The Gilded Lily

by Deborah Swift

  They set off slowly, arm in arm, trying to keep a footing on the slippery cobbles.

  ‘This lad, was he tallish, nice-looking, with sandy-coloured hair, brown eyes?’ Sadie asked.

  ‘No. He was—’

  ‘Oh, never mind. Just tell me what he said.’

  ‘Wait till you hear this.’ Corey stopped and turned to face Sadie, her round face full of disgust. ‘Your Ella’s fine. Gadding about with Jay Whitgift. The lad says the other night he got the horses ready and Jay Whitgift helped her into his coach. By all accounts they were off to Whitehall, to Lord Sedley’s house. He remembered she was dressed in a scarlet gown with a squirrel fur scarf against the cold, and that they didn’t bring the horses back till nigh on four in the morning.’

  ‘That can’t be right. I don’t believe it. To a lord’s house?’

  ‘Heartless pig. She leaves you to rot whilst she gallivants all over London in her fancy coach. I hope they do bloody catch her. Hanging’s more than she deserves.’

  ‘Don’t. I can’t believe she’d just leave me. Happen it’s my fault, we had a terrible row, you see. She wouldn’t . . . there must be some mistake . . .’ She tailed off.

  Corey took hold of her by the shoulders. ‘Now look here. How could it be your fault? You’ve just got to face it, Sadie, she’s a proper bitch.’

  Sadie squirmed away, scuffed the snow with her boot. ‘Maybe she forgot she’d locked the door.’

  ‘And hens will lay golden eggs. Forget her, that’s my advice.’

  There was silence then.

  ‘What’ll you do?’

  ‘Go back home to Westmorland, I suppose. I can’t stay here. I can’t even walk the streets with them notices out. I’ll need money, though, and my things. Don’t know how I’ll get back into my lodgings.’

  ‘That’s easy. There’ll be a file in my brother’s workshop, he’s a smith. We’ll go get that door open tonight, fetch your things out. And I’m telling you – I can’t wait to see the face on Lady Uppity when she stoops to go back there and finds you gone, and the place empty as a barn. Serve her bloody well right.’

  It was dark when Corey got back from work.

  ‘No trouble with my mam?’ Corey asked.

  ‘No. I hid out the back behind the dairy when I heard her stir,’ Sadie said.

  Corey nodded. ‘Good. Look, here’s the file. Get your hood up and let’s go.’

  Sadie and Corey took turns to hold the lantern for the long task of grinding through the hasp. Corey was amazed when she got a better look at the hole in the door.

  ‘Blimey, did you do that? It must have taken an age.’

  The file slipped out of its groove if they tried to go too quick. There was no sign of Dennis or his mother, and Sadie was sad. She would have liked to say a proper goodbye, not just disappear into the night without settling the rent. He would think the worst of her and it pained her.

  ‘Keep going, Corey, don’t give up,’ said Sadie, as they sawed the file back and forth over the hasp. Finally the lock fell off with a great clunk, and they pushed open the door.

  ‘Is this it? Where you live?’ Corey stared round her in disapproval. Sadie tried to hide her shame. It was nothing like Corey’s cosy house with all the pots and pans lined up in a shining row and a fire blazing in the hearth. It smelt of mildew and rot already.

  ‘It’s better with a fire lit,’ she said. Corey sniffed.

  The yellow gown was where Sadie had left it on the table, with the pot of ceruse still with its lid tied on. Just looking at it made her feel embarrassed somehow. She picked up the chap-book of Barbary Bess and tucked it into her bib front.

  ‘Come on, let’s get your things downstairs,’ Corey said. ‘Eh, you’ve not much, have you? Looks like we can manage it, just the two of us. Have you got anything to put it in?’

  ‘No,’ said Sadie, ‘only my apron. I could make up a bundle with that.’

  ‘That won’t do. Not to travel all the way to Westmorland. No, you start getting everything down into the hall and I’ll go up the road to the fodder merchant’s, see if he’s got a sack for a farthing. Don’t forget to keep your head down.’

  After Sadie had carried the first load down, Corey arrived with a folded barley sack under her arm and they put everything in it.

  ‘You’ll need water in that flagon,’ Corey said, pointing. ‘Leave the sack here a minute, and we’ll just nip round the corner and fill it.’

  The well was in a small square, walled off from the street, with channels to drain the excess water when people took their domestic animals there to drink. There was a large trough below for washing clothes and watering cattle, and a bucket above for clean water. There was no lantern, and their breath made more white patches of fog. Sadie tried to wind up the bucket. It was heavier than usual. Corey had to help her turn the handle to wind the rope in. The bucket clinked, and when it reached the top there was a good hand’s depth of ice to pull out.

  ‘By, will you look at that,’ Sadie said. ‘Haven’t seen ice like that even in Westmorland.’

  ‘Thames is frozen over further up, so you’ll have to walk. Are you sure you want to go? There’s no boats, you know.’

  ‘Thanks for helping, Corey. But I’ve decided. I’m going to go to Ella tomorrow morning and talk to her – I’ll get in to Whitgift’s somehow. I can’t just leave London and not tell her.’

  ‘I don’t see why. She never cared aught for you.’

  Sadie did not answer. Corey’s words stung.

  Corey stood up and stretched her short spine, her hands either side of her back. She glanced idly at the alleyway, but then her attention was taken by something and she stared hard. She laid one hand on Sadie’s shoulder to stay her. Her eyes narrowed. Suddenly she grabbed Sadie by the arm and said, ‘Quick, get down.’

  ‘What is it?’

  ‘I swear I can see Mercy Fletcher coming.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘I know it’s near on dark, but it looks like her. Same mincing little walk. She mustn’t see us.’

  ‘What’s she doing?’

  ‘I don’t know. There’s some men with her carrying lanterns.’

  They dropped down behind the wall, Corey craning her head over the top to see better.

  ‘Why are you hiding from her? I thought you were friends?’

  ‘No. She’s a bully. We had a spat, and I cut off her hair.’

  ‘You never?’

  ‘I did. Let’s hope she’s not coming to fetch water. But they’ve no pails, or anything . . . God’s truth! It’s that old gent.’

  ‘Who?’ asked Sadie trying to see.

  ‘Stay low, he mustn’t see you,’ whispered Corey. ‘He came to the wig shop, asking after you. He’s the one after catching you.’

  ‘You mean, Ibbetson? Is he—?’

  ‘Shh. Keep your voice down, they’re getting nearer. He’s marching along in a great hurry, and there’s three other men with them. It’s her brother, Jacob –’ a sharp intake of breath, ‘– and the constable’s men, I recognize the livery.’

  ‘Are they coming this way?’

  ‘They’ve gone past the end of the alley. Saints alive, I think they might be going to your lodgings.’

  Sadie tried to stand up to look over the wall, but Corey restrained her. ‘Get down,’ Corey said, ‘cover your face, and stay out of sight. Go further down the alley, and wait there. I’m going to see if I’m right, and they are going to your house.’

  ‘No,’ said Sadie, in a determined voice. ‘I want to see if it’s him.’

  ‘Keep out of sight, then.’ Corey beckoned to Sadie and the two girls scuttled across the road and dodged behind a waiting draycart. The silhouettes of four broad backs were striding down the passage towards the Gowpers’ house, following Mercy’s lead. By the house, Mercy stopped and held up her lantern, then pointed up at the window.

  Sadie and Corey exchanged glances. Sadie rubbed her arms, they were all gooseflesh. One of the men stepped forward and
banged on the door.

  ‘That’s him – Mr Ibbetson,’ said Corey.

  He turned round to speak to the other men and Sadie got a glimpse of lowering eyebrows and a grim set to the mouth.

  ‘It’s him all right. I recognize him.’ A cold frisson of fear crept round her neck.

  Minutes later the party had disappeared inside the house.

  Corey tugged at Sadie’s arm. ‘Come on, we’ve got to get out of here.’

  Sadie dug in her heels and tried to shake Corey off. ‘No, Corey, I need to get the rest of my things. There’s my sewing things and my cooking pots, and a good warm blanket . . . I’ll go back and get them when they’ve gone.’

  ‘Have you lost your wits? They’ll be out any moment and we need a good start on them –’ Corey paused. There was the glimmer of lights moving in the upstairs window of Sadie’s room. ‘Look,’ she said.

  Neither girl moved. They watched, compelled to do so, as the light went past the window inside Sadie’s room. It perturbed Sadie to think they were inside, poking about in her things. Corey plucked urgently at her arm. ‘Come on, Sadie, let’s go. Before they come out.’

  She hared across the road, grabbed the sack and swung it over her shoulder. A moment later she was pulling at Sadie’s hand.

  ‘Too late. Here they come.’

  She pushed Sadie back behind the cart.

  Two of the men emerged, with Mercy Fletcher just behind. Mercy’s face was shadowed under her dark bonnet and hood, but the set of the head and the bouncing walk could only be hers. The men looked up and down the street, holding their swinging lamps aloft. Moments later the solid silhouette of Titus Ibbetson appeared on the threshold. He hurried to join his friends on the neighbour’s doorstep. They knocked hard on the door with a cudgel, and the echo of it was loud in the night air. Ibbetson stood a little away from the others, under the house lantern, looking intently at a switch of material in his hand.

  ‘What’s that he’s got?’ Corey whispered.

  ‘It’s the sampler I started,’ Sadie said, ‘on an old kerchief. I stitched my name on it.’

  ‘Gawd. There’s no mistaking you lived there then. Wait a minute,’ Corey said, ‘where’s the other man? There were two of the constable’s men went in.’

  ‘Are you sure?’

  ‘Yes, Mercy and Jacob, Ibbetson and two others.’ She ticked them off on her fingers. ‘That means one’s waiting inside. For when you come back.’ Corey took hold of Sadie’s hands. ‘Sorry, but you know you can’t go back for your things now.’

  Sadie gripped tightly onto Corey’s fingers. ‘I don’t give a spit for my things. I’ve got foss-all worth having anyway. Don’t you see, what if Ella goes back there? She won’t know there’s someone waiting for her.’

  ‘Come on, I’ll take you back to mine.’

  ‘No, it can’t wait till morning. I’ll have to go to Whitgift’s tonight. She might turn up here.’ Sadie pointed at the Gowpers’ house.

  ‘Bloody Ella,’ Corey said.

  They watched as Titus Ibbetson knocked on the next door, and a large woman in a buff-coloured apron opened it.

  ‘Quick, whilst they’re busy,’ hissed Corey, pulling at her.

  Sadie wriggled her sore arm from Corey’s grasp, kept her head down and hurried after. Once well out of sight of the house, they stopped to catch their breath.

  ‘Come back with me a little while. You can get a proper wash, and I’ll make you a hot mash,’ Corey said.

  ‘No, I’ve told you. I’m going straight to Whitgift’s, to warn Ella. I can’t bear to think of them lying in wait for her. You know what they’ll do to her if she’s caught.’

  Corey pursed her lips. ‘Don’t be so hasty. You’re not thinking straight, you’ve got to be careful. Ella hasn’t been here for days, you said so yourself. And you said she works evenings, so she’ll be busy till the end of the evening shift, anyhows.’

  ‘I can’t stay with you. ’Twould be a risk to your ma and the littlies. No, I’ll be off to Westmorland soon as I’ve seen Ella.’

  Corey set her mouth in a stubborn line. ‘You’re going nowhere till we’ve a proper plan. If you get arrested it’ll do neither of you no good. Come on now. Let’s work out how to get you into Whitgift’s. A few hours won’t make no difference. I’m not after losing you for the sake of that flibbertigibbet.’

  ‘Oh, Corey.’ Sadie put her arms round her friend and hugged her tight.

  Chapter 36

  When evening came, Ella could not sleep, but sat upright shivering in her bed fully dressed, listening to the sounds in the yard outside. Jay’s man was still on guard. It was as if she had been living on the edge of a precipice for ever, any slight noise made her jump, and whenever the dogs barked it made her breathless with fear. The noise reminded her of the Netherbarrow Hunt. Those were the sounds the dogs made going in for the kill. Death was coming closer, she could feel it, almost as if the Reaper was standing right behind her, his cold breath on her neck. She shuddered and lit a candle, sat holding it for comfort and warmth until the light of dawn cast its pale glow in the sky.

  In the morning she heard the noise of a wagon, then the Lily’s door open. She hurried to the landing terrified it might be Jay Whitgift or the constable come for her. But it was Polly and Meg. They scuttled in wrapped up in mufflers and hoods; just like any other day they had come for the crates of potions they needed for the Frost Fair. Neither of them spoke, just passed with their heads down, as if she did not exist. When Polly was on her way out, Ella beckoned furiously to Meg. Meg hesitated, a box of violet comfits balanced precariously on top of another box.

  ‘Meg,’ she whispered shakily, ‘go ask if Dennis is back today. And if he is, tell him to come, it’s urgent.’

  ‘You’m not allowed, Sir said.’

  ‘Please, Meg?’

  ‘I’ll tell Sir. He’s just outside. He said to tell if you went anywhere.’

  ‘Well, I’m not going anywhere, am I? I just want a word with Dennis.’ Ella looked at Meg’s pouting face. ‘Look, I know I haven’t been right kind to you, but please – go and see if he’s there.’

  Meg pressed her lips mutinously together, shook her head and set off towards the door, just as Polly came back in for another load.

  After Polly had gone, Meg’s face came round the door again.

  ‘He’s not turned in, so there,’ she hissed, plainly enjoying it. ‘And there won’t half be trouble when he do. He’ll get the push. There’s a mighty queue and Mr Whitgift’s hopping mad.’

  The door shut and she heard the key turn, shortly followed by the noise of hoofbeats and wheels turning. Dennis had been her only hope of getting word to Sadie. She was running out of time. No opportunity had come for her to get away, it was hopeless. Her breath steamed before her, for no one had lit a fire today. She was all gooseflesh, and her shoulders tightened as she folded her hands under her arms to keep warm. But she was glad to suffer it. It brought her closer to Sadie.

  About midday she heard a noise from the back of the shop, as if something was falling. It made her startle for she had been alone with her own thoughts for so long. She leapt up, but could not see that anything had moved – the displays were exactly the same. She prowled round the shop looking for the cause of the noise and was just about to sit down when she heard it again. She felt a slight draught, and turned to see one of the shutters at the tiny trap window was open.

  She hurried to the back of the shop. Two stones lay on the flagged floor. As she watched another came through and rattled towards her feet. She tiptoed cautiously over, and gently pushed the other shutter open. There was just room for her to look through if she stood on tiptoe. On the other side she could see Dennis, looking anxiously from side to side, his cap in his hand, his face wet with perspiration.

  ‘What’s going on?’ he hissed. ‘Why’s Lutch sat outside the door? Do they know?’

  She nodded and began to speak, but he was already talking.

  ‘I guessed as muc
h. Is she there then?’ His eyes searched hers.

  She hardly heard him. ‘Dennis, Sadie’s locked in her room.’ She spoke quickly, not knowing how much time she might have, thrusting the key to their lodgings through the tiny window. ‘Please, take some food and water and tell her she’s to get out of London. Jay Whitgift knows who I am and he’s going to hand me over to Ibbetson.’

  ‘That’s just it,’ said Dennis in a low voice, ‘I can’t. I don’t know where she is.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  He looked from side to side again, before replying, ‘When I got back home last night from my auntie’s, there was a constable waiting upstairs, and no sign of Sadie. She must have known they were coming and scarpered.’

  Ella could not take it in. ‘She can’t have done,’ she whispered, ‘the door was locked.’

  ‘I don’t know about that – all I know is, when I got back from Auntie’s to fetch Ma’s things, the whole bloody house was open. There was a man waiting for me, and he kept me all this morning asking questions.’

  ‘What did you tell him?’

  Dennis raised his eyes to the sky. ‘Naught of course. Said there was a girl living there but I didn’t know where she worked. They asked if she had anything that marked her out and I kept lying and telling them no, and it’s God’s truth anyway, I don’t hardly notice it . . .’ He looked sheepish, and twisted his cap in his hands. ‘Sorry,’ he said again, ‘Lord knows, I held out for you as much as I could.’

  ‘But where is she? You sure she’s not been taken?’

  ‘No. They were still looking. Kept asking me where she might go. Whether she had family and that. There’s a big bruiser of a man posted in her room in case she goes back. But I felt sure she would’ve come here, somehow.’

  ‘Oh my Lord, I’ve not seen hide nor hair of her.’ She gripped Dennis’s hand where it lay on the sill. ‘She won’t last two minutes with everyone out looking for her. And she mustn’t come here –’ Ella’s voice cracked. Dennis wriggled his arm free. ‘Please, Dennis, say you’ll look for her.’