The Loom (25 page)

He looked down at the sleeping form next to him. In the dim light he could just see Marion’s face, a pale blur. The towel had fallen away. He gently stroked her shoulder, watching her become more distinct with the growing light. She looked vulnerable and very young. He bent and kissed her cheek. She stirred and her eyes suddenly flew open, alarmed at first then relieved.

She smiled and looked up at him, ‘Darkie,’ she said, reaching out her hand.

He bent and kissed her.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

‘
I
t’s impossible, Stephen,’ Jessica said tightly.

Stephen’s face was grim. ‘I don’t see that it should be. She comes from the wrong side of the track, yes, but I couldn’t care less. It might embarrass you though in front of your friends, is that it? But it won’t make a scrap of difference because I intend to keep on seeing Leah Hammond with or without your approval. And don’t think this is just a casual affair. It isn’t. I’m in love for the first time in my life.’

‘
You wouldn’t marry her, surely?’

‘
I’ll give you one guess.’

Jessica tried to hide her dismay. It was unthinkable Leah Hammond become part of their family. There was also the added problem of what she’d seen and heard in the library. If she married Stephen she would tell him all. No, it was out of the question. She’d have to do something, but what? She felt like pulling her hair out, or worse.

Her coolness belied her feelings as she replied. ‘I think you’re making a mistake, Stephen, and you’re being unfair to her. She won’t fit in, she just won’t.’

‘
I actually think she will fit in, quite well,’ Stephen replied.

‘
She’ll be like a fish out of water.’ Jessica ignored Stephen’s last remark. ‘Although I grant you her speech is much improved, thanks to Miss Fenton’s misguided intentions. She’s from the wrong side of the track. How will she fit in socially? She won’t!’

Stephen looked at his stepmother with dislike. Why had he never realized what a snob she was? She put her hand on his arm and he shook it off irritable.

‘
I don’t care what sort of opposition you put up, you won’t change my mind. Things are different now, mainly due to the war. War’s a great leveller. Keeping your place means nothing when you’re going over the top, or facing a mad charge with a fellow with a bayonet, or crawling your way through mustard gas, or seeing men blown to bits.’ Jessica went white. ‘Shall I go on?’ She shook her head.

‘I know what went on in the war, Stephen. There’s no need to bring all that up again.’

‘I think there is. And as for Leah not being good enough, as you have implied, I can tell you this. She’s got more ‘class’ in her little finger than all the horsy-faced madams of our social set.’

Jessica was silent. How could she criticize? She had no cause for complaint against Leah. Just the opposite! Leah had conducted herself with the utmost decorum, both at the Hall and from what she had heard about her, outside it as well. She was well thought of was Leah Hammond, as were the whole family, with the exception of the father, of course and even he seemed to have mended his ways a little. People in glass houses, she thought.

Stephen was watching her, surprised that her outburst had been cut off so abruptly. Jessica realized he was waiting for more of the same, but she suddenly felt so dreadfully tired, so fed up with everything, of worrying herself silly about what had happened in the past. All she really wanted to do was to be left alone with George. A little peace and quiet would go down very nicely at the moment. The last thing she wanted was to have to think of Leah with Stephen and to be truthful she just couldn’t see it happening, so why was she worrying. And if it did, what could she do?

‘
I think Leah should look for another job then,’ Jessica said wearily. ‘I would feel most uncomfortable with her at the Hall now.’

‘
She can go and help Marion in Cheshire,’ Stephen said, ‘Until we sort things out. Marion won’t mind. She’s always liked Leah. I’m sure she’ll be able to find something for Leah to do there because I know Leah won’t want to live on charity. She’s too much pride.

Jessica stared at Stephen in consternation. She’d promised Gertie Wicklow she could go to work for Marion in Cheshire. She would be glad to get rid of her, too. Gertie was a rather nasty piece of work, and a blackmailer to boot since that fateful day in the library.

It had not only been Leah and Raymond who’d got the shock of their life. Hearing raised voices Gertie had put her ear to the door and heard all, or nearly all. What she hadn’t, she’d pieced together. Jessica had been paying to keep her quiet ever since.

‘
I promised Gertie Wicklow that job, Stephen,’ Jessica said.

‘
Well renege on it, Mother. I’m sure Gertie hasn’t signed a contract,’ Stephen said in exasperation.

‘
I can’t really.’

‘
Why not,’ Stephen said curtly.

‘
I promised her.’

‘
Oh, for God’s sake,’ Stephen replied and turned around and walked out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Jessica smoothed her hair back off her forehead impatiently. Why couldn’t things run smoothly for a change? She’d have to tell Gertie of the change in plans. Gertie would not be at all pleased, but she couldn’t bear to have Leah working at the Hall now.

**********

Leah stood in front of the mirror in Glebe Street. She’d bought her mother a new one some time ago, a slightly larger version and if she stood on a stool she could see from the top of her head to just below her waist. She smoothed the collar of the wool coat, which matched her eyes. Leah smiled brightly at her reflection, a feeling of pure happiness coursing through her. She’d been like this since the Ball.

Emma, coming into the room stopped and stared. ‘That looks lovely lass. You’ve made a good job of that coat.’

Leah jumped off the stool. ‘Thanks, Mam. I’m pleased with it, too.’

She looked down at the front of the coat. Those gores had been difficult, but she had to admit the coat did look professionally made. Miss Fenton had said only yesterday how much she’d improved in that department. It had given her an idea, which she’d been mulling over ever since.

She had talent as a dressmaker, even if she did say so herself. She’d even made dresses for Mrs. Townsend.

She had a flair for design, for the latest fashions, could draft just about any pattern, and she made the clothes fit like a glove. Why shouldn’t she start her own business? She knew she couldn’t stay at the Hall. Mrs. Townsend had already intimated that. She felt uncomfortable there now, and although nothing had been said there’d been a shift in attitudes, not only by Mr. & Mrs. Townsend but by the staff as well. Gertie Wicklow was becoming nastier towards her, if anything, making snide and even rude and slanderous remarks to her. Mrs. Walters was also disapproving.

‘
It’s not right, Leah,’ she’d said the next week after hearing all the gossip. ‘You’re a servant here, that’s what you’ve got to remember.’ She shook her head and went back to making a hot pot, muttering about people keeping their places.

Leah was annoyed. She thought that at least Maud Walters would be happy for her.

Miss Fenton was more horrified than Maud.

‘
Leah, dear, do you know what you’re doing?’ she said. ‘Have you considered the repercussions of this?’

‘
What repercussions?’

Miss Fenton had made Leah feel guilty, but she didn’t know why? She loved Stephen and that was all that mattered. If there were any problems, they’d overcome them, some way or other.

The biggest opposition to her had been her mother, who had been amazed and then angry.

‘
You can’t take up with one of the nobs,’ she said when Leah walked in with her head in the clouds and told her everything. Janey heard her come in and ran into the living room in her nighty, rubbing her eyes.

‘
What happened, Leah,’ she said. ‘Did you have a good time?’

So Leah repeated it all again and Janey listened with her mouth open saying ‘oh, how lovely’ or ‘lucky sod’ all the way through.

Leah was disappointed at her mother’s reaction. You’d think she’d be glad for me, she said to Kathryn as they discussed the situation. Kathryn was all for the match and Leah’s new idea.

‘
I know a lot of people with money, Leah. If you make me some dresses I’m sure they’ll buy, too.’

‘
Do you think they would?’ Leah had not envisaged sewing for the Park Lane lot. When she began to think about it she thought, why not? If Mrs. Townsend wore dresses she made, why shouldn’t they?

After her mother’s tacit disapproval she was loath to confide in her about her sewing idea. She was such a stick in the mud, Leah thought in exasperation: so worried about doing the right thing, and keeping the peace. Leah had other ideas and she certainly wasn’t going to worry about what other people thought, although again she would have to tread carefully and do everything above board if she were to keep her good name and reputation, especially if she went into business.

The idea came to her when one of the small shops on the Town Square became vacant. She stood in front of the window, which had newspaper covering the large window. She studied the sign on the door, which said ‘Shop to let’. Slowly the idea began to form. She remembered the small shops in London: the tasteful décor, the fashionable clothes. She began to feel excited. If she ever did have a shop she knew exactly how it would look; certainly not a higgledy piggledy mess like Ethel Winthrope’s Haberdashery on High Street.

She wondered how she could broach the subject to her mother. Emma was all against change. She liked the security of knowing what was what she would say to Leah, if anything at all out of the ordinary were planned.

She wouldn’t take well to the idea of a shop. Coming on top of her association with Stephen she’d probably have a heart attack.

Leah listened as her mother began again on why she didn’t like the idea of Leah and ‘Captain Townsend’ as she called Stephen even though Leah had raised objection to this.

‘
The war’s been over for two years, Mam, and he doesn’t want to be called a Captain when he isn’t one now,’ Leah said to her mother a hundred times over. Emma ignored her completely.

Emma wondered how she could change Leah’s mind about Stephen. It’ll take a bloody miracle though, she thought as she saw Leah’s mulish expression. She’s got a stubborn streak as thick as a tree trunk.

‘
I’ve been thinking, Mam,’ Leah said, quite aware that her mother was as she put it ‘putting on her thinking cap’ with regard to Stephen.

‘
What?’ Emma looked suspicious. What now, she thought. I don’t like that look on her face. ‘No, don’t tell me. You’ve lost your job! I knew it, I knew it!’

‘
I haven’t lost my job, for goodness sake’

‘
What then. Ee, I don’t know. I’ve been that worried, love what with you and the Captain, what people are saying and what’s going to come of it.’

‘
I’ve told you not to worry. I’ve still got my job, although that’s really what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to open a shop!’

Emma’s mouth dropped open, ‘you what?’

‘
I want to open a shop,’ Leah repeated. ‘There’s a shop on the Square I can have. I’m going do my sewing in the back and sell at the front.’

Emma was too stunned to say anything, but her mind was working overtime. Her Leah with a shop! Never! Their sort didn’t have shops or anything like a shop. She managed to find her voice.

‘
And just how are you going to do that? Click your fingers. I think you’re dreaming, our Leah.’

Leah made an exasperated sound. Her mother was such a pessimist. No wonder nothing ever happened in Harwood because most of the people were like her mother. Don’t try anything because it might not work, that was their motto. She was going to be different.

‘
I’m not dreaming. I’ve talked to Stephen and he thinks it’s a good idea. I was going to go over to Cheshire to work for his sister, but I’d rather stay here if I can and getting a shop’s the answer.’

How was she going to tell her mother that she’d be borrowing the money from Stephen to start this business venture? Her mother, like most people, was against borrowing or credit of any kind. She would be especially disapproving if it were Stephen who was doing the lending.

‘
Stephen’s lending me the money.’

‘
He’s what. Oh, no Leah, that’ll not do, what will people think?’

‘
I don’t care what people think,’ Leah retorted. ‘They can just mind their own business for once. The loan will all be above board and drawn up by a solicitor, although that’s nobody’s business but ours.’

Emma still looked skeptical. ‘Ee, I don’t like the idea at all. People have always had mucky minds and they’ll think the worst.’

‘
Let them.’

‘
Well, I know you won’t take any notice what I say. I might just as well talk to meself sometimes. I just wish you’d taken up with someone like Paddy. He’s our kind and I feel easy with him.’

‘
Now don’t go on about
that
. You know how I feel about Paddy. I like him but that’s all.’ Leah had had enough of her mother for one day. She had to get out or she’d go mad.