The Reluctant Heiress

by Dilly Court

  ‘I’m sure the army will protect him. The uprising will be put down soon.’

  ‘That’s not what the papers say. I knew so many people in Delhi. I can’t bear to think what might have happened to them.’

  Perry put his head on one side, studying her with a thoughtful frown. ‘Do you want my honest opinion, Kate?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ she said warily. ‘It sounds as if it will be something I might dislike.’

  ‘You ought to know me better than that. What I think is that you are stuck in this mausoleum of a house, day in and day out, and it’s no life for a lively minded female like yourself.’

  She nodded. ‘Well, I won’t disagree with that. What do you suggest I do about it?’

  ‘For a start you could come with me now. I’m taking on a case of a man who is accused of stealing items from the docks where he works as a carter. He lives in East Smithfield, and that’s where I’m going. I think the case might interest you.’

  ‘I’ll get my bonnet and shawl,’ Kate said eagerly. The opportunity to get out of the house and do something different from the boring daily routine was too good to miss.

  ‘Why are you going to so much trouble for this person?’ Kate asked as the hansom cab threaded its way through the heavy traffic. ‘Surely a man of your standing doesn’t normally call at clients’ houses? Unless, of course, they are very wealthy.’

  ‘You are very cynical for one so young.’

  ‘You’re forgetting that I grew up in a household where my father was quite ruthless when it came to making money. Even as a child I could see that he was in competition with his elder brother. Uncle Edgar inherited the family fortune and Papa had to make his own way in the world.’

  ‘Which he has done very successfully.’

  ‘Yes, I suppose so, but you haven’t answered my question. What is so special about this new client of yours?’

  ‘Ted Harris is my cousin.’

  Kate stared at him in disbelief. ‘Your cousin? But you said he lives in East Smithfield and he’s just a carter.’

  ‘My mother’s family were all carters or porters working on the docks. My father was a barrister from a good family. It was a love match between my parents and they married despite opposition on both sides.’

  ‘And it worked out well?’

  ‘They were the most devoted couple I’ve ever met, and when my father died my mother simply pined away. It was sad for me, being an only child, but at least they were reunited, or so I always hoped.’

  ‘But your cousin’s family are very poor.’

  ‘I know what you’re thinking, Kate. They are also very proud and have never accepted any money from my father. Maybe now I can redress the balance a little. If my cousin Ted goes to prison his family will starve.’

  ‘He has children?’

  ‘Eight of them at the last count. I don’t uphold criminal activities of any kind, but there are some circumstances when I believe even the most law-abiding citizen can be tempted. With a wife and all those children to support, I can understand how the temptation to cheat the system might get the better of any man.’

  Kate stared straight ahead as the cab negotiated the overcrowded city streets, heading towards the river. ‘I never realised how much difference there was in the way people live in London,’ she said slowly. ‘I saw poverty in India, but we led such a privileged life that it didn’t affect me as perhaps it should have done. Then, when we arrived back home, it was as if I opened my eyes for the first time, and in the past couple of months I’ve realised what an enormous gulf lies between the rich and the poor.’

  ‘I dare say your parents kept such sights from you while you were growing up,’ Perry said reasonably. ‘I wouldn’t want a child of mine to see some of the things I’ve witnessed.’

  Kate turned to him in surprise. ‘But you must have had a privileged upbringing like myself.’

  ‘When I was studying law at university I used to walk the streets at night. I ventured into some of the most squalid, poverty-stricken areas of the city, and I saw how the poor exist. That is why I take on as many cases similar to that of my cousin’s as I can, without damaging your father’s interests, of course.’

  ‘Does he know what you’re doing?’

  Perry shook his head. ‘No, but while he was in India I had free rein. Now he’s returned to London your father is more interested in becoming a High Court judge than worrying about cases not his own.’

  Kate nodded. ‘Well, I won’t say anything. I agree entirely with what you’re doing, although I very much doubt if Papa would be happy if he found out.’

  ‘I will tell him when the time is right.’ Perry tapped on the roof of the cab. ‘The first house on the left, cabby. Just past the streetlamp.’ He leaped to the ground as the cab came to a halt, and then assisted Kate to alight.

  She stood on the narrow pavement, taking in her surroundings while Perry paid the cabby. They were very close to St Katharine’s Dock, and from the end of Nightingale Lane she could see a forest of ships’ masts and tall cranes. The noise of barrels rolling over cobblestones, the rattle of chains and the hoots of steam whistles accompanied the shouts of men working on land and on the water. She wrinkled her nose as the noxious smell of raw sewage rose from the river mud, competing with the pleasant aroma of roasting coffee beans and molasses. Nightingale Lane itself was lined with a jumbled assortment of warehouses, cottages, pubs and ships’ chandlers. Ragged children, some little more than babies, played in the gutter, despite the through traffic of horse-drawn vehicles and handcarts. The street was crisscrossed with washing lines hung with dripping undergarments, aprons and sheets, all flapping idly in the light breeze. A window above them opened and a woman emptied a bowl of dirty water into the street, narrowly missing Kate.

  ‘Come on.’ Perry took her by the hand and led her to a house that was squashed between a pub and a small iron foundry. The noise of hammering was deafening and sparks flew out of the open door like a firework display. Kate kept close to Perry, wondering what would be thrown at them next.

  He rapped on a door, the panels of which were splintered at the base as if attacked by someone wearing hobnail boots, and it was opened just far enough for a young child to peer at them suspiciously.

  ‘It’s me, Nellie. Uncle Perry.’

  ‘Ma, it’s Uncle Perry.’

  ‘Good morning, Aunt Ivy.’ Perry stepped inside and Kate followed him. She had to blink to adjust her eyes to the dim interior, and the rank smell of a tallow candle made her hand rise instinctively to cover her nose. The small room was sparsely furnished with a moth-eaten curtain draped over the cracked windowpanes, and damp patches formed interesting patterns on the walls, as if nature had decided to decorate the dreary surroundings. The bare floorboards were scrubbed clean, but lacked any kind of rug to add colour or comfort.

  ‘Have you got any news? Is Ted coming home?’ Seated by the empty grate, a woman with a baby suckling at her breast attempted to rise, but sank back on the seat. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t know you’d brought a guest.’

  ‘Please, don’t mind me,’ Kate said hastily.

  Perry bent down to pick up a golden-haired toddler. ‘You’ve grown since I last saw you, Charlie.’

  ‘Who are you, miss?’ Nellie asked, fingering the fine woollen cloth of Kate’s skirt.

  ‘Nellie, that’s rude.’ Ivy shot a wary glance at Kate. ‘I’m sorry, miss. We don’t get many visitors.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ Kate said gently. ‘I’m sorry to intrude, ma’am.’

  ‘This is my friend Kate Martin, Nellie.’ Peregrine kissed Charlie and placed him back on the floor. ‘Kate’s father is my head of chambers, Ivy.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Miss Martin.’ Ivy glanced anxiously round the shabby room. ‘You must excuse us. I haven’t had time to tidy up.’

  ‘You have lovely children, Mrs Harris.’ Kate smiled down at the small girls who were seated cross-legged on the floor.

  ‘They’re twins, m
iss.’ Nellie ruffled the hair of the nearest child. ‘This here is Polly and the naughty one is Emma.’

  ‘Leave the lady alone, Nellie,’ Ivy said wearily. ‘She don’t want to hear all that.’

  ‘It’s all right, Mrs Harris. I like children.’ Kate picked Charlie up and gave him a hug, but she set him down again when the smell from his soiled nappy assaulted her nostrils.

  ‘Where are the others, Ivy?’ Perry sat down in the chair opposite Ivy, leaning towards her with a sympathetic smile. ‘Are they out working?’

  Ivy nodded. ‘Frankie cleans gents’ shoes. May and Jimmy sell matches and bootlaces outside the station. They bring in just about enough to keep us fed each day, but it’s hard to manage without Ted. You don’t think they’ll put him in prison, do you, Perry?’

  ‘I have to be honest with you. What he did isn’t in doubt, but I’ll put his case to the magistrate tomorrow, and I’ll do my very best to see that he gets off as lightly as possible. He broke the law, Ivy, and there’s no getting away from it.’

  ‘Even though all the others help themselves to things all the time?’

  ‘Ted got caught and it’s only a matter of time before others suffer the same fate.’ Perry put his hand in his pocket and took out a leather pouch, which he placed in Ivy’s lap. ‘This will help tide you over for the time being.’

  Ivy shook her head. ‘I can’t take your money. It ain’t right.’

  ‘We’re family, my dear. You would do the same for me if the circumstances were reversed.’

  ‘That’s never going to happen, but ta ever so. I don’t know what we would have done without you.’

  Perry rose to his feet. ‘You won’t have to worry about that. I can help and I will to the best of my ability. I just hope that Frankie isn’t dipping pockets or anything stupid, otherwise he’ll end up in prison, too.’

  Ivy shook her head. ‘He’s a good boy. My nippers know the difference between right and wrong. It’s just that Ted had been laid off for two weeks and we was desperate, that’s why he did what he did.’ She shot a glance in Kate’s direction. ‘You ain’t said nothing. I bet you’re standing there all prim and proper, judging us and thinking we brought it on ourselves.’

  ‘No, indeed I am not,’ Kate said earnestly. ‘I was wondering if I could do anything to help.’

  ‘We don’t need your charity, miss.’

  ‘Ivy, that’s unnecessary. Kate is sincere in what she says.’

  ‘If Ted receives a harsh sentence there’ll be no alternative for us other than the workhouse.’

  ‘There must be someone who could help,’ Kate said anxiously. ‘My mother is on all sorts of committees at the local church. Maybe there is something like that around here?’

  ‘No, miss. You just don’t understand.’ Ivy shifted the baby to her other breast. ‘There’s nothing to be done for the likes of us. Nothing at all.’

  ‘I’m so sorry,’ Kate said with a break in her voice.

  ‘Don’t waste your sympathy on me, miss. People will say we got what we deserved.’

  ‘That’s defeatist talk, Ivy,’ Perry said firmly. ‘I understand how you feel, but you mustn’t give in. You have the children to consider.’

  Ivy leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes. ‘Do you think I don’t know that? I wake up every morning wondering how I’m going to put food in their mouths.’

  ‘You have enough money in that pouch to stop you worrying for the time being at least. I’ll be there to do what I can for Ted, and whatever the magistrate decides, I’ll come straight to you afterwards and we’ll talk more then.’

  ‘Ta, Perry. You’re a good man.’

  ‘Goodbye, Mrs Harris,’ Kate said softly. ‘I hope all goes well tomorrow.’ She relented and picked up Charlie. Despite the unpleasant odour, she kissed him on the cheek before setting him back on the floor.

  It was a relief to be outside in the street. The air was cooler although the stench was equally bad, but at least she was away from the sheer misery and despair that seemed to engulf the Harris family.

  ‘Are you all right, Kate?’ Perry tucked her hand in the crook of his arm as they walked briskly towards the main road. ‘You look a bit pale.’

  ‘I’m all right, but there must be something to be done to help the poor woman.’

  ‘I’m doing everything I can.’

  ‘I could see that, but she has all those children to care for on her own. Has she any sisters or a mother who could help her?’

  ‘Ivy came from the Foundling Home, so she has no one except Ted. His parents died years ago and I’m his only relative in London. Ivy is very much on her own, which is why I took you there. You were looking for something to occupy you, so maybe you can think of something that would help her but without appearing to be charity. Poor Ivy only has her pride left to cling to, and that must be in shreds now.’

  ‘I’ll think hard, Perry. I really will.’

  Next morning, accompanied by Jenny, Kate took a cab to the magistrates’ court. It was still early and there were plenty of spare seats in the public gallery. Jenny admitted to being nervous, but Kate was eager for Ted Harris’s case to begin. She sat on the edge of her seat during the proceedings, which were pitifully short, and despite Perry’s eloquent words the magistrate sentenced Ted to nine months’ hard labour. The mitigating circumstances had been ignored and Ted’s punishment was obviously intended to be a warning to others. He left the court room with his head bowed. Perry looked up as he was about to leave the court room and he acknowledged Kate with a weary smile before making his way towards the exit.

  They met outside on a pavement bathed in late spring sunshine, but Kate felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she thought of Ivy and her children.

  ‘It doesn’t seem fair,’ Kate said angrily. ‘Poor Ivy. How will she manage?’

  Perry shrugged. ‘It’s the law, Kate. I did what I could, but Ted knew the risk he was taking, and he was guilty of theft. You know that I’ll do everything I can for Ivy.’

  ‘There must be some sort of Parish Relief she could apply for.’

  ‘I’m afraid not. The Poor Law Act put a stop to that, and Ivy’s only alternative would be the workhouse, which is why I’ll do my utmost to support the family. The older children do their best. I just hope they don’t fall into the hands of ruthless men who will exploit their innocence and their need to help their mother.’

  ‘Can they read and write? Surely they should attend school?’

  ‘Crikey, miss. You don’t know much about being poor, do you?’ Jenny had been silent until this moment, but she spoke suddenly, causing both Kate and Perry to turn their heads. ‘I don’t wish to speak out of turn, but only the better off can afford to let their young ’uns go to school, even if it’s for free.’

  ‘You’re right,’ Kate said ruefully. ‘I’m shocked by what I’ve seen and heard, but there must be a way to help people like Ivy and her children. If they could get an education they might find better jobs, with higher wages. Don’t you agree, Perry?’

  ‘Of course, I do. But one has to be realistic, Kate. Families such as my cousin’s live hand to mouth. What little the older children earn means the difference between paying the rent or being evicted; between eating enough to keep body and soul together or starvation.’

  Kate shook her head. ‘I understand what you’re saying, but there must be a way to help them.’

  Perry patted her on the shoulder. ‘If you can think of something I, for one, will be eternally grateful, but Ted’s family’s situation isn’t unusual. I dare say it’s replicated all over the country.’

  ‘I can’t do anything for the whole of England, but if I can find a way to help Ivy and her children I will,’ Kate said firmly. ‘The poor woman will be devastated when she learns that her husband is being sent down for nine months.’

  ‘I’m going to visit her this morning, but first I must see you safely home, Kate.’

  ‘Thank you, but Jenny and I will be fine on our own, an
d you have something more important to do.’

  ‘If you’re certain …’ Perry said doubtfully. ‘But I’ll see you again soon.’

  ‘Yes, indeed, and please remember that I’ll do anything I can to help Ivy. Come, Jenny, I feel like walking home. Why waste money on a cab fare when it can be put to better use purchasing food for the Harris children?’

  ‘Kate, stop.’ Perry hurried after them. ‘Ivy won’t accept charity, you know that.’

  ‘We’ll see,’ Kate said cheerfully. ‘Goodbye, Perry. I’ll see you soon.’

  Chapter Three

  Kate had no experience of charity work and she decided to put Ivy’s case to her mother. They had just finished luncheon and were seated at the table, waiting for the maid to bring them coffee.

  ‘I don’t know why a young woman like you would want to bother with the lower classes, Kate,’ Arabella said impatiently. ‘You ought to be thinking about getting married. In a couple of years you’ll be on the shelf, and who will look after you when your father and I are no longer around?’

  ‘This isn’t about me, Mama,’ Kate protested.

  ‘You could join me and the other ladies in the committee to raise money for the church roof.’

  ‘I’m hardly likely to meet my future husband at a committee meeting, Mama.’

  ‘Don’t try to be clever, Kate.’ Arabella gazed at her daughter with a frown puckering her brow. ‘It’s a shame that your father doesn’t like entertaining, which I must admit makes it difficult for you to meet eligible bachelors, but some of my ladies have sons who must be looking for wives.’

  ‘Thank you, Mama, but I really don’t want to sit around waiting for the right man to come along. I’d like to do something useful. I need to keep busy.’

  ‘I know you were fond of that native chap in Delhi, my dear.’ Arabella’s frown melted into a sympathetic smile, and she reached out to lay her hand on Kate’s. ‘But it could never have amounted to anything. You do realise that, don’t you? Your father would never have agreed to such a match.’

  ‘Yes, Mama.’ Kate withdrew her hand, hoping that her mother had not noticed how the mere mention of Ash made her tremble. Any vague hopes that Kate had cherished regarding support from her mother had been dashed long ago.