The Potter's Lady

by Judith Miller

  “Are ya thinkin’ I’m not worthy of a letter from him? Is that why you’re asking? Or is it because you think he took more than a passing interest in me the night of your party?” Beatrice’s questions were spewed with a huge dose of venom.

  Granted, the nanny had a right to be angry, but Rose was shocked by her rancor. She hadn’t read the letter, but surely her curiosity as to why Joshua was writing to Beatrice was understandable.

  Rose inhaled a cleansing breath. “I apologize for touching your letter, Beatrice, but it was lying out in the open, and I did not read it. You may recall that I introduced you to Joshua and insisted he dance with you. I am not jealous, merely curious why he was writing to you.”

  “The only reason you didn’t read it is because I walked in on you.” Beatrice tipped her nose toward the ceiling as though she’d suddenly become the lady of the house rather than a servant. “How can I forget you insisted Joshua dance with me when I have you around to remind me?” She shoved the letter into her apron pocket. “Ya need not be worried. The letter was to tell me my brother might find work at the Harkness Lumber Mill. When we talked at your party, I told him my brother, Liam, was looking for work.”

  Though she’d told Beatrice she wasn’t jealous, Rose experienced an unexpected sense of relief upon hearing why Joshua had written. “Then it’s good that you have the day off tomorrow. I’m sure your brother will be pleased you heard from Joshua.”

  Beatrice’s lips tipped up on one side. “Not near as pleased as me.”

  The nanny’s words replayed in Rose’s mind as she strode down the hallway. Her fingers tightened around the glass doorknob leading into her room as she recalled Joshua’s inquiry regarding Beatrice’s plans to move to Grafton. With a deep sigh, Rose turned the knob and pushed open the door. She was making a mountain out of a molehill.

  Chapter 11

  Grafton, West Virginia

  Mid-July 1872

  The move to Grafton had gone more easily than anticipated because several relatives who had worked for Ewan at the brickyard agreed to help pack and load the families’ belongings. Since Laura and Mrs. Woodfield agreed they would leave most of the furniture at Woodfield Manor, the task proved more manageable than originally planned.

  Now that they were settled and Rose had begun her position at the McKay Pottery Works, she could barely contain her enthusiasm. Since his arrival, Ewan hadn’t changed the operation, but now the two of them were going to sit down with Rylan and the various foremen to discuss modifications and additions to the business. Over the past few days, she’d taken time to introduce herself and visit with the workers in each of the departments. The women and children had been welcoming and open during her visits with them. The men had answered her questions but offered nothing more. Though she’d been dismayed by their unwillingness to communicate with her, Ewan said she expected too much. Men weren’t accustomed to having a woman as their superior, and it would take time for them to accept her. Only Rylan seemed to welcome her without question.

  This morning, she hoped the men’s reluctance to accept her could be set aside and there could be open discussion among all of them. If so, she believed the foremen could help alleviate any concerns the other men might have about her.

  From the narrow windows in Ewan’s office, Rose watched as the foremen slowly gathered in the entrance hall shortly before ten o’clock. They watched the large clock that hung near the entrance. None of them appeared pleased. None of them seemed eager to step inside the office before ten o’clock. Not even Rylan Campbell, who had taken up a position beside Mr. Wheeler. The two of them were deep in conversation when the clock struck ten and the circle of men disbanded and trudged toward the office door. Rose thought they looked like men preparing to ascend to the gallows.

  She glanced at her brother. “They certainly are a gloomy-looking group. I hope this isn’t a forecast of how the meeting is going to proceed.” The door opened before Ewan could respond, and Rose turned to greet the men with a welcoming smile. She was somewhat disappointed when only one of the foremen and Rylan smiled in return.

  Ewan had already explained it would be best for him to take the lead during this first meeting, and she agreed. While Ewan told the men there would need to be changes made in the pottery in order to return it to a profitable operation, he didn’t touch upon several of the ideas they’d privately discussed. And though he said they had plans to make things better for all of the workers, he didn’t mention how that would be done.

  Robert, their finest jiggerman and the foreman in the clay shop, leaned his muscular arms on the long wooden table where they’d gathered. “So can I tell my men they can be expecting more money come payday?”

  “Nay, you cannot tell them any such thing, Robert. It’s my hope that one day every man, woman, and child working in this pottery will have more money in their pockets, but right now we’re barely making ends meet. ’Twould not be wise to make promises about pay when I have no way of knowing what’s going to happen in the future. Until the day comes when I’m sure we’re making enough money to pay better wages, you should say nothing about an increase in wages.”

  Robert leaned back in his chair and folded his thick arms across his chest. “You may not know that the potteries in East Liverpool offer better wages for experienced workers, Mr. McKay, but I’m giving you fair warning that all the men out there know it, and they’re not happy.” He lifted his arms from his chest and pointed his thumb over his shoulder toward the workshops. “If you’re not going to give us more money, then why all this talk about making things better for the workers? The thing that’s gonna make life more bearable for them is money.”

  Ewan traced his fingers through his hair. “I understand money is important, but if I pay out more than I have coming in, the company will go under, and I don’t think any of us want to see that happen. As for the wages being paid in East Liverpool, I cannot stop any man from doing what is best for his family, but it’s my hope they’ll remain and work with me to see this pottery become the finest in West Virginia.”

  “In the entire United States.” Rose beamed at the group of men. “That is our goal.”

  Robert guffawed and gave her a look of utter disdain. “You best go and visit some other potteries in Ohio before you go thinking you’re gonna be the best in the country, Miss McKay. Once you’ve bested the potteries in East Liverpool, then you can think about the rest of the country.”

  Rose placed her folded hands on the table and met Robert’s scornful stare. “Thank you for your suggestion, Mr. Wilson. I have already visited one pottery located here in West Virginia, but I intend to visit others as time permits.”

  Rylan frowned at Robert and gave a slight shake of his head. “No need to be bad-mannered, Robert. I don’t think Miss McKay asked for your opinion.”

  Rose turned toward her brother. “Perhaps Ewan will reveal some of our plans to make the pottery more competitive, which will, in turn, permit us to gain more contracts and eventually lead to higher wages. If time permits, I’d be pleased to speak to all of you about some other ways we intend to provide meaningful changes to the pottery.”

  Ewan gave a brief summation of their plans to bring back additional decorators and offer new designs that would draw interest from their previous buyers. When the men appeared unmoved, he inhaled a deep breath and continued. “We need to lure old customers back to this pottery. One way we can do that will be to offer something that will appeal to those customers. Once we have their interest, we can regain their confidence by meeting orders on time and producing the best product on the market. I hope that we will be able to expand all areas of the pottery very quickly, but I believe the quickest and most economical method will be through producing several unique designs to capture their interest. In the end, we must always deliver an excellent product. That was my goal in my brickyard, and it will be my goal in this pottery. We will always strive to please the customer.”

  Mr. Wheeler, the only remaining decorator
in the pottery, cleared his throat. “I do my best to create beautiful pieces, but I don’t think your idea is going to be successful unless you can offer more than what one man can produce, Mr. McKay.”

  Ewan nodded his agreement and spoke of his desire to rehire some of the former decorators. “In addition, my sister is a talented designer who will work closely with the decorating shop. I think you’ll find her ideas original and inspiring.”

  Robert drummed his fingers on the table. “How is it the pottery is making enough money to hire more decorators but not enough to pay better wages to the rest of us?”

  Ewan sighed. “In truth, the pottery is not making enough to pay extra decorators, but I set aside a portion of money for this purpose when I purchased the business. You do not have to agree with my decision, Robert, but I must do what I believe will restore this pottery to a profitable company. I hope you and the rest of the workers will give me an opportunity to prove I’m a man of my word. I’ll be here working as hard as the rest of you.”

  The other foremen watched Robert’s every move. There was little doubt he held sway over much that happened in the pottery and winning his allegiance could prove difficult.

  “In addition, Rylan is going to be working with me to submit bids that will recapture some of the larger contracts that were once filled by this pottery.”

  The jiggerman grunted and gave a slight nod before frowning in Rose’s direction. “What are the other big changes you’re planning to make—the ones that don’t include any money, Miss McKay?”

  Rose rubbed her hands together, pleased Mr. Wilson had addressed her. After observing Ewan’s dour look, she was sure he wanted to call an end to the meeting, but she decided to press on. Once the men saw how her ideas would improve the quality of life for their family members, she was certain she’d garner their support.

  After gracing the men with a sweeping smile, she removed a folded sheet of paper from her skirt pocket. She unfolded the paper and pressed it flat while the men strained forward for a glimpse of her notes.

  They were silent as church mice while she set forth her idea to impose new regulations in regard to cleanliness, but they shifted in their chairs when she set forth her idea that any worker under the age of fourteen must attend school for a half day at least four days a week. Before she had time to explain the details, the men who employed children expelled a hue and cry that could be heard far beyond the doors of Ewan’s office.

  Rose jumped to her feet and waved for the men to remain calm. “If you’ll give me a chance to explain, this shouldn’t be a problem for any of you, and it will provide the children with a better life as they grow older.” She frowned at the men. “For those of you who are fathers, I would think you’d be applauding my suggestion. For those of you who are not, I suggest you consider someone other than yourselves for a moment.”

  Robert slapped his palm on the table. “I figured this would be the kind of thing we could expect with a woman helping to run things. I don’t know about the rest of you, but I like things just the way they are. We don’t need to use our work time cleaning the place, and we sure don’t want to be paying wages to kids who are sitting in a classroom.” He pushed away from the table. “I refuse to do any such thing.”

  Rylan pointed a finger at Robert. “Careful with your tongue, Robert. You’re not in the workroom shoutin’ orders to your workers.”

  The reprimand from Rylan had no effect, and Robert continued his tirade. Moments later, Rose glowered at him. If only he’d be quiet for a moment, she could explain that he wouldn’t be paying the children while they were in school. There was no way she could gain the men’s attention while Robert had the floor. Soon the other men were murmuring their agreement.

  After a few more minutes passed, Rylan banged on the table. “That will be enough!” Silence reigned as the men gaped at him. “Nothing will be accomplished with all of this shouting and anger.”

  “Rylan is correct.” Ewan pushed his chair back from the table. “The matter of schooling for the children can wait until a later date. The issue of cleanliness, however, will not wait. I have gone through the ledgers and I believe some of the absenteeism is due to illness that can be reduced if we maintain better sanitation. I expect you to abide by my sister’s instructions in this matter.”

  Robert shook his head. “Shoulda known a woman coming in here would mean we’d be dealing with this kind of nonsense.” He stood up, his attention fixed on Ewan. “I’ll follow whatever rules you put in place, but it don’t mean I’ll like ’em or that I’ll not be looking for work elsewhere.”

  Rose smiled at him. “Thank you for your comments, Mr. Wilson. I’ll be praying that we’ll soon have your cooperation. Our plans are for the good of every worker in this pottery, and that includes you.”

  Murmurs buzzed among the men—all but Robert, who glowered at Rose. “It’s not prayers but good business decisions that will bring about my cooperation, Miss McKay.”

  Ewan stood and dismissed everyone except Robert. “I’d like to speak with you alone.”

  Robert jerked his shoulder toward Rose and Rylan as he returned to his chair. “Are the two of them going to be here while we talk?”

  “No.” Turning toward his sister, Ewan pointed to his desk. “While I meet with Robert, why don’t you and Rylan gather the designs we discussed? Take them to the decorator shop and see if Mr. Wheeler has any suggestions for improvement.”

  Rose gaped at her brother. “Improvement? I thought we’d agreed the designs were—”

  “Aye.” Ewan narrowed his eyes and tightened his lips into a thin line. “Mr. Wheeler will be able to give you important details about the actual production of the pieces and whether they will be profitable.”

  Upon hearing Ewan’s response, Robert looked at Rose and grinned like a Cheshire cat. She clenched her hands until her fingernails bit into the flesh of her palms. She’d seen that same look at school when the girls played their pranks and embarrassed her, but she hadn’t expected to see it in the pottery. Her stomach churned, and she longed to remain and address Robert’s smug smile, but Ewan’s tone had been enough to signal her that he was unhappy with her behavior during the meeting.

  She collected the designs from atop Ewan’s desk and marched out of the office without further comment. The sound of Rylan’s steady footfalls thudding alongside her added to her annoyance. She didn’t need him at her side in order to talk to Mr. Wheeler.

  “There’s a shorter route if you cut through—”

  “I’m not interested in a shorter route. Right now, the longer walk will do me good.” She inhaled a deep breath. “Do you agree with Ewan? That I shouldn’t have brought up the subject of schooling the children?”

  “Change is hard on these men.”

  She blew out a huff of exasperation. “So you agree with him?”

  “Most folks like to eat their food one bite at a time. You gave them a mouthful.”

  “But they didn’t show me enough respect to let me explain.”

  “Respect?” He chuckled. “With these men, you have to earn that, Miss McKay, and they don’t give it easily.”

  Irritation burned deep beneath her skin, but there was no need to vent her frustration on Rylan. He hadn’t asked to escort her. No doubt, he would rather be doing something else. Probably anything else. “If you have other work, I can speak with Mr. Wheeler by myself.”

  “Thank you, but I’d best do what your brother asked. Besides, I like Mr. Wheeler and enjoy talking to him.”

  Rose gave a slight nod. “I hope he’s in a better mood than Mr. Wilson. I could not believe my ears when he voiced his objections to schooling the children. Even a man without children should understand the value of education.”

  They turned to the right and circled around the slip house. The pungent smell of freshly turned dirt filled Rose’s nostrils as they continued on past one of the warehouses and the kilns. A crew of several men was loading saggers filled with dried ware into one of the kiln
s for the bisque firing. Rose stopped for a moment to observe their skill as one of the men climbed several steps and entered the large kiln with a loaded fireclay container on his head while he carried another in his arms. What strength it must take to accomplish such a feat. Several young boys were loading the saggers, and she wondered if they aspired to follow in the footsteps of these men or if they longed for a better life. One that could be gained through education.

  She turned and voiced her thoughts to Rylan.

  Rylan didn’t look at her. “Like I said, it takes some folks time to get used to the idea of change. Most of us aren’t keen on new ideas, and it sounds like you got a pocketful.”

  Rose stopped short. “We all must change and adapt, or we’ll never improve. Why, we’d still be without Singer sewing machines or Pullman sleeping cars or the Morse code if there hadn’t been inventors who wanted to change our lives for the better.”

  “I never had use for a sewing machine or a sleeping car, and that’s a fact. I do see the value of the Morse code for sending telegraphs, but what you want to do here at the pottery isn’t the same as men inventing newfangled machines. Forcing young’uns into a schoolroom or telling workers their shops are dirty ’twill not endear ya to anyone.”

  A group of young boys raced by, their shirttails flying behind them. “Those children will never invent anything if they don’t have an opportunity to learn. Can’t you understand that?”

  The muscles in Rylan’s jaw tightened. “Maybe not, but they’ll be helpin’ to put food on the table. For most of them, a bowl of stew is more important than learning how to do sums.”

  Rose turned and continued toward the decorating shop. “They didn’t give me a chance to explain that they can do both. I can create a schedule so they’ll be able to continue working at their jobs. The children don’t work continuously during the day, so they can come to class when they’re not working.” When Rylan didn’t reply, she pushed for a response. “How can they object to something that will be good for the children?”