‘Not much. Maybe ... sometimes your Uncle Harry rubs the back of my neck for me ...?’
The words were more an order than a hinted request, and Elspeth jumped to her feet at once, thinking, as she laid her hands on the scrawny neck, that she wouldn’t mind strangling her aunt. After a few minutes, however, the woman said, ‘At least you’ve got fine, strong fingers. You’re even better than Harry.’
The compliment, if it was a compliment, did not please the girl, because she knew what it meant. From now on she would be expected to carry out the massaging whenever her aunt wanted it. Going to the sink at the window, she washed her hands, but before she could ask where to find a towel, Janet said, ‘As long as your hands are wet, you’d be as well paring some potatoes for the supper – Harry doesn’t have time to come home in the middle of the day – and when you’ve done that, you could sweep the stairs and ...’
Apart from making two poached eggs on toast at half past twelve, Elspeth’s day was taken up with doing the chores Harry Bain normally did, but she did not complain. As from tomorrow, she would be out of the house all day, and would be getting paid for the jobs she did. When her uncle appeared at ten past six, she told him her good news, keeping her voice low in deference to her ‘delicate’ aunt, and he seemed to be as pleased for her as she was herself.
Janet, of course, had to spoil it. ‘Did you tell the doctor’s wife ... does she know the condition you’re in?’
Having almost forgotten her condition, Elspeth felt her heart plunge. ‘No, I didna tell her.’
‘Hmm.’ The thin lips were compressed, the hard eyes grew even more like steel. ‘I just hope you don’t see much of the doctor, then, for a medical man would notice quick.’
Elspeth’s eyes sent a desperate appeal to her uncle, who leaned across the table and patted her hand. ‘If they do find out, you can explain, lass. They’ll not think so badly of you when they know your lad was killed.’
Janet bridled. ‘Humph! Folk are not all like you, thinking the best of everybody.’
‘And thank God they’re not all like you,’ he retorted, ‘thinking the worst.’
‘Oh!’ she moaned, suddenly. ‘I’ve got that terrible pain in my heart again.’
Rising to help her into an armchair, Harry winked at Elspeth, who did not feel any better for knowing the ‘heart attack’ was put on. She did not want to cause trouble between her uncle and aunt, but how could she avoid it when Harry took her side against his wife’s?
For the rest of the evening, she sat in silence, wondering if she should tell Mrs Robb the truth in the morning, but when Janet went down to the lavatory on the half landing, Harry said, as if he knew what she had been thinking, ‘Don’t say anything to your Mrs Robb. Just make sure you do your work the best you can, and by the time you’ve to leave, she’ll think that much of you, she’ll understand what you’re going through and why you didn’t tell her at first.’
Remembering Mrs Robb’s friendly manner and her modern dress, Elspeth felt better. Her employer would have a different outlook on life from her aunt, and would surely not condemn her for what had happened.
Next morning, Elspeth, too excited to be hungry, supped her porridge to save hurting Harry’s feelings, and set off for King’s Gate, where Mrs Robb explained that she did some Red Cross work every day. ‘That’s why I need someone to look after the children. The doctor’s out at all hours, of course, and meals have often to be kept hot for him. My last girl married a soldier, and went off to live with his parents in Huntly, so I’m glad you turned up when you did.’
While she was speaking, she had shown Elspeth the kitchen and the sitting room and now opened another door off the large square hall. ‘This is the dining room, which isn’t used very often these days. The children will take their meals in the kitchen with you to save work, and Alex, my husband, usually takes his on a tray in the sitting room. I’m like a bird, I peck at whatever’s available wherever and whenever I find time, so you won’t have to worry about setting or serving meals in here.’
The girl was relieved. ‘That’s good, it was the setting and serving I was worried about, not the cooking.’
Mrs Robb pointed through the window. ‘The children play in the garden there if it’s fine, and if it’s wet, they’re supposed to play in the nursery upstairs. They like to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, though, but don’t let them pester you. They’re really quite good, and they’ll do what you tell them – most of the time, anyway.’ She laughed as they came out into the hall, and indicated one of two doors at the far end. ‘The surgery – my cleaner attends to that – and patients come in by the side door there, so you won’t see them. Mrs Balneaves does the washing and ironing as well as all the heavy cleaning, so she’ll give you whatever needs mending. That and the cooking, and looking after the children, should keep you fully occupied.’
Mrs Robb smiled at Elspeth’s bewilderment. ‘You’ll soon get into the swing of things. You’ll be mostly on your own, as I go out a lot, and Mrs Balneaves is only here in the mornings and isn’t one to spend time talking.’
‘I’ll do my best, Mrs Robb.’
‘I’m sure you will. Now, I’ve left a note in the kitchen of the meals I’d like you to cook today, and I’ll send Alexander and Laura down to you shortly, so you can get to know them.’
The grandfather clock had been in the farmhouse for two weeks before Meg Forrest cycled to Auchlonie and called at the dressmaker’s shop. Grace Fraser gave her a welcoming smile; it was seldom that any of the farmers’ wives asked her to do anything for them – they usually patronized the tailors or dressmakers in Aberdeen. ‘Good morning, Mrs Forrest, I was very sorry to hear about your son. It must have been a dreadful shock for you and your husband.’
Meg just nodded, for she couldn’t trust herself to speak about John’s death yet. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but I was only wanting a word wi’ Elspeth Gray.’
Putting two and two together, Miss Fraser came up with an answer which verified her previous suspicions about her ex-employee’s hasty departure. Poor girl. John Forrest must have been the father, but the secret was safe with her. ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Forrest, but Elspeth left last Saturday for a better job in Aberdeen.’
‘Oh.’ Meg had never considered this possibility. ‘It was just ... would you have her address?’
‘No, I don’t, but she might write to Nettie or Kirsty once she settles in; she was very friendly with them. Her mother would be able to tell you, though.’
‘Aye, thank you.’ Meg did not want to go to Lizzie, in case the woman hadn’t known about her daughter and John, so she stood for a few minutes on the pavement outside, wondering how to trace Elspeth, who must feel as heartbroken as she did herself. Should she come back next week in case Nettie got a letter ... or should she wait and see if Elspeth took up the invitation to the farmhouse on one of her days off? Aye, it would be best to wait, for the lassie might not want anybody to know how far things had gone between her and John. The poor thing had likely been too upset about his death to come to Blairton before she went to Aberdeen, but they could have helped each other to get over the shock. Becoming aware of the curious glances of two passing women, Meg walked on to Sandy Moir’s shop to buy some sugar.
‘Here’s a letter from your sister in Aberdeen.’ The postman smiled as he handed it over. ‘I hope she’s keeping better.’
Lizzie returned his smile. ‘Our Janet enjoys her bad health, it’s what keeps her going.’
In the kitchen, she opened the envelope, thinking ruefully that Janet was likely complaining already about Elspeth, so the long tale of woe about the extra work the girl was causing came as no surprise, though she suspected that Harry would be doing most of it. After scanning the second page – full of details of Janet’s aches and pains, imaginary or otherwise – she dropped both of them into the fire. There was no sense in letting Geordie see it, for he would just start ranting on about Elspeth again.
She did wonder how her daughter was, for
Janet had said nothing about that, but surely Elspeth would write herself ... unless she wasn’t keeping well. With a great effort, Lizzie concealed her agitation from her husband at suppertime. But she spent a restless night and was relieved when the postman knocked again the following morning. It would surely be a letter from her daughter this time.
Willie Mavor’s grin spread all over his face. ‘A letter from Aberdeen two days running, Lizzie. It’s likely Elspeth telling you about her grand new job.’
Lizzie’s hand trembled slightly as she accepted it and she prayed that he wouldn’t notice. ‘Aye, that’s her writing.’ She closed the door on his curiosity, remembering that Geordie had said to burn Elspeth’s letters without reading them, but she had to find out how she was.
The letter did a lot to relieve her mind. Elspeth said that she was keeping very well, and that she had got a job as a maid with a doctor’s wife. What could be more respectable than that? Lizzie thought, glad that the girl would be out of Janet’s way most of the time. And she would be able to pay for her keep, so that should make her aunt happier, but ... she wouldn’t be able to work for very long, and it was what would happen when the child was born that worried Lizzie. However, she had disobeyed Geordie by just reading the letter, so she had better not risk answering it, and even more important, she had better burn it right now.
Chapter Eleven
The novelty of her job kept Elspeth from being homesick, and she went home every night so tired that she was glad to tumble into bed. This, of course, also had the welcome result that she had little contact with her aunt except on her half days and every second Sunday. At those times, she was careful not to say too much about her life at King’s Gate, merely satisfying Janet’s curiosity about what the house looked like inside, and what kind of people the doctor and his wife were. She never told her about the Robb children, though she had grown very fond of them. Laura, at two, was an affectionate little thing, pulling at Elspeth’s skirts a dozen times a day, but Alexander, two years older, was more serious though he had an appealing, gurgling giggle when he was amused by anything.
Pleased with her new maid, Ann Robb nevertheless soon became rather worried about her. ‘Elspeth never talks about her parents,’ she remarked to her husband one day. ‘I’m sure something awful must have happened to her.’
Alex Robb glanced fondly at his wife. ‘She probably feels ashamed of her parents now she works in the city.’
‘She’s not a girl like that,’ Ann said, doggedly, still firmly convinced that there was a hidden tragedy in the girl’s life.
As week succeeded week, Elspeth had to tighten her stays to conceal the tell-tale bulge, and she was well advanced in her pregnancy when Mrs Robb approached her. ‘Sit down, Elspeth, I want to talk to you.’
‘Yes, Mrs Robb?’ She sat down somewhat awkwardly, and very apprehensively, because her employer’s face was so serious.
‘My husband and I have both noticed that you have put on some weight, and we believe ... are you expecting a baby, Elspeth? You had better tell me the truth.’ Elspeth’s expression told her that her suspicions were correct, and her voice became gentle. ‘How far on are you, my dear?’
‘Eight month.’ The girl fought to keep back her tears. ‘I was over three month gone before I started here.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘I couldn’t tell you, I was feared you wouldn’t give me the job, and I wanted to save enough to see me over my time.’ Gulping, she added, ‘I’m sorry, Mrs Robb, I didn’t mean to annoy you, and I’ll leave now, if you want.’
‘I’m not annoyed, my dear, and we don’t really want you to leave, but it’s not good for you to be working so hard so late in your pregnancy ... and it’s not good for the baby, either. You should have time to rest, and to prepare a layette for its arrival. Do you understand?’
‘Oh ... I didn’t think about that.’ The realization of what the baby clothes would cost made the tears spill over. ‘Mrs Robb, what am I going to do? I’ll never be able to buy the gowns an’ hippens it’ll need.’
‘What about the father? He should be made to help, you know – you didn’t do this by yourself.’
‘He was killed in France in February. He didn’t know about this, but he was going to wed me the next time he came home, and now ...’ She burst into wild sobs.
Ann Robb took her hand. ‘Oh, my dear girl, it must be terrible for you, but wouldn’t your parents stand by you?’
‘Mother was feared my father would find out, for he’s a strict man and very religious, so she tell’t him her sister had got me a fine job in the town, and I had to come and bide wi’ my Auntie Janet.’
‘Oh, I’d forgotten that. So you do have someone to look after you? I was afraid you were just in lodgings.’
Thinking sadly that she would probably be better if she were just in lodgings, Elspeth said, ‘Yes, I’ve somebody to look after me, though Janet’s not very strong.’
After looking pensive for some moments, Ann Robb suddenly brightened. ‘Elspeth, I’ve been thinking. I’ll give you my children’s baby clothes, they’re quite presentable, but the napkins, or hippens, as you call them, were so worn after two babies we used them as floor-cloths. You can have the pram, though. Alex was just saying the other day that we’d have to get rid of it now Laura’s got a go-car.’
‘Oh, Mrs Robb, I don’t know how to thank you.’
‘I’ll look out the clothes tonight and you can take them home with you tomorrow, that will definitely be your last day here, but it’s considered unlucky to get the pram before the baby. An old wives’ tale, but...’ Ann Robb shrugged sheepishly for believing the superstition. ‘If your uncle doesn’t object, he can collect it when it’s required.’
Janet Bain scowled when she learned that Elspeth was to stop work the following day. ‘So you’ll be amongst my feet all the time? Well, just don’t think you’ll be allowed to sit about and do nothing, for I’m not able to run after you and do all the housework as well.’
Harry opened his mouth as if he were about to tell his wife there was nothing wrong with her, but, thinking better of it, he turned to Elspeth. ‘Your Mrs Robb must be a real good woman to give you her children’s old clothes.’
‘Aye, she’s awful good. She wasn’t angry with me for not telling her before, though she’d every right to be.’
‘You can tell her I’ll collect the pram as soon as your baby’s born. My, that’s going to save you a lot, for prams are real dear.’
Janet sniffed. ‘It’s nothing to her, a doctor’s wife.’
‘It’s a lot to Elspeth, any road,’ Harry stated, glaring at his wife.
‘Oh aye, you’ll stick up for her, though she’s just a little trollop.’
‘I’m not a trollop,’ Elspeth shouted. ‘I was only ever wi’ John Forrest and we loved each other.’
‘A trollop,’ Janet repeated, adding in disgust, ‘with no respect for her betters.’
Paying no attention to Harry’s warning hand on her arm, Elspeth yelled, ‘Betters? And since when were you any better than me?’
The thin mouth curled down. ‘For one thing, I never let any man touch me, not even Harry till after he wed me.’ With that, she flounced out and stamped down to the lavatory.
Harry looked sorrowfully at Elspeth. ‘Oh, lassie, you shouldn’t have got on her wrong side.’
‘She shouldn’t have said I was a trollop,’ Elspeth said, heatedly, ‘and what man would have wanted to touch her any road? She’s nothing but a ...’ She stopped in con-fusion, remembering that he was the woman’s husband.
But he was smiling wryly. ‘She wasn’t as bad as that when she was young, though it was sometimes a case of me asking her permission first before I ... and she hasn’t let me near her for ...’ He, too, halted, then, after a moment, he said, ‘Try to put up with her, lass, for you’ll come off worst if you don’t. Get away to your bed now, before she comes back. She’ll have cooled down by the morning.’
Next
day, as Elspeth got ready to go to King’s Gate for the last time, Janet spoke not one word to her and gave no sign of having cooled down, and the girl began to regret her impetuous remarks. Laura and Alexander Robb kept her from brooding, however, though she had a little weep when she told them that she was leaving that night and would not be coming back. Alexander was too much of the little man to show his sorrow, but Laura’s tears mingled with Elspeth’s as they hugged each other at the children’s bedtime.
At five to eight, when Elspeth was making sure that she had left everything in proper order, Mrs Robb came into the kitchen carrying a large parcel. ‘Here are the baby clothes. They were all clean when they were laid away, but perhaps you had better wash and iron them before you use them. Things get musty when they haven’t been used for a while.’
‘Thank you, Mrs Robb, I’ll do that.’
‘Here are your month’s wages, and something extra as holiday pay. Look after yourself, my dear, and remember, I’d like to see your baby after it’s born.’
Too emotional to say any more, Elspeth lifted her coat and went out, but on her way to the tram stop she opened the envelope she had been given and burst into tears when she saw the extra five pound note. It was almost four months’ wages, so Mrs Robb had given her a gift, not just a little something to make up for the holidays she had never had.
Elspeth’s days were even harder now than at King’s Gate, for Janet Bain made sure that she never had time to sit down, and carped constantly that things were not being done properly, but the girl was afraid to rouse her aunt’s anger again. The weight of the baby inside her made her easily tired, and she felt embarrassed at being so cumber-some, but she was determined not to break down and give Janet something else to sneer at. Only when she was in bed did she let the tears flow, tears of sorrow for John Forrest, of pity for herself, of dread of her life once the baby arrived, for she couldn’t see Janet taking kindly to it. Night after night, she cried herself to sleep, until her nerves were in tatters and her face grew wan and drawn above the huge, swollen mass of her belly.
Time Shall Reap Page 10
