Dream a Little Dream (12 page)

‘I’ll have an idea when I see the girl, Mr Robert, and if I feel she’s right for the job and would fit in, I’ll suggest she comes ready to start, just in case. And I’ll have to dash off now, before it gets too late. I’ll let yer know how we get on when I get back. Will yer still be in here?’

‘Yes, I’ll do some work on the books to pass the time. But before you go, Agnes, what sort of wages would a girl her age be expecting?’

‘Fourteen and untrained, I’d say she’d start on three bob a week in a factory.’

‘In case her parents ask, shall we say four shillings a week? With a sixpence rise when she’s experienced in the job.’

‘It’s going to be bleedin’ midnight before we get out, Mr Robert, if yer keep on talking,’ Agnes huffed as she bustled to the door. Then, remembering something, she turned with a huge grin on her face. ‘My old ma used to say the only ones on the street at that time of night are cats and loose women.’ She closed the door with Robert’s laughter ringing in her ears.

It was a quarter to ten when the housekeeper knocked on the study door again. She was thanking the Lord above that she hadn’t bumped into any of the family. Miss Edwina would lay a duck egg if she knew what was going on behind her back. Mind you, it served her right. If she didn’t look as though there was a bad smell under her nose when she was talking to
you
, and was more pleasant and friendly, then it would be easy to be friendly back. So if she wasn’t liked, she only had herself to blame.

Robert opened the study door. ‘Come in, Agnes, my dear. Have you been associating with the cats or the loose women?’

Safe now, knowing that Miss Edwina never came to the study, Agnes could feel herself relaxing. ‘Oh, yer can laugh, Mr Robert, but me and Tilly are not past it, yer know! In fact, we were accosted by two fellers so yer can put that in yer pipe and smoke it. They were a bit of all right, too. The only thing was, they expected us to pay them instead of the other way round.’

‘You and Tilly are two very attractive women, Agnes, and it wouldn’t surprise me in the least if you were approached by two men. What does surprise me is that you haven’t been snapped up long ago. You’d have made good wives and mothers.’

‘I didn’t want to be snapped up, Mr Robert. When my Ben got killed in the war, I didn’t look at anyone else. I loved him, yer see, he was the only one for me. And Tilly was the same, she lost her boyfriend in the war. We’re good mates, and we often sit and talk about the boys we loved and lost. We don’t get miserable, we just like talking about them.’

‘Sit yourself down, my dear, and tell me how you got on.’

‘Oh, yer should see her, Mr Robert, she’s a little beauty. Her name’s Jessie, and she’s polite, well-mannered, and everything yer could wish for. She was so excited about coming for an interview for a job, she said she won’t sleep tonight. Her parents were over the moon, too! But I couldn’t tell them about the hours she’ll be working if yer do take her on, ’cos yer hadn’t told me.’

‘
If
I take her on, Agnes? Will I have a choice? I’ve got a feeling I’d be a very unpopular man if Jessie wasn’t a member of our staff tomorrow morning.’

‘Nah, yer wouldn’t be unpopular, Mr Robert. It’s your house and your money, I’ve got no say in the matter. Though I might
think
, privately like, that yer were tuppence short of a shilling, and I might call yer for everything under me breath. But none of those things are going to happen ’cos when yer set eyes on her, yer’ll want to adopt her, never mind setting her on as a scullery maid.’

‘My goodness, you must have been very impressed, Agnes.’

‘I was very impressed, and still am. I’m also ruddy tired, and me feet are talking to me. So I’m going to see if there’s any dishes want washing, then I’m off to me bed. And I’ll bet I’m asleep before me flaming head hits the pillow.’

‘Goodnight, Agnes, and thank you. I’ll see you in the morning.’

‘Goodnight and God bless, Mr Robert, sweet dreams.’

There’s little chance of that, Robert thought as the door closed on the housekeeper. I’ve got a feeling that as soon as I set foot in the bedroom the fireworks will start. He didn’t mind a discussion, even if it got a bit heated, but the trouble was, his wife wouldn’t let up. She would harp and harp, until he sometimes felt like taking her by the shoulders and giving her a good shaking. Perhaps that’s what she needed to shake her out of the life of fantasy she’d created for herself, and back to reality. She lived in a dream world which at times frightened him, but while he’d been sorely tempted at times, he knew he would never lay a finger on her.

Edwina didn’t even wait until the bedroom door was closed before venting her anger. ‘Am I not allowed to know what’s going on in my own house? First, against my wishes, you take it upon yourself to run the cleaner home because she’s not feeling well. Then you shut yourself in the study without informing me of the situation regarding the length of time she could be away from work, and who is to do the cleaning in the meantime. Then, without a by-your-leave, Agnes mysteriously disappears and we are left to see to our own supper. I will not tolerate such behaviour and demand an explanation.’

‘I do not intend to raise my voice, Edwina, so listen
carefully
as I answer each one of your complaints. Firstly, you ask if you are not allowed to know what’s going on in your own house. Surely you should have said “our” house, as it is also the home of the children and myself. Then you rant on about my running Kitty home against your wishes. Against
your wishes
, Edwina? Pretty soon you’ll be expecting me to ask permission to light up a cigar! And if I have to weigh your wishes against helping a sick woman, you will lose every time. I have given Kitty leave to stay off until Monday. I will be calling for her, and if I think she’s not fit for work she’ll have her paid leave extended further.’ Robert kept his voice even, determined he wasn’t going to demean himself by shouting. ‘Agnes didn’t mysteriously disappear, she had gone on an errand for me. You see, I have decided to take on a young girl as a maid of all work, to help Kitty or Agnes where necessary. I should have seen the need for this a long time ago, but unfortunately it took the present situation to shake me into action. Anyway, a young fourteen year old is coming tomorrow to be interviewed for the post. She comes highly recommended, is from a good family, and I am hopeful she will be suitable.’

There was open dislike in his wife’s eyes. ‘You did all this without consulting me? How dare you!’

‘And who, exactly, do you think you are, Edwina?’

‘I am the mistress of this house.’ The words were spat out. ‘When I interview this girl tomorrow, if I find her common, uncouth or ill-mannered, she’ll be sent packing. I’ll have no one who doesn’t know their place, or appreciates how lucky they would be to work here.’

‘What you are suffering from, Edwina, is illusions of grandeur. And the sooner you dispel those illusions, the better it will be for yourself. The young girl who is coming tomorrow, whose name, incidentally, is Jessie, will be very much the same as you were at her age. Did you ever consider yourself common, uncouth or ill-mannered? I don’t think so. Anyway,
I
shall be interviewing Jessie, so your feelings don’t enter into
it
.’ Robert slipped off his jacket and draped it over his arm. ‘End of discussion, Edwina, I don’t want to hear another word.’ He walked through to his dressing room, and as he opened the double doors to his wardrobe his eyes lit on the small bed in the corner. He never thought it would come to this, but it had been a long day, so much had happened, and he was very tired. The woman in their bed treated him like an unwelcome stranger, and the thought of sleeping next to her filled him with despair. So after hanging up his jacket and waistcoat, he returned to the bedroom. ‘I shall be sleeping in the dressing room tonight, and I’m sure that’s one thing I’ll be doing right in your eyes. Goodnight.’

‘Mother, I left my black court shoes out to be cleaned, and they’re just as I left them. They haven’t been touched.’ Victoria sat down with a disapproving look on her face. ‘And Nigel tells me his haven’t been cleaned, either. It’s just isn’t good enough!’

Before his wife could answer, Robert said, ‘Good morning, Victoria, Nigel and Abbie. Or have we dispensed with civilised behaviour?’

‘Of course not, Dad.’ Abbie left her chair to give him a kiss. ‘Good morning.’

‘I’m sorry, Father,’ Nigel said. ‘How very rude of me. Good morning to you.’

Victoria gave a curt nod. ‘Good morning.’

‘To save any further words on the subject, there is no one to clean your shoes as Kitty is unwell. But I’m sure Agnes will show you where the shoe polish and brushes are kept.’

‘Ah, what’s wrong with Kitty?’ Abbie asked. ‘She’s not very ill, I hope?’

‘No, my dear, she’s suffering from fatigue. Been overworked for too long.’

‘Overworked!’ Victoria didn’t see the warning sign in her mother’s eyes. ‘If the wretched creature isn’t up to the job she shouldn’t be here.’

‘Don’t be horrible, Victoria,’ Abbie said with feeling. ‘Kitty is not a wretched creature and she can’t help being sick. She’s very nice and I like her.’

‘You never were fussy about the people you liked,’ Victoria sneered. ‘Some of the friends you’ve had have been most undesirable.’

Robert banged the handle of his knife on the table. ‘I will not have remarks like that at the breakfast table. While you sit here on antique chairs, with solid silver cutlery in front of you and expensive clothes on your back, waiting to have your breakfast served to you, there are thousands of people in this country who are worrying about where their next meal is coming from. You are so selfish you disgust me. If you are not satisfied, or think you are badly treated, then may I suggest you find somewhere else to live?’

Abbie had her head down, her lips were moving but no one heard her saying, ‘Dad’s right, you are selfish. You don’t care about poor Kitty.’

Meanwhile, Agnes was just about to push the door open when she heard Mr Robert’s voice. She felt a wave of pity for him, because more than most, she knew exactly how spoilt they were. The silver tray she was carrying was heavy with matching silver dishes, filled with bacon, eggs, liver, sausages, kidneys and tomatoes. And once these were on the table, she’d have to make a few trips back and forth to the kitchen for their toast and marmalade and pots of tea. There were three in that room who didn’t know they were bloody well born. And it would give her great pleasure to tip the tray and its contents on their laps and wave them goodbye. It was Mr Robert and Miss Abbie that kept her here, and she’d stay as long as they needed her.

Taking a deep breath, the housekeeper pushed open the door with her hip. ‘Good morning, breakfast up,’ she called in a bright and breezy voice, as she set the dishes out on the long mahogany serving table. ‘I’ll fetch yer toast now.’

‘Agnes.’ Victoria’s voice was silky and persuasive. ‘Would
you
be an angel and clean my shoes for me?’

‘Oh, I say, old girl,’ Nigel said, red in the face with embarrassment at his sister’s nerve. ‘You can’t expect Agnes to clean your shoes.’

‘She can expect what she likes, Mr Nigel, but she won’t bleedin’ well get it.’ Agnes was equally red in the face, but it was with anger, not embarrassment. ‘I’ve got me hands full without cleaning ruddy shoes.’ With that, the housekeeper stormed out, muttering under her breath that someone needed a bloody good hiding.

‘How dare you.’ Robert could scarcely contain his anger. ‘What arrogance!’

‘She gets paid to work here, doesn’t she?’ Victoria didn’t see anything wrong with her request and wasn’t in the least repentant. ‘So why shouldn’t I ask her to clean my shoes?’

‘Yes, Agnes gets paid to work here, and she works hard for her money. What do you do, Victoria, to earn the very generous allowance you get?’

Edwina spoke for the first time, in an effort to defend her daughter. ‘Robert, you’ll be pleased to know that Victoria has already set the wheels in motion for the charity work you were keen for her to get involved with. Apparently Mrs Chisholm and some of her friends visit the poor in hospital, and Charles is getting some information today on how Victoria can join their group.’

‘Charles and I are getting quite close, really.’ Victoria was thinking the day wasn’t far off when she could tell her father what to do with his money. ‘In fact, I think the day is fast approaching when he’ll pop the question. So don’t be surprised, Father, if Charles asks for my hand in marriage.’

The expression on Robert’s face when he looked at his daughter was one of pity mixed with disbelief. Charles Chisholm, by his own father’s admission, was a lady’s man who loved them and left them. There’d been a rumour several years ago when Charles was only about seventeen, that he’d got a young parlour maid into trouble and it had cost his
father
dearly to pay the girl’s family off to avoid publicity. This tale had been the talk of the Athenium Club for months and had never been denied by George Chisholm, who was an extremely wealthy shipping merchant. His son seemed to settle down after that and there was no further scandal. That is until he reached the age of twenty-one, and then gossip flared about his liking for older women. Particularly married women who had little to fill in their days and enjoyed the excitement of a clandestine affair. There was no sign that Charles Chisholm was ready to give up his lifestyle and settle down to marriage. But it wasn’t up to Robert to repeat rumours to his daughter, so he said, ‘I’ll be prepared if he does approach me.’

‘I’ve got some news, too, Dad.’ Abbie looked and sounded happy. ‘Miss Gillespie has given me the morning off to enrol at the commercial college. She said it was best to do it as soon as possible, in case there are a lot of applications for the subjects I’m interested in. They only take on so many for each class, you see, and I’d be very disappointed if my application was turned down. I’ve set my heart on it.’

‘I’m sure there’ll be no problem, my dear. If you come home later with a smile on your face, I’ll be very happy for you.’