Audrey smiled to herself. Why was she coming up with idea after idea of a possible job opportunity when she hadn’t even spoken to Dr. Thomson yet? She settled back and listened to the sound of the train moving along the tracks. Soon she would be in London, and Dr. Thomson would be there to greet her at Victoria Station.
She shook her skirt out a little from the dust that often collected on the train and looked about for Dr. Thomson. She was sure he would spot her easily, as she looked like a drab little blackbird amongst so many gay colors in the train station.
She had only taken a few steps when she heard her name being called. She turned to see the middle-aged doctor striding towards her.
“Audrey,” he said in greeting. “It’s good to see you. Forgive me if I kept you waiting. Traffic is—”
“You haven’t kept me waiting, Dr. Thomson. I’ve only just arrived,” she assured him.
“Excellent. How is your family?” He took her by the arm and escorted her out of the active train station.
“Mother is well. She meant to be here with me, but Frances came down with a fever. She didn’t want to leave her alone,” she explained.
The doctor frowned. “Not a serious fever?”
Audrey shook her head. “No. Just enough for Mother to stay behind to tend her.”
“I understand.” He hailed them a hansom cab. “I thought you might be hungry and thirsty after your journey. So, what do you say to tea?”
“You read my mind,” she told him.
Audrey glanced about appreciatively at the décor of Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair. The dark wood paneling was handsome, and the white linen tablecloth and china bespoke elegance. She removed her hat and veil and placed it to the side as she surveyed the room.
“I don’t think I ever came here for tea when I was at college. It was beyond my means.” She told him. “It’s impressive.”
“Would you like me to order for you, or do you care to do so?” he asked her.
“I’m sure whatever you order will be fine. Thank you,” she said.
He ordered them a pot of tea and sandwiches, and the teapot and cups soon appeared at the table.
“How have you been, Audrey? I know this must be a difficult time for you and your family,” he asked.
“It has been difficult. You know my father and I were always very close. We used to play chess on cold winter evenings, and I would walk with him to church. He would write his sermons, and I would read. I miss those quiet times with him.” Audrey said as she touched the handle of the teacup.
“It’s unfortunate that such a weight has been placed upon you. With no relatives on your father’s side, and a falling-out on your mother’s, the burden is entirely on you, I’m afraid.” He shook his head.
“I’m not sorry for that, Dr. Thomson.” Her spine straightened a little. “I think perhaps my father was wise to have wanted me to receive an education. Perhaps he thought that at some time I might need it.”
“Perhaps you’re right. Perhaps your father knew that an education would help you and your family,” he said as the three-tiered tray of food arrived. Dainty finger sandwiches, scones, and pastries were piled upon the three tiers.
Audrey took one of the miniature sandwiches. “It almost looks too good to eat.” She took a bite of the cucumber sandwich.
“I’m not in London often, but when I do come, I like to take tea at Brown’s. So, shall we get to the business at hand?” he said matter-of-factly.
“Please.” She sipped her tea, enjoying the sweetness.
He folded his hands on the table and got serious. “When we first spoke and I learned of your troubles, I wasn’t exactly sure how I could be of assistance. You and I discussed a possible governess position, but that was obviously not a solution. So, I thought long and hard, and then it came to me. We must utilize your education from college.”
That sounded promising. “Go on.”
“It was then that the thought came to me suddenly. I’ve been friends for a very long time with a Samuel Ryland. University and all that. He was a first-rate solicitor, and I admired him.”
“He was a first-rate solicitor?” Audrey asked, emphasizing the verb tense.
Enoch agreed. “Smart. Yes, was. He passed away this last year. But he has a son, Henry. Henry followed in his father’s footsteps and is also a solicitor.”
Audrey took a delicate scone and sliced it in half. She added cream and raspberry jam and took a bite of it.
“Henry’s trade is the law, but his passion is helping those less fortunate than him. He is on the Board of Guardians for the Bowthorpe Road Workhouse.”
“A workhouse?” Audrey frowned and thought of the things she had heard about them. She thought of the dark, damp places where poor people went when they were desolate and were never heard from again.
“The workhouse functions like its own little world,” Enoch explained. “There is a master and matron who run the day to day of the place, and they have staff like a sort of small village. They have a bakery, laundry, stables, and staff that run it. A porter, a schoolmistress, a cook, a chaplain.”
“Where is Bowthorpe located?” she asked.
He didn’t blink. “It’s in Norwich. In East Anglia.”
“So far,” she breathed.
He leaned forward. “Listen to me. I spoke to Henry. I explained the situation. I told him of your loss and your need to find employment. The workhouse would pay you twenty-five pounds a year plus room and board for you and your family to be their schoolmistress.”
“Twenty-five pounds a year!” Her eyes went wide with disbelief. “As schoolmistress!”
“Yes. Now nothing has yet been settled.” He drummed his fingers on the table. “I spoke to Henry and now I’m speaking to you. Henry agreed to meet with you. In fact, we are supposed to see him within the next hour. If he agrees to take you in as the schoolmistress, that would be the answer to your prayers. But you don’t have to agree. I don’t want you to feel as if I’m forcing you. I will continue to look if this doesn’t suit you.”
Audrey licked her lips. “Yes, you could continue to look. But as you’ve said, I’m a young woman with education but no experience.”
“Audrey—”
Audrey cut him off, shaking her head. “No. I’m not feeling sorry for myself. After my father died, I looked through the advertisements. I realized I’m fit to do very little. If Mr. Ryland would give me the opportunity to teach while I earn a living, I can ask for nothing more.”
“Audrey, Henry is a good lad,” Enoch said, sounding sincere. “If he is willing to recommend you, you’ll have that on your side when you enter the workhouse.”
“And if he agrees to take me on, they will take Mother and Frances as well?” Audrey asked carefully.
“Yes. I’ve heard different things from different workhouses. Some staff live out and come into the place as they would any job. Others live on-site to be available at all times, such as the Master and Matron, but Henry appears willing to let you live on-site,” he said, taking another sandwich.
“You’ve been very kind, Dr. Thomson. I look forward to meeting Mr. Ryland today,” Audrey replied, meaning it. As he said, this could be the answer to their prayers, and Audrey was willing to do whatever it took to take care of her family.
Enoch smiled at her. “I’m only too glad that I was able to help. The rest will be up to you, but I know you will make it a success. Come. Let’s finish our tea and take a stroll about Green Park.”
Chapter Five
Enoch took Audrey by the elbow and escorted her out of the hansom cab. He tipped the driver and walked alongside her. It was still a little bit before noon. Several couples passed by, and he nodded to them politely.
“This is quite nice,” Audrey murmured. “To be able to take in the air and stroll in the middle of this metropolitan city.”
“I agree, but that’s because you and I are country folk,” he commented.
“That’s true for me. I was never so happy a
s when I can wander about and be lost in the country with a good book.”
“Ah! Here’s the Queen’s Walk. Shall we, my dear?” He gestured to the bit of walk that had been laid out for Queen Caroline, the consort of King George II.
She allowed herself to be escorted along the path and smiled at the breeze in the air and the feeling of things taking a better turn for her. She had taken several quick steps when her veil got caught in her hair and she stumbled. She tried to right herself, but she lost her balance until two quick hands caught her about the waist. Her hands went instinctively to the doctor’s chest to steady herself.
She looked up, about to thank Dr. Thomson, when she saw the man who held her was a complete stranger. He was a handsome man with wavy brown hair and brown eyes. Her heart thudded inside her chest when she realized he still held her. Without thinking, she pushed at his chest and took a step back.
“Sir,” she said, meeting his brown eyes.
“Madame,” he said politely.
Henry looked down at the young woman, mesmerized by her sweet oval face and deep blue eyes. Her hair was pulled back, and the black dress she wore emphasized her small frame and waist. She was a beauty, and his gaze wandered to her full lips.
“I’m glad I was able to help assist you, madame. You appeared to be unstable,” he said quietly.
“Unstable?” Audrey repeated indignantly, her cheeks flushed. “I understand London may have different ways about them, but I’m not used to having men put their hands on me.”
He smiled then. “I was only trying to help. And I’m not from London.”
Dr. Thomson suddenly appeared between them and cleared his throat while he bit back a smile. “Ummm. I believe an introduction is—should be—” he began awkwardly. “Henry Ryland, allow me to introduce you to Miss Audrey Wakefield. Audrey Wakefield, Mr. Henry Ryland.”
Blushing, Audrey put out her gloved hand to meet his. “Mr. Ryland.”
Henry was taken aback at the beauty before him but caught himself and clasped her hand in his. “Miss Wakefield. A pleasure,” he said, his deep voice smooth and cultured.
Enoch wisely took a step back as Henry gestured to Audrey that they should continue walking. Enoch swooped down to catch her veil in his hand as he followed the couple at a distance.
“I was to meet you both in an hour and thought a walk would do wonders to clear my head,” Henry explained. “I had no idea you would be here as well.”
“We just had tea at Brown’s. Then came here for the same reason as you.” Audrey explained.
He swallowed. “I’m sorry if I offended you just now. That was not my intention. I saw your veil fall and then you appeared to stumble. I acted rashly.”
“There’s no reason to apologize, Mr. Ryland. Obviously, your intentions were respectful. And of course, my stumbling, how else would you assist me but to do as you did…” Her words trailed off. “I overreacted.”
Henry cast a look back at Enoch Thomson behind them and then glanced at Audrey Wakefield. He grinned inwardly. She was not at all what he expected. He had thought to meet the schoolmarm of his imagination with a tight bun, spectacles, and a simple face.
Instead, he had come face to face with the real Audrey Wakefield. He was surprised at how lovely she was, a fact Enoch had never mentioned. Her brown hair was pinned at the nape of her neck, and her blue eyes were filled with intelligence and flashed with wit. Her black gown emphasized her trim figure, but it was her lips that he felt drawn to. The bottom lip was plump and kissable. It was unseemly to think such things about an unmarried young woman, but he couldn’t help himself.
He cleared his throat and brought his mind back to safer topics. “So, Miss Wakefield, Enoch tells me that you and your family have fallen on some difficult times.”
Audrey bit her lip, and that didn’t help his appreciation of her. “Yes.”
As they turned a corner, he saw a bench before them. “Would you like to stop here? We can chat.”
“That’s fine,” she said in agreement.
Enoch heard their conversation and jumped in. “If you’d like, I can leave you two to discuss business and return in a half hour.”
Henry nodded, and the doctor wordlessly departed, leaving the couple alone on the bench.
Audrey worried her hands in her lap. “My family has fallen on difficult times. My father died recently. He was a vicar at the local church in our village. After he died, we realized that we had very little to live on.”
Henry kept silent and let her continue.
“My father was a very giving man. I’m sure he ran into someone who needed help and he was eager to help them. He probably didn’t realize how little time he had left,” she said softly.
Henry didn’t speak immediately. “My father also died recently. We have that in common.”
“A sad thing to have in common.”
Henry looked up along the green path and saw a man stroll by with his cane in one hand and a book in the other. “Why did you attend Queen’s College? It seems an unusual choice.”
“That was my father as well.” She peeked up at him through her lashes. “He wanted me to have a proper education. Growing up, I learned English, French, and a bit of Latin from him. But he wanted more for me. I must confess I wanted to attend college as well.”
Henry absorbed that. She did seem quite intelligent. “You have a certificate?”
“I do. But as I’m sure Dr. Thomson told you, I have no experience.”
“Did you ever plan to use your education?” he wondered.
She pondered the question. “I think at one time I thought I might get work as a governess. But it never materialized. Once my father died and we learned of our legacy, or lack of, I thought it might be time to look again.”
“But?” he pressed.
“But I have my mother and sister to look after. My sister is very young, she’s eight years old, and my mother has no training.”
“Forgive me if I pry, your mother and father’s people? Are they unable to help you?”
“My father has no one. And my mother’s family is—” She faltered. “They aren’t able to help us.”
Henry sensed there might be more to the story, but he did not want to press her. “I see.”
“So now you know the reason I am before you,” she said, smoothing her skirt down. “A young woman with an education and no experience.”
He considered how to go about his next words. “Ms. Wakefield, do you know anything about the workhouses? I mean, everyone knows what they do, but the ins and outs of it?”
“No, I don’t,” she confessed.
He looked out over the green grass. “The workhouse is not a bad place. It can be a place of reform, rehabilitation, but it can also be a place which brings out the dark side of a person. Families must come into the workhouse together. If the father owes a debt, the family remains together. Women and children reside in one side of the workhouse, men and boys over a certain age on the other. The workhouse runs as if an organization. There is a staff that oversees the operations, and a schoolmistress is one of the most important positions.”
“I see.”
“Children who enter the workhouse, be they girls or boys, must attend school. Their lessons include reading, arithmetic, grammar, and geography. The girls also receive the same schooling as well as needlework, knitting, and domestic employment.”
Audrey gave him a shy yet mischievous look. “My needlework is abysmal. My mother has told me so since I was about four years old.”
His lips twitched in a grin. “We can have one of the inmates teach needlework, knitting, and domestic work. Most of the young women who enter the workhouse will go into service when they become of age.” He paused. “The schoolroom is a difficult job because many of the students have not had a proper education or scant education or sometimes none. They must catch up. It’s a chance for you to do some real work, but it can be very frustrating.”
Her eyes glistened with determination. �
�I understand.”
Henry turned to her. “Look, Ms. Wakefield. I’m not unsympathetic to your plight. Enoch told me of your father’s passing, and as I said, I lost mine as well. But these children in the workhouse can be a rough lot. Oftentimes their past education is sketchy at best, and they can be disagreeable and downright abusive to the teacher.”
Audrey paled at his words. “I hadn’t realized…”
“You can reprimand them, and we have an entire list of punishments you can mete out, but in my opinion, that isn’t helpful. It only makes them rebel more. I have in the past relied on the schoolmistress to do what she thought best, but again, you don’t have the experience to guide you,” he finished.
Audrey looked away from his gaze. “I see.”
Henry sighed. “In short, Ms. Wakefield, I am sympathetic, but I don’t think you would be a good fit for the position at the workhouse.”
Her head flew back up to search his face for answers. “Why not? Simply because of my inexperience? I can gain such at the workhouse.”
“I think you’re too—” he began but stopped short.
Her eyes flashed. “Too what, Mr. Ryland? Too sheltered? Too unqualified?”
Too lovely, he almost said aloud.
“Too inexperienced, Ms. Wakefield,” he finally settled on. “I’ve said as much, and you said so yourself.”
“You can give me a chance,” she said suddenly. “I won’t move my family yet. I can stay in the workhouse for a month. I won’t even ask for wages. And if in a month I don’t suit, then that will be that.”
“Ms. Wakefield,” Henry said softly, hating turning her away, “I have a law practice in Norwich. It’s a successful practice and I’m proud of it. I have several associate solicitors who work for me and clerks. Perhaps I could find something for you there. Some light clerical work—”
“No thank you, Mr. Ryland,” she said, standing up with flushed cheeks. “I don’t need a handout!”
He shot to his feet as well. “Ms. Wakefield!”
“I asked Dr. Thomson for help and he said he had found a solution to my problem. It appears that not only are you not a solution for me, but you view me as a problem to be solved. So, thank you for your time. I bid you a good day,” she said stiffly.
Among the Darkness Stirs Page 5
