For The Sake of Her Family (13 page)

‘Uriah Woodhead!’ Annie yelled at her husband across the kitchen floor. ‘If I hear you swear once more, I’ll send Alice over with carbolic soap and a scrubbing brush to
clean your mouth out. Good decent folk don’t want to hear language like that first thing of a morning.’ Wiping the sweat from her brow with a tea towel, she went back to frying the
bacon over the Yorkshire range that she was so proud of.

‘It’s enough to make any good man swear – I’m rushed off my feet. Tuesday mornings in this place it’s like feeding the four thousand. I’ve done a full
day’s job by the time the rest of Dent start to think about getting up.’

‘And what do you think us two get up to every day of the week, eh, mister? Don’t you think I’d like an hour longer in bed sometimes? Fires always lit and doors open for
business before you’ve even put a toe out of your side of the bed. So just you watch what you’re saying. Bugger it!’ Annie swore as the bacon sizzling in the pan spat at her, the
fat leaving a scald mark on one of her ample arms. ‘Now look what you’ve made me do!’

‘Language, dear, language! Else I’ll have to send Alice across with the carbolic.’

Alice, catching Uriah’s wink out of the side of her eye, gave no acknowledgement beyond a smile as she got on with scrubbing the huge pine table of the Moon’s kitchen. She’d
found that when her employers fell out, it was best to keep her head down and get on with her work.

‘I tell you what’s odd this morning: we haven’t got Old Todd stopping with us. It’s not like him to miss market day at Hawes.’ Uriah stopped carving for a moment to
think about his absent guest.

‘He’ll turn up, like a bad penny.’ Annie plated up the fried bacon. ‘The creeping old devil wouldn’t miss going to Hawes on a Tuesday if it were the last thing he
did – more’s the pity. I can’t stand his grubby ways, myself. Have you seen the way he drools when Alice here serves him?’ She handed Alice the plates so she could take them
to the customers. ‘You’ll not miss him this morning, will you, Alice? Dirty old man.’

Once again, Alice’s only reply was a smile as she lifted the plates loaded with greasy bacon, fried bread and eggs, and hurried into the bar with them. Too true she wouldn’t miss Old
Todd. After her conversation with Will, she’d made up her mind there’d be no more ‘little understandings’. The thought of what the old lech would do when he found out filled
her with dread.

The Moon was packed with drovers and farmers who believed in starting the day off with a full stomach and a pint. Many didn’t even wait to get to market, preferring to come to agreement
over breakfast. Two weathered-faced farmers sitting in the corner concluded their business as Alice arrived with the plates; she saw one of them spit into his palm, then reach out to shake the
other farmer’s hand, signalling that it was a done deal and that his word was good. He sent Alice to fetch them drinks to seal the deal. She quickly poured two pints of bitter and hurried
back to their table. As she bent down to place the two pints in front of them, she caught a snatch of their conversation.

‘. . . I knew he was a bugger for the lasses, but this ’un was seventeen! You’d think the old sod would know better.’ Oblivious to Alice’s presence, the old farmer
rubbed his head and took his first sup of the pint.

Alice, eager to hear more, began slowly clearing plates from the recently vacated table next to them so that she could listen in to the conversation.

‘It’s his wife and family I feel sorry for,’ said the younger of the two farmers. ‘Fancy being told that your husband’s dropped dead in a young lass’s bed
– on the job, as it were!’

‘It’s a right rum do, all right. But who can blame him for going with a young ’un, as long as he could stand the pace?’

‘Aye, but it looks as though Old Todd couldn’t stand the pace, and look where it got ’im!’

The older farmer spluttered into his beer at this, and then both men burst out laughing.

Alice felt a shiver run down her spine. So that was why Old Todd wasn’t here: he’d died bedding a seventeen-year-old girl. How many young girls had he been getting serviced by? Alice
felt dirty and sick at the thought of him dribbling and licking his lips as she served him, leering at her cleavage . . .

Suddenly realizing that it could have been her at the centre of the gossip, for ever more the subject of pointing fingers and known throughout the Dales as the seventeen-year-old floozy who
finished off Old Todd with her wanton ways, Alice weaved her way through the crowded bar and out into the open air. Faint and flushed, she hurried to the fountain and splashed some of the clear,
cold water on her face. Then she sat on the edge of the trough, trying to compose herself.

A blackbird came creeping along the street, head bobbing up and down when it heard a noise. So intent was her gaze that anyone seeing Alice would have assumed she was fascinated by the bird,
with its sharp beady eyes and the orange bill that stood out in stark contrast to its glossy black plumage. In reality, she wasn’t even aware of the creature; her mind was completely focused
on the news she’d just heard.

‘Alice, Alice! Where the hell are you, girl!’ She heard Uriah shouting her name. ‘Bloody hell, lass, I’m run off me feet.’

‘Coming, Mr Woodhead, I’m coming.’ She clutched her apron and leapt to her feet, running across the cobbles in the rush to slip unnoticed into the pub. As she entered the bar,
she gave a sigh of relief: Old Todd wouldn’t be staying in the Moon any more; her worries were over. Her terrible secret would be buried with him.

‘There you are!’ Uriah glared at Alice. ‘What you been up to? I’ve been shouting my head off.’

‘I felt a bit faint and needed some fresh air, Mr Woodhead.’

‘Well, you looks all right now. Get them tables cleared. I’m run off my bloody feet in here.’ Wiping his forehead, he turned to head back to the kitchen, pausing on the way to
thank a departing farmer for his custom.

By eight o’clock the bar was empty. There was still washing-up to be done and floors to be swept ahead of the midday rush, but first they were all in need of a break.

‘Time for us to grab something to eat.’ Annie placed three plates of breakfast on the table. ‘It’s been a morning and a half. I’m fair jiggered.’ She heaved a
sigh and peered at the plate of bacon and egg in front of her. ‘I don’t know if I can eat this after cooking the stuff all morning. Besides, I heard something earlier that made me feel
sick.’ She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands on her lap.

‘Oh? What was that?’ Uriah looked at his wife, curious.

‘You mean you haven’t heard about Old Todd being found dead in bed with the young barmaid at the Crown? I always knew he was a dirty old devil. Alice, cover your ears – someone
your age shouldn’t listen to this.’

‘Never!’ exclaimed Uriah. ‘Why, the old devil. Who’d’ve thought it? Daft old sod, and him with a respectable wife and family. Good job he didn’t take a fancy
to our Alice here.’ He winked at Alice as he tucked into his bacon and egg.

‘Uriah Woodhead, how could you even think that? Our Alice is a respectable young lady. Besides, she’s walking out with Jack Alderson. She wouldn’t be the least bit interested
in that old pervert, would you, Alice?’

Alice blushed crimson, wishing the conversation would change. ‘No, Mrs Woodhead. He was a nasty old man.’

Uriah quickly caught the escaping mouthful of fried egg. ‘’Course, Mother. How could I think otherwise?’ Smirking, he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve and gave Alice
a long, knowing gaze.

It was the smirk that told Alice: he knew. Uriah had known all along about the ‘little understanding’. Her head began to spin and she felt sick deep down in the pit of her stomach.
Just when she thought that her secret was safe . . .

‘Don’t forget, the bread’s to be in the oven and the steps scrubbed by six thirty. Uriah, don’t go to bed till you’ve made sure there’s coal
in and that fire’s been banked up for the morning.’ Annie Woodhead was giving Uriah and Alice their orders before setting off to see her ailing mother in Kendal.

She lifted her skirts and heaved herself up into the trap next to the small body of the driver, still checking and checking again that she had left everything in place for the smooth running of
the Moon.

‘We’ve all in hand, Mother. You’re back in two days – what can go wrong in that time? Now, bugger off and make sure that the old lass is all right.’ Uriah stretched
up to kiss her goodbye, then gave the horse a smack on its withers to stir it into action.

‘And don’t forget to feed the cat,’ Annie shouted as the trap set off on its journey.

Uriah turned and went into the Moon. ‘Good God, I thought she’d never go. You wouldn’t think that I’d run this place on my own, would you? Now, Alice, how about a cup of
tea before the lunchtime rush? I could do with a look at today’s paper, and then I’ll have forty winks.’ Picking up his paper from the bar, he went and sat in his favourite seat
by the fire while Alice went to make him his tea.

When she returned, the paper was lying scattered on the floor and Uriah was snoring his head off, arms lolling by his side. So this was how it was going to be. She remembered that expression he
was so fond of: ‘While the cat’s away, the mice will play.’ Alice had a feeling that this little mouse would not have time for anything – she’d be too busy doing three
people’s work.

By the end of the day, Alice was shattered. She sat on the edge of the bed in front of the mirror brushing her hair, her cami straps hanging loose from her shoulders. Wearily she poured cold
water into the basin, pinned her hair out of the way and stripped down to her bloomers. The cool water felt refreshing as she washed her face and then her body. It was a warm September’s
night, so instead of scrambling into her nightdress she paused to study herself in the mirror, turning sideways and caressing her firm breasts, wondering at the young woman she had become. As the
moonlight from the attic window highlighted the blonde in her hair, she couldn’t help but smile at the reflection that she saw in the mirror. What had happened to the ugly duckling? Even if
she said so herself, she wasn’t too bad to look at.

Hearing a creak of floorboards, which she swore came from outside her bedroom door, she turned sharply. ‘Who’s there?’ she shouted, grabbing her nightdress to cover her nude
body. ‘Is anyone there?’

There was no reply, just a flutter of bat wings from way up in the eaves of the Moon. Perhaps she had been dreaming. She was that exhausted, it was hardly any surprise she was hearing things. As
she pulled the bed sheets back, she glanced at the carriage clock that had once been her mother’s ticking methodically on the bedside table. One o’clock: another four hours and
she’d have to be up and about, ready for the next day. She rubbed her eyes, blew the candle out and slid into bed. Sleep came quickly, giving her peace for a few hours.

The following day was wet. Rain battered at the Moon’s thick glass windows, making the whole place feel damp and cold. Not many customers came in for breakfast or lunch, which was just as
well because Uriah had not banked the fire up the night before and Alice had to light it from scratch. He’d spent the morning walking around the pub like a groaning spectre, suffering the
effects of a hangover after one too many ‘nightcaps’ from the whisky bottle at bedtime. It wasn’t hard to see who was really in charge of the Moon when Annie was away.

‘You can get yourself to bed early tonight, if you want.’ Uriah peered at Alice over the top of his glasses. ‘Either that or find yourself something to do. I’ve a few
friends coming round tonight for a card game and they’ll not want a young lass hanging about, distracting them from their betting, so you’d better make yourself scarce. Think on you
don’t say anything to the missus when she comes home – she doesn’t like some of my mates.’ Uriah fixed his gaze on Alice, seeking assurance that she wouldn’t tell of
his exploits.

Alice gave Uriah a nod. She’d had enough of being on her own with him, so was thankful for the break. ‘I’ll be off now, then. All’s done for the morning. You know where I
am if you want anything.’

Sighing a weary sigh, she climbed the stairs, untying her apron as she approached her bedroom door. Too exhausted for anything else, she lay on her bed watching the raindrops race one another on
the skylight. The roof was taking a pounding in the storm and a small trickle of water was gradually forming a pool in the corner of her bedroom. She was not looking forward to spending winter in
this cold and lonely little bedroom.

The next thing she knew it was dark and she could hear voices. She must have fallen asleep and been woken by Uriah’s friends as they left the Moon by the back door, laughing and calling
their goodbyes. She reached out to light her bedside lamp, the golden glow allowing her to read the time on the clock as she sat gathering her senses on the edge of the bed. It was then she heard
the creaking of floorboards outside her bedroom door.

‘Hello, who’s there?’ She stood up, half asleep but determined to find out who was out there. Clutching the lamp in one hand, she opened the door quickly. In the lamp’s
glow she saw Uriah, his cheeks flushed, swaying unsteadily.

‘Mr Woodhead, what are you doing here? Do you want some help?’

‘Aye, you can help me.’ His jovial expression turned into an ugly leer. ‘I want a bit of what you gave Old Todd!’

Alice struggled to close her bedroom door on him, but he forced his way in, almost knocking the oil lamp out of her hand as he pinned her against the wall. ‘You think nobody knows what
went on in that churchyard, you slut? Once Old Todd had a drop or two of the golden stuff, he’d not stop talking about little Alice and how she can’t get enough of it. That’s why
you go to the manor once a week, isn’t it? To look after his lordship’s needs.’ His whisky breath was inches from Alice’s face as he held her captive while fumbling to undo
his belt buckle.

‘It isn’t like that! Let me go!’ Alice desperately tried to break free of his grip on her.

‘Aye, he told us you were a feisty one.’ His face broke into a lascivious grin. ‘Makes the sport even better.’