A Daughter's Journe

by Anna Jacobs

  It’d be worth having a preliminary chat with him about clearing up their valley. See how it went. Sometimes, when things were very important, you needed to get other people’s opinions before you acted, particularly people who had similar morals to yourself.

  He knew or knew of many of the better-off people in his valley, but he’d hesitate to discuss this with most of them. Though Finn who lived at the top end of Ellindale was another option. Finn was quite a philanthropist, though he hated you to say that to him and usually helped people quietly. Most folk didn’t want to get involved in such ‘messes’, unfortunately.

  A phrase he’d read somewhere came into his mind: No man is an island. He hadn’t the faintest idea where it came from but it sounded like a poem, and it seemed to describe the situation with the council. You lived in a community, not on your own, and he, heaven help him, was one of the people elected to run certain aspects of his community’s daily lives and interactions. And that meant helping put things right that had been wrong for a good long while.

  It was a sobering thought. But he would never put himself up for mayor, no way. What on earth had made Marion say that?

  Charlie slept badly that night, which was rare for him. When he woke up, he decided the first thing to do was to have an informal chat with the mayor. After all, Reg had got him into this. Reg must have some idea about how to set about sorting it all out.

  Next morning he phoned Reg at home before he went off to work and luckily caught him in.

  ‘What can I do for you, Charlie lad?’

  ‘I’ve been reading through those papers you handed out at the council meeting, and I’m surprised – no, more than that, absolutely disgusted by what I read. I had no idea things were that bad, and especially in Backshaw Moss. I knew there was some corruption around – well, there always is, you can never stamp it out entirely – but I thought it was only minor fiddling. I was too busy with my own affairs, I suppose.’

  Reg made a sympathetic sound. ‘Go on.’

  ‘But it’s not minor, is it? And it’s in my own part of the valley, close to home. That shook me rigid, I can tell you.’

  ‘It’s in the whole valley, actually, but I think your local slum needs dealing with first and foremost.’

  ‘Yes. I agree. How did you find out about it all?’

  ‘When I became mayor, I found people at the town hall reluctant to give me full information about various matters, so I started poking around. You can find out a lot more if you stay at work after the clerks and other officials have gone home, and as mayor I had access to all the keys. Fortunately, the caretaker is an old friend of mine. I’ve known Paddy Blain since I was a lad. He kept what I was doing quiet, or I’d never have obtained the necessary information.’

  ‘He’s a good man.’

  ‘I’d have done more about Backshaw Moss, Charlie, only I was saddled with a corrupt bunch of councillors, and I couldn’t get a big enough majority to vote in the necessary improvements not to mention funding. You can’t do anything without money and allies.’

  ‘Have we got a majority now?’

  No need to explain who the ‘we’ was. Reg was the one who had pushed Charlie and a few others into standing for council, popular people who had a lot of support. They’d all met privately a few times.

  ‘Yes. As long as we all stay fit and well, we’ll have the numbers, because not all the councillors are aligned with a side yet. Watch your back, though, Charlie.’

  ‘What? You surely don’t think they’ll—’

  ‘I’m not sure how far they’ll go. I was attacked one night when walking home through the centre of town. Luckily someone came along and piled in to help me. I don’t go out on my own at night any longer unless I’m in the car, and I carry a heavy walking stick.’

  There was silence for a few moments as he let this sink in, then he continued, ‘I think it’s best for all our group to be on guard. Rathley and his cronies won’t like their lucrative little schemes being stopped and they can be ruthless. Look, why don’t you come round tonight and I’ll show you a few more things I’ve unearthed? Make sure you’re not followed and come into the house the back way.’

  Charlie put the phone down but it was a while before he went to tell Marion what Reg had said about being careful, he was so shocked by how bad things were behind the scenes.

  His wife was just starting to read the morning newspaper and looked at him over the top of her glasses.

  When he’d finished going through what the mayor had said, the newspaper was on the floor and she had reached out to clutch his hand. ‘You will take care, Charlie.’

  ‘Oh, yes. Definitely. They won’t dare attack me, though. I’m too well known.’

  He hoped they wouldn’t! He wasn’t sure he’d convinced his wife about that, though – or himself. But he was going to follow the mayor’s example and not walk anywhere on his own after dark. And he’d seen a heavy walking stick in one of his pawnshops. He’d take that for his own use.

  This had only made him more determined to clean out the filth from his town, though, whether it was literal filth or disgusting people who behaved in a despicable manner.

  His sons were going to live and grow up in a decent community.

  Before she left for work, Jo asked Mrs T to send word to the car yard immediately if Tess or anyone else turned up with a message from Moira.

  Mrs T grimaced. ‘I’ll do that, but no more. I meant what I said last night: I won’t take that girl into my house if she leaves her mother. I daren’t lose my good name.’

  ‘Yes, you made it plain and I do understand that.’

  Silas was waiting for Jo outside the lodging house and together they made their way on foot to the office, not talking much today. She had seen Backshaw Moss yesterday, so intended to start work on the offices that morning. They certainly needed sorting out.

  She was lost in thought most of the time but once she looked up and couldn’t help noticing how carefully Silas was keeping an eye on their surroundings as they walked. His presence made her feel much safer. Who’d have expected this in England?

  Nick was in the kitchen when they walked in and as he stood up, smiling at her, Jo found herself smiling back at him, in spite of her worries. She felt better just to be with him. She had been lucky in the friends she’d made here, very lucky.

  ‘Did you sleep well, Jo?’

  She told him the bald truth. ‘Not really. I kept worrying about Moira and Tess, how to help them, you know?’

  ‘We’ll work something out.’ He glanced at the battered clock on the mantelpiece. ‘I have to go out to give a driving lesson at half-past nine. You can make a start on my office while I’m away, if that’s all right?’

  ‘Yes. Your office isn’t bad at all, considering. I’ll just check that the account books are up to date and sort out all the official information so that we can find it easily if we need to check something. Then I’ll move on to start work on Todd’s office.’

  ‘Thanks. I don’t envy you sorting his stuff out. I don’t know how he can find anything in that chaos.’

  She chuckled. ‘He probably won’t be able to find anything for a while once I’ve sorted it out. My boss in Australia couldn’t.’

  Nick turned to leave, then came back. ‘Do you think you can buy me the cupboard and other things later today?’

  ‘I’m looking forward to doing that.’

  ‘Don’t forget to buy a desk and chair for yourself.’

  ‘For my successor,’ she corrected gently, seeing the disappointment in his expression, but she didn’t want to raise false hopes. ‘I might have considered staying here but I doubt I’ll be able to do that now.’

  He sighed and she quickly returned to the matter in hand. ‘Any price limits on what I buy?’

  ‘I want to spend as little as necessary, but make sure all the chairs are comfortable. No one can work well if they’re sitting awkwardly. The items should look reasonable, too, not shabby.’

  He look
ed round the office and frowned. ‘It’s going to be a squash fitting in here. I might ask Todd if we could clear out the back room behind this one, then I can move there, leaving whoever takes over from you in here to act as a sort of receptionist as well as secretary to both of us. What do you think?’

  ‘It sounds like a good idea. You’ll need to have that back room painted, though. It must have been used as a place to dump things for years.’ She couldn’t help wishing again that she could stay, could get to know him better, could help him establish his business.

  Todd was late, so she did what she could to Nick’s office while waiting for him to arrive, even pacing it out to see where she might be able to put cupboards and where her own desk could be squeezed in. That finished, she was wondering whether to start work across the central passage in Todd’s office when she saw his car stop in front of the workshop. Good. She could ask him exactly what he wanted.

  He strode across the black tarmac to the house first. ‘Hello. I’m a bit late today. I always make myself a cup of tea to start the working day. Come and chat to me while I put the kettle on. I’ll make us all a cup.’

  He led the way to the rear of the house, stopping at the sound of someone sweeping vigorously in the rear room and going to peep inside.

  Silas looked up and grinned at him.

  ‘What are you up to?’

  ‘Making a start on this place, since we don’t need to go to Backshaw Moss this morning now.’

  ‘I didn’t want Silas just standing round idle while I was tidying Nick’s office, so he’s been working on the back room, then Nick can use it. I was thinking of starting to sort out the papers in your office next. Is that all right, Todd?’

  ‘As much as you can tidy up without cupboards to put things in.’

  ‘Well, if you’re going to be in for the rest of the morning, Silas and I can go out and buy some office furniture for you and Nick. If you’re going out, though, you might want us to stay here and keep an eye on the building and sales area. We’ll do whatever suits you best.’

  ‘I’m staying in the workshop. I want to check a few things on my own car. It was misfiring on the way here. What I usually do is lock up the house and put up a notice telling customers they can find me in the workshop. You’ve got your own key to the house now, haven’t you?’

  ‘Yes. Nick gave me a bunch of keys yesterday. If you’ll put that sign up, we’ll be on our way. Never mind the cups of tea.’

  He went into his office and fished among the piles of papers, pulling out a rather battered piece of grubby white cardboard with one corner missing and words scrawled unevenly across it. He waved it at her triumphantly. ‘Here it is.’

  She nodded, making a mental note to buy some pieces of card and make a new sign. Maybe they’d even have some cellophane sheets for sale at the shop. People were starting to use it more and more to protect things, she’d noticed.

  He gestured with one hand at the half-furnished office. ‘As far as I’m concerned, the sooner you can get these offices sorted out, the better.’

  ‘A cupboard and a filing cabinet for you. And proper stationery. Anything else?’

  ‘A couple of better chairs than the ones I’ve been using, for customers to sit on. Nick can have the old chairs for his customers, if he likes.’

  ‘All right.’ That would save him some money, anyway.

  At the door she paused again, to ask, ‘Would you mind if we put net curtains up at the windows of both offices? I’ll be in the front one all day every day and I don’t really want to spend my life on view to the public. I’m sure anyone else working there would feel the same.’

  He stared out of the window. ‘I never thought about that. You’re right, though. Order whatever you feel best.’

  18

  J o was glad to get out into the fresh air again, but even though it was summer here, it wasn’t what she would call pleasantly warm. She really must buy some warmer clothes to wear.

  Silas showed her the way to Dyson’s, and she paused at the door to ask, ‘Do you know anywhere we can buy a second-hand cupboard and filing cabinet a bit like those we’re buying for Todd? Nick hasn’t as much money to spend and he hasn’t got to know the shops well yet.’

  Silas thought for a moment or two. ‘We could try Willcox’s main pawnshop. He has two places and the bigger one sells furniture from a huge shed out at the back.’

  ‘The same Willcox who’s part-owner of the car yard?’

  ‘Yes. Charlie Willcox. He’s an honest chap, firm in the prices he offers for goods being pawned and just as firm about his selling prices. I’ve never heard of him cheating anyone, and he’d be as polite to a beggar as to the king.’

  ‘Let’s go there afterwards, then.’

  They had no trouble finding the furniture for Todd’s office. They were the only customers in the shop and the man who served her was clearly delighted with the sale, promising to have everything delivered that afternoon.

  ‘Willcox’s next,’ Silas said. ‘This way.’

  Before they got there, however, they came face to face with two elegant ladies out shopping: her stepmother and Mrs Rathley.

  Jo hesitated, not sure whether to stop and chat, and was relieved when Mrs Rathley solved the problem for her by stopping and holding out her hand.

  ‘Jo. How nice to see you again. Are you out shopping?’

  ‘Yes. Though it’s to do with work, rather than my own needs. I’ve got a job as a clerk, the same sort of work as I was doing in Australia.’

  Her stepmother gave her only the tiniest nod of the head and looked suspiciously at Jo’s companion, so she introduced him. ‘This is Silas, who’s acting as my bodyguard.’

  ‘Bodyguard!’ Edna exclaimed, looking at her as if she were a liar. ‘Why on earth would you need a bodyguard? If you’d come back to the house when Clarence wanted you to, you’d be perfectly safe.’

  ‘I need a bodyguard because I was attacked while I was out walking on my own yesterday, so my employer decided I needed someone to keep an eye on me.’

  Silas had tipped his cap to the two ladies and was now standing watchfully beside Jo.

  It was Mrs Rathley who looked more upset about this than her stepmother. ‘Take care, then, Jo. There are some lawless people around.’

  She couldn’t resist saying, ‘As you must be aware, Mrs Rathley.’

  That made the older woman draw in her breath and look even more upset. She tugged her companion’s arm. ‘We’d better carry on now, Edna. We have an appointment with my dressmaker. Goodbye, Jo. Be careful.’

  Jo stepped aside to let them pass. ‘Goodbye.’

  Once again, her stepmother merely nodded and threw her a sour look.

  Silas waited till they were out of earshot to say, ‘Mrs Rathley was upset when you told her you’d been attacked.’

  ‘Yes. The poor woman must know what her husband is like. It’d be hard not to if you’d lived with someone for years, I should think.’

  ‘She’d have to be very careful what she says and does with that one, every minute she’s with him. That’d be hard.’

  ‘I agree.’ Jo glanced sideways, thinking yet again how perceptive and intelligent he was. What a pity he hadn’t been able to find a permanent job.

  Charlie went to look into the big shed at the back of his main shop, wondering whether to try to tidy it up a bit. He was trying to distract his thoughts from the problems with the council, but not succeeding very well.

  When a man he knew by sight came into the shop escorting the young woman he recognised from the incident outside Rathley’s house, he waved aside the employee who’d started to move towards them. ‘I’ll deal with this, lad. Got to keep my hand in.’ He moved across to the customers. ‘Miss Melling, isn’t it? I hope you’re well.’

  ‘Yes, thank you. Do you know Silas? He’s making sure I stay safe.’

  There was a slight pause as Mr Willcox’s eyes narrowed and he studied her again. ‘Good idea after your previous, um, difficult
ies. Now, how can I help you today?’

  Jo explained what they needed and he laughed. ‘I own a share in Willcox and Selby Motors, as you must realise, so I’ll do you a far better deal on what you buy than you could get elsewhere. I have some quite good second-hand desks in my back shed, actually.’

  Jo stopped at the doorway of the big shed, inside which there seemed to be absolute chaos, with so much furniture piled up one piece on top of another that it was hard to make your way through it, let alone search for specific items.

  Charlie went straight to a narrow gap at one side and beckoned them to follow him along the cleared passage to the back. At the far end, he indicated some desks piled on top of each other. ‘Could you please help me get those two desks down, Silas?’

  The men manhandled several desks out to the yard and Jo went over them, pulling drawers out, running her hands over the surfaces. ‘That one’s far too big for Nick’s office. He’ll never need one that big because he’ll be out in the car most of the time. This one might do, though, but we’ll need a smaller desk for his secretary or it won’t fit in.’

  ‘His secretary?’ Charlie asked. ‘Isn’t that you?’

  ‘Only temporarily. I’m going back to Australia in a week or two, just giving Nick and Todd a hand in the meantime.’

  ‘I see. If you don’t mind me saying so, I love your accent, Miss Melling. I met a few Aussie soldiers in the war. Good men to have at your back, they were. Hearing you speak reminds me of them.’

  ‘My stepmother is forever complaining about my dreadful Australian accent.’

  ‘Don’t listen to her. It’s charming.’ Chatting gently, he helped them to disentangle chairs and other smaller pieces of furniture from the mounds, putting some to one side immediately as too shabby, and after a few questions, getting together exactly what Jo had been looking for. He then added a few ‘small pieces that haven’t sold’ at no cost.