The Child from the Ash Pits by Chrissie Walsh

Author:Chrissie Walsh [Walsh, Chrissie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781789541519
Publisher: Head of Zeus
Published: 2019-10-17T16:00:00+00:00

15

‘Theaker’s agreed to a loan; he gave me everything I asked for.’ Sykes had just returned from his appointment with the bank manager, and his triumphant cry echoed in the hallway, bringing Cally and Mary hurrying from the kitchen.

‘Now we can really get started,’ cried Cally, her eyes gleaming with anticipation.

*

The summer months were hectic. Plans and lists of materials were drawn up, estimates sought and plumbers, electricians and plasterers hired. Roofers fixed the slates and, the top floor now watertight, bathrooms were installed and the kitchen refurbished with gas cookers, two large pot sinks and extra cupboards.

‘I can’t bear it,’ Mary shrieked, as workmen made holes in the fine plaster ceilings or removed ancient oak panelling and skirting boards to connect the pipes. ‘They’re wrecking the place, and for what? Those radiators are positively hideous.’

She insisted Sykes abandon the project but her complaints ceased once the heat from the coke fired boiler penetrated her bedroom on the first chill autumn night.

The dining room was another bone of contention. ‘I can’t let it go,’ Mary cried, placing her palms firmly on the long refectory table.

‘It only seats twelve,’ Cally objected, ‘with smaller, separate tables we can accommodate twice as many.’

Mary threw up her hands in despair. ‘This whole idea is ruining my home. First you ripped out my lovely old range and replaced it with monstrous gas ovens, next you cluttered up every room with those hideous radiators, and now you’re expecting me to get rid of a table and chairs that have been in this room for a hundred years. I wished I’d never agreed to any of it.’ She was close to tears.

Cally cast an anxious glance in Sykes’s direction. They’d had minor tiffs on other occasions but this was the first time Mary had voiced her objections so strongly. Cally’s spirits drooped. Was the dream about to end? She had to do something, and fast.

‘We don’t have to get rid of it. We’ll put it in the conservatory. We can serve afternoon tea in there, spread the food out like a buffet.’

Sykes harrumphed. ‘You can’t expect people to sit in that dump. It’ll fall down round them. It’s not even watertight.’

‘I bet if you asked Jim Gibson to replace the broken glass and give it a lick of paint, he’d jump at the chance. Jim can turn his hand to anything.’ Jim, the part-time gardener had already proved to be a most useful ally. Enthused by the idea, Cally added, ‘we can hide the imperfections with lots of pot plants and flower arrangements. You could make it look like the Garden of Eden, Mary. You have a flair for creating beautiful spaces.’

Mary, intrigued by the idea, looked somewhat appeased. ‘I can see it now,’ she said, ‘a large silver tea urn and pretty cups and saucers, and cake stands full of delicious pastries. The guests can help themselves. Maybe we should invest in some basket chairs and low tables as well as palms and climbing plants.’ Cally and Sykes smiled affectionately at her enthusiasm.

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