A Handful of Sovereigns

by Anna King

  ‘No, don’t say anything, Harry, I know what I’m talking about. I did something a long time ago that I’ve never been able to forget, and seeing you talking to that young girl brought back painful memories I’ve been trying to bury ever since.’

  Harry looked at Hugh sharply, ‘Do you know that girl, Hugh?’ he demanded.

  Hugh looked up in surprise.

  ‘No, I’ve never seen her before, but I once knew someone just like her. Maybe I’ll tell you about it one day, because you know, Harry, if there’s one person in this world I could talk to, it’s you.’

  The look on Hugh’s face came near to hero worship and Harry lowered his eyes as a strong feeling of shame washed over him. When he had returned home that night he had gone to Hugh’s room, fully intending to throw the wallet in his face and wait for his reaction. But when he’d entered the room and found his brother sitting on the bed, his face a picture of misery and guilt, he had changed his mind. Startled by his brother’s entry, Hugh had stammered something about having had his pocket picked while out with his friends, in an effort to explain his distraught attitude. Pretending to accept his story, Harry had mumbled something about informing the police in the morning and quickly left the room. The wallet was now lying hidden beneath a pile of Harry’s undergarments. He knew he should have thrown it away, but for some reason he was loath to part with it.

  ‘Hugh, Harry, coo’ee,’ Bella called out, her voice sounding happy for the benefit of her companions.

  Harry grimaced at the unfamiliar tone, then, resigning himself to a boring afternoon, said lightly, ‘I suppose we’d better join our charming sister before the strain of acting pleasant causes her an injury.’

  Before walking on, Harry turned Hugh to face him, and in a rare demonstrative gesture he placed both hands on Hugh’s shoulders and said softly, ‘If ever you need me, Hugh, I’m here for you and always will be. Nothing you do or have done could ever lessen my feeling for you. Remember that, will you? Any time, night or day, my door is always open for you. And now,’ he added briskly, ‘our sister awaits our company. Thank God it’s only once a year.’

  Dropping his hands from Hugh’s shoulders he called out sweetly, ‘We’re coming, Bella, dear.’ Then with a broad wink to Hugh, the two men strode towards the waiting figure.

  Eleven

  Maggie lay on her back listening to the sound of Liz’s soft snoring coupled with the insistent ticking of the clock on the table by the bed and sighed heavily. She had been trying to get to sleep for hours now, but the harder she tried the more awake she’d become. Flouncing over onto her side she drew her knees up to her stomach and closed her eyes once more. She felt herself begin to drift away, the sound of Liz’s snores became fainter as the elusive sleep took hold. Then, from the other room a loud grunt, followed by a crescendo of nasal snores brought her eyes wide open.

  ‘Damn and blast,’ she cursed softly, rolling onto her back. Charlie was certainly driving the pigs home tonight. Beside her, Liz turned over smacking her lips noisily, while managing to whistle through her nostrils and scratch vigorously at some unknown spot below her waist. Giving up all hope of sleep, she threw back the blankets and grabbed the old woollen coat that served as a dressing gown from the foot of the bed. She wrapped it around the upper part of her body and padded over to the armchair by the window. Tucking her feet under her bottom, she pulled back the curtain slightly to allow the light from the street lamp to enter the room. Resting her chin in her hand she stared morosely at the deserted street. It had been raining earlier in the evening, and the wet cobbled pavement glistened brightly beneath the lamp-post. Laying her head against the wing of the chair she let her mind wander back over the past five months.

  Her first arranged meeting with Harry had proved awkward and fraught with embarrassment. She had told herself before setting out that she would simply meet him, hand over the first instalment of the debt and then go on her way. But it hadn’t worked out like that. When she had arrived at the designated place by the park railings, he had been waiting for her, a welcoming smile on his craggy face. Despite her feeble protests, he had insisted that she sit with him and share the lunch he had brought with him from the wicker hamper by his side on the bench. She felt a smile come to her lips as she recalled Charlie’s face at the sight of the dainty sandwiches and small cakes that had been offered to him.

  When asked by Harry if he’d enjoyed his lunch he’d replied truthfully, ‘I’d rather have pie and peas, sir,’ at which Harry had thrown back his head and roared with laughter. She had found herself enjoying his company, and it was only when it was time to leave and she hadn’t given him his money that the embarrassment had returned. Her hand trembling, she had proffered the bank-note, and he, after a moment’s hesitation, had taken the money from her, his face sad as if she had insulted him in some way. Then, just as they were saying goodbye, a maid from one of the houses bordering the other side of the park had approached them, asking Maggie if she’d like to call at the house as the mistress had some clothing she wished to sell.

  That encounter had been the ultimate humiliation for Maggie, clearly defining the stark difference between her and the man she had been chatting to so comfortably for the past hour. He was evidently of the upper class, and she, in spite of the effort she’d made with her appearance, was simply a common totter. If Harry had felt any embarrassment he had shown no sign, but she had been mortified.

  On the following Saturday she had been tempted to leave the cart at home and go alone to the park, but she knew what Liz’s reaction would have been, as Liz was already far from pleased at having to give up their hard-earned money to somebody who had no need of it. So she had continued to do her rounds with Charlie in tow, and then, just over a month ago, Harry had turned up with a fair-haired young man whom he had introduced as his brother. She had taken an immediate liking to the shy, introverted man, and had marvelled at the fact that he could be related to Harry. They were so different in every way, yet beneath the light-hearted banter they displayed, she had sensed from the start the strong bond that existed between them.

  Was it possible to be in love with two men at the same time? Well, maybe not love, exactly, but she was certainly strongly attracted to both men, and she was sure they felt the same way. A gentle rivalry had sprung up between the two men over the past few weeks as they’d vied for her attention, making her feel as if she were someone special. It was only the presence of Charlie and the cart that served as a constant reminder of just how far apart she was from the smartly dressed men.

  And now it was all coming to an end. Today was the last time she would have the excuse to go to the park. The final instalment of her debt would be paid today, and unless she happened to meet them on one of her visits to the houses in their street, it was unlikely she would ever see either of them again. Could she bear it? She shook her head sadly. It didn’t matter if she could or not, she would have to. Despite the heavy coat she shivered and, unravelling her feet from beneath her body she walked slowly back to the bed. She wished now she hadn’t agreed to pay a pound a week. If she’d offered to pay back ten shillings at a time, then she would still have had another five months to look forward to. But sooner or later her new-found world would have had to come to an end, so maybe it was best it happened now. Lizzie and Charlie were still snoring loudly, but Maggie no longer heard. Closing her eyes she lay down, and her eyelashes wet with tears, she finally fell asleep.

  * * *

  ‘It’s half past six, Maggie, time to get up.’ Charlie shook his sister’s shoulder gently. ‘Here’s your tea – don’t let it get cold.’

  Maggie opened her eyes slowly, then hitching herself up onto her elbow she reached out for the steaming mug that Charlie had placed on the bedside table.

  ‘Thanks, love,’ she murmured, her voice thick with sleep.

  ‘I’ll start the breakfast, shall I, Maggie?’

  ‘What? Oh, all right, just give me a few minutes to come round, will you? I, oh…’ A
loud yawn smothered the rest of her words.

  ‘And I’ve put some hot water in the pitcher for you and Liz,’ the young boy added proudly.

  ‘Oh, ta, Charlie, that was thoughtful of you.’ Placing her hand over her mouth to stifle another yawn she swung her legs over the side of the bed, her feet searching for and finding her slippers.

  ‘Come on, Liz, wake up,’ she said prodding the figure lying on the other side of the double bed. A muffled grunt came from beneath the blankets.

  ‘It’s gone half past six, Liz,’ Maggie said loudly, giving the prone form another nudge.

  ‘All right, all right, I’m getting up,’ Liz muttered irritably, her arm shrugging away the insistent hand.

  Wrapping her woollen coat across her shoulders, Maggie left the bedroom and made her way to the yard, thinking as she did every morning how wonderful it would be to have an indoor toilet.

  When she returned a few minutes later, she was surprised to find Lizzie up and already dressed.

  ‘Bloody hell!’ Maggie exclaimed. ‘You were quick. I hope you’ve left me some hot water, it was freezing out in the yard.’

  ‘It’s not exactly warm in here,’ Liz retorted, her body shivering in spite of the thick brown dress she was wearing. ‘Anyway, I didn’t use any of the water, it’s too cold to stand around washing.’

  ‘You dirty cow,’ Maggie replied good-naturedly. ‘You’re getting as bad as Charlie.’

  ‘Well, I don’t have to be so particular, do I? I don’t have a fancy gentleman to meet for lunch like some I could mention. Still, it’s the last day today, isn’t it? I don’t suppose you’ll see him again once you’ve handed over the last of the money, or his brother for that matter. Will he be there today, or is it just you and…’

  ‘Don’t start, Liz. I’m warning you, I’ve had about enough of your spiteful remarks.’ Maggie had finished washing, and was now buttoning up the front of a dark blue woollen dress. ‘You’ve already made your feelings painfully clear, and I’m sick of hearing you griping on about it. I know you didn’t want to give back the money, but you were quick enough to take it, weren’t you?’

  ‘Maybe I was,’ Liz answered sullenly, ‘but like I said at the time, the likes of him wouldn’t miss £20, and I still think you’ve made a mistake. There might come a time when we’ll be grateful for that money.’

  Maggie sat down heavily on the bed, her head shaking from side to side. ‘You don’t understand, do you, Liz?’ she said sadly. ‘It wouldn’t matter to me if he had millions, it still doesn’t mean we’re entitled to any of it. But if you don’t understand that, then there’s no point in me trying to explain. Anyway, as you just said, today’s the last time I’ll be handing over any money, so there’ll be no more cause for arguments.’

  Rising from the bed she threw back the blankets to let the sheets air while they had breakfast, then walked past Liz and sat down at the scarred walnut dressing table to brush her hair. She waited until Liz had left the room, then laid down the brush and gazed at her reflection in the mirror. One more day, one last chance to see them, and then it would be back to the same mundane life with nothing to look forward to from one week to the next; how would she be able to bear it? She felt the tears spring to her eyes, and quickly picked up the brush and began to pull the bristles through her long, wavy hair.

  ‘You nearly ready, Maggie? Your breakfast will be cold if you don’t hurry up,’ Liz’s voice called from the adjoining room.

  ‘Yes, all right, I’m just coming,’ she shouted back. Pushing back the stool she stood up, then taking a deep breath she stretched her lips into a smile and walked into the sitting room.

  It was a large room, serving as both dining room and bedroom for Charlie. The brown, horse-hair sofa and armchair stood in the middle of the room opposite the open fire range and the door leading off into the scullery. The table and four chairs they used for their meals were placed a couple of feet further on, giving the impression of two separate rooms. At the far end, where the room narrowed into a corner, lay Charlie’s bed and tallboy hidden from view by the dark, grey curtain Maggie had hung between the two opposite walls.

  The long floorboards were partly covered by an assortment of brightly-coloured mats that blended in with the pale pink flowered wallpaper that Maggie had painstakingly pasted over the white-washed walls. It was the room Maggie had dreamed of during the long, dark days of the basement, but today it held no joy for her.

  Liz and Charlie were already halfway through their breakfast as she sat down at the square, wooden table and the plate of sausages and egg that Charlie had set for her. Aware they were both watching her, she began to eat, each mouthful sticking painfully in her throat as she endeavoured to swallow the food past the lump lodged in her throat. When she had finished she laid down her knife and fork and looking round the table said brightly, ‘Well, I suppose we’d better be making a move. I’ll just put these plates in the sink before we go.’

  ‘I’ll bring the cart round to the front, Maggie,’ Charlie said, springing to his feet.

  ‘Wrap up warm, love, it’s bitter out today,’ Maggie called after him.

  Left alone, a silence fell on the two young women until Liz said awkwardly, ‘I’m sorry, Maggie, I mean about what I said before. I suppose I’m a bit jealous about you being so friendly with someone from the gentry. But it’s not just that, I’ve been worrying about you ever since you started meeting him. I’ve seen the way you look on Saturdays, and I don’t want you getting hurt. You know what I’m talking about, don’t you?’ Maggie opened her mouth to protest but the look of concern on Liz’s face silenced the words of denial hovering on her lips.

  ‘You don’t have to worry about me, Liz,’ she said lightly. ‘I know my place, and I know that men like Harry and Doctor Stewart aren’t for the likes of me. I won’t deny that I’ll miss their company, even if it was only for an hour a week.’

  They were in the scullery now, and as Maggie took down their coats from the wooden rack, Liz once again felt a surge of resentment and envy towards her younger sister. Maggie had paid five shillings for the olive-green fitted coat and matching bonnet trimmed with sable, but it had been money well-spent. It isn’t fair, Liz cried silently as she gazed at the well-dressed trim figure, miserably aware of her own bulky form crammed into a dull grey coat. Yet she was honest enough to admit that even if their attire was reversed, Maggie would still look smarter than she ever could.

  ‘That really suits you,’ she said with grudging admiration. ‘But then anything you wear looks good on you. Not like me, I wish I had a figure like yours, but I only have to look at food and I put on weight.’

  Maggie looked up in surprise, it wasn’t like Liz to hand out compliments. Resisting the temptation to say that if all she did was look at food instead of eating it, then she wouldn’t be so plump, she smiled broadly. ‘It wouldn’t suit you to be thin, anyway, men like a woman with a bit of meat on them, ask your Jimmy.’ At the mention of his name, Liz jumped, her cheeks colouring in confusion.

  Then, her fingers pulling nervously at the front of her brown coat, she said hesitantly, ‘About Jimmy, Maggie, I’ve been meaning to talk to you about him. I think he might be going to ask me to… well, you know, to marry him. He hasn’t said it in so many words, but I’ve just got an idea he’s leading up to it, and I wondered if he did… ask me, I mean, well, would you mind? I know you don’t like him very much, but if you could try and get to know him a bit better, I’m sure you’d change your mind.’

  Maggie felt a cold chill settle on her chest at Lizzie’s halting words, yet why was she surprised? Hadn’t she been waiting for something like this to happen? Good Lord, the man had hardly been off their doorstep for the past few months. But the thought of him wangling his way into her family made her blood run cold. Still, if it was what Liz wanted then she wouldn’t put any obstacles in her way.

  Forcing a smile to her lips she said cheerfully, ‘It’s nothing to do with me, Liz, I won’t have to live with h
im. Besides, you’re a grown woman, you don’t need my permission or approval. If you think you’ll be happy with him, well then…’ She shrugged her shoulders, not knowing what else to say.

  ‘That’s just it, Maggie,’ Liz licked her lips nervously. ‘You know Jim hasn’t got a job at the moment, he only gets a bit of casual now and then down at the docks. What I mean is… well, we wouldn’t be able to afford a place of our own to start with, and I wondered if maybe…’

  Maggie looked at her in horror. ‘You don’t mean you’d want to move in here surely? Is that what you’re getting at?’

  Seeing the pleading look in Liz’s face she backed away, crying loudly, ‘Oh, no, definitely not, even if I did get on with him, which I don’t, where the hell would we all sleep? We’ve only got the one bedroom, unless you think I’d be willing to doss down in the sitting room alongside of Charlie. Oh, no, Liz, you can get that idea out of your mind straight away.’

  ‘But Jim says, that if we…’ Liz began, her voice faltering.

  ‘“Jim says, Jim says”,’ Maggie interrupted angrily, ‘so you’ve talked it over then. Wait a minute.’ She pulled at Liz’s arm. ‘He’s already asked you, hasn’t he? That’s what this is all about, you’re trying to butter me up so you can both move in here, well, forget it, Liz. There’s no way I’m living under the same roof as Jimmy Simms, not even for your sake, and you can tell him that from me.’

  ‘Maggie, please hear me out.’ Liz followed Maggie from the scullery into the sitting room. ‘He’s got plans, has Jimmy, he’s very clever you know. And he says that if we all work together, we could set up another stall in a different market and double what we’re earning now. Please, Maggie, give him a chance,’ she entreated, but Maggie remained unmoved.

  ‘Jimmy seems to have it all worked put, doesn’t he?’ she said, her face set. ‘And as you say, he’s very clever. How many men could find a woman with her own business and able to provide him with a roof over his head. God!’ she laughed derisively, ‘he must think Christmas has come early this year.’