Sinners and Shadows

by Catrin Collier

  ‘I’ll go along with that,’ he agreed caustically. ‘But from what I can see it’s none of yours or Cook’s doing.’ He took a large envelope from his desk drawer and pushed the bills into it. He intended to check them all meticulously against Mabel’s allowance. And if, as he suspected, she’d exceeded it, he’d force her to cut her expenditure until she’d made good the deficit.

  ‘There’s something else, sir.’

  Edward slipped the envelope into his inside pocket and turned his chair to face the housekeeper. ‘If there’s any more bad news, Mrs Williams, I may as well hear it all at once.’

  ‘There’s been talk in the town, sir. Rhian was seen leaving the house next door to your office.’

  ‘She is renting rooms there and I have offered her a job managing a shop I am opening on the ground floor.’ Unable to meet Mrs Williams’s penetrating gaze, he turned away.

  ‘It is not for me to criticize, sir –’

  ‘But you are,’ he interrupted.

  ‘As I said, sir, there’s been talk. I thought you should be aware of it.’

  ‘I was aware that it would start, Mrs Williams. I didn’t think you would subscribe to the gossip.’

  ‘I took Rhian on as a trainee when she was barely fifteen, sir. She is a decent girl. I feel responsible for her. I have grown very fond of her –’

  ‘I too, am fond of her, Mrs Williams,’ he cut in.

  ‘I wasn’t happy when she got herself engaged to Joey Evans, but I could see that she was head over heels in love with him and it was pointless saying anything against him. Then when he showed his true colours and she ran off I don’t mind telling you that I was worried sick. When you said she was somewhere safe, I never dreamed for one minute that it was with you.’

  ‘Rest assured, I will take care of her, Mrs Williams,’ he said firmly.

  ‘But you can’t buy her respectability.’ When he didn’t comment, she added, ‘Can I be blunt, sir.’

  ‘I thought you were being exactly that, Mrs Williams.’

  ‘May and December never work, sir. Half a century and nineteen are thirty years too far apart.’

  ‘There’s blunt, Mrs Williams, and there’s overstepping the mark with an employer.’

  She poured his coffee. ‘Not for much longer, sir. I am handing in my notice.’

  ‘Because of Rhian?’

  She didn’t answer him. ‘I have a cousin who owns several houses, including one in Pembrey. The government has taken over a factory down there to make munitions. My cousin has asked me if I’d run his Pembrey house as a boarding house for the workers.’

  ‘And you would prefer to work for him after working for me for nearly thirty years?’

  ‘Frankly, yes, sir. This is no longer a happy house. The mistress has made it plain that she’s not satisfied with my work and I am certainly not satisfied with her attitude towards me or the rest of the staff.’

  ‘I see.’ Edward couldn’t imagine Llan House without Mrs Williams and Harris. ‘Happy or not, there is no way that it can be run with just Bronwen, Meriel and Mair.’

  ‘It could if you promoted Bronwen to housekeeper and shut up everything except the drawing and dining room and the mistress’s bedroom, sir.’

  ‘Would you consider staying on as a special favour to me, until I can make alternative arrangements?’

  ‘No, sir. I’m needed in the boarding house right away.’

  ‘Surely you can spare four weeks after the length of time you’ve worked here?’

  ‘No, sir.’ Her reply was final and Edward realized there was no point in pressing her further. ‘Will there be anything else, sir?’

  ‘No.’ Edward rose to his feet. All he wanted to do was pay Harris his wages, plus a week extra in view of his patriotic gesture, pick up clean clothes and take refuge with Rhian in the comfort of his rooms in Dunraven Street before Mabel returned.

  Mrs Ball left her rooms when she heard Rhian turn her key in the front door. ‘Some letters have come for you, Miss Jones. I’ve put them in your living room.’

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Ball.’ Rhian took her hatbox from the cabman who was unloading her suitcases on to the pavement. ‘Could you please carry these up to the second floor?’ She handed him a shilling as an incentive.

  ‘I’ll watch these, while you go on up,’ Mrs Ball offered.

  Rhian picked up her second hatbox, ran up the stairs, left the boxes in the bedroom and picked up her letters from the table. One was from Sali; the other was addressed to her in Joey’s hand. Lacking the courage to open Joey’s, she opened Sali’s first.

  Dear Rhian,

  I want to say so much more to you than I can put in a letter. I love you like a sister and always will. Please come and see us as soon as you can. If it isn’t easy for you to get away, let me know when it will be convenient for me to call.

  The children miss you and can’t wait to see you. I warn you that there is no way they, Lloyd or I will allow you to leave our family,

  Love as always,

  Sali

  ‘Where do you want these suitcases, Miss?’

  Rhian stared blankly at the cabman.

  ‘The cases, miss?’ He held one of them up.

  ‘Please put them in the bedroom, it’s the next door on the left.’

  While he returned downstairs to fetch the rest of her luggage, she pushed her thumb under the flap of the second envelope and opened it.

  Dear Rhian,

  You don’t have to worry about seeing me around Tonypandy because I have enlisted. If you think that I have joined the army because of what happened between us, you’d be absolutely right. I don’t wish you ill, but I’ll never understand why you wouldn’t marry me after reading Tonia’s letter. It will be a long time, if ever, before I forgive you,

  Joey

  The cabman carried the last of the cases upstairs and left. Rhian was only vaguely aware of his presence and the front door closing a few minutes later.

  She sank down on a chair. And that was where Edward found her an hour later, dry-eyed, white-faced and still holding Joey’s letter.

  ‘I’ll have three boxes of safety matches.’ Mrs Williams dropped four pennies and a halfpenny on the counter of the tobacconist’s that Rhian had been managing for over three weeks.

  Flustered, Rhian turned her back to the housekeeper and looked along the shelves although she kept all the safety matches under the counter.

  ‘Rhian?’

  ‘Yes, Mrs Williams.’ She turned and looking down, lifted three boxes on to the counter, took the fourpence halfpenny and dropped it into the cash drawer.

  ‘Can we go to a tea shop for half an hour?’ Mrs Williams asked.

  ‘I’m not sure …’ Although Mrs Ball was standing beside her behind the counter and there were no other customers in the shop, Rhian made a great show of looking at her watch.

  ‘I can take over here, Miss Jones,’ Mrs Ball offered in response to a signal from Mrs Williams. ‘We won’t get busy for another hour or so until the shops start their lunch hour.’

  ‘Then we’ll go next door, Rhian.’ Mrs Williams went to the door and held it open.

  Realizing that the housekeeper wasn’t going to take no for an answer, Rhian unbuttoned her khaki overall, went into the stockroom and hung it on a peg. Picking up her coat, hat and gloves, she returned to the shop. Mrs Williams was still holding the door. She walked through it.

  ‘Tea for two, and two chocolate éclairs,’ Mrs Williams ordered the waitress in the tea shop without asking Rhian what she wanted.

  Rhian sat at a table and, not knowing what to say, waited for Mrs Williams to open the conversation.

  ‘Did Mr Larch tell you that I’d handed in my notice?’ Mrs Williams began.

  ‘Yes, he did. Did you get my letter?’ Rhian asked tentatively.

  ‘Yes, and what was all that stuff and nonsense you wrote me and Mrs Evans about understanding if we didn’t want to see you again?’

  ‘My circumstances have changed,’ Rh
ian said quietly, aware that one or two of the women sitting around them were staring.

  ‘So Mr Larch told me. But he’s tight-lipped when it comes to strangers, and gossip doesn’t constitute hard fact. From what I’ve heard, whatever’s being said about you hasn’t affected trade in the shop you manage.’

  ‘It hasn’t,’ Rhian confirmed. ‘Mr Larch is pleased with the turnover.’

  ‘I bet he is pleased and not only with the turnover.’

  Rhian steeled herself to look at the housekeeper after their tea and cakes arrived. ‘Are you leaving Llan House because of me?’

  ‘Why do you think I would do that?’

  Rhian lowered her voice. ‘What happened isn’t Mr Larch’s fault.’

  ‘I suppose it’s yours.’

  Rhian nodded. ‘I took the easy way out of a difficult situation.’

  ‘Do you really believe that?’ the housekeeper questioned searchingly.

  Rhian picked up a sugar lump with silver tongs and dropped it into her tea. ‘What’s done is done.’

  ‘No doubt Joey Evans is saying much the same thing.’

  ‘You know someone who’s heard from him?’ Rhian asked eagerly.

  ‘Only Mrs Evans, and as we didn’t discuss him other than to comment on his enlisting when she called in on me yesterday afternoon, I don’t have any fresh news, not about him. I wanted to see you to give you this.’ Mrs Williams pushed a folded piece of paper across the table. ‘It’s my address, in Pembrey. I’m going to run a boarding house for my cousin. It’s a nice spot by the sea. So if you fancy a holiday, or need a friend, or just somewhere to stay for a while, you know where to find me.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Rhian raised her eyes to meet the housekeeper’s gaze. ‘I didn’t expect everyone to be so kind. You, Sali, even Victor and Megan have written to me.’

  ‘Yes, well.’ Embarrassed by being thought of as kind, Mrs Williams spread her napkin on her lap and picked up her cake fork. ‘Eat up. A lot needs doing before I leave Llan House in the morning so I can’t waste all day sitting here talking to you. I’d rather do that later on when you come and visit me.’

  Chapter Eighteen

  Julia left the train at Tonypandy and walked briskly towards Dunraven Street. When she reached the area in front of the station reserved for cabs, she saw the driver of a brake help Mrs Williams on to the pavement before proceeding to unload an assortment of suitcases, bags and boxes. The housekeeper was preoccupied with paying the man and Julia had to tap her shoulder to gain her attention.

  ‘Miss Julia!’ The housekeeper embraced her and dropped her purse.

  ‘Here, let me.’ Julia picked up the purse and the coins that had rolled from it.

  ‘I am so glad to see you. I thought I’d have to leave without saying goodbye.’ Mrs Williams brushed aside a tear, took her purse from Julia and handed the driver a sixpence.

  ‘You’re going on holiday?’

  ‘I’m leaving, Miss Julia.’

  ‘Tonypandy?’ Julia asked in astonishment.

  ‘And Llan House for good,’ Mrs Williams added, to ensure that Julia understood the situation.

  ‘I am so sorry to hear that, Mrs Williams. Father will miss you.’

  ‘So he says,’ the housekeeper said cynically, ‘but I can count on one hand the number of times he came home in the last month, and then it was only to pick up clean clothes or books.’ She lowered her voice although the driver had already returned to his cab. ‘He hasn’t eaten a meal or slept in Llan House since he came back from a trip away in August. Excuse me.’ She hailed a porter who was standing, hands in pockets with his back to the wall.

  ‘I do hope your decision didn’t have anything to do with my leaving home,’ Julia said softly.

  ‘A little.’ Mrs Williams pointed out her luggage to the porter, who took one look at it and disappeared to fetch a trolley. ‘If I’d known where to find you, I would have written. I really do need to talk to you, Miss Julia,’ she said seriously.

  ‘We could go to the Ladies’ waiting room,’ Julia suggested.

  Mrs Williams glanced at the fob watch pinned to her lapel and gazed at the sea of luggage around her. ‘I have barely ten minutes and it will take me that long to get these on the train, even with the porter’s help. Have you come to Tonypandy to see your father?’

  ‘Yes, but he isn’t expecting me.’

  ‘He took your elopement hard,’ Mrs Williams reproached. ‘So much has happened since you left, but I dare not miss this train. I’m not just going to Cardiff. I have to change trains there for Swansea and again in Swansea for Burry Port.’

  ‘Why Burry Port?’

  ‘I have taken a position as housekeeper in a Pembrey boarding house owned by a cousin of mine.’

  ‘He’s a lucky man.’

  The housekeeper frowned. ‘There are things that you really should know –’

  ‘My father can tell me about them,’ Julia interrupted.

  ‘I doubt he’ll tell you anything, Miss Julia.’

  The housekeeper looked so grave Julia made a swift decision. ‘Do you have your ticket?’

  ‘No, and I’d better get one.’ Mrs Williams turned to the porter who was piling her luggage on to a trolley.

  Julia walked to the ticket office, opened her purse and slid a sovereign across the counter. ‘One first-class single to Burry Port, please, and one first-class return to Cardiff.’

  ‘Not first-class, Miss Julia,’ Mrs Williams protested.

  ‘Call it a goodbye present, Mrs Williams.’ Julia pressed the ticket into the housekeeper’s hand. ‘And if you want to talk, we will get more privacy in a first-class carriage.’

  Sali smiled when she read the letter from her sister. If she hadn’t seen it in black and white in Llinos’ own hand she might not have believed it.

  Dear Sali,

  Just to let you know that I am safe and well. I have left the finishing school and no longer need an allowance from Harry’s estate because I have accepted a salaried position as an interpreter with the French High Command. All those French, German and Italian lessons have proved good for something, and I am glad to be in a position to be able to contribute to the war effort. There is no need to worry about my safety as I am miles behind enemy lines and, as I work with the top-ranking military personnel, we are kept well away from any danger …

  ‘A letter from Master Gareth?’ Mari asked, recognizing the French postmark.

  ‘Llinos,’ Sali answered. ‘She is working as an interpreter for the French army.’

  ‘Miss Llinos, working?’ Mari placed a sceptical emphasis on the last word.

  ‘She says that she is glad to do her bit for the war effort.’

  ‘And this wouldn’t have anything to do with the officers working for the French army?’

  ‘I’ve no doubt there’s a few bachelors among them,’ Sali commented wryly.

  ‘And, knowing Miss Llinos, she’s already sorted the wheat from the chaff, or should I say the well-to-do from the poor. Well, I’ve always said that one would land on her feet.’

  ‘So you have,’ Sali agreed.

  ‘But you didn’t always believe me.’

  ‘The way Llinos and Gareth behaved after Uncle Morgan lost Father’s money, can you blame me?’

  Mari cleared an empty teacup from Sali’s desk. ‘No word from Master Gareth or your brother-in-law yet?’

  Sali shook her head. ‘I would have told you if Gareth had written and I’m surprised to hear you ask after Joey.’

  ‘Yes, well, whatever I think of what he did to poor Rhian, I don’t wish the boy ill,’ Mari sniffed.

  ‘What happened was as much her fault as his, Mari. From what I can gather, Rhian saw Joey with Tonia and assumed the worst.’

  ‘So my sister wrote in her last letter. She said the whole of Tonypandy is talking about it, and what Rhian has become.’

  ‘That is just gossip, Mari,’ Sali said firmly, in the hope of putting an end to the conversation.

  �
�You don’t believe that, Miss Sali, any more than I do.’

  ‘Rhian’s young –’

  ‘And she’s made a very wrong decision on the rebound. Mr Larch is old enough to be her grandfather let alone father.’

  ‘Not quite, Mari, and whatever she did is done now. She needs our love and support more than ever and when she comes here again, as I hope she will very soon, I trust that you will treat her no differently than you did before.’

  ‘You’d invite her to this house?’ Mari was clearly shocked at the thought.

  ‘Of course.’

  ‘You’re more forgiving than most, that’s all I can say, Miss Sali. And don’t go forgetting that you’ve daughters to consider.’

  ‘Who both adore Rhian,’ Sali reminded the housekeeper forcefully.

  Realizing that she wasn’t going to alter Sali’s opinion, Mrs Williams changed the subject. ‘You’ll send my best wishes and congratulations to Miss Llinos on her new job when you write back, Miss Sali.’

  ‘I will, Mari.’

  ‘Just one more thing, Miss Sali.’

  Sali looked up, expecting Mari to pass another comment on Rhian.

  ‘Will you be in for lunch?’

  ‘Not today, Mari. I have to go up to the Tonypandy store to see how the assistant manager is getting on.’

  ‘Joey’s left a big hole behind him.’

  ‘And not only in the store, Mari,’ Sali murmured thoughtfully, gazing at the photograph of Lloyd and his brothers on her desk.

  ‘You’re sure about this, Mrs Williams?’ Julia asked carefully.

  ‘Your father didn’t even try to deny it when I told him there was gossip about him and Rhian. Everyone in the town knows that they are both living in the building he owns next door to his office. And she’s managing a tobacconist’s he’s opened on the ground floor.’

  Julia leaned back against the seat of the train. She had slipped the porter an extra sixpence to find an empty carriage and so far they were the sole occupants. ‘I knew he was unhappy with my stepmother – but Rhian. She is only nineteen!’

  ‘And your father is nearly fifty,’ Mrs Williams pointed out superfluously.

  Before her mother’s death, her father had been a hero to Julia. If they had drifted apart afterwards, she felt it was down to the almost insupportable grief of losing someone they had both loved so dearly. The thought of him living as man and wife with Rhian appalled her. She felt physically ill when she imagined her father embracing, kissing – or worst of all- sharing a bed with Rhian. It was a complete betrayal of all the ideals about living a decent life that he had instilled in her.