Tiger Bay Blues

by Catrin Collier

  ‘Yes … yes, I am,’ she said decisively. ‘And if Judy coming here means Mrs Mack will go, we can pay Judy Mrs Mack’s wages and I can work alongside her to get the house as I want it.’ She thought through the idea. ‘If Judy can cook, that will have Peter convinced. He’s had too many inedible meals put in front of him lately to want any more. And if she can’t cook all the dishes he likes, I can teach her.’

  ‘You can cook?’ Micah asked in surprise.

  ‘You thought my father brought up his daughters to be ornamental just because we have help in the house?’

  ‘It happens.’

  ‘Not in the Evans household. Mari is one of my mother’s oldest friends, and we have two maids because there are so many of us and my mother works full-time as a buyer in Gwilym James.’

  ‘The department store?’

  ‘Yes.’ As always with people outside of the family, Edyth didn’t tell him the store was part of Harry’s enormous trust fund.

  ‘In that case, I apologise. I had you down as being one of the idle rich.’

  She laughed again when she returned to the carpet next to the hearth. ‘You knew I intended to go to college and train as a teacher.’

  ‘So you did.’

  ‘How soon can Judy start?’

  ‘Ten minutes ago.’

  ‘I thought you hadn’t said anything to her?’

  ‘I haven’t, but I told her that I’d look around.’

  ‘If she’s going to live in I ought to go upstairs and check the attic rooms. I know Mrs Mack sleeps in one, so presumably that is all right, but I have no idea what condition the others are in.’

  ‘In this weather they are going to be cold and damp,’ he said, ‘but with luck there’ll be fireplaces in them. I can lay a fire in the room to air it, and if there’s a mattress on the bed we can prop it in front of the fire.’

  ‘And if there’s no bed and no mattress?’

  ‘She can have mine until you get a chance to buy both.’

  She looked at him in surprise. ‘You really do care for Judy, don’t you, Micah? Is she Lutheran?’ She wondered if finding jobs for people was all part of the service Micah offered as Pastor of the Norwegian church.

  ‘She’s Catholic, but I hate to see people getting a rough deal in life, whatever God they worship. And Judy’s had a streak of bad luck through no fault of her own. Jed’s wife means to be kind, but she has a houseful of children of her own to look after and another on the way. She’s overworked and irritable, and Judy is an easy target. It’s not her fault or Judy’s, but they’d both be better off out of one another’s company. You know what it’s like, or if you don’t, you can imagine. Two women trying to share the same kitchen inevitably leads to quarrelling.’

  Edyth decided the news that Peter’s mother was going to move in with them couldn’t have reached the Bay yet. So Mrs Mack had to be close-mouthed about some things. ‘Even if I manage to sort out a room for Judy, I still have the problem of what to do with Mrs Mack, that’s if she doesn’t walk out in a huff.’

  ‘She won’t,’ Micah predicted. ‘She has too cosy a berth here to jump ship, despite her threats to do just that.’

  ‘I don’t like the woman but I hate the thought of her having to go into the workhouse.’

  ‘She won’t,’ Micah replied confidently. ‘I told you, she has a nest egg. She’ll find lodgings soon enough. There are always people willing to take in paying guests to make a few extra shillings. Even a Mrs Mack.’

  Among the many important things Edyth had earmarked to discuss with Peter was money. He had continually told her that they wouldn’t be rich but she had no idea what his stipend was. He had mentioned that his father had left him an annuity, so they couldn’t be that badly off. She didn’t even know what he was paying Mrs Mack. Her mother’s maids earned twenty pounds a year plus their keep, Mari more than twice as much. She could start Judy on twenty pounds a year and raise it later if the girl was worth extra. And she had savings of two hundred pounds, so if Peter objected to paying the girl’s wages as well as Mrs Mack’s – if the housekeeper stayed – she could always pay Judy herself.

  ‘Do you think Judy would accept an offer of twenty pounds a year plus keep? On a month’s trial during which she could leave or I could terminate her employment?’ she asked Micah.

  ‘That sounds more than fair to me. There are girls from the Bay living in as maids who get only six pounds a year plus keep.’

  ‘Given my father’s history of organising strikes for better working conditions and a decent living wage for everyone, he would never forgive me for exploiting someone.’

  ‘Edyth … Micah, what on earth are you doing?’ Peter stood in the doorway and stared at the sight of the two of them sitting on the floor.

  ‘We decided that your chairs are too grand for us to sit on, Peter.’ Micah climbed to his feet and offered Peter his hand.

  ‘The suite isn’t very comfortable, Peter,’ Edyth said quietly.

  ‘It encourages people to sit up properly, so it may take a little getting used to.’

  Edyth could hear Florence Slater’s voice behind his explanation.

  ‘We thought you were in the dining room with the committee.’

  ‘The meeting finished ten minutes ago.’

  ‘I didn’t hear the men leaving.’

  ‘Probably because you were too busy laughing and gossiping in here. We could hear you all through the meeting.’

  ‘I hope we didn’t disturb you.’

  Clearly agitated, he chose not to answer her question. ‘I’ve just left Mrs Mack crying in the dining room. She says you’re replacing her with a coloured girl.’

  ‘I never said replacing. Micah asked me if I could find a place for Judy Hamilton, the singer with the Bute Street Blues Band –’

  ‘The last thing we need in this house is a singer,’ Peter declared.

  ‘She’s not a professional, Peter,’ Micah explained. ‘She’s lost her position as a daily housekeeper.’

  ‘Why?’ Peter asked abruptly.

  During the time it took Micah to explain Judy Hamilton’s background, Edyth had decided that no matter what Peter said, she would employ the girl. She had given in to all of Peter’s demands – that his mother live with them, that they employ Mrs Mack, that they defer the consummation of their marriage until they move into their own house, that they have separate bedrooms, she hadn’t exactly agreed to the last one; it was still up for discussion as far as she was concerned, but if the vicarage was to be her home, then she would employ whom she liked.

  ‘I have already told Micah to offer the girl the job, if she wants it, Peter.’

  ‘No matter what Mrs Mack says.’ His expression grew chilly.

  ‘You did say I could run the house any way I wanted to.’ He hadn’t actually but she knew he wouldn’t argue the fact in front of Micah. ‘Give me ten minutes to check the attic, Micah. If one of the rooms up there can be made ready for Judy, she can move in right away.’

  Edyth left the men in the sitting room and ran up the two flights of stairs to the attic. There were four doors on the poky, windowless landing. One was locked and she presumed that was Mrs Mack’s, although she thought it odd that the housekeeper felt it necessary to lock her door.

  One opened into a room full of boxes and tea chests, marked Dining Room, Sitting Room, Kitchen, Bedroom 1, Bedroom 2, Maid’s Room and Peter’s Room. They were comparatively dust-free, and she knew she had stumbled across the cases that had been used to ferry Peter’s mother’s goods from storage to the vicarage.

  The other two rooms were furnished identically. Both held a single iron bedstead with a thin, dustsheet-shrouded mattress, an aluminium washstand and chest of drawers. There were no wardrobes, and no room for one in either, but there were hooks on the backs of the doors.

  Micah had said that Judy had lost most of her possessions so she was hardly likely to need a great deal of storage space. There was also a fireplace in each room. Trusting that the chim
neys had been swept recently she went downstairs and into the kitchen.

  ‘Light a fire in both of the attic rooms that are furnished, please, Mrs Mack.’

  ‘Both?’ Mrs Mack questioned.

  ‘It’s cold and damp up there. The whole floor could do with an airing.’

  ‘It’s a lot of trouble to carry coals up two flights of stairs and I’ve never seen the need to light a fire in my room,’ Mrs Mack protested.

  ‘Please do so now,’ Edyth requested firmly. ‘Miss Hamilton will be moving in this evening. I have decided to give her a month’s trial.’

  She left before the housekeeper could make another comment. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for Peter’s disapproval and turned the knob on the door of the sitting room.

  ‘It’s very kind of you to give me a job and take me in, Mrs Slater.’ Judy dropped a battered shopping bag in the hall. It was bulging, but not very large, and it was the only luggage she had brought.

  ‘Not at all, Judy. In fact, I think you are going to be an absolute godsend,’ Edyth blurted unthinkingly. Thankfully Peter was in his study, so he didn’t hear her blaspheme and she resolved to watch her language more closely in future.

  Judy looked around the hall. ‘I could start right away, Mrs Slater. Those tiles could do with a good scrubbing with powdered brick and washing soda and, after they’ve been cleaned, coating with wax.’

  ‘Let’s get you settled first, Judy. I’ve only been in the house for a few hours myself. The first thing I want to do is go into every room and make a list of what needs doing and then put the jobs in order of priority. For the moment, I’ll show you to your room so you can unpack.’

  Judy picked up her shopping bag. ‘That won’t take long.’

  ‘Mr Holsten told me what happened to your belongings. I’m sorry. But as well as unpacking, you’ll have to make up your bed. It’s on the top floor. You can take either of the empty rooms with fires burning in them, whichever you prefer. You can go on up if you like,’ she said at a knock on the door.

  Judy went up the stairs. Edyth opened the door. Micah Holsten was on the step.

  ‘I’m not coming in, just came to drop off Judy and say thank you again. You will give her time off if she gets the chance of another audition?’ he checked. ‘If she is going to make anything of herself it will be through her singing and, although you’ve seen no evidence of it, her dancing.’

  ‘Of course I will, Micah.’

  Peter opened his study door. ‘Problems, Micah?’

  ‘I only came to drop Judy off.’ Micah pointed to his van, which he’d parked in the yard. The engine was still running. ‘And remind Edyth that there’s a meeting of the Bay youth committee on Monday evening at six o’clock.’

  ‘What’s that?’ Edyth asked.

  ‘I forgot to tell you, Edyth?’ Peter slipped his hand around her waist again. ‘I’ve left all the Sunday school and youth work to you. Micah has set up an inter-faith youth committee that works with all the churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples in the Bay. I thought you could be our representative on it.’

  ‘See you on Monday in the mission at six o’clock. Don’t forget. We’ve all the Christmas holiday events to plan for. Every place of worship joins in. No matter what the denomination there’s some festival or other around that time.’ Micah ran back to his van.

  ‘I’m sorry, I meant to mention the committee, but this last week you were so busy with David and your family –’

  ‘I know, Peter. And I’m very grateful to you for allowing me to interrupt our honeymoon. But,’ she smiled determinedly, ‘we’re home now and we can have a very long talk about the parish, the house and everything else. Does over dinner tonight suit you?’

  ‘Of course, and afterwards we’ll listen to the radio in the sitting room.’

  To Edyth’s surprise he kissed her, just as Mrs Mack walked into the hall. It was only one of his pecks on the cheek, but in front of the housekeeper it seemed bizarre.

  Determined to do everything she could to please him, she ran lightly up the stairs.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Peter sat at the head of the dining table, picked up his spoon and looked down at the bowl Mrs Mack had placed in front of his chair.

  ‘Some things should not be discussed at meal times,’ he glanced at Mrs Mack, ‘and money is one of them.’

  Edyth took the hint. ‘I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking.’ She watched him carve a dent in Mrs Mack’s leek and potato soup, which was as thick, floury, and unappetising as the one Mrs Price had served them in the vicarage in Pontypridd. It seemed like years ago, rather than a couple of months. ‘It was kind of the church council and Sunday school to bring us those flowers and fruit.’

  ‘It was.’ He made a face as he struggled to swallow the soup.

  ‘I think more people have walked through the doors of this vicarage than Cardiff station in the couple of hours since we returned.’

  ‘I warned you what our life here would be like,’ he said, taking her remark as a criticism.

  ‘You did.’ She left her chair and closed the door when Mrs Mack returned to the kitchen. ‘And I don’t mind holding open house for every member of the church. But as well as helping you in the parish, I want to run the vicarage efficiently, and in order to do that I have to keep a tight control on the kitchen. This is inedible.’

  He dropped his spoon into the bowl. It fell with a dull plop and rested on top of the jelly-like soup. ‘You seem absolutely determined to find fault with everything Mrs Mack does.’

  ‘It doesn’t bother you that you can’t eat the food she serves, or that the house in dirty and neglected?’ she asked flatly.

  ‘It’s not that bad –’

  ‘Peter, I’m not making a fuss over nothing. I wouldn’t be able to find fault if Mrs Mack did her job properly. I can’t possibly allow her to continue to do the marketing and cooking. Not after seeing the quality of food in the pantry, the state of the kitchen and the meals she slops up.’ She pushed her bowl away from her, to emphasise the point she’d made.

  ‘She is the housekeeper.’

  ‘For the moment,’ Edyth muttered darkly.

  ‘I won’t give you leave to sack her, Edyth, no matter what Micah Holsten told you about her,’ he warned. ‘And while I’ve agreed to your request that we give Judy Hamilton a position here, I will not allow you to make her our housekeeper over Mrs Mack.’

  Edyth was seething, but she kept her thoughts to herself. ‘I’ll need to know how much you pay Mrs Mack.’

  ‘I’ll look it up tomorrow.’

  ‘Why not simply hand me the household account books and let me work out everything for myself?’ When he didn’t answer her, she risked antagonising him further by venturing, ‘Have you any idea how irritating your silences can be, Peter?’

  ‘We are eating, Edyth. How can I digest my food if you persist in quarrelling with me over domestic arrangements I’ve already made.’

  ‘You’re determined to keep Mrs Mack on no matter what?’

  ‘I was brought up to believe that a man is head of his own household. My father was in sole charge of all the decision-making in our family and, to my knowledge, Mother never questioned his authority – not once.’

  Edyth checked her temper when Mrs Mack returned to clear the soup bowls, but it remained simmering beneath the surface. And it didn’t help that she knew she was being touchy, possibly even petulant, and certainly on the verge of her first serious quarrel with Peter. ‘Bring in the hotpot, Mrs Mack, and leave it on the table. I will serve it. And please close the door behind you when you leave. Reverend Slater and I have things to discuss.’

  ‘As do I.’ The housekeeper stood, hands on hips, and confronted Edyth, ‘That half-caste –’

  ‘Mrs Mack.’ Peter rose to his feet and looked down at her. ‘Please refer to the maid as Miss Hamilton. I never want to hear that expression in this vicarage again.’

  Despite the words they’d exchanged, Edyth could have
kissed Peter for reprimanding the housekeeper.

  ‘Whatever she is,’ Mrs Mack continued unabashed, ‘she’s clearing the bookshelves and bureau bookcase in the sitting room.’

  ‘I asked her to do it, Mrs Mack.’ Edyth spoke to the housekeeper but looked at Peter.

  ‘Why?’ Peter frowned.

  ‘Because I need space to store and display our wedding presents and my family photographs,’ Edyth explained. ‘I also intend to pack away the china and silverware in here on Monday morning to make room for the sets Harry, Mary, Bella and Toby gave us.’

  ‘I suppose you expect me to stand back and watch that girl undo all my hard work of the last two weeks?’ Mrs Mack glared at Peter.

  ‘There’s no need for you to do anything, Mrs Mack.’ Edyth deliberately lowered her voice in contrast to the housekeeper, who was shouting belligerently. ‘I’ll get a man in to carry the packing cases down from the attic. After we’ve filled them, he can return them to the box room.’ Edyth looked across the table at Peter. ‘I take it there is a jobbing handyman around Tiger Bay that I can employ to do a few hours’ work?’

  ‘There is Alf Roberts, the verger. He’s a retired seaman who takes care of the church,’ Peter informed her. ‘He saw to the heavy work that needed doing in both the church and the vicarage in Reverend Richards’s time.’

  ‘Then I’ll ask him to find the help he needs to transfer the boxes of wedding presents and empty packing cases downstairs, and the full cases back up again after Judy and I have packed your mother’s things away.’

  ‘Mrs Mack, we’re waiting for our hotpot,’ Peter reminded the housekeeper, who was standing, open-mouthed, listening to their conversation.

  The housekeeper left and Peter sat back down. Although Edyth was glad to see that he could be assertive with Mrs Mack when he chose, she refrained from passing comment in case he regarded her remarks as patronising.

  ‘Please don’t pack away the silverware, china and ornaments in the sitting room, Edyth.’ Peter picked up his napkin from the floor where it had fallen when he’d left his chair.

  ‘Why not?’