The Seaside Angel

by Evie Grace

  ‘Doctor Clifton says that for the benefit of my health, I should stay in Margate, which suits me very well.’ Alice changed the subject. ‘Have you heard? Mr Allspice has tried to gain readmittance to the house because he’s destitute and wants to avoid the poorhouse.’

  ‘What’s happened to his wife and children?’

  ‘Alan and his brother came into some money and took the whole family, apart from their invalid father, to America. They’ve gone and left him to fend for himself, an impossible task for a grumpy old man in a bath chair. Anyway, he’s come to a sad end now. As Mr Taylor was turning him away for the third time of asking, he suffered an apoplectic fit.’

  ‘I haven’t any sympathy for him, I’m afraid.’

  ‘It seems that Mr Taylor has – he’s admitted him, knowing he hasn’t got long for this world and that he’s too far gone to be any trouble to Sister Trim and her nurses.’ The infirmary clock chimed – one, two …

  ‘That’s midday – you’re due your break. I’ll change Mercy and sit with her in the sunshine for a while.’ Exhausted, Hannah fell asleep on the balcony and it wasn’t until Sister Riley came to take Mercy from her that she woke.

  ‘I thought you were going to drop her then,’ she chuckled. ‘Come on, little one, it’s feeding time again. Can I get you anything?’

  ‘No, thank you.’ Hannah struggled to her feet. ‘I’m going home via the Lettsom.’

  ‘You’re going to check up on Nurse Huckstep and make sure she’s doing everything right. I would, if that was my ward. Good luck, Sister. I don’t envy you one little bit.’

  As she stepped on to the Lettsom, Hannah sensed a change. Only a couple of weeks had gone by, but it seemed like a lifetime. The patients had changed – other boys had taken over Oliver’s and Ronald’s beds. Ben was still there – he waved from where he was sitting at the table, turning the pages of a picture book with one of the lady volunteers who studiously ignored her.

  ‘Hello, Sister Bentley,’ Ben called.

  ‘Hello,’ she said. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I have dots.’ He lifted his pyjama shirt and showed her the rash on his belly.

  ‘Oh dear,’ she said.

  ‘It’s time we put some more lotion on those,’ Nurse May said, walking across to him. ‘Come along. Good afternoon, Sister.’

  ‘I’ll let you get on,’ Hannah said, turning to see Alice trying to persuade one of the new patients to drink his medicine. Another boy was helping, perched on the edge of the bed.

  ‘Jim, you ’ave to ’old yer nose and swaller,’ he said, sounding like an old hand. ‘It’ll do yer the world o’ good.’

  ‘Since when have you been so keen on taking your medicine, Eric?’ Alice said, amused.

  ‘Pinch yer nose like this, then you can’t taste the stuff,’ the boy ordered.

  The boy called Jim did as he was told. He opened his mouth and Alice administered the offending potion on a spoon. Having swallowed, the boy gagged and fell back against his pillow.

  ‘You’re a liar, Eric,’ he cried.

  ‘I’m not!’

  ‘Boys, not on my ward,’ Alice said, pulling the two boys apart as they rained fisticuffs on each other. ‘Eric, go and sit out on the balcony.’

  ‘It’s rainin’,’ he said, aghast.

  ‘It’ll cool your temper. Go on.’

  Head down, Eric shuffled away. ‘As for you, Jim, you can sit here in silence. I don’t want to hear a word.’ She turned to Hannah, a smile on her face. ‘It won’t be long before I’ve knocked them into shape. Can I help you? Is it the baby? Is she all right?’

  ‘I came to wish you well,’ she said, regretting that she’d dropped by. It didn’t feel like her ward any more and she wasn’t sure if it ever would be again. ‘I should go.’ She turned on her heels and fled, feeling like a spare part.

  On leaving the infirmary, she remembered to call at the clinic.

  ‘I’ve come to collect my wages,’ she said to Mrs Bellows.

  ‘Ah yes, Doctor Clifton has company. I’ll ask him to come down.’

  ‘Oh no. Please don’t bother him,’ she said, but Mrs Bellows was already on her way up the stairs. She returned shortly afterwards.

  ‘He says to go up and join them.’

  ‘Thank you.’ With some trepidation, Hannah went to find him, wondering if she was about to discover that he was keeping company with a lady.

  ‘Is that you, Sister?’ she heard him say from a room at the top of the first flight of stairs. ‘Do come in.’

  She stepped inside a high-ceilinged room, decorated in deep reds and creams with leather chairs and a brass-faced longcase clock. The carpet was patterned and springy underfoot. Her surprise at its opulence was surpassed when she saw Charlotte, sitting drinking tea. She’d lost the ruddiness of her complexion and looked thinner than she remembered, but she was wearing the most beautiful tea dress made from ochre satin, trimmed with lace, with a bustle at the back and pleats along the front.

  ‘Greetings,’ James said, standing up. ‘Come and take the weight off your feet.’

  ‘It’s very kind, but I don’t like to intrude.’

  ‘Sit down,’ he insisted. ‘I’ll call for more tea.’

  She accepted and took a seat beside the window. There were oils on the walls – too many to count and all in gold frames.

  ‘You are wondering about the paintings?’ he smiled.

  She nodded.

  ‘I collect them, not so much as an investment, but because I like to look at them. Anyway, I’ll leave you two ladies to talk – I have a patient due at four. I’ll be back as soon as I’ve finished with them. Hannah, I hope you don’t mind waiting.’

  ‘Not at all.’ She hadn’t got anywhere else to go, except back to her lodgings. James left as his housekeeper came in with a fresh pot of tea. Charlotte offered to pour.

  ‘If you’re sure?’ the housekeeper said, leaving the tray on the low table which stood in the centre of the room.

  ‘I don’t think I’ve had the chance to say how sorry I am,’ Charlotte began, having handed Hannah a cup of tea. ‘It was a shame that I didn’t get to speak to you properly at the funeral. How is the baby? James says she’s doing better.’

  ‘I’ve been to the house to see her,’ Hannah said. ‘She’s a sweetheart.’

  ‘You’re going back to work on the Lettsom?’

  ‘Yes, once I’ve decided what to do about Mercy. Oh, Charlotte, I’m at a complete loss.’

  ‘It can’t be easy being on the horns of such a dilemma.’

  ‘I don’t know which way to turn.’

  ‘It would be a shame to have to give up nursing, but there’s a poor innocent child to consider. I’m sorry – I’m not helping, am I? ‘

  ‘I’m grateful for any advice you can offer,’ Hannah said. ‘Since Ruby … since she died, I’ve felt rather alone.’

  ‘James has been helping you?’

  ‘He’s gone out of his way …’

  ‘I wish I could do something, but Henry and I – well, that’s one of the reasons I’m here. I’ve had a consultation with Doctor Clifton. I’ve been very sick recently, barely able to keep anything down. He’s diagnosed me with hy-per-em-esis gra-vi-da-rum,’ she said speaking slowly. ‘I’m with child.’

  ‘Oh, that’s wonderful news.’

  ‘James says that I might lose the infant prematurely. He’s prescribed the seawater treatment and said that he’ll re-examine me in two months. You won’t mention this to anyone, will you?’

  ‘I won’t say a word. If you need anything, let me know.’

  ‘And vice versa. Look at us. How times have changed! Less than a year ago, we were Nurses Finch and Bentley with hardly a care in the world.’

  ‘Except for having to watch out for Trimmie,’ Hannah smiled. ‘How is married life?’

  ‘Apart from this terrible sickness, it’s been better than I could have imagined. Despite our differences, Henry is the best husband – he’s kind, considerate and loving.
He’s helped me overcome my fear of not making the right impression in society, and I’m beginning to enjoy entertaining. Giving up nursing was the right choice for me.’ She smiled. ‘It still seems odd, though, getting out of bed every morning and choosing which dress to wear. As for those horrid flat shoes – I’ve given them away.’

  ‘I’m done,’ James said, entering the room with his stethoscope around his neck. ‘Hannah, if you’ll come with me. Mrs Hunter, will you excuse us for a moment?’

  She followed him downstairs, where he showed her into one of the examination rooms and closed the door.

  ‘I hope you don’t mind – I wanted a quick word.’ He passed her an envelope. ‘These are your wages. If you’d like to work here again, let me know. I can always find you some hours. Henry’s list is lengthening far more quickly than I imagined it would. He’s very popular.’

  ‘He learned his bedside manner from you,’ Hannah dared to say, making him smile.

  ‘You’ve seen Mercy?’

  ‘I have. Nurse Huckstep mentioned that Doctor Hunter suspects that she has damage to the brain and liver.’

  ‘The immediate danger has passed, but she isn’t out of the woods yet. As for the hindrance to her development, we won’t know the extent of it for a long time. However, I recommend that you remove her from the house as soon as you’re able to.’

  ‘Why?’ Hannah began to panic. ‘I thought she’d have to stay on the ward for weeks, if not months.’

  ‘We’ve managed to stabilise her condition with the modified thalassotherapy treatment, but, being so young, she’s vulnerable to other diseases …’

  ‘Like scrofula?’

  ‘That’s right. Thanks to Dr Koch and his microscope, we’ve learned that the tuberculous conditions are infectious, not hereditary, or caused by foul air as the medical profession once thought.’

  ‘Then I’ll take her immediately,’ Hannah said.

  ‘Let me examine her once more on my rounds. If I’m happy, you can collect her tomorrow morning. I understand from Mrs Knowles that you’re taking another week off from the infirmary, so you can organise care for the child …’ He paused for a moment before continuing, ‘I’ll arrange for the wet nurse to continue her visits three times a day – I have your address. Is that all right with you?’

  It had to be, she thought as she hurried back to her lodgings. She’d promised Ruby that she’d do the right thing by Mercy, and that’s what she intended to do.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  More Than Anything in the World

  It was the most nerve-racking thing she’d ever done, taking a sickly infant home to nurse. Having cleaned the room from top to bottom and cleared the washstand so there was room to change her, she collected Mercy from the hospital, carrying her in her arms and wrapped in a shawl to protect her from the April showers. It was Alice’s day off and she helped by carrying the small bag of clothes, donations to the infirmary that were too small to fit the other patients. Mrs Wells brought round a pale lemon-yellow sheet and blanket she’d been given by one of her neighbours, saying they were too good for rags, and then when Hannah tried to pay her rent, she said that it had already been paid.

  ‘By whom?’ Hannah asked.

  ‘A person who wished to remain anonymous,’ was all Mrs Wells would say.

  If she’d known, Hannah felt sure she would have been able to winkle a name out of her.

  That evening, after the wet nurse had gone, Hannah stood alone in her room, rocking Mercy back and forth, trying to get her to sleep, but she wouldn’t settle. She checked her nappy – it was dry. Was she drinking enough? She gave her a little water that she’d boiled in a pot over the fire and left to cool, and after a while, Mercy fell asleep.

  She tiptoed across to the middle drawer of the chest that she was using as a makeshift cot and lowered the sleeping baby on to the sheet, at which Mercy’s eyes opened, her face crumpled, and she started to cry again. It was the longest night of Hannah’s life. By the morning, when Mercy finally dropped off, she could hardly think straight.

  Within two days, she found that she was beginning to manage looking after a baby. Mercy was asleep in the drawer, snug and warm under a blanket. Every so often, she would wrinkle her nose and twitch, then smile as though she was dreaming.

  ‘Ah,’ Hannah sighed as she forgave her for the sleepless nights and the smell of dirty nappies which she soaked in a bucket of carbolic before washing them. ‘What am I going to do with you? I promised your ma that I’d do what’s best for you …’ The problem was that she was growing mighty fond of her. How could she possibly give her up? It would break her heart.

  Glancing through the window, she noticed a carriage draw up and drop off a gentleman in a grey coat, top hat and leather bag. What was James doing here? Why had he not warned her of his visit, so that she had time to clear up the dirty dishes and sweep the floor? Thinking to intercept him, she went out on to the landing, running her fingers through her hair which she’d left down, having washed it that morning.

  ‘Good day, Mrs …?’ she heard him say as she leaned across the banister.

  ‘Mrs Wells,’ her landlady said, aquiver with curiosity.

  ‘Thank you,’ Hannah interrupted. ‘Doctor, I wasn’t expecting you …’

  He was frowning as she walked halfway down the stairs.

  ‘You asked me to make a house call this afternoon at two.’ He looked at his pocket watch. ‘It’s two o’clock precisely.’

  ‘Oh yes. Of course. Silly me. I forgot, which is one of the reasons I wished to see you.’

  ‘I’m glad you invited me to give my opinion on your health.’

  ‘Mr Anthony at the infirmary recommended you as being a physician with a special interest in memory lapses.’ Despite everything, she suppressed a giggle at the sight of her landlady’s expression. James coughed as though disguising a chuckle.

  ‘May I?’ he said, regaining his composure.

  ‘Come this way.’

  ‘You can leave the door open, Miss Bentley,’ Mrs Wells said.

  ‘Please, don’t worry about me,’ Hannah said, as James followed her upstairs. ‘I trust Doctor Clifton implicitly.’ She closed the door firmly but quietly behind them.

  ‘How’s Mercy? Where is she?’ he said, glancing around the room.

  ‘She’s over there.’ Hannah nodded towards the chest of drawers.

  ‘You haven’t got a cot for her?’

  ‘Not yet.’ It was a matter of pride to pretend that all was well, but it was obvious that she was suffering from impecunious circumstances. ‘I’m sorry about—’

  ‘No need to apologise. You have a lovely room – you’ve made it feel very homely,’ he interrupted, moving across to the window. ‘And it has a sea view.’

  Hannah smiled ruefully. ‘Just as Ruby wanted.’ She had cleaned it thoroughly before moving Mercy in, and added some extra touches: a spray of dried lavender in a pot and a shell Ruby had found on the beach placed on the mantelpiece. There was a wooden rattle that Nurse May had given her for Mercy, as well as a cushion that one of the kitchen maids had made for the chair.

  ‘Will you permit me to stay awhile or are you in a rush to get rid of me?’

  ‘I’m sorry for being remiss. Let me take your coat.’

  ‘I’ll need some assistance,’ he frowned. ‘Henry had to help me put it on.’

  ‘How is your arm? Is it still as painful?’ she said as she took hold of the lapel of his coat and lifted it gently off his shoulder, then tugged the other sleeve down his arm.

  ‘It’s getting better. Another three or four weeks and I can have this dratted plaster taken off. I miss bathing in the sea – one can’t let it get wet.’

  ‘Do you bathe at this time of year?’ She laid his coat across the bed. ‘The sea is freezing.’

  ‘I swim all year round. It’s chilly, I grant you that, but it’s most invigorating and excellent for the constitution.’

  ‘You can’t be of sound mind,’ she smiled,
then fell serious. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. It reminds me of Ruby …’

  ‘She would want you to be happy,’ he said.

  ‘I know. Take a seat.’ She gestured to the rickety wooden chair. ‘Can I make you some tea? Or would you prefer ale?’

  ‘Neither, thank you. You must have the chair. I’ll stand.’

  ‘No, it’s all right. I’ll perch here.’ Before he could argue, she sat down on the edge of the mattress.

  She watched him pace back and forth in front of the fireplace before stopping and clearing his throat. ‘I’ve come to you today with a proposition,’ he said.

  ‘Oh? What is it?’

  ‘I’ve always wanted children. Suzanna and I used to laugh and say we wanted ten, but having seen the Allspices, I’m all for having one or two. I’ve grown attached to little Mercy since she’s been at the infirmary and I’m keen to provide her with a home and all the advantages I can offer: a nanny, medical treatment, education … the love and guidance that a father figure can bestow.’

  Hannah opened her mouth to speak, but he gave her a stern stare.

  ‘Let me finish. I need to explain the two options I can offer in full. If I adopt Mercy as my ward, you’ll be free to progress in your profession as a nurse.’

  ‘You wouldn’t have her put away in a home, if she does turn out to be backward or odd in any way?’ Hannah didn’t think he would, but she had to ask.

  ‘You know me better than that,’ he said.

  ‘I’m sorry.’

  ‘It’s all right. Ruby wouldn’t have wanted that for her, and neither do I. Mercy would stay at my house with all the help that she needed. You would, of course, be welcome to visit her and take her out whenever you wanted to.

  ‘The alternative is that you accept my hand in marriage and we adopt Mercy as our own,’ he went on. ‘Your kindness, my seaside angel, has healed my wounds – your refusal would undoubtedly inflict them afresh, but I would understand. I am a man. I have ambition and society allows me to do as I please. It is different for women. I wouldn’t judge you for putting your profession before wedlock.’

  ‘Oh, James.’ He had put her into a predicament.