Page 35

Chapter 35

Early April 1931

The knock on the scullery door, left open in the spring sunshine to air the rooms, was hesitant.

Ann would have missed it altogether had she not been in the kitchen, arranging damp sheets and towels onto the rails of the lowered pulley, ready for it to be hoisted back up above the stove for a final airing.

‘One minute,’ she called, dropping a damp tea towel back into the laundry basket before taking the two steps down into the scullery.

‘Oh.’ She smiled without being aware she was doing it.

‘Mr Anderson, if I remember correctly?’

He smiled back.

‘That’s right. Keith Anderson.

I remembered about your front door being stuck so I hope you don’t mind me coming around the back.

’ He held out a large envelope.

‘I’m trying to hand these out personally.

’

‘Hand out what?’

‘Your census form. I’m one of the collectors, so if you could fill it in on the twenty-sixth of April, I’ll be back some time after that to collect it and I’ll take it to the enumerator’s office.

’

She took the envelope.

‘Let’s hope it’s better than the last two they did.

’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘The last two censuses.’

‘I don’t think I understand.

’

‘Never mind. Thank you for remembering about the door. We really must do something about it. It’s very inconvenient.

’

She put her hand on the doorknob, ready to close the door, but he spoke before she managed it.

‘I was wondering, I hope this isn’t rude, but would you mind if I washed my hands?

’

Ann understood what he wanted right away.

‘Of course you may.’ She opened the door wider, so he could come in.

‘You can see where the soap is beside the sink, and there’s a towel on the roller on the back of the door here.

’ She pointed to the two doors at the far end of the scullery.

‘It’s the door on the left.

’

‘Thank you.’

She pulled the kitchen door half closed and went back to hanging up the last of the laundry.

After a couple of minutes she heard the water flowing into the scullery sink.

He tapped on the door when he was finished.

She beckoned him in and pointed to the empty kitchen chair.

‘Perhaps you could go over the details with me, just so I ensure I fill it in correctly?’

‘Of course.’

‘It must be a long day for you, out delivering forms.’

‘I’m glad of the work.

’

She nodded. ‘I read about the government giving the census jobs to people without other employment.’

‘It’s something, I suppose.

But it comes with strings attached.

The work is for several weeks, but we had to sign a paper saying that if we get an offer of other work in that time, we will refuse it.

’

‘That doesn’t seem so bad; it’s work, even if it’s only for a month or two.

Surely that’s what matters?

’

‘It is bad, though. If a man has been out of work for six months and is taken on as a collector, what if he’s offered a real job in those few weeks?

A job that might last for months or even years?

How could he turn that down?

’

Ann frowned. ‘So this is another tainted census.’

‘I don’t remember the ’21 census being a problem.

Apart from it being late because of the miners’ strike, I mean.

’

‘If a strike isn’t a problem, I don’t know what is.

’

‘I suppose, if you put it like that .?.?.’

‘I do. And that’s before one considers the difficulties in 1911.

’ She glanced up at the clock, went over to the range and lifted the lid on a pot.

‘It’s my lunchtime. Would you like some soup?

It’s just carrot and lentil, nothing fancy, I’m afraid.

’

He hesitated, and then gave in.

‘That would be very kind.’

‘Bowls and spoons are on the drainer in the scullery.’

He got to his feet and went to collect them.

‘It’s just me here today.

Isobel is out looking for work, a bit like you.

’

‘Isobel?’

‘My friend. She used to live here and has moved back for a bit.’

‘There’s not much work about.

That’s why I took this.

Any wage is better than nothing at all, even with the strings.

’

Ann scooped two great ladles of the soup into each bowl and put the bread and butter within reach.

‘Help yourself. The bread is two days old, I’m afraid, but if we don’t eat it up it will either be turned into bread and butter pudding this evening or fed to the sparrows.

Have as much as you like.

’

‘Thank you. It’s been a long time since breakfast.’ He breathed in the aroma rising from the bowls.

‘This smells wonderful. My mother used to say that good soup is a meal in itself.’ He dipped the spoon into the soup at the side furthest away from him and lifted it to his mouth, sipping from the near side.

Ann noted his good table manners without realising she was doing it.

He paused before taking the next spoonful.

‘What did you do about completing the last census?’

‘My father would have filled it in if we’d been here but we were away in France at the time so we weren’t recorded as existing at all.

That is unacceptable in my opinion.

We are citizens and we should have been counted.

’ She took a slice of bread and broke it into four.

‘And this time it’s just me and Isobel here in the house, so I’d better make sure I do it properly or you might get into trouble.

’

‘Why was the 1911 census a problem?’

‘You don’t remember?

’

‘Not really. I think I’d have been nine years old, maybe ten, depending on the date.

My father would have filled it in for us.

’

The result of her speedy mental arithmetic surprised Ann; despite her first impressions and his sprinkling of grey hair, he was three years younger than she was herself.

‘It was the year when women all over the country refused to fill the form in,’ she said.

He couldn’t respond because his mouth was full of bread.

‘No documentation without representation. That’s what we wrote on the forms.’

‘We?’

‘Well, not me, I was too young, obviously, but Ursula wasn’t recorded and my father didn’t make a fuss.

She went to a party instead so she wasn’t even in the house at midnight.

’

He swallowed the bread and took another spoonful of soup.

‘Ursula is your sister? And she was a suffragette?’

‘Ursula was my stepmother. And she wasn’t a suffragette, but I think she might have wanted to be.

She decided she had responsibilities here, so she did other things instead.

I think sometimes you only realise how remarkable some people are when it’s too late to tell them.

’ She buttered the torn bread, taking a thin skim of yellow right to the corners.

‘But anyway, the whole census was wrong.’

‘More wrong than the suffragettes not filling it in?’

‘Far worse than a few empty lines on a census form, in my opinion. The government wanted to learn about the fertility of women, which is a private matter.’

‘You seem to know a lot about it.’

‘It was terrible. It’s so important that we make sure things are done fairly, don’t you think?

’

He shrugged. ‘Yes. But when you are at the bottom of the pile, it’s hard to put that above getting food onto the table.

’

Ann blushed. ‘I apologise. I didn’t mean to go on so much.

Isobel is always telling me I get too involved in things, but it’s hard sometimes, especially when it feels important.

’

He supped the last dregs of the soup.

‘At least the rain stayed away for me this morning; not sure I’ll be so lucky this afternoon, mind.

’ He pushed his seat back.

‘I’d better get moving.

’

Ann took her courage in both hands.

‘There’s usually a pot of soup on the stove.

’ Her words came out in a rush before she had time to think twice.

‘So, if you happen to be passing again and you’d like to have some lunch with an opinionated woman, just knock on the door.

’

He seemed uncertain.

‘That’s very kind, but if you don’t mind me saying, will other people not object to a man you don’t know sitting in your kitchen and eating your food?

’

‘You mean Isobel?’ She didn’t wait for a reply.

‘She’ll be fine with it.

That’s not something I’m worried about.

And anyway, it’s my house so I make the rules.

’

*

‘You did what ?’ said Isobel when she came back from looking for work.

It had been a fruitless search and to make matters worse it had poured all afternoon, and she was soaked from head to foot.

‘I asked him in for a bowl of soup.’

‘A stranger, in the kitchen? Are you mad?’

‘He isn’t a stranger.

’

‘And why would that be, pray?’ Isobel took off her sodden shoes and set them down beside the range, but not too close.

‘I’ve met him before.

I’m sure I told you about me mistaking him for Finlay.

’

‘You did. But you didn’t say he had come in on that occasion either.

’ She put her hands on her hips and winked at Ann.

‘Is there something you aren’t telling me, young lady?

’

‘Less of the young, I’m a mature woman.

It’ll be my birthday on Thursday and I’m expecting a cake with thirty-three candles on top.

’

Isobel couldn’t help but laugh.

‘Mature is not really the word I would have chosen.’

‘It’s only happened twice.

’

‘And will there be a third time?’

‘I don’t know.

’

Isobel sighed. ‘I’m serious, do you know anything at all about him?

’

Ann thought for a moment.

‘His name is Keith Anderson. He’s three years younger than me, but I think he looks older.

He’s a skilled tradesman, a painter and decorator.

One moment .?.?.’ She reached her diary down from the shelf on the dresser and flipped back to February.

‘He has an address on Dalry Road, but it doesn’t say whether it’s a private address or a business address.

’

‘Anything else?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Describe this man who has been sitting in our kitchen, just in case I meet him. I shouldn’t want to be embarrassed.

And if I ever need to give the police an idea of what he looks like, it would be helpful to know what to say.

’

Ann sighed dramatically.

‘He’s not as tall as Finlay.

He has brown hair, and it’s going a little grey at the sides.

’ She looked out of the window at the drizzle.

‘I suppose Finlay’s hair would be like that now, if he were here.

’

‘Go on.’

‘Mr Anderson is quite thin. His clothes seem to be too big for him. He has a soft voice. Doesn’t say a lot.

Has this knack of getting me to talk but doesn’t really ask questions.

’ She paused. ‘I’m not sure how he does that.

’

‘And he knows that you don’t live here alone?

’

Ann folded her arms defiantly.

‘I mentioned you several times.’

‘Good. There are plenty of odd folk around at the moment. People who are desperate. You think I’m joking, but we need to be careful.

’ She looked through to the scullery.

‘No,’ said Ann.

‘I really think—’

‘No. The scullery door stays unlocked.’

‘Will you at least be more mindful about locking the kitchen door then? For me ?’ She pointed at the staircase.

‘I sleep up there, remember. I could be murdered in my bed.’

‘You could lock your door, if you wish? But I suppose you’re right.

I’ll put some oil into the kitchen door lock this afternoon.

It’s rather stiff.’

‘The census is quite soon, isn’t it?

’

‘It’s on the twenty-sixth, so I suppose we should have a look and see what the Government wants to know about us this time. ’