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There was nothing to say to that, but Ethel touched her brother's arm in sympathy.
Mam said proudly: "Billy led us in prayer this morning at Bethesda. "
"Well done, Billy! I'm sorry I missed it. " Ethel had not gone to chapel-there was too much to do in the house. "What did you pray about?"
"I asked the Lord to help us understand why He allowed the explosion down the pit. " Billy cast a nervous glance at Da, who was not smiling.
Da said severely: "Billy might have done better to ask God to strengthen his faith, so that he can believe without understanding. "
Clearly they had already argued about this. Ethel did not have the patience for theological disputes that made no difference to anything in the end. She tried to brighten the mood. "Earl Fitzherbert asked me to give you his respects, Da," she said. "Wasn't that nice of him?"
Da did not melt. "I was sorry to see you taking part in that farce on Monday," he said sternly.
"Monday?" she said incredulously. "When the king visited the families?"
"I saw you whispering the names to that flunky. "
"That was Sir Alan Tite. "
"I don't care what he calls himself, I know a lickspittle when I see one. "
Ethel was shocked. How could Da be scornful of her great moment? She felt like crying. "I thought you'd be proud of me, helping the king!"
"How dare the king offer sympathy to our folk? What does a king know of hardship and danger?"
Ethel fought back tears. "But, Da, it meant so much to people that he went to see them!"
"It distracted everyone's attention from the dangerous and illegal actions of Celtic Minerals. "
"But they need comfort. " Why could he not see this?
"The king softened them up. Last Sunday afternoon this town was ready to revolt. By Monday evening all they could talk about was the queen giving her handkerchief to Mrs. Dai Ponies. "
Ethel went swiftly from heartbreak to anger. "I'm sorry you feel that way," she said coldly.
"Nothing to be sorry for-"
"I'm sorry because you are wrong," she said, firmly overriding him.
Da was taken aback. It was rare for him to be told he was wrong by anyone, let alone a girl.
Mam said: "Now, Eth-"
"People have feelings, Da," she said recklessly. "That's what you always forget. "
Da was speechless.
Mam said: "That's enough, now!"
Ethel looked at Billy. Through a mist of tears she saw his expression of awestruck admiration. That encouraged her. She sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and said: "You and your union, and your safety regulations and your Scriptures-I know they're important, Da, but you can't do away with people's feelings. I hope that one day socialism will make the world a better place for working people, but in the meantime they need consolation. "
Da found his voice at last. "I think we've heard enough from you," he said. "Being with the king has gone to your head. You're a slip of a girl, and you've no business lecturing your elders. "
She was crying too much to argue further. "I'm sorry, Da," she said. After a heavy silence she added: "I'd better get back to work. " The earl had told her to take all the time she liked, but she wanted to be alone. She turned away from her father's glare and walked back to the big house. She kept her eyes downcast, hoping the crowds would not notice her tears.
She did not want to meet anyone so she slipped into the Gardenia Suite. Lady Maud had returned to London, so the room was empty and the bed was stripped. Ethel threw herself down on the mattress and cried.
She had been feeling so proud. How could Da undermine everything she had done? Did he want her to do a bad job? She worked for the nobility. So did every coal miner in Aberowen. Even though Celtic Minerals employed them, it was the earl's coal they were digging, and he was paid the same per ton as the miner who dug it out of the earth-a fact her father never tired of pointing out. If it was all right to be a good colli
