Paradise Park by Iris Gower Read Free Book Online

to do.’ Rhiannon’s tone was just as sharp.
    â€˜Funny that, isn’t it, Vi?’ Hetty’s voice was full of mock-innocence. ‘Funny how doing housework is harder than lying on your back all day.’
    Rhiannon stared at the girl, who had the grace to look away. ‘If you’ve anything to say to me just say it. Don’t make sly remarks.’
    â€˜Well, you was one of them loose women living by the railway track, wasn’t you?’
    Rhiannon went closer to Hetty and looked her in the eye. ‘And what if I was?’
    â€˜Well, then, you’re no better than you ought to be, is she, Vi?’
    Rhiannon took a deep breath. ‘That was a long time ago and I want to forget all about that life now.’
    â€˜Well, I don’t think other folk can forget that easily, see? How could you do it, Rhiannon, sleep with all those awful men?’
    â€˜If you’d ever gone without food for days you might not be asking me that.’
    â€˜Go on.’ Hetty smiled spitefully. ‘I expect you liked having a different man in your bed every night.’
    Rhiannon grasped the girl’s apron straps and pushed her up against the wall. ‘I hated it. Some of the men treated me like dirt under their feet. Now, if you breathe a word of this to anyone else I’ll give you a damn good hiding. Do you understand?’
    â€˜All right, I didn’t mean any harm.’
    â€˜Just as well I learned how to look out for myself when I lived in the shanty town. If it meant laying a woman out flat with my fist that’s what I did.’ She released Hetty. ‘Now, hold your tongue or you’ll learn just how nasty I can be.’
    â€˜All right! Don’t get so mad – I was just teasing you.’
    Rhiannon walked to the door. ‘Remember this, Hetty. If I’m suddenly dismissed I’ll know who to blame.’
    As she went back into the kitchen Rhiannon was trembling. Mrs Jones was still barefoot but her head was on the table and she was snoring like a bull. Rhiannon smiled. Poor woman, the work was too much for her. She took a cushion from one of the chairs and put it under Mrs Jones’s feet. ‘Can’t have you getting chilblains, can we, old dear?’
    Quietly, Rhiannon went on preparing the food for the evening meal. She opened the oven and the smell of the meat roasting made her mouth water. She looked at the clock. It was a long time until supper – and then she smiled. There had been a time when she didn’t eat from one day to the next, but that was long ago.
    Rhiannon filled the big pan with water, put it on the fire and waited for it to boil. The pudding was ready to be cooked and she lowered it carefully into the water.
    The two younger maids came into the kitchen. ‘There,’ Hetty said, ‘that’s all the work in the scullery done. Anything in here we can help with, Rhiannon?’
    â€˜No, thank you,’ Rhiannon said easily. ‘I don’t want to be accused of overworking you, do I?’
    â€˜Look, Rhiannon, I’m sorry I picked on you about the shanty town. It’s none of my business and I won’t go running to Mrs Buchan carrying tales, I promise.’
    â€˜Let’s forget it, shall we?’ Rhiannon said.
    â€˜Is there any tea in the pot?’ Violet asked, and Rhiannon nodded. ‘Aye, help yourself. Though I’d top it up with boiling water if I were you. It might be cold by now.’
    The girls sat at the table with their heads together and Violet giggled over something Hetty said. Rhiannon had the feeling they were talking about her, but they were just children, really, still tied to their mothers’ apron strings.
    Mrs Jones woke as suddenly as she had fallen asleep. ‘Trust you two!’ She frowned. ‘I might have known you’d be giggling as soon as I took my eyes off you.’ She sighed and looked down at her feet. ‘Rhiannon, there’s kind of