The buffing work had dropped off a little and so Emily’s girls did not now work at weekends. Early on the Saturday following her conversation with Trip, Emily called first at Nathan Hawke’s terraced house.
‘What a grand little chap,’ Nathan said, gazing down at the child. ‘I’m sure he’s grown since I last saw him.’
‘They alter almost daily at this age.’
‘It was a great sadness to my wife and me that we never had children. They’d be a great comfort to me now, I’m sure. That’s as long as—’
Emily looked at him questioningly and with a wry smile, Nathan added, ‘As long as they hadn’t turned out like Mick Dugdale.’
‘I’m going to see Mrs Dugdale when I leave. Lewis’ll be wanting a feed by then.’
‘Well, you can—’ Nathan stopped in embarrassment. ‘Of course, I understand.’ Much to Emily’s amusement the man was blushing.
To cover his confusion, Nathan turned to a safer topic. ‘How’s business?’
Emily grimaced. ‘A little quiet, but we are keeping our heads above water – just.’
‘You’re still managing to run both workshops?’
‘Yes, though I haven’t used the first floor in the Broad Lane premises yet.’
‘And the three sisters you set on to work there – they’re proving satisfactory?’
‘Very. They’re excellent workers and you should see Winifred actually running between the two workshops acting as errand lass for everyone.’
‘And Trip?’
‘The same, really. Just holding on.’
‘I hope it doesn’t get any worse.’ He smiled at her. ‘I hear you’ve been very active in providing food for the miners’ families.’
Emily looked up at him, but she could read nothing in the expression on his face. ‘Do – do you approve?’ she asked tentatively.
‘Wholeheartedly, my dear. I might have been classed as an employer in a small way, but I’ve always thought of myself as a worker. I’ve never forgotten my roots. I’ve just been lucky, that’s all.’
‘You’ve worked hard for everything you’ve got.’
‘So have you, Emily,’ he murmured. And, he thought to himself, she had a good heart. She hadn’t forgotten where she’d come from either.
As Lewis began to stir, Emily picked up the large wicker basket she used to carry her baby. ‘I expect he’s getting hungry. We’ll be off. But don’t be a stranger to us, Mr Hawke. Come for dinner one evening. How about next Saturday? I’ll ask Richard to come too.’
Nathan’s face brightened. ‘I’d like that. Thank you.’
By the time Emily had parked the car in Garden Street and walked into Court 8, Lewis was whimpering. Lizzie opened the door. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘No, I just thought that it was high time your mam saw Lewis again.’
Lizzie blinked and then smiled uncertainly as she murmured, ‘How thoughtful of you. She’s been bombarding me with questions. Come in, do.’
Emily stepped straight into the kitchen. ‘Hello, Mrs Dugdale. How are you?’ It was an unnecessary question really. Since Mick’s disappearance, in her distress, Bess had lost weight and was now was half the size she’d once been; her clothes hung loosely on her, her face was gaunt and her eyes were dark-rimmed. She looked as if she hadn’t slept properly for weeks. But, as she looked down at Lewis, she smiled. ‘Aw, Emily, he’s such a bonny little chap. Come in and sit by the fire.’
‘He’s ready for a feed. Would you mind if I . . . ?’
‘Of course not.’ Her smile faded as she added quietly, ‘There’re no men likely to come in now.’
Emily settled herself beside the fire in the shining, black-leaded range in the very spot where her father had spent his days during the two years that they had lived here. She glanced round the kitchen; it was much as she remembered it. On one side of the range were some built-in cupboards from floor to ceiling. On the other side was a cast-iron copper, set in brickwork over a fire grate. Next to that was a stone sink with cupboards beneath it. Her mind flew back to the day when the Ryan family had first stepped into the house. Then, Bess had welcomed them and shown them round, telling them everything they needed to know about this new and strange world they had come to. Now, the rest of her family were back in Ashford, but Emily had returned to the city to make her life there with Trip.
Never one to shy away from a difficult subject, Emily asked, ‘Have you heard anything from Mick?’ Now that she had a child herself, she understood a mother’s heartache a little better.
Bess glanced away, but shook her head and murmured huskily, ‘Not a word. We don’t know if he’s alive or – or . . .’ She bit her lip and couldn’t continue.
‘We think he might have gone to London,’ Lizzie said. ‘You know, lost himself in the big city. We don’t want him to come back here, but Mam just wants to know if he’s all right.’
‘Whatever he’s done,’ Bess said, tentatively, ‘he’s still my boy.’ Tears filled her eyes.
‘I know,’ Emily said, as her own son nuzzled her breast and fed hungrily. She tried to imagine how she would feel if, in the years ahead, she was to be faced with the same anxiety and disappointment in Lewis.
Bess raised her head and met Emily’s gaze. ‘I was so proud of him, Emily, back then. I thought he was so clever with his wheeling and dealing. Oh, if I’d stopped to think about it, I would have realized that maybe now and again his dealings were a little bit – well, shady, but I never dreamed he was running a gang and was involved in extortion and threatening folks.’
Emily could see that the thoughts were haunting her. ‘It wasn’t your fault – or Lizzie’s. You must both try to move on and to build your lives without him because – I’m sorry to say it for your sakes – but I don’t think he will come back here. He’s still a wanted man.’
Bess nodded. ‘I know I should try – for Lizzie’s sake – but it’s so hard.’
‘I can understand that.’ Emily paused. ‘Are you working again?’
Bess shook her head. ‘Mr Farrell sacked me when he heard that Mick had taken little Lucy. Hardly anyone in the court is speaking to me – to us.’
From being the mainstay of the court, Bess was now ostracized by the people she had once helped so readily.
‘Is there any other work you can do, other than file-making?’
Bess shook her head. ‘Cleaning, washing, cooking, I suppose. That’s all I’ve ever done.’
‘Then I have a suggestion to make.’ Emily smiled. She had discussed the idea with Trip over breakfast and though he had been thoughtful for a few moments, in the end he’d agreed.
‘Would you like to come and be our housekeeper? You know that Flo’s sister’s been helping out, but she’s only a young girl and she wants to find work in a shop. You could do so much more for us than she can, Mrs Dugdale. I daren’t leave Lewis with her for a moment. Not because I don’t trust her,’ she added hastily, ‘but because she has no experience of babies. But I’d happily leave him in your care.’
Bess gaped at her. ‘You’d – you’d do that for me? For us? After all that’s happened?’
Emily shrugged. ‘Like I said, none of it was your fault. Everyone knows that.’
With some of her old vigour, Bess snorted derisively. ‘They don’t seem to think so round here.’
‘Then why don’t you move?’
‘I would, if I could find somewhere we could afford, but with only Lizzie’s wage . . . Don’t get me wrong, Emily. You’re very generous with what you pay her, but with me not able to find work anywhere, it comes very heavy on Lizzie.’
‘There’s a very nice little house not far from us on Cromwell Street which has come up for rent. It’s within easy walking distance for you – only about five streets away. You’d have further to go to work, Lizzie, but I can give you a lift most days,’ she added, glancing at her. Then she turned back to Bess. ‘I can speak to the owner, if you’d like, and see if he’s willing to let it to you.’
‘Do you know him? And would he accept us when he knows who we are?’ Her voice fell away.
Emily was smiling. ‘Oh, I think so. It’s where Steve used to live. It’s his house, but now, of course, he’s moved in with Nell.’
Bess’s mouth fell open. ‘You – you really think he’d let us have it? The mother and sister of his arch-enemy?’
Emily smiled and, with unusual conceit, said, ‘I think so – if I ask him.’