Kingdom's Dream (26 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The spring sunshine was bringing out bright blossom on the trees. The air blowing in from the sea was balmy, and Katie walked along the beach with her boots in her hands, bare feet digging into the sand, wishing Bull was with her.

She sat down on a flat rock and stared out at the deceptively calm waves of Swansea Bay. Across the water she could see the hills of Devon in bright relief, a sure sign of rain. Within an hour the weather would be stormy, like her feelings. She remembered how Rhiannon had begged her not to take Bull away from her, and how, her heart broken, Katie had walked away. She looked out across the sands, stretching for five miles around the curve of the bay, half expecting Bull to come riding along on a white charger to sweep her off her feet. But the beach was deserted except for the plaintive cry of seagulls on the still air.

Katie wiped her eyes on her petticoat and went back towards the road. She leaned against the wall to pull on her boots, the sand gritty between her toes.

‘So there you are, Katie Cullen. You've got him now, haven't you?'

The voice startled her. ‘Rhiannon! What are you doing here, and what do you mean I've got him?'

‘What I'm doing here is my business, but Bull's left me. Don't pretend you don't know,' Rhiannon said bluntly. ‘He's taken all his stuff up to the house the engineer found for him.' She began to cry. ‘I asked you to leave him alone, didn't I? Bull was the only man who ever treated me decent, like. How am I going to manage on my own, tell me that, Katie Cullen?'

‘The same way as I manage without him.' Katie was surprised at the hardness in her voice. ‘I don't depend on any man to keep me.'

‘Oh, mind, now, miss.' Rhiannon brushed away her tears. ‘It's all so easy for you, isn't it? Where would I get a job in a good household? Tell me that.'

‘The same way most girls do. Go up to one of the big houses and ask. Nothing's given to you on a plate in this life and it's time you knew that.'

‘Oh, it's all right for the likes of you,' Rhiannon said, ‘with your good clothes, your washed face and neatly combed hair. What do you know about living on your wits?'

‘You haven't used
your
wits very well, though, have you?' Katie said. ‘I wouldn't sell my body for food in my belly and clothes on my back, not when there's plenty of honest work for the taking.'

‘So if I go up to Eynon Morton-Edwards and ask him to give me a position he'd take me on, would he?' Fresh tears rolled down Rhiannon's face. ‘Within a week I'd be in his bed. He'll be no different from any of the men I've been with, except he has money.'

‘Mr Morton-Edwards is a good man!' Katie protested. ‘He would never take advantage of any girl. He's always been a perfect gentleman to me.'

‘Well, he wouldn't want a girl like you, would he?' Rhiannon said spitefully. ‘You're a Miss Goody Two Shoes. Any man would want me, with my looks and experience.' She sighed heavily. ‘Who am I trying to fool? I don't get no respect from men, see, Katie. The only man to show me any feeling at all was my lovely Bull. And now he's gone, left me, and it's all your fault. What am I going to do?'

‘Find work,' Katie said more kindly. ‘If you don't want to go into service see what else is about. Go to the shops in Swansea and get a post as an assistant.' Suddenly she was exasperated. ‘I don't know why I'm bothering with you. Do what you like, I don't care. Perhaps you can't do anything properly except sleep with men.'

‘I could do the work you do any day of the week,' Rhiannon said angrily, ‘but can't you see how the other servants would gossip about me, calling me a harlot, blaming everything that goes wrong in the house on me?'

‘What if they did?' Katie challenged. ‘Don't you think the men you go with will call you even worse names and their wives accuse you of ruining their marriages?'

‘I don't know what to think. I just can't imagine my life without Bull in it.'

‘You'll have to face up to it, Rhiannon,' Katie said. ‘You must have known that Bull would leave you one day.'

‘He didn't plan to, not until you came on the scene,' Rhiannon said bitterly. ‘I've worked for that man until my fingers were raw, washing his clothes, cooking his food and warming his bed, and what thanks do I get?'

The idea of Rhiannon in bed with Bull was so painful that Katie turned and walked away. ‘Just do whatever you like,' she said, in a parting shot. ‘It's nothing to do with me, and I couldn't care less what happens to you.'

She continued uphill towards the Big House, aware that Rhiannon was behind her. She stopped and turned. Her voice hard with anger as she said, ‘What do you think you're doing, following me like some stray cat?'

‘I'm going to take your advice. I'm going to see if I can get a job like yours.'

‘Huh!' Katie hurried on.

‘You could at least wait for me or are you going to warn the other servants that I'm coming and put in a bad word for me?'

Katie turned round. ‘For goodness' sake, stop feeling so sorry for yourself. I've lost Bull too. Do you think I'd have him now after what he's done? You say I've ruined your life, well, you've ruined mine too.'

Rhiannon caught her up, panting a little from the exertion. ‘I know, I'm sorry.' She sounded almost humble. ‘But Bull was mine, see, my man, and I loved him with all my heart. You hardly knew him. All you saw was the Bull who could charm the birds off the trees. You never saw the real man.'

There was probably a great deal of truth in what Rhiannon said but Katie was not going to admit it.

‘And
you
never saw
us
together,' she said. ‘We went out to supper with friends, he would meet me from choir practice, we were a respectable couple. You're the one he had to hide away in a rough shanty-town.'

‘Oh, I know I'm not respectable, you don't have to rub it in. I'm just a trollop. But if you help me I can do better, I can try to be a good servant like you said.'

‘It's asking a lot of me,' Katie put her basket on the ground and, her hands on her hips, faced Rhiannon, ‘and you've got the cheek of the devil, I'll give you that.' She was silent. ‘I'll do my best for you, though I don't know why I'm bothering.' She pointed to the house on the rise above them. ‘See, we're almost home now.'

‘Home,' Rhiannon said wonderingly. ‘I don't think I've had a proper home since I was a child.'

Suddenly Katie felt sorry for her. ‘Well, as it happens, Cook's looking for a new kitchenmaid. I could put in a word for you.'

‘You wouldn't have to help me if you'd left Bull alone.'

As Katie led the way into the cosy kitchen Cook looked up. ‘Oh, there you are, Katie. And who's this you've brought with you?'

‘Rhiannon wants to work for Mr Morton-Edwards. Do you think he'll see her?'

Cook continued to roll out the pastry but her eyes narrowed as she studied Rhiannon. ‘I know you, girl. I've seen you down the market. You're one of them shanty-town girls, aren't you?'

‘Come on, now, Cook, give her a chance,' Katie said gently.

Cook shook flour off her hands. ‘If the master takes her on there's nothing I can do about it, but I'll not make friends with a loose woman – so you just keep out of my way.'

‘Look,' Rhiannon said, ‘this is my chance to make a better life for myself. Even the Good Book says to forgive, doesn't it?'

‘Aye, I suppose it does. But don't you bring your loose ways up here.' Cook looked at Katie. ‘I'll see what the master says about all this.'

Katie sighed with relief and pushed the kettle onto the hob. As she waited for it to boil, she watched Cook slip the round of dough over a plate and neatly cut away the overhanging edges.

‘What's your name, girl?' Cook looked up briefly from her work.

‘Rhiannon . . . Rhiannon Beynon,' she said. ‘At least, that's what the other women called me.' She smiled for the first time since she had entered the kitchen. ‘Along with other names not suitable to repeat in decent company.'

A glimmer of a smile crossed Cook's lips. ‘Right, then, Rhiannon, hand me some lemon curd while I beat some egg whites for the meringue.'

Once the pie was safely in the oven Cook sat down opposite Rhiannon. ‘You was with Bull Beynon, then?' she asked, stirring a generous amount of sugar into her tea. She looked at Katie. ‘And what do you make of all this, her wanting a job here an' all?'

Rhiannon spoke up quickly. ‘You've said you'll help me, haven't you, Katie?'

Katie hoped vainly that Cook would change the subject.

‘Our Katie don't seem too sure of that. What happened with Bull, then? Didn't he want you to live with him in his new place?' Cook smiled wickedly and answered her own question. ‘But, then, it wouldn't pay him to have a trollop in tow, not now he's got a better job and a respectable house to live in.'

‘I know I'm a trollop, Cook,' Rhiannon said firmly. ‘I don't need my nose rubbed in it.'

‘Oh, nothing personal, mind,' Cook said. She got to her feet. ‘I'll go to see the master now. I've got to ask him how many will be here for supper anyway.'

Rhiannon fell silent and Katie looked anywhere but in her direction. How
would
she feel having Bull's woman working with her, day in day out? It wouldn't be easy.

A few minutes later Mrs Grinter returned. ‘Mr Morton-Edwards says he'll leave it to me to decide whether we keep you or not,' she said, ‘so let's get to work, Rhiannon, and see how you shape up. You can help with the washing up for now. Later we need potatoes peeled and floors will want scrubbing. There's enough to do in this kitchen, goodness knows, and we need another pair of hands. You look like a big strong girl, so let's see how we get on.'

Katie glanced at Rhiannon, who looked daunted. ‘You'll get used to it, don't worry.' In spite of all that had passed between them, she hoped Rhiannon would make a go of the job. Anything must be better than the life she'd led before.

Katie was polishing the curving banisters when the drawing-room door opened and Mr Morton-Edwards came into the hall. ‘Ah, Katie, get Father Martin's coat, will you, please? Has Cook reached a decision about the new girl?'

Katie looked at her feet. She was still shy in the presence of her master. ‘Yes, sir. Cook's given her work to do in the kitchen.' She glanced up briefly. ‘I think Rhiannon will fit in, sir.'

‘I'm glad to hear it.' He turned to Father Martin and shook his hand. ‘Goodbye, old friend. If you're sure you can't stay to eat with me, I'll see you tomorrow.'

Katie handed the vicar his coat and opened the front door for him. On the step he stopped and looked down at her. ‘I know all about Rhiannon,' he said. ‘I minister to all the railwayfolk, including the women.' He frowned. ‘I know she was living with Bull Beynon, and as you were walking out with him that puts you in a difficult position. It shows a great spirit of Christian charity that you are willing to work with her. You are, aren't you?'

‘Yes, sir,' Katie said.

‘You don't really mean that, do you, Katie?' The look of sympathy on his face almost made Katie cry. ‘Look, my dear, Bull wanted to make you his wife. Doesn't that mean anything to you? You're a respectable young woman and you must find it difficult to understand the loose-living ways of the navvies, but we mustn't judge lest we be judged.'

‘Yes, sir.' Katie wished he would leave her alone: he was only driving the hurt deeper.

‘I can see you're not happy about all this, Katie,' Father Martin said, ‘but Bull only took in Rhiannon because she was being badly used by the other men. He gave her a home when no one else would have her but that doesn't mean he loved her.'

‘He should have been honest with me from the start then, Father,' Katie said. ‘It's the deceit I can't abide.'

‘That's a little unrealistic, Katie, surely?' Father Martin seemed determined to talk the matter through. ‘Bull took that way of life for granted and he could hardly ask you to understand that he was living with another woman, could he?'

‘Why not? He should have tried. Anyway, sir, it's over between me and Bull.'

‘Are you sure, Katie? Will you throw away a chance of love for the sake of your pride?' When Katie didn't answer he went on, ‘Most men will have enjoyed a dalliance with one lady or another before they settle down. That's how things are in the world, my dear. Why not give him another chance? I'm sure he deserves it.'

Mr Morton-Edwards came to her rescue. ‘Go about your business, Martin,' he said smiling. ‘You're gossiping like an old woman there.'

Katie had only just closed the door behind Father Martin when the bell rang loudly in the quiet of the hall. Mr Morton-Edwards glanced towards her. ‘Please, Katie, answer that for me, and tell my visitor I'll see him in the library, would you?'

Katie opened the door as he disappeared from sight. The evening light made her blink and it was a moment before she realized Bull was standing on the step. ‘Oh, it's you.' She swallowed. ‘The master says you're to go through to the library.' She pointed. ‘It's the fourth door across the hall.' Although she tried not to look at him her eyes were drawn to him. He was unfamiliar in his new clothes, with his hair neatly trimmed and a hat in his hand. ‘Katie,' he said softly, ‘I love you. Please give me another chance.'

‘I have work to do.'

He caught her arm. ‘Please, Katie, won't you give me a chance to explain things to you?'