Free Winners and Losers by Catrin Collier Page B

‘It’s not what they’ll say to me but to Megan that concerns me. Now that her uncle and his brothers have gone, she has no family left to turn to.’
    â€˜Seeing as you want to make her family, she has you, me, your brothers and Sali,’ his father reminded. ‘But from what I’ve seen of her, like most women she’s too soft-hearted and sensitive for her own good. She’ll need to develop a deaf ear and a skin like your blacksmith’s apron now she’s taken that job with Joyce, and someone,’ Billy looked meaningfully at his son, ‘should tell her to do just that. The best thing she can do to the gossips who’ll have a go at her for taking the job is ignore them.’ He pulled his empty pipe from his pocket and studied it thoughtfully.
    â€˜You’ve seen how the police lash out and beat anyone who gets in their way. She’ll be living in the same house as them.’
    â€˜They’ll hardly turn on a young girl who’s cleaning up after them and cooking their meals.’ Billy watched Victor pale at the thought of Megan skivvying for the men who had been brought in to break the strike. ‘There are no bruises on Joyce Palmer that I’ve seen.’
    â€˜Mrs Palmer is a middle-aged women.’
    â€˜And Megan is an attractive young girl. Are you afraid that a good-looking young copper will turn her head?’ There was an edge to Billy’s flippant remark. He knew that Victor was serious about marrying Megan, but he wasn’t sure just how serious nineteen-year-old Megan was about Victor. Especially now when she was about to move into a houseful of young men who were earning good wages and could shower her with gifts and regale her with tales of life in the big cities and towns outside Wales.
    â€˜No,’ Victor said. ‘I love her and she loves me. And if it wasn’t for her father, we’d have been engaged last Christmas and married last spring. But given the way the police behave, I’m not sure they’ll treat her with respect -’
    â€˜Because she’s a collier’s niece.’
    â€˜Exactly,’ Victor concurred. ‘There’s no way that Lloyd would let Sali work in that house.’
    â€˜There isn’t, but then Lloyd will soon be in a position to marry Sali. Do you two intend to get married when Megan is twenty-one?’
    â€˜We’ve talked about it. But given her father’s attitude that’s all we can do –talk,’ Victor divulged miserably.
    â€˜You’re both very young.’
    â€˜Mam was seventeen and you twenty when you married. I’m twenty-five and before the strike I was earning good money.’
    â€˜Are you trying to tell me that you’ve changed the way you feel about the strike?’
    â€˜No, it’s like you and Lloyd say, we’re fighting for a living wage for all the colliery workers. I’d be a fool not to support you.’
    â€˜You’ve never been that interested in the union.’
    â€˜Only because you, Lloyd and the other leaders are doing a better job of organizing the workers and negotiating with management than I could ever hope to. You and Lloyd have always been the thinkers in the family, Dad.’ Victor shifted uneasily in his chair. He wasn’t used to discussing his feelings with anyone, not even his father, only Megan. ‘Give me Megan for a wife and in time, God willing, a family, a job that pays a living wage, a couple of good dogs, some chickens, a garden to put them in and grow some vegetables and I’ll be a happy man.’
    â€˜You know your own mind, I’ll say that for you,’ Billy smiled.
    â€˜The example you and Mam set us, you can’t blame me for wanting what you and she had.’
    â€˜I was lucky.’ Billy’s eyes clouded as an image of his wife came to mind.
    â€˜We all were.’
    â€˜Stay there, I’ll be back in a minute.’ Billy left his chair