The Shoemaker's Daughter (50 page)
Craig had tried to talk to her several times but she had turned him away, angry at him still for dallying with another woman down in Bristol while she was grieving over both Edward’s death and Will’s illness.
She sighed heavily, Will would be married soon and naturally Sarah would be his first concern. At least Hari had David and he was a fine strong child with a shock of dark hair and the well-defined features of the Grenfells.
It was for David’s sake that she must make something of her life, Hari felt that she must drag herself up from her mood of apathy and earn back the reputation she once had.
Her customers had made allowances knowing that she had been bereaved but if she wasn’t careful they would all grow accustomed to buying the ready-made boots and shoes that Emily offered in great quantities.
She sighed, it was pointless standing here in the street, that would achieve nothing. She must speak to Mr Fisher who collected the rents for the landlord, he might be able to help her.
Mr Fisher lived in one of the neat, respectable houses close to Chapel Street and as Hari walked past the house where she had lived with Edward, tears brimmed in her eyes.
She had not been in love with Eddie and yet she had grown fond of him, he had been a good and kind protector, a buffer between Hari and the world. And yet his illness had taken all his strength and hers too, she thought ruefully.
Mr Fisher was sitting in his study, bent over a ledger, when the maid showed Hari into the room. He did not look up immediately but continued to write for a few minutes. Hari felt a sense of anger and frustration building up within her, as Hari Morris, respected designer of footwear, she had never been treated like this.
‘Excuse me, Mr Fisher,’ she said and her voice was polite but firm, ‘I might have come to ask you a favour but I am not a beggar or a debtor so I would appreciate a little courtesy.’
He looked up slowly, his eyebrows raised, it was clear that he recognized her by the way his face lit up.
‘Hari Morgan, there’s pleased I am to see you looking so prosperous.’ He pushed back his chair and stood up, smiling.
‘I’m Mrs Morris,’ she said, ‘I used to live with my husband in Chapel Street.’
Mr Fisher offered her a chair. ‘I do apologize,’ he said, ‘I thought you were one of the tenants come to make excuses about not keeping up with the rent, we get a lot of that, mind.’
He resumed his seat behind the desk and waited for her to speak.
‘I want to rent a property from you,’ Hari said. ‘The workshop at the back of the house in World’s End.’
Mr Fisher rubbed at his beard. ‘Just the workshop?’ he asked doubtfully. ‘The landlord usually lets out the whole place at one rental.’
‘It’s all vacant now and has been for some time by the look of it,’ Hari said reasonably, ‘surely it’s better to have rent for part of the place rather than none at all. Later, I might wish to take on the entire building.’
Mr Fisher looked doubtful. ‘I don’t think so, Mrs Morris, it’s either the whole thing or nothing.’ He shrugged, ‘I wouldn’t know how to split the rent, you see and anyway no-one is going to take the house with the workshop occupied, you must see that.’ He paused. ‘The rent for the whole building is very reasonable you know.’
‘All right,’ Hari said, ‘I’ll take the whole building then.’ As soon as she spoke, she felt panic begin to build within her, where was she going to get the money to pay for it?
‘It will be one month in advance of course,’ Mr Fisher said and Hari frowned.
‘I suggest that you waive the first month’s rent to defray the cost of tidying the place up,’ she said with far more confidence than she felt. ‘It really does look a sight even for that area. Just think, if I refurbish the place, even if I left after one month, you are taking no risks.’
‘How do you make that out, Mrs Morris?’ Mr Fisher was almost smiling, no doubt amused at her audacity.
‘The property would look more appealing for a start,’ Hari said, ‘and I would light fires in all the rooms so that the house would be free of damp.’
Hari smiled confidently. ‘I am a business woman, Mr Fisher, I intend to make a profit while occupying the building and, if I succeed, you will have a permanent tenant, isn’t that worth risking one paltry month’s rent for?’
Mr Fisher appraised Hari’s good clothes and the well-polished shoes she wore and, after a moment, he nodded.
‘Very well, I shall give you one month’s free rental on condition that if you leave at the end of the first month, you
will
be liable for it.’
will
be liable for it.’
Hari rose to her feet. ‘Thank you, Mr Fisher, it was a pleasure doing business with you.’
Hari felt exultant as she walked along the street, the keys to the house and workshop in her hand, now would come the hard part, how to raise the money to pay for her extravagant gesture.
The place needed a thorough cleaning, the walls must be painted and some curtains and mats would have to be bought to brighten the place up.
After the premises were brought up to scratch, she would have to buy in a good supply of leather for shoes she intended to make, she would have to work at full stretch to make enough sales in the first month to keep her going.
Hari knew she could count on Will to work with her now he was well again, he would need all the money he could get if he was to be married.
She still had Lewis and Ben to work at the cobbling but it was the new designs that would make the money, she was still taking a very big chance and she knew it.
A sense that she was attempting to do the impossible filled her and when Hari walked into the house in Salthouse Passage, her mood was picked up at once by Hetty.
‘I just put Davie down, he’s fasto so we can have a quiet talk,’ she said. ‘I suppose you didn’t get anywhere with Mr Fisher then?’ Hetty deftly placed another cup on the table for Hari.
‘Wrong, I got the whole of the premises!’ Hari smiled ruefully. ‘To get the workshop I had to take on the house as well and though I bluffed Mr Fisher into letting me have the place rent free for a month, I don’t know how I’m going to pay for it.’
‘Do the same as me, of course,’ Hetty said, ‘let out the rooms to boarders. Don’t worry about leaving me, I’ve got a married couple who want to come here as soon as I have room.’
She poured more tea. ‘I suggest you go and live in the house in World’s End and take Lewis with you for a start, he’s a very good boarder, pays on the nail, he does.’
Hari looked at Hetty with gratitude. ‘There’s a good idea!’ Hari said. ‘There are two bedrooms and the parlour I could let and me and the baby could use the attic.’
‘That’s the spirit,’ Hetty smiled. ‘And don’t forget, if you take in a married couple you charge more for the room, mind.’
Hari rose from her chair and, on an impulse, hugged the older woman. ‘You are so good to me, Hetty,’ she said, ‘I don’t know what I’d do without you.’
‘Hush now!’ Hetty scolded, ‘there’s soft you do talk.’ In spite of her words, Hetty was wiping her eyes with the corner of her apron.
‘Now then,’ she said, sniffing, ‘we must see what bedding I can let you have, there are some curtains I can spare as well. You’ll need beds, mind, but I know where you can pick up some old ones very cheap.’ She held up her hand as Hari made to protest.
‘I want to help you get on your feet, girl, now just indulge an old woman because you are like the daughter I never had.’
‘I can’t thank you enough, Hetty.’ Hari sighed, ‘But I promise you this, you’ll never go without a good pair of shoes while Hari Morris can hold a needle.’
Doing up the old building proved to be an exciting project, everyone at Hetty’s house down to the old man who lived in the attic next to Will gave a hand. Soon the building glowed with cleanliness and the faded but clean curtains hung at the windows gave the place a homely feel.
Cleg the Coal delivered a mountain of fuel and Beatie arrived with an armful of bed linen.
‘Where on earth did you get all that?’ Hari put down the whitewash brush she’d been using on the inside of the workshop and stared at Beatie open mouthed.
‘I went round the big houses,’ Beatie said complacently, ‘told them I wanted the stuff for charity, don’t know if they believed me or not but most of them gave me something!’
Hari put her hands on her hips. ‘You are a cheeky devil, Beatie the Coal, but I could kiss you!’
She put down the brush. ‘Come and have a cup of tea in my bright new kitchen.’ Hari led the way indoors and felt a twinge of pride as Beatie clucked her tongue in appreciation.
‘
Duw
, will you look at that grate, gleaming all lovely and black it is and the brass around it so bright you can see your face in it.’
Duw
, will you look at that grate, gleaming all lovely and black it is and the brass around it so bright you can see your face in it.’
‘I got the chairs and table from the pawn shop,’ Hari said, ‘and to tell you the truth, I don’t recognize the place now it’s done up.’ She sighed. ‘It’s hard to believe I was born and reared in this house.’
‘You’ll do well here.’ Beatie said confidently, ‘I can feel great happiness coming to you so don’t you fret, Hari love.’
There was a knocking on the kitchen door and Will moved into the room, a smile on his face. ‘I’ve got you a married couple for one of your rooms.’ He sat near Hari and took her hand in his, ‘I hope you’ll be happy for me, Hari, Sarah and me, we’re going to get married in just a few weeks.’
Hari felt her spirits sink, Will was going to get married to a girl who was carrying someone else’s child. But guilt flowed over her, even as she opened her mouth to speak, because wasn’t that exactly what she herself had done, married Edward while carrying Craig’s baby?
‘So long as you are happy, then so am I, Will. Come here, let me give you a big kiss.’ She held Will close for a moment, grateful that he was well and strong again and hoping against hope that he was not making a mistake.
‘Don’t worry about the rent,’ Will said proudly, ‘the shoes I’ve been working on since I came out of hospital have brought in a little bit of money and Sarah has savings, between us we’ll manage.’
‘I hope you’ll be working for me again, Will,’ Hari said at once, ‘I’ve got these premises for a month rent free. We’ll achieve great things here, Will, I’m sure of it.’
‘I know we will, you are so talented Hari, you’re bound to succeed again once you put your mind to it,’ Will said cheerfully.
‘That’s just what I said too!’ Beatie rose to her feet. ‘Well, I’d better be getting back to my brood but when you need the laundry washing, let me know, Hari, because you won’t have time to wash bedding and make shoes, will you?’
Hari smiled, with such a lot of good will around her how could she fail?
Spencer Grenfell looked up at his brother and hate burned within him, all Craig seemed to think about was that Hari Morris and the brat she’d given birth to.
Whenever Spencer needed anything, he had to crawl and beg and yet this woman from the lower orders could have had anything she asked for.
‘I need some money.’ Spencer said, ‘I’m tired of sitting in this house doing nothing all day, I
have
to get out or I’ll go mad.’
have
to get out or I’ll go mad.’
Craig reluctantly reached in his pocket and took out some notes. ‘See that you don’t get into any trouble, then,’ he said and, though he kept his tone light, Spencer knew there was a hidden threat behind the words.
Spencer left the house and made his way quickly down the hill, looking neither to the right nor the left of him. He knew where he was going, to the mean streets around Salthouse Passage where Maria Payton, for a consideration, would give him a warm welcome.
There had been a great deal of interesting talk in Maria’s house lately, Sam Payton and his mother gossiping about Hari Morris, the slut Craig was in love with and that brat she’d borne. Perhaps the time had come to have vengeance on his brother, Spencer thought, and in the bargain extract from Craig some of the money that was rightfully his.
Hari took up residence in the house in World’s End once again and though it was strange and sad leaving her room under the protection of the kindly Hetty, it felt good to have her own home again.
Lewis had moved his stuff in days ago and he had built a cheerful fire in the grate ready for Hari’s arrival, he even had the kettle boiling on the flames as she came through the door. She put the baby down on the rug with a sigh of relief.
‘That boy is getting heavy,’ she said and then she stood for a moment looking round her.
‘There’s kind of you to get the fire going, Lewis, it’s nice to come into a warm kitchen.’
‘It’s nothing,’ Lewis smiled. ‘I’m off out now but I’ve been doing a bit of talking to my mates in the public bars, reminding them what a good shoemaker you are.’ He moved to the door.
‘You are good to me, Lewis,’ Hari said gratefully.
‘I could be
very
good to you if you’d let me, mind.’ Lewis’s face was wistful and Hari sighed heavily.
very
good to you if you’d let me, mind.’ Lewis’s face was wistful and Hari sighed heavily.
‘Go to the public, Lewis, I haven’t got time to think of anything but making a success of the business.’ She smiled to soften her words, ‘I’ll have a good meal for you when you come home and then I’m going to ask you to tap a pair of boots for me, big heavy working boots they are, need a man’s hands to do them justice, I promised them for tomorrow.’
‘It’s as good as done.’ Lewis paused a moment longer in the doorway and then went out and Hari breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea having Lewis as a lodger after all. It wouldn’t do to give him any false hopes.
‘Ah well, David,’ she said, ruffling the baby’s hair, ‘I’ll settle you down for a little sleep and then I’d better get some work started.’
Charles and Meg had sent quite a lot of work Hari’s way and had intensified their efforts so that even more customers who wanted repairs for specialized shoes done were patronizing her shop in World’s End but Hari knew that the real money was in new and unique designs.
Still, she must settle her mind to making her way back to her former productiveness slowly, the work would build up as it had done before and the orders would come in regularly, she was sure of it.
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