by Dilly Court
Kate could see her father mulling this over and she spoke quickly. ‘But it is just the right place for a soup kitchen, Mama. After all, there would be no point in opening one in Finsbury Square, would there?’
‘Of course not. What an idea.’ Arabella picked up the silver bell and rang it. ‘I wonder what Cook has prepared for dessert.’
Next morning, having visited the local ironmonger and purchased the necessary equipment with the promise that it would be delivered immediately to the premises in Cable Street, Kate and Jenny visited the market to buy the items that Cook deemed necessary for a good nourishing soup. With baskets overflowing with vegetables, some cheap cuts of meat and beef bones, they took a cab to Cable Street, stopping first in Nightingale Lane.
Kate alighted on her own and knocked on the door of the Harrises’ cottage. After a minute or two it was opened by Ivy herself with a baby in her arms and the twins, Polly and Emma, clinging to her skirts. Her eyes widened when she saw Kate.
‘Miss Martin. What brings you here again?’
‘I know you’re very busy with your family, Mrs Harris, but I really need your help.’
‘Me?’ Ivy glanced over Kate’s shoulder. ‘Is this one of my cousin’s jokes? If it is, it ain’t funny.’
‘No, of course not, Ivy. I may call you Ivy, mayn’t I?’ Kate did not wait for an answer. She bent down to retrieve Charlie, who had made a break for the freedom of the street, and she hauled him back into the house. ‘I’m starting a soup kitchen in Cable Street. It’s not too far from here, but I realise now that I don’t know how to make soup. I have all the ingredients, but neither Jenny nor I have ever cooked anything in our lives.’
A glimmer of amusement lit Ivy’s pale grey eyes, but was replaced instantly by a look of defeat. ‘I would help you, miss, but I can’t leave my babies on their own.’
‘Of course not,’ Kate said hastily. ‘You must bring them, too. There’s plenty of room and they can play while we work. You will all be fed and I will pay you a small amount each day for your labours.’
‘Did Perry put you up to this, miss?’
‘He knows nothing about it, Ivy. I promise you, it was all my idea.’
‘It’s too far for the little ones to walk. I’m sorry, miss. I’d love to help – and the money would be more than welcome – but you can see my problem.’
‘I have a hackney carriage waiting for us. There’s room for you and the babies if you can be ready quickly.’
A rare smile lit Ivy’s pinched features. ‘If you’ll hold on to Charlie, I’ll bring baby John, Nellie and the twins.’
Spears opened the door and his jaw dropped when Kate and Jenny entered the premises, followed by Ivy and her children. He muttered something unintelligible and backed away to an open door that concealed a narrow staircase. He closed it after him with a thud that reverberated around the empty room as he retreated to his room upstairs.
Kate took charge immediately, leaving Jenny to take care of the little ones while she and Ivy unpacked the food and sorted out the delivery from the ironmongers, which had arrived earlier. Ivy rolled up her sleeves and began peeling and slicing onions, while Kate dealt with the mountain of root vegetables. It was back-breaking work for Kate, who had never even buttered a slice of bread, let alone prepared soup for a large number of people, but she was determined to make a success of the venture. Ivy stoked the range, which Spears had lit earlier in the morning, and soon they had two huge pans filled with meat and vegetables, topped up with water. Ivy added salt and pepper before placing the lids on the pans.
‘I really enjoyed that, miss,’ Ivy said, beaming. ‘I used to work in a big kitchen before I married Ted. But if we’re going to serve soup we should have a slice of bread to go with it, if it’s going to be a proper meal.’ She hurried into the front room at the sound of the baby crying and Kate followed her.
Jenny rose from the floor where she had been keeping the twins, Nellie and Charlie entertained. She handed the crying baby back to its mother. ‘The soup smells good, but shouldn’t there be a table or two, and chairs? The diners can’t sit on the floor to eat.’
‘And bowls and spoons, too,’ Ivy added, cradling the baby in her arms.
‘Of course,’ Kate said, frowning. ‘There are bowls and spoons in the box from the ironmongers, but I think you’re right. We should offer bread and butter, too.’
‘Butter is too expensive but bread on its own is fine.’ Ivy hitched the baby over her shoulder, patting his tiny back. ‘We could thicken the soup by adding some pearl barley, and we do need some more peppercorns and maybe a spoonful of mace for flavouring.’
‘It’s more complicated than I thought,’ Kate said slowly. ‘But I agree we do need tables and chairs. I haven’t got the money to buy or even hire them. I just hope we have enough crockery.’
Ivy shook her head. ‘China gets broken. Tin plates or mugs will do, and as people get used to us they can bring their own.’
‘We have to let them know we’re here.’ Jenny glanced out of the window. ‘It’s not very obvious and if we don’t advertise in some way, no one will come.’
‘Oh, bother! I didn’t think of all that.’ Kate pushed a strand of hair back from her damp forehead with an impatient flick of her fingers. ‘I’ll get a good scolding at home if I fail at this.’
‘You’re a grown woman,’ Ivy said hotly. ‘Don’t let them bully you, miss. Your heart is in the right place, and in my book that’s all that matters.’ The baby began to whimper and Ivy unbuttoned her blouse and put the squalling infant to her breast.
Kate strolled over to the door and gazed up and down the street. Jenny and Ivy had seen the flaws in her plans and they were right, but to fail when she had got so far was unthinkable. She took a step backwards as a familiar figure strode up to the door, and Harry Trader walked in. He came to a sudden halt when he saw Ivy and the children.
‘Mrs Harris is a trained cook,’ Kate said hastily. ‘She’s helped me to make the first batch of soup, but we have a problem.’
Harry glanced round the room and nodded. ‘I was wondering when you’d notice the lack of furniture.’
‘I was so intent on getting the food ready that I forgot,’ Kate said reluctantly. ‘Perhaps I could hire some tables and chairs.’
‘Have you the funds to pay for them?’
She shook her head. ‘No, not really.’
‘I might be able to help. In fact, I can be of assistance. The meeting room upstairs is well-equipped. You can borrow what you need.’
‘Thank you,’ Kate said humbly. ‘That’s very kind of you.’
He laughed. ‘Not really, my dear innocent. As I said before, you and your charity are providing an excellent front for my business, which will keep the police away from here permanently, or so I hope.’
‘I thought you were joking. You’re actually using us?’
‘Of course, and you are taking advantage of my generosity. It works both ways, my dear Miss Martin.’
Kate eyed him warily. ‘Just what sort of business are you in, Mr Trader?’
‘It’s better for both of us that you know as little as possible about my interests. You might let something slip when speaking to your father.’
‘Does he know your name?’
Harry’s smiled faded. ‘Did you mention it?’
She shook her head. ‘I had the feeling that he might have heard of you.’
‘So what did you tell him?’
There was an edge in Harry’s voice that put Kate instantly on the defensive. ‘I’m not as naïve as you seem to think, Mr Trader. I told him that Augustus Spears was the owner of the premises, and my father accepted that without comment.’
‘You lied to your father to protect a villain like me,’ Harry said, laughing. ‘Miss Martin, I’m afraid you’re on the road to perdition.’
‘Well, at least I won’t be facing hellfire on my own.’
Harry shook his head and, still chuckling, he crossed the room and opened the
door to reveal a flight of uncarpeted stairs. ‘Spears, bring a couple of tables to the shop, and benches.’
Kate could just make out a mumbling assent from upstairs, followed by the sound of furniture being dragged over bare boards.
‘Thank you,’ she said grudgingly.
‘Make sure he puts them back for this evening’s meeting.’ Harry opened the street door. ‘Good luck with the soup kitchen. I’ll send a few people along at midday. There’s nothing like a queue to attract others to stand in line.’
‘Are you always so cynical?’ Kate demanded crossly.
‘I’m told it’s part of my charm.’ Harry stepped outside onto the pavement, tipped his hat and strode off.
‘You want to watch him,’ Jenny said in a low voice. ‘I’ve met his sort before.’
‘Don’t worry. I can handle Mr Trader.’ Kate was about to close the door, but she was overcome with curiosity and she could not resist watching him as he walked down the street with a swagger in his step. Not that it was any of her business where Harry Trader was headed, but she was suddenly alert and listening to the sweetest music she had ever heard. On the corner of Cable Street and Leman Street, sheltering from a sudden downpour beneath the railway bridge, Kate saw a young girl playing a concertina. Trader stopped to speak to her. She did not look him in the face, but continued to play while nodding in apparent agreement. There was something about his attitude towards the girl that suggested they were old acquaintances, and he kissed her on the cheek before going on his way. Kate was tempted to go out and speak to the talented musician, but someone tapped her on the shoulder and she spun round to see Jenny standing at her side.
‘What’s the matter?’
‘Nothing. You was in a dream, miss. But we still got work to do. Ivy says we need bread to go with the soup.’
Kate nodded. ‘Yes, of course. I have some money left. If you run to the bakery along the street I’ll help Spears to set up the tables.’ She was about to close the door but the strains of a haunting melody filled the air with sweetness, despite the din from the docks and the rumble of traffic. Kate sighed. ‘That girl is very talented,’ she said softly. ‘I’ve never heard anything but jigs and sea shanties played on a concertina.’
‘My uncle Joe used to play a squeeze-box at weddings and funerals, as well as every Saturday night in the pub, but he didn’t make it sound like that.’ Jenny held her hand out for the money. ‘Ta. I’ll be as quick as I can.’
‘Get some peppercorns and mace, if you can,’ Kate said hastily, but Jenny was already on her way, and Spears was bumping a table down the stairs, accompanying each step with a loud expletive.
‘Here, you.’ Ivy laid the sleeping baby on her shawl, which she had spread on the floor. ‘Mind your language in front of me nippers.’
‘Well, you can come and give us a hand, missis.’ Spears paused on the bottom step, apparently stuck in the doorway. ‘I wouldn’t have taken you lot on if I’d known the trouble it was going to give me. I don’t hold with charity, anyway. I’m me own charity and I need funds to keep me in me dotage.’
‘If you live that long,’ Ivy said darkly.
‘Let me help.’ Kate hurried over to take the other end of the trestle table. ‘Perhaps you’d check the soup, Ivy? You’re the expert when it comes to cooking.’
‘Lift your end, miss,’ Spears said irritably. ‘Why is women so useless when it comes to anything that needs a bit of brain power?’
Kate used her pent-up energy and frustration to give the table a sharp tug and freed it from its moorings. Spears almost toppled down the remaining steps, uttering a bark of annoyance.
‘Lucky for you that you’ve a pretty face, Miss Martin. Harry Trader’s got a soft spot for good-looking women.’
Kate did not know whether to be flattered or infuriated, but she chose to ignore him. ‘Let’s get the benches down, Mr Spears. It’s almost midday.’
He glanced over his shoulder, curling his lip. ‘I don’t see no crowd outside.’
‘The benches, if you please.’ Kate left him to get on with the task while she went into the kitchen to unpack the bowls and spoons that the ironmonger had delivered. If they had a sudden rush of customers there would not be enough, but they would manage somehow.
Minutes later Jenny arrived with three large loaves of bread, although she had been unable to find a shop selling the spices. They laid up the two tables that Spears had reluctantly brought down, and there was nothing to do but wait.
Eventually, Kate realised that she would have to do something drastic if she wanted to advertise their presence. In the meantime Jenny and Ivy sampled the soup, sitting at the table with the children, and they seemed to be enjoying their meal. But Kate was too tense to bother with food, and she wrapped her shawl around her head and shoulders.
‘I’m going out to bring in some customers,’ she said as she opened the door. ‘There must be some hungry people round here.’
Chapter Five
Even as she closed the door behind her, Kate was aware that the music had stopped and she experienced a sharp pang of disappointment. Somehow the girl’s playing had touched a chord in Kate’s heart and had left her open to a maelstrom of emotion. The pain of separation from Ash, and not knowing whether he was alive or dead, had found expression in the silvery notes that filled the air on a wet day in Whitechapel. The heat and dust of Delhi might be thousands of miles away, but the strains of a sentimental ballad had brought memories tumbling back into Kate’s consciousness.
The tap-tapping of a stick on the paving stones brought her abruptly back to reality, and she turned to see the young girl walking slowly towards her. The truth hit Kate with a sudden shock – the talented musician was blind.
‘Are you Kate?’ The girl’s voice was as soft and gentle as her music.
‘Yes, I am. How did you know that?’
A smile creased the girl’s pretty face. ‘Harry told me you were here.’
Kate reached out to lay her hand on the girl’s sleeve. ‘Why don’t you come inside? It’s going to rain again at any moment.’
‘Yes, I feel it coming, but I’m used to being out in all weathers.’
Kate opened the door and stood aside to allow the girl to pass. ‘May I ask your name?’
‘I’m Annie Blythe.’ She hesitated on the threshold, sniffing the air with an appreciative smile. ‘Something smells good.’
‘Would you care to be our first customer, Annie?’ Kate resisted the temptation to take the girl’s fragile hand and lead her to the table. The blind girl’s demeanour was one of quiet pride and self-assurance, despite her obvious disability, and Kate knew instinctively that she would not welcome undue attention, however well meant.
Using her stick to guide her, Annie made her way to the table where Jenny, Ivy and the children were seated.
Jenny sprang to her feet. ‘You can sit here, love. I’ve just finished.’
Annie nodded and set her concertina carefully on the table. ‘I can pay for my food.’
‘Just give us a tune on your squeeze-box,’ Jenny said cheerfully. ‘My name’s Jenny, by the way, and I love a bit of music.’ She patted Annie on the shoulder as she walked past her, heading for the kitchen.
‘And I’m Ivy. These are my nippers.’ Ivy hitched the baby onto her hip as she rose from the table. ‘You eat as much as you can, my dear. You look as though you need feeding up.’
Kate held her breath, hoping that this fragile creature with the face of an angel and a halo of fine golden hair, would not take offence at Ivy’s remark, but Annie merely smiled.
‘It don’t seem to matter how much I eat, ma’am, I stay like this anyway. But I am hungry and the soup smells wonderful. You must be a good cook.’
Ivy puffed out her chest. ‘Well, I have been told that before. Anyway, I’d best be going now. I don’t like leaving the house empty in case me older kids get home before me. I don’t want the fire to go out. Coal and kindling costs money.’
‘Thank you
for everything you’ve done today, Ivy,’ Kate said as she caught two-year old Charlie by the hand and passed him to his mother. ‘Will you be here at the same time tomorrow? Bring your other children, if possible.’
‘Yes, if you need me. I will.’
Kate put her hand in her pocket and took out a sixpenny piece, which she pressed into Ivy’s hand. ‘You’ve earned this today. I wish it could be more.’
‘Ta, miss. It’s much appreciated.’ Ivy herded her children out into the street and they disappeared amongst the crowd of passers-by.
‘I hope we will soon become known,’ Kate said, glancing out of the window. Rain was falling heavily now, trickling down the window like tears.
‘You need to let people know you’re here.’ Annie lowered herself carefully onto the bench. ‘You might have one already, but I think a big sign in the window would help.’
‘I hadn’t thought of that, but you’re right. That’s what I should do.’ Kate stood aside as Jenny bustled into the room carrying two bowls brimming with hot soup.
‘There’s yours, Annie. And you should eat too, miss. Sit down and I’ll bring some bread.’
Kate took a seat opposite Annie, who was tucking into the soup with evident relish. ‘How do you know Harry Trader, Annie?’
‘We’re cousins,’ Annie said, sighing. ‘Our side of the family were poor, but my brother, Joe, and Harry were good friends. They joined the army together, but Harry sold his commission and Joe’s regiment was sent to India over a year ago.’
‘Do you know where he’s stationed?’ Kate asked eagerly. Of course it was a slim chance. Annie’s brother might be stationed anywhere in that large country, but she was desperate for news of Ashok. ‘I was in Delhi until a few months ago.’
‘I haven’t heard from Joe for a long time. I don’t know where he is now.’
The small ray of hope that Kate had felt vanished like morning mist. It was highly unlikely that there might be any connection between Annie’s brother and Ash. ‘I hope you hear from him soon,’ Kate said automatically. ‘Have you got family living in London?’
‘Our parents died some time ago. Aunt Margaret, Lady Lyndon, is very good to me, but I try to be independent.’ Annie spooned the soup into her mouth. ‘Joe sends money, but sometimes it takes a long time to reach me, so I go out on the streets with my concertina. Anyway, what else would someone like me do to pass the time?’
