A Woman Undefeated (48 page)

“So, here yer are on this fine summer’s evening,” Alice exclaimed, as she saw who was at the door. “I’d forgotten what yer all look like. My yer’ve grown, our Mikey. Have yer come ter see yer Grand-mama?”

“Alice, yer only saw him two weeks ago. I know he’s growin’ quickly, but not that much since then.”

Alice ignored her and, taking Mikey by the hand, went into the kitchen to get him a drink of milk. That was what she always seemed to do, make a fuss of her first born grandchild, whilst she ignored the second one.

“I’m glad yer called, Maggie,” she said when she followed her into the kitchen, after she had taken Hannah from her pram’. “You’ve saved me puffin’ up the hill to the dressmaker’s. I got another money voucher from Jack, and this time he’s written a few words. Will yer read them to me, while I make a cup of tea?”

“It says he doesn’t work fer Lord Belsham anymore,” Maggie said, sitting down at the table and perusing the missive. “He’s become a promoter himself and he’s moved into the city of New York, where there’s plenty of raw new talent moving in. He’s teamed up with a trainer and they run a gymnasium, fer sparring partners and practicing. He says he’s makin’ so much money that he’ll soon be able to visit home! He sends his love to Mikey and Hannah and hopes that she has settled in.”

“Has he sent an address this time?”

“No, he says he will do, when he gets himself a permanent address. At the moment he has a room, but it’s only for a short while because the area isn’t very nice. That’ll put the cat amongst
the pigeons, if Jack turns up fer a visit. Remind me to take a holiday when he writes ter say when he’ll arrive!”

“But don’t yer see, Maggie, if we can get an address, Seamus could find him when the ship puts its passengers down at that Ellis Island place, yer know the one he said you have to go to before they let yer in? Well, when his ship goes into the harbour, he’s allowed to go ashore. He could tell our Jack how we’re doin’ and Seamus will see how our Jack is doin’ as well.”

“If yer say so, Alice. Don’t get yer hopes up. He’s bin gone well over a year now and we don’t often get a word.”

“Oh, I know I’ll see my boy one day. It’ll be in my lifetime, I know it will!”

Maggie dawdled a little before they set off back to Selwyn Lodge. She and her child stood hand in hand on the promenade, looking out across the estuary, while Hannah settled back to sleep again. The tide was in, but not quite lapping the promenade wall. Maggie liked that time of day in the early summer, the sunset streaking across the sky, all pink and yellow, promising fine weather for the next day.

How she loved that place. Jack could keep his foreign land and talk of good money to be made. He wouldn’t have her view of craggy mountain tops and the quilted panorama of green fields, dark forests and brown arable land. There was a stillness about the place, only broken by the squawk of seagulls, as they came to rest on the roof tops, the occasional call of a curlew and the plopping of little boats as they were lifted by the waves. Contentment filled her soul and she felt the thoughts of her trying day disappear into thin air.

A few days later, Madeline came into the shop, breathless in her eagerness to impart to Maggie, what was being planned for Ladies’ Day.

“Johnny will be home and Ted and I were talking. How about if we all go together to the fairground after the parade? We can watch the parade with the children, visit the fair, then in the
evening put the children with your nursemaid and go dancing behind the Bowling Green?”

“It sounds wonderful, but Sarah might have plans to meet Ezra. They’re walkin’ out together now.”

“She’s your nursemaid! Surely you can tell her that our plans come first? Or what about Miss Rosemary keeping an ear out for them, or better still taking them all to your mother-in-law’s home?”

“I don’t think that will go down very well with Miss Rosemary or Alice. Miss Rosemary is beginning to feel her age. She likes to be in bed by nine o’clock, she likes to turn up the oil lamp and read.”

“Alice then.”

“Alice couldn’t manage Mikey and two babies. Even with Michael helpin’ they couldn’t cope.

No, if I promise Sarah she can invite Ezra to sit with her in the conservatory, she’ll be happy to listen out fer the children. I’ll tell her you’ll be bringin’ Eddie and she can line a cupboard drawer fer him.”

“I’ll bring the pram’, he can sleep in there. He’ll be used to his own smells in there. A strange cupboard drawer will unsettle him.”

“As yer wish, you’re his mother. Now what time do yer want us ter meet? Are yer sure Johnny will be happy with yer plan?”

Maggie wasn’t sure that she was. It was playing with fire to be seen in the company of a handsome man. Tongues would wag and lurid stories would be made up about the fighter’s widow walking out with a seagoing man. What the local gossips didn’t know, they would invent. She was also worried how Betty and Alice would react when they got to hear about it.

Betty was quite understanding, when she explained that it was going to be a family outing, though not so supportive when she heard of their intention to dance at the Bowling Green, later.

“All I can say is, be careful that you don’t encourage him, Maggie. He only knows that you’re a widow, not that Jack is lurking somewhere in the wings. Make sure you are never alone with him. Stay with the others, then tongues can’t wag.”

Sound advice, and she recalled it as she put on the lightest coloured dress that she had made yet. It had many layers of creamy tulle, over a crinoline cage, topped with a ruched overskirt in deepest pink. The bodice was fairly roomy, gathered into the waist with a band. The neck was trimmed with a little lace collar and the sleeves ballooned into a large open bell. She carried a pretty cream shawl over her arm, edged with the same deep pink fringes. On her feet were off white, kid leather, laced ankle boots, which she knew would be scuffed and dirty by the time she got home. But, that was the price of fashion. She would never have dreamt of purchasing such a pair of frivolities two years before. She knew, though, that Madeline would be dressed up to the nines and she didn’t want to feel dowdy.

Nor did her children escape her ministrations. Mikey was dressed in corduroy breeches, black patent leather shoes, and a white frilled shirt with a little bow. She carried his little blue velveteen jacket in a small valise, in case he got cold. Hannah, as always, was made to look her prettiest, in a lacy layered lemon dress, matching bonnet and yellow cardigan.

It had rained earlier that morning, but the sun had come out by eleven o’clock and there were the makings of a fine day. By the time they had reached the Brown Horse, the crowd had swelled to large proportions and she was very grateful when Madeline suggested that they sit in the upper window of the tavern, with its vantage point of all below.

Johnny greeted her stiffly. There was a coolness about him as he took her hand and he didn’t meet her eye when she said “hello”. The children distracted them, though, and there wasn’t time for her to wonder at the chill of his greeting.

Mikey nearly fell out onto the pavement, he was so excited at hearing the band. They ooompah pahed along the High Street and down to the Anglican church, the ladies with their colourful staffs and Sunday best dresses following on behind. The procession was as good as the year before, though the crinoline was still in the minority.

When the street was quiet, the crowd having either gone to the church or the fairground, Ted suggested that they all walk along to the fairground too. He didn’t open his premises until six o’clock and he had engaged some evening cover. Madeline and Maggie pushed their prams ahead of the men, with Mikey tugging excitedly at Maggie’s hand.

“Come on, man, get yer face straight,” Ted advised quietly to his brother. “She won’t want ter be courted by someone who has a face that looks like sour cream!”

“Who’s to say that Maggie wants to be courted, brother? She may be content as a widow. We’re assuming that Maggie would like to be married again.”

“Oh, Johnny, women are placed on this earth to be bearers of our children. That’s all they want out of life, to be happily married and to have babies every year.”

“Well, it seems to me that Maggie is happy having her job and leaving her children with a nursemaid. Anyway, I told you. I don’t want to settle until our mother has gone.”

Mikey was attracted by the hurdy gurdy man and toddled across to listen to the melodies. The two young mothers followed at a leisurely pace, as pram pushing was difficult with the muddy ruts in the field. They settled down at a refreshment table, while the men wandered around, looking at the stalls. For a moment, Maggie felt nostalgia grip her, as she remembered Jack and Michael at the rifle range. Was that really only two years ago, when she had sat with her great big belly, as Jack planned out their removal to Liverpool and they waited for Mikey to be born? So much had happened since then.

She looked around the field that they were sitting in. The gypsy wagons were over by the trees, gaily painted wooden vehicles on four large spindle wheels. The merry-go-round, the swing boats, the hoopla stall, the big fat lady, nothing seemed to have changed. But her life had, dramatically, since her chance meeting with Miss Rosemary.

Thinking of Betty brought her to a sudden jolt. This was the field Mr Arlington had spoken of? This and another across Raby Road. He was trying to persuade them to attend a land auction, to be held at the Assembly Rooms, the coming July. The rumours were strong. A track could be laid to bring the train to Neston, and the people to benefit would be the ones who had bought up pieces of land. It would be a pity to take the gypsy field away, though. She had heard that the gypsies had been coming to the village for many a year. It was an event that everyone looked forward to, that and Ladies’ Day of course.

She was deep in thought, when Madeline shook her arm impatiently.

“I said, shall we go and have our future told? There’s a gypsy woman telling fortunes over there.”

Maggie shook her head decisively.

“No, Madeline, I think it’s against our religion, I’ve read something somewhere about that.”

“Pooh, it’s just some mouldy old priest, who’s trying to stop our fun.”

“Well, you go if yer want to and I’ll stay and look after Eddie. Mikey, come back here now, that little animal is getting cross with you!”

Mikey came running back to her, his eyes twinkling happily, as Madeline, full of excitement, dashed away across the field.

“Mama, the mun-kee danced for me. Did you see it, come with me and see it now!”

“No, Mikey, sit and be good fer Mama. If you are, I’ll get you one of those ice creams, when yer Uncle Ted and Johnny come back to join us.”

She looked over to where the two brother’s were standing, talking. It looked as if Johnny had the weight of the world on his broad shoulders and she wondered what was bothering him. Whatever it was, it wasn’t her business. She didn’t know him well enough to offer him her help.

Her mind wandered again. This time to thoughts of what it would be like to be wed to Johnny Dockerty. Seeing his handsome face above her, as they made a baby in their marriage bed. Feeling his hard, lean muscles as he held her closely. Feeling warm, comfortable and loved, as she lay there in his arms. She could still hold onto her business, he would be away a lot at sea. Goodness! What was she thinking about? She was still married to Jack, even if he was thousands of miles across the sea. She took an ivory fan from her reticule and wafted her blushing face away.

“Maggie!” Madeline came rushing back, breathlessly.

“The gypsy said you’re to go over. She says she wants to tell
you something you should know! Have you got a sixpence? That is what you have to cross her palm with. A silver sixpence. Do you know, she told me I was going to have seven children? Not much else, seven children and a happy life.”

“I don’t want ter have me future told me, Madeline. God won’t be happy if I go and get told.”

“Tosh, it’ll only take a few minutes. Go on, scaredy cat. I’ll look after the children, like you looked after Eddie for me.”

She felt drawn then. Maybe fate took a hand in people’s lives, just as religion did. She walked slowly, watching the gypsy as she beckoned. Then the gypsy disappeared into the wagon, so it seemed the deed was to be done!

Maggie climbed up the wooden steps precariously, because her crinoline hoop was swaying and she was in danger of falling to her knees. She could hear the woman laughing softly, then she pushed open the bottom half of the door for her. Maggie had just managed to squeeze herself into the wagon and was amazed when she looked around!

The interior was fitted with mahogany cupboards and doors. A locker seat with a chest of drawers and another seat ran along one wall. At the end of the wagon was a window and underneath sat a double bed. On the other side was a wardrobe and a cupboard, next to it a stove for cooking and another seat, where the gypsy was sitting, staring at her boldly.

Everything was bright and sparkled with cleanliness, as if Gypsy Petruoni was proud of her home. The woman was dressed in a gaudy red skirt, white short sleeved blouse and a red bandanna over her long black hair. Her skin was swarthy and weather beaten, and she looked to be in her forties and very, very slim.