by Anna Jacobs
Kathleen knew reading newspapers made you think. She read about the royal family. In January last year, Queen Victoria had died and her sixty-year-old son had come to the throne. It still seemed strange to talk about ‘the King’, though. He was going to be crowned King of England later in the year. King Edward the Seventh. That would be a fine spectacle, from the details given in the newspapers.
Auntie Rhoda pointed out one article that said there were now over two hundred female doctors and a hundred female dentists practising in Britain. She was angry about the writer’s patronising tone. ‘Why shouldn’t women make good doctors? Tell me that, Kathleen! The man who wrote this wouldn’t say no to one of them saving his life, would he? So why is he scornful when he writes about them?’
The Boer War was still being fought in South Africa, but that was so far away it didn’t seem important to Kathleen, and anyway, she found the details of it confusing. Of more concern was the fact that a four-pound loaf now cost fivepence and she knew how difficult that would make life for her mother.
She thought about her mother sometimes, what a hard, narrow life she’d led. But she was afraid to get in touch with any of her family, because of her father. Besides, she wasn’t close to her brothers and sisters, who would no doubt have sided with her father about the marriage of their sister.
Then, in February Kathleen forgot the wider world, because Ernest didn’t come to see them for over a week. He didn’t send a postcard letting them know he couldn’t come, either, which he had done the only other time it had happened. A postcard could get to you in one of the later posts of the same day, even in a small village like Monks Barton.
Kathleen was worried. ‘Should I write to him, do you think?’
‘His father used to open all the letters that were delivered to their house and I expect he still does, even his wife’s letters.’
‘Then how do I find out what’s happening? Ernest may be ill. He may need me.’
‘If he doesn’t come this weekend, I’ll visit him. I don’t often do that, so we’ll wait a little longer.’
A second weekend passed, and still there was no sign of Ernest. On the Sunday evening Rhoda put into words what they were both thinking. ‘His father must have found out about you and be preventing Ernest from visiting us. It’s the only explanation.’
‘Oh dear.’
Rhoda looked at her guest’s stomach and spoke more bluntly than usual, ‘You haven’t used your monthly rags recently. Do you think you might be expecting?’
Kathleen could feel herself blushing. ‘Well yes, I may be. I feel sore here.’ She touched her breasts.
The older woman closed her eyes and let out a long sigh of relief. ‘Thank goodness! I’ll go into Swindon on Wednesday. I can travel in with Farmer Johnson when he goes to market. I’ll call at the Seatons’ house and see if I can find out what’s happened to Ernest. This uncertainty can’t go on.’
However, on the Monday afternoon there was the sound of wheels and harness jingling outside the cottage. They both rushed to the window and saw a pony and trap.
‘That’s Mr Seaton,’ Rhoda said. ‘And Ernest isn’t with him. I’d better speak to him first.’
Kathleen shook her head. ‘No. I don’t want him to think I’m afraid of him. Whether he likes it or not, I’m his daughter-in-law.’
‘Are you sure you can face him? He won’t try to hit you, but he shouts a lot and has a temper. He uses words as weapons. I’m hoping the idea of a baby will help win him round, but he likes to get his own way and he didn’t arrange this marriage, so it won’t be easy.’
‘All men like to get their own way I’ve found – except for Ernest.’ It made her feel sad that she always had to stop herself from saying ‘poor Ernest’.
Mr Seaton was a burly man and got down with difficulty, leaving his pony and trap in the hands of the young fellow who’d driven him. He came striding up the path to the cottage looking furious.
Rhoda opened the door before he could use the knocker, not stepping aside to let him in and keeping Kathleen standing slightly behind her as if for protection. ‘Good afternoon, Mr Seaton.’
He didn’t reply, simply stayed where he was, eyeing the younger woman as if she was an animal he was thinking of buying.
He reminded Kathleen of an ageing bull one of the nearby farmers had, thickset with grizzled hair and a short neck. Ernest would probably look like that when he grew older, but without the fierce expression.
She stared right back at him and he raised his eyebrows as if surprised by this reaction.
‘This is—’
‘We’ll go into your parlour before you start introducing me, Rhoda,’ he said. ‘I don’t want to put on a show for your neighbours.’
He would have led the way in, treating them both as if they were servants but Kathleen knew that gentlemen were supposed to let ladies enter a room first, so she moved quickly to take the lead. ‘This way please, Mr Seaton.’
She heard Rhoda let out a faint gasp but that didn’t deter her. After thinking long and hard about this confrontation, knowing it was inevitable, she’d come to the conclusion that if she gave ground at the start, Ernest’s father would trample all over her from then onwards. He behaved like that to his son, his wife and everyone else within his orbit.
Well, he wasn’t going to bully her. She’d had enough bullying from her father over the years to last her the rest of her life.
When their visitor sat down on the sofa, she remained standing by her chair, saying nothing till it dawned on him that she was expecting to be treated more politely. After one frightened glance at her, Auntie Rhoda also remained standing.
He stood up again and gave them a mocking bow. ‘Do sit down, ladies.’
Kathleen inclined her head and took the armchair opposite him while Rhoda took the smaller armchair between them.
He flung himself down on the two-seater sofa again, not waiting for an introduction. ‘Your name’s Kathleen, isn’t it? Well, at least you have spirit. I like to see it in a horse; I’m not so sure if it suits a young woman, though.’
She didn’t rise to the baiting, merely giving him a half-smile and waiting to see what he was going to say and do.
He turned from her to his hostess. ‘I hadn’t expected you to betray my trust like this, Rhoda. I thought my boy would be safe with you.’
‘I did what I thought best for both you and Ernest, Mr Seaton. You’ve said several times that you want grandsons, but you haven’t been able to persuade your son into marriage.’
Silence, then he jerked one thumb in Kathleen’s direction. ‘How did this one bring him to the point when no one else could? She’s quite pretty but so are other women. What’s so special about her?’
‘She’s kind. Ernest needs kindness.’
Annoyed to be left out of the conversation, Kathleen joined in. ‘I didn’t have to bring your son to the point, Mr Seaton. He had to persuade me. I met Ernest several months before I married him. I was a waitress in a café he liked to visit. He seemed very lonely, so I used to walk in the park with him now and then during my afternoon breaks, just chatting quietly, nothing more.’
Mr Seaton winced and closed his eyes as if in pain. ‘A waitress! Damned fool of a boy! Could he do no better than that for himself? And from the way you talk, there’s Irish in your family.’
‘Yes.’
‘I think he’s done very well marrying her,’ Rhoda commented quietly.
He glared at her. ‘That is a matter of opinion, madam. Go on then, Kathleen. Tell me how it happened.’
‘Ernest admired me from the start, I could tell, but I wasn’t in a hurry to get married. We were just … friends.’
He let out a derisive snort.
She scowled at him. ‘Friendship is not something to be sneered at, Mr Seaton. It was easy to tell that your son was unhappy.’
‘That’s because he’s a lazy young devil.’
‘I disagree. If someone treats him kindly he’ll do anything fo
r them. But he thinks slowly and nothing you say or do to him will ever change that.’
‘So you took advantage of his stupidity to trap him! Well, I’ll find a way to overturn your marriage, see if I don’t.’
‘And make your first grandchild a bastard?’
Her words seemed to hang in the air for a long time before he spoke again, his voice markedly quieter. ‘You’re with child? Already? Ernest’s child?’
‘Of course it’s his.’
‘When is it due?’
‘Ten months after our marriage. And I came to Ernest a virgin, Mr Seaton, in case you’re wondering. I’ll swear that on the Bible, if necessary.’
‘Words are easy.’
‘I believe her,’ Rhoda said. ‘She’s a decent young woman and has been good for your poor son.’
‘She can be as decent as you please but she brings nothing to the marriage, nothing! And she’s Irish, of all things. What will people say about that, eh? It’s not money that’s important in my world, but social and business connections. Dammit, I wanted better for Ernest than someone like her.’
The words stung but they also stiffened Kathleen’s backbone. ‘I’m giving him a child and that isn’t nothing. And as the women of my family bear children easily, this one won’t be the last, I’m sure. That’s something important to bring to a marriage, don’t you think?’ She laid one hand on her belly, the first time she’d done that publicly. The small swelling felt good. As if she wasn’t alone any more.
‘Hmph! Who are your family? What do they do besides spawn waitresses?’ His words might be quieter but they were still laced with scorn.
Here it was, the question she’d been dreading, but she didn’t intend to lie to him. ‘You already know my father … Fergus Keller, your foreman.’
Mr Seaton closed his eyes again as if in pain, then opened them to glare at her. ‘Does he know about this marriage? Has he been deceiving me, laughing at me behind my back?’
‘No. And I hope you won’t tell him where I’m living. I never want to see him again. I married Ernest because my father was trying to force me to marry a brute who would have knocked me about and made me unhappy. My father had thumped me to try to persuade me and when Ernest saw how badly bruised my face was, he said I should marry him instead. And before you ask, that was his idea, not mine.’
For the first time her voice faltered. ‘I was at my wits’ end, so I accepted. I felt your son would be kind to me, at least, and he has been. Very. I’m fond of Ernest, Mr Seaton, which is more than you seem to be.’
‘Who was this man they wanted you to marry? Do I know him as well?’
‘He’s called Desmond Mannion.’
His expression changed from anger to disgust. ‘That lout. He worked for me once. Ill-treated the horses, skimped on the cleaning. I sacked him within the week. I don’t blame you for not wanting to marry him.’
He sighed and rubbed his forehead as if he didn’t know what to say next.
Rhoda stepped in. ‘Shall I make us all a pot of tea, Mr Seaton?’
‘Good idea. But you’ve not won me over, Rhoda Newman, and don’t think you have.’
‘You’ll make up your own mind, sir. You always do. But I won’t desert Kathleen, whatever you say or do. She’s a fine young woman, healthy and a hard worker. She’ll make a good mother and is already a good wife.’
He stared at Kathleen as if seeing her for the first time, muttered something and turned away to stare into the fire. When Rhoda had left the room he spoke without even looking at his companion. ‘I’m not having you and Ernest living in my house.’
‘I wouldn’t want to. You make him nervous and we’d be too near my father as well. I still live in fear of him finding me and beating me senseless … making me lose the child, perhaps. He hates to be crossed.’
‘Oh, I’ll make sure he doesn’t hurt my grandchild, believe me.’
‘Thank you. That would be a load off my mind.’
‘There’s another reason for keeping you out of the way and the marriage secret for a while yet. I’ll tell you about that another time.’
She waited a moment then asked, ‘What have you done with Ernest?’
‘Had him locked up till he told me why he’d been coming here so often. That took a few days. Surprised me. He doesn’t often defy me. Then I had to decide what to do about you.’ He glared at her. ‘One thing you can be sure of: I don’t beat my children senseless, whatever they do.’
‘No, but you cut them out of your life if they displease you. You have another son, I believe.’
‘I’ll have you know that I offered to let Alex return if he’d only do as I asked, but he said he preferred his new life. He now keeps a stall on the market selling second-hand bits and pieces, only he calls them antiques. How do you think I feel about that?’
‘If he’s successful you should be proud of him.’
‘Pfff! He could be helping me run the business. He has a fine brain when he bothers to use it.’
She sighed. Then the brother wasn’t at all like her poor husband.
‘What will you do if I cut Ernest off without a penny?’
‘Move away from here and help him find another job. We’ve saved enough money to tide us over for a while and Rhoda says he’s good with horses.’
‘Have you indeed got some money put by? That’ll be the first time he’s ever saved anything.’
‘He’d saved quite a lot but didn’t know what to do with it and I’d been saving my tips for years. What’s more, I’ve saved most of the housekeeping money Ernest has given me since we married because I have no rent to pay here. I’m good with money, Mr Seaton. That’s another thing I’ve brought to the marriage.’
‘So you say. You’re good with words, too. Not stupid, no, definitely not. At least that’s in your favour if we’re to consider you breeding my grandchildren.’ Another pause, then, ‘I’m damned if I know what to make of you.’
She risked echoing his words. ‘I don’t know what to make of you, either, Mr Seaton.’
When he let out a crack of laughter, she felt she was making progress, winning him over just a little. And for the sake of her child, that was necessary, however little she liked him.
After he’d drunk three cups of tea and eaten several scones, he said abruptly, ‘We’ll keep the marriage secret for the time being and see how you go with the childbearing. If you can give me a grandson to raise, one who’s got more brains than his thick-skulled father, well, I shall not be displeased.’
‘Give you a grandson? This is my child and I won’t hand it over to anyone else to raise.’
‘Oh, won’t you? Not even if I pay you well?’
‘No. You’ll only make it as unhappy as you’ve made Ernest and probably your other son. Why, you won’t even let him wear spectacles, so it’s no wonder he has trouble doing the accounts.’
He gaped at her. ‘Who’s talking about spectacles?’
‘I am. Ernest needs them.’
‘We were discussing my grandchildren.’
‘Who will be my children. I intend to raise them with love and educate them as best I can. They won’t be beaten for nothing or have their books taken away from them.’
He cocked his head on one side and studied her. ‘You like reading, do you?’
‘Yes. Very much indeed.’
‘So do I.’
She was surprised at this admission.
‘Is that what Fergus did, took your books away?’
‘Yes. If they hadn’t belonged to the library, my father would have burnt them when he got angry at me, I’m sure.’
‘Hmm.’ Mr Seaton made up for his moment’s weakness by speaking more sharply as he delivered his ultimatum. ‘This is how we’ll arrange things, then. I’ll let you and Ernest stay together on condition you keep the marriage secret and don’t come near my home or business.’
Kathleen inclined her head, keeping her hands out of sight because they’d suddenly started to shake. It was a moment or
two before she could pull herself together. She didn’t tell him the marriage was known about in the village already. She wasn’t going to tell him anything she didn’t have to.
‘I’ll raise Ernest’s wages now he’s a married man, and you need better clothes than those you’re wearing if you’re to appear one day as my daughter-in-law.’ He turned to Rhoda and took out his wallet. ‘Is twenty pounds enough to get her started with better clothes?’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘You are to keep this money, Rhoda, and use it only to buy her clothes. Keep careful accounts of what you spend it on. I like to see where my money goes. I trust you, but she will have to prove herself. If you need more money, come and tell me why.’
‘I’ll be happy to see to that, Mr Seaton because she’ll be a pleasure to dress. She’s a fine-looking young woman.’
He stared at Kathleen for a moment or two in silence then shrugged. ‘Handsome is as handsome does.’
Gulping down the last of his tea, he heaved himself to his feet. ‘I’ll send Ernest over to stay with you two for a few days. Maybe you can calm him down, Kathleen. I certainly can’t. He keeps weeping and calling your name. I never thought I’d breed such a damned weakling.’
She hated to think of Ernest so upset. How badly had Mr Seaton treated his son?
‘Don’t look at me like that. I’m not your father; I didn’t beat him.’
‘There are other ways of ill-treating someone.’
‘Ernest is a fool and if he didn’t look like me, I’d wonder whose son he was.’ He gave them a nod and left the cottage, raising one hand to signal to his driver who was walking up and down near the pony trap.
Kathleen watched Mr Seaton climb up into it. His face grew ruddy with the effort. He ate too much, probably. You could do that if you were rich, and compared to the people she’d grown up among, he was very rich indeed. And yet, he seemed almost as unhappy as his son. She had thought having all the money you needed must make you happy, but clearly it didn’t.
