Part 14 (1/2)

'Aye, well, don't come here with them sort of remarks, because they're not appreciated.'

'No, a lot of things aren't appreciated unless some uppity person has done 'em.' Gertie glared at Maud and then at Mr. Grimsby.

'Don't look at me like that,' he said. He wasn't smiling now and his long face had darkened to a scowl. Maud looked upset. That's what happens when that Gertie's around, he thought. Just look at that face! He'd like to wipe that look off with the back of his hand. He would one day, too, if she wasn't careful.

'I'll look at you any way I want.' Gertie flounced off into the scullery before he could reply, or do what he wanted to do.

Maud set a cup and saucer in front of him. 'Ee, I don't know Alf. Gertie comes out with some odd things at times.'

Gertie came back into the kitchen with a cloth to clean the silver in the morning room. She ignored them both and went out, banging the kitchen door after her.

'I can't stand that girl,' Maud said. 'She's an unpleasant piece and it doesn't make a sc.r.a.p of difference what anyone says, she doesn't get any better.'

Alf put the cup to his mouth, wrinkling his long nose as he took a sip. He looked odd, because his nostrils opened wide when he did it and as Maud said to Leah, you could almost see his brain. He nodded and put his cup down.

'She's a strange one that girl; never seen stranger; can't work her out.' He spoke with a strong c.o.c.kney accent, in short sharp sentences, as though cutting his words off with the scissors. 'Something odd there. Something strange! She seems to have a lot of new clothes lately, too. Noticed that?'

Maud sat opposite him and drank her tea. She frowned. 'Now you come to mention it, I have. She does seem to have money to burn lately. I've asked her about it but she just gives me one of her nasty, smug looks and laughs and tells me to mind me own business. Sometimes I could hit her and I will one day if she's not careful.'

'Oh, I forgot, Maud. They want dinner at seven tonight, not seven thirty.'

'Oh, thanks for telling me,' Maud said jumping up. 'I've still got to make the jam rolly.'

She called to Jenny Brown in the scullery, who was making a lot of noise with the dishes.

'Come in Jenny, la.s.s and help me with this pudding.'

'You're coming and I'll not take no for an answer,' Kathryn said determinedly.

'I'd liked to,' Leah said, 'But what would people think?'

'b.u.g.g.e.r what people think,' Kathryn retorted. 'It's only the b.l.o.o.d.y Harwood Mercer Hall, not b.l.o.o.d.y Buckingham Palace.'

Leah laughed ruefully. She'd no chance against Kathryn once she got a bee in her bonnet. She tried once more.

'I can't imagine me, from Glebe Street, going to the Conservative Ball, can you? It'd be the talk of the town. You know what people are like.'

'I couldn't b.l.o.o.d.y care less. What's it to them, anyway. None of their b.l.o.o.d.y business who goes to any b.l.o.o.d.y ball.'

'I haven't got a ticket,' Leah said. She wasn't sure she wanted to go. She'd be out of her depth with all the Park Lane lot.

'I've got a ticket for you,' Kathryn said triumphantly. 'Me Dad had a spare one and I told him that I wouldn't be going unless you came, too.'

'Mm, well, if you've got a ticket.'

Leah was still doubtful, although now she came to think of it, why shouldn't she? She could hold her own with the n.o.bs and it wasn't as though she'd nothing to wear. She had a few lovely dresses. So what was to stop her? Kathryn saw Leah's expression changing. She didn't need to argue, because she'd come!

'If you're sure,' Leah said doubtfully.

Kathryn looked exasperated. 'Do you want it in writing?'

Leah began to feel excited. The Conservative Ball! The biggest social event in Harwood where all the posh people went dressed to kill. Well this time it would be the posh people and Leah Hammond!

'But what about your mother,' Leah said.

'Oh, don't worry about her. You know what she's like. She says I drive her mad but I think it's the other way round.'

Leah smiled to herself. She could just imagine the look on Mrs. McAuley's face when Kathryn told her. Kathryn was the bane of her mother's life because no amount of beautiful clothes, going to all the right schools, a.s.sociating with the Park Lane lot, playing tennis and golf in the exclusive clubs could make Kathryn what she was not. Kathryn couldn't act posh if her life depended on it.

Strangely enough though, Kathryn fit into both sets, because she was just herself 'without any side' as Leah put it. Mrs. McAuley couldn't see this. Kathryn suffered in silence most of the time, and although she couldn't hit a tennis ball for toffee or a golf ball for that matter, she attended all the right clubs to please her. She wore her expensive clothes to perfection for she had a superb figure, willow slim, as the latest fas.h.i.+on demanded. It was her voice, which had her mother at her wit's end. No amount of elocution, sending away to finis.h.i.+ng school or threats of dire punishment could get rid of Kathryn's dialect.

Mr. Peters was Kathryn's elocution teacher. Kathryn was his worst student and not good advertising for his profession. Kathryn would mimic him to Leah, who laughed till she cried and declared that all Kathryn's misery with him was worth it just for that.

'Oh, thank you very much. I've got to suffer so that you can have a good laugh,' Kathryn said. 'If I have to say 'how now brown cow' one more time I'll start mooing. And him and his rain in Spain! I hope the b.l.o.o.d.y place gets flooded. I can't stand him, he's such a b.l.o.o.d.y pansy; all them airs and graces and talking like he's a mouth full of cotton wool. What, with him and me mother I'll end up in the looney bin. If people don't like me voice they'll just have to lump it and take the odd swear words as well, just to add a bit of colour.'

'You do swear a bit,' Leah said.

'I know, I can't help it, it's a habit I've got into. Mam's always going on at me about it. She's always comparing the way you speak, as well.

'Look, at Leah Hammond,' she says. 'She's from Glebe Street and she talks better than you do'. That does get on me nerves!'

Leah didn't mind Kathryn's odd 'b.l.o.o.d.y'. It wasn't said maliciously. It was just Kathryn! She'd seem odd without it. The only thing Leah did care about was that she had a loyal friend in Kathryn. Strange the way they'd seemed to get on so well as soon as they met. She valued Kathryn's friends.h.i.+p. And she had just as much right to go to the Ball with her as anyone, although she had the distinct impression that she was playing out the Cinderella at the Ball theme.

The whole town was buzzing! Some people had more cheek than a jumped up Chinaman! The news was hot for a week or more on the uppishness, high and mightiness of Leah Hammond and her attendance at the Conservative Ball.

'Getting a big too big for her boots,' was one comment.

'Got her foot in the door, that one,' another comment.

'Has she forgotten she comes from Glebe Street?'

'Put some of the toffs noses out of joint, though, from what I've heard.'

On and on went the tirades and remarks, mainly nasty ones, which were parried back and forth, mostly by the women. The men, remained silent more often than not, but secretly thought that it was no wonder that a certain person had paid Leah a lot of attention because you only had to look at the la.s.s to know why.

Leah's ears should have been literally burnt right off her head. She was quite aware of the commotion her presence at the Ball had caused, not only with the ordinary people of Harwood but with the upper echelon as well.

She couldn't have cared less!

Even now, almost two weeks after, she was in heaven!

She'd still had misgivings right up to walking into the Mercer Hall on that night of nights. Kathryn's father had picked her up at seven in his Daimler, which had caused a stir in Glebe Street. Everyone was standing on the doorstep, waiting for Leah to emerge from the house and enter the car, like Cinderella had entered the magic pumpkin turned into a coach.

Kathryn stared at Leah when she opened the door.

'You look smas.h.i.+n',' she said with her generous and unstinting impetuousness. Leah blushed.