‘Tuesday’s child is full of grace,’ Mrs Batley whispered as she cradled the baby to her. And then she prayed that God might spare her mother long enough to see the little mite grow up. God help the poor little thing if she was left to the mercy of her father, who certainly didn’t appear capable of loving anyone. ‘But you’ll always have me,’ she crooned tenderly as she rocked the precious child to and fro, and from that moment on her heart was lost.
Chapter Nine
‘Here yer go then, pass her to me,’ the young woman said as she walked into the kitchen and shook the snow from the shawl she’d had wrapped about her shoulders. It seemed poor protection for such harsh weather.
Madeline’s child was now three days old and thanks to this young woman, she was being well fed. Mrs Robins had delivered Cathy Barnes’s baby only the week before and she had kindly offered to step in as a wet nurse until Madeline was well enough to feed the child herself. Thankfully, Madeline had survived the birth, just, but she was still very ill and weak and Mabel and Mrs Batley had their hands full, what with looking after her and the baby – not that they minded. Harry had been a brilliant help; between feeds he would sit for hours cradling the baby, leaving the women free to get on with other things.
Now he passed the child to Cathy and as she took a seat at the side of the fire and unfastened her drab dress, he blushed and hastily averted his eyes.
‘Eeh, I feel as if I’m pingin’ back an’ forth atween here an’ home on a bit of elastic.’ Cathy giggled as the child fastened her rosebud mouth to her nipple and began to suck greedily. There was certainly nothing wrong with her appetite and, thankfully, Cathy had plenty of milk for both this baby and her own son.
‘I’ll get yer a nice hot drink, pet,’ Mrs Batley offered as she hurried across the flagstones to fill the kettle. ‘That’s the least we can do for yer. Goodness knows what would have happened if you hadn’t stepped in to help. And don’t worry, when the judge comes home, an’ I say when, I’ll make sure as yer properly paid fer your trouble. He should have been back the day the lass was born but we ain’t seen hide nor hair of him. He don’t even know he has a daughter yet.’
Cathy smiled as she rocked the baby gently. ‘Well, I must admit the money will fair come in handy but it’s been a pleasure seein’ to this little ’un. In truth, I don’t think I’ve ever met such a placid baby, me own included. He howls the house down half the time.’
A rap came on the front door then and Mabel hurried to answer it to find the judge standing outside.
‘Well, don’t stand there with your mouth gawping open like a goldfish, girl,’ he barked in a fine ill-humour. ‘Stand aside and let me in, can’t you. I do live here!’
Mabel hastily stood aside as he stormed past her. Then, after glancing about, he roared, ‘And where is my wife?’
‘She’s upstairs in bed.’
‘Oh, and why is that? Surely she should be up and about at this time of the day.’
His head snapped around as Mrs Batley’s voice sounded behind him. ‘As it happens, she gave birth to yer baby the day after Boxin’ Day, the day you were due to come home.’ Mrs Batley’s voice was laced with sarcasm and she had his full attention now. ‘Unfortunately, there were complications an’ she almost died. In fact, the doctor is due at any minute. He’s visited every day since.’
‘And the baby … did that survive?’
She nodded. ‘It certainly did. There’s a wet nurse feedin’ it in the kitchen right now.’
‘But I expressly said that there was no need for a wet nurse.’
‘’Twere either that or let the little soul starve. The mistress were certainly in no fit state to feed it.’ Her eyes flashed with contempt and he had the good grace to flush.
‘I see … then in that case I suppose it was necessary,’ he answered grudgingly. ‘And was it a boy?’
Mrs Batley shook her head. ‘No, you have a fine healthy little lass, the double of her mother.’ She thought she saw a flash of disappointment in his eyes for just a second.
‘I see.’ Without another word, he strode towards the kitchen. Entering, he found the babe still glued to Cathy’s breast and flushed, just as Harry had done, and hastily turned away.
‘I shall be about another ten minutes,’ Cathy informed him and with a nod he left.
In the hallway, he found Mabel showing the doctor upstairs and he followed him and began to pace the landing while the doctor went in to see his wife.
‘Well, how is she?’ he demanded the second the man left the room.
The doctor eyed him disapprovingly, noting his rather dishevelled state. Jacob looked as if he hadn’t shaved for days and his clothes were crumpled.
‘Slightly improved. But I’m afraid it’s going to be a very long time before she’s properly well again and even then, she’s going to have to take things easy. She lost an awful lot of blood and I also discovered your wife has a heart condition which had gone undetected. It was probably the strain of having the child that highlighted it.’ The doctor paused then and chose his words carefully before going on. ‘I should inform you that another pregnancy could prove fatal for her. Do you understand what I’m saying?’
Jacob nodded slowly. He understood perfectly; he would never father a son now.
‘Very well then, I shall take my leave but I shall be back tomorrow to check on your wife’s progress. Should you need me before then, you know where I am.’
He dipped his head and was gone down the stairs before Jacob could say another word. He stood for a time digesting what the doctor had told him, then, after taking a deep breath, he straightened his back and opened the door to his wife’s room. She was lying in bed with her head turned towards the window and he was shocked to see how ill she looked. She seemed to have shrunk to half her size and there were great black shadows beneath her eyes.
She turned her head slowly and managed a weak smile. ‘Jacob … we were concerned about you when you didn’t come home on the day you said you would.’
He walked stiffly to the side of the bed. ‘I apologise for that. I was unavoidably detained and had no way of getting word to you.’
‘Never mind, you’re home now. Do you know that I had the baby?’
‘Yes … a girl, I understand.’
She nodded, sensing his disappointment. ‘A very beautiful little girl, as it happens and she’s healthy too. I just wish I could spend more time with her.’ He could hear the frustration in her voice. ‘Have you seen her yet?’
He shook his head. ‘No, not yet. She is being fed at the moment.’
Madeline felt as if she was speaking to a stranger rather than her husband. ‘We should think of a name for her,’ she said then. ‘She was born on Tuesday so I thought perhaps Grace?’
To her surprise, he shrugged his approval. ‘I dare say that’s as good a name as any,’ he replied unenthusiastically. ‘And we shall have Victoria for her middle name in honour of our queen.’
‘Grace Victoria … yes, I think it’s perfect,’ she agreed.
‘Good.’ He began to back towards the door.
He closed the bedroom door quietly behind him and once out on the landing again he shook his head. A girl! And no chance of a boy now either! Still, at least he had a child, that was something.
Slowly he made his way back down to the kitchen just in time to see Cathy leaving. ‘I’ll be back in three hours,’ she promised Mrs Batley as she wrapped her shawl about her shoulders and vanished into the swirling snow.
Mrs Batley was holding the child and she moved towards him while Mabel swept the floor. ‘She’s sleepy now cos her belly is full,’ she told him. ‘But she’s got a good pair o’ lungs on her, I warn yer, although I have to be fair an’ say she’s as good as the day is long an’ only cries when she’s hungry.’
He nodded, staring down at the contented little bundle. Mrs Batley held the baby out to him, and he automatically opened his arms and took her. It was then, as he gazed down at the fluffy red down on he
r head and her wide blue-green eyes that were sleepily staring trustingly up at him, that the most amazing thing happened. His whole face softened and when the baby curled her tiny hand around one of his fingers, he sank abruptly onto the nearest chair. Jacob Kettle had yearned for a son, and now here he was holding a daughter and the only child he was ever likely to have. But suddenly it didn’t matter. This tiny being was his flesh and blood, a part of him and, for the first time in his life, he fell in love.
‘She … she’s quite exquisite,’ he breathed in awe and, despite everything, Mrs Batley almost liked him.
‘She is that.’ She smiled as she watched the father staring in wonder at his newborn baby.
‘We have decided to call her Grace Victoria,’ he informed the housekeeper then, and she nodded her approval.
‘That’s a lovely name an’ very fittin’ seein’ as she were born on a Tuesday.’
He glanced up at her. ‘This … this wet nurse you have employed in my absence … Is she clean? I don’t want her passing on any germs to my daughter.’
‘Cathy is poor but clean as a whistle,’ Mrs Batley responded sharply. She had thought his softening was too good to last. ‘An’ we were very lucky that Mrs Robins were able to ask for her help. She will want payin’ fer all the trouble she’s goin’ to o’ course. The poor lass is rushin’ backwards an’ forwards atween her own home an’ here like a yo-yo an’ it ain’t so long since she gave birth to her own son. She must be fair exhausted an’ goodness knows what we’ll do if her milk dries up.’
Jacob looked alarmed. ‘Then we must ensure that that doesn’t happen. She will move in here until she is no longer needed.’
Mrs Batley sniffed. ‘I doubt she’d do that, judge. She has her own baby to see to an’ all an’ she ain’t goin’ to be inclined to neglect him, is she?’
He frowned for a moment. ‘Then her child will have to come here too. You may prepare the nursery and they can all stay in there. Get a fire going up there and make sure that the room is warm for Grace. We don’t want her catching a chill!’
‘I suppose I can put it to her when she comes to do the next feed,’ Mrs Batley ventured doubtfully.
‘She’ll come when I’ve spoken to her.’ There was a determined look on the man’s face. ‘I shall make her an offer she can’t refuse, so please inform me the moment she arrives.’
He stood and gently passed the now sleeping baby back to Mrs Batley. ‘I shall go and bathe and change. Have Mabel bring hot water up to my room. And then I want the nursery prepared.’
Mrs Batley shrugged. ‘As you wish.’ She and Mabel watched him stride from the room then Mabel let out a long breath.
‘Well, who’d have believed it, eh? He does have a heart after all.’ She chuckled.
‘You could be right but now you’d best get that hot water upstairs else he’ll be soon shoutin’ the roof off again.’
Mabel nodded and hurried away as Mrs Batley stared down at the sleeping infant nestling in her arms.
‘So, little Grace,’ she cooed. ‘It seems you’ve won yer papa over good an’ proper. Let’s hope it stays that way, eh? Now we’ll change yer binder an’ take yer upstairs fer a little visit with yer mam. Yer know how she loves to see yer. I just pray for her sake that she’ll be well enough to spend a bit more time with yer soon.’
By teatime that evening, Cathy and her son were installed in the nursery with baby Grace tucked snugly in her crib in front of a roaring fire. Jacob Kettle had offered her a sum of money that had made her eyes pop to ensure that his daughter would be properly fed. Even so, she had made a few stipulations of her own.
‘In between feeds o’ both babies I want to pop home an’ see me husband sometimes.’
Gritting his teeth, he had nodded.
‘An’ I also want him to be able to come here fer a good meal each day when he’s finished his shift at the pit. I can hardly cook for him if I ain’t there, can I?’
At this point, Cathy wondered if she had pushed him too far as his hands clenched into fists, but after a moment he had nodded again. ‘Is there anything else?’
Ignoring the sarcasm in his voice she shook her head. ‘No, that’ll be all.’
With his lips set in a firm line, he nodded and strode from the room without another word.
Chapter Ten
June 1897
‘Oh, Papa, here she comes, look!’ Standing at her father’s side in the City of Westminster, Grace clapped her hands with delight as the queen’s carriage rattled towards them. The crowds were celebrating Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, and Jacob Kettle had brought his young daughter to London specially to see the queen waving to the crowds from the carriage window as she was driven to St Paul’s Cathedral for a thanksgiving service in her honour. The crowd were wildly enthusiastic, just as they should be, Jacob considered. The queen’s reign had seen more changes than in any other era in world history. Since she had ascended the throne, the world had seen the advent of motor cars, the telegram, the telephone, steam trains and steam ships and the coming of electricity. Once the carriage had passed, Grace hopped from foot to foot and asked, ‘What shall we do now, Papa?’
‘I thought I might take you for a ride on a boat on the River Thames and show you the Tower of London.’ Jacob smiled at his daughter indulgently. Grace was the light of his life and in his eyes, she could do no wrong, and she rarely did. She was a placid, good-natured child with a ready smile and a kind word for everyone. Even on the way to see the procession she had stopped abruptly when she saw a blind beggar sitting on the pavement and had pleaded with her father to put some money in his bowl. Jacob would normally have passed the man by without giving him a second glance, but seeing the sympathetic tears in his daughter’s eyes he had grudgingly planted some coins in her hand and she had placed them in his begging bowl.
‘These are for you, so as you can buy yourself some dinner,’ she had whispered and the man had smiled and touched his cap.
‘God bless yer, child.’
Grace had tripped happily on her way then, holding her father’s hand tightly with a smile on her face. It was a glorious sunny day and she looked sweet in her new blue dress. She just missed being termed as pretty: her nose was a little too small and her chin a little too pronounced and in the summer her pale skin was prone to erupt with freckles, but her glorious deep green eyes, striking red hair and gentle nature more than made up for that and she was adored by all who knew her – her father especially.
There appeared to be three loves in Jacob Kettle’s life, as Mrs Batley had commented. First was Grace, who could wrap him around her little finger, secondly came his horses, and lastly his latest toy, a brand-new Daimler Shooting Brake fresh from the factory in Coventry where it had been manufactured. Jacob had noticed that motor cars were much more common in London whereas back in his home town they were still quite a rarity.
But today was for his daughter, and now they set off in a high state of excitement for a ride on the pleasure boats.
Back at home, Mabel was taking the mistress her morning tea. Madeline had never fully recovered from Grace’s birth and was now a semi-invalid, although she did still make an effort to attend church at least three times a week. Other than that, she rarely left the house and when she did overtax herself her lips would turn a frightening shade of blue and she’d become breathless, which would send Mrs Batley and Mabel into a panic. They had come to love the young mistress over the years and both thought that young Grace was very like her in nature. They were both kindly and undemanding, which was more than could be said for the master. Sadly, he hadn’t mellowed at all towards them.
As Mabel entered the drawing room she found Madeline sitting in a chair enjoying the garden from the open window. Harry was working out there and she smiled as Mabel entered.
‘I wonder if Grace got to see the queen’s procession?’ She sighed wistfully as Mabel laid the tray down on a small table. ‘I should so have loved to have gone with her but I fear I would have s
poiled it if I hadn’t been able to keep up.’ Madeline loved her little girl dearly and the love was returned. Grace adored attending the church with her mother and never tired of listening to the Bible stories she would read to her.
‘I bet she’s havin’ the time of her life,’ Mabel assured her. The house was so quiet without her. ‘An’ never fear, her nanny is there to make sure she comes to no harm, not that the master would let it.’
Jacob had employed a nanny to care for the child soon after her wet nurse was no longer needed and Grace now lived up on the nursery floor with her, much to Madeline’s disappointment. She got so frustrated because she wasn’t able to take proper care of her only child herself but sadly there was nothing she could do about it.
Mabel paused to stare out of the window and her heart skipped a beat as she caught sight of Harry expertly scything the grass. Over the last few years he had turned from a skinny lad into a strapping, handsome young man thanks to Mrs Batley’s cooking. His legs were still somewhat bandy, admittedly, but Mabel never noticed that and had realised long ago that she loved him. Not that it had done her any good. Although Harry always treated her kindly and was free with his smiles, he had shown no inclination to take their relationship any further as yet and Mabel got frustrated sometimes. Surely he must know how she felt about him? She tried to show it in a hundred little different ways. But still, she thought optimistically, he was sure to get the message sooner or later. Could he ever feel the same about her?
‘It’s such a beautiful day, it makes you want to be out there in the sunshine, doesn’t it?’
Madeline’s voice brought Mabel’s attention back into the room and she grinned. ‘Well I can soon get Harry to take a chair out into the garden fer you. A bit o’ sunshine would do yer the power o’ good. You could perhaps sit and read out there awhile till Mrs Batley’s got yer lunch ready.’
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