'Go to a pub, Betty, and buy a meat pie, eat it, then nurse your baby,' he said steadily.
The only thing giving his temper away was the fist clenching the cane.
On the other end of the bridge was the Syphilis man counting the coins he had collected after a hard day's work.
Hanson spotted him as soon as I did, and walked straight at him quickly. From the corner of my eye I saw two policemen on patrol. They were lazily engaged in some discussion or other.
I grabbed Hanson's arm and put all my weight in directing him away from certain doom. Attempting murder in plain sight of the police would render all his previous good deeds insignificant. He understood my intentions and thanked me when he had regained his composure.
When we arrived at Hanson's house I remembered that I had not taken the slightest notice of the Thames or the view on the South- or Northbank.
'Can we go see the river again, tomorrow?' I asked.
He patted me on the head and smiled warmly.
Chapter 17
RICHES AND RAGS
No sooner did we enter the house as we were swept away by the housekeeper's wrath.
'Where have you been?' Miss Durdle demanded with a trembling lower lip. 'It is past ten.'
She looked from Hanson to me. Her angry eyes wandered from my face to my feet and back up again. A whirlwind of accusations hit Hanson because he had allowed 'the poor dear child', that being me, out of the house dressed in rags not even fit for a warm summer day. Hanson wrung and cringed under the devastating force of Miss Durdle's argument while I felt exuberant embarrassment over my own appearance that, judging by her words, seemed to be even less presentable than I had thought it to be. Without loosing time to draw breath, she commanded both of us to take a hot bath immediately. Together.
I was far too afraid of the big and bulky woman to challenge her. Luckily though, Hanson wisely insisted that we were no small children and would not fit into the bathtub together.
'If you behaved less like a child, Master Charles, I should be able to remember,' she said pursing her lips. 'Mr Ryde will have his bath first then, for it is only on account of your...'
At this point the formidable woman continued her accusations partly repeating them, partly combining them in more creative ways. When this second storm passed, she yelled for Lucinda, who, as was so often the case, stood right beside her. The young maid did not seem to mind that Miss Durdle shouted directly in her ear and smiled delightedly at the mention of her name. She would probably be half deaf in one or two years.
It had been a long day which just did not seem to end. After the bath, and tea, and short cake, and the promise to provide me with more suitable clothes in the morning, Sofia called me when I was about to enter my room. Reluctantly, I abandoned the prospect of my soft bed.
'Have you been to Mrs Banks?' she asked excitedly and wanted me to tell her all about it.
Sofia knew every single child's name, age and circumstances, and told me more about the families than I her. Especially, as I left out some of the most heartbreaking details. As soon as Sofia's breaths became deep and steady, I sneaked out of her room. However, when I was about to cross the hallway, Hanson appeared before me. This day really did not seem to end.
'Have you been with Sofia?' he asked and I was surprised to detect a hint of disapproval in his voice.
I explained my reasons and he nodded, finally allowing me to go into my own room and fall into the soft pillows and deeper and deeper into dreams.
***
'Oh Master Charles was such a wonderful child although he did take a keen interest in Mistress Sofia's dolls, particularly in the task of undressing them,' recollected Miss Durdle who was going through the trunks in the attic to find clothes for me. However, when she came across toys and other things from Hanson's and Sofia's childhood her former objective was forgotten and she reminisced about the wonderful memories, much to Hanson's dismay.
Hanson cupped his face in one hand. Even I knew Miss Durdle well enough to understand that a protest would only inspire more memories.
'I am sure his interest in the anatomy of the dolls was of a purely medical nature,' I said sheepishly and looked at him with triumph.
'If anyone needs me I shall be in the study devotedly trying to hang myself,' said he and descended the stairs. From downstairs he added, 'and once you are done, we shall bring all the remaining things to the children in Southwark. If I had known you were hoarding them up there all those years, Miss Durdle, I would have done it a long time ago.'
'Yes, yes,' agreed Miss Durdle slightly vexed that she should give up her treasures, and continued to show me Hanson's laced under drawers from when he was five. She insisted that she would not give those away because this particular pair had been fervently hated by the young Master Charles who had been in the habit of striping them off as soon as they had been put on. Miss Durdle broke out in laughter at the thought. I would have to remember to mention the laced under drawers and his habit of striping them off to Hanson at some time or another.
'Oh, Jo, you look dashing,' Sofia clapped her hands before her face when I joined her and her brother for breakfast. Miss Durdle made me wear Hanson's elegant brown suit from when he was a boy with a yellow waistcoat and a soft white shirt. It was properly white and not grey or yellow with age. He had been much younger than I when he had last worn it but it fit perfectly. It was probably the first time in my life that anything fit perfectly.
'Sofia, a lady does not call a gentleman 'dashing' in polite society,' interposed Hanson.
'Thank you, brother, I shall remember when I am in it.'
I giggled into my cup of hot tea, but when Hanson looked at me sharply, I pretended to cough.
'I was very fond of this suit myself one day,' he continued joyfully, 'it is very becoming on you.'
I smiled gleefully, proud to have earned two compliments.
'One does not say 'becoming',' said Sofia, 'it is out of fashion and makes you sound old.'
I quietly ate my eggs lest I should inspire any teasing on my behalf. They seemed to be in a quarrelsome mood the two of them while I felt a little odd on account of a slight headache. I did not usually have headaches. Surely, it would pass once we were out and about.
Arthur, the butler, was already storing the trunks on top of the carriage which was going to accompany us on our mission. It took quite a bit of reasoning to convince Miss Durdle that the clothes were indeed of better use warming the children than being preserved in the attic. A compromise could be reached only when Hanson agreed that she was allowed to keep the one pair of laced under drawers.
'Not a word, Ryde,' Hanson had warned as I stifled my laughter.
The day made a fair promise to be as sunny as the previous had begun. But should it turn colder I was well prepared for I had not one but two coats to choose from. A black one with a high stiff collar that was made of heavy wool and reached to my knees and a green one with big woven buttons and golden lace around the hems of the sleeves. I preferred the black one as it made my shoulders broader and the long tail swayed around my legs when I walked, making me feel very mighty.
When Sofia retreated to her chamber after having made us promise to tell her exactly who said what and in what tone, we were ready to leave, yet Lucinda came in saying there was a lady by the door to see Hanson. He said to show her in. I was beginning to feel very hot in my mighty coat.
The woman who came through the door pursued by her middle-aged companion, was a lady, indeed. She wore a magnificent dress of purple and golden silk which betrayed its full beauty when she let the furs on her shoulders slide into Lucinda's waiting hands. The frilled fabric of her layered skirt and the three-quarter sleeves shone and shimmered in the early sun-rays coming from the big sitting-room windows. The skirt was protruding elegantly from her lower back underlining the slim waist. A pearl necklace graced her slender neck and drew attention to the handsome face with its red, pouted lips and pink cheeks. Her eyes were set like sapphire
s under thick lashes and thin, arched brows. Her light brown curls were held by a small bonnet at the highest point of her head. The bonnet was made of real flowers. Were it not for the slightly protruding cheekbones her face would be as perfect as her complexion.
I felt the overwhelming urge to sit down but was forced to stand in the presence of such an outstanding creature.
'Abigail,' smiled Hanson from ear to ear and I wanted to bite his head off for no apparent reason.
'Charles, you vicious man,' she said flirtatiously. 'When I heard you were back home, I waited and waited for you to call. But it seems our modern times require a woman to take initiative herself if she does not care to be forgotten.'
Abigail paced the room illuminating it with her gracefulness and sat down into the chair Hanson offered.
'You are impossible to forget,' responded Hanson charmingly and I wanted to bite not only his head off but also his whole upper body for no apparent reason.
'I hope I am not intruding, you were not planning on leaving?'
'Your timing could not have been better,' he said.
Head. Upper body. Knees. No. Apparent. Reason.
'And who is this?' the beautiful face turned to me and I stiffened lest she could read thoughts. She did not seem from this world so it would not surprise me.
'Abigail Johnson, this is Jonathan Ryde, one of my students,' introduced Hanson.
'Oh, what a privilege to be so singled out from all your peers. You must be an exceptional academic for Charles is usually not the faithful type when it comes to renewing his acquaintances,' she said and looked at Hanson flapping her lashes as if they were the wings of a butterfly.
'You have left the Captain in good health?'
Suddenly I did not want to bite any more.
'Papa is always in good health, I almost fear he shall outlive us all. And he has been promoted to Admiral recently.'
And just as suddenly the urge was back.
'We are all very vexed with you, I dare say,' she gazed out the window in pretended annoyance only to show off her face from its most advantageous angle.
'Whatever have I done to cause the vexation? I am hardly of enough consequence to leave any impression at all,' said Hanson innocently.
'Oh, don't be so modest, it does not suit you,' she hit his arm playfully
Just then the double door opened and Sofia entered in her wheel chair sitting in it as though it was a throne, and she the princess of a fairytail.
'Oh dearest Sofia,' she lay her hand on Sofia's arm and squeezed it tenderly, 'how I have missed you.'
'Abigail,' said Sofia smiling not quite as delightedly as Hanson had upon uttering the same name. 'I have missed you, too, you must have been away to America, I believe, for we live so close I am sure you would have called much sooner?'
'Yes, yes,' said Abigail throwing her eyes up, 'these constant travels, they leave me quite breathless.'
'America,' I breathed barely above a whisper but they all looked instantly at me. Though the fireplace and my mighty coat were smoulderingly hot – more so in combination – I was much to awed to move.
'You must have heard of it,' said Abigail, 'it is this fancy new continent Columbus discovered and half of Europe fought over. I for one do not understand the fuss, it is quite uncivilised and society there is a perfect bore but one must bear it as best as one can.'
'I am sure Jo has heard of America,' said Sofia pleasantly and pulled at the back of a chair. 'Do sit down next to me Jo, dear.'
I obliged readily for my knees were beginning to dissolve into water.
'And the fashion,' continued Abigai, 'if it can be even called that. By the way Mr Ryde, you are wearing a rather interesting piece yourself. Charles, did you not have a similar suit when you were twelve?'
'My memory is not as keen as yours,' smiled Hanson.
'To be sure,' she said, 'you see, for a woman there is little to delight in. Fashion is one of the few things that make life tolerable therefore I pay particular attention to it.'
'And your dress is very beautiful,' said Sofia to distract the vulture so she would stop ripping me apart.
'Oh this dull rag?' she adjusted the adornments on her skirt, 'I have bought it in Paris but it would have been as well if I had not. There was hardly anything to look at in the shops this season. Where have all the good tastes gone to?'
I did not mumble 'Paris' this time having learned from my first faux-pas but I very much wanted to.
'Not everyone's tastes are as fine as yours,' said Hanson.
'To be sure,' she consented, 'talking of bad tastes. My friends are insisting quite fervently that I should host a ball on the 24th of December. You must come Hanson and you too Sofia, I don't know if I shall be able to bear it otherwise. All of my friends are so horribly dull and the ladies hardly ever talk about anything other than gossip.'
'If you extend the invitation to Mr Ryde, then we shall be delighted to come,' said Hanson.
'Oh but of course, Mr Ryde, do come,' she waved her gloved hand at me and suddenly began to rise, 'I must go now. I have promised to have tea with Mrs Leeford, she has become quite unbearable ever since her marriage last summer but one must remain good friends with her for it is what society expects.'
'Duties are duties, my dear,' said Hanson rising when she did.
'Unfortunately so, if it weren't for society I should lie in the shade of a tree all day without having a care in the world.'
'I am sure you would,' said Sofia and we all escorted Abigail and her companion, whom everyone seemed to have forgotten, to the door.
'You have been very quiet all day, Ryde,' remarked Hanson when we were finally in the carriage driving down Southwark bridge. 'Should I call the doctor?'
He succeeded in making me smile at that but I did feel odd, indeed. My headache had become worse. It could hardly be anything other than a lack of spirits which would be restored as soon as the children of Southwark were properly dressed.
'No, sir, I am merely shocked from the news of America's discovery.'
'We all are,' said Hanson and dwelt on the pleasant memory of Abigail, no doubt.
'She is very pretty, sir,' I said resting my forehead on the cold glass of the carriage window, while watching the agitated, muddy waves of the Thames as they distorted the reflection of the ships.
'Oh, but you are mistaken. America is not a woman, it is a continent,' he annunciated.
'Marvellous sir, your geographical knowledge is formidable and makes me quite envious,' I said breathing against the window. The condensation blocked my view. I rubbed it clear with my sleeve, and concretised that I was speaking of Abigail and that she was sure to make a good wife.
'I doubt she would be a good wife but most definitely an interesting one,' he gazed out the window on his side.
I did not feel the violent urges from before and merely wished him all the luck and bliss in the world. He deserved someone as beautiful and worldly wise as her.
Chapter 18
BLASTS AND BULLETS
Our mission took much longer than expected because Hanson knew far more families than I could have possibly imagined. When we came home it was already dark and very, very cold. I would have preferred to go straight to bed but was subjected to the usual routine of tea, stew, and bath, which culminated in re-telling everything to Sofia. And by everything, she really meant everything. The girl noticed instantly when I left out bits to get through the story faster. She insisted sleep would elude her if she did not hear every little detail about Hanson's and my doings.
Defeated, exhausted and with both my tongue and my brain in a knot, I sat on the far corner of her bed and told her how Mrs Bank had first refused but then tearfully accepted the beautiful dresses for her daughters, how her daughters had put them on and danced around the room pretending to be at a ball, I told her how Molly and her siblings had accepted their new wardrobes after a great deal of scrutiny, I told her how Betty and her Baby were grateful for a warm coat and how the other f
amilies rejoiced upon seeing the doctor who was always looking out for them, I told her how I had played with the little ones and dressed them when their parents and older siblings had been pre-occupied with themselves or each other, and I ultimately told her how happy Hanson had looked when all was accomplished. Then Sofia said one thing and asked another and I thought I answered but my memory of it was blurry.
I was torn from my dream brutally when someone grabbed me by the collar and dragged me out of the bed shouting words I was unable to distinguish as I was still halfway in my dreams. It was not until a hand crashed down on my face that I came to my senses. I was in the hallway and a big man I did not recognise towered over me still holding me by the collar. His green eyes were blazing like a snake's ready to poison its prey with the most evil glare. I rubbed my cheek – too dizzy to comprehend but awake enough to make an effort to break free.
'How dare you,' he barked at me with such a tremble in his voice that I thought the ground was shaking.
I slipped away and tried to scramble to my feet only to be pulled back in again by a huge hand that was half-breaking my upper arm. He dragged me down the stairs as I whimpered in terror. My head was spinning and the walls were melting.
The stranger towed me down the stairs as though I was a sack of potatoes, ignoring the fact that I was stumbling and almost falling. Into the office he went with me and pushed me into an armchair. While I tried to catch my breath he went to the cupboard which stood at the far end of the room. The man was strangely familiar with his surroundings and swiftly pulled out a box and opened it. Something in his hand reflected the weak moonlight that shone onto the man's back from the curtained window. It drenched the room in an ominous whiteness. Suddenly a pistol pointed directly at my face. I jolted out of the chair and jumped behind it. My heart was hammering against my ribcage like a drum predicting a tragedy. I heard a shot and squealed like a hurt animal. Panting and gasping for air I looked at my body and found it to be unharmed. My relief was only temporary for I was trapped behind the chair. Soon the man with the pistol would come forth and end my miserable life and I would never learn what I had done to deserve it. That being the prospect I bolted for the door in a desperate attempt to escape. I heard another gun shot. The loud noises had caused stirs around the house. I could hear foot steps coming from everywhere. Unfortunately, those following me where the loudest and closest.
The Girl who was a Gentleman (Victorian Romance, History) Page 14