Part 16 (1/2)

'I can't really.'

'Why not,' Stephen said curtly.

'I promised her.'

'Oh, for G.o.d's sake,' Stephen replied and turned around and walked out of the room, slamming the door loudly behind him.

Jessica smoothed her hair back off her forehead impatiently. Why couldn't things run smoothly for a change? She'd have to tell Gertie of the change in plans. Gertie would not be at all pleased, but she couldn't bear to have Leah working at the Hall now.

Leah stood in front of the mirror in Glebe Street. She'd bought her mother a new one some time ago, a slightly larger version and if she stood on a stool she could see from the top of her head to just below her waist. She smoothed the collar of the wool coat, which matched her eyes. Leah smiled brightly at her reflection, a feeling of pure happiness coursing through her. She'd been like this since the Ball.

Emma, coming into the room stopped and stared. 'That looks lovely la.s.s. You've made a good job of that coat.'

Leah jumped off the stool. 'Thanks, Mam. I'm pleased with it, too.'

She looked down at the front of the coat. Those gores had been difficult, but she had to admit the coat did look professionally made. Miss Fenton had said only yesterday how much she'd improved in that department. It had given her an idea, which she'd been mulling over ever since.

She had talent as a dressmaker, even if she did say so herself. She'd even made dresses for Mrs. Townsend.

She had a flair for design, for the latest fas.h.i.+ons, could draft just about any pattern, and she made the clothes fit like a glove. Why shouldn't she start her own business? She knew she couldn't stay at the Hall. Mrs. Townsend had already intimated that. She felt uncomfortable there now, and although nothing had been said there'd been a s.h.i.+ft in att.i.tudes, not only by Mr. & Mrs. Townsend but by the staff as well. Gertie Wicklow was becoming nastier towards her, if anything, making snide and even rude and slanderous remarks to her. Mrs. Walters was also disapproving.

'It's not right, Leah,' she'd said the next week after hearing all the gossip. 'You're a servant here, that's what you've got to remember.' She shook her head and went back to making a hot pot, muttering about people keeping their places.

Leah was annoyed. She thought that at least Maud Walters would be happy for her.

Miss Fenton was more horrified than Maud.

'Leah, dear, do you know what you're doing?' she said. 'Have you considered the repercussions of this?'

'What repercussions?'

Miss Fenton had made Leah feel guilty, but she didn't know why? She loved Stephen and that was all that mattered. If there were any problems, they'd overcome them, some way or other.

The biggest opposition to her had been her mother, who had been amazed and then angry.

'You can't take up with one of the n.o.bs,' she said when Leah walked in with her head in the clouds and told her everything. Janey heard her come in and ran into the living room in her nighty, rubbing her eyes.

'What happened, Leah,' she said. 'Did you have a good time?'

So Leah repeated it all again and Janey listened with her mouth open saying 'oh, how lovely' or 'lucky sod' all the way through.

Leah was disappointed at her mother's reaction. You'd think she'd be glad for me, she said to Kathryn as they discussed the situation. Kathryn was all for the match and Leah's new idea.

'I know a lot of people with money, Leah. If you make me some dresses I'm sure they'll buy, too.'

'Do you think they would?' Leah had not envisaged sewing for the Park Lane lot. When she began to think about it she thought, why not? If Mrs. Townsend wore dresses she made, why shouldn't they?

After her mother's tacit disapproval she was loath to confide in her about her sewing idea. She was such a stick in the mud, Leah thought in exasperation: so worried about doing the right thing, and keeping the peace. Leah had other ideas and she certainly wasn't going to worry about what other people thought, although again she would have to tread carefully and do everything above board if she were to keep her good name and reputation, especially if she went into business.

The idea came to her when one of the small shops on the Town Square became vacant. She stood in front of the window, which had newspaper covering the large window. She studied the sign on the door, which said 'Shop to let'. Slowly the idea began to form. She remembered the small shops in London: the tasteful decor, the fas.h.i.+onable clothes. She began to feel excited. If she ever did have a shop she knew exactly how it would look; certainly not a higgledy piggledy mess like Ethel Winthrope's Haberdashery on High Street.

She wondered how she could broach the subject to her mother. Emma was all against change. She liked the security of knowing what was what she would say to Leah, if anything at all out of the ordinary were planned.

She wouldn't take well to the idea of a shop. Coming on top of her a.s.sociation with Stephen she'd probably have a heart attack.

Leah listened as her mother began again on why she didn't like the idea of Leah and 'Captain Townsend' as she called Stephen even though Leah had raised objection to this.

'The war's been over for two years, Mam, and he doesn't want to be called a Captain when he isn't one now,' Leah said to her mother a hundred times over. Emma ignored her completely.

Emma wondered how she could change Leah's mind about Stephen. It'll take a b.l.o.o.d.y miracle though, she thought as she saw Leah's mulish expression. She's got a stubborn streak as thick as a tree trunk.

'I've been thinking, Mam,' Leah said, quite aware that her mother was as she put it 'putting on her thinking cap' with regard to Stephen.

'What?' Emma looked suspicious. What now, she thought. I don't like that look on her face. 'No, don't tell me. You've lost your job! I knew it, I knew it!'

'I haven't lost my job, for goodness sake'

'What then. Ee, I don't know. I've been that worried, love what with you and the Captain, what people are saying and what's going to come of it.'

'I've told you not to worry. I've still got my job, although that's really what I wanted to talk to you about. I want to open a shop!'

Emma's mouth dropped open, 'you what?'

'I want to open a shop,' Leah repeated. 'There's a shop on the Square I can have. I'm going do my sewing in the back and sell at the front.'

Emma was too stunned to say anything, but her mind was working overtime. Her Leah with a shop! Never! Their sort didn't have shops or anything like a shop. She managed to find her voice.

'And just how are you going to do that? Click your fingers. I think you're dreaming, our Leah.'

Leah made an exasperated sound. Her mother was such a pessimist. No wonder nothing ever happened in Harwood because most of the people were like her mother. Don't try anything because it might not work, that was their motto. She was going to be different.

'I'm not dreaming. I've talked to Stephen and he thinks it's a good idea. I was going to go over to Ches.h.i.+re to work for his sister, but I'd rather stay here if I can and getting a shop's the answer.'

How was she going to tell her mother that she'd be borrowing the money from Stephen to start this business venture? Her mother, like most people, was against borrowing or credit of any kind. She would be especially disapproving if it were Stephen who was doing the lending.

'Stephen's lending me the money.'

'He's what. Oh, no Leah, that'll not do, what will people think?'

'I don't care what people think,' Leah retorted. 'They can just mind their own business for once. The loan will all be above board and drawn up by a solicitor, although that's n.o.body's business but ours.'

Emma still looked skeptical. 'Ee, I don't like the idea at all. People have always had mucky minds and they'll think the worst.'

'Let them.'