Kitty let out a long sigh after she had finished and left the room. It looked like she had a whole morning ahead of her with nothing to do, but then she remembered that she had decided to go outside and explore the garden. She hated to be cooped up on such a beautiful day even in a house as luxurious as this.
Once outside in the hallway she paused, trying to remember which way to go. There were so many doors but then seeing the one that she thought led down to the kitchen she headed for that. Her hunch proved to be correct and seconds later she emerged into the kitchen, much to the horror of the cook who looked at her as if she had committed a cardinal sin. She was at the table rolling pastry and on spotting Kitty she gasped, ‘Oh my goodness, whatever are you doing in here, miss?’
‘I was trying to find a way into the garden,’ Kitty answered, painfully aware that all the staff present had their eyes focused on her.
‘Well, just this once you can go out this way, but in future you should go through the French doors in the dining room,’ the cook told her. ‘They lead directly into the part of the garden you’ll want. This way you’ll have to go through the vegetable garden.’
‘That won’t trouble me,’ Kitty told her with a smile. ‘I used to work in the vegetable garden often when I lived at home.’
The cook and the mousy-haired little girl who was tackling a pile of dirty dishes at the sink looked shocked but they didn’t comment as Kitty sidled past them. After slipping out of the back door she found herself in a walled garden where rows of vegetables peeped from the earth in neat straight rows. They reminded her of the vegetable garden at Treetops and she suddenly experienced a painful bout of homesickness as she wondered what Sunday, Tom and Ben would be doing now.
Hurrying past the rows of carrots, cabbages and onions she headed for a door set in one of the walls and after pushing it open she emerged into another garden. But this was nothing like the other; this had paths that curved through a lush green lawn and to either side of it the borders were full of shrubs and rose bushes. She had gone no more than a few steps when she spotted what appeared to be the rear end of a child protruding from one of the borders, and as she approached, a young boy who looked to be in his early teens suddenly sat back on his heels to stare at her with a startled expression on his face.
‘Hello there.’ Kitty smiled at him, hoping to put him at ease. ‘I’m Kitty, do you work here?’
The boy nodded after glancing towards the door she had just come through to make sure that she was alone.
‘Yes, I do. Me name’s Arthur Partridge, an’ you must be the missus’s niece what’s come to live wiv her.’
‘That’s right.’
They eyed each other for a second and then suddenly Arthur burst out, ‘I heard ’em say in the kitchen that you were pretty, an’ they were right.’ He then blushed to the roots of his hair and bowed his head, wishing with all his heart that he had kept his mouth shut. From that second on, young Arthur’s heart belonged to Kitty.
‘Why, thank you,’ Kitty replied, bending to smell one of the roses. ‘Are you the gardener here?’ It seemed like an awfully large garden for one small boy to maintain but he nodded proudly.
‘I am that, miss. I do all the weedin’ an’ prunin’, an’ I tends to the veggies.’
‘You do a very good job.’ She glanced around approvingly as his small chest swelled with pleasure.
‘That shrub there is a rhodo … rhododen … Well, it’s real pretty when it’s in flower, an’ this one ’ere is a … Oh ’eck, I forget the name but it’s one of me favourites.’
She nodded as she studied him. He was stick-thin and his hair looked as if it hadn’t been washed for months; neither did the rest of him, if it came to that.
‘How old are you, Arthur?’ she asked pleasantly and was shocked when he answered.
‘I’m fourteen, miss. I live in Pimlico wiv me ma an’ me dad an’ bruvvers an’ sisters.’
‘I see. Is that far from here?’ Kitty didn’t really know anywhere in London as yet.
‘It’s a couple of miles or so,’ he replied – and she was shocked.
‘And you walk all that way to work here? But it must take you ages.’
‘Nah!’ He pointed proudly towards a rusty old bicycle that was propped against the wall as if it was a Rolls-Royce. ‘Hardly takes me any time at all on me bike an’ I like workin’ ’ere. The missus is good to me, an’ every day the cook gives me some leftover grub to take ’ome fer the kids.’
‘How many of you are there?’ Kitty was curious now.
He swiped a dribble of snot from his nose with the sleeve of his shirt and began to count on his fingers, his mouth working silently. ‘There’s ten of us nippers,’ he said eventually.
‘Crikey, that must keep your parents busy. You must live in a very big house,’ Kitty chuckled.
The youngster shook his head. ‘We live in a two-up two-down, an’ we don’t see so much of me dad. He spends half his life in the pub if he’s got money in his pocket so it’s up to me an’ me older bruvver to make sure our mum ’as food to put on the table.’
Kitty’s heart went out to him as she realised how lucky she had been. She had never been hungry in the whole of her life, thanks to Sunday and Tom.
It was then that the cook appeared in the doorway and called to him, ‘There’s some breakfast in the kitchen for you, lad.’ Then spotting Kitty who was standing the other side of him she blushed. ‘Beg yer pardon, miss. It’s only a few leftovers.’
Kitty smiled at her reassuringly. ‘I’m sure he’ll enjoy it.’ Then to Arthur, ‘Off you go while it’s nice and hot. I’m sure we’ll see each other again.’
‘I hope so,’ he said quickly and with a wide grin he scooted off after the cook, his mouth already watering at the thought of the forthcoming meal.
At lunchtime Kitty sat down to dine with Miss Fox and Ruby, who had finally put in an appearance.
Kitty made a valiant attempt to start a conversation beginning, ‘I’ve been out in the garden today and I met Arthur. He’s a lovely lad, isn’t he?’
‘Yes, I suppose he is,’ Ruby answered absently as she began her meal.
‘He comes from quite a large family, apparently,’ Kitty went on but her mother was keen to get off to the shops now and barely responded so they ate lightly and soon after they were ready to go.
‘Now you watch what you’re spending, Ruby,’ Miss Fox warned after stepping into the road to hail them a cab. ‘You know there’s bills waiting to be paid.’
‘Oh, don’t be such a grump, Foxy,’ Ruby replied airily, seemingly with not a care in the world. ‘There are no pockets in shrouds, you know. And life is for living and enjoying.’
A cab drew into the side of the road then, and after helping Ruby to climb into it, Miss Fox stood and waved them off.
‘She means well but she can be such a worrier,’ Ruby told her daughter, taking a long hard look at her, then suddenly she said, ‘Foxy tells me you like to sing. Are you any good?’
‘My teacher Miss Lark seemed to think I was,’ Kitty answered as the horse gathered speed and they began to clip-clop along at a good old rate.
‘Hmm.’ Ruby continued to scrutinise her closely. ‘Have you ever sung on a stage?’
‘Oh no – I mean, I’ve always just sung because I enjoy it,’ Kitty replied red-faced.
‘Perhaps you should try it,’ Ruby suggested. ‘There’s a lot of money to be made in the music halls. If your voice matches your looks you could go far. And I have all the right contacts. How about when we get home, you can sing for me while I accompany you, and I’ll give you my honest opinion.’
Kitty’s heart raced with excitement but for now they had to concentrate on their shopping trip so she merely nodded and said politely, ‘That would be lovely. Thank you, Aunt.’
‘And you must tell me about Treetops and the people who brought you up,’ Ruby went on, showing an interest in her daughter’s past for the first time. ‘Then tomorrow we could go sightsee
ing. There is so much to do in London. I’m sure you’ll love it when you get used to living here, and when you’ve made a few friends. I don’t doubt the young men will be queuing up to meet you, but first we really must get you some decent clothes. We can’t have you walking about like a country bumpkin!’
Kitty looked down at her skirt and blouse. They looked perfectly all right to her, but then compared to the flamboyant outfit and hat that her mother was wearing, she supposed they were a little drab. She watched with interest from the window as the cab went along and soon they were in what Ruby told her was Oxford Street.
‘We’ll go to Marshall and Snelgrove’s first,’ Ruby said. There was nothing she loved more than spending money and she could hardly wait to get into the shop.
Once inside, Kitty stared around in amazement. Compared to the shops in her home town this one was huge and she didn’t know where to look first. There were counters displaying all manner of things in every direction, with smart young assistants standing behind them.
Ruby stopped at most of them, fingering gloves and scarves before dismissing them and moving on again, and soon Kitty’s head was buzzing. There was so much to take in and now amongst the finely dressed ladies who were milling around she understood what her mother meant. Her outfit really did look plain compared to theirs.
‘I think we’ll walk along to Selfridges,’ her mother said after a time. ‘They have a much better selection of everything there and on the way, we’ll stop in a tea shop for a pastry and some tea.’
Kitty found herself smiling, her mother really did love her food. It didn’t feel like any time at all since they’d had lunch. The tea shop she chose was very quaint with waitresses flitting about in pretty lace aprons and black dresses. Ruby ordered them a pot of tea and a selection of pastries, and when they were delivered on a fancy three-tier cake-stand, Kitty gaped at it. There must have been at least a dozen small fancies on there. Ruby wasn’t fazed though and three had disappeared in seconds while Kitty was still nibbling away at her first.
‘Mm, you really must try these jam and cream scones. They’re quite delightful,’ Ruby enthused with a blob of jam on the end of her nose. Kitty giggled. Already she had formed the opinion that her mother was used to having her own way and was rather spoiled – and yet she was also very likeable.
Eventually they arrived at Selfridges and if she had been surprised in Marshall & Snelgrove’s Kitty was positively shocked in there and didn’t quite know where to look first.
‘We must visit the perfume counters,’ Ruby said, her eyes sparkling, and before Kitty had a chance to answer, Ruby was off. She then proceeded to dab and spray all kinds of perfume on her wrists until Kitty felt as if she was going to choke, the combined scents were so overpowering.
‘Oh, I’ll take a bottle of this French one, I think – charge it to my account,’ Ruby told the young assistant eventually as she sniffed at her wrist with an expression of ecstasy on her face. ‘And we’ll also have a bottle of that one for my niece. It’s lighter and more suited to a younger person, I think.’
‘Large or small bottles, madam?’ the girl asked and Ruby laughed.
‘Why, large of course. When have you ever known me take less?’ Ruby was clearly well known here and the girl nodded.
‘And would you like them delivered to the usual address?’ she asked.
‘Perfect!’ Ruby was off like a greyhound again. Kitty wondered why they couldn’t have taken the bottles with them. After all, she was more than capable of carrying them but it was already becoming apparent that Ruby did nothing for herself if there was someone else to do it for her, and furthermore, she almost seemed to have forgotten that Kitty was with her. Suddenly Kitty couldn’t help but compare this new-found mother with Sunday, who was always dashing about after one or another of them, loving them and putting herself last. In that moment, she realised what a momentous step she had taken and another great wave of homesickness swept through her. She was in one of the busiest department stores in the whole of London, surrounded by people – but she felt more alone than she had ever felt in her life.
Chapter Sixteen
‘Ah, so here you are at last,’ Miss Fox said disapprovingly when they finally returned home late that afternoon. ‘What’s all this lot? It’s been arriving at regular intervals all afternoon.’ She gestured to a number of bags and boxes piled up at the side of the door. ‘You must have spent a king’s ransom.’
Kitty bowed her head guiltily. Most of the bags and boxes contained things that her mother had insisted she must have, but Ruby only said carelessly, ‘Oh, now don’t be a grump and start on that again, Foxy. It’s almost all things that Kitty needed, although there are a few bits in there that I couldn’t resist for myself.’
‘Huh! As if you hadn’t got enough clothes already,’ Miss Fox grumbled. Then turning to the maids she asked, ‘Fetch us a good pot of tea into the drawing room, would you? Kitty here looks ready to drop.’
‘Oh, I’m all right really,’ Kitty protested. ‘And I’m sure some of the things could be returned. I did say I really didn’t need so many new clothes.’
‘They will not be returned, young lady,’ Ruby said indignantly. ‘You’re going to need smart clothes if you want to meet people in the business and to go on stage.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Miss Fox frowned.
‘Come into the drawing room and I’ll explain over our tea.’ Ruby tripped away as the other two followed close behind her.
‘Now what’s all this then?’ Miss Fox demanded as Ruby gracefully sank into a chair and straightened her skirts across her knees.
‘Well, Kitty was saying earlier that she had taken singing lessons so I thought I might introduce her to Max. He’s my agent,’ she informed Kitty. ‘If she’s half as good as me, he could get her some bookings and I shall be her manager.’
‘I think we’ll have this conversation later on when we’re alone.’ Kitty noticed that Miss Fox’s lips had set in a grim line and wondered why. She found the idea of singing on stage quite exciting. Of course, as her mother had pointed out, she would have to listen to her first to ensure that Kitty was good enough, and she planned to do so that very same evening, immediately after dinner.
There was a distinct atmosphere now so as soon as Kitty had hastily swallowed a cup of tea, almost burning her throat in the process, she excused herself and hurried away to her room. She found her bed piled high with bags and boxes and Mabel there beginning to unpack them.
‘There’s no need to do that, honestly,’ Kitty told her but Mabel merely smiled.
‘I’m quite enjoyin’ it, as it happens, miss.’ The girl sighed enviously as she lifted a beautiful rose-pink gown from one particular box, wrapped in tissue paper.
‘It is lovely, isn’t it?’ Kitty admitted, stroking the silken material. ‘But it was ridiculously expensive. I did tell my … aunt that it was too much.’
‘Oh, she spends money like water, that one does,’ Mabel replied, then flushed a dull brick-red. ‘Sorry, miss, it ain’t fer me to comment.’
‘It’s all right,’ Kitty told her. ‘I rather got that impression myself.’ She then set to and began to help and soon the entire bed was covered in lovely new clothes and shoes. It was then as the two girls stood back to admire them that Kitty suddenly asked, ‘Do you know the lad who works in the garden? Arthur, he said his name was. I met him earlier when I went out for a bit of fresh air.’
‘Yes, that’s Arthur, God bless him. Poor little bugger … Oops, beggin’ yer pardon again. We all know Arthur. Cook’s got a soft spot for him, an’ between you an’ me she often sends leftovers back with him for his mum an’ his brothers an’ sisters. I don’t reckon they’d eat half the time if she didn’t. His dad enjoys a drink, see.’ She bit her lip then. It wasn’t her place to be so familiar with the mistress’s niece but Kitty was so easy to talk to and had no airs and graces whatsoever. ‘You won’t let on to the mistress about what Cook does, will you?’ she plead
ed. ‘I wouldn’t want to get her into trouble.’
‘Of course I won’t. I’d do exactly the same if I was her,’ Kitty said stoutly. The next time she saw Arthur she would slip a little money to him, she decided. That should help a bit. Then changing the subject, she asked, ‘Have you worked for my aunt for long?’
‘About two years or so now,’ Mabel answered as she hung one of the dresses on a hanger and carried it to the armoire. ‘An’ in fairness she’s a good mistress. I live in an’ get plenty to eat plus some wages to take home to me mum once a month, so I mustn’t grumble.’
‘Good.’ The two girls put the rest of the clothes away and then Mabel headed off to the kitchen to see what needed to be done.
That evening after dinner, which was just as substantial as it had been the night before, Ruby led Kitty into the day room, where there was a beautiful baby grand piano. She sat down in front of it and surprised Kitty when her fingers flew gracefully across the keys. Her mother was clearly a gifted pianist as well as a renowned singer.
‘Do you know “Little Vagabond Boy”?’
Kitty nodded.
‘Good, then you sing it to me while I play for you. What key do you prefer?’
Kitty told her, gulping nervously, but as the music flooded the room she began to sing, hesitantly at first and then as her confidence grew, in a clear ringing voice. She accompanied the words with gestures.
When the music died away, Kitty watched her mother anxiously for her reaction.
‘That was excellent. Your singing teacher taught you well,’ Ruby told her with an approving smile. ‘There is still a little work to do on your posture and your breathing, but I’m sure you would be a hit in the music halls.’
The Little Angel Page 13
