Fallen Women

by Lindsey Hutchinson

  Leaving the cups to be washed in the morning, the girls went to their respective beds all looking forward to the forthcoming wedding.

  *

  The snow fell steadily for the next couple of days, coating everything and everyone in a cold white blanket. Horses struggled to gain purchase on the slippery cobbles as they pulled cabs and carts. The odd seagull could be heard calling as they had moved further inland away from the bad weather on the coast. People muttered and grumbled about the cold, which bit to the bone through threadbare clothing. Those having no work to go to stayed indoors, keeping their small fires going by burning sticks of furniture. The winter had set in earlier than expected and it threatened to be a long one.

  Ann and the girls were hard at work early one morning when an excited Richard arrived waving a letter in the air. ‘Father approves, Mother evidently has talked him round.’

  ‘I’m so glad; the last thing I wanted was for this to cause problems in your family,’ Ann said with relief. It was all she could ever have hoped for and now there was nothing stopping her from marrying Richard.

  Richard tucked it into his pocket. ‘I’ve written to tell them we’ve brought the wedding forward. The church is booked for December the first at ten o’clock – I hope that suits you, my love. It also gives me time to invite some guests.’

  ‘Goodness, it’s so soon!’ Ann said. ‘There’s so much to do!’ In truth, the timing was not an issue for Ann would have gladly married Richard right at this moment.

  ‘I’d best leave you to it then,’ Richard said with a laugh. Kissing her cheek, he waved a goodbye to the others and left them, whistling a merry tune as he went.

  ‘There you go then, ladies, December the first. Maisie, you need to tell Jack; someone should inform Gladys and Len, then we’ll need a cake and flowers – oh my!’ Ann was in a sudden panic.

  ‘It’s still two weeks away, Ann,’ Maisie said. ‘Stop fretting, we’ll make sure all is ready, won’t we, girls?’

  The others nodded.

  ‘Thank you, ladies, I love you all. I can’t believe how far we’ve come together. I just wish Floss was still with us.’ A tear glinted in Ann’s eyes as she spoke. ‘But I know she would want us to live our lives to the full.’

  ‘’Er would, and that’s a fact,’ Patsy said.

  ‘Well now, I’ll be popping along to the Bell – to tell Gladys, you understand,’ Mary said with a grin. Guffaws greeted her as she donned her coat. ‘I’ll not be drinkin’ this early in the day, to be sure.’

  ‘Oh, we don’t believe that for a second,’ Ella called after the Irish woman as she beat a hasty retreat.

  Laughter filled the room as they once again settled to their work.

  Forty-Nine

  Richard sat in the office of the estate agent he had visited once before when he was looking to purchase Williams’ Drapery.

  ‘I am to be married in a matter of weeks, sir, and I need to provide my wife-to-be with a residence.’

  The estate agent nodded. ‘What exactly are you looking for, Lord Wyndham?’

  ‘Something large – in its own grounds. It will need to have an indoor facility too. Stabling will also be required, as well as servants’ living quarters,’ Richard answered.

  ‘Of course,’ Mr Sadler said. ‘I think I may have just the thing. It’s set back on Trouse Lane and I think it would suit you and your lady admirably. Would you care to see it?’

  ‘Please, Mr Sadler. I have time now if you are available?’

  Mr Sadler nodded – he would make himself available for this sale. The previous owners had spent a lot of money on refurbishing the property and then had decided to sell up and move abroad.

  The two men made their way to the property by cab and immediately Richard was impressed at its grandeur.

  Set back from the road, it was surrounded by huge trees. The front door was reached via three steps and was flanked by two stone pillars. It opened onto a big hallway, which led to a living room, drawing room, parlour, music room, kitchen and scullery. Up the sweeping staircase were six bedrooms and a bathroom. The back stairs led to another floor, which housed six servants’ rooms. Outside at the back was stabling for four horses and a building for a carriage.

  Richard nodded as he walked around – this would do very nicely. Ann would have enormous pleasure choosing fixtures and fittings.

  Returning to the agent’s office, Richard signed the paperwork and assured Mr Sadler he would visit the bank immediately in order for payment to be made that very day.

  As he walked along the snow covered street, Richard hoped Ann would like her new house. He had decided to keep his Shropshire home in use as well so that he could – they could – visit whenever they pleased. He knew for certain Ann did not want to leave her home town or her business for good, so buying property in Wednesbury would both please her and be a sound investment.

  Presenting the bank manager with a copy of the deeds to the house, Richard arranged for payment to be made. Then with a spring in his step he walked along to the shop. Ann had two surprises coming to her today and he couldn’t wait to see her face.

  Entering the shop, he asked Ella and Eve to close up for an hour and follow him into the living room. The sisters shared a puzzled look but did as they were bid.

  ‘Ann and the girls am upstairs,’ Eve said on entering the room.

  ‘I wonder if you would be kind enough to ask them to join us,’ Richard asked.

  Eve nodded and ran up the stairs. A moment later everyone was settled, wondering what was going on.

  ‘Thank you for joining us, ladies. I have two announcements to make and I wanted you all to be a party to them.’

  Looks passed between the girls, then their eyes rested on Ann. She held out her hands and shrugged her shoulders; she was no wiser than the rest of them.

  Richard pulled an envelope from his pocket and held it out to Ann.

  Taking it, she frowned. ‘What’s this?’

  ‘That, my love, is the deed to your shop. This drapery now belongs to you.’ Richard’s grin spread from ear to ear as Ann gasped.

  ‘Richard! I can’t possibly accept this!’

  ‘You have to. It’s in your name now – although I have taken a bit of a liberty,’ Richard nodded to the envelope.

  Opening it, Ann took out the deed and read aloud. ‘Lady Ann Wyndham!’

  The girls burst into spontaneous applause.

  ‘You deserve it, Ann,’ Maisie said as the noise died down.

  ‘Agreed,’ Patsy said.

  ‘To be sure,’ Mary added.

  ‘Am we all still employed?’ Ella asked, causing laughter to ripple around the room.

  ‘Yes!’ Ann said. ‘Richard, thank you!’

  ‘Now – for my next trick…’ Richard grinned as he produced a second envelope. ‘This is the deed to Trouse Manor – your new home, Ann – although I think it could do with a new name.’

  ‘What! That massive place on Trouse Lane?’ Ann gasped.

  ‘The very same.’ Richard’s face was alight with excitement. ‘These are the keys, so I suggest you go and take a look. If you don’t like it, we’ll just get another,’ Richard said flippantly.

  Ann sat shaking her head. She looked at the envelope and keys in one hand and the other envelope in the other hand. She could hardly believe what she was seeing.

  ‘I – I…’ Ann mumbled.

  ‘Maisie, my dear, would you get Ann’s coat please? All of you – go with Ann and see the house.’ Richard clapped his hands.

  ‘What about the shop?’ Ella asked.

  ‘Close up for the day – oh, pardon me – will that be all right, Ann?’ Richard almost forgot himself.

  ‘Yes!’ Ann said, jumping to her feet. Throwing her arms around him, she kissed him full on the lips.

  ‘Hey up!’ Patsy said as she pushed the others out of the room.

  It took precisely five minutes for all to don their outdoor clothes and take a cab to the new house.

&nb
sp; As they wandered around, they realised the house held not one stick of furniture. There were no curtains at the windows and no crockery or utensils in the kitchen.

  ‘Bloody hell, Ann, you’ve got your work cut out with this place!’ Maisie said when they all stood in the living room once more.

  ‘How on earth am I to make it habitable in three weeks?’ Ann breathed.

  ‘Fast!’ Patsy quipped.

  Richard was waiting for them back at the shop with hot tea and cake. ‘Well?’ he asked.

  ‘Richard, it’s beautiful but – there’s nothing in there!’ Ann said.

  ‘I know. I thought you would enjoy furnishing it yourself,’ he said brightly.

  ‘We only have three weeks, Richard! How on earth…?’ Ann dropped into a chair, feeling exasperated – men had no idea how much work it would take to furnish such a huge house.

  ‘At least you don’t have to live in Shropshire!’ Ella said a little sharply, thinking Ann was somewhat ungrateful.

  Eve took up gently in order to ease Ella’s tension. ‘Oh Ann, just think how it will look when you’ve finished it!’

  ‘Exactly. Now tomorrow you and I will go furniture hunting. I want you to get precisely what you want. We will have it all delivered and installed as soon as possible, so we can move in right after the wedding,’ Richard said with a wave of his hand.

  ‘But, Richard – the expense!’ Ann was still reeling from all that had occurred over the last few hours.

  ‘Ann, this will be our home. I want you to have everything you need. Besides, I’m sure the girls would be delighted to help, won’t you?’ Richard turned to their friends and saw them nod.

  ‘Oh my goodness – so much to do in such a short time!’ Then Ann’s face lost all its anxiety to be replaced by a laughing happiness.

  As the evening wore on, they were joined by Jack who was updated on the events of the afternoon.

  The following weeks promised to be an extremely busy time for them all.

  Fifty

  The following two weeks flew past in a flurry of activity. Richard had said if the trains were still running, his parents would arrive the day before the wedding and he had reserved a room for them at the Albert Hotel.

  As promised, Richard and Ann had scoured the town to find exactly the right items for the house, and Richard was on hand for deliveries. All manner of boxes and crates arrived, as well as furniture for each of the rooms. Even the servants’ quarters were furnished, although Ann was not sure about hiring staff. Richard had said she would need to if she was to continue to work at the shop, so Ann had eventually relented and interviewed and subsequently hired a cook and a maid. They were to move in straight away and get settled in order to aid Richard with more boxes arriving every day.

  Eventually, Ann could see it all coming together as she took time out of her busy working day to visit.

  The cook had made the kitchen into her holy of holies – what she saw as her personal domain – and everything was now in its rightful place.

  It seemed to Ann she was living in a dream as, on each visit, their house became more of a home.

  Then, before she knew it, early one morning, Maisie was helping Ann into her wedding gown. Standing back, she gasped, ‘Oh Ann! You look stunning!’

  The two young women hugged and carefully made their way downstairs into the shop, Maisie holding up Ann’s train.

  Len and Gladys were waiting for her, he looking smart in his new suit and his wife swishing around in her new dress. Oohs and ahhs sounded as Ann entered the shop. It was time and, with a huge sigh, she said, ‘Thank you, everyone, for all your help.’

  ‘Cab’s waiting,’ Len said. ‘Get hold of that frock.’ Lifting Ann into his arms, he carried her to the cab. ‘Can’t have that gown getting spoiled.’ Wrapping her in a blanket, he then helped Maisie aboard the cab before climbing inside himself. He yelled up to the driver, ‘Right George, let’s be ’aving you.’

  The cab jolted as it moved forward and slowly rolled on towards its destination. Maisie and Ann exchanged a look of confusion at his joining them.

  ‘I know what you’m thinking, but I ain’t having our Annie’s frock spoiled by the snow on the church path,’ Len said by way of explanation.

  ‘You could have asked first,’ Maisie said, feeling a little disgruntled that he had made no mention of this previously.

  ‘I suppose I should ’ave – sorry Ann,’ Len said sheepishly. ‘Anyway we’m going by way of Brunswick Park so as to let the wenches get there first,’ he added.

  Ann shivered.

  ‘Am yer cold gel?’

  ‘No, just nervous, Len.’

  ‘I understand. I was an’ all when I married Gladys. I was terrified ’er wouldn’t turn up.’

  ‘Oh Len! You still love her so much, don’t you?’ Ann asked.

  Len nodded.

  ‘Then you should tell her more often,’ Ann said.

  ‘Nah, ’er wouldn’t believe me. ’Er would think I’d been up to summat. In ’er ’eart ’er knows, so best to leave sleeping dogs lie.’

  Ann and Maisie shared a grin.

  After a turn around the park, the carriage rolled to a standstill outside St Bartholomew’s Church.

  ‘Ready?’ Len asked.

  Ann nodded.

  Alighting from the cab, Len carried Ann into the church and set her carefully onto her feet. Then he returned to assist Maisie, before scuttling inside to take his place next to Gladys, who had arrived by way of a cab with the girls.

  Arranging Ann’s train behind her, Maisie crooked her arm. Ann threaded her arm through her friend’s, and the two women walked slowly forward as the organ struck up.

  Ann saw Richard waiting for her as they made their way down the aisle. She also saw her friends, who were dabbing away tears.

  Her eyes sought out the woman who would be her mother-in-law in a matter of minutes.

  Felicity Wyndham smiled broadly as Ann passed.

  Over the sound of the organ, Ann heard Richard’s father say, ‘My, but she’s a beauty!’

  As Ann joined Richard, Maisie took a step back and she looked up into Richard’s brown eyes which shone with joy.

  The service began and for a brief moment Ann feared it might all turn out to be a dream.

  ‘I do!’ Richard’s voice echoed loudly and Ann stifled a titter at his enthusiasm. She heard the vicar’s words as he pronounced them man and wife and she beamed her happiness. Her friends burst into spontaneous applause.

  At the Albert Hotel, Ann was introduced to Richard’s father for the first time.

  ‘Lady Wyndham,’ Jeffrey said, shaking her hand.

  ‘Lord Wyndham,’ Ann replied with a grin.

  Jeffrey threw back his head and laughed loudly. ‘Welcome to the family, my dear.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Ann said on a breath.

  As Richard’s arm slipped around her waist, Ann knew she would be happy for the rest of her life, and she considered herself very fortunate. She had her new husband and a lovely house in her beloved Wednesbury. She knew they could travel to Shropshire and spend time there when the weather improved. Her business was now doing well and she was surrounded by her good friends. Richard’s family had capitulated regarding the wedding and had welcomed her into the family. Victoria Beckett was gone from her life, as was Peter Unwin, and although she would never forget them and what they put her through, Ann felt she could, in time, put it all behind her. All she could ask for now would be to have healthy children. The thought raised the corners of her mouth as Richard led her towards a table covered with food.

  ‘What was that thought? The one which made you smile,’ he asked.

  Ann grinned and said quietly, ‘Oh, I was just wondering how many children we should have.’

  The cheeky grin he gave her told her it could be quite a lot!

  With a laugh, Ann moved to her friend Mary, who was standing in the bay window looking out onto the snow covered gardens.

  ‘Floss would h
ave loved this for sure,’ Mary said a little sadly.

  A tapping on the sash window drew Ann’s gaze and she saw a tiny robin on the window ledge. The little bird tapped its beak on the glass again before taking to the wing.

  The two women shared a warm smile as Mary said, ‘That was Floss giving you her blessing.’

  Ann nodded, then watched Mary walk back to the others.

  Ann glanced through the window once more and smiled again. Thank you, Floss, we miss you so much!

  Happier than she had ever been, Ann walked away and rejoined her wedding guests.

  We hope you enjoyed this book.

  Lindsey Hutchinson’s next book is coming in spring 2019

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  LINDSEY HUTCHINSON lives in Shropshire with her husband and dog and loves to read and has recently discovered photography. She is the daughter of million copy bestselling author Meg Hutchinson.

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