The Reluctant Heiress

by Dilly Court

  Visibly relieved, Arabella smiled. ‘I’m glad we had this talk, Kate. I was worried about you having your head turned by an ambitious young man, but fate stepped in and resolved the matter before it became a real problem.’

  ‘I don’t think fate had anything to do with the uprising, and we wouldn’t be here now if Subedar-Major Patel had not risked his own life to help us escape.’ Kate rose from the table. ‘I just hope that Uncle Edgar and our friends in Delhi are all safe and well.’

  ‘As do I, Katherine. There’s no need to take that tone with me. I’m very glad we’re back in London, and you’ll thank us one day for saving you from a terrible error of judgement. Going native might be all right for men who are far from home, but totally out of the question for a young woman like yourself.’

  ‘For your information, Mama, Ashok Patel is an Anglo-Indian. His mother was English, the daughter of a respected writer working for the East India Company.’

  Kate left the room, biting back tears of anger and despair. Even allowing for the long sea voyage, she would have expected to receive word from Ash by now. Every day she waited eagerly for the arrival of the post, but with no word from Delhi she was beginning to fear the worst. She could hear her mother’s plaintive voice calling her name, and for a moment she was ashamed of her outburst, but she had only spoken the truth and for that she was not going to apologise.

  Kate needed to escape, even if only for an hour or two, and she was about to go upstairs to collect her bonnet and shawl when Jenny came hurrying from the direction of the back stairs.

  ‘Is everything all right?’

  ‘We’re going out. Will you fetch my bonnet and shawl, please?’

  ‘Wait there. I’ll be two shakes of a lamb’s tail.’

  Kate had to smile. There was something about Jenny’s seemingly inexhaustible good humour, and her total disregard for the strict rules of behaviour that servants were supposed to obey, that was both refreshing and amusing.

  Minutes later, dressed for a walk on a sunny afternoon, Kate set off, accompanied by her maid. It was all very proper, but Kate’s reason for stepping out was something of a rebellion.

  ‘Where are we going, miss?’ Jenny asked eagerly. ‘Are you going to visit that family you told me about?’

  Kate shook her head. ‘No, but I’ve just had a brilliant idea.’ She came to a halt and hailed a hansom cab. ‘Get in, Jenny.’

  ‘Where to, miss?’ The cabby leaned towards her. ‘Where d’you want to go?’

  ‘Do you know of any empty premises to rent near the docks?’

  ‘A young lady like you don’t want to go there, miss.’

  ‘Yes, I do,’ Kate said firmly. ‘Do you know of any such places?’

  ‘It ain’t the sort of area what I’d like any daughter of mine to explore, miss.’

  ‘Then it’s fortunate that we aren’t related, cabby.’ Kate jingled the coins in her reticule. ‘I can pay, and if it makes you feel better you may wait for us and bring us back to Finsbury Square.’

  ‘Don’t say I didn’t warn you, miss. Better hop in quick. Me horse is restless and I got a living to earn.’

  Kate climbed in to sit beside Jenny.

  ‘What are you up to, miss?’

  ‘Wait and see.’ Kate could hardly contain her excitement. Her idea was not a new one; in fact she had visited the lending library the previous week, even before she had met Ivy Harris. Her research had confirmed what Perry had told her previously: parish soup kitchens had been banned by the Poor Law Act of 1834, but one run by charity had been opened a few years earlier in Leicester Square, and some other charities were doing a similar thing in different parts of the East End. As far as she knew, there were none so far in the area she had in mind, and that was why she wanted to go there now.

  The cab drew to a halt in Cable Street and the cabby opened the trap door in the roof. ‘Are you sure you want to get out here, miss?’

  Kate leaned forward in order to get a better view of the premises with the large ‘To Let’ sign in the window. ‘Yes, that’s exactly what I’m looking for.’

  ‘It’s a rough area, miss,’ Jenny said nervously. ‘I wouldn’t want to walk these streets on me own, particularly after dark.’

  Kate climbed down to the pavement. ‘I intend to open a soup kitchen, Jenny. We’ll open at midday and close immediately after serving food to those who are in desperate need.’ She glanced up and down the street, and she had to agree with Jenny, although she was not going to say so. ‘You can stay in the cab, if you wish. I’m going to knock on the door and see if anyone is there. I want to look inside and see if it’s suitable.’

  With obvious reluctance, Jenny stepped down onto the pavement. ‘Your papa would have a fit if he knew what you’re doing. I doubt if your friend Mr Harte would think it proper, either.’

  Ignoring Jenny’s protest, Kate hammered on the door with her fist, and she stood back at the sound of footsteps and the turning of a key in the lock.

  ‘Who’s there?’ A querulous male voice demanded.

  ‘I’m interested in renting the premises,’ Kate said boldly. ‘I’d like to see inside.’

  The door opened to reveal a tall man with a mane of black hair tied back with a piece of string. His jacket was patched at the elbows and his trousers had the shiny texture incurred from years of wear. He glanced up and down the street.

  ‘Are you sure you wasn’t followed?’

  Kate stared at him in surprise. ‘Who would follow us?’

  ‘You ain’t here on behalf of Mad Monks, are you?’

  ‘There are mad monks in this neighbourhood?’ Kate wondered if the man was slightly deranged.

  ‘Monks is a person of ill repute.’ He eyed her curiously. ‘If it weren’t him was it Harry Trader? Monks is bad enough but you don’t want to get on the wrong side of Harry Trader and his gang. This is his place, so take my advice and push off.’

  ‘No, sir,’ Kate said patiently. ‘I don’t know either of those people and I have nothing to do with any sort of gang or gangster. Now may we come in, please?’

  ‘Never let it be said that Augustus Spears kept a young lady standing on the pavement. I was once a soldier in Her Majesty’s army. I know me manners.’ He opened the door wide enough to allow them to enter, but he slammed it shut as quickly as he could without knocking Jenny over. ‘Help yourselves,’ he said, sighing. ‘I’m just the caretaker now. I look after the place.’

  The first thing that Kate noted was that the premises had gaslight, which was a definite advantage. It was a large empty room with lime-washed walls and a high ceiling. Behind it was an equally large kitchen with a range and a stone sink with a pump.

  ‘This is ideal,’ Kate said enthusiastically. ‘What was it used for previously, Mr Spears?’

  He stood in the doorway, watching anxiously as she opened the back door. It led into a small yard with a ramshackle shed at the far end, which was presumably a privy.

  ‘Many things,’ he said vaguely. ‘People come and go.’

  ‘It must have been something.’ Jenny turned on him impatiently. ‘Was it a shop selling boots and shoes, or food of some sort?’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s been all of those. It never stays open for long.’

  ‘What is the rent?’ Kate asked, coming straight to the point.

  ‘Ten shillings a month.’

  ‘It takes me a year to earn that much,’ Jenny whispered. ‘It’s too dear, miss.’

  ‘That is rather a lot,’ Kate said thoughtfully. ‘Perhaps that’s why the occupants don’t stay for long.’

  ‘It’s the gangs, miss.’ Spears tapped the side of his large red-tipped nose. ‘Mad Monks and Trader’s lot are always trying to outdo each other. Very bloody it gets sometimes, if you’ll pardon the expression.’

  ‘That must be hard on the people living round here.’ Kate shuddered at the sight of two rats fighting over a scrap of food in the back yard, and she slammed the door, turning the key in the lock. ‘This place
needs a good clean up.’

  ‘I don’t think we’ll be staying long enough to raise a duster,’ Jenny said in a low voice. ‘This ain’t the sort of area for you, miss. My ma would have a fit if she knew we was here now, let alone starting up a soup kitchen.’

  ‘Soup kitchen?’ Spears moved a step closer. ‘Is that what you had in mind, miss?’

  Kate winkled her nose. It was obvious from the odour that hung about him like a greenish cloud that Augustus Spears was a stranger to soap and water. ‘Yes, it is. That’s if I decide to take on this premises at such an exorbitant rent.’

  ‘It ain’t up to me. I just do what the owner tells me.’

  ‘Then I suggest you tell that person that I’ll pay six shillings a month and his premises will be put to good use feeding the destitute.’

  Spears shook his head. ‘I dunno if that will make any difference, miss. Ten shillings is the going rate.’

  ‘You won’t know until you try, Mr Spears.’

  ‘Who shall I say is asking?’

  Jenny nudged Kate in the ribs. ‘I wouldn’t tell him if I was you, miss.’

  ‘You’re right, of course.’ Kate moved towards the door that led out into the street. ‘A lady, is all he needs to know. I’ll call by tomorrow afternoon for his response.’ She opened the door and was relieved to find the cab still waiting, although the horse was pawing the ground as if eager to be on the move.

  ‘Finsbury Square, please, cabby.’ Kate climbed inside followed closely by Jenny.

  ‘Are you sure about this?’ Jenny asked urgently. ‘Look around you. Half these buildings are near derelict, and the gangs that old man spoke of might object to our presence.’

  ‘We’ll be helping people,’ Kate said firmly. ‘That’s the only thing that matters to me. Having seen that poor family yesterday has made me determined to put my time to good use. If the owner refuses to let the place to me, then I’ll look elsewhere, but I won’t be put off, not for a minute. I’ve no money to give those less fortunate than myself, but a full belly will help to keep body and soul together.’

  Kate had expected an icy reception when she reached home, but her father greeted her with a genuine smile and her mother seemed to have forgotten their difference of opinion earlier that day.

  ‘Guess what, Kate?’ Arabella said, clasping her hands together. ‘Your papa has been appointed as judge in the Central Criminal Court. Isn’t that wonderful?’

  ‘Congratulations, Papa. I’m sure you deserve the honour.’

  Sir Bartholomew smiled modestly. ‘Well, I have to admit that I’ve worked hard to earn the position. I put myself forward before we left England, and now my chance has come.’

  ‘It has indeed, my dear.’ Arabella clasped her husband’s arm, smiling up at him. ‘We must celebrate.’

  ‘I’ve invited Perry to dine with us tonight, Arabella. That will be enough. One doesn’t want to appear ostentatious.’ Sir Bartholomew strolled off towards his study with a definite swagger in his step.

  Kate took off her bonnet and handed it to Jenny. ‘Have you engaged a new lady’s maid, Mama?’

  ‘Yes, as a matter of fact I have. Miss Barnet will be starting tomorrow. I won’t need Jenny’s services then. She can go back to being a housemaid.’

  ‘But she’s to be my maid, Mama. You promised.’

  Arabella’s smiled faded. ‘I don’t remember promising anything, Kate. You assume too much. Of course she will help you when needed, but you are hardly a debutante. You are “a spinster of this parish”, I think is the correct way to describe your position in the family. You are dependent upon your papa for everything, and I think you would be well to remember that.’

  Kate knew this to be true, but her mother’s harsh words acted as a reminder that she had not forgotten their previous exchange of words.

  ‘I’m hardly likely to forget the fact, Mama.’

  Arabella recoiled as if Kate had hit her a physical blow. ‘That’s no way to speak to your mama.’

  ‘But you may say spiteful things to me and I’m supposed to bear your comments in silence. I’m sorry, Mama, but as you pointed out, I’m a grown woman now, and I expect to be treated like an adult and not a wayward child.’

  ‘Oh! I won’t listen to this. I’ll tell your father what you just said to me.’

  ‘Please do, and if he’s as good a judge as he’s supposed to be, I’m sure he will see my side of things. I don’t wish to argue with you, Mama, but I have feelings, too.’

  Arabella threw up her hands and hurried off in the direction of her husband’s study.

  ‘I’m sorry, miss.’ Jenny emerged from the vestibule. ‘I brought that on you. I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but I couldn’t get to the back stairs without being seen.’

  Kate turned to her with a wry smile. ‘It wasn’t your fault, Jenny. But you heard what my mother said. I am a person of no account in this family.’

  ‘It’s not for me to say, miss. But I’d be very upset if Ma spoke to me like that.’

  ‘Mrs Marsh probably thinks for herself, Jenny. My mother simply voices my father’s opinions. I’ll be in my room if anyone wants me.’

  ‘Yes, miss. Of course.’

  Kate was tempted to have her evening meal sent to her room, but she decided that would be childish and only cause more of a rift between herself and her mother. Before Kate met Ashok she had never challenged her parents’ authority, but now, for the first time, she questioned the right of a husband to dominate his wife and children to the extent that they obeyed him slavishly. Perhaps it had something to do with the fate of Ivy Harris, burdened by a feckless husband and the demands of bearing a child each year, and Ivy’s humble acceptance of her lot. Despite her desire to rebel, Kate knew that she would have to apologise to her mother if there was to be any peace in the household. What she would keep secret, for the time being at least, was her ambition to start a soup kitchen in one of the roughest areas in East London.

  She dressed with care and without Jenny’s assistance, although she could not manage the coiffure created by Jenny’s nimble fingers, and she allowed her long, blond hair to fall naturally to her shoulders, held back from her face by a pearl-encrusted comb, her only jewellery. With a last critical glance in the tall cheval mirror, Kate picked up her skirts and made her way downstairs to the drawing room.

  Perry rose to his feet and his appreciative smile went a long way to soothing Kate’s turbulent emotions.

  ‘Good evening, Kate. May I say how charming you look?’

  ‘Thank you, Perry.’

  Kate could feel her mother’s eyes upon her and a quick glance confirmed her suspicions – Perry was being assessed as a prospective son-in-law. A few months ago he would have been at the very bottom of a list of eligible young men, but Kate sensed a feeling of desperation in her mother and it made her feel extremely uncomfortable. However, if Perry noticed an atmosphere in the room he was far too tactful to bring it to her attention.

  ‘Sit down, please,’ Arabella said impatiently. ‘We’ll have a glass of sherry wine while we’re waiting for Sir Bartholomew. He had some papers to attend to, Peregrine.’ She signalled to Jenny, who had been standing stiffly to attention, waiting for instructions.

  ‘Thank you, Lady Martin, that would be much appreciated.’ Perry pulled up a chair for Kate and another for himself, and he accepted a glass of sherry from Jenny, acknowledging her with a nod and a smile.

  Kate admired the easy way he had with everyone, and she warmed towards him.

  ‘Have you had a trying day, Perry?’

  He laughed. ‘In all senses of the word, Kate.’ He turned to Arabella, raising his glass. ‘It’s been a good day for Sir Bartholomew. He’s certainly earned his new appointment.’

  ‘Here he is now.’ Arabella half rose from her seat by the fireplace, her face wreathed in smiles as her husband entered the room.

  Sir Bartholomew waved away Jenny’s offer of a glass of sherry. ‘Fetch the brandy decanter and a couple of glasses.’
He turned to Perry. ‘I’m sure you’d prefer a glass of cognac, Peregrine.’

  ‘Thank you, Sir Bartholomew, but I’m quite happy with sherry. Although perhaps we ought to be celebrating your undoubted achievement with champagne. Had I given it a thought I might have brought a magnum with me.’

  Sir Bartholomew accepted a glass of brandy from Jenny and he slumped down on the sofa. ‘No need. A fine cognac beats all other tipples.’ He sipped his drink with an appreciative sigh. ‘But you’re right in one way, I do have cause to celebrate, and so do you.’

  ‘Me, sir? I’m not sure I understand.’

  ‘I can’t believe you haven’t considered the implications of my new appointment. I will be presiding at the Old Bailey, and you will be head of chambers, with all that goes with that somewhat dubious honour.’

  ‘I hadn’t considered it until this moment, sir.’

  ‘Then you must. Do you think you are ready to take the responsibility?’

  ‘I’ve been doing it with some success while you were in Delhi, Sir Bartholomew. I am more experienced now and much more confident in my own abilities.’

  ‘Splendid. Then there is just the question of the funds needed to buy me out, but we’ll discuss that privately. This evening we are simply celebrating.’

  Kate stared at her father in dismay. ‘Did you say that Perry owes you money, Papa?’

  ‘Of course he does, my dear. This is business and it doesn’t concern you.’

  ‘But I thought that he would simply take over, Papa.’

  ‘That shows how little you know about anything in the world of commerce, my dear. I built up the practice and anyone taking over from me would have to pay for the goodwill. Isn’t that so, Peregrine, my boy?’

  ‘Of course, sir.’ Perry cleared his throat nervously. ‘But it might take me some time to raise the amount you might require.’

  ‘I’m sure you will find the way.’ Sir Bartholomew beckoned to Jenny. ‘Refill our glasses, and then you can go to the kitchen and find out how long dinner will be. I’m famished.’