by Dilly Court
‘It was ours by rights.’ Parkinson opened a second drawer and took out a bundle of documents, tossing them onto Sadie’s lap. ‘Unpaid accounts. I’m sick of being dunned by angry suppliers of everything from coal to caulking. Sort that out, if you can, but maybe you’ll believe me when you see how much the company owes.’ He snatched up his bag, opened it and tipped the contents onto the desk. An apple, a red spotted handkerchief, a tobacco pouch and a pipe spilled onto the grimy wooden surface, which had once been polished to a conker shine. ‘That’s all I’m taking from here, miss. It’s true I paid the clerks because they all have families to feed, and I took my wages, too, but not a penny more.’ He stowed his belongings away and rose to his feet. ‘Now, I’m going. Call a constable, if you wish, but I ain’t done nothing wrong. You’d best face up to the fact that it’s over. You’re like the rest of us now. You’ll have to work to earn your daily bread.’ He stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
‘Do you think he was telling the truth?’ Caroline asked anxiously. ‘Surely it can’t be as bad as he says.’
‘I think I’d better study the books,’ Sadie said slowly. ‘It’s a while since I worked here, but I don’t suppose the system has changed very much.’ She handed the documents to Caroline. ‘Look through these and see what you make of them, Carrie. I can’t do it all.’
Caroline smoothed the crumpled papers. ‘At least I can do something useful. Maybe we’ll discover something that he’s missed.’
‘Maybe.’ Sadie shook her head. ‘It doesn’t look good so far, but at least the Captain’s House is safe. Your ma knows all about it, Carrie. When the Mary Louise was lost your pa must have known that things weren’t going too well. He changed his will and left the house to me in case the worst happened, and it looks as though it has.’
‘Why didn’t he leave it to me or to Max?’
‘I know it must seem odd to you, love. But your ma and I go back a long way. We had such adventures you can hardly believe, and I helped them to build the business until it was a genuine rival to the Colville Shipping Company. Jack knew that he could trust me, and that I would never let his family down.’ Sadie took a hanky from her pocket and blew her nose. ‘Come on, love. We’ve got work to do.’
After two hours the desk was littered with papers and Sadie had discarded her mourning bonnet and black lace mittens. Strands of fair hair were tucked behind her ears and there was a smudge of ink on the tip of her nose. Caroline reached over to retrieve a particularly large bill for engine oil and placed it on top of the pile.
‘These are all genuine, as far as I can see, and none of the accounts seem to have been settled. It looks as though Parkinson was telling the truth.’
Sadie closed the ledger and laid it on the desk. ‘I’m afraid so, Carrie. Our only hope is for your uncle to return with enough money to satisfy at least some of the creditors, but even a quick glance at the accounts shows that we would need a small miracle to keep the company from insolvency.’
‘Papa must have known about the state of things,’ Caroline said slowly. ‘Why did he allow it to happen?’
‘Only he could answer that, but I do know that Jack blamed the Colvilles for taking away our trade, and I know he went to see Phineas Colville before he went to Germany. He seemed to be more cheerful afterwards, but his mood changed suddenly and he became very withdrawn. Anyway, whatever went on then, it’s up to us to try to salvage what we can.’
Caroline rose to her feet and went to the window. The sun was shining and the River Thames reflected the azure sky, but the heat of midsummer had brought misery to those in the city. Flies swarmed over the detritus in the gutter and the tangled mess of horse dung and straw, which carpeted the cobbled streets. The stench from sewers and uncollected night soil filtered through gaps in the door, and just yards from the window, she could see stick-thin, bare-footed children openly begging. A small gang of bigger and bolder boys were stalking an unwary pedestrian like a pack of hungry wolf cubs, no doubt intent on picking the gentleman’s pockets for anything from a handkerchief to a wallet or a fat purse. It would be easy to condemn them as young villains, but, despite her sheltered upbringing, Caroline understood that terrible poverty existed, although so far it had not touched her life. She turned to Sadie with a sudden feeling of dread.
‘What will happen to us if Uncle George doesn’t return soon?’
Sadie reached for her bonnet and rammed it on her head, tying the ribbons without attempting to check her appearance in the small, fly-spotted mirror that was perched on the mantelshelf next to the black slate clock. ‘Heaven help us, Carrie. That’s all I can say.’ She pulled on her mittens and picked up her reticule. ‘But one thing is for certain – we must not tell your mama.’
‘She’ll have to know some time,’ Carrie said, frowning. ‘Unless I can persuade her to go and stay with Aunt Alice.’
‘They were quite close at one time.’
‘Then I know what I must do. Have we enough money for the cab fare to Bearwood House?’
A wry smile wiped away Sadie’s worried frown. ‘We are not quite destitute. The cab can drop me off at home and take you on to Piccadilly. I think it might be better if you approach Lady Alice on your own.’
Cordelia was in the drawing room at Bearwood House, seated on the floor with her skirts billowing around her like the petals of a flower, and the Aubusson carpet was scattered with swatches of material. She looked up and smiled.
‘Caroline, this is a lovely surprise. You’re just in time to help me choose between silk, lace and muslin, and I’m at a loss to decide what colour will suit me best.’
Caroline felt a sudden surge of impatience – the loss of a beloved parent had turned her whole world upside down, and all Cordelia Bearwood could think of was her next ball gown. But Cordelia’s smile was sunny and she was not to know of the catastrophic events that had overtaken the Manning family. Caroline took a deep breath and forced her lips into a smile.
‘I need to talk to your mama, Delia. Is she at home?’
‘What’s the matter?’ Cordelia scrambled to her feet. Taking Caroline by the hand she led her to the sofa and pressed her down onto the silk damask. ‘My dear, you’re white as a sheet. Are you ill?’
‘I’m quite well, Delia. But I must see Lady Alice. It really is quite urgent.’
‘I’ll go and find her. Wait here, I’ll be as quick as I can.’ Cordelia hurried to the door, pausing to glance over her shoulder. ‘You aren’t going to faint, or anything stupid, are you?’
‘I’m made of stronger stuff, and I’m sorry if I’ve alarmed you, but Lady Alice will know what to do.’
‘Wait there – don’t move.’ With a flurry of muslin skirts and lace-frilled petticoats, Cordelia hurried from the room.
Caroline sat very still, gazing around the luxuriously appointed room with a stifled sigh. Until today she had taken this standard of living for granted, but, for the first time, she was looking at the expensive hand-painted wallpaper and the priceless oil paintings with a new eye. She ran her fingers over the peach-coloured damask, so delicate to the touch that it felt like caressing a baby’s smooth skin. Each piece of furniture had been matched perfectly with its neighbour. The pier table standing between two tall windows, draped with peach damask curtains, was set below a pier glass in which she could see herself reflected. She dropped her gaze, clasping her hands tightly in her lap as the hard truth dawned upon her – this would most probably be the last time she might visit Bearwood House on equal terms with her hosts.
She jumped as the door opened to admit Lady Alice, followed by her daughter, and Caroline rose to her feet, dropping a curtsey.
‘Good heavens!’ Alice stared at her in dismay. ‘Whatever is the matter, Carrie? Delia said that you were upset, but you look distraught. Sit down and tell me what’s happened.’
Haltingly at first, Caroline explained her predicament, and then the words came tumbling out. ‘I can’t tell, Mama. She’s broken-hearted
as it is, and to lose Papa and our home would be a terrible blow.’
Alice patted her on the shoulder. ‘Your mama is made of stronger stuff than you realise, Carrie. If you’d seen how she coped during our long sea voyages, when I was laid low with mal de mer, and how she rose to the challenge of living in the Australian goldfields, you would know that she can cope with almost anything.’
‘Except the loss of my father,’ Caroline said sadly. ‘Even if Uncle George were to return today, I doubt if we could save our home. He might be able to persuade our creditors to allow him time to pay off the company’s debts, but according to Sadie they are enormous.’
‘When is your uncle’s ship due in, Carrie?’
‘It’s overdue. No one knows where she is.’
‘That’s worrying.’ Alice rose to her feet. ‘Ring the bell, Delia. I’ll order my carriage and we’ll go to Finsbury Circus. I think, in the circumstances, that it might be best if I break the news to Essie.’
Caroline stood up, eyeing her with a worried frown. ‘What will you say to her?’
‘Don’t worry, my dear. I know how to handle your mama. We’ve been friends for twenty years and we’ve been through a lot together. I’m going down to Devonshire – I plan to spend a few weeks at Daumerle – and I’ll suggest that she accompanies me. In fact, I’ll insist upon it.’
‘That’s very kind of you, but what about my brothers? They’re supposed to be in school.’
‘I’ll talk it over with Essie, but it sounds as if they will have to leave Rugby. Maybe they would like to spend some time with us in Devonshire, and you are more than welcome, also, Carrie.’
Cordelia put her head on one side, eyeing Caroline with a worried frown. ‘You poor girl. I wish now that I hadn’t accepted the invitation to spend the rest of the summer at Fairleigh Hall with Euphemia’s family, which means that I won’t be able to join you. I suppose I could cancel the arrangement.’
‘No, please don’t do that on my account,’ Caroline said hastily. ‘I want to stay in London. There must be something I can do to keep the company going until Uncle George returns.’
‘But where will you stay?’ Alice demanded. ‘You’re not thinking clearly. I know it’s been a shock—’ She broke off as the door opened to admit a neatly dressed parlour maid. ‘Send for my carriage, Franklin, and tell Merrifield to bring me my bonnet and shawl. She’ll know which one I need.’
‘Shall I come with you, Mama?’ Cordelia asked anxiously. ‘I’ll postpone my appointment with the dressmaker.’
‘There’s no need,’ Caroline said. ‘I’ll go with your mama, Delia. This is my problem, not yours.’
Esther was in no state to gainsay her wilful friend. Lady Alice Bearwood was a force to be reckoned with, and within an hour of her arrival at the house in Finsbury Circus she had almost managed to convince Esther that a trip to the country would be beneficial to her health. Not only that, but she skilfully created the impression that she was in desperate need of companionship.
‘You always loved Daumerle, Essie,’ Alice said gently. ‘We could visit my cousin Freddie at Starcross Abbey. You always got on so well with him.’
‘I’m not very good company at the moment, Alice. Perhaps another time.’
‘But that is why you need something to divert you, Mama.’ Caroline slipped her arm around her mother’s slender shoulders. ‘A good rest and country air will revive your spirits.’
‘Yes, indeed,’ Alice said firmly. ‘Moping around is going to make matters worse. I know how you must be grieving for Jack, we all miss him, but he wouldn’t want you to be unhappy.’
Caroline could see that her mother was weakening. ‘Aunt Alice is right. A few weeks in the country will make all the difference.’
‘But I can’t abandon the boys. They need me to be strong for them.’
‘They’re not babies now, Mama. I can look after Max and Jimmy.’
‘You heard your daughter,’ Alice said briskly. ‘Come to Devonshire with me and it will be like old times. You can send for the boys when you’re feeling stronger.’
‘It would be nice to get away from London for a while. It’s so hot and airless in midsummer, and it would be lovely to see Freddie again.’ A faint smile curved Esther’s lips. ‘I often think about our days in the goldfields. It was hard leaving Pa and our friends when we returned home.’
‘Do you regret parting from Raven?’
Esther shrugged and turned away. ‘It wasn’t my choice, but had I stayed I wouldn’t have met Jack – he was the love of my life.’
‘If you say so, my dear.’ Alice held out her hand. ‘You need a change of scene, Essie. If you’ve no objections, we’ll leave for Devonshire first thing in the morning.’
It was with a feeling of relief that Caroline waved goodbye to her mother who, despite her continued protests, was ensconced in the luxury of the Bearwoods’ carriage as it set off for Waterloo Bridge Station. Merrifield, Alice’s maid, followed with a mountain of luggage piled into the barouche.
‘We did it,’ Sadie said triumphantly as she crossed the entrance hall, heading for the morning room. ‘Your mama will be well cared for, Carrie, so don’t worry.’
‘At least we managed to keep the worst from her,’ Caroline said, sighing. ‘But she’ll have to know sooner or later.’
‘Your father’s death has hit her hard, but she’s a strong woman and she’ll recover, eventually.’
‘She really loved my pa.’
‘I know, and as I grew up I used to envy her. But I’m well and truly on the shelf, and, at my age, there’s little chance of finding a love like that.’
Caroline eyed her curiously. ‘You’re not old, Aunt Sadie.’
‘I’m nearly thirty-two, Carrie. Far too old to be romantic, or even hopeful. Anyway, I think it’s time you called me Sadie. It would stop me feeling like a spinster aunt.’ Sadie opened the door to the morning parlour and went to sit by the window, gazing out at the busy street. ‘You would think that among all those people there might be one man, just one, who would take pity on an old maid.’
‘Don’t belittle yourself, Sadie,’ Caroline said with a wry smile as she took a seat by the fireplace. ‘You’re a wonderful person and you’ve been more like a big sister to me. We’re in this mess together, like it or not. I think it reflects badly on all the men in London that not one of them has seen you for what you are.’
Sadie glanced at her, pulling a face. ‘I was abandoned as a baby. I don’t suppose you know that, Carrie. It’s not something I care to talk about, but I was raised in the Foundling Hospital and sent into service when I was twelve. That’s how I met your mother. If it weren’t for Essie I would still be a servant, at the beck and call of others.’
‘I didn’t know, but it doesn’t matter to me. I love you as if you were my aunt.’
Sadie’s pale blue eyes filled with tears and she turned her head away. ‘Thank you. That means a lot to me.’
‘We still have to decide what to do,’ Caroline said thoughtfully. ‘And there’s Max and Jimmy. I’ll have to break it to them that Mama has gone down to Devonshire for a while, but there’s no question of them returning to school because there isn’t the money to pay their fees.’
‘Where are they now? They should be here.’
‘I gave the under footman some money to take them to the Zoological Gardens. Max was keen to see the reptile house and Jimmy wanted to visit the aquarium. It’s been such a sad homecoming for them, so I thought it would be a diversion.’
‘Quite right,’ Sadie said, nodding. ‘But we have to face facts. Parkinson was right and the business is all but bankrupt. If your uncle returns in the next few days with a profitable cargo we might be able to hold off our creditors, but that seems more and more unlikely.’
‘I went through the papers in Papa’s desk, and the rent on this house is paid quarterly. It’s due in a week’s time, and we’re almost completely out of funds.’
‘Jack obviously kept the state of t
he company’s finances a secret from Esther. It’s more serious than I thought …’ Sadie’s voice trailed off as she leaned forward to peer out of the window.
‘What can you see?’
‘I thought I saw a familiar face, but I must have been mistaken. We’ll sort something out. Don’t worry.’
‘There’s someone hammering on the front door.’ Caroline stood up, reaching for the bell pull. ‘Why isn’t anyone answering? Where are the servants?’
‘I’ve a nasty feeling that they’re having a meeting below stairs,’ Sadie said slowly. ‘Mrs Hayes muttered something about it when I saw her earlier this morning, although I didn’t take much notice at the time.’
‘I suppose I’d better go.’ Caroline hurried from the room. The visitor was getting impatient and continued to rap on the door. She opened it, staring at the visitor in surprise.
Chapter Three
‘Miss Manning?’ The man snatched off his bowler hat, allowing a shock of carroty hair to fall over his eyes. ‘I didn’t expect you to come to the door.’
He looked vaguely familiar, but she could not place him. ‘I’m sorry. You seem to know me, but I’m afraid I can’t return the compliment, sir. Who are you?’
‘Laurence Bromley. We met at Rugby School.’
‘Of course. Yes, I remember you now.’ Caroline hesitated, wondering whether to invite him in or not. ‘You were about to leave your employment on the day we arrived.’
‘Yes, that’s right.’
‘Then you haven’t come to take my brothers back to school …’
‘No, that’s not the case, Miss Manning.’
She stood aside. ‘You’d better come in, but I have to tell you that the boys won’t be returning to Rugby.’
‘I’m sorry to hear that. It’s an excellent school.’
‘But you didn’t find it to your liking.’
‘There were personal differences between myself and the headmaster.’
‘So why are you here today, Mr Bromley?’
‘I was in the area and I was concerned for the boys’ welfare.’
