by June Tate
After a while, she and Conor took the boys back to the beach where everyone poured praise upon them, saying how well they’d done. ‘Another day we’ll teach you to swim if you like,’ Conor said casually.
The youngsters, thrilled with themselves, both agreed.
Conor smiled at Jessie and kissed her cheek. ‘A job well done, darlin’. Best not to do any more today, but we will have these boys swimming by the time they go back to school, I swear it!’
Jessie looked at the happy expression on her husband’s face, thinking how sad it was that he didn’t have children of his own, although never once had he shown his disappointment. She was delighted that at least they had these two little ones to spoil.
Larry Forbes was excited. An estate agent had been in touch with him as he had a hotel on his books in Bernard Street that he thought would interest him. He made an appointment to see it the following morning.
The hotel was on four floors. It had a good entrance, a bar, dining room and ten rooms situated on the next two floors. The top of the house would be ideal for private living arrangements, especially with one of the walls knocked down to make a larger living room. A bathroom could be installed, and then there was a double bedroom. It all needed redecoration and refurbishment, but he could see it had great potential. But before he made any decision, Jessie McGonigall needed to see it. He rushed round to the cafe to tell her.
When Larry Forbes walked into the workman’s cafe, Jessie was serving a customer, but she could see that he was excited about something. He could hardly wait for her to be free.
‘I think I’ve found the premises for the hotel,’ he said, grinning broadly. ‘I need you to come and see it when you close.’
Her heart started to pound as she, too, became excited. As far as she was concerned it was still a pipe dream, but now … ‘Where is it?’
‘Bernard Street. It’s been running as a hotel until recently, but has been neglected. It will need to be redecorated and refurbished, and one wall knocked down, but I really believe it’s what we have been looking for. What time can you meet me there to take a look?’
‘Three o’clock. I’ll get Nancy to finish off and lock up for me.’
He gave her the address. ‘I’ll see you there,’ he said and rushed out.
Jessie hadn’t told Nancy about Forbes’s plans. Indeed, she’d wondered if they would come to fruition, but, in any case, if they did, the girl would certainly be a member of her staff.
Towards the end of the day, she told Nancy she had an appointment without saying where and left her to close up. Then quickly washing her face and hands, she made her way to the address in Bernard Street and found Larry Forbes walking up and down outside waiting for her.
As she walked into the reception area, Jessie could hardly breathe with excitement. Although it was apparent that the place needed upgrading, she liked what she saw. Then walking over the rest of it, she knew this was exactly what she wanted and when Larry took her to the top of the house and explained what he wanted to do to make it her living quarters, she was speechless. She could immediately picture a new life for her and Conor.
‘What do you think, Jessie? Will it do?’
She gave a quizzical look ‘You can’t have any doubts, surely?’
He was like a boy with a new toy. ‘I knew you’d be able to see the potential. Let’s take a look at the kitchen; we need to sort that out. Come on.’
Eventually, both exhausted, they sat at a table in the dining room.
‘There’s a lot of work needing to be done. I’d like to be ready to open for Christmas.’
‘That’s only four months!’ Jessie exclaimed.
‘I know. But if we get the kitchen and the next two floors decorated and refurbished, and the wall in your living quarters done, we can continue with any unfinished rooms after Christmas. After all, I can’t imagine we’d be fully booked by then.’
‘It’s a lot to think about. It’s also going to cost a great deal.’ She looked at him.
‘Now you’re wondering if I have the money to do this, am I right?’
‘Yes! Then when it opens, it will cost even more until it starts paying for itself. There will be the staff wages to cover, and mine. That is a huge investment. I don’t want to give up my business to then find you can’t meet the bills.’
He chuckled softly. ‘You never beat about the bush, do you?’
‘Oh, come along, Mr Forbes, you are a businessman, surely you can understand my concern?’
‘Of course I do and, because of your business brain, I know we can succeed. For your information, I do have the financial resources to meet this commitment.’
‘Fine, but as yet we haven’t discussed my salary. I expect to be paid for my experience, the responsibility that will be mine as the manageress and I also expect it to include my living arrangements! After all, it will mean giving up my home to move in.’
Forbes stared at her without answering, thinking that for a woman, she was extraordinary. How many women in this day and age would be offered such a position of importance? Not many, but here she was demanding – yes, demanding – her rights. He couldn’t help but admire her spirit. It was because of this that he knew she’d succeed. Why else would he be prepared to back the whole thing financially?
He took out a notebook from his pocket and a pen and wrote down a figure and handed it to her. She looked at it and, without changing her expression, asked, ‘What will my percentage of the profits be when we start making money?’
‘Twenty-five per cent.’
‘Thirty would make me happy!’
‘I’m not sure I’d be so happy.’
She leant back in her chair and smiled. ‘The choice is yours, Mr Forbes. Thirty or nothing!’
He started to laugh. ‘Jessie McGonigall, I’ve never met a woman like you; you should have been born a man!’
She didn’t answer, but just sat, waiting.
‘Very well. Thirty!’
‘I’ll need this all written into my contract, of course.’
Shaking his head, he said, ‘Of course. Now, are we done negotiating? Can I now go and see the estate agent and say he has a buyer?’
‘There is just one thing more. I will continue with the cafe until such time as the hotel is ready; after all, I can’t afford to be out of work for so long. I don’t have your finances behind me and that is non-negotiable.’
In exasperation, he said, ‘Whatever you say. Now I suggest we get on.’
As Jessie walked home, she was thrilled with the result of her meeting. She could see the hotel in her mind’s eye, all redecorated and open for business. Now she would have to tell Conor of their change of circumstances. She frowned. How would he receive the news? she wondered. Whatever he said, she wasn’t going to let an opportunity like this pass her by. It was the chance of a lifetime. She was still somewhat concerned that Larry Forbes was her backer, especially as they had crossed swords so in the past, but the salary was good, she’d have decent living accommodation as part of her job and it meant a secure future. He was an acute businessman and could see the potential in the hotel. He needed someone to run it and had chosen her. Everything would be down in writing, so what was there to worry about? But deep in her subconscious, there was still a doubt; however, she decided to ignore it.
Chapter Eighteen
Jessie decided to wait for Conor to have his bath, his dinner and time to relax before talking about her offer from Larry Forbes. She was decidedly nervous about doing so, wondering what her husband’s reaction would be. She’d not told him of the new monthly contract for the cafe, he’d just assumed the old one had been renewed.
After she’d cleared away the dirty dishes and washed up, she and Conor sat together on the settee, with a glass of Guinness each. Conor gave her the perfect opening.
‘So, darlin’, how was your day?’
Taking a deep breath, she began. ‘Interesting. Mr Forbes wants me to run a small hotel for him in Bernard Street, inst
ead of the cafe.’
He looked at her in astonishment. ‘What?’
‘He came into the cafe a while back and said I had a good business brain and was worth more than running a workman’s cafe and that he’d wanted to buy a small hotel, and would I be interested in running it for him if he found one.’
‘Was he being serious?’
Jessie’s eyes flashed in anger. ‘Don’t you think I’m capable of doing such a thing?’
He tried to placate her. ‘I think you are capable of many things, darlin’, but a cafe is in a different category to a hotel. What do you know about such things?’
‘There would be a chef in the kitchen, staff to clean the rooms, a couple of waitresses in the dining room. It’s not the Great Western Hotel, Conor, it only has ten bedrooms. I don’t feel that’s beyond my capabilities to manage a small staff and look after the clients. Certainly, Larry Forbes doesn’t and he’s a knowledgeable businessman!’
He didn’t answer, but sat frowning as he looked at her. ‘I thought you hated the man and didn’t trust him. Good heavens, Jessie, you’ve stomped around here often enough cursing him and now you want to go into business with him? What’s changed your attitude? I find it a puzzle.’
‘Yes, I know, but ever since he bought the lease and has become my boss, his attitude has changed. He realised how well I ran the cafe, he made money because I was a success and now he thinks I’m the one he needs to run this hotel.’
He could see the determination in her expression and asked, ‘So what is he offering you to take this position?’
‘A good salary, a flat to live in on the top floor. Oh, Conor, we could move out of here, we’d have a proper bathroom and a toilet!’
He chuckled softly. ‘Are you sure the last two things are not what makes you want to accept such an offer?’
She sat up and glared at him. ‘You are not taking this seriously, Conor. This is a chance of a lifetime and I’m taking it!’
His smile faded. ‘Even if I don’t agree?’
She paused, then, ‘Why would you want me to refuse?’ She handed him the piece of paper that Forbes had given her with the salary he would pay her. ‘This is what I would be earning, with the living accommodation thrown in.’
Conor looked at the sum. It was more than he used to earn as a stevedore.
‘Wouldn’t I let you down in your illustrious position when I walked in the hotel in my working clothes, covered in filth?’
She recognised the bitterness in his voice and knew she had a problem.
Settling back against him, she said quietly, ‘I thought it would be an opportunity for you to leave the docks and work in the hotel. Let’s face it, your leg gives you trouble after a heavy day. You could put all that behind you.’
He looked furious. ‘Now just you wait a minute. This is your opportunity, not mine. I’m a docker, have been all my life. It’s what makes me a happy man – it’s who I am! Can you honestly see me, working for you in some position or other in a business that is totally foreign to me?’
She knew to argue further would be useless. She rose to her feet. ‘I’ve said I’ll take the job, Conor. Will you at least move into the flat with me?’
He shook his head. ‘No, I’ll keep the house on. I’m earning enough to do so and to live. This is your dream, Jessie. You deserve it and I wish you luck, and if it all falls through, at least you still have a home.’
‘Conor! But what about our marriage? Don’t you still love me?’
He stood up and took her into his arms. ‘I adore you, and I always will. You know where to find me; I’ll be here. You’ll have some free time when we can be together. I’ll even get dressed in me best suit, and come and have a drink at your bar, so I will. It means we won’t be together all the time, that’s all. I’m proud of you, Jessie, you deserve this break.’
‘I’ll still be working at the cafe until December and living at home,’ she said with desperation. ‘It’s not as if I’m moving out tomorrow.’
‘Then let’s make the most of our time. Come to bed.’
She followed him upstairs, tears brimming in her eyes. This wasn’t working out the way she planned at all. She knew that Conor was a man filled with pride. He needed to be in charge and now he wouldn’t be, and for him that was untenable. But during the time she had left, sharing the house and his bed, she’d make very sure he realised how important he was to her and maybe, later he’d change his mind.
Their lovemaking that night had a feeling of desperation about it. Both fraught with their own anxieties but wanting to prove that their love and need for each other was still paramount.
Jessie, completely exhausted, soon fell asleep, but Conor lay still for a while. Then getting out of bed, he pulled on his trousers and went downstairs. He made a mug of tea, lit a cigarette and, taking a deep draw, tried to understand what changes now loomed in his life. Jessie, manageress of a hotel! Small or otherwise, he still couldn’t take it in. They were simple, hard-working folk, fighting to make a living as were their friends. Now Jessie would be earning far more money than he ever could, would be moving into a higher social circle and he felt he had no part in it.
He didn’t want to take this chance away from her and indeed he knew deep down she was determined to move on, but in time, would he be left behind? Could their marriage sustain the break? She was the only woman for him and had been from the day they met, but once Jessie became more and more involved with the hotel business and meeting people from a better class, would she still be happy with him and his way of life? Would it become an embarrassment to her that her husband worked in the docks? Then he dismissed the notion. Not his Jessie, she was fiercely independent and loyal – but it was a concern.
The following two months were busy. Jessie was still working in the cafe as usual, but after closing time she had meetings with Larry Forbes where they worked together, choosing the decor of the hotel, the furnishings, carpets and curtains. She had to agree that he had good taste and a nose for a bargain, finding offcuts for the making of the curtains, saving money, replacing some of the furnishings from those in auction sales and making deals as he replenished the bar fittings. The hotel was in chaos, but Jessie could already see the improvements. It was smart, tasteful and understated. Enough to invite a good class of clientele, but not too opulent to turn people away, thinking it as beyond their pocket.
She tried not to appear too enthusiastic in front of Conor, which was not easy as inside she was bursting with pride and enthusiasm. But already things had changed. She wasn’t always there when her husband came home and he had to fill his own bath sometimes and warm some food she’d left in the larder from the day before. He didn’t make any comment, but he was quieter than usual.
Daisy was making some new dresses for Jessie, who wanted to look the part when she took over the running of the hotel. They chose plain-coloured materials that looked smart and professional. The dresses were simply styled with round necks, long sleeves, fitting at the waist with fuller skirts that were ankle length, but with Jessie’s slim figure and colourful tresses, she looked stunning. She shied away from black, thinking it looked too funereal, but chose dark brown, dark green and rust, which suited her colouring. After all, the waitresses would be wearing black with small white aprons. She wanted to state her position and wearing these colours would do so. Daisy had also made small jackets to be worn over the dresses for the evening with the smallest of trimmings to elevate the outfit: a contrasting flower made from soft material, which could be pinned on the lapel; or a collar made in velvet in a deeper shade than the dress. All very understated, but so very clever.
Thanks to Daisy’s original customers, Maggie and Doris, her clientele now included the landlady of the Horse and Groom and one or two of her friends, which delighted Bill that it was no longer only prostitutes that were her clients. Being a man, he prided himself on the fact that he had let her continue her work, allowing it to grow. When he said this at times, Daisy just smiled to h
erself. She now had a steady income, which was a saving grace, especially if he was to be out of work.
Jessie had been wondering what was to happen to the cafe when she left to run the hotel and the idea of closing it didn’t sit well with her, so she asked Larry Forbes to call in and see her at the end of her working day.
‘What’s on your mind?’ he asked as they sat down together.
‘The cafe is on my mind. I want to still run it. Nancy can take over the cooking – after all she’s worked with me for so long she knows the menu inside out and is perfectly capable. I’ll hire a girl to do the serving, then the men will still have somewhere to come and eat. I’ll still make money and so will you, so why waste a good business?’
He sat listening to her idea. In truth, he hadn’t made plans for the cafe; he’d been so busy setting up the hotel. He’d vaguely thought of selling on the lease as he would have no further use for the building: all his finances would be tied up with his new venture.
‘Alright. I’ll give it three months after you leave. If it’s still making money, I’ll keep it going, if not – then it closes.’
‘Fair enough. I’ll have a word with Nancy in the morning. Thank you.’
‘How does your husband feel about moving into the hotel?’
The unexpected question left her speechless. There was no way she could lie, Forbes would know she was living there alone as he would be around for a while in the beginning until he was sure the hotel was running smoothly.
‘Conor is keeping our house on and will be living there.’
Forbes frowned. ‘Why?’
‘It’s what he prefers. Now if you don’t mind, I have to get home.’ She stood up and walked to the door, opened it and waited for him to leave.
Nothing more was said and they both departed.
