Cinderella Sister

by Dilly Court

  Armand shook his head. ‘No, Lily. I bought the freehold of this old place myself some years ago. I leased it to my father’s business, but that expired some time ago. It is mine and I give it to Molly’s family with all my heart.’

  Prissy stuck her head round the door. ‘Grub’s up. The missis says come and get it while it’s hot and no nonsense at the table.’

  Although it was the last thing she wanted, Lily had no option other than to live at home, helping her mother and Aggie with the household chores, and listening to Molly chattering about her forthcoming wedding. Armand had posted the banns at St Peter’s Church and he had taken up his new appointment with a company that plied its trade between London and the Caribbean islands. He had returned to his house in Cinnamon Street, and when Molly was not attending the dressmaker for fittings for her wedding gown she was busy choosing curtains and furnishings for her new home. Lily accompanied her on these trips to warehouses and markets, and although a three-bedroom house in Cinnamon Street was not the same as a mansion in a fashionable part of Paris, Molly did not seem to mind.

  Lily was happy for her sister, but as the days went by with no sign of Gabriel, her heart ached and she was secretly afraid that there would be no place for her in his new life. Using Silly Sally as an unlikely go-between, Gabriel sent loving notes keeping Lily informed of his movements. He was lodging with Magnus the Magnificent and Mad Maggie, but rarely at home as invitations to meet prominent people in the art world flooded in. The newspapers were filled with praise for his work and Sir Cloudesley, who had previously been better known in the gaming clubs than in the world of art and culture, had earned a reputation as the man who had discovered the fresh new talent that was taking the art world by storm. There were words of praise from members of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood which Lily was eager to show her mother. Charlotte pored over the articles which mentioned the friends she and Everard had welcomed to their home in Keppel Street. If she was envious she did not allow it to show, and she seemed content to remain quietly at home, getting to know the children she had once abandoned. Lily felt for her mother, and she took solace from the time they spent together sketching and painting. Charlotte had been earning a little money by drawing portraits of local children, for which she charged a few pennies.

  ‘You are wasting your talents, Ma,’ Lily said one afternoon as she examined a charcoal sketch of Silly Sally who had called with yet another note from Gabriel. Aggie had taken the girl under her wing, insisting that the poor creature needed feeding up. Sally needed no second bidding and was a willing sitter. Her wild curls and gamine features made her an appealing subject, and it was one of these drawings that particularly caught Lily’s eye. She was holding it up to the light in the window when she saw a familiar figure approaching the house. She ran to open the door.

  Chapter Twenty-four

  ‘Christian, what brings you here?’

  He doffed his bowler hat with a flourish. ‘I came to see how my Lily in the Flames is doing.’ He put his hand in his breast pocket and took out a battered envelope. ‘Gabriel sent this for you, my duck. It’s an invitation to the private viewing of the exhibition.’

  Lily took it with trembling fingers. ‘Why didn’t he bring it himself? I want to see him.’

  ‘He didn’t want to cause any further upset with your family, but he said to tell you that the first of the banns has been called, and that he loves you more than life itself.’ Christian pulled a face. ‘There, I’ve said it. I’m an unlikely Cupid, but it was sincerely meant. He’s making plans for your future together, Lily. He’s determined to win your brothers over, so he begs you to be patient, and I’m to take you to the exhibition tomorrow, if you’ll come with me.’

  ‘He will be there, though?’

  ‘Of course he will, ducks. He’s doing all this for you.’

  Lily knew that what Christian said was true but a niggling doubt refused to go away. If Gabriel loved her so desperately, would he not have tried harder to see her? She tucked the invitation into her pocket, holding the door open wide. ‘Come inside and meet Ma. I’m sure she’d love to see you.’

  Tucking his hat beneath his arm, Christian walked past her and went into the parlour where he stopped, staring at Charlotte. He bowed from the waist. ‘You must be Lily’s older sister, ma’am.’

  Charlotte looked up and her face was wreathed in smiles. ‘You flatter me, sir. I’m Charlotte Faulkner; my late husband was Gabriel’s father.’

  ‘Christian Smith, reporter for the Daily Globe. No flattery intended,’ Christian said with apparent sincerity. ‘If you’ll pardon my saying so, ma’am, I can see where Lily gets both her looks and her talent. Gabriel has told me that she’s an accomplished artist in her own right, as I see you are, ma’am.’

  ‘Oh, he’s a one,’ Sally giggled. ‘What about me, mister?’

  He struck a pose. ‘You are a princess amongst women, miss. A veritable Helen of Troy whose face launched a thousand ships.’

  Sally shot an anxious glance at Lily. ‘Does he mean me face is all smashed up? I mean, if it’s been bashed against the side of ships …’

  Lily placed her arm around Sally’s thin shoulders. ‘He means you’re very pretty, Sally. Helen of Troy was a great beauty.’

  ‘Oh,’ she murmured, mollified. ‘That’s the ticket then.’

  ‘May I ask why you’re here, Mr Smith?’ Charlotte asked, dimpling. ‘We get so few visitors these days.’

  ‘He brought me an invitation to attend the viewing of Gabriel’s work, Ma,’ Lily said hastily, before Christian could turn anyone else’s head with his sweet talk. ‘Christian is the one who started the whole thing with his article about Lily in the Flames.’

  Charlotte rose to her feet, scattering charcoal all over the floor. She held out both hands. ‘Then I have you to thank for reuniting me with my dear daughter, and subsequently with my whole family. You don’t know how much it’s meant to me, Mr Smith.’

  He took her right hand and raised it to his lips. ‘Glad to have been of some small service to a beautiful lady. And I hope you will accept my condolences for your tragic loss. I covered the story of Mr Faulkner’s death for my paper.’

  Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears which, Lily noted with a wry smile, made them appear larger and more luminous, unlike ordinary mortals whose eyes might redden or their noses start to run when they cried. No one, she thought, would think that her mother was in her forties, or that she had borne six children. Her figure was voluptuous but shapely and her face amazingly unlined, but perhaps that was because Ma never let anything worry her. She was flirting openly with Christian, and although Lily did not doubt her mother’s genuine love for Everard, she could see that Ma’s broken heart was mending nicely. She left them to entertain each other while she went outside to sit on the wharf and reread the gilt-edged invitation and Gabriel’s note.

  Dangling her legs over the wall with the Thames lapping gently a few feet below, and the sounds of the river all around her, she immersed herself in the words written from Gabriel’s heart.

  ‘Lily, for goodness’ sake get up.’

  She looked up, startled by Nell’s crisp voice. ‘I’m not doing any harm, Nell.’

  Nell was leaning on Eugene’s arm, shaking her head. ‘You’re too old to behave like that. Come inside before Matt comes home and sees you showing your petticoats for all the common sailors to see.’

  Eugene patted her hand. ‘She’s having a quiet moment, my dear. I can understand that in a household the size of yours such time is precious.’

  ‘I suppose you’re right, Eugene.’ Nell’s face lit with a smile as she looked up into his eyes. ‘Will you come in for a cup of tea?’

  ‘I most certainly will. I have something very particular to ask Matt and your grandfather.’

  Lily looked up into his face, startled by the tender tone in his voice, and she could see that Nell’s ivory pallor had deepened to blush rose. ‘Why you sly old thing, Nell,’ she cried, leaping to her f
eet. ‘You never said a word.’

  ‘It’s not official – I mean, he hasn’t exactly asked me yet.’ Nell broke off in a state of confusion.

  ‘Quite so,’ Eugene said seriously. ‘Did you mention a cup of tea, dearest?’

  As they passed her and went into the house, he turned his head and Lily could have sworn that he winked at her. So Nell was going to marry Eugene. She had no doubt that her sister would accept the schoolmaster, who was proving to be everything that Nell wanted in a man, and it seemed that he had a sense of humour too. Both her sisters were happy in love, and in less than a week Molly would be walking up the aisle with Armand. Lily stared at the note clutched in her hand and raised it to her lips. Tomorrow she would see Gabriel and be introduced into his world. If only Matt would relent, she thought sadly. She was determined to marry the man she loved, but the thought of causing another rift in the family made the decision to flout her brothers agonising.

  ‘Of course I’m coming with you,’ Charlotte said, tying the ribbons of her bonnet at a fetching angle beneath her left ear. ‘Do you really think I’d miss an opportunity to meet my old friends? Besides which, my presence will lend respectability to your clandestine meeting with Gabriel. I am, after all, his stepmother.’

  ‘No you’re not, Ma,’ Lily said patiently. ‘But I’d be glad of your company all the same.’

  ‘Is Christian coming to call for you?’ Charlotte asked casually, primping in front of the mirror above the mantelshelf.

  ‘Yes, Ma. You know he is.’

  ‘I know no such thing, but it’s important to be escorted to these functions by a gentleman, and a gentleman of the press ensures that we get privileges other people cannot aspire to.’

  ‘Yes, Ma.’ Lily peered out of the window. ‘He’s here. Let’s go before Aggie and Grandpa get wind of what we’re doing.’

  ‘I’d like to see them try to stop us.’ Charlotte slipped a shawl around her shoulders with a flourish. ‘I’m ready.’

  The journey took much longer than Lily had anticipated and she sat in her corner of the hackney carriage staring out of the window while Ma and Christian chatted as if they had known each other for years. Lily was too nervous and excited to listen to them, but she was vaguely aware that Ma was in fine form, and Christian was hanging on her every word. The city streets flashed past the windows and heat rose from the cobblestones together with the stench of horse dung and blocked drains. Lily clutched her reticule containing the invitation to the viewing and she was thankful that Christian was paying the cab fare. Her hands were damp with perspiration and her heart beating erratically as the cab drew to a halt in Trafalgar Square.

  Christian leapt out first, handing her down before helping Charlotte to alight. He led the way into the gallery with Charlotte on his arm and Lily following close behind. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a gasp of pleasure as she saw her portrait hanging in pride of place, lit by the sun beaming through a skylight. She could almost smell the smoke and burning timbers and hear the crackle of the flames as they devoured the warehouse. The girl standing in the well of the cart stared heroically ahead, her flaming hair seeming to be part of the conflagration itself.

  ‘Lily, my darling.’

  She turned at the sound of Gabriel’s voice, and the look in his eyes made her tremble with delight. It was all she could do not to throw herself into his arms. She hesitated, taking in his smart black suit and immaculate white shirt. He looked distinguished and so handsome that it took her breath away. ‘You aren’t wearing a sling,’ she murmured, suddenly shy in the midst of the exalted company.

  ‘No,’ he agreed, taking her hand and raising it to his lips. ‘My wound is healing nicely.’ His eyes shone as they met hers. ‘I’ve missed you every moment of every day, my love.’

  ‘Me too,’ Lily murmured, casting an anxious glance to see if anyone was watching them, but Ma and Christian were chatting to some important-looking men with goatee beards and shiny shoes. ‘Can we go somewhere more private, Gabriel?’

  He squeezed her fingers, holding on to her hand as if he would never let her go. ‘Not yet, sweetheart, but we’ll slip away as soon as I’ve done my duty here.’ He slid his arm around her waist. ‘There is someone I want you to meet first.’ He led her through the crowd of well-dressed art lovers to the end of the gallery where a tall, thin man was standing in front of a set of watercolours. Gabriel tapped him on the shoulder. ‘Harry, old boy, I want you to meet the artist.’

  As the man moved aside Lily was amazed to see that the paintings which had been the object of his intense scrutiny were her own work. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Gabriel smiled. ‘May I introduce Harry Lockwood, darling? He’s the most influential art critic in London. Harry, this is Miss Lily Larkin, the artist.’

  Harry Lockwood eyed Lily as critically as if she had been one of the exhibits and then a slow smile spread across his gaunt features. ‘Miss Larkin, I must congratulate you on your efforts. Your work shows freshness and a naivety that are quite charming. I hope to see more of your paintings.’

  At a loss for words, Lily bobbed a curtsey.

  ‘Charming,’ Harry repeated, patting Gabriel on the shoulder. ‘Quite charming. Miss Larkin will go far, given the right mentor and the opportunity to exhibit her paintings.’

  ‘I knew you’d say that,’ Gabriel said, beaming. ‘Not only is she an inspiration as a model but she is talented as well, and I adore her. We’re to be married very soon.’

  ‘Congratulations, old man.’ Harry took Lily’s hand and kissed it. ‘I wish you all the happiness in the world, and every success in your career, Miss Larkin.’ He strolled off to study another work on the far side of the gallery.

  ‘Me, a real artist,’ Lily breathed. ‘Why didn’t you tell me you’d put my paintings into the exhibition?’

  ‘I wanted to surprise you,’ Gabriel said, brushing her cheek with his lips. ‘And I must confess I didn’t know they had been accepted until last night. Anyway, that will all change soon. In no time at all we’ll be man and wife, and I’ll never leave you again, Lily.’

  ‘You know that I want that more than anything in the world,’ she said in a low voice, ‘but where will we live? How will we manage for money? And what will Matt say? I can’t go against him and cause the family more pain.’

  ‘But you want to be with me, don’t you?’ Gabriel’s eyes darkened as they held hers in a gaze that pierced her soul.

  ‘You know I do.’

  ‘I have several commissions which will bring in a steady income. We’ll manage somehow, darling. My rooms in Cock and Hoop Yard aren’t palatial but they’ll do for the time being, and as soon as I receive the money for my paintings we’ll move to somewhere more suitable. Do you think you could stand living in two attic rooms with a struggling artist?’

  Lily clasped his hands in hers. ‘I’d live in a garret and eat nothing but bread and water as long as we were together.’

  ‘It won’t be quite that bad,’ he said, chuckling. ‘But tomorrow, first thing, I’m going to Cock Hill to have it out with your brothers. I’m not going to make the same mistakes as my father, God rest his soul. We’re going to be married with the blessing of your family; I promise you that, Lily.’ He glanced over her shoulder, frowning. ‘I’m going to have to leave you for a few moments, darling. Lockwood is beckoning to me and he’s too important to ignore at this stage in my career.’

  Lily made her way through the crowd to rejoin her mother and Christian. She felt happier than she had for a very long time. Gabriel had promised that he would sort things out tomorrow. She could barely wait.

  Next morning, as she stood outside the house on Pelican Wharf, Lily was joined by Prissy who had just come back from market with a basket overflowing with her purchases. ‘What are you doing standing out here without your bonnet?’ Prissy demanded. ‘You’ll get freckles all over your nose and that ain’t pretty.’

  Anxious as she was, Lily could not help smiling at Prissy’s motherl
y concern. ‘I’m waiting for Gabriel. He said he was going to sort things out with Matt and the boys.’

  ‘It’s about time someone did,’ Prissy said, nodding sagely. ‘Your brother needs a firm hand.’

  Lily was quick to notice the faint flush that coloured Prissy’s cheeks and the sparkle in her eyes whenever Matt’s name was mentioned. ‘You’re fond of Matt, aren’t you?’ she said softly.

  ‘He’s all right.’ Prissy shrugged her shoulders.

  ‘Come on, Prissy, you can’t fool me,’ Lily said gently. ‘I’ve seen the way you look at him, and what’s more I’ve seen the way he looks at you when he thinks no one else is watching.’

  ‘I dunno what you mean.’ Prissy made for the side door, but Lily caught her by the arm.

  ‘Admit it; you’ve got a soft spot for my eldest brother and he for you.’

  ‘I like him a lot, but a man like him ain’t going to pay no heed to an ignorant country girl like me.’

  Lily wrapped her arm around Prissy’s thin form. ‘You’re not ignorant. In fact you’ve got a wiser head on your young shoulders than all the rest of us put together.’

  Prissy sniffed and wiped her nose on her sleeve. ‘That’s not true. I’m just good at keeping house and looking after people. I’ve had enough practice, heaven knows.’

  ‘And that’s a talent that Nell, Molly and me have got to learn,’ Lily said softly. ‘You do it naturally, Prissy. You’ve turned that old barn of a place into a real home, and you’ve got the boys eating out of your hand, including Matt. He took it worst of all when Ma left and he didn’t seem to be interested in girls, at least not in the way that Mark and Luke were. But he’s different with you. He listens to you, Prissy, and I think he loves you.’

  Prissy looked up, her blue eyes swimming with tears. ‘Do you really?’

  ‘I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t think so.’

  ‘No, you must be wrong.’ Prissy shook her head vehemently. ‘He wouldn’t want someone like me.’