An hour later back at the house, showing no sign that she’d recently suffered a stomach upset so bad it had seen her virtually commandeering the outside privy for the last three days, Pat Nelson barged her way through the throng of mourners, packed solid in the small back room and kitchen, and advanced towards Aidy. Pat was balancing a plate piled high with food in one hand and a brimming glass of sherry in the other. Despite the fact that Aidy was already in conversation with Miriam Liberman, expressing her gratitude for the use of her son’s suit which she would endeavour to return in the condition it was lent in, Pat rudely interrupted with, ‘You didn’t use Snow’s for the funeral like I suggested.’ It was very apparent she wasn’t happy about this fact.
Politely excusing herself from Miriam and taking a deep breath to steel herself for the confrontation she knew was to come, Aidy turned to Pat and responded lightly, ‘Gran and I liked Clatteridge’s better, Mrs Nelson.’
She gave a haughty sniff. ‘Jessie’s death policy must have paid out well if yer’ve got money to throw around. I know Clatteridge’s are much dearer than Snow’s. The money you’d have saved using Snow’s, you could have put to good use.’
The truth was all the firms had quoted around the same price but Aidy and Bertha had found the people at Clatteridge’s to be the most pleasant and understanding to deal with, which was why she and her gran had settled for them. ‘Mam’s policy was to pay for her funeral, Mrs Nelson, and that’s what we used the money for.’
Pat cocked an eyebrow in surprise and said sardonically, ‘Well, as long as you’re happy yer got what yer paid for. I know a bloke that works for Snow’s, and as yer related to me he’d have made it his business to mek sure you did.’
Oh, so that was why Pat had wanted to insist they use Snow’s. She would have got a backhander for bringing in their custom.
Aidy’s mother-in-law rammed a whole sausage roll into her mouth. Not caring that she was spitting out pastry flakes, she said, ‘I’m glad to see Arch was chief bearer, but his brothers are really hurt you shunned them.’
Through clenched teeth Aidy responded, ‘We never shunned them, Mrs Nelson. Mam was very fond of the lads we asked, had watched them grow up from babies, and they were fond of her in return. I know she would have wanted them to be given the opportunity of being her pall-bearers, and they’d have been upset if they hadn’t been.’
Pat pulled a face. ‘Well, to me, family comes first. And as my Arch is married to you, we are family.’ She then prodded her fork into a piece of ham on her plate. ‘I see you didn’t bother with ham on the bone then? And I can’t find any tongue …’
‘It is ham on the bone, Mrs Nelson, only we got the butcher to slice it up for us, for convenience. Mam didn’t like tongue. The food we chose was what she liked.’
‘Like she’s here to eat it!’ Pat scoffed. Then added, ‘I was looking forward to that tongue. What butcher did you use?
‘The same one Mam always used. Jones.’
‘Oh, him,’ Pat snorted. ‘Wouldn’t touch his stuff meself. More gristle and fat than meat, what he serves up. It’s cheap, I suppose, though. You can tell this ham’s cheap, can’t yer? It’s not got much taste. Harry Worth would have seen you right, once you told him I’d sent yer. And it’s a pity you didn’t ask my Jim to get the booze for yer. One of his mates is a drayman. He could have got you three barrels of beer for less than the price you paid for one. If you paid for good sherry as well then you’ve been done. This stuff is barrel that’s been put into bottles.’
The sherry was certainly not barrel but best Cyprus, and Pat knew that it was. Her unwarranted petty complaints were just because she was fuming she had lost out on her backhanders from the suppliers she had instructed them to use, and besides couldn’t brag to the rest of the mourners that it was she who had arranged it all. It was taking all Aidy’s will-power now not to snatch the plate of food back off Pat, and her glass of sherry, and tell her to leave, but she would not cause a scene