Authors: Iris Gower

Tags: #Historical Saga

The Shoemaker's Daughter (31 page)

BOOK: The Shoemaker's Daughter

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‘This problem with Spencer,’ Craig said softly, ‘has made me realize we are all mortal. I want a son and heir, Emily, a child to inherit what I have built up with my own hands. You must want that, too?’

‘Perhaps,’ Emily said, ‘and have you thought that if we amalgamated our assets we could become the biggest in the business this side of the Bristol Channel?’

Craig’s fingers gripped hers. ‘I think I would benefit more than you would from such a merger but yes, it would be a good move.’

Emily shrugged. ‘You are doing very well now and though you have a little sideline going with Hari Morris’s shop, I still feel that the two of us getting together is a commitment well worth making.’ Emily paused, feeling a sense of excitement rising within her.

‘What about Hari, would she agree to come in with us?’ Emily wanted Hari’s beautiful designs, wanted her skill.

‘I’ll ask her.’ Craig paused. ‘But at the moment she is very happy as she is, safe in a marriage with motherhood on the way. I never thought I’d see the day she’d forget about shoemaking.’

It took a few moments for his words to sink in. ‘You mean Hari is expecting a child?’ Emily said in surprise. Somehow the picture of Hari doing anything but working on her designs didn’t seem to come readily to mind.

‘Yes, Edward is over the moon about it, I think. Didn’t you know?’

‘How should I know?’ Emily said, too absorbed in her own mixed emotions to hear the edge in Craig’s voice.

‘No-one has thought to mention it to me,’ Emily continued.

‘Well,’ Craig said, ‘Hari will want to go along with whatever I say and, in her broody frame of mind, I don’t think she’ll care much either way.’

Emily looked out of the window into the darkness lit only by the street lamps. So much had happened to her in the last hour, there was so much to take in that she suddenly wanted to be alone to think things out.

Emily alighted from the carriage with a sense of relief and, without looking back at Craig, moved into the shop. She felt as though she had been in another world, sitting there with Craig, in the darkness, his proposal of marriage had seemed to be only common sense. Now she wasn’t so sure.

She hurried up the stairs and into her dressing-room and spent a long time, staring at herself in the mirror. Did she want to be married and did she want children? She wasn’t sure what the answer was to any of those questions.

When Sarah entered the room, a little while later with a tray of hot drinks in her hands, Emily questioned her. ‘Sarah, had you heard that Hari Morris is expecting?’

‘Aye, I’ve heard and it seems she’s not too well, mind, looking pretty peaky she was when I saw her in the market the other day.’

Emily longed suddenly to go to see Hari, she should be with her now, looking after her as Hari had nursed her when Emily was so ill. They had been such good friends then, perhaps Hari was the only real friend Emily had ever had and she missed that friendship.

Craig came to see her a few days later and, taking her in his arms, kissed Emily on the cheek and she had the oddest feeling that the gesture was forced.

‘Want a drink?’ she asked. ‘There’s some iced coffee in the jug or you could have a port.’ She looked up at him, trying to imagine herself in his bed and blushed at the thought.

‘Port please.’ Craig took his drink and sat down, stretching his long legs out towards the fire.

‘Have you spoken to Hari about our plans yet?’ Emily asked seating herself opposite him.

‘Forget about Hari, let’s just talk about us.’ Craig was frowning a little.

‘All right,’ Emily said. ‘Then talk about us, we can discuss business later.’

‘We would be good for each other, Emily,’ Craig said leaning forward, shoulders hunched, ‘we are alike, both from the same background, it will be a very suitable marriage.’

Emily noticed that Craig spoke as though he needed to persuade her or was it himself he was trying to convince?

But he was right, it would be a good union and then there was the business aspect of their relationship. Emily was ambitious, she wanted more than success and financial stability, she wanted to vindicate the Grenfell name once and for all and together she and Craig could do that.

‘We will make a success of it all, won’t we, Craig?’

‘Of course,’ he said cheerfully, ‘we’ll have the finest alliance in all of Wales.’

Hari let the sewing slip on to her lap, the tiny garment was finely stitched and was almost finished, it was a frothy white Christening gown. Her slim figure barely showed the signs of her pregnancy; except for the slight thickening of her waist, she hardly appeared any different.

Edward entered the room, the
Cambrian
in his hand. ‘I’ve got news for you,’ he said slowly, ‘Craig and Emily are to be married in the autumn.’

Hari felt a sense of shock sweep through her, her hands trembled and she clasped them together quickly.

‘Well, I can’t say I’m surprised,’ she said, ‘the gossips have been at it for weeks, talking about them being together so much, speculating on a romance at last between the beautiful and rich Grenfells.’

‘I would have thought Craig might have told me himself instead of allowing me to read the news in the paper.’ Edward seated himself in a chair and shook out the folds of the
Cambrian
.

‘I expect he’ll get round to it,’ Hari said, her mouth dry, ‘you are sure to be his groomsman just as he was yours.’

‘Do you think so?’ Edward smiled. ‘I suppose you’re right, Craig will be round any day now to have a chat with me.’

Hari looked down at her sewing, she knew it had to come, she’d known that one day Craig would settle down and wasn’t it natural he should choose Emily? They had been betrothed since childhood and, in spite of the difficulties between them, they must still love each other.

And yet it hurt to know that, once and for all, Craig would be lost to her. But that was absurd, he had been lost to her the minute Edward had slipped a ring on to her finger. What did she think was going to happen, that Craig would remain alone for the rest of his days?

Edward began to cough and Hari rose to her feet quickly. ‘I’ll bring you some elixir,’ she said, ‘it will sooth your throat, lovely.’

‘I’m all right, you fuss too much over my health, my girl, when you should be looking after your own.’

‘I’m as strong as a horse,’ Hari protested, ‘having a baby isn’t like being sick, mind.’

‘No, but the doctor told you not to take any risks, didn’t he? So don’t go rushing about like that, it’s not good for you.’

Hari was resting in the garden when Craig finally did come to talk to Edward. She heard his voice and kept her eyes closed, drinking in the sound of him, anticipating the moment when she would open her eyes and see him.

What thoughts for a married woman to be harbouring, she should be ashamed of herself. And yet when she opened her eyes, she felt her nerves were suddenly on edge at the look of him, tall and strong in the sunlight, his eyes unreadable as they rested on her. He nodded.

‘Keeping well, Hari?’ His tone was casual. ‘I’ve come to tell you my news, I’m getting married.’

He sat beside her and leaned forward. ‘Emily is asking humbly if she may come to see you, she would like you to be at the wedding, it would make her very happy.’

‘Come on, love,’ Edward said, ‘don’t bear a grudge, not now when we all should be very happy.’

‘Yes, of course I’ll be at the wedding, I’ll be there at Edward’s side where I belong.’ Hari was aware that she must sound unbearably stuffy but she didn’t know what to say to the unexpected gesture of peace from Emily.

‘I’ll tell her,’ Craig said softly. ‘Thank you, Hari, you always were the fairest-minded person I know.’

What an impersonal remark when Hari longed to hear him say that he would always love her, whatever happened in their lives, he would never forget the one night they had spent together.

He seemed about to say more, then he rose abruptly to his feet. He stared down at her for a long moment in silence.

‘Are you happy?’ The words were softly spoken so that Edward having moved to the doorway of the house couldn’t hear.

Her eyes met his for a brief instant and she knew she failed to hide her emotions from him.

‘I’m . . . as content as I could be.’ Without you, she added silently.

‘I see.’ He moved away from her then and she had no idea what he was thinking, he was an enigma, a man of whom she would never know the depths.

Restlessly, she rose and moved into the house, she would go to the workshop, see how the men were getting on with the production of the shoes. Strange, Craig had not mentioned the business at all.

Edward was very much against her leaving the house. ‘I don’t think you should be thinking of work, not just now,’ he said catching her hand in concern. ‘Leave everything to Craig, just until the baby is born and then you can go back to your precious work if you so wish.’

Hari smiled. ‘You would wrap me in cotton wool if you could, my lovely, well, I won’t have it, I’m not sick I tell you, I’m having a baby.’

He rested his hand on her stomach. ‘I know, and I’m so proud and happy, sometimes I’m afraid of being so happy.’

Hari shivered. ‘Don’t talk like that, Eddie!’ she said, putting her arms around him. ‘Don’t tempt fate, it’s not right. You’re feeling all right, are you? Your chest isn’t playing you up again?’

‘Oh, go on to your workshop and stop fussing,’ Edward said gently, ‘forget I spoke.’

Hari tried to shake off the uneasy feeling Edward’s words had aroused in her, but even though the sun shone and the trees were full of leaf and trembling in the warm breeze, she felt chilled.

William greeted her with a lighting of his eyes that made Hari want to hug him. ‘How’s the work coming along?’ Hari asked moving into the workroom, breathing in the familiar scent of leather hungrily.

Lewis was working at his last, tapping a pair of working boots but of Ben there was no sign. Hari turned to Will questioningly.

‘Ben’s just gone to take some boots to his Uncle Cleg the Coal, urgent order it was and, as Cleg’s a good customer, Ben took them over himself.’

‘That’s good, you did right, Will, we must look after the old customers, we may need them again some time.’

‘Not according to Mr Grenfell,’ Will said glumly, ‘he keeps telling me it’s a waste of time, small fry will never bring in a big catch, so he says.’

‘Well, there’s such a thing as the good will of the customer and Craig Grenfell would do well to remember that,’ Hari said sharply.

She would have to talk to Craig, he really was taking on too much responsibility, he seemed to think that because she was expecting a child she had suddenly lost all her intelligence.

She suddenly felt nostalgic for the old days when she worked in her father’s shop at the side of the house in World’s End, when life was uncomplicated by mixed emotions and when her job was simply to make and mend boots and shoes.

Ben entered the shop at a run, his hair flying back from his face, his eyes ablaze. ‘Know what I just heard from Cleg the Coal of all people?’ he demanded. ‘That bastard Grenfell is throwing in his lot with Emily Grenfell, selling us out to feather his own nest!’

He stopped short when he saw Hari and clasped his hand to his mouth. ‘Sorry for the language,’ he said, his face ruddy with embarrassment, ‘didn’t know you were here.’

‘Sit down Ben and tell us calmly what you’ve heard.’ Hari tried desperately to remain calm herself, her blood was racing, her mind spinning with questions.

‘Where did Cleg get this idea from?’ she asked trying to compose her thoughts.

‘Delivering coal to Miss Grenfell, he was, and the two of them was in the garden talking, the Grenfells thick as thieves discussing our shop and said they were going to go in together, Cleg heard them with his own ears. Didn’t think he was telling no tales, thought I’d know all about it.’ Ben paused. ‘Did
you
know anything, Hari?’

Hari sank into a chair and sighed heavily. ‘No, Ben, I had no idea this was going on.’ She was suddenly coldly angry. How dare Craig come to her house, asking her to be friends with Emily when all the time the both of them were plotting to take her business away from her?

‘Call me a cab, Will,’ she said at last, ‘I’ll sort this out for myself.’

Will hurried out into the street, his young face pale, his mouth set in a line of anger and Hari knew with a sense of warmth that she had more than one ally in what would be a fight between her and Craig and Emily Grenfell.

The shop in Wind Street was filled with people and Hari stood for a moment and stared around her. As her eyes became accustomed to the gloom, she saw that there were lots of shelves, all of them groaning with boots and shoes imported from Somerset. Good stock, no doubt about that, but where was the flair, the individuality of her own stock?

Sarah came and stood before her. ‘Can I help you?’ she asked and there was something arrogant about the tilt of the girl’s head.

‘Excuse me.’ Hari walked past her and began to mount the stairs, Sarah hurried after her and caught her arm.

‘You can’t go up there, you haven’t got the right, not any more, this is Miss Emily’s shop now, nothing to do with you.’

Hari stared at her coldly. ‘Take your hands off me.’ Her tone was low and dangerous and Sarah, taken aback, released her.

Emily was sitting at the table and standing near her was Craig. Both looked at her in surprise and Emily smiled tentatively imagining she had come in friendship. Hari soon dispelled that idea.

‘You Grenfells will stop at nothing, will you?’ she said. ‘You cheat and lie and even thieve to get what you want.’

Emily half lifted her hand. ‘Hari, what’s wrong?’ She looked at her appealingly, ‘Sit down, won’t you, let’s talk calmly, have some tea.’

Hari turned to Craig. ‘Is it true that you are planning to merge our business with Emily’s?’ she said staring at him, her eyes hard with anger.

BOOK: The Shoemaker's Daughter

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