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Authors: Anna Jacobs
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to do much else. I’m going to take this job.’
‘I could give you the money to start a shop – one in a decent area, not one with poor clientele. You could build it up and—’
‘I do not want to run a shop. I’d go mad fiddling aboutwith bits and pieces of paper all day and kowtowing to idiots. I’m not fond of getting up early, either, so even the hours will suit me better in this new job. Anyway, I’ve already given notice, so it’s done now.’
‘Oh, Norris! What will people think?’
‘I don’t care what people will think. I care that I’ll have a chance to make real money. For you, bettering yourself means being respectable and making money; for me, it’s making a lot of money, the more the better. Money’s what gives you power to do as you please.’
She scowled at him. ‘I’ll never be considered respectable if my son works in a place like that.’
He sat down beside her and took her hand. ‘You’ve tried, Ma. You married two respectable men, and weren’t they bores? Little dictators, telling you what to do and not to do.’
He got a smile out of her with that. ‘And you’ve lived in a respectable street for three years now. That hasn’t made you happy, either, has it?’
‘I like this house.’
‘I’ll buy you a better one in a few years.’
She reached out to pat his cheek. ‘You’re as wilful as your father was. I won’t have much choice about your new life, will I? You’ve seen to that.’
‘I want this money, Ma. And I’m going to have it.’
‘I don’t know what my friends will say. They’re bound to find out.’
‘Your friends won’t mind what I do. And maybe we’ll find you another house once I’m settled into my new job, one where the neighbours aren’t such damned snobs.’ He laughed suddenly. ‘I’ll tell you a secret: the man who ownsthe house of ill repute is well known in the town and he’s anxious to continue keeping his involvement quiet.’
‘Who is he?’
‘Swear never to tell anyone.’
‘Of course I won’t. Do you think I go round looking for trouble?’
‘It’s Councillor Clifford Grayson.’
She gaped at him. ‘I don’t believe you!’
Norris leant back in his chair and smiled, enjoying shocking her. ‘It’s the truth. But if you say one word about this, we’ll both have to leave town within the hour. Yes, really. Grayson’s managed to keep his other little businesses quiet for years. An upstanding gentleman, our Mr G., pillar of the church, talked about as a future mayor.’
‘Why did he tell you about it?’
‘He didn’t. I found out from a fool who was upset about something and was going to blab about it. So I shut him up and earned Mr Grayson’s gratitude.’
‘How did you do that?’
‘I knocked a bit of sense into the idiot and made sure he left town that same day. You’ll keep your mouth shut, won’t you, Ma?’
‘You’d not have told me if you didn’t know I can keep my mouth shut better than most.’
‘Yes. You’re not stupid, like most women. That’s why I came to you. I’ll need some money to buy better clothes. Got to make a good impression.’
‘Let me think about it.’
‘You’ve got plenty of money. You don’t need to think.’
‘I do. I always need to think.’
But she’d lend him what he needed, he knew that. Andhe’d look after her, because she’d been a good mother to him … except in the matter of Harriet. Well, he’d learnt to keep his temper under control now, most of the time. But he’d find Harriet again one day. He’d promised himself that.
He was going up in the world, but he knew he had a lot to learn first. Harriet would keep. She was safe, still working in that big house. He’d got his mother to ask Auntie Doris about her. He’d take Harriet away from it when he was ready.
He might even marry her.
Ma would throw a fit, didn’t have a good word to say about Harriet, except that her wages made a nice little present every quarter.
Joseph rang the
‘I could give you the money to start a shop – one in a decent area, not one with poor clientele. You could build it up and—’
‘I do not want to run a shop. I’d go mad fiddling aboutwith bits and pieces of paper all day and kowtowing to idiots. I’m not fond of getting up early, either, so even the hours will suit me better in this new job. Anyway, I’ve already given notice, so it’s done now.’
‘Oh, Norris! What will people think?’
‘I don’t care what people will think. I care that I’ll have a chance to make real money. For you, bettering yourself means being respectable and making money; for me, it’s making a lot of money, the more the better. Money’s what gives you power to do as you please.’
She scowled at him. ‘I’ll never be considered respectable if my son works in a place like that.’
He sat down beside her and took her hand. ‘You’ve tried, Ma. You married two respectable men, and weren’t they bores? Little dictators, telling you what to do and not to do.’
He got a smile out of her with that. ‘And you’ve lived in a respectable street for three years now. That hasn’t made you happy, either, has it?’
‘I like this house.’
‘I’ll buy you a better one in a few years.’
She reached out to pat his cheek. ‘You’re as wilful as your father was. I won’t have much choice about your new life, will I? You’ve seen to that.’
‘I want this money, Ma. And I’m going to have it.’
‘I don’t know what my friends will say. They’re bound to find out.’
‘Your friends won’t mind what I do. And maybe we’ll find you another house once I’m settled into my new job, one where the neighbours aren’t such damned snobs.’ He laughed suddenly. ‘I’ll tell you a secret: the man who ownsthe house of ill repute is well known in the town and he’s anxious to continue keeping his involvement quiet.’
‘Who is he?’
‘Swear never to tell anyone.’
‘Of course I won’t. Do you think I go round looking for trouble?’
‘It’s Councillor Clifford Grayson.’
She gaped at him. ‘I don’t believe you!’
Norris leant back in his chair and smiled, enjoying shocking her. ‘It’s the truth. But if you say one word about this, we’ll both have to leave town within the hour. Yes, really. Grayson’s managed to keep his other little businesses quiet for years. An upstanding gentleman, our Mr G., pillar of the church, talked about as a future mayor.’
‘Why did he tell you about it?’
‘He didn’t. I found out from a fool who was upset about something and was going to blab about it. So I shut him up and earned Mr Grayson’s gratitude.’
‘How did you do that?’
‘I knocked a bit of sense into the idiot and made sure he left town that same day. You’ll keep your mouth shut, won’t you, Ma?’
‘You’d not have told me if you didn’t know I can keep my mouth shut better than most.’
‘Yes. You’re not stupid, like most women. That’s why I came to you. I’ll need some money to buy better clothes. Got to make a good impression.’
‘Let me think about it.’
‘You’ve got plenty of money. You don’t need to think.’
‘I do. I always need to think.’
But she’d lend him what he needed, he knew that. Andhe’d look after her, because she’d been a good mother to him … except in the matter of Harriet. Well, he’d learnt to keep his temper under control now, most of the time. But he’d find Harriet again one day. He’d promised himself that.
He was going up in the world, but he knew he had a lot to learn first. Harriet would keep. She was safe, still working in that big house. He’d got his mother to ask Auntie Doris about her. He’d take Harriet away from it when he was ready.
He might even marry her.
Ma would throw a fit, didn’t have a good word to say about Harriet, except that her wages made a nice little present every quarter.
Joseph rang the
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