Authors: Sylvia Burton
‘
Eh!! Maggie, you’re my own sister, but you can be unkind’.
However, Dora’s face broke into a smile, ‘you’re wicked
you
are Maggie, you really are. What do you make of you Mam Ellie?’
‘Don’t ask me Aunt Dora, I’ll only get into trouble, whatever I say’.
Dora looked at Ellie but addressed Maggie, ‘I do believe your daughter is about to become a ‘young lady’. Then she said to Ellie, ‘you've got the right idea lass. Never take sides. Stay in the middle and you won’t get into any bother. Look at you Mam, never held her tongue for anyone, and look where it’s got her’.
Dora watched as Maggie pursed her lips, a sure sign that she had gone too far.
Ellie, quick to sense the change in atmosphere, asked, ‘shall I lay the table for lunch.. er ... dinner Mam?’ She had almost called it ‘luncheon’, as she had been doing over the last four weeks. Oh, she was glad she hadn’t.
‘Yes Ellie, I’ll help
you, otherwise I might let me tongue run riot and lick your Aunt Dora to death’. Maggie laughed at her own sarcasm.
Ellie smiled with relief. Poor Aunt Dora sat down in the rocking chair and slowly let out her breath.
After dinner, accompanied by, ‘ooh! s’ and ‘ah! s’, Ellie told of the fine white linen; her twice weekly bath in a real bathroom, Kate’s comical behaviour and the fact that Ellie had never set eyes on the Master or Mistress of the house. ‘Not even once’. The afternoon passed pleasantly.
Later in the day, as shadows were beginning to form, Ellie said she would soon have to set off back to
Thornton Avenue.
‘It’s a long trek and I don’t want to be out when it gets dark’.
‘No, course you don’t love, you never know who’s about in them posh areas. It’s always been said that the, so-called, gentlemen are worse than the pit lads. And I believe it an all’.
Ellie packed her shoes, carefully, in the basket and wrapped her shawl around her shoulders. She kissed Aunt Dora on the cheek and said she hoped Uncle Albert would soon be better, then went towards her mother.
Maggie had been busying herself at the sink, not wanting Ellie to go. As her daughter approached her she turned as if surprised, ‘you ready for off then Ellie?’
‘Yes Mam, I’ll see you next month’.
They both stood still, each looking at the other, neither knowing the right thing to say. Suddenly, Maggie hugged Ellie to her breast.
‘It was a sad day when I took
you to the big house, and because of it, I’ve lost my little girl’.
‘Don’t say that Mam. You’ll always have me, you know you will’.
‘Will I? I don’t think so. You’re all grown up now and you’ll never know childhood again’.
Wiping the tears from her eyes, Dora cried, ‘don’t take on Maggie. The lass will be back before
you know it. Don’t go upsetting her just as she’s going back’.
Maggie knew her sister was right.
She kissed Ellie and give her a push towards the door, ‘go on then; otherwise I won’t let you go. I must be getting soft in my old age’.
The boys were playing marbles on the path and Harry rushed to her, quickly, planting a kiss on his sister’s face. ‘So long Ellie, I’ll be counting the weeks to see
you again’.
Ellie called her good byes and started on her long walk back to
Thornton Avenue.
The church clock was striking six as she turned onto the driveway of the house and quickened her step, anxious to get in from the cold. The welcome warmth of the cooking enveloped Ellie as she entered the kitchen. Missus Blunt had just sent the last of the maids upstairs with the first course of dinner. She turned a flushed face to Ellie and could not fail to notice the look of relief.
‘Why Ellie, you look as if you’re frozen. Is it
so
cold outside?’
‘Oh Missus Blunt, you can’t imagine how good it is to come into the warmth’.
Missus Blunt was surprised at the tone of Ellie’s voice. If she hadn’t known better, she would have thought that the girl had been born into the gentry. Something Miss Maud had said to her, earlier, came to mind. Now what was she had said? Something about not letting the girl ‘get above her station as she had a high opinion of herself. However, Cook could not bring herself to condemn Ellie, not simply because of the nice way she conducted herself. That wouldn't be right. In fact, she quite liked the girl and spoke to her now with respect and fondness.
‘Well
Dear, it’s nice to think that you look forward to coming back, even if it is only for the warmth of the kitchen. Come over by the fire and warm yourself before you go up to your room’.
Ellie thanked her and did as she was bid but was relieved when she was allowed to continue on her way. As she neared the pantry, she saw Kate scrubbing down the wooden draining boards, her face red with perspiration, and her cap, at a peculiar angle.
‘Had a bad day Kate?’ she asked.
Kate laughed, ‘not so you’d notice, they’ve waited on me hand and foot, they have, and now I’m doing a bit of work to say ‘thank you’‘.
Ellie was still smiling as she climbed the stairs to the bedroom. Her unpleasant experience now gone from her mind as she went over the events of the day with her family. She had enjoyed her day off immensely and was now happy to go to her bed and wait until Kate had finished work, so they could have a chat.
Ellie’s pleasant mood was shattered as she entered the landing on the third floor. The bedroom door was open wide and the contents of their room were strewn over the landing.
Both her own, and Kate’s, personal belongings, what little they possessed, had been thrown out. Ellie looked around her in amazement. What on earth had happened? She sat among the disarray, not understanding and looked despairingly around her, as if to find an explanation.
Her hand lighted on a book bound in black leather. It was Kate’s Bible, and although she couldn’t read, her friend loved the book. It was the only thing she had which had belonged to her mother.
Ellie turned the first page and there, in black ink, finely printed, were the words:
TO MY DAUGHTER KATHRINE ON HER FIRST BIRTHDAY, IN THE HOPE THAT ONE DAY SHE WILL READ IT AND BELIEVE. WITH EVERLASTING LOVE,
MOTHER.
Ellie closed the Bible and placed it on the pillow. She proceeded to fold the bedding, and other linen, into a neat pile.
She felt so sad at all the upset and she knew that Kate would feel the same when she saw the mess. It had obviously been done purposely, but why? And by whom?
Ellie sat there in a daze, not daring to go away and not knowing if she should put the things back into the room. She was still sitting there when Kate came upstairs.
Kate had been singing to herself but stopped when she caught sight of Ellie.
‘Ellie what are
you doing sitting here with all our things?’
‘It was like this when I came upstairs, just after six, I don't know what’s happened’.
‘You mean you’ve been sitting here for three hours? But who would do this?’
‘I don’t know Kate, I just don’t know’.
The answer to their question came suddenly, and loudly, in the form of the housekeeper.
‘Well, young ladies. I can tell you who did this. You did, Miss ‘butter wouldn’t melt in your mouth’‘. She looked directly at Ellie.
‘You did this with your carelessness and neglect’.
They both looked up to see Miss Maud, standing over them, her face like thunder.
‘I don’t understand Miss Maud, how was I responsible for this?’
‘Don’t dare use that tone with me Miss’.
Ellie said nothing more but waited for the next barrage, which was sure to come.
Miss Maud, her face now a deep shade of purple, hissed, ‘when you left your room, this morning, you neglected to snuff out the candle. And I
will
remind you that it was a new candle. It was a deliberate act of extravagance and defiance, on your part, to let me know that you are a law unto yourself. Well, what do you have to say for yourself?’
‘But I did snuff out the candle, as I always do. I distinctly remember doing so’.
‘You are a liar’, bellowed the housekeeper, her fat face quivering.
Ellie looked straight into the large, purple, face and said clearly, ‘Miss Maud, I may have been brought up in a slum, and
you
no doubt consider me far beneath you, but I was brought up to tell the truth and damn the consequences’.
Miss Maud’s hand landed sharply on Ellie’s face. ‘You dare to speak to me in such a manner? The consequence of your
wilful act is that you will both clean this room until it shines. You will have no supper and you will have no other candle for two weeks. Do I make myself clear?’
Ellie said nothing, her body was rigid with anger, something she had not experienced before. She dared not speak, for fear of what she would say. Kate spoke for the both of them.
‘Sorry Miss Maud, we’ll get on with it right away’.
She had learned, from past
experience that it did no good to fight. She started to drag the strip of matting the length of the landing in order to roll it up.
Miss Maud realized she would get no apology from Ellie, but she was determined she would eventually get the better of this ‘mere’ scullery maid. She turned her back on them both and left.
Kate burst into tears and Ellie put her arm around her friend. She said quietly, ‘she may have won the battle, but the war is not yet over’.
Kate looked at Ellie and was surprised to see that the soft grey eyes had turned to steel.
Chapter Seven
Winter eventually gave way to spring and Ellie and Kate awoke to the morning light filtering in through the skylight window. They no longer needed to light the candle as they washed, and dressed, in preparation for the day ahead. Within the last few weeks they had saved two whole candles, which they placed carefully in the drawer, wrapped in a piece of cheesecloth. They were determined to save as many candles as possible, so it became a kind of game.
They would manage as long as they could, in the half-light of the evening, and would sometimes measure what remained with a piece of string marked at intervals of one inch.
Kate collected the used candle wax, which had run down the candlestick, forming great lumps. She would then roll it together and try to stick it around the wick. The girls would giggle as they tried, without success, to get a glimmer of a flame.
Over the weeks, they had become firm friends and one day Kate told Ellie, ‘I don't know what I would do without you here Ellie. Not now that I’ve got used to you being my friend’.
‘Well I expect you would have had some other girl sharing with you and you would have got used to her my now’.
‘No. It wouldn’t be the same. She wouldn’t be you and you’re special Ellie’.
‘I’m no more special than you are. I really don’t know why you say these things. You’re special to me too Kate. You know that’.
‘Oh I’m not like you Ellie. I think that God’s got plans for you’.
Ellie laughed out loud at this. ‘Kate, you say the funniest things, you really do. God has a lot more important things to do with his time than plan my future. My future will be what I make of it, of that, I am absolutely certain’.
Kate had a ‘far away’ look in her eyes when she said, ‘I believe God knows what is going to happen to all of us’.
‘I didn’t know you knew so much about God’, said Ellie, looking fondly at her friend.
‘Well I don’t, not really. It’s just something that I feel, here inside’.
She patted her chest gently, where she thought her heart should be, and Ellie thought she looked quite lovely.
‘Would you like to read your Bible, Kate?’
‘You know I can’t read Ellie’.
‘Would you like me to teach you? I’m sure I could but it would take a long time before you could read the Bible. What do you say?’
‘Ellie, it would be the best thing you could ever do for me and I would never forget you as long as I lived’.
‘Oh Kate, don’t get excited. You would think I had given you a hundred pounds. It will be
you
who will do all the work and it won’t be easy’.
Kate was so pleased she threw her arms around her friend and kissed her full on the mouth.
Ellie hit her about the head with her pillow, laughing and wiping her mouth.
‘Kate, you’ve been eating jam’ she said. Then putting on her ‘housekeeper’s voice’ she went on, ‘you naughty girl, where did you get it from? You can't have another candle for two years, because you have eaten jam’. Holding the tip of her nose, which made her sound ridiculously nasal, continued, ‘and you know that only ‘Miss Maudy Maudy’ is allowed to eat nice things like jam’.
By the end of this performance, Kate was rolling around the floor, holding her sides, with tears streaming down her face and into her open mouth.
‘Well I will j
ust have to eat candles won’t I’, she said, her speech now almost incoherent.
Ellie, once again, swung her pillow at Kate, which promptly burst open, sending a cloud of feathers up in the air. Ten minutes later, they were still laughing as they searched for the last of the elusive feathers.
From that day, Ellie started Kate’s reading lessons. Because of the saved candles they could work, for an hour every night and soon Kate was reading simple words. She felt so proud of her friend’s efforts and encouraged her with every new word. And Kate? Well, Kate was overjoyed, overworked and happy.
It was coming up to Easter and, in her spare time; Missus Blunt was busy decorating hard-boiled eggs. It was common practice for the Mistress of the house to hand out these eggs to children of poor families, living in the area, although, the charity had never stretched as far as Canal Street.
Ellie thought of her young brothers and what their Easter would mean. She knew it would be no different from any other day. Eggs were hard to get when money was scarce. She wished she could take each of the boys one on her next visit. She decided to ask Cook if it would be possible.
Cook was apologetic but explained, ‘I’m sorry Ellie but the hens haven’t been laying well lately and I have to keep a few back for if the Mistress needs more. Ellie said she understood and resigned herself to the situation.
Kate was disappointed for her and said so. ‘Three little eggs wouldn’t have hurt anyone, would they?’
‘Oh well, the boys are not expecting any eggs at Easter so they won’t feel let down. At least Cook was kind enough to explain about the hens. I don’t suppose she could do anything more’.
‘Who would have known’, insisted Kate, but let the matter drop.
It was to be Ellie’s day off on Easter Sunday, but she was informed by Cook that this was not allowed as all the staff were to be present on that day. She was to take the Saturday off instead.
‘You’ll enjoy it here Ellie. The meals are still to be on time but it’s mostly warm up pies and cold meats, so we all have more free time. It’s almost like a holiday’.
Missus Blunt smiled when she added, ‘and it will be your first opportunity to see the Mistress. Now that will be a treat for you, won’t it dear?’
Ellie said she was sure it would be and wanted to laugh, at the expression of satisfaction, on Cook’s kind face, as she relayed this fascinating news to her. Cook obviously believed Ellie would consider it a privilege. She politely thanked Missus Blunt for the Saturday off and went about her work.
Saturday morning arrived to the sound of Kate, whistling, tunelessly.
‘Kate, for goodness sake. What on earth is that awful noise?’
‘Oh stop you’re grumbling Ellie, I’m only starting your day with a tune to make you happy’.
‘Yes Kate, but
what
tune? That’s what I want to know’.
Kate approached Ellie’s bed, the water jug still in her hand, ‘don’t have so much off, Miss Clever or you’ll get some of this’. She dipped her fingers into the water and flicked it at Ellie’s face.
Ellie yelled and pulled the blanket over her head. ‘I’ll pay you back for this Kate McCarthy, you wait and see’.
A muffled giggle came from under the covers and Kate laughed, pulling them off the bed, leaving Ellie lying there, nightshirt around her knees and her hands covering her face.
‘You won’t get chance, cause I’m quicker than you. Anyway, you don’t mean a word of it; you’re too nice to do it back to me. That’s why I like you so much’. Still smiling she threw Ellie a towel.
Ellie tried to see the clock but the face was turned towards Kate’s bed. ‘What time is it Kate?’
‘Half past five. I’ve had a wash so you can get to the bowl now’.
Ellie moaned, ‘Kate, it’s my day off, don’t you remember? I was going to get up at seven today’.
‘I know that, but I just didn't want to start work without a chat with you first. You know what I’m like?
‘Unfortunately, yes I do’.
‘Anyway, I’ve got something for you’.
She handing Ellie a small cardboard box and inside were three eggs.
‘Kate’, said Ellie, with a pang of concern, ‘where did you get these?’
‘I asked for them. Well, I begged for them. Anyway, what does it matter? They’re for your brothers, and they’re already hard boiled’.
Ellie looked at the eggs then back at Kate. ‘But Kate, the hens have not been laying, lately, you know that’.
‘Well, they must have started again cause I had them given. Please take them
Ellie; otherwise, I’ve done all that begging for nothing’.
Ellie hesitated for a moment and then accepted them, ‘thank you Kate, you’re a good friend and I’ll be sure to tell the boys you sent them’.
Satisfied, Kate completed her dress and went to work leaving Ellie to get ready to go home.
Ellie spent Easter Saturday with her family and had a pleasant day with the boys. They were thrilled with the eggs, although, Maggie secretly thought they were a waste, being hard-boiled. She would much rather have made 'Yorkshire Pudding' with them.
‘Still, the boys like them’, she said, as she watched them decorate each one with bits of coloured chalk. ‘But think on. They’re to be eaten when you’ve finished rolling them all over the park, whether they are smashed or not’.
Walking back to the big house, Ellie smiled to herself as she recalled the day.
It had been nice to give them a little something, even if it was only an egg. The thought gave her a pleasant feeling all the way back to the house.
Everyone was busy, as usual, in the kitchen though she could not see Kate, so she went straight up to her room.
As she neared the top of the stairs she heard a sound. She stopped but heard nothing more. When she entered the bedroom, Kate was lying in bed; covers pulled up around her neck and was quietly sobbing.
Ellie hurried to her, ‘whatever is the matter Kate? Why are you not at work? Are you ill? My God Kate what’s happened to you?’
Try as she would, she could get no answer from her friend. Her poor face was awash with tears, great, sobs constantly escaping her swollen lips.
Ellie went to the basin, wrung out a cloth in the water, and placed it on Kate’s
forehead. She noticed her friend’s eyes were red and badly swollen. It was obvious to Ellie that she had been weeping for a long time.
She cradled Kate in her arms and let her weep, rocking her, as she would a baby. ‘There, there, cry it all away’.
Ellie stayed like this until the tears subsided and then gently laid Kate’s head on the pillow and pulled the blankets up to her chin.
‘Go to sleep now. You can tell me about it tomorrow if you feel like it’. She planted a kiss on her cheek, ‘good night Kate’.
Kate remained silent.
About
eight o’clock, Ellie put down the book she was reading. She was finding it difficult to see in the dimming light. She peered at Kate who seemed to be asleep. She listened but there were no sounds coming from the bed. She found the matches and lit the candle. The flame danced before her eyes and she felt sad that Kate was not able to enjoy the game of ‘save the candle’'. She could not begin to guess what had happened today to cause such distress. It had to be something really terrible she was sure.
She could no longer concentrate on her reading so, she too, lay down to sleep. She snuffed out the candle and closed her eyes.
A moment later Kate spoke, hesitantly. ‘Ellie? I’ll have to tell you. If I don’t then someone else will’.
‘Go on Kate and take your time. It will be all right you know’.
‘ Er ... Well ... er. It’s about the eggs’.
‘
Oh, Kate!
’
‘Oh Ellie, I know what you’ll say. You’ll hate me I know you will’. She began to weep once more.
‘Don’t say that. You know I couldn’t possibly hate you, no matter what you’ve done. Tell me Kate, did you steal the eggs?’ Ellie already knew the answer.
‘Yes, yes, I
stole
the blooming eggs. I didn’t think they would be missed. There were such a lot in the bucket and how was I to know they had been counted? It was awful Ellie. Everyone was questioned and there was an awful row’.
Kate paused to blow her nose,
and then continued, ‘I wasn’t going to admit to it but cook told Mister Blunt that you had asked for some and when she turned round
there
was Miss Maud. And you know what she’s like? The old devil said it
had
to be you and she would punish you when you got back’.
Kate dabbed at her eyes with her handkerchief, ‘anyway, Cook stood up for you and said that you would never take anything that didn’t belong to you. She wouldn’t hear of it and neither would Mister Blunt, so Miss Maud said it had to be young Jimmy, the little lad who comes in on Fridays.
Kate started to weep again and, with the words coming out in short gasps, she went on, ‘well I couldn’t stand it any longer, not for the sake of three, measly, eggs, so I told them it was me. So that’s
that
and I don't know what will happen to me now’.
Ellie thought for a minute then said, gently, ‘why did you take them Kate? You knew it was wrong’.
‘Just once in my life, I wanted to give you something that you wanted, and you wanted the eggs for your brothers. I know that God will forgive me cause he knows why I did it. But yes, I knew it was wrong and I’m
so
sorry’.
Ellie got up and went to get into Kate’s bed; she knew she would like that. As she slipped in beside her, Kate winced. Ellie whispered, ‘what is it Kate?’