The Constant Heart

by Dilly Court

  'That young man of yours has caused enough trouble, if you ask me,' Bertha muttered. 'You should sue him for breach of promise. That would wipe the smile off his face.'

  Rosina tucked her father's hand beneath the quilt and she rose to her feet. 'I don't want anything more to do with Harry. I truly believed that he loved me, and that I could make him a good wife, but I realise now that I was terribly mistaken.'

  'He's a brute,' Caddie said, wringing her hands. 'I can't see nothing ahead but the bleeding workhouse. I'd rather throw meself and the nippers in the Thames than go through them grim doors.'

  'That won't happen.' Rosina raised her chin, speaking with more confidence than she was feeling. 'I think I might have a solution to our immediate problem.'

  Walter caught her by the wrist as she made to leave the room. 'What are you going to do?'

  'First, I'm going downstairs to find out exactly how much we owe for these horrible rooms. And then I'm going to ask Mr Roland Rivers to lend us the fare home. It's the least he can do in the circumstances.'

  'I'm coming with you.'

  'No, Walter.' Rosie shook free from his restraining hand. 'This is something I must do alone.'

  She found the hotel manager in the dining room laying up the tables for breakfast and complaining bitterly about his lack of staff. 'You'll have to wait, miss,' he said crossly, when she asked him for the bill. 'As you can see, I'm having to do the work of the idle slut of a waitress who has not bothered to turn up this morning.'

  'Then I should sack her, if I were you, my good man.'

  Rosina turned her head and saw Roland Rivers standing in the doorway.

  'A bad master makes bad servants,' Roland drawled. 'This place is not fit to house convicts, let alone paying guests.'

  The manager drew himself up to his full height, which was only up to the middle button on Roland's waistcoat. 'I'll have you know that this hotel is mentioned in Baedeker.'

  'And an adverse criticism from me could have your establishment wiped off the map.'

  The manager's expression changed visibly from sullen to fawning. 'Will you allow me to set you a place for breakfast, sir?'

  'If the state of your kitchen is anything like the way in which you keep your public rooms, then I would rather eat in a sewer than in your dining room.'

  In spite of everything, Rosina had to stifle the desire to giggle at the sight of the manager's face. Serve him right for being so horrid and for running such a disgusting hostelry. For a moment, she almost liked Roland, until she remembered the cavalier way he had treated both her and Sukey. She turned to the manager, who had assumed the look of a whipped cur. 'My father has been taken ill, sir. You must tell me how much we owe you for our night's lodging, as we need to leave on the next train for London.'

  'I told you, miss. You'll have to wait until I've finished here.'

  Roland drew her aside. 'Miss May, I hope you will allow me to settle your account here.'

  Rosina stared at him in amazement. 'Why would you do that?'

  'I am not the blackguard that you think me. I realise that I behaved like a cad to both you and your young friend, but Gostellow gave me the impression that you were ladies of – a different kind. I cannot apologise enough for the way in which I treated you.'

  She eyed him doubtfully. 'Did Harry put you up to this?'

  'On my honour, no. Harry had already left the hotel when I awakened this morning. My aching head tells me that I imbibed too much last night, and that I might regret some of my less worthy actions when they come to mind.'

  'You didn't behave well, but you should apologise to Sukey, not to me.'

  'I will grovel on my hands and knees, if necessary. Please let me make amends for my conduct.'

  His guilty expression verged on the comical, and Rosina found that her lips were twitching. Despite her initial dislike of him, she sensed that Roland was genuinely sorry for his bad behaviour. But she was not going to let him off easily: he had gone along with Harry's plan to seduce two young women, and now the least he could do was to pay for their enforced stay in this horrible place. She allowed herself to smile. 'All right, Mr Rivers. I am in such a position that I can't refuse you, although under different circumstances nothing would induce me to accept such a favour.'

  He bowed from the waist, clicking his heels together. 'Understood, absolutely. You are doing me a huge favour in allowing me to pay for my mistakes.'

  She went to walk past him, but he barred her way. 'If you'll pardon my asking, what is wrong with your father? I overheard you telling the manager that he had been taken ill?'

  'Pa suffers from a lung complaint, and he was taken poorly in the night.'

  'Then he should see a doctor immediately.'

  'Mr Rivers, I'll be frank with you. We cannot afford a doctor. In fact, if you had not offered to pay the hotel bill, we would have been in dire financial straits, so I thank you for your help, but as to my father's ill health, that is my concern.' Rosina left him in the dining room, but he caught up with her before she had reached the foot of the stairs.

  'Don't think that this puts you under an obligation to me, but I will gladly pay the doctor's bill, and I will hire a carriage to take you and your party back to London.'

  Rosina was tempted to accept, but she could not allow herself to be put so much in debt to one of Harry's friends. She shook her head. 'That is too generous, but perhaps you could lend us our rail fare, which I will repay as soon as possible.'

  'Miss May, I am a hideously and undeservedly wealthy man. I've done nothing to earn my fortune except being born into a rich family. I'm a selfish devil, who has taken his pleasure wherever he wanted, and you were the first woman who rebuffed me. I was pitched head first over a balcony on your account, as I remember it.'

  'Into a bed of geraniums.'

  'Yes, exactly. Ruined my Savile Row suit into the bargain.' He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender, but his eyes twinkled merrily. 'However, I admit that I deserved it. Now I am utterly ashamed of my conduct last night, and if you won't accept my help for yourself, please take it on behalf of your sick father and the young lady whose honour I so nearly compromised.'

  Rosina stared at him for a moment, thinking hard. 'All right, on one condition.'

  'Absolutely anything.'

  'That you must go in person to see Sukey's mother, Mrs Barnum of Black Eagle Wharf. I want you to tell her of your part in the affair, and to convince her that nothing untoward occurred.'

  'Do you think that she would believe me?'

  'I don't see why not. Mrs Barnum is an ambitious woman, and, although you may not think so, people in Black Eagle Wharf honour their good name as highly as any of you rich toffs.'

  'I am humbled, Miss May.'

  'Then you will do as I request?'

  'You have my word.'

  'Your word as a gentleman?'

  'My word as a cad, which is much nearer the mark.' Roland lifted her hand to his lips. 'You are an amazing young woman, Miss May.'

  'Save your flattery for Mrs Barnum. I can assure you that you will need to use all your wiles to charm that lady.'

  *

  Roland hired two carriages, one to take Edward, Bertha and Rosina, and the second for himself, Walter, Caddie and a sick and subdued Sukey, who was terrified of going home to face her mother. They arrived home in style. Roland and Sukey went off in the direction of the Barnums' house, and Walter helped Edward up to his room. Caddie volunteered to fetch the doctor, before going to the Smilies' to collect her children. Having made Edward comfortable in his bed, Bertha went to the kitchen to get a fire going in the range. Rosina paced the floor, anxiously awaiting the doctor's arrival.

  'You won't do no good fretting,' Bertha said, rolling up her sleeves. 'Do something useful, girl.'

  'I'm just so worried, Bebe.'

  'Aren't we all?' Bertha plucked the cocoa tin from the mantelshelf and took off the lid. She tipped it up and a penny rolled into the palm of her hand. 'That's all we got in t
he world, but it will buy a penn'orth of laudanum for your pa.'

  Rosina hesitated, looking down at her trave-lstained evening gown. 'I can't go out looking like this.'

  Bertha pressed the penny into her hand. 'Five minutes isn't going to make much difference. Go upstairs and put on a clean frock. Then you can go to the chemist's shop. We don't want the neighbours seeing you look like some street girl, Rosie. We may be in a fix, but we got to keep up appearances.'

  'You're right, of course. I'll be as quick as I can.'

  Wearing a cotton-print gown and with her hair firmly confined in a knot at the nape of her neck, Rosina felt more optimistic as she hurried out into the humid heat of midday. She ran all the way to the chemist's shop in Wapping Street, parrying enquiries from neighbours as to her father's state of health. It never ceased to amaze her how quickly news spread round the tight-knit community. She arrived home to find that the doctor was already upstairs with her pa. She would have gone straight to his bedroom but Bertha stopped her. 'Walter is with him; leave it to the men, Rosie.'

  'But I want to know what the doctor has to say.'

  'And you will, in good time.' Bertha handed her a wooden bucket. 'I need more water. Be a good girl and fetch some from the pump.'

  Reluctantly, Rosina went out into the yard. As she worked the handle, pumping water into a wooden bucket, she glanced up at the house where she had lived for most of her life. Harry's threat to call in the loan on the property was uppermost in her mind now. With Papa so ill, and the Ellie May out of commission for at least another fortnight, things looked bleak. The Gostellows could have them all thrown out on the street, and there would be nowhere to go. She shuddered and jumped backwards as the bucket overflowed and water splashed over the hem of her skirt. She brushed back a stray lock of hair with her hand. What would become of them all?

  'Rosie, come inside,' Bertha called to her from the scullery. 'The doctor wants to see you.'

  Rosina picked up the bucket and carried it into the house, slopping water over the flagstones. The doctor was in the kitchen, and one look at his set expression made her heart contract with fear. 'What is it, doctor? Is Pa going to die?'

  Bertha took the bucket from her hands. 'I'll make a pot of tea.'

  The doctor set his medical bag down on the kitchen table. 'I won't take tea, thank you, Miss Spinks. I've got to visit the workhouse next, so I'll be brief.' He turned to Rosina with a tired smile. 'I warned your father, Miss May. The last time he had one of these attacks, I told him that he must not work where there was hay, particularly if it was contaminated with mould.'

  'He had no choice, doctor.'

  'Unfortunately, I hear that all the time. But the truth is, my dear, unless your father keeps well away from the cause of his illness, his lungs will become so congested that he is quite likely to succumb to respiratory failure.'

  'You mean he will die?' Rosina held her breath.

  He nodded. 'To put it bluntly, yes. His heart won't stand the strain of prolonged bouts of the disease. He needs to get away from the heat and dust of the city. He must have peace and quiet, and good nourishing food. Ideally, he should go somewhere where the air is clean and bracing, to the seaside if possible, and he should stay there until he is well enough to return to London. He must never be exposed to hay, or the same thing will happen again and again, until it proves fatal.'

  'I have a cousin who lives in Burnham-on-Crouch,' Bertha said, half to herself. 'She's a widow woman now, but I ain't seen her for years.'

  'Well, then, Miss Spinks. Maybe the captain could convalesce there? I believe the air is very bracing on the Essex coast.'

  Rosina opened her mouth to tell him that what he suggested was impossible, but Bertha shot her a warning glance. 'Are you sure you won't have a cup of tea, doctor?'

  'Thank you, Miss Spinks, but I really must be on my way.' He cleared his throat, and his thin cheeks flushed a dull red. 'I'm afraid I must request my usual fee, Miss May.'

  'Of course, doctor. And thank you for coming so promptly.' Rosina hurried to the door. 'I'll go and get the money from Pa's clerk. He handles our finances.' She found Walter sitting by her father's bedside. He rose to his feet as she entered the room.

  'What did he say, Rosie?'

  'That Papa needs to go away, preferably to the seaside. That he must never work with hay again. And I have to pay him, Walter. Have you any money left?'

  He delved into his pocket and produced a half-crown. 'This is all I have. Pay him that on account and I'll try to raise whatever is outstanding.'

  She took the coin from him with a sinking feeling. She had spent their last penny on laudanum and now she had taken all that was left of Walter's money. She hesitated in the doorway. 'Thank you for everything, Walter. You've been so good about it all, and I didn't give a thought to your personal circumstances. Will Captain Juggins take you back on the coal barge?'

  He shook his head.

  'I'm so sorry that I put you in this position.'

  Walter gave her a reassuring smile. 'You and the captain are more important to me than making money for Barnum.'

  'So now you are out of work. Isn't it ironic, Walter? We'll all be out on the street together if Harry has his way.' She laughed, but there was no mirth in the sound, and her voice broke on a sob as she hurried from the room without giving Walter a chance to reply.

  The doctor was waiting in the hallway and she gave him the half-crown. 'If that is not enough, you must tell me, doctor. I will pay you the remainder as soon as I can.'

  He stared down at the shining silver coin in his palm. 'It is enough, my dear. I've known your father for many years, and he's a good man. I hope you will be able to find a way to get him away from London before it is too late.' He doffed his hat and went out onto the wharf. Rosina stood in the doorway watching him walk briskly in the direction of the workhouse in Old Gravel Lane. She was about to close the door when she saw Roland hurrying towards her. He was waving to her and calling her name.

  'Miss May.'

  'What now, Mr Rivers?' She had not meant to speak so sharply, but her nerves were stretched to breaking point and a creeping tiredness was slowly overtaking her.

  'I came to enquire about your father's health. What did the doctor say?'

  'That he is very poorly and needs to go away to the seaside to convalesce.'

  'I am truly sorry, Miss May. Our foolish jaunt caused him to be in this sorry state. Is there anything more that I can do?'

  She relented a little, touched by his obvious sincerity. 'You've already repaid us. You need not feel obligated.'

  'You're too kind. I only wish that Mrs Barnum had been so generous.'

  'What did you expect? You would have seduced her daughter and ruined her reputation with no qualms if your plans hadn't been thwarted.'

  He pulled a face. 'I know, and now I find that I am engaged to be married.'

  'You're engaged to Sukey?'

  'I'm not even sure how it came about. But it was either that, or risk having my throat cut by Captain Barnum. His wife is a formidable woman too – I was lucky to escape from the house in one piece.'

  'But you actually proposed marriage?' Rosina could hardly believe what she was hearing. 'How did that come about?'

  'We were sitting in their parlour, taking tea. I was in a bit of a sweat, if you'll pardon the expression. Madam Barnum was eyeing me as if she wanted to disembowel me with a teaspoon, and, as I pulled my handkerchief from my pocket, your diamond ring shot out and landed in Sukey's cup of tea. The poor girl fished it out with a dazed expression, and her mama pounced upon me like a bird attacking a juicy worm. The next thing I knew, Miss Susan Barnum had put the ring on her finger and we were engaged.'