The Chainmakers (21 page)

Anna was bemused. 'But how?' she asked, 'I don't even know what they want. Are you sure I can do it?'

'Of course. You are the best cook I ever knew. What you learned in France will come in useful, and you'll soon find out which foods are popular, I can help you there. Think of it Anna! Working for yourself and having complete control, from buying the food and planning the menu to the cooking and serving. As long as there are no complaints you'll be alright. The bosses at Hampsons don't really want to be bothered about the food, they have too much else to think about.'

'I see.' Anna hesitated, everything was happening too fast. 'I have to buy the food? For so many?'

'Yes, we can use our savings to start you off.'

'Our hundred dollars? But Clancy, that is our nest egg! It was for...'

'It was for us to make our fortune, to start us off,' Clancy said vehemently, 'We won't need to touch any of the money put by for the baby, but Anna, this is our opportunity. I know it's a difficult time for you but think of it! If Hampsons give you the contract, you can train someone else to cook, and after the baby arrives you can concentrate on buying and menu planning, and leave the hard work to your employees.'

'Employees...?' Anna's eyes widened.

'Yes. Of course you will have to visit occasionally to oversee things. I'll help all I can...' Clancy volunteered, noting her stricken face.

'Clancy, wait a moment. You said "if they give you the contract?" I thought you said I had got the job?'

'Well, you will be on trial at first' Clancy admitted. 'For two weeks...'

'Only two weeks? That's hardly time to prove myself!'

'Anna, you must trust me. I have been eating in that canteen for months now. The food is awful and the men are heartily sick of it. The cook has been taking his fat fee and then serving up rubbish, lining his pockets at the men's expense. You can't fail to do better if you take an honest profit.'

'Well, if you say so...' Anna said doubtfully, as Clancy indicated they were approaching their stop. He handed her down from the tram and tucked her arm under his.

'When I heard the cook had been thrown out I knew it was our chance, and I went to see the manager, Mr. King, right away.' Clancy said. 'Of course he didn't want to issue a contract to a female, but I explained I would be your guarantor. Mr. King was in a quandary and desperate for someone right away, so he agreed to give you a trial.'

'I see,' Anna said faintly.

Clancy squeezed her arm. 'Don't worry darlin',' he said cheerfully. 'You are the finest cook and the best organiser I have ever met. It may be daunting at first but I know you can do it. There is an assistant there, a Chinese who will help all he can. I told him to prepare the vegetables for you.'

'For me? You mean...?'

'Didn't I tell you? That's why we are in a hurry. It's after eleven now and you serve your first lunch at one o'clock.'

~

It was a strange feeling to be working out one's own pay, Anna decided. Seated at the small table in the dingy apartment, she carefully listed all her invoices, then added the wages she had paid to Mr. Sung and the newly employed kitchen girl called Jennie McCormack, who Anna had taken from the local orphanage. She took the total away from the money the Company had agreed to pay for the first two weeks, and found she had just over sixty two dollars left.

'Sixty two dollars Clancy, that's thirty one dollars a week! How much do you think I should pay myself?'

Clancy put down his newspaper. He came across to the table and began to check her figures. Satisfied, he smiled down at her. 'Excellent! I didn't think you would make so much right away. It just shows how crooked that swine was.' He frowned. 'Didn't I see some sacks of flour in the kitchen larder?' he asked.

'Yes, I ordered more than we needed of the basics, flour, salt, spices, potatoes, that kind of thing. I got a better price buying larger amounts,' Anna explained.

Clancy smiled. 'Then you have made more than you thought. Those stocks should be counted in, as they are items you won't need to buy next week.'

Anna beamed. 'Then I'll pay myself thirty dollars a week!'

'You certainly will not! Anna, you must stop thinking of yourself as an employee. You are the owner of a business now, joint owner anyway, we are in this together. Pay yourself the same as you were getting at the bar.'

Seeing her face fall Clancy relented. 'An extra two dollars a week then, like Ben Brackley offered to pay you. The rest must be kept in the business.'

'What for?' Anna asked.

Clancy hesitated. He was not quite sure what for, but a friend at the construction site whose brother had a small shop had advised him that they should only take out what they needed, leaving the rest in the business. He realised now that he had no idea what this meant.

'Tell you what,' he suggested. 'We'll open another account at the bank, one especially for the business. We'll put into it the money we have over, and the money we get next week from Hampsons, and we can see how we go.'

'Alright,' Anna agreed happily.

'And something else,' Clancy ventured. 'Would you like to see the George Bernard Shaw play on Broadway? We could perhaps run to that as a special treat.'

'It was taken off surely?' Anna responded. 'Raided by the police as indecent...'

'Not "Mrs. Warren's Profession."' Clancy laughed. 'The one I should like to see is "Arms and the Man", if we can get tickets.'

Anna smiled. 'If you like, why are you so keen?'

'He's a good playwright,' Clancy said. 'At least everyone says so, I'd like to see for myself.' He grinned broadly. 'He must be good,' he said. 'He's Irish, so he is.'

Anna laughed and turned back to her accounts. Although the last two weeks had been very hard work, she was already feeling comfortable in her new role. It had been a real challenge, and she had been up to the test. Even the first lunch had been successful as far as the men were concerned, as it was an improvement on the daily mush, heavy with lentils and little else, they had been served for weeks. Anna had found they preferred good plain food, served piping hot, and she reserved her more advanced skills for the manager's dining room, where the meals were eyed at first with cautious apprehension, but after a few days by whole hearted appreciation. She knew she was succeeding when, during the second week, Mr. King approached her and asked if she could provide lunch for some guests the following day.

'I usually take guests out for lunch,' he explained. 'But as your fare, Mrs. Sullivan, is so unusual and so excellent, I thought it would be a treat for them. It will also save a great deal of time.'

'Thank you. I take it then, that you will be offering me the catering contract?'

'I shall indeed Mrs. Sullivan. After I have had an opportunity to discuss it with your husband, of course.'

Anna beamed at the memory. She had served up a very special lunch to Mr. King's guests and had been congratulated by the whole party. Only one other innovation had given her more pleasure, and that was her decision to provide a dessert at lunch time after the main meal, for the construction workers in the canteen. She had costed it all out carefully, and had discussed it with Clancy.

'It is immoral to make quite so much money from the contract,' she said. 'We can provide a main meal and a dessert for the money we are paid, and still make a healthy profit. If this is going to be our future business, I want to be able to be proud of it.'

Clancy agreed, and had announced to his astounded workmates that as from the following week his wife would be providing a second course in addition to the much improved fare they now enjoyed. The Sullivan's popularity soared, and Anna was looking forward to the work, especially as she had become good friends with Lee Sung, the Chinese assistant, who was delighted with the new arrangements.

Everything was working out well, Anna thought. She put away her papers, walked over to Clancy and kissed his cheek. 'Thank you,' she said.

'For what? Not that I'm complaining,' he grinned.

'For everything. For marrying me when I was in such a mess...'

Clancy grimaced. 'What's brought this on? We agreed all that was in the past.'

'I know, and it is,' Anna said softly, kissing him again. 'I just want you to know I'm grateful. Not only for that, but for seeing our chance when it came. Not many men would have realised it was an opportunity to start in business...'

'Well, you have done the work...' Clancy said, slightly embarrassed.

'Yes, I have worked, but I wouldn't have had the chance if you had not thought of it, and had confidence in me. I'm really grateful.'

'Is that all?' Clancy said softly, not able to help himself.

Anna turned away to the table, gathering up her papers as if she had not heard him. 'We shall have to keep proper account books now we have the contract,' she said, 'I'm not sure exactly what we need but perhaps the bank manager will advise us. Will you ask him?'

Clancy nodded, and returned to his newspaper, cursing his own stupidity for trying to force things. It was too soon, he thought, still too soon. Her mind was full of that bastard Nicholson, that was obvious. He saw again Anna's tear stained face as she sat in front of the fire at the house in Dawkins Street, heard again her soft reply, 'I loved him Clancy. I really loved him.'

How long, Clancy wondered, how long before she forgot? He wondered why it mattered so much. He had all he wanted didn't he? Anna, and a child on the way that he already loved as his own, and now a start in business... it was all to play for.

But Anna had never said she loved him, and he had a feeling she never would.

~

The timing could not be better as far as I am concerned,' Anna announced. 'By the time you are employing workers at the new site, I should be able to take charge of the catering arrangements.' She blushed slightly, finding it difficult to refer explicitly to the impending birth of her child, although it must be plain to Mr. King that the time could not be far away.

'Quite so, quite so.' Mr. King was similarly constrained, and wished for the tenth time that his excellent caterer was male, and not subject to the inconveniences of pregnancy. He smiled stiffly. 'The new Hampsons site will be operational about the end of July,' he said. 'Are you quite sure you can take it on?'

'Quite sure,' Anna smiled, 'And on the same basis as our existing contract. I have been fortunate in Mr. Sung. He is an excellent cook and I have taught him all I know. I can leave him in charge here and I shall be free to concentrate on the new site.'

'Very strange that,' remarked Mr. King, with a slight frown. 'When Mr. Sung worked here with the previous contractor no-one thought much of his talents, certainly not as a cook.'

'That is easily explained,' Anna said sweetly. 'Mr. Sung was treated as nothing more than a kitchen boy. He was never allowed to show what he could do, never given any encouragement. In any case, one cannot produce good food without ingredients.'

'Quite so, quite so,' Mr. King said again. 'Well, Mrs. Sullivan, I am delighted you will be catering for the new site. Your food has done wonders for morale.'

'Thank you.' Anna said, rising to her feet. It was clear the interview was over. 'Mr King, have you any idea how much longer the present site will continue?'