusually, he felt slightly nervous, because
he knew that Daisy had feelings for him and he didn’t want to make things awkward between them.

‘Yes, Susie, you sit next to me. Tell me about yourself, and what you can bring to the business. We will need a cleaner, I suppose,’ Angelina smirked.

‘You fucking bitch! I’ll give you “cleaner”,’ Susie let rip.

‘Ladies, I’ll not have this kind of conflict under my roof. Angelina, mind your manners. And, Susie, don’t use language from the gutter, if you want to be part of the
family.’

William nodded to his brother to indicate that everything was under control and he should go and see Daisy.

Daisy lay looking grey and limp on her bed in the basement bedroom. Beads of perspiration stood out on her brow, and there was a bucket of bile by the side of her bed.

‘Daisy petal, my love, you look ill. What have you done to yourself? Don’t tell me you are lovesick for me, darling. You should have known I’d come back.’

‘I . . . I don’t know what’s wrong with me. The doctor says it’s the town’s smog and I’m not used to it, but that shouldn’t make me sick.’ Daisy
slowly lifted herself up on the pillows and smiled at Jim.

‘You’re in a right state, lass. I’ll get you the doctor again, and see what he says. Don’t worry about the bill – I’ll pay.’

‘No, it’s all right, Jim. I’m going home to Garsdale on Friday. I’m going back to my sister’s house. Her reply to my letter arrived this morning.’ Daisy
pulled the scribbled note written by her sister Kitty from underneath her pillow. ‘She says someone will pick me up from the last train to call at Garsdale station, and then they’ll
take me back to Grouse Hall. I don’t want to go – I don’t want to face my family – but if I stay here I’m going to die.’ She fought for her breath between the
sobs and tears.

‘Ah, Daisy lass, you’re not fit to go anywhere. Stop with me until your strength returns. I can’t bear to see you so ill.’

‘No, Jim, I’m going. If I’m dying, I don’t want to be buried in Kirkstall cemetery. At least let me lie with open skies above me, and the curlews calling over my
head.’ Daisy spluttered and coughed.

‘All right, lass. Then I’ll take you to the station. I can even go with you to Garsdale, if you want – make sure you get there safely, get myself some lodgings, and then come
back on the train in the morning?’

‘We’ll see. I might be feeling stronger by Friday.’ Daisy reached for Jim’s hand and squeezed it lightly, before closing her eyes to sleep.

‘I’ll leave you for now, Daisy petal. Now you get yourself better, and I’ll pick you up on Friday morning.’ Jim felt a tear come to his eye. Would she be in the land of
the living by Friday? She looked like the living dead now. He kissed her on the brow, and as he did so he smelled the breath on her lips. He knew that smell – he’d come across it at the
apothecary’s! What was it? He knew he’d smelled it before; perhaps it was the potion the doctor had given her to keep her drowsy.

Jim climbed the stairs from Daisy’s bedroom with a heavy heart.

‘Well, Jimbo, did you tell her? I bet she was excited at our good news.’ Susie giggled.

‘I didn’t tell her anything, Susie. By the looks of her, we’ll be lucky if she’s here in the morning. What has the doctor given her? There’s a smell on her breath,
and it’s horrible.’

‘Ah, she’s been given some potions by the doctor. She’ll be fine. I’ll go down and give her some soup, and make sure she’s all right, when you’ve gone,’
cried Angelina.

‘Well, we owe that lass nearly everything. She thinks she’s dying and, because of that, she’s going home on Friday to her sister in Garsdale. She’d never do that if she
was well.’ Jim glared at Angelina, who seemed to be taking Daisy’s decline very lightly.

‘I’ll feed her and sit with her until Friday, if you’ll hold the fort at the shop, Jim. It was me who took her the reply from her sister this afternoon, and I was shocked when
I saw how poorly she is. Angelina has not let me near her all this last week, in case it was infectious.’ William looked straight at his brother, so that Jim knew he was giving him his
word.

‘She’s a good ’un, is Daisy. She must know she’s really ill, if she’s going home. I remember when I first met her, she was green as the grass, bless her, and
heartbroken as well. What that father did to her is beyond belief.’ Susie sniffed into her new lace handkerchief before stuffing it down between her breasts.

‘I’ll make sure she gets no worse. If she does, I’ll take her to the hospital. I’ll sit with her, once you’ve all gone, and try to get her to eat a little.
I’ll nurse her back to health myself.’ William stood up and put his hands behind his back as he looked out of the window.

‘And what about Charles and me?’ Angelina snapped.

‘What about you and Charles? You are both perfectly well. Daisy needs me more than you.’

‘Daisy, Daisy . . . always bloody Daisy. I hate her.’

‘Perhaps that’s the problem, my dear. And that is why I’m going to watch over her until she is fit to get on that train on Friday.’

The penny had dropped. Angelina’s hatred of Daisy was killing her, and the safest place for her – no matter how terrible – was back home with her sister. And William was going
to make sure she got there.

Daisy climbed the stairs, shaking slightly. It was the first time she had ventured from her bedroom for nearly a fortnight and her legs were very weak. William smiled as she
took his hand and led her into the drawing room. ‘There, I knew you could make it.’

‘I’m still shaky and out of breath.’ Daisy slumped into the chair that he quickly placed underneath her.

‘Yes, but another day will make all the difference, and by Friday you’ll be dancing to the station.’ William smiled.

‘I don’t know about that. I’ve nothing much to dance to the station about. But I can’t stay here, if the smog makes me this ill. I hadn’t kept in touch with my
sister until now – we were never that close. Now I realize that she is kind, and she assures me that my brother-in-law, Clifford, has changed. She also told me my mother died last year.
Seemingly she had been ill with smallpox and there was nothing they could do for her.’ Daisy hung her head. There may not have been much love lost between her and her mother, but there was
still a deep feeling of losing something precious – something that could never be replaced. ‘As long as I’m able to pull my weight, I’ll be welcome there.’ Daisy
gasped for breath, before coughing.

‘I’m sorry to hear your mother’s died. That must hurt. You only get one mother. That’s it – get all the badness out of your lungs, clear your system and then
you’ll be fine.’ William passed his handkerchief to Daisy. ‘Are you sure you will be all right back home? What about your father?’

‘Kitty wrote to me about him also. My father is in Lancaster Moor Asylum. He lost his mind after my mother’s death. So it seems I have only my sister left in the world. I feel
responsible, in a way, for their downfall, for I wasn’t the best of daughters.’ Daisy played with her handkerchief. She felt like crying her heart out. Over the years she had tried hard
to hate her parents, but no matter what they had done to her, the bond was still there, and she still remembered her father’s love for her. ‘It will be strange returning home, but you
can’t run forever. And your family doesn’t need me now. You will do well with your new factory.’

‘Daisy, I want to thank you, while we are alone.’ William knelt down beside her and took her hand.