by Dilly Court
‘That’s enough, Teddy,’ Lottie said hastily. ‘You’re quite right, but we don’t tell everyone.’
Jezebel pulled up a chair. ‘Tell me more. I ain’t heard a good story since I was in The Steel. Come on, Lottie. The boy’s already let the cat out of the bag. I want to hear the rest. It’s worth a slice of currant cake.’
The door opened just as Jezebel was about to sit down and Mrs Filby burst into the kitchen. ‘What’s all this? They’ve finished the soup and they’re waiting for the pie. What d’you think you’re doing, Cook?’
‘The pies are there on the table. Take them in yourself,’ Jezebel said curtly. ‘I’m having five minutes to meself.’
‘Mr Filby will hear about this. You’ll be sacked without a character and you’ll end up back in prison.’ Mrs Filby snatched up the tray of pies. ‘I’ll tell him what you just said.’
‘Go on then, you miserable bitch.’ Jezebel took a pipe out of her pocket and a pouch of tobacco. ‘See if I care. You’ll not find another cook who’ll be willing to slave away for next to nothing.’
‘You’ll be sorry for this.’ Mrs Filby struggled with the door and Teddy jumped up to open it for her. She glared at him. ‘I don’t like boys. One word from you and I’ll throw you out on the street with the feral dogs and cats.’
Lottie stood up. ‘That’s enough of that talk, Mrs Filby. No wonder your business is failing. You need to watch your tongue. Teddy is a brave soldier who’s seen action in the Crimea. Shame on you for speaking to him like that.’
‘You can stay here tonight, Lottie Lane,’ Mrs Filby snapped, ‘but I want you gone in the morning. You aren’t welcome here.’
Chapter Sixteen
‘Have a heart, missis,’ Jezebel said angrily. ‘You can’t speak to a paying guest like that.’
‘I can speak to her in any way I choose. Curb your tongue, Cook, or you’ll be out on the street with her.’
Jezebel picked up a knife and stroked the steel lovingly. ‘I’ve had enough of this. I ain’t staying here to be bullied by the likes of you. If she’s leaving in the morning, then so am I.’
‘Good riddance, I say.’ Mrs Filby flounced out of the room and Teddy slammed the door behind her.
‘Bad-tempered old bat,’ he said, grinning. ‘You told her, missis.’
‘Not before time.’ Jezebel replaced the knife and sat down. She reached for her pipe and tobacco pouch. ‘I’d rather live on the street than put up with her a minute longer.’
Lottie stared at her, frowning. ‘I am so sorry, Jezebel. I didn’t mean to cause trouble for you.’
‘It’s been coming for ages. I’d have walked out many a time, but it ain’t easy for an old lag to find honest work or a decent place to live.’ Jezebel lit her pipe with a spill from the fire, and Lad curled up at her feet.
‘Come with us,’ Lottie said impetuously. It grieved her to see the proud woman humiliated and left with no option other than to make herself homeless. Whatever her faults, Jezebel Pretty was a hard worker and a good plain cook. The Filbys would struggle to find someone to replace her.
‘What did you say?’ Jezebel clenched the clay pipe between her teeth, puffing smoke out of the corner of her mouth.
Teddy eyed her warily and his hand shot out to take another pie. Lottie waited for an explosion of wrath from Jezebel, but she chose to ignore Teddy’s lapse in manners.
‘We’ve got to find somewhere to live that’s cheap, and I’ll have to get a job,’ Lottie said, thoughtfully. ‘You know this part of London even better than I do, Jezebel. If you’re determined to leave the Filbys, it would make sense for us to stick together.’
‘I ain’t sociable,’ Jezebel growled. ‘You’d soon get fed up with me.’
‘Well, if you don’t want to …’
‘I didn’t say that,’ Jezebel said hastily. She took the pipe from her mouth and emptied the dottle into the fire. ‘I ain’t got much, but I’ll pack me bag and be ready first thing. She can do the breakfasts herself, the old witch.’ She rose to her feet and began piling food on a plate. ‘Here, take this up to your friend, and keep out of Prudence’s way or she might decide to throw us all out tonight.’
Teddy stuffed the last morsel of pie into his mouth. ‘You make the best pies I’ve ever tasted, missis. We could win the war in the Crimea in a week if the troops was fed on such food.’
Lottie was not sure, but she thought she saw a blush rise to Jezebel’s sallow cheeks. She took the plate and hurried Teddy from the kitchen. Lad was about to follow him, but Jezebel called him back and the dog obeyed instantly.
Ruby had taken the chair from the bedroom and was sitting outside on the gallery, rocking Molly in her arms. Lottie went out to join her, wondering how she was going to break the news that they would have to move on in the morning. It was a fine evening with a slight chill in the air. Starlings coming home to roost on window ledges and beneath the eaves filled the air with their raucous chatter, drowning out the sounds from the busy street. Down below in the courtyard the ostlers were attending to the horses as a private carriage made ready to leave. It was a comfortingly familiar scene and, despite the city smells, the crowds and the constant din, it was good to be back in London, far away from the battlefield, death and destruction.
Ruby looked up and smiled. ‘Noisy blooming birds. Let’s hope they settle down soon or we won’t get a wink of sleep.’
‘No fear of that,’ Lottie said, stifling a yawn. ‘I could sleep on a clothes line.’ She leaned down, holding out her arms. ‘Let me take Molly. There’s food in the room. Jezebel was feeling generous.’
Ruby needed no second bidding. She stood up and passed the sleeping baby to Lottie. ‘Have you eaten?’
‘I have, but you’d best get in there before Teddy gobbles the lot. Jezebel makes delicious pies and he’s already had two, maybe three.’ Lottie followed Ruby into the room where Teddy was sitting cross-legged on the floor with the food spread out in front of him.
He greeted them with a guilty grin. ‘I couldn’t help meself, Lottie. I never ate nothing as tasty as them pies.’
‘I hope you saved one for Ruby,’ Lottie said, trying to keep a straight face and failing.
‘Lucky you came in then or I’d have been sorely tempted, missis.’ He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, watching Ruby enviously as she took a bite.
‘You’re right, Teddy. This is a good pie.’ She ate it, frowning thoughtfully. ‘It’s not too bad here, Lottie. Can we afford to stay until we find ourselves somewhere more permanent?’
Holding Molly in her arms, Lottie perched on the edge of the bed. ‘I’m afraid it’s not good news. We have to move on tomorrow.’
‘That’s a pity. Is it too expensive?’
‘It’s not that,’ Lottie said slowly. ‘Mrs Filby’s a difficult woman. We had a bit of an argument.’
Teddy leaped to his feet. ‘And the big ugly woman had a knife. I think she wanted to stab the old bitch, and I wouldn’t have blamed her. She’s coming along too, and she can feed us on pie every day of the week.’
Ruby turned to Lottie, eyebrows raised. ‘That would be Jezebel? The one who went to prison for injuring her lover?’
‘She’s not so bad when you get to know her,’ Lottie said hurriedly. ‘I felt sorry for her.’
‘And her dog can come too,’ Teddy added. ‘He’s called Lad and I’ve always wanted a dog, but I couldn’t keep one in camp.’
‘We’ll need to find somewhere big enough for all of us.’ Ruby stuffed the last piece of pie into her mouth. ‘Somewhere with a range so that she can make pies like this. I don’t care how dangerous she is. She cooks like an angel.’
An hour later everyone was settled in varying degrees of comfort. Molly had been tucked up in a drawer taken out of the chest, and Teddy lay on a palliasse provided by a reluctant Ruth, who had not been very welcoming when Lottie went to ask the favour. May had been friendlier, but it was clear that neither of them welcomed the prospect of having another servant to s
hare the few perks they enjoyed. May warmed a little when Lottie assured her that she had no intention of returning to work at The Swan, and she admitted that both she and Ruth were worried for their jobs as the mail coach trade was declining rapidly.
Lottie lay beside Ruby, who was snoring softly. It was hot and stuffy in the small room and she could not sleep for worrying about what they would do next. She had hoped for a day or two’s respite while she looked for work and somewhere to live, but that was now out of the question. Memories came flooding in during the lonely night hours. The pain of losing Gideon was never far away, but now it was less acute and part of her stubbornly refused to let him go. If she closed her eyes she could see his face as clearly as if he were in the room with her, but when she opened them again she knew there would be just a darkness. There was perhaps only one other woman who felt the same sense of loss and that was Gideon’s mother. She would be in as much need of comfort as Lottie herself, and Lottie knew then what she must do before anything else.
‘I don’t see why we’ve come here,’ Jezebel grumbled. ‘It would be cheaper if we went out Limehouse way.’
‘This looks like a respectable lodging house,’ Ruby said, glancing nervously over her shoulder. ‘Whitechapel isn’t as rough as Limehouse or Seven Dials.’
‘We can’t afford to be fussy.’ Lottie took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She had not told the others the reason for coming to this place; if she mentioned Gideon’s name she was afraid she would break down and cry, but this was not the time to show weakness. She must be positive, but as she heard approaching footsteps and the click of the key turning in the lock, she had to curb the sudden urge to run away. But it was too late. The door opened.
‘Yes? Can I help you?’ The woman facing her might once have been pretty, but she looked tired and drained of all colour.
‘I was wondering if you had a couple of rooms to let.’
‘I don’t know. I haven’t been very well recently and there aren’t any rooms ready.’
Jezebel pushed forward. ‘Look, lady, either you rent out rooms or you don’t. If your rates are reasonable we don’t mind a bit of mess.’
A group of ragged boys had gathered around them, pointing at Jezebel’s ungainly figure. She was wearing her Sunday best, which might have been the height of fashion twenty or thirty years ago, but now looked tawdry and out of place. Jezebel turned on them, fists clenched. ‘If you’ve got something to say, say it to me face.’
The boys backed away, their grins fading.
‘Come in. They’re a rough lot round here.’ The woman stepped aside and Lottie entered the house, followed by the others, with Jezebel and Lad bringing up the rear.
‘That’s kind of you,’ Lottie said hesitantly, ‘but we don’t know yet if we can afford to lodge here.’
‘I know who you are, dear.’
Lottie stared at her in amazement. ‘You do?’
‘Gideon wrote to me, telling me all about you, and I would have known you from his description.’ Mrs Ellis’s voice broke on a sob and she wiped her eyes on her apron. ‘You’ll have to excuse me, Lottie. I’m still a bit upset.’
Lottie felt like crying too, and she would have given Gideon’s mother a comforting hug, but everyone had crowded into the narrow entrance hall and Molly had begun to whimper. ‘Of course you are, and so am I. I wanted to meet you anyway, but circumstances have forced us to come looking for accommodation. Gideon told me that you took in lodgers, and that’s why we’re here.’
‘I don’t think I can help you, but come into the parlour anyway.’ Mrs Ellis backed into the dark corridor, almost disappearing in the gloom.
Cobwebs hung from the ceiling and the air was thick with dust. A basket of dirty washing had been abandoned at the foot of the stairs and it seemed as if the whole house had gone into deep mourning.
‘That ain’t the way to bargain,’ Jezebel hissed in Lottie’s ear. ‘The place is a midden and she should pay us to stay here.’
Lottie shot her a warning glance. ‘Hush, she’ll hear you.’
‘The place smells worse than the fish dock at low tide,’ Jezebel grumbled.
‘Do move on, Jezebel,’ Ruby said impatiently. ‘Baby is crying and I don’t like the look of those street Arabs.’
Teddy pushed past them. ‘It looks all right to me. I don’t fancy sleeping rough in London.’
‘You’re right, Teddy. I agree entirely.’ Lottie followed Mrs Ellis into the parlour, where an effort had been made to keep it reasonably clean and tidy. The well-worn furniture gave the shabby room a homely, lived-in look and a fire smouldered in the grate. Lottie was drawn to a daguerreotype in pride of place on the mantelshelf, and her eyes filled with tears.
‘Yes, that’s my boy.’ Mrs Ellis’s hazel eyes shone with pride.
For the first time Lottie could see a likeness between Gideon and his mother, and a wave of emotion threatened to get the better of her, momentarily robbing her of speech, but Teddy had spotted a military shako in the midst of a clutter of ornaments on a shelf and he pounced on it.
‘I’m a soldier, missis,’ he said proudly. ‘I was a drummer boy with the 97th until me arm got broken, but I’m going back to the Crimea when it’s healed.’
Mrs Ellis turned to him, her face contorted with pain. ‘Don’t throw your young life away, son. I lost my husband and my boy in battle. Haven’t you got a ma somewhere who’s waiting for you, as I waited for my Gideon?’
‘No, ma’am. I’m an orphan, but I got family now.’ Teddy slipped his hand into Lottie’s. ‘We’re sticking together no matter what. Ain’t that a fact, Lottie?’
She smiled down at him. ‘It most certainly is.’ She glanced at Ruby, who was cuddling Molly in a vain attempt to stop her crying. They needed a roof over their heads and Gideon’s mother seemed lost and lonely. Perhaps they could help each other through this bleak time in their lives. ‘We’ll take what you have to offer, Mrs Ellis.’
‘I stopped taking in lodgers when I received news of Gideon’s demise.’ Mrs Ellis sighed and she turned her head away. ‘I let things go because I couldn’t see the point of carrying on, but now you’re here you might as well stay, although for how long I don’t know. I’m thinking seriously of giving up my tenancy. I can’t afford to live here unless I fill all the rooms. Gideon used to send me money …’ She broke off, holding her hanky to her eyes.
‘How much do you charge?’ Jezebel demanded. ‘It’s all very well for you, missis, but we’re looking for work and ain’t too flush with the readies at the moment.’
Mrs Ellis sniffed and cleared her throat. ‘I’m sure we can come to an agreement. I’m not much of a businesswoman, and I’ve had difficulty in getting my thoughts together since …’
Lottie laid her hand on Mrs Ellis’s arm. ‘We understand, and we’ll try to help out.’
‘Speak for yourself,’ Jezebel said in an undertone, but just loud enough for all to hear.
‘Lottie’s right. It seems that we’re all in a similar fix and we need to help each other.’ Ruby sank down in a saggy, but comfortable-looking armchair by the hearth. ‘If you don’t mind I’ll give Molly her feed?’
‘No, dear, of course not. You must look after your baby.’ Mrs Ellis seized a cushion and placed it behind Ruby’s back. ‘Are you a widow, too?’
Ruby nodded and her bottom lip trembled. ‘I am, ma’am.’
‘Please call me Grace, and you are …?’
‘I’m Ruby and this is Molly, only she’s not my child.’
‘It’s a long story, Grace,’ Lottie said, making a move towards the door. ‘Perhaps you could show us our rooms? I’m quite happy to share with Ruby and the baby.’
‘Well, I’m not sharing with anyone, except Lad.’ Jezebel glared at Grace as if daring her to argue.
‘I don’t mind sharing with Lad,’ Teddy said cheerfully. ‘I’m used to bivouacking and sleeping under the stars, but that don’t include dossing down on cold pavements.’
‘I’m
sure you are a brave soldier.’ Grace beamed at him and for a moment she looked almost pretty. ‘You’re just like my Gideon was at your age. Come with me and we’ll see what we can do.’
The building consisted of three storeys, and a basement. Lottie chose a room on the first floor, furnished with a single bed, a large oak chest of drawers and a washstand that had lost one caster and leaned at a precarious angle. The bare floorboards creaked beneath her feet and spiders’ webs festooned the ceiling, but there were two tall windows overlooking the back yard and it would be reasonably quiet at night. Ruby and Molly were in the front room on the top floor and that left a small boxroom for Teddy, who was delighted to have his own space and a bed instead of a palliasse.
Jezebel took the front room. ‘This’ll do me nicely.’
Lottie noted the double bed and the mahogany dressing table with a triple mirror. ‘Isn’t this your room, Grace?’
‘It was, dear, but when my husband died I moved down to the basement. It’s warmer in winter and I’m close to the kitchen. It meant that I had more rooms to let, and I haven’t seen the need to move upstairs.’
‘How much?’ Jezebel demanded as they descended the stairs.
Grace came to a halt when she reached the entrance hall. ‘Shall we say sixpence a night, with extra for baths?’
‘We could get lodgings for fourpence close by,’ Jezebel said gruffly.
‘And you’d have to share your room with several others, and your bed, too.’ Grace glanced at Lottie with a hint of a smile. ‘I’d have you to stay for nothing if I were a rich woman, but I’m as poor as a church mouse now, so I’m afraid I have to make a charge or I can’t pay the rent and we’ll all be out on the street.’
Lottie hurried to her side. ‘Of course we must give you what you need. It’s good of you to allow us to stay. I wasn’t expecting such generosity; after all, you don’t know me, or any of us, come to that.’
‘But, my dear, I feel that I know you very well indeed. If Gideon loved you then so must I – there’s nothing more to be said on the subject – and I feel better now than I have done for weeks, if not months. I’d sooner have you and your friends than complete strangers living in my house. I’ve had some odd lodgers, I can tell you, and some of them were more trouble than they were worth.’
