Chapter 6

Back at Lizzie’s cottage, I acted as her labourer while she supervised. Things that had homes were put away for the first time in what could have been months, and things that didn’t have homes were either found one or discarded. It became a little fraught at times when Lizzie came across something that held a special memory of my brother, and even if it appeared to no longer have any practical use or purpose, Lizzie was most reluctant to throw it away. Now was not the time to play the wicked brother-in-law, so we did our best to find a place for whatever it was.

Sometimes, however, I stood my ground and insisted that Will’s old and worn clothes and boots had no practical purpose and it was not like Lizzie could wear them. His best suit, the suit he was married in, of course we kept, but most of Lizzie’s treasures were small and tangible, like photographs and Will’s hair brushes and the shaving kit that he didn’t take into the army with him. However, by the time that we had finally tidied everything up, we both agreed that the cottage no longer felt like a home: it was a space that Lizzie occupied but didn’t feel like she belonged in.

I had been giving this matter some thought, even while en route to Scotland, before I knew all the circumstances, but I thought that I would wait and see how things were before I said anything to anybody. We had decided to postpone the trip to Perth until the next day, so with the cottage back in better shape than it had been, I walked Lizzie back to my parents’ cottage. I then waited for my father to return home again before broaching the subject I had in mind:

“As I see it, being alone in the cottage is part of Lizzie’s problem; as we found out earlier she does’nae really feel comfortable there anymore and she should’nae be alone anyway. What I’m proposing is that she gives up the cottage and at least for the time being she comes tae live here.”

“I have nae objections to that, Son, if Lizzie does’nae, but what did you mean by ‘at least for the time being.’ I know what that means, but no what you intended.”

“Fair point, father! I have been pondering this situation and I want tae ask Lizzie how she sees her future panning out; and especially if she has ever considered leaving not only Ladybank, but also leaving Scotland. This may be sudden, but I believe that I can get her a job wi’ Sir Walter and Lady Maude at Wilburly Hall. As I told you, Mary the cook has recently got married and has reduced her hours and her duties, so if Lizzie can cook reasonably well, she can apply for Mary’s job an’ live in her old quarters; I will of course be there, too, tae keep an eye on her. You din’nae have tae decide about it right away, Hen, it is something tae think about if you do decide that you want tae make a fresh start.” Lizzie sat quietly and seemingly deep in thought, nobody pressured her about it, although I’m sure everyone had their own thoughts on the subject.

“I have tae say that I’m tempted, Tommy, I love your Ma and Pa as if they are ma own blood, but I think that, like you, I probably need tae get away from here as I can’nae see it offering me any kind of future. I am a fair cook, I think, but I’ve never had tae cook fancy meals like they might expect: do you think your friend Mary might help me until I feel more confident?”

“I’m sure she will, Lizzie!”

“In that case I suggest that when we go tae Perth tomorrow, you try an’ talk tae your employers an’ see what they have tae say. If they are willing tae gi’ us a chance, then I’m prepared tae take it!”

“Aye, Hen, gi’ it a go!” my mother said, reassuringly, “And if it does’nae work out, you know that you’ve always got a home here!”

That night Lizzie once again shared my bed. We didn’t do anything, but that wasn’t because I didn’t want to!

Privately owned motor vehicles were still fairly thin on the ground in my part of Scotland at the end of the 1940’s, so we relied on public transport to get us around. The train line that ran through Ladybank continued north through Perth and even further up through Scotland or down to Edinburgh on it’s route south. The local trains were reliable, reasonably speedy and relatively inexpensive. They may not have been as frequent as we wished, but overall it was a good trade off. I wanted to leave fairly early, as I needed to either telephone Oxford or send a cablegram from the Post Office in Perth and then either have to wait for an indeterminate time for a reply or return to the Post Office later in the day; arriving there at about ten-thirty, I opted for the former, again making the long distance call from the General Post Office.

With manual switching via human operators, I finally made a connection with Sir Walter’s office, only to be told by his secretary that he was unavailable to talk to me. I therefore gave the secretary a rather explicit message to pass on to Sir Walter, requesting that he leave a reply to my enquiry, should I call back in several hours time. This delay in communications is one of the things that frustrates me most, and I sometimes wonder how anything productive ever gets done! Perhaps one day somebody will invent a system that speeds up the process, but I don’t know if I will ever see such a thing in my lifetime! But there were still more pleasant matters to attend to.

Lizzie and I walked the streets of Perth until we came across a likely looking ladies outfitters. By this time she had been able to wash her hair with a medicated shampoo, which had restored it to it’s original lustre; and not only did her fair hair look nice, it smelled nice, too. For most people in our walk of life, clothes shopping was a very infrequent event. For many women with limited financial means, the options were often ‘make-do-and-mend’ at one end of the range, with hand made clothes at the other. My mother, I know, sometimes went for several years without buying anything new, with the possible exception of undergarments which were generally made of less robust materials, and hence were subject to greater wear and tear. Men’s clothing is no different and unless the man worked in, say, on office, buying a new suit could literally be a once in a lifetime purchase, and that occasion was often for his wedding. Passing clothes from one family member to another was therefore a familiar and oft repeated occurrence.

It was no wonder, then, that Lizzie approached the process of acquiring new clothes with both excitement and nervous anticipation. Imagine, if you will, entering a greengrocer’s shop when you know that you can buy only one piece of fruit. Faced with that choice, surely you would want to examine every piece in the shop before you made your choice. I was reminded that when living in a household with people like Lady Maude and Davina Atherton, who had the means to buy almost anything they wanted on a whim, one was prone to forget that not all women have the same freedoms that affluence allows.

I think Lizzie would have spent all day in the place, examining each item in detail, and then going back to the beginning and starting again. However, her reveries were interrupted by one of the female shop assistants whose job it was to help the customer to decide what to buy. This was essentially Lizzie’s province and I was only there to pay for her purchases and then carry them afterwards; and even if I was asked my opinion, it probably wouldn’t be acted upon.

“May I be of assistance, Madam?” the assistant asked, after no doubt seeing the wedding band on my companion’s finger.

“Er, yes, I require some ladies, er, undergarments.”

“I think I understand; if Madam would care to step this way, I can show you the range of items we carry in stock. Would Sir care to wait, we have some seating over there?” she said, pointing towards a line of not particularly comfortable looking chairs. However, knowing my place, I walked obediently towards them and sat down.

From my seat I could see but not hear Lizzie being shown the contents of a series of wooden drawers, and as she looked at each one she would invariably shake her head and move on, although at one of the drawers I saw her nod and then the assistant removed one or more items. At this point she looked in my direction and beckoned for me to join her.

“Tommy, she wants tae know if there’s anything else?” she said in an almost whisper.

“I can’t answer that, I’m afraid! However, I’m sure that from seeing the condition of your other things, there must be something else you need. How about that thing you had on when I arrived, was that the only one you have?” She nodded. “Then get another one of those, too. What about brassieres?”

“I don’t really need them, Tommy; there are better alternatives in ma case.”

“Then get an alternative: if one isn’t enough, get two. I’ve only ever seen you in a dress, Lizzie, is that all you have? I ask this because Mary told me once that the kitchen can get uncomfortably hot at times, so you might want tae consider an alternative tae dresses.”

“Such as what?”

“I’m no really sure, but Mary can advise you and you din’nae need tae buy everything at once, so you can take your time tae think about it.” She nodded.

“Perhaps a skirt and blouse, as an alternative tae a dress. I know a lot of lassies nowadays wear trousers, and I think I might like tae try, but if I’m going tae work, that can be something for when I’m earning.”

“It’s your choice, Hen, but how about a couple of blouses? And I think at least one more pair of good shoes.” She frowned a little, but then she said:

“I feel bad about spending all this money, Tommy, but I do appreciate it—and as your Ma says, it’s yours tae do with as you will!”

So we left the shop carrying the purchases; the clothes wrapped in several neat packages tied with string and shoes in a separate box. I thought that she would need more clothes in time, including a winter coat, but for the time being we had the essentials required for everyday living.

The next port of call was the Post Office, where I put through another call to Sir Walter, where I talked to the same secretary as before:

“Sir Walter has left you a message, Mr Campbell. He says, and I quote:

I trust your judgement regarding the matter of the new cook. You can bring the young woman back with you when you come. Arrange your own travel requirements and charge them to the company, if necessary. If I may make a suggestion, take a train to Edinburgh, then a flight to London, and from there another train to Oxford. If you can get there during working hours, I’ll have someone bring you back to Wilburly. There is no hurry, so stay until early next week.

“Sir Walter also stated that if you require funds for expenses, instructions can be given to a specified branch of the Company’s bank; otherwise pay for anything from your private funds and you will be reimbursed, so keep all the receipts. Will that be all, Mr Campbell?”

“Yes, thank you, for now. And thank you for your assistance.” I closed the connection and turned to Lizzie: “Sir Walter said that I am tae take you back wi’ me, early next week. That means we hav’tae put your affairs in order here and arrange for travel. Have you ever been in an aeroplane before, Lizzie?” I already knew the answer to that, but I wanted to see the expression on her face when I said it.

“What! No. Really?” I smiled.

“Yes, really! We will have tae take a train to Edinburgh and from there tae the airport, then catch a flight tae London and from there another train tae Oxford, before the final leg tae Wilburly Hall. We will no doubt be on the move, one way or another, for most of the day.”

“And what about all ma things, Tommy?”

“That we’ll need tae think some more about. Is the furniture yours, or did it come wi’ the cottage?”

“Mostly came with, but I’ve a few things that were wedding gifts, and such like, and you know about the things of Will’s that we sorted out yesterday. Apart from that, it’s just clothes and there’s no many of those.”

“Is your rent paid up tae date?”

“Aye, sometimes Mr Gilchrist has tae wait a week or so for it, but I’m never that much in arrears. I din’nae know if he requires notice, Will arranged for the rental and it never came up in conversation.” I nodded.

“We have enough time tae sort that out. And with regard tae your personal things, we’ll get as much as we can in two suitcases and I’m sure Ma and Pa will give eye tae the rest until you can make other arrangements. Is there ought else that you can think of?”

“Nae, no really—there’s already such a lot tae think about! You know that I come from over Auchtermuchty way originally, and for most of ma life I’ve either lived there or here—and even though I’ve got nae other kin or ties, apart from your Ma and Pa, it will still seem strange leaving and starting over in England.”

“I know, Hen, and I suppose that I was fortunate in that I first moved away when I signed up during the war. There were also hundreds of other men in my position, so we supported each other; and of course wartime forces you tae do things that you would’nae otherwise have done. But you’ll adapt, Lizzie, and like I said, I’ll be right there tae help you.”

“Aye,” she said, “I’ll manage!”

I wouldn’t say that the rest of my stay in Ladybank was hectic, but there was enough to keep me busy. Lizzie gave notice on her cottage and Mr Gilchrist, her landlord, generously allowed her to leave right away without further payment; even giving her time to clear out her belongings. Somehow my parents managed to find room for the things that she couldn’t take with her, mostly in my bedroom.

Since I was paid by Sir Walter from his personal account, which was held with the same bank as his Company’s accounts, I had also opened an account with them and advised Lizzie to do the same. All this meant was that it was relatively easy to ensure that I had sufficient funds available to purchase all necessary fares.

I had the suitcase that I had brought with me and we acquired another one for Lizzie, but because of her having so few clothes we deferred packing as long as possible. Naturally enough she and I had become very close, but I was wary of starting down a path that would lead us into a much more committed relationship. I don’t think either Lizzie or my parents would have objected to this, but do not forget my involvement with Lady Maude Erskine-Taylor whose husband was my employer and benefactor, and under whose roof Lizzie and I would both be residing. Lady Maude had apparently reconciled herself to sharing my sexual favours with her daughter, but would she be so understanding of a similar relationship with Lizzie, and would Lizzie?

Before I knew of my sister-in-laws plight, I think that I could easily have become emotionally involved with Mary, whereas my involvement with Lady Maude was essentially based on the giving and receiving of sexual gratification; however, I guessed that Lizzie would want more than that; in fact, a direct replacement for my brother. I could understand this, as she had now been widowed for almost three times as long as she had been married. I cared for Lizzie, in the same way that I cared for Mary, Davina, and to a lesser extent Lady Maud; perhaps even more so, and the thought of causing her more emotional pain drove my reluctance to let myself become too close to her at this time; although I strongly suspected that she had already become somewhat dependent upon me.

My father began work quite early in the morning, so on the day of our departure Lizzie and I were up and about in time to say our farewells to him. He is a strong man, in both mind and body, but he has never been afraid to show his feelings towards his family, which now included his widowed daughter-in-law. No tears were shed, at least by him, but he left us in no doubt about his depth of feelings.

After giving us a hearty breakfast, my mother accompanied us to the railway station; fortunately within walking distance, as I had carried both suitcases. Mother’s goodbye was equally as effusive and heartfelt and I left her with the promise that I and Lizzie would return, and that I wouldn’t leave it so long the next time. There is little of interest to report of our train journey to Edinburgh, so I won’t bother.

As most of our fares were being paid for by Sir Walter I was in an extravagant mood, and so we took a taxi cab across the city to the airfield, which was still under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Defence, with British European Airways operating the commercial daily flights to London. It was my first time in one of the Vickers Viking aircraft, which I believe was a peace-time development of the trusty Wellington bomber, and after flying exclusively military aircraft I was impressed by the level of comfort and the service provided by the carrier. I am not sure whether or not Lizzie was as impressed as I was, but she spent most of the flight south gripping either my hand or the armrest of her seat; although she never once gave voice to her discomfiture.

From the airport we made another necessary connecting jaunt to Paddington Station where we boarded the Oxford-bound train. The whole thing had been somewhat of an eye-opener for the young woman from Perthshire who had spent her entire life thus far in semi-rural Scotland, and whose whole world up until then had consisted of a small mining village. In less than one short week she had acquired employment in another country and agreed to move over four-hundred miles from the cottage that had been her home for the last ten years or so to a grand English country house. I had travelled much more extensively and I thought it a pity that she hadn’t had the time to really experience her new world as we journeyed through it. I hoped that Oxford, and in its turn Witney and Wilburly Hall, would have the same impact on her that it had had on the visiting American Albertson family. I had had time to telephone Sir Walter from Paddington and informed him of our expected arrival time and he assured me that someone would be waiting at Oxford Station to take us on the same journey that I myself had made many times before.

I vaguely remembered the man who Sir Walter had sent to meet us as being someone I had seen at the Oxford offices but never spoken to in person. He was probably in his early-thirties and introduced himself as Bill Jennings and he seemed quite pleasant; although I didn’t much care for the way that he eyed up Lizzie. He led us to a waiting Humber Super Snipe, taking one of the suitcases from me and placing it into the back of the car, leaving me to manhandle the other. Lizzie and I occupied the rear seat for the duration of the journey. I had tried to describe Wilburly Hall to Lizzie the best that I could, but I couldn’t adequately express the words its restrained grandeur deserved.

“Oh, my, this is grand, Tommy!” she exclaimed as the house first came into sight.

“Yes, it is beautiful, isn’t it, and within it is just as grand as its façade. And don’t be intimidated by Sir Walter and Lady Maude; they extend the same courtesy and respect to their employees as they do to their social equals; you treat them right and they treat you right, I’ve always found.

“Can I ask you to take us around to the rear service entrance, Mr Jennings, if you don’t mind? Take the road to the left of the house.” This road led to the former stables and was surfaced with the same gravel as the wide drive that led to the house; one needed to drive slowly when using it. I instructed him where to stop and we retrieved the cases.

“Would you care to stop for refreshments, Mr Jennings?”

“No, thank you, Mr Campbell, I should really be getting back.”

“Well, thank you for delivering us, Mr Jennings.” He smiled: “My pleasure!” he said, while once more looking at Lizzie, I thought lasciviously. I picked up the suitcases again.

“I’ll give you the guided tour out here later, but for now we should go inside so I can introduce you properly to your new employers.”

Her gaze was everywhere as we passed through the kitchen, which was easily the same size as the whole ground floor of her former home. I left the suitcases near the service staircase on our way through to the hallway and the rest of the downstairs rooms. We stopped in the ornate entrance hall, where Lizzie paused for a few moments to straighten her clothing and to check her hair in the large hallway mirror.

“How do I look, Tommy?” she quietly asked.

“Like a queen, Hen!” She smiled.

I knocked on one of the double doors of the drawing room which Lady Maude frequented most often, and without waiting for a reply, opened them slowly.

“Mrs Elizabeth Campbell, Lady Maude, Sir Walter!” I announced. Lizzie curtsied, which made Lady Maude smile.

“There’s really no need to do that, my dear! Come and take a seat. I’m sure that you must be tired. Thomas, would you mind making us all some tea while I talk to cook?”

“Of course, Lady Maude; and while the water is boiling I’ll take Lizzie’s luggage up to her room.”

By the time that I returned with the refreshments, Lady Maude and my sister-in-law were chatting like old friends—well, that might be a slight exaggeration, but Lizzie seemed much more relaxed than she had been.

“I don’t expect you to start working right away, Elizabeth—or Lizzie, as you seem to prefer—but Mary, our former cook was here earlier to prepare tonight’s meal, and she said she would come back later to cook it. I thought that that would be a good opportunity for you to meet her and to find your way around the kitchen. And if Thomas doesn’t mind, he can dine with you tonight as well.” Lizzie nodded.

“Thank you, Lady Maude; that seems like a good idea!”

“Well, I hope that you will soon settle in and at that you will also be happy here, my dear. Thomas, why don’t you show Lizzie to her quarters now; she should find everything that she needs up there. So, goodbye for now; relax before Mary arrives!”

“Yes, and thank you again, Lady Maude, and you, too, Sir Walter!”

In the past the live-in staff had been lodged at the very top of the house, in what was quite basic accommodation, but when Mary had become the only employee in residence, she was allocated what had once been one of the bedrooms reserved for house-guests, which was much more comfortably appointed, as I had discovered during my nocturnal visits. I think Lizzie was also taken aback by the furnishings and fittings that she found in her new quarters, which were probably of a much higher standard than anything that she had ever known before. She almost gasped as she sat on the edge of the bed and sunk into the depths of the mattress. There was also a large freestanding wardrobe made of attractively figured and polished wood, an equally well-made dressing table with drawers and a large mirror, together with an upholstered stool to sit on, plus, marvel-of-marvels, her own hand basin with plumbed-in taps, supplying cold and hot water! Lizzie also knew about bathrooms with inside lavatories, of course; she’d just never stayed anywhere that had one—and now there was one apparently for her sole use only feet from her bedroom! So no more getting up on a cold winter’s morning and having to go out into the yard to use the privy!

“This is almost perfect—the only thing missing is a man tae keep me warm at night! D’ya think that there’s any chance that you could be that man sometimes, Tommy? I’ve kind of gotten used tae sharing your bed this past week.”

This wasn’t the time to tell her about my previous relationship with Mary, so I just said:

“Perhaps, Hen, but you must understand that our circumstances are different now. We have duties and obligations that prevent us from doing things we might want tae. I’m no saying never, Lizzie, but I can’nae promise anything!” She looked a little disappointed, but she nodded her head: “I understand, Tommy.”

“But I’ll tell you what, Lizzie, I can stay wi’ you now until Mary comes back. You can lie in ma arms and we’ll get some rest until then. Mary’s a grand lassie, Hen, and I think the two of you can become great friends!”