by Dilly Court
She walked into the kitchen to find Rose mopping the floor and Ivy standing at the range stirring something in a pan that smelt appetisingly like scrambled eggs. A fragrant aroma of tea mingled with the strong smell of carbolic soap. Rose paused, leaning on the mop, her face creased with concern. ‘Are you all right, Phoebe?’
‘Yes. I’m sorry about earlier.’
‘He had it coming to him,’ Ivy said, heaping a pile of golden egg onto a plate. ‘You’re just in time for breakfast. Teddy’s having a nap and we’ve just about finished in here. We’re going to tackle the bedrooms when we’ve eaten.’
Phoebe sat down at the table, which had been scrubbed clean. ‘Where are the Merrydews?’
Ivy set the plate before her, passing her a knife and fork from a pile of newly washed cutlery. ‘They went off to market.’
Phoebe felt her throat constrict. If Rogue entered the room now she knew she would get up and run. She could not face him after what had just occurred. ‘Where is Paxman?’
Rose bent down to wring out the mop. ‘He’s gone back to London. He said he had urgent business there, but we’re to stay here and make ourselves as comfortable as possible. He may be a villain, Phoebe, but the man’s got manners. He’s a bit of a mystery, if you ask me.’
‘I didn’t,’ Phoebe said shortly. ‘And there’s nothing mysterious about the Paxman brothers; they’re criminals through and through. I’d leave here right now if it wasn’t for Caspar.’
She looked up and saw Ivy and Rose exchanging knowing glances. ‘What’s the matter with you two?’
Ivy put two more plates of food on the table and she sat down beside Phoebe. ‘Nothing.’
Phoebe sighed and pushed her plate away. ‘I’m not hungry.’
Rose emerged from the scullery, wiping her hands on a towel. She took a seat beside Phoebe. ‘What’s wrong? What did Rogue say to you while you were outside together? He came in looking like thunder and left for London barely saying a word, and you’re acting most oddly. What went on out there?’
‘It was nothing.’ Phoebe rose to her feet. ‘I think I hear Teddy crying. I’m going to check on him.’ She left the room before either of them could continue the cross-examination. How could she explain things to them when she did not understand her own feelings?
She paused in the narrow passageway, overcome with curiosity. She could not resist looking behind the closed doors in order to discover what lay on the other side, but apart from the usual domestic offices such as a broom cupboard, a dry store and a linen room, there was nothing that she might not expect to find in any house of this size. She discovered a small parlour that might once have been the domain of the mistress of the house, a dining room and a drawing room where all the furnishings were concealed beneath white holland covers, and another parlour with a distinctly masculine feel about it. The shelves were stacked with books mainly devoted to agriculture and animal care, and a desk in the corner had obviously been used fairly recently as it was piled with account books and ledgers, and a bill hook filled with receipts for payment for animal foodstuffs, seed and household necessities. It seemed a homely, well-organised place and totally at odds with how she imagined a den of smugglers might be run.
She left the room, feeling more confused than ever by the conflicting evidence she was discovering about the private life of the Paxmans. She closed the door behind her and made her way upstairs to investigate the upper floor. She found Teddy sound asleep in the middle of a large four-poster bed. The tester and curtains were made of heavy tapestry that must have cost a small fortune when new, but were now faded and falling rapidly into a state of disrepair. The curtains at the leaded casement windows were much the same, and although the room might once have benefited from a woman’s touch there was little evidence of such niceties now. A willow-pattern washbowl and jug stood on a stand beneath the window, but the mahogany dressing table was bare and dusty. The clothes press was empty, as were the drawers in the tallboy. The carpet too had seen better days, and the surrounding floorboards were in sad need of a good polish. Phoebe went on to inspect the rest of the six bedrooms on the first floor.
The largest, overlooking the front of the building, bore traces of recent use, and the bed was still unmade. She felt a shiver run down her spine as she fingered the rumpled sheet. The experience of Rogue’s kiss was disturbingly fresh in her mind. She could still taste him and feel his breath warm on her neck. She was certain that his hands must have left indelible marks on her breasts where they had lingered for a few brief and tantalising seconds. Just thinking of that close embrace made her tremble with desire. Touching the bedclothes and imagining herself lying in his arms was enough to make her feel sick with longing, followed immediately by pangs of conscience and self-loathing. She was engaged to Gino. She had promised to marry him. He was a good man and true, but Rogue lived up to his nickname. She abandoned her inspection of the room, closing the door behind her, and she was about to ascend the attic stairs when she heard the sound of a horse’s hooves and the rumble of wheels. For a moment she thought that he had returned, but a quick look through the landing window revealed the Merrydews clambering from a dog cart laden with provisions. It looked as though they were expecting their guests to stay for a very long time.
That night, sleeping in the big four-poster beside Rose with Teddy slumbering in a crib that Merrydew had brought down from the attic, Phoebe was awakened by the sound of subdued voices and what sounded like barrels being rolled over cobblestones. She lay still for a moment, gazing into the semi-darkness as the moonlight filtered through the grimy glass windowpanes. She held her breath, hardly daring to move. Perhaps she had been dreaming. Maybe it was an overactive imagination that made her think she was hearing things.
She slid her legs over the edge of the bed, sitting up slowly so as not to disturb Rose, and tiptoed over to the window which overlooked the stable yard. Her breath caught in her throat as she saw figures moving about. She could not distinguish one from the other, but they were unloading the dog cart and their cargo appeared to be kegs, just like the ones that Rose had discovered hidden at the back of the larder. She was so intent on watching the scene below that she almost fainted with fright when Rose touched her on the shoulder.
‘What’s the matter?’ Rose demanded. ‘What are you looking at?’
Phoebe clutched her hand to her breast in an attempt to steady her heart, which was hammering against her ribcage. ‘You scared the life out of me, Rose.’
‘Sorry, but what is it? You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.’
The moon emerged from behind a bank of clouds just long enough to illuminate the scene below. Phoebe’s suspicions were confirmed as she identified Merrydew who, with the aid of two other men, was unloading kegs and carrying them into the house.
‘So we were right,’ Rose whispered. ‘That can’t be anything legal. What will we do?’
Recovering a little, Phoebe steadied herself, leaning against the windowsill. ‘I need proof before I report any of this to the police. I’m going downstairs to see if I can catch their names or something that will incriminate them in a court of law. I want to see Rogue and Ned Paxman behind bars where they belong.’
Rose’s face was a pale oval in the dim light. ‘Don’t do anything silly. They’re dangerous men.’
‘I’ll be careful. Go back to bed, Rose.’
She shook her head. ‘Not I. I’m coming with you. This is the most exciting thing that’s ever happened to me. Just wait till I tell the others. They’ll never believe it.’
Phoebe laid her finger on her lips. ‘Hush. Come if you like but keep quiet.’ She crept over to the door and opened it slowly so as not to allow the rusting hinges to creak and give them away. Tiptoeing downstairs, it was anger that fuelled Phoebe’s determination to put an end to the Paxmans’ illegal activities. She paid scant attention to Rose, other than to repeat her warning to keep quiet at all costs. They stopped outside the kitchen, where the door had been left ajar.
Maggie Merrydew’s shrill voice exhorted the men to hurry up and get everything stowed away. ‘We don’t want them stupid trulls poking their noses into our business. It’s all I can do to keep them from rearranging me kitchen. If they find the brandy they’ll go straight to the master, and then there’ll be ructions.’
‘Shut up, Maggie.’ Merrydew raised his voice. ‘Those stupid whores wouldn’t know a keg of brandy from a barrel of molasses. Anyway, Haggerty will have the biggest part of this consignment sold afore the master returns from London. He won’t know nothing about it. The best part is that he’ll take the blame should our little business venture be found out. Who’d believe that Paxman wasn’t the brains behind it all?’
A murmur of assent greeted this statement.
‘Well I’m going to me bed,’ Maggie said irritably. ‘Keep the noise down. That means you as well, Haggerty, and you, Bollom. I know what you lot are like when you get into the liquor. We don’t want Miss High and Mighty from London peaching on us to the master, or even worse, the coppers.’
‘Quick,’ Phoebe whispered. ‘I think she’s coming this way. Let’s get out of here.’
Rose needed no second bidding and she raced towards the staircase, her bare feet pitter-pattering on the flagstones in the passageway and padding softly on the floorboards when she reached the entrance hall. Phoebe was close behind her and they did not stop until they were safely in their bedroom with the door locked.
Phoebe slumped down on the bed, fighting to catch her breath. ‘That was close. I think the Merrydews must sleep in a room downstairs somewhere.’
Rose sat down beside her. ‘Well, one thing’s clear. Rogue isn’t in on the smuggling, and I’m glad. I know he’s a villain but I can’t help liking him. There’s something about him that makes me think he can’t be all bad.’
‘That’s how he and his wretched brother have got away with it all these years,’ Phoebe said bitterly. ‘Ned wormed his way into Ma’s affections with his handsome face and smooth tongue. Rogue may not be into smuggling but that doesn’t alter the fact that he’s a criminal. My pa was killed by the street gangs, and Ma would be alive today if she hadn’t got involved with Ned.’
Rose slipped her arm around Phoebe’s shoulders. ‘I know, and I’m truly sorry, but you wouldn’t wish that Teddy hadn’t been born. I’m sure that Annie would have loved him dearly if she …’ she paused, biting her lip. ‘I’m sorry. I’m saying all the wrong things.’
‘No, you’re right, Rose. I’m the one who’s all mixed up. I was quite willing to believe the worst of Rogue even though he’s gone out of his way to help me.’
‘But you do like him, don’t you?’ Rose said softly. ‘You can’t fool me, Phoebe. And I think he’s in love with you. Why else would he go to all this trouble?’
‘No.’ Phoebe jumped to her feet. ‘Don’t say such things. I love Gino and I’m going to marry him.’ She paced the floor, clasping and unclasping her hands. ‘It’s just a matter of a week or so until my family pack up in London and set out on the return journey to Italy. Gino and I will be going with them, Rose. I’ll marry him and that will be an end to all this.’
‘And are you going to allow the Merrydews to get away with their business venture as they call it? Would you be happy letting Rogue take the blame when he knows nothing about their criminal acts?’
Phoebe shrugged her shoulders. ‘He’d probably turn a blind eye and take a cut from their profits. I’m not going to worry myself over a man like him. I’m just counting the days until I can leave here and go to Dover.’
‘And our adventure will end,’ Rose said, sighing. ‘I’ve never been happier. It may sound silly, but my whole life so far has revolved around Poppa. We’ve moved from town to town and one lodging house to another. I think our time with Judy has been the longest we’ve ever been in one place.’
Phoebe came to a halt, staring at her. ‘How selfish I’ve been, Rose. I’ve only been thinking about Teddy and me, even though I knew you had a difficult time with your pa. I’ve seen him when he’s swipey and gets nasty with it, but you’ve always seemed to cope so well.’
‘I’ve had to, and don’t get me wrong. I love my pa, but sometimes I could kill him, if that makes sense. I’d like to have a normal life with a proper home and a nice husband. I don’t think I’d mind if he wasn’t perfect, just so long as he loved me and was good to me. You can’t have everything, after all.’
Phoebe was to mull over Rose’s words during the days that followed. Perhaps she had been too judgemental when it came to the Paxmans. They were certainly no worse than most of the men who governed the ungovernable in London’s East End. In fact they were better than the majority of gang leaders, and Rogue had astonished her when he had admitted that they occasionally worked in conjunction with the police. She had been quick to believe that he knew what was going on in this house, but as time went on she was growing ever more suspicious of the Merrydews. There was nothing she could put a finger on, but she had noticed the sly looks that passed between husband and wife, and their attitude was not one of servitude. It was as if Merrydew considered himself to be the head of the household with his wife running a close second. Phoebe made up her mind to keep a closer eye on them.
The days passed pleasantly enough so long as they kept out of the Merrydews’ way. Phoebe spent much of her time exploring the countryside. Most of her life until now had been spent in the filth and squalor of Saffron Hill and the surrounding area, with a couple of winters spent on the banks of Lake Maggiore. But nothing compared to the verdant woodland or the neat fields bounded by green hedgerows where the placid cows munched the sweet grass. The cornfields were filled with ripe golden wheat studded with scarlet poppies and blue cornflowers, and the warm late summer air was filled with the scent of wild flowers and the heavenly song of the skylark. Here she found peace and inner serenity. She wondered what made anyone want to leave such an idyllic place and move into the city. She was beginning to understand why Rogue had gone to such lengths to hold on to his birthright. If the farmhouse and land had been hers she knew she would fight tooth and claw in order to keep it in her family.
Exactly a week after their arrival, Phoebe noticed an air of tension in the house. Merrydew was even worse tempered than usual and Maggie was extra strident in her responses. By the end of the day, when the heat had built up to a sultry threat of thunderstorms, Phoebe was beginning to suspect that there might be another consignment of contraband on its way. She had slept very little since the first night of their arrival, and even when she dozed off she would awaken at the slightest sound. It was usually just the old floorboards creaking or mice running around behind the skirting boards, but she was convinced that tonight something was going to happen.
She refused to get into bed despite a reasoned argument from Rose and the suggestion that they should leave well alone. ‘After all,’ Rose said, yawning as she cuddled down beneath the blankets, ‘in a few days you’ll be heading off for Dover and I’ll return to Brighton with Ivy, as Teddy seems happy with cow’s milk and sops and can do without a wet nurse. Pa will have packed up the booth now that summer’s over. I suppose we’ll be back at the theatre, unless he decides that it’s time to move on again.’
‘You’re right, as usual,’ Phoebe said, pulling a chair up to the window and sitting down. She wrapped her shawl around her shoulders as a draught whistled through the ill-fitting casement. ‘But I’m not sleepy. I think I’ll sit up for a bit longer, just in case something happens.’
She realised that she must have nodded off when she woke up suddenly at the sound of hooves on the cobblestones and the telltale rumble of wooden wheels. It was as she had thought: Haggerty and Bollom had brought another load of kegs as well as a few large wooden crates. Merrydew emerged from the scullery to help them heft their cargo of contraband into the house. Not wanting to wake Rose, Phoebe left the room and crept downstairs, hoping that she would not bump into Maggie on the way. As luck would have it she reache
d the kitchen without seeing a soul, and she opened the door a crack so that she could peer inside without being noticed.
Maggie was in her chair by the range, smoking a clay pipe and drinking something out of a stone bottle. Judging by the pungent smell, Phoebe decided that it must be Hollands, and it looked as though Maggie had imbibed more than her fill of the strong gin. Merrydew was grumbling at her as he staggered past with a keg. ‘Get up and do something useful, you drunken bitch.’
‘Go to hell,’ Maggie mumbled, her words slurring. ‘I done me fair share today, looking after them upstairs. I’ll be glad when they’re gone.’
‘Hey, Merrydew. Where d’you want these crates?’ A deep male voice from the far side of the room made Phoebe’s skin prickle with apprehension.
‘Put them down for now, Haggerty,’ Merrydew said, dumping his load on the flagstone floor. ‘We’ll stow the tobacco in the linen cupboard. There’s not much in there since Maggie decided to hawk the master’s bedding round the market.’
‘Well, he won’t be master for much longer.’
It was another man who had spoken this time and Phoebe held her breath, waiting for someone to qualify this statement. She heard Maggie’s loud cackle of laughter and Merrydew’s muttered response.
‘Bollom’s right,’ Haggerty said, chuckling. ‘I’d like to see Paxman’s face when the magistrate summons him to appear on charges of receiving smuggled contraband. The coppers will have him dead to rights, and the Boss will get the farm and all the land that goes with it.’
