A Winter Baby for Gin Barrel Lane

by Lindsey Hutchinson

‘Do you have any idea how many urchins are running the streets?’ he asked, astonished at her plan.

  ‘No. Do you?’

  He shook his head as her answer took him by surprise.

  ‘Well, then. Do you have anything on your books that might suffice?’

  ‘Erm, actually…’ The man searched through a pile of papers on his desk and, finally locating the one he was looking for, he pulled it out and passed it to her.

  Dolly read the details. On its own land, the house had a sitting room, parlour, living room, kitchen, scullery, music room and butler’s pantry on the ground floor. Upstairs there were eight bedrooms and a back staircase leading to another eight servants’ rooms. Two double privy blocks were at the back of the property next to stables, wash-house and various other outbuildings.

  ‘This would be ideal, certainly to begin with anyway for as you say – we have no idea how many runners there are,’ Dolly said, passing the paper back.

  ‘You have seen the price?’ the man asked.

  ‘Yes. Now I want to see the house.’

  ‘Well, I’m sure the present owners would be delighted to arrange a viewing time to suit you.’

  ‘Mr…?’

  ‘Phillips.’

  ‘Mr Phillips, I have a young baby who is at home with his grandma and will be requiring a feed before too long,’ Dolly said, and seeing his blush she went on, ‘I have the cash in the bank so I will not be needing to negotiate a mortgage should I decide to purchase the house. Therefore, I wish to see the property immediately. I have a cab waiting.’

  The man flushed scarlet again at her forthright manner but realised he couldn’t risk losing this sale. ‘I see. Then I will accompany you.’ Grabbing his hat and coat he held the door open for Dolly. ‘After you, Mrs…?’

  ‘Larkin.’

  Dolly looked out of the window as the cab bounced over the cobbles and she tittered. Phillips gave her a puzzled look and followed the direction of her nod.

  Out in the street, women were standing with the hems of their cotton dresses pulled up and tucked into the legs of their bloomers.

  ‘Oh my word!’ Phillips said, a blush coming to his face yet again.

  Where else in the world would you see a sight like that?

  The house was situated on the corner of Corporation Street and New Street and stood well back from the busy highways. A long gravel drive led to the grand stone building. Pillars flanked the front door on which Mr Phillips hammered once he had helped her from the cab.

  A maid invited them into a massive hallway and Dolly was immediately impressed.

  ‘Mrs Larkin wishes to view the property,’ Phillips explained.

  ‘Yes, sir. The master and mistress are not at home at present but have left instructions to allow any viewings to go ahead. I’ll be in the kitchen when you’ve finished.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Dolly said and smiled as the maid bobbed a curtsy before disappearing.

  ‘We’ll start here, then work our way up. Can you manage stairs?’ Phillips asked, nodding at her walking stick.

  ‘Yes, thank you, I can.’

  Dolly followed along, listening to Phillips enthusing about the house’s size and prominent position. They looked in every room, cupboard and outbuilding until finally Dolly had seen it all.

  ‘What do you think? Magnificent, isn’t it?’ Phillips asked eventually as they went to the kitchen to inform the maid they were leaving.

  ‘It is indeed,’ Dolly concurred.

  In the cab Dolly said, ‘What is the lowest they will accept for it?’

  ‘The figure you saw on the paper.’

  Nothing more was said until they reached Phillips’s office.

  As he stepped down onto the road Dolly said, ‘Thank you. Would you be so kind as to draw up the paperwork, Mr Phillips, please? I would hope to be able to organise staff and bedrooms as soon as possible.’

  ‘I will indeed! Thank you, Mrs Larkin, thank you most sincerely.’

  Dolly gritted her teeth at the man’s grovelling then said, ‘I will be at the Daydream Palace on Gin Barrel Lane when the papers are ready for signature, and Mr Phillips – time is of the essence.’

  ‘Very good. I’ll get on to it straight away.’

  ‘Thank you. Good day to you.’ Dolly banged her stick and the cab moved off.

  Once it was rolling, Dolly blew through pursed lips, before the questions began to form in her mind. Had she done the right thing spending so much money all in one go? Would the urchin runners even want to live there? How many would the house accommodate? What would happen to any she couldn’t fit in? Would she be able to find staff? How much could she afford to pay them?

  More importantly, what would Jack say about her extravagant purchase when he knew?

  55

  Somehow Dolly knew Jack would be pleased for her, and that night he merely smiled as she told him about the house.

  ‘I’m glad you found somewhere, and so soon!’ he said.

  ‘Fortuitous indeed, but Jack, whatever will I do if the runners take against the idea?’ Dolly asked, clearly perplexed.

  ‘They won’t. Come on, Dolly, would you if you were a runner? You’ve seen those kids. They’re half-starved and dressed in rags. God only knows where they sleep! They’re ingrained with dirt and in the winter are blue with cold.’

  ‘I know all that but…’ Dolly started to say.

  ‘Look, stop fretting. Once the documents are signed you can gather the runners there then you’ll have a better idea of numbers. They’ll soon let you know how they feel and it’s my guess they’ll love the idea. And Aggie would be delighted to know you have used her money so wisely.’

  ‘I’ll need beds and linen, furniture and food… Oh, Jack, there’s so much to think about!’

  ‘Yes there is and you have plenty of time to do it. I’m so proud of you, Dolly.’

  ‘As I am of you,’ she responded.

  ‘On that note, I suggest we head for bed before Joseph starts screaming for his supper,’ Jack said and, taking her hand, they climbed the stairs.

  It was two days later that Mr Phillips arrived to seek Dolly’s signature on the papers that had already been signed by the sellers. He said he would contact the bank for payment and Dolly was left with her copy of the agreement and deeds. He would let her know, he said, when the property was empty and she could take possession. He thought it likely a few weeks should do it.

  Once the man had gone, Sadie asked, ‘Is that something we should know about?’

  ‘I’ve just bought a massive house,’ Dolly said as if in a daze.

  Sadie and Alice looked at each other then back at Dolly.

  ‘Why? You’re not moving, are you?’ Sadie asked, looking worried.

  ‘No, it’s to house the runners.’

  ‘Good God above!’ Sadie exclaimed.

  ‘Yes indeed, and I’m going to be needing His help if I’m to pull this off.’

  ‘I ain’t seen anything beat you yet,’ the cook replied.

  ‘Taking on the brewery and this house could well do it.’

  ‘No it won’t. There’s lots of us to give a hand if needed,’ Alice said.

  ‘Thanks, ladies, just pray everything goes according to plan.’

  Over the next few days, Dolly was kept informed about the work being done by Eli and his gang of workers. The repairs to the brewery roof were well underway and the rubble had been cleared. Work was progressing and Dolly was pleased.

  The gin palaces continued to do a roaring trade and each proudly displayed an Aggie cask as was promised by Jack.

  At the end of the week Dolly received a packet from Mr Phillips containing a letter and a set of keys.

  Dear Mrs Larkin,

  I write to inform you that Lord and Lady Dorchester, along with their staff, all goods and chattels have vacated the property known as Dorchester Manor. I am pleased to enclose the keys to said property which you are now at liberty to do with as you will.

  Many congratulations
.

  Sincerely yours,

  A. Phillips Esq.

  Dolly picked up the keys and clutched them tightly. She needed to tell Jack the good news and she asked Sadie to watch over Joseph while she went on her errand.

  ‘I’d love to, Dolly, any time you like.’

  Dolly hailed a cab and with the keys and letter in her bag, she set off for the Emporium.

  Stepping down from the cab at the end of the short journey, she asked the cabbie to please wait. Music could be heard as Randall played popular songs and she heard the cabbie humming along to the tunes.

  Dolly entered through the back door and was welcomed warmly as always. She showed Jack the letter and his eyebrows rose with excitement.

  ‘Will you come with me and see the house?’ Dolly asked.

  ‘Yes, I’m dying to have a look,’ Jack replied. Then to Bess he said, ‘I’m going out for a while.’

  Another short cab ride brought them to their destination and Jack whistled at sight of the house. ‘It’s a hell of a size!’

  Unlocking the front door, Dolly was surprised. It looked very different now it was empty, she thought, as they wandered from room to room and she listened to Jack’s comments about how big it all was.

  Eventually she asked, ‘What do you think?’

  ‘I think we should move in here!’ he said with a laugh. ‘Seriously, I think the kids are gonna love this! Who wouldn’t?’

  Locking up again, they boarded the cab and on the way back Jack asked, ‘How are you going to organise it all?’

  ‘I thought to take your advice and gather the runners in order to gauge their number first of all. Then I can see how many we can fit in comfortably. I don’t want it to seem like a workhouse, though, with beds crammed in and no space to move.’

  ‘How would you know what it’s like in the workhouse?’

  ‘I can guess, Jack, and I want much better for those children.’

  Back at the Emporium, they stepped down and the cabbie waited patiently. Jack whistled and an urchin came running.

  ‘Is there any way you can get all the runners together in one place?’ Dolly asked.

  ‘Ar, it shouldn’t be that hard,’ the boy said.

  ‘Good. Tomorrow morning at ten o’clock.’

  The boy nodded. ‘Where?’

  ‘Do you know the big house on the corner of Corporation Street?’

  ‘Dorchester Manor? Yes.’

  ‘Then I’ll meet you all there. You can go through the gates because the place is empty now.’

  ‘What’s going on?’

  ‘You’ll see tomorrow.’ Dolly pulled a half crown from her bag and gave it to the boy, whose eyes almost popped out of his head.

  ‘Half a dollar! Thanks, Dolly!’ With that he sped off.

  Jack grinned as he helped her back into the cab. ‘I’ll see you tonight, my love.’

  With a kiss through the open door, Jack then closed it before he nodded to the cabbie, who clucked to the horse to walk on.

  Back at the Palace, Dolly spent the day with Joseph in the kitchen. She was finding it hard to concentrate on anything, so great was her excitement, and she could barely wait for the following day to arrive.

  When Jack saw her that night, he asked, ‘Do you want me to come with you tomorrow?’

  ‘Oh yes, please! I was going to ask you.’

  ‘I’d best send an early runner to the Emporium to say I’ll be late in, then.’

  Dolly laughed and Jack smiled at his beautiful wife. He loved her with all his heart and knew she felt the same about him. He was a very lucky man.

  The following day, Jack and Dolly stood at the front door of the massive house. The cabbie parked his vehicle at the side and, as he waited, he lit his pipe and watched as runners began to come pelting through the gateway.

  Urchins arrived by themselves, others came in little groups until it seemed they were all in attendance.

  ‘Thank you for coming. Are there any who are missing, does anyone know?’ Dolly yelled.

  Dirty heads turned as questioning eyes scanned the crowd.

  ‘I think everybody’s here, Dolly,’ a voice called out.

  ‘Would you please stand in pairs one behind the other so I may count you all.’

  Feet shuffled and bodies draped in rags formed an orderly queue. Dolly walked down the line and counted in her head then returned to Jack and whispered, ‘One hundred and twenty.’

  ‘Not as many as I thought there’d be,’ he said quietly in return.

  ‘I’m going to let you into the house now so you can have a look around. Please be respectful of the place.’

  As she unlocked the door, she heard low excited chatter and questions as to why they were here.

  Pushing the door open, she watched the children file in and begin to explore. Before long she heard shouts of ‘Come and see this!’ and ‘Look over here!’

  ‘How will we fit them all in?’ Jack asked.

  ‘I’ll work it out somehow,’ Dolly replied, wondering if she would actually be able to.

  Suddenly the children spilled out of the door and chased each other around the lawns. Laughter echoed through the outbuildings and, at Dolly’s nod, Jack whistled loudly.

  The children formed their queue again, without needing to be asked.

  ‘This house belongs to me,’ Dolly shouted so they could all hear. ‘I bought it with the sole intention of providing a home for all of you. I was able to do this because Aggie left me a lot of money when she passed away, and I think it’s what she would have wanted.’

  Sad looks passed between the runners then back to Dolly as she went on. ‘I must now ask if you would like to live here.’

  Cheers, whistles, shouts of hooray assaulted her ears as the children gathered around her.

  ‘I think that’s a resounding yes!’ Jack yelled above the noise. Then, with another whistle, he brought them to order once more.

  ‘Give me a few days to organise a couple of ladies as house mothers who can live in to look after you, and beds for everyone, and then you will be able to move in.’ Another cheer went up and Dolly raised her hand for quiet. ‘I would like a teacher to come in every day for those who would like to learn their letters and numbers as well.’ A not so loud cheer greeted that statement. ‘I’m guessing some, if not all, of you would like to continue to be runners, and that’s fine, but now you will have a home to come back to each night. So, leave this with me and I’ll be in touch soon.’

  The children shouted their thanks and ran off down the drive.

  Dolly locked up and she and Jack climbed into the cab to go home.

  When they arrived, Dolly made to pay the cabbie but he shook his head, saying, ‘That has to be the finest thing I’ve ever seen! You giving those kids a proper home. Keep your money, madam, buy the kids some suck with it.’

  ‘Thank you, I’m sure the children would love some sweets.’

  The following days kept Dolly very busy. Nellie and Nancy joined her along with Sadie and Alice and the women worked out a plan together.

  Jack, for his part, visited the Servants’ Registry, requesting that potential house mothers visit Dolly for interviews. Once completed, four were chosen and were happy enough to be sharing rooms.

  Jack also put in an order for one hundred and twenty-four single beds to be delivered as soon as possible, the invoice to be sent to Dolly at the Palace. Dolly was relieved indeed that Aggie had been such a generous benefactor.

  Alice was tasked with ordering bed linen, towels, soap, hairbrushes and toothbrushes and powder. Sadie volunteered to stock the butler’s pantry with food as well as equip the kitchen with pots, pans, crockery and cutlery.

  Nellie kept a running tally of the estimated expenditure and Nancy sketched a diagram of the rooms as Dolly described them, one of which would become a dining hall. The music room was chosen for this purpose. Two bedrooms were allocated to the house mothers, which left fourteen for the children. Dolly thought four beds to each room would
fit nicely. With eight beds each in the sitting room and the parlour, the others would have to go into the outbuildings, which would need a good clean out and whitewashing. At least they were dry and warm.

  ‘The kids will choose where they want to sleep, so no need to worry on that score,’ Nancy said.

  ‘Should we separate them? Boys from girls, I mean,’ Dolly asked.

  ‘Are they separated now?’ Nellie asked.

  ‘I don’t know. Oh, I see what you mean.’

  ‘There you go then. Leave them to it, gel, it’ll work itself out, don’t you fret.’

  So she didn’t.

  56

  Jack hired a couple of painters from the breadline to work on the outbuildings as a surprise for Dolly for when she next visited. She was delighted when she saw them all clean and painted. She had gone to open up the following week for the first of the beds being delivered. Nancy and Nellie had gone with her and Dolly left Joseph with his daddy at the Emporium.

  Nellie and Nancy roamed around the huge house, marvelling at the size of it.

  ‘Those kids are lucky to have you helping them,’ Nancy said.

  ‘It’s Aggie who is providing for them, I’m just the one organising it for her.’

  ‘You’ll be changing the name I’m guessing.’

  ‘I will. I thought Aggie’s Children’s Home.’

  ‘It’s a bit of a mouthful, ain’t it?’ Nellie asked. ‘Why not just Aggie’s Place?’

  ‘Oh yes! Nellie, that’s perfect!’ Dolly gushed, then stepped quickly out of the way of another bed coming in.

  ‘The factory is working flat out on this order for you, missus,’ one of the delivery men said.

  ‘Thank you,’ Dolly replied.

  ‘You’re gonna need some furniture an’ all. Tables and chairs, wardrobes and chests of drawers,’ Nellie reminded her.

  ‘Oh, good grief! I’d forgotten that! I’ll get them ordered when I get back. Thanks, Nellie.’

  ‘You know I can come over every day to open up for deliveries if you like,’ Nellie said. ‘It would give me something to do, otherwise I’m likely to get my arse behind the bar again!’

  ‘No you bloody won’t!’ Nancy snapped.