Justice Is a Woman (4 page)

upholstery of chintz. Hazel Egan had married David Brooks a year before when they

were both

twenty-three years old. That Hazel, a good-looking, tall, brown-haired, brown-eyed girl should marry a

half-caste, be he ever such a decent chap, was regarded with disapproval, not only in the Beulah pit

village but over most of Fellburn too; and it was said that she wouldn’t have been driven to it if she hadn’t

got herself into the family way. Yet, as the months went by, it became clear that she had not married

David for that reason, for as yet there was no sign of a pregnancy.

Their courtship had been long and furtive. In their early childhood days they had gone to the same

school, and then to the surprise of many, and condemnation of not a few, David had

passed for the

Grammar School, and their ways had divided. But only for a time. Ever since they were both fifteen

years old they knew that they loved each other, and when they were twenty they knew

that because of

David’s father’s objection, and the strong objection, not only of her own parents, but of her elder

brothers, they might never be able to marry. Yet they still went on loving and hoping.

In 1924, when David’s father died, one big obstacle was removed, and it was then that Hazel took it

into her own hands to remove the rest, and so early in 1925 they were married in a

registry office, which

in itself added to the disgrace of marrying a coloured man. But what did it matter? As Hazel said to her

mother, when you turn out the light, all men are black.

She now stood encircled in David’s arm to the side of the window from which they could see to the far

end of the drive, and without taking her gaze from the window, she said, “What makes

you think I won’t

like her?”

“She’s uppish.”

“Is that why you don’t like her?”

“No. I don’t like her because she doesn’t like me; she sees me as a black man.”

“Don’t be silly.” She pressed closer to him.

“Anyway, you’re not a black man, you’re a nice brown man, and it wouldn’t matter to me if you were as

black as Cherry Blossom boot polish, although they do make a nice brown one, you

know.”

As she giggled he turned his head and looked at her. There was no smile on his face but his voice was

deeply tender as he murmured, “Why should I be so lucky, while he lands up with her?”

“What are you going on about, what do you mean? She likely suits him.”

“Wait till you see her ... Ah, here they come. He said they’d drop in, but I didn’t think he’d bring it

off.” He now sprang back from the window, pulling her with him and, pointing to the

chintz-covered

couch set at an angle to the side of the fireplace, he hissed, “I’m sitting there reading the paper and when

the knock comes on the door I’ll call casually, “ Come in,” and make out I’m very

surprised to see

them. And you are in the kitchen making a pot of tea, and you put your head round the door and you’re

very surprised to see them an’ all.^ For a moment they leant against each other and

smothered their

laughter; then David took up his position on the couch and Hazel ran into the kitchen.

When the knock came on the door, David called casually, “Come in,” and when it opened and he saw

Joe stand aside to allow his wife to enter, he sprang up from the couch with well feigned surprise, saying,

“Oh. Oh, I didn’t expect you, ma’am. But come in; you’re welcome.” Then turning his

head to the side,

he called, “Hazel!” and Hazel answered him from the kitchen, saying, “Just a minute, I’m mashing the

tea.”

“Oh!” Hazel appeared in the doorway to the sitting-room; then coming slowly forward,

she looked at

the wife of her husband’s employer, the employer who was also his lifelong friend, and she saw

immediately what David meant.

“This is Hazel, my wife, ma’am.”

“How do you do?”

“How do you do, ma’am? Won’t you sit down?”

“Thank you.”

There was a moment’s silence while they all became seated. Then Joe, looking at David, said, “Before

going to the meeting in the Lodge I thought I’d like to have a word with Clan.” He now turned his gaze

towards Hazel and said, “Your father knows how the land lies better than any man. Our men have a

proposal to make, but I doubt if it will be acceptable as they’re not in the miners’ good books and, of

course, it’s to be understood, so I thought we’d call round at your home and discuss ...”

“Oh!” Hazel was flapping her hand in Joe’s direction now and laughing as she said, “On Friday night!

Oh, you know what our house is like on a Friday night; it’s the gathering of the clans before they go to

the club.” She turned now and looked towards Elaine, explaining, “You see, ma’am, there are eleven of

us and as yet there are only three married, including myself, but the other two, my

married brothers, they

always come home on a Friday night with their wives and children. There are five

grandchildren and it’s

like bedlam. You won’t be able to get in.”

“Oh, I’m not that big; I’m sure I’ll be able to squeeze in somewhere,” said Elaine.

As they laughed they looked towards the seated figure, her grey skirt riding well above her knees, the

short matching coat lying flat on her chest like a schoolgirl’s blazer, and the red toque-shaped straw hat

pulled well down over her pale brow and ears. The shape of her face seemed to

exaggerate the height of

the hat, for in itself it was long; the skin was clear and very delicately tinted near the cheekbones but

showed no tinge of red because that was unfashionable;

the nose was small for the length of the face, and straight, the nostrils thin. It was the mouth that was the

most striking; it was beautifully shaped and when she spoke both her bottom and upper lips spread wide

to show in a complete oval her perfect white even teeth.

The picture that Elaine should have presented was of a beautiful twenty-two-year-old

young lady and,

because of her colouring and slight figure, appearing much younger than her years, but the impression that

she actually created was of someone much older, someone who was entirely in command

of herself: in

short, a sophisticated woman. The look that she now turned on her husband could have

been taken

merely as one of interest, but behind it was hidden her sheer amazement at how he was addressing the

chauffeur-gardener, for he was saying, “I’m sorry, David, to drag you out after tea, but if I leave the old

lady outside the Lodge for any length of time those little beggars will have all her clothes off.”

And she was equally astonished at the chauffeur’s answer, “Oh, that’s all right, J ... sir.

You know I

don’t need an excuse to drive her at any time.”

The man had been about to call him Joe again! Really! What next? Play it softly, he had said. And this

house, this kind of house for a chauffeur was entirely out of his class. Why, it was as big as the house her

cousin Kathryn lived in .. had been reduced to living in, and she was a titled lady. The world had turned

topsy turvy at least this quarter of it had.

She had been here for almost a week now and as yet she had met no-one of any note,

either young or

old, nor had she spoken to one intelligent human being. All people could talk about was the strike.

Why did they take any notice of such people as miners ? That’s what she would like to know. They

were always causing trouble, and now they had brought the whole country to a standstill.

They were

barbarians, ignorant, uncouth barbarians, and Joe was seemingly taking great pleasure in the fact that he

was intending to thrust her among them.

Eleven people, this girl said, were in her family! That was likely why she had jumped at the chance to

get away; and, of course, there had been the added incentive of occupying a house such as this, even

though she’d had to risk social ostracism to get it. She didn’t like the girl. She looked cheap, and of

course she must be to have taken the step she did, marrying a coloured man. Huh!

Moreover, she was

much too free, much too pert. She was another one like .. Ella, or Jane, as she would be called if she got

her way, and she would get her way.

“It’s a lovely room, isn’t it?” Joe brought her wandering mind back to him and she said,

“Yes; yes it is,

most fascinating. It puts me in mind of my cousin’s house.” She now turned to Hazel.

“My cousin is Lady Kathryn Fowley; she lived at one time in Pelton Towers, but then

because of

reduced circumstances she had to take a smaller house, and it’s very like this one, but’

she smiled at

Hazel now ‘nothing like as prettily furnished.”

“Well, I can’t take credit for that,” Hazel replied without smiling.

“It was himself ... I mean the master who had it all set out in the first place.”

“Oh. Oh, I see.”

“Well, are we going?” Joe had risen to his feet, as also had David, and as David went to get his coat, he

said, “What about you coming along. Hazel?” He turned and glanced in Elaine’s

direction before

adding, “You might help to soften the blow for ma’am.”

“No. If you don’t mind I’ll stay put; I’ve lots of things to see to. And anyway, I don’t think anything or

anybody could soften the sight of our house on a Friday night; it’s something once seen never forgotten.”

And straightaway she added, “Goodbye, ma’am, and thank you for visiting me.”

“It’s been a pleasure. Goodbye.”

David opened the door, and Elaihe stepped out onto the narrow brick terrace, but she

turned her head

quickly and looked back into the room and at Joe, who had taken hold of Hazel’s hand 41

and was

whispering something that she couldn’t catch. What she did hear was his last words

which were, “Be

seeing you, then.” As she turned about again and stepped on to the grass drive her

thoughts were of how

incredible the whole situation in the household was.

It was certainly true what that girl had said; nothing; could soften the sight of the Egan family on a Friday

I night. Elaine stood just inside the doorway of theij small room, which was crowded

with men, women^

youths, and girls, and seemingly numerous children^ of all ages; however, the word she used to

describe? the scene to herself was not crowded but infested.

Joe had said, “Hello, Mrs. Egan. How are you?| May I introduce my wife?” and a small, under1 sized

and aged woman had thrust herself forward through the throng of her family, wiping her hands] on her

apron and in a voice that hardly seemed! possible could come from her mouth, so much

was | it like a

man’s, loud and hearty, saying, “Well!

this] is a pleasure. A pleasure indeed! How do you do, I ma’am? “ 3 Elaine took the hand that was

now extended tol her and forced herself to smile and say, “ Very well,! thank you. And you? “ 1 “ Oh

me. Well, I ask you, how could anyone] be other than near death’s door with this crowd]

around them?

“ She now swept her short thick arm| in a wide circle, and when it came in contact with|

the shoulder of

one of her sons he broke the silence! j that had fallen on the rest of the family by crying, I

“ Watch it,

Mam! No hittin’ below the neck,” which caused a chorus of smothered splutters to spread through the

room.

“Listen to them, ma’am. Listen to them. No respect. That’s what it’s like the day. Can I offer you a

seat?” She was looking at Joe now.

“No, thank you, Mrs. Egan. We ... we shan’t be staying; we’re due at a meeting at the Lodge.”

“Oh aye, the Lodge.” The little woman was now nodding towards Joe.

“It’s Clan you’d have been wantin’ to see then. Well, he’s been gone this half hour or more. Couldn’t

wait to get up on that platform an’ talk himself blue in the face. That’s Clan . But as I said to him, less

talk with the tongue an’ let the pick and shovel speak for itself, an’ we’d all be better off.

But there, I

better not start ‘cos they’re all in the same boat.” She jerked her head to the men standing near a far

door and two others seated at a table, one with a child on his lap, and she added, “They’re all in it. And

after all, it is a bit thick, isn’t it, to ask them to go down for less. But what is less, ‘cos me, I’ve never

seen the inside of his pay packet since the day I married him. I get me due an’ that’s all.

Two hairns or

ten, ‘twas the same amount.” Then looking straight into Elaine’s face she said in a less strident tone, “I

suppose you find this all very strange, ma’am, comin’ from London as you do? We’re a

rough lot, ‘tis

well known we are, but it’s well known that our hearts are in the right place. One thing that can be said

for us, an’ not only in this pit village but in every one the breadth of the country, we keep faith with them

that keeps faith with us. Isn’t that right, Mr. Joe?”

“Yes, it’s right, Mrs. Egan, quite right.”

“If you know that’s quite right, why aren’t you on our side, then, Mr. Remington ?” was the question

immediately posed to Joe by one of the men standing near the door, and Joe drew in a

long breath and

remained quiet for a moment under the cold gaze of the young fellow’s eyes, before he replied, “Now

you know as well as I do that most of my men are not affiliated to any union. Perhaps there’s a good

reason for it, perhaps they haven’t had to struggle as hard as you fellows, and right back down the ages.