The Reluctant Heiress

by Dilly Court

  ‘But our luggage, miss …’

  Harry nodded to the seaman. ‘We need the ladies’ baggage to be put ashore immediately.’

  Before the man could speak a uniformed officer strode up to them. ‘I heard what you said, sir. This is highly irregular.’

  ‘I’m sure it can’t be the first time that something similar has occurred. Please have Miss Martin’s luggage and that of her maid put ashore. Unfortunately, due to sudden and unexpected family illness, the ladies will not be sailing with you.’

  ‘If that is the case, please disembark now. We’re about to cast off.’ The officer jerked his head in the direction of the seaman. ‘See to the baggage, Robinson.’

  ‘Aye, aye, sir.’ Robinson hurried off, bellowing instructions at the top of his voice.

  Harry guided Kate down the gangplank. ‘I’m sorry to be the bearer of such bad news. But you can travel another time, perhaps when the political situation has settled down.’

  Kate came to a halt. ‘Are you sure this isn’t a ploy to stop me going to India?’

  ‘No, on my honour. I was there, Kate. I saw the judge collapse and he was carried out of the courtroom by two attendants. I believe he was taken to the Charing Cross Hospital in Agar Street.’

  ‘Then that’s where we’ll go now,’ Kate said firmly.

  Perry was already at the hospital when Kate finally arrived. He came to meet her, his expression serious.

  ‘How is my father?’ Kate demanded anxiously. ‘I want to see him.’

  ‘The doctors say he needs rest and must not be over-excited,’ Perry said gently. ‘I saw him for a couple of minutes, Kate. He was barely conscious, but not in pain.’

  ‘What happened? What is the matter with him?’

  ‘I believe they call it an apoplectic fit, but you should speak to Sir Bartholomew’s physician. He’ll be able to tell you more.’

  ‘Has anyone told my mother?’

  ‘I was about to leave for Finsbury Square when you arrived. Do you want to come with me?’

  Harry had been standing at a tactful distance with Jenny but he stepped forward, eyeing Perry suspiciously. ‘Are you all right, Kate?’

  ‘I can’t see Papa yet, so I’m going home with Perry. I think I ought to be the one to tell my mother.’

  ‘I understand.’

  ‘Thank you for coming to fetch me. It was the right thing to do.’

  ‘If you need anything, you know where to find me.’ Harry shot a calculating look in Perry’s direction. ‘We haven’t met before, although I’ve seen you in court.’

  ‘I thought I recognised you, Trader. I can’t say I approve of the way you’re using Kate’s soup kitchen as a cover for your criminal activities, but I appreciate the fact that you’ve gone out of your way to help her.’

  Harry faced him with a tight-lipped expression that did not bode well. Kate could see trouble brewing between them – one of them a man who upheld the law, and the other a privileged person who had chosen to become a criminal. It might have been laughable in different circumstances, but everything now took second place to her father’s condition.

  ‘If you don’t mind, I’d like to go home now, Perry,’ she said hastily.

  ‘My coachman will deliver your luggage to Finsbury Square.’ Harry stood aside to allow Kate and Perry to pass. ‘I have business to conduct near here, or I would take you home myself.’

  ‘You’ve done enough, Harry.’ Kate gave him a wan smile.

  Perry waited until they were out of earshot. ‘A gang leader must earn more than a mere lawyer, if he can afford a carriage and a coachman, too.’

  Kate turned on him angrily. ‘Harry Trader is a criminal, of that I have no doubt, but today he did a good thing. If he hadn’t been in court and seen Papa collapse, and if he had not come to the docks, Jenny and I would be on our way to India by now. My poor mother will be devastated when she hears the news.’

  ‘You’re right, of course,’ Perry said mildly. ‘We’d better hurry. You need to be the one to tell her – bad news travels fast.’

  Kate told her mother as gently as possible, but Arabella was distraught and she took to her bed with a cold compress on her forehead and a bottle of sal volatile close at hand. Barnet was kept busy with endless small tasks that were totally unnecessary, and, after her initial attempts to soothe her mother’s anxiety, Kate returned to the hospital, accompanied by Perry.

  They sat side by side in the gloomy waiting room in total silence. The clock on the wall seemed to have stopped, or else time had stood still, but eventually Sir Jasper Fey, the senior consultant, entered the room. His expression was not encouraging.

  Kate jumped to her feet. ‘How is he? Will my father be all right, sir?’

  ‘He is comfortable,’ Sir Jasper said vaguely. ‘I’m afraid I cannot tell you more at this early stage, Miss Martin. I have had patients with a similar condition who have regained most of their faculties, but it is by no means certain.’

  ‘I don’t understand.’ Kate sank back on her chair, staring at him blankly. ‘Are you saying that Papa might not recover completely?’

  ‘It’s impossible to say at the moment.’

  ‘May I see him, please, Doctor?’

  ‘I wouldn’t advise it, not yet anyway, Miss Martin. Come back tomorrow and we will have a better idea of the prognosis.’

  Kate was about to argue, but Perry laid his hand on her arm. ‘That sounds eminently sensible. Your father is in good hands, and you don’t want to upset him, do you?’

  ‘No, of course not. But what shall I tell, Mama?’

  ‘I will be more than happy to speak to Lady Martin.’ Sir Jasper opened the door. ‘But not today.’

  ‘She’s taking it badly,’ Kate said in the low voice. ‘I don’t know what to say to her.’

  ‘Give her a dose of laudanum, that’s my professional advice. Lady Martin will benefit from rest and a good night’s sleep.’ Sir Jasper hurried from the room.

  ‘I’ll take you home, Kate.’ Perry stood up, holding out his hand. ‘There’s nothing more to do here.’

  She allowed him to help her to her feet. ‘I’ll get a cab, Perry. You’ve done enough for my family today.’

  ‘All right,’ he said doubtfully. ‘But are you sure you can manage?’

  ‘I’ll go home and change into something more practical and then I’ll go to the soup kitchen. The meal will be over, but I can help them to clear up, and if what Sir Jasper said is true, there’s almost nothing I can do for Mama. Keeping busy will take my mind off things.’

  ‘I’m sorry you had to cancel your trip to India, but it’s probably for the best.’

  ‘I expect you’re right,’ Kate said dully.

  Fate had once again turned her world upside down, but she refused to think about what might have been. Uncle Edgar had loved India, and he had devoted more than half his life to that country. Perhaps it was better that his ashes were scattered on the land he held so dear. As to finding Ashok, she would never give up hope of their reunion, but now the only option left was to go through official channels. She would return to India at the first opportunity, come what may, but for now there were people who needed her here at home, and her first duty was to her family.

  Sir Bartholomew was discharged from hospital a month later. On a hot afternoon in late July when the pavements sizzled beneath the unrelenting rays of the sun, he was helped from the carriage by Henry and Fellowes, who had been at his side most of the time he had been in hospital. They carried Sir Bartholomew upstairs to a bedroom adjacent to the one he had shared with his wife for the past twenty-two years, and a bed had been placed in the dressing room so that Fellowes could be on hand if Sir Bartholomew needed anything during the night.

  Kate had made sure that her father’s sick room was aired and made as welcoming and comfortable as possible. Vases filled with summer flowers were placed on side tables, and the drab brocade curtains had been replaced by colourful chintz draperies. Fellowes had shown touching devotio
n to his master and he rarely left Sir Bartholomew’s side. His services were needed even more than before the illness that had struck Sir Bartholomew with such power and speed. His recovery had been very slow and the whole of his left side was paralysed. His speech was slurred and on occasions it was only Fellowes who understood what his master wanted. Kate had found it difficult to be in her father’s company for very long, and Arabella’s visits to the hospital were even more infrequent, leaving her depressed and tearful for days at a time.

  When her father was safely installed in his new surroundings, Kate made sure that he was as comfortable as possible. She left Fellowes fussing over the cushions in the chair by the window, which overlooked the square gardens, and she went in search of her mother.

  Arabella was in the drawing room, seated by an open window, fanning herself energetically. ‘I hate London in the summer,’ she said crossly. ‘The heat and the awful smells make life unendurable, and there are flies everywhere.’

  ‘Papa is comfortable in his new room. Will you go up and see him?’

  ‘Yes, but not now. Fellowes is with him and he manages the situation much better than I.’

  ‘Papa has been very ill. He might have died, so I wouldn’t call it a “situation”.’

  ‘Well, you’re so clever, miss. You may call it what you like, but I will choose when I visit my husband. He is well cared for and that is the most important thing.’

  Kate sensed that there was more beneath her mother’s casual attitude to her husband’s condition than she was saying. ‘Is there something bothering you, Mama?’

  ‘Sir Jasper came to see me this morning while you were playing the Good Samaritan at the soup kitchen. He told me that he doesn’t think your father’s condition will improve, and it’s quite possible that another such episode might be fatal.’

  Kate sank down on a padded footstool. ‘Surely he didn’t use those words, Mama?’

  ‘It’s what he meant, rather than what he said. I’m not a fool, Kate. I understood him perfectly well.’

  ‘Doctors can be wrong. With all the love and care that Papa will receive I’m sure he will make a good recovery.’

  ‘Are you a doctor? No, of course you are not, so don’t make predictions that mean absolutely nothing.’

  Her mother’s hurtful words struck Kate like barbed darts, but she forced herself to remain calm. ‘I meant that we will take good care of him, and now he’s at home, surely he will recover more quickly.’

  ‘You may think you know it all, miss, but the truth is that your father is unlikely to work again, and now Edgar has bequeathed the family fortune to you, including this house, we will probably have to move to somewhere much smaller and in a less salubrious area. You, of course, can afford to live anywhere you wish.’

  ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ Kate said slowly. ‘Why would you and Papa have to move away? This is your home as well as mine.’

  ‘You say that now, but I wouldn’t be surprised if you turned this house into a refuge for the disreputable people you feed at your wretched soup kitchen. You’re not a good daughter, Kate. You defy your father’s wishes, and mine. I wouldn’t be surprised if his illness was brought about by you – you ungrateful child.’

  Kate stared at her mother in dismay. She had known all along that Mama disapproved of her work, but she had not been prepared for such a vitriolic outpouring.

  ‘I’m sorry you think that way, Mama. It was never my intention to upset either of you, and Sir Jasper said that Papa’s illness could not have been predicted, nor was anyone to blame.’

  ‘You say that because it suits you. I saw the way you acted when you were with your uncle in Delhi. You were all sweetness and obedience then, but look at you now. You’re still defying me even at this moment. I’ll tell Barnet to start packing up our things now.’

  ‘You’ll do no such thing, Mama.’ Kate stood up, clasping her hands together in an attempt to stop them shaking. She had never lost her temper with either parent, but now she found herself very close to speaking out. Somehow she managed to remain calm. ‘This is our family home and always will be. You have no need to worry about money, or making economies – I will see to everything. All you have to do is to concentrate on helping Papa to get better. If anyone is going to move out, it will be me.’

  Kate left the room without giving her mother a chance to argue, but she was shaking from head to foot as she closed the door behind her. Her mother’s words had cut deep and they were totally unfair. She knew her duty to her parents, even though she had seen very little of them while she was growing up. A succession of nannies, governesses and tutors had taken their place, and the only person who had shown her genuine affection and understanding was now dead. Uncle Edgar would have been horrified if he had heard what Mama had just said. Kate brushed tears from her eyes. She was of age now, even though her mother had called her a child. Circumstances had placed her in charge of the household. It was something wished upon her, but she would do her best to look after all those in her care.

  Next day Kate was up early and she ate her breakfast alone in the dining room. Seated at the end of the mahogany table, which would seat twenty or more guests at dinner, Kate looked around at the elegant Sheraton furniture and the gilt-framed oil paintings of pastoral scenes, gushing waterfalls and a stag at bay, in the style of Sir Edwin Landseer. Arabella had been particularly proud of this acquisition, purchased just before the family embarked on the voyage to India. Kate sighed, pushing her plate away. Once again, the contrast of their opulent lifestyle was painful when compared with the way Ivy and her children existed, as well as the hundreds of people who now flocked to the soup kitchen every week.

  She rose from the table and snatched her bonnet and reticule from the chair by the door. If she left now she might be able to get away without having to explain why she was leaving so early. Perhaps it was something that Spears had said the day before, but Kate had been feeling uneasy ever since. He was not the most cheerful person to have around, but yesterday he had been positively gloomy, and he had gone round muttering about the possibility of a police raid on the premises. Kate had never ventured further than the meeting room upstairs, but she thought it was used too infrequently to attract any interest from the constabulary.

  She left the house without being seen and hailed a passing cab to take her to Whitechapel. It was still early but the sun beat down mercilessly from a cloudless sky and the odour from the sewers grew worse as the cab headed towards the river. Flies clustered on mounds of horse dung, and the horse pulling the cab flicked its tail and tossed its mane as the tiny tormentors buzzed around its head. Kate held a silver vinaigrette beneath her nose, but the pungent smell of the aromatic vinegar could not quite eliminate the city stench.

  She alighted outside the soup kitchen and paid the cabby, but even before she tried the door she sensed that there was something wrong. A mere touch of her fingers on the handle made the door swing open, and she felt a shiver of anxiety run down her spine.

  ‘Spears?’ Kate stepped inside. Her voice came back to her in an eerie echo. ‘Spears, are you there?’ She walked slowly to the foot of the stairs where the interior door hung from a single hinge, and the lock was broken. ‘Spears?’

  Once again his name came back as if to mock her. She had a vision of him lying on the floor in the meeting place upstairs, battered and bruised after a confrontation with Monks’ gang. Her footsteps reverberated on the bare treads as she ascended the stairs, but the room above was empty apart from the folded trestle tables and the neatly stacked chairs. It took all her courage to explore the rest of the first floor, but there was nothing unremarkable. The second- and third-floor rooms were all dusty and sparsely furnished, but when she reached the attic rooms at the top of the premises she was reassured by their emptiness. There had been signs of a scuffle in the room where Spears slept, but it could be that he was extremely untidy, and maybe he always threw his clothes on the floor. Whatever had occurred during the hours of d
arkness, there was no one here now to bear witness.

  Kate retraced her steps and headed for the kitchen. She still felt uneasy, but there was nothing she could do, and there would be hungry people queuing outside at midday. She set about the mundane task of building up the fire in the range and filling pans with water from the pump at the sink. By the time Ivy arrived with the baby in her arms, followed by Charlie and the twins, Kate had peeled a mountain of potatoes and was about to start on the carrots.

  ‘You’re here early,’ Ivy said cheerfully. ‘What happened to the front door? The lock’s broken.’

  ‘That’s the question I’ve been asking myself ever since I arrived this morning. Spears isn’t here and he never leaves the premises unlocked.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound good.’ Ivy placed the baby on the floor. ‘Take care of your brothers, girls. Ma has things to do.’ Ivy rolled up her sleeves. ‘There’s nothing we can do about it. I’ll start on the onions. It’s certainly much easier since we’ve been buying sacks of vegetables. It saves time and money.’

  Kate nodded but she barely heard what Ivy had said. If Spears had been taken by Monks’ gang it was quite possible that they would return and claim the property for their own purposes. She took off her apron and laid it over the back of a chair.

  ‘I think I’d better find Harry Trader. We might be in serious trouble.’

  ‘I’ve heard that there’s even worse hostility between the gangs,’ Ivy said, frowning. ‘Word gets round quicker than you can blink in Nightingale Lane.’

  ‘Nevertheless, this building belongs to Harry, and Spears works for him. I think he needs to know what’s happened. I’ll be as quick as I can, Ivy. I won’t leave you to manage on your own.’

  ‘That’s all right, miss. I’ll have Annie to help when she gets here. She’s getting good at chopping onions and the like, and I think she enjoys helping.’

  ‘Even so, I’ll be back before you know it.’

  Kate took a cab to Finsbury Circus. The heat was oppressive as she ran up the steps to hammer on the door knocker. Dark clouds had obscured the sun and there was a sulphurous haze in the air.