by Val Wood
‘I do have a spare room as it happens,’ she said at last. ‘It’s full of boxes and lengths of material that I keep thinking I’ll fashion into something when I’ve time to spare or be bothered. Is the girl sick? Has she long to go?’ she asked. ‘I can’t be doing with sickness.’
‘No. She’s very healthy. I didn’t even know she was expecting. Knowing Lizzie as I do,’ she added, ‘she’ll just get on with it. She wouldn’t be a trouble.’
Rena toyed with the rings on her fingers and made expressive gestures with her lips, pouting and pressing them together. ‘All right,’ she said abruptly. ‘Send her to see me. I’m not promising anything, mind. If we don’t take to each other then the answer is no. If I say yes then she can stay for free and I’ll feed her in exchange for help in the shop and some sewing. After she’s given birth we’ll review the situation, cos I’m not one for babies, as I said.’
Lily heaved out a sigh. ‘Thank you! Thank you so much. I’m sure you won’t regret it.’
‘I hope not,’ Rena said wryly. ‘You’ll be to blame if I do.’
Lily smiled and rose to go. ‘I shan’t mind that. Were you never married, Rena? Did you never love a man?’
Rena started to shake her head, but then said, ‘I did once love somebody, but he let me down very badly and I vowed that it wouldn’t happen again. I can do without a man in my life.’
‘Just like Lizzie then,’ Lily murmured as she took her leave.
What will Jamie say? she wondered as she walked back. He’ll be mad at me when Lizzie leaves. Whether Rena takes her on or not she’ll have to go. He won’t let her stay, not if she’s not earning her keep. So that will mean just Alice and Cherie left of the original girls, and Alice isn’t well. I heard her prowling about during the night as if she couldn’t sleep. Cherie, well, how much longer can I keep her safe?
A platoon of soldiers came marching towards her and she stood by the tower of St Mary’s church to watch and let them pass. The road was very narrow here and Mrs Flitt had told her there had been talk of widening the road and building a new town hall for years, but the plan had never been developed. So many old buildings and narrow streets, she thought as she saw the buildup of hansom cabs and horses and carts also waiting for the platoon to pass. How I miss the open views of the countryside and the salty smells of the sea.
Though the soldiers marched eyes front as they came past, one of them, without moving his head, glanced her way and gave her a saucy wink. He was very young and an unbidden spurt of tears came to her eyes as she was suddenly reminded of Johnny. He had been seventeen when he joined the army. He could see no future in being a farm labourer, he’d said, and besides, he wanted some adventure. We were both so young, she thought, as tears ran down her cheeks. Perhaps we should have waited. But he was so eager to be married. He wanted to be sure that I’d wait for him, he said; didn’t want me to love anyone else whilst he was away. I wouldn’t have done, Johnny. I never did. But you were away so long. You had no idea how hard it was for me to bring up two children without you.
She gave a small sob and turned abruptly as someone took hold of her elbow. ‘Are you all right, Mrs Fowler?’ a quiet voice asked. ‘Can I help you?’
It was Thomas Fulton. He wore a dark frock coat and top hat and carried a small leather case. ‘You seem distressed. Are you still anxious about finding the money for the fine? I told you we could probably help you.’
‘No.’ She sniffed, feeling in her pocket for a handkerchief. ‘No, it’s not that. It was seeing the soldiers that upset me. I was reminded of my husband. My first husband, I mean.’ She took a deep sobbing breath. ‘I still miss him, you see, and not knowing how or when he died is a hurt that never goes away.’
Thomas Fulton nodded. ‘You made all the usual enquiries with the military authorities, I suppose?’
‘Yes.’ She blew her nose. ‘But they didn’t know anything much. They just said he was missing somewhere and presumed dead.’ She gave a watery smile. ‘Sorry. It just comes over me sometimes – ’memory of him, I mean. I’ll be all right, but it’s been a strange kind of morning.’
‘If I can help you at all,’ he said, bringing a printed card out of his pocket, ‘don’t hesitate to send for me. I live not far away and if I’m out on a call my wife or housekeeper will know where I am.’
He touched his hat as he moved away and she mouthed her thanks and glanced at the address. He lived in the High Street, which ran parallel with Lowgate and alongside the Old Harbour. Dr Thomas Fulton, she read. ‘He’s a doctor!’ Not just a charitable man who fills his time helping unfortunates. Would he see Alice? Could we afford him?
‘Doctor!’ she called after him. ‘Dr Fulton! Please, wait!’
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
Dr Fulton said he would call at the house later that afternoon. In the meantime Lily had passed on to Lizzie the news that Rena would like to see her with a view to her helping out in the shop. ‘She has a spare room, Lizzie,’ Lily said eagerly. ‘I think she’d be willing for you to have it until your babby comes.’
Lizzie had stared open-mouthed. ‘No!’ she said disbelievingly. ‘You’re kidding me. Why would she? She doesn’t know me; and besides, what would I do after it’s born? I’d still be out on ’streets.’
Lily looked at her. ‘It’s a chance,’ she said softly. ‘It’s a helping hand. Don’t reject it.’
Lizzie raised her fingers to her trembling mouth. ‘Nobody – nobody’s held out a hand to me afore,’ she whispered. ‘Onny you, Lily.’ A single tear trickled down her cheek and she dashed it away. ‘I’ll do it all wrong,’ she muttered. ‘I’ll rub her up ’wrong way and she won’t want me.’ The bold, defiant Lizzie was showing how vulnerable, how frightened, she really was. ‘Will you come wi’ me?’
‘You don’t need me, Lizzie. You need to see Rena on your own and talk it over together. Besides, I have to wait for Dr Fulton. He’s coming to see Alice.’
‘I don’t need a doctor.’ Alice turned large eyes, deep in their sockets, towards Lily. ‘It’s nowt. Onny a cough. It’s allus wi’ me.’
Lily nodded. ‘He’ll give you summat to ease it.’ Though I don’t know how we’ll pay for it, she thought. And it was only now as she looked at Alice that she berated herself for not finding the means to send for a doctor long ago, or take her to Mr Walker as she’d said she would. She saw how thin the girl had become, how her clothes hung upon her and how very pale her skin was. The sores on her face had spread much further. Alice, she thought, is very ill.
When Dr Fulton came, she took him into her room and went to fetch Alice. ‘Stop wi’ me, Lily,’ Alice said imploringly. ‘I’m scared to see him by meself.’
‘He’s already asked me to stay with you,’ she consoled her. ‘He won’t want to see you on his own. It wouldn’t do.’
Alice nodded and nervously followed her down the hall and into the room at the front of the house. ‘I’ve onny got what my ma had,’ she began as soon as she saw him. ‘We all had bad coughs; every winter we had ’em.’
‘But it’s not winter now,’ he said gently. ‘This is just the beginning of autumn.’ He took a stethoscope out of his case and asked her to sit down and unbutton her blouse. ‘I just want to listen to your chest,’ he explained. ‘It’s easier without too many layers. No,’ he said as she began also to unfasten the small buttons on her cotton underbodice. ‘That’s fine, thank you.’
Alice is so used to undressing, Lily thought, noticing that Alice had flushed at the doctor’s remark. She must think that all men expect it of her. Poor girl, she’s never known courtesy or respect.
After listening to Alice’s chest, the doctor turned her round and tapped her back with the tips of his fingers. He glanced at Lily and, looking grave, gave a little shake of his head. Then he stood in front of Alice. ‘Button up your blouse,’ he said quietly.
She did so, keeping her eyes averted from him.
‘Do you have a home or family where you could have a week or so of res
t?’
She gave a small laugh. ‘No. This is my home – onny one I’ve got, anyway.’ She glanced at Lily. ‘And everybody here’s my family. I’ve got nobody else who’d be bothered about me.’ She looked candidly at Dr Fulton. ‘I’ve got consumption, haven’t I?’
At his nod, she said, ‘I knew I had. Onny I’ve been pretending I hadn’t. That it was just a cough.’
‘But did you know that it can spread?’ he asked. ‘That you might have passed it on?’
Alice looked away from him. ‘I’ve been keeping my own cup so that ’other girls and Lily didn’t catch it. I’m not bothered about ’customers,’ she said bitterly. ‘They pass on all kinds of disease to us and don’t care a jot!’
‘It’s not my place to preach to you, Alice,’ he said softly. ‘But I’m asking you not to continue with this kind of life. Take a month or two off if you can, until you recover.’
‘An’ what’ll I do for money?’ She gave a sudden cough as she spoke and put her hand to her mouth; when she drew it away it was spotted with blood. ‘How will I live?’ She stared at him from her sunken eyes. ‘Will I live?’ she whispered.
He didn’t answer for a second, and Lily almost held her breath. Dear God, she thought. Alice is dying.
‘Sleep with your window open,’ he answered. ‘Get as much fresh air as you can. As for earning a living,’ he pressed his lips together. ‘I’m sure your friends will help you until you’ve recovered.’
‘How long?’ Alice breathed. ‘How long will it tek?’
He gave her such a kind, gentle smile that Lily wanted to weep. So there are some good men after all, she thought. ‘A month,’ he said. ‘Perhaps two.’
‘We can manage.’ Lily’s voice was choked with emotion. ‘That’s not so long.’
Dr Fulton left, asking Lily to call at Mr Walker’s for some syrup which he would prescribe for Alice. He paused at the front door. ‘The medicine is useless,’ he said quietly. ‘You could give her honey just as well. You realize, don’t you, that she won’t recover? She has advanced tuberculosis and the sores on her face are probably caused by a venereal disease.’
He saw the shocked look on Lily’s face. ‘Mrs Fowler,’ he said, ‘you’re in the wrong business if you’re not aware of the hazards of this vile trade. You should have preventative aids available for the men who are willing to use them. Pregnancy is not the only thing that can be caught. You are all vulnerable.’
‘Not me,’ she gasped. ‘I don’t – I’m not …’
He frowned. ‘What?’
‘I run this house,’ she said in a whisper. ‘I’m a sort of housekeeper and I tek care of ’money. I don’t – I don’t go with any of ’customers.’
His eyes opened wide. ‘Never?’
She shook her head. ‘Never.’
She saw the beginning of a smile as his lips turned up. ‘Forgive me, Mrs Fowler. I know this isn’t a laughing matter and I’ve just delivered some tragic news, but’ – his face broke into a grin – ‘that’s the oddest thing I’ve heard in a long time!’
She closed the door behind him and leaned against it, letting out a sigh. But perhaps I might have to, she mused. With Betty gone and soon to be married, Lizzie going to Rena’s and Alice – she pushed to one side the thought of what would happen to Alice – well, we shall be very short of girls. Would it be very bad? she wondered. We have to earn some money somehow and I could charge more for my favours than the others. Mentally she started to work out how much she would need to charge to be able to cover their expenses.
‘You all right, Lily?’ Cherie had come out of the kitchen and was regarding her seriously.
Lily sighed again. And then there’s Cherie. She pulled away from the door, giving a forced bright smile as she answered that she was. A rattle on the letter box made her turn round and she picked up an envelope. ‘A bit late for ’postie,’ she muttered, and opened the door to look out. A young lad with a grey shirt hanging out of his ragged trousers was running back towards Lowgate.
‘What’s this?’ She slit open the envelope with her finger nail. Inside were five shiny gold coins with the queen’s head on them. There was no note or indication of who had sent them. She held them up to Cherie. ‘Sovereigns! Our ship’s come in,’ she said haltingly. ‘Whoever can afford to give us these?’
Cherie’s face lit up. ‘Can we have a feast?’ she asked eagerly, not bothered about where the money had come from. ‘Or go into ’town and buy summat nice?’
Reluctantly Lily shook her head. ‘It’s for my fine,’ she thought of Dr Fulton, who had said his society might be able to help her, ‘or to help Lizzie and her babby; or for Alice,’ she added.
‘For Alice?’ Cherie whined. ‘Why Alice? That’s not fair!’
‘Life isn’t,’ Lily told her. ‘But Alice is sick. She’ll need extras. Eggs and fruit and another blanket.’
Cherie’s eyes opened wide. ‘If Alice is sick and can’t work and Lizzie’s going to Rena’s, then – then that means I’ll definitely have to go upstairs.’ Her voice trailed off into a whisper. ‘I know I told Lizzie that I would, but … Unless I can get other work! What can I do, Lily? Nobody would take me afore. I’ve tried all over Hull.’
Lily pulled her to her and gave her a hug. ‘We’ll think o’ something, Cherie. Course we will.’
Alice had asked Lily not to tell Lizzie or Cherie how bad her illness was, only that she had to rest for a short while, but Mrs Flitt guessed. ‘I knew,’ she told Lily. ‘That lass has had that sickness on her for a long time. She’ll not last ’year out, you know that, don’t you?’
Lily sank down on a chair in the kitchen. ‘Yes, I do know,’ she said miserably. ‘But Lizzie and Cherie don’t and I’d rather keep it from them for ’time being, Mrs Flitt.’
‘We’ll be short on women,’ Mrs Flitt said, rubbing her nose with the back of her hand. ‘Jamie’ll want to cover ’rent.’ She wrinkled her nose as she considered. ‘He’ll not have any sympathy. In fact,’ she added, ‘don’t say owt about Alice or he’ll turn her out.’
‘He wouldn’t!’ Lily couldn’t believe that even Jamie could be so heartless.
‘I’m telling you.’ Mrs Flitt waved a finger at her. ‘He will. So,’ she shut one eye and screwed up her face as she concentrated, ‘how will we get ower that? You can’t just say you need more girls. There’s Cherie, of course.’ She gave a sigh. ‘Seems a shame, though. We’ve kept her pure all this time.’
‘I will say I need more girls. Lizzie will be leaving us too.’ She explained that Lizzie was pregnant and that she was going to Rena’s. ‘I’ll use Lizzie as an excuse and not mention Alice just yet.’
‘She doesn’t show.’ Mrs Flitt was peeved that she hadn’t noticed. ‘Must be a little bairn!’
‘And then I’ll …’ Lily heaved a breath. ‘Then I’ll bring in some money too.’
‘You will! How?’ Mrs Flitt stared at her. ‘There’s no work anywhere in Hull. All ’mills and factories are standing folk off.’
‘Same way as ’others do. It’s going to be ’onny way we can survive.’
Mrs Flitt shook her head. ‘No,’ she said. ‘No, Miss Lily. Not you!’
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Johnny Leigh-Maddeson hoiked his pack further on to his shoulders and, grimacing, rubbed his right elbow, which was paining him considerably. He’d never again be able to lift his arm high, that was for sure, or take aim with a rifle. Shan’t want to anyway, he told himself. I’ve had enough fighting to last me a lifetime.
As a young soldier, with Victoria newly on the throne, he had been sent on a tour of duty to Ireland. After spells away with only short trips home to see his wife and young children, he had been recalled and posted first to Kandahar and then to Kabul, which was occupied by British forces; after much bloody fighting from which he considered he was lucky to emerge alive the British were forced to retreat from Kabul.
He wrote a hasty letter to Lily telling her that he was being posted to India; order was to
be maintained as the native culture and way of life were repressed and Western ideology and principles put in their place. The wives and children of merchants, administrators and army officers came out with their husbands to make a home in this British outpost, but the ordinary soldier was sent all over the colony to put down simmering uprisings and minor skirmishes.
Johnny wrote several more letters but he could never be sure whether they would reach their destination and one, unfinished, was still in his pocket as his regiment was transferred to the Punjab when the Sikh leader, Ranjit Singh, died and disorder began. In the fighting that ensued between the army of the East India Company and the Sikh Darbar, a group of soldiers became cut off from the main body. A detachment of rebel sepoys, riding fast and furiously towards them, fired a random shot which sheared off Johnny’s elbow and hit the soldier behind him, killing him instantly. That fellow was the lucky one, he remembered thinking, as he and three other members of his troop were taken prisoner by the most dangerous-looking group of fanatics he had ever come across in all his years of warfare.
The Sikhs lost the battle and most of their army, the Treaty of Lahore was signed, and the group of sepoys which had captured Johnny and his compatriots withdrew to the mountains with their prisoners to maintain their own brand of guerrilla warfare. They were totally opposed to the handing over of Kashmir and the establishment of a British residency in Lahore, and vowed they would continue the fight.
Two of the British soldiers captured with Johnny were shot as they tried to escape from the hideout in the mountains. Johnny couldn’t see the sense in holding him or his surviving companion prisoner as they were just foot soldiers in the British army and of no use to the Sikhs as a bargaining tool, but decided that he would make the best of the situation and hope that the Sikhs wouldn’t behead them with their swords as they threatened to do if they tried to escape.
