to do.â Rhiannonâs tone was just as sharp.
âFunny that, isnât it, Vi?â Hettyâs voice was full of mock-innocence. âFunny how doing housework is harder than lying on your back all day.â
Rhiannon stared at the girl, who had the grace to look away. âIf youâve anything to say to me just say it. Donât make sly remarks.â
âWell, you was one of them loose women living by the railway track, wasnât you?â
Rhiannon went closer to Hetty and looked her in the eye. âAnd what if I was?â
âWell, then, youâre no better than you ought to be, is she, Vi?â
Rhiannon took a deep breath. âThat was a long time ago and I want to forget all about that life now.â
âWell, I donât think other folk can forget that easily, see? How could you do it, Rhiannon, sleep with all those awful men?â
âIf youâd ever gone without food for days you might not be asking me that.â
âGo on.â Hetty smiled spitefully. âI expect you liked having a different man in your bed every night.â
Rhiannon grasped the girlâs apron straps and pushed her up against the wall. âI hated it. Some of the men treated me like dirt under their feet. Now, if you breathe a word of this to anyone else Iâll give you a damn good hiding. Do you understand?â
âAll right, I didnât mean any harm.â
âJust 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 thatâs what I did.â She released Hetty. âNow, hold your tongue or youâll learn just how nasty I can be.â
âAll right! Donât get so mad â I was just teasing you.â
Rhiannon walked to the door. âRemember this, Hetty. If Iâm suddenly dismissed Iâll know who to blame.â
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 Jonesâs feet. âCanât have you getting chilblains, can we, old dear?â
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 â and then she smiled. There had been a time when she didnât 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. âThere,â Hetty said, âthatâs all the work in the scullery done. Anything in here we can help with, Rhiannon?â
âNo, thank you,â Rhiannon said easily. âI donât want to be accused of overworking you, do I?â
âLook, Rhiannon, Iâm sorry I picked on you about the shanty town. Itâs none of my business and I wonât go running to Mrs Buchan carrying tales, I promise.â
âLetâs forget it, shall we?â Rhiannon said.
âIs there any tea in the pot?â Violet asked, and Rhiannon nodded. âAye, help yourself. Though Iâd top it up with boiling water if I were you. It might be cold by now.â
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 mothersâ apron strings.
Mrs Jones woke as suddenly as she had fallen asleep. âTrust you two!â She frowned. âI might have known youâd be giggling as soon as I took my eyes off you.â She sighed and looked down at her feet. âRhiannon, thereâs kind of