The Oyster Catchers (6 page)

Inside, the shop was clean and sweet smelling, the few chairs artfully arranged to give the maximum comfort. Will led Hari forward.

‘Look, I’ve got in a stock of men’s working boots as well as some sensible boots for ladies. I’ve decided that this shop will be more practical than the ones in Swansea because this is essentially a working, seafaring village.’ He smiled. ‘The toffs will go to your place as they usually do.’

‘Have you been busy?’ Hari asked. She so wanted William to make a success of this, his first business venture. She herself had put up some of the funding for the shop, but, basically, it was Will’s own enterprise and she wanted only the best for him.

‘It’s not been bad for the first few weeks,’ he said, ‘though much of the stuff is coming in for repair which is what I had anticipated.’ He smiled. ‘I’ve managed to get a damn good cobbler, an old chap from the village. Pendry doesn’t say much but he’s a good worker. I supply the leather and he does the cobbling at home, it should work very well.’

Hari sat on one of the chairs as the door opened and a stocky woman wrapped in a gleaming apron and
wearing a woollen shawl came into the shop. ‘Looks like you have a customer, Will,’ she said lightly.

She watched as William smiled as warmly as though the woman was dressed in finest silk and marvelled at the charm he possessed. She felt a sense of pride; Will had more than proved himself worthy of faith in him and she felt sure he was destined for great things.

‘Hello, Mr Davies, we met the other day, Carys Morgan.’ The woman was used to the fresh salt air, Hari could tell by the ruddy glow to her cheeks and the weather-beaten arms that jutted from rolled-back sleeves.

‘I remember, you were on your way to market with your oysters,’ Will said pleasantly. ‘What can I do for you, Mrs Morgan?’

‘I need some new boots,’ Carys Morgan said beaming widely. ‘My Sam’s been having good catches lately and now the dredging season is coming to an end I’d better get what I need before my husband complains there’s no money.’

Hari was aware that the woman was regarding her with open curiosity and she found herself warming to the wide eyes and happy smile that seemed to be Carys Morgan’s usual expression.

‘
Bore da
,’ she said in Welsh and Mrs Morgan’s smile, if anything, grew wider.

‘
Bore da
, madam.’ She spoke almost shyly, overwhelmed by the fine clothes Hari was wearing. Little did she know that once Hari had been much poorer than ever Carys Morgan was.

William brought out a selection of boots and while he was fitting them kept up a pleasant conversation.

‘These are the latest fashion, fine and smart, but very practical.’ He smiled warmly. ‘As you know we get a great deal of salt winds here at Oystermouth,’ he continued, ‘but these boots are stout enough to keep out even the worst of the elements.’

Carys was quite enchanted. She stood up and turned her ankle, admiring the buttoned boots with wide eyes. ‘
Duw
, they’re lovely, but I don’t suppose I can afford anything so fine.’

‘These are not so expensive as you might think.’ Will had lowered his tone confidentially. ‘And for the first few weeks only I have a special price for my customers.’

Hari hid a smile. This was obviously an idea that had hit William on the spur of the moment, but it was a good ploy and perhaps he should expand on it a little, put a poster in the window to advertise his offer.

I’ll have them then,’ Carys said excitedly. ‘My Sam loves a bargain, not that he’s mean, mind, but he’s that careful with his money, his pocket’s as hard to open as the oysters he dredges.’ She rose to her feet looking wistfully at the boots. ‘I’ll call back later then and bring the money with me.’ It was clear that the boots, though reasonable in price, were more expensive than Carys Morgan had anticipated.

‘Please take the boots now, Mrs Morgan,’ Will said in his most charming voice. That, Hari thought, was a very good move; Carys Morgan would be doubly grateful to him now.

When Will had wrapped the boots, Carys held them to her as though they were something precious. And so they were, Hari told herself. Had she so readily forgotten the thrill of having new boots and she a cobbler’s daughter?

It was almost time for luncheon when Will decided to close the shop. ‘Perhaps you would like to look at the books for me, Hari,’ he said smiling, ‘give me an insight about managing figures.’

Hari warmed with pride. She was happy that William wanted her to know all aspects of his business and she was certainly used to figures. She had coped well enough with all her own book work at the beginning of her career.

Hari walked along the street with William admiring the soft expanse of sea that washed in from Swansea Bay. His lodgings were situated in a tall, elegant building with gleaming windows and crisp, clean curtains. Mrs Marsh herself was a picture of an ideal landlady; she was neat and fresh-cheeked and she looked at Hari with blue, shrewd eyes before bobbing a curtsy and inviting her into the best parlour.

Hari took to the woman at once. ‘I see you are looking after William as though he was a son,’ she said gratefully and Mrs Marsh smiled, patting her already neat hair, embarrassed at the compliment.

Will brought her the books and Hari’s experienced eyes took in the figures, seeing at once that William would not begin to make a profit for some months, but that was only to be expected with a new business.

‘You have kept your outlay to a minimum,’ she said approvingly, ‘and as the rent for the premises has been paid in advance, you will have little further outlay for some time to come.’

She sighed. ‘You know, Will, you are much better equipped than I was when I started out. How I had the courage to go to Mr Fisher that time and take on the building at World’s End with no capital at all, I don’t know.’

‘It payed off though, didn’t it?’ Will spoke admiringly. ‘You have guts, Hari, you always have had what it takes to succeed.’

‘I didn’t know that then,’ Hari replied, ‘it was one big leap in the dark. I took on the shop and the house without putting a penny down, but by the end of the month, I had enough to pay the rent, by some miracle.’

‘No miracle, it was all due to your hard work and daring,’ Will said.

‘I had good friends to help me, mind.’ Hari smiled. ‘Cleg the Coal’s wife brought me bedding she’d begged
from the big houses and Meg and Charlie Briant had a hand in my success. I owe a lot of people a great deal, including you, Will.’

She closed the books and put them down on the sofa. beside her, leaning forward eagerly. ‘I want you to succeed too, Will, I know you can do it.’

‘I hope so.’ He moved to the door. ‘Now, I’m going to get us some refreshment from Mrs Marsh, I think we both need some luncheon to sustain us. I have to return to the fray this afternoon, I haven’t yet found a salesman, remember.’

The sun was high overhead when Hari and Will returned to the shop. The carriage was waiting for Hari outside the doors with the driver dozing in his seat.

With a sense of concern, Hari saw Carys Morgan leaning against the doorway, her face pale, an upturned basket of groceries at her feet.

William had seen at once that something was wrong and moved forward to support Carys, handing the keys of the shop to Hari. ‘Let’s get her inside,’ he said urgently.

When Carys was seated in a chair, William brought her a glass of water and held it to her white lips. ‘There you go, don’t be frightened,’ William said consolingly, ‘you are going to be all right.’

Carys opened her eyes. ‘
Duw
,’ her voice was faint, ‘I feel so bad.’ She rubbed her face. ‘Bringing you the money for the boots, I was and I came over all funny, like.’

Hari gestured to Will. ‘Tell the driver to get ready to take Mrs Morgan back to her home,’ she said meaningfully.

When she was alone with Carys, Hari bent over her sympathetically. ‘I’m sure there’s nothing really wrong with you. Have you felt bad like this before?’

‘A couple of mornings lately,’ Carys said in bewilderment.
‘I’ve been that sickly when I first get up that it’s a job to get to the beach to help my Sam with the oysters.’

Hari smiled. ‘I expect you’ve missed your courses too, haven’t you?’

Carys looked at her in amazement. ‘How did you know that?’ she said.

Hari sighed. ‘Because I’m a mother, I’ve had a child myself and I think you’re expecting a baby, Mrs Morgan.’

Carys shook her head at once. ‘No, I’m barren, I can’t have babbas.’

‘Who told you that?’ Hari asked. ‘You’ve got a husband, haven’t you?’

‘Aye, I’ve got a man all right, but I’ve had him for three years and more and haven’t caught for a child.’ She rubbed at her cheek. ‘Mind, no one
told
me I was barren, but my two older sisters have never had children and I thought I was going to be the same after all this time.’

‘Three years isn’t very long,’ Hari said reasonably, ‘and you’re not very old, are you?’

Carys Morgan sighed. ‘I feel old, I’m coming up to twenty-nine years of age now, mind.’ A warmth came into her eyes. ‘Could it be true, could I be with child? My Sam would be thrilled to bits if I was.’

‘You will have to see the doctor I expect,’ Hari said, ‘but I don’t think there’s any doubt, there’s a look, something about the eyes.’

William returned and Hari smiled at him and nodded. ‘We are going to take you home in the carriage,’ Hari said gently. ‘I think you’d be better off by your own fireside now.’

‘It’s all right, madam,’ Carys said. ‘I only live a little bit further along the street, you could spit the distance from here.’

‘Never mind that,’ Hari said firmly. ‘We can’t have
one of our customers fainting away in the street, can we?’

Carys looked round in awe as she was helped inside the coach. ‘
Duw
, will you look at that fine leather then?’ she said admiringly. ‘There’s lovely it is.’

To Hari’s surprise, Will climbed into the coach beside Carys. ‘Do you think I should ask your friend Eline to come in and take care of you until your husband comes home?’ he asked hopefully and Hari bit her lip to hide her smile.

Carys looked doubtful but Will pressed home the point. ‘I’m sure you’d like company just now, someone to have a cup of tea and a gossip with.’

‘Aye, perhaps you’re right,’ she said, ‘no one else in the street would think anything of having a babbi, they haves them all the time. Eline will likely be happy for me, she’s such a nice girl.’

It took only a minute or two to reach the row of fishermen’s cottages slanting up the steep hill leading from the main road and Hari was no longer surprised when Will jumped out of the carriage and carefully helped Carys Morgan into the street. Now he would find out where this dream girl of his lived.

When Hari saw Eline come out on to the step, her hair dishevelled into a cloud of curls around her shoulders, her small frame enveloped in an apron, she was reminded of herself as she had once been and a sense of nostalgia brought tears to her eyes.

She leaned out of the coach and watched as Eline took Carys’s arm and led her gently indoors. When Will returned, he was glowing.

‘Did you see her, Hari, isn’t she lovely?’ He sank down in the seat, his eyes staring wistfully towards the cottage.

‘Yes,’ Hari said softly, ‘she is lovely.’ She lowered her head. How could she tell William that on the girl’s slender finger there had been a flash of gold. Eline, Will’s dream girl, was married.

An early sun streamed in through the window of the small, neat kitchen, dappling the still wet flagstones of the floor with patterns of pale light. Eline, seated in an upright, wooden kitchen chair, smiled across the scrubbed table at Carys whose face was wreathed in smiles.

‘It’s true then,’ Eline said softly, ‘you are going to have a baby?’

Carys clasped her hands together and nodded her head vigorously. ‘Aye, Dr Thomas says I’m three months gone. I still can’t believe it.’

Eline rose as the kettle hissed steam into the kitchen. ‘I’ll make us some tea.’ She spoke absently, thinking of the moment a few days earlier when William Davies had brought Carys home. He had knocked on Eline’s door and then stepped into her kitchen and for once Eline had been grateful for the hours she spent on her hands and knees cleaning the place.

William had stood close to Eline, telling her in soft words that he would be grateful if she came next door to stay with Carys, but all the time his eyes had been caressing her.

Eline had wanted to reach out for him, to hold him close, to kiss his strong mouth. She became aware that the kettle was still sending clouds of steam into her kitchen to run down the whitewashed walls like tears. Quickly, she made the tea.

‘Have you told Sam yet?’ she asked, bringing the cups to the table. Carys shook her head.

‘I wanted to be sure as God made little oysters that I
was expecting. I didn’t want to build up Sam’s hopes if there was any doubt.’

‘Talking about oysters,’ Eline said, ‘you shouldn’t go lifting those sacks any more, Sam should get someone to help you.’

Carys laughed. ‘You must be daft if you think Sam would spend a brass farthing on help for me! All men are not like your Joe, mind, ready to pay out hand over fist for another woman to do the work a wife should rightfully be doing.’

She put her hand over her mouth and looked sheepishly over her plump fingers at Eline. ‘I’m sorry,’ she said at last. ‘I know it’s not your doing that Joe pays Nina and her girls to work the plantations and perches. I didn’t mean any harm.’

‘I’m not a bit offended.’ Eline drank some of her tea gladly for her mouth was suddenly dry.

‘Carys,’ she said slowly, ‘is there anything I should know about Nina Parks?’ She spoke softly, without anger, and yet Eline felt somehow that Carys was trying to warn her.

Carys’s eyebrows jerked upward and then she composed herself.

‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she said, but her eyes looked everywhere except at Eline.

‘There’s something going on,’ Eline said. ‘Joe seems preoccupied and when I asked him about a crew for the new boat he just shook his head and refused to say anything.’