by Cathy Sharp
‘Will we have a new cook?’
‘It will take a while to replace Mrs Davies, because we cannot pay the high wages some cooks demand. Nancy is going to try and manage with your help at least for a while … Do you think you can manage, Jinny?’
‘Yes, Sister. I’ve been promised more food next week, if you will let me do the shopping … and I like cooking, though I’ll never be as good as Nellie. She cooked for a school before she got married … and she taught me.’
‘She sounds very capable.’ Sister hesitated, then, ‘If your friend wishes for a job, perhaps just lunchtimes since she is married – ask her to come and see me please.’
‘Yes, Sister. When can she come?’
‘Any morning – but let me know as soon as possible to expect her …’
‘Yes, I will,’ Jinny said and glowed with pleasure. Surely Nellie would enjoy cooking for the children and it would be easier for her than scrubbing office floors as she did now. ‘I’ll go and see her this evening …’
CHAPTER 19
Jinny was busy storing her produce and cooking for the remainder of the afternoon. She prepared the soft fruit and then put it in a cool place ready for making into jam the next day, and then she made a rhubarb crumble with custard and a lovely jam tart. Finally, she prepared tomato sandwiches and fruit scones for supper.
When she’d finished washing up, she was dying to put her feet up and relax, but mindful of her promise to Sister Beatrice, she got herself ready and went out to catch her bus.
All thoughts of Jake had fled her mind, because she’d had too much to think about recently, and it was only when she got off the bus and walked to Nellie’s house that she realised she was vulnerable. However, there was no sign of him as she walked quickly through the small courtyard to her friend’s home.
Nellie was surprised to see her and told her to sit down while she made a pot of tea and got some cake and sausage rolls out. Jinny realised she’d hardly eaten all day herself, because she’d been so busy.
‘This is lovely,’ she said as she munched the savoury roll. ‘I love your cooking, Nellie. It’s much better than Mum’s used to be – and that’s why I thought of you when our cook went off …’ Nellie looked at her curiously and Jinny laughed as she started to explain. ‘So Sister said would you come and help us out for a while until she gets a new cook …?’
‘Cook for St Saviour’s?’ Nellie was surprised and pleased, a smile spreading over her round face. ‘Well, that’s nice to be asked – but I’ve got my man’s tea to get and the house to look after …’
‘It’s just lunchtimes,’ Jinny said. ‘Me and Elsa can manage the teas and suppers and breakfast is easy – but lunch is a lot more work …’
‘Just for a couple of hours or so then?’ Nellie was clearly interested. ‘Did she say how much she pays? I’m not greedy, lass, but I’ll want a bit, ’cos it means givin’ up my cleanin’ in the mornin’s …’
‘Sister will pay you a fair wage,’ Jinny said. ‘You can come and see her one morning, just tell me when and she’ll tell you what she needs and what she pays.’
‘I get two pound and five bob fer scrubbing five days a week,’ Nellie said. ‘I’ll be happy wiv that …’
Jinny hugged her. ‘It would be lovely having you there, Nellie. Mrs Davies wasn’t very nice. She hit us sometimes and never stopped moanin’ – and the food she cooked was awful sometimes.’
‘Sounds as if you’re well rid of ’er, whether she took the money or not,’ Nellie said. ‘You tell your Sister Beatrice that I’ll be there the day after tomorrow to see ’er and I’ll start straight off. I’ve got to tell ’em at the office I won’t be goin’ in no more …’
Jinny couldn’t believe how well the day had turned out. It had started off in turmoil, but now it was wonderful.
‘Are yer goin’ ter pop round and see yer ma?’ Nellie asked suddenly.
‘What about Jake?’
‘No need to worry about ’im fer a while,’ Nellie said and smiled wryly. ‘It seems ’e ’ad a bit of an accident down the Docks a couple of days ago, love. They say somethin’ fell on ’im and ’e were lucky to get away wiv ’is life …’
‘Jake had an accident?’ Jinny was shocked, because somehow she couldn’t see Jake being careless in his work. ‘How?’
‘No one rightly knows,’ Nellie said, but turned away to refill her kettle and push it back over the fire. ‘Pop next door and see yer ma, love, and I’ll make us some cocoa afore yer go home …’
Jinny was thoughtful as she travelled home that night. Her mother had been tearful over Jake’s accident, com-plaining about how she was going to manage without Jake’s money coming in.
‘The man from the Docks said I’d get a few bob a week,’ she told Jinny, ‘but I don’t know how they expect me to manage on that … if Jake’s back is broken I shan’t be able to pay the rent.’
‘What about your job in the bar?’
‘I got the push from that,’ her mother sniffed. ‘They said I was drunk and not fit to serve drinks … It was just that jealous old cow out the back, because Jake preferred me to ’er.’
‘Nellie is giving up her job at the offices,’ Jinny offered helpfully. ‘I’m sure she’d put in a good word for you, Mum. That should make you enough to pay the rent …’
All she got for her encouragement was a snarl and a glare. ‘I can’t go scrubbin’ floors at my age. I couldn’t stand it …’
‘Nellie does,’ Jinny said. ‘Perhaps Jake will be out sooner than you think.’
Her mother shook her head sorrowfully. ‘Someone tried to kill ’im. Jake swears it was no accident that the rope holdin’ the crate broke. Says he’d tested it ’imself earlier and it was sound then …’
‘No, surely not,’ Jinny said, a shiver sliding down her spine. ‘Who would do that?’
‘I thought you might know.’ Mrs Hollis looked angry. ‘Jake told me that you wouldn’t come ’ome when I was bad and that bloke of yours threatened ’im. If Jake dies the police will come after ’im.’
‘Don’t be silly,’ Jinny said. Micky wouldn’t do that! She knew he wouldn’t. Micky was generous and kind – look at the way he’d rallied his friends to give food to the orphanage that afternoon. He wouldn’t try to kill Jake, even if he had said he would make sure Jake couldn’t hurt her again …
Jinny’s mother had continued to grumble at her until she left, telling her she should give her money while Jake was away. Jinny had taken five shillings from her purse and put it on the table, but she knew her mother wasn’t bothered about the rent being paid – it would go on drink as always, and Jinny wasn’t going to give her all her hard-earned wages to fritter away on strong drink.
At the moment Jinny wasn’t earning enough to pay her mother’s rent. If she could afford it, she would contact the landlord and pay him directly, but she just couldn’t manage it all, and it would be useless to give her mother a few shillings each week, because it would only go the same way.
Jinny worried for a few minutes but then pushed the uneasy thoughts from her mind. Deep down, she knew that her mother would solve her problem the way she always had – by picking up men and getting money from them or at least getting them to buy her drinks. In her way she was still attractive and with Jake out of the way in the Infirmary, she would go back to her old ways. What Jake would have to say to it when he came out was another matter and one which Jinny didn’t want to contemplate.
She’d escaped her home to work at St Saviour’s and even her mother’s grumbling would not draw her back. She would simply have to find work or do what she always did when she was down on her luck …
Getting off her bus outside St Saviour’s, she saw Micky sitting on a shiny green motorbike. He grinned as he saw her and she went up to him.
‘I didn’t believe you’d really got a motorbike,’ she said. ‘What sort is it then?’
‘A Norton Classic – and a real beauty,’ Micky said. ‘What about comin’ for a ride, Jinny?�
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‘I’d love to come on Sunday afternoon,’ Jinny said. ‘I’ve got tea to get now – but pick me up at three on Sunday and I’ll come …’
‘All right, we’ll go for a little trip out to Richmond Park,’ he said. ‘I’ll treat you to a cream tea somewhere if yer like …’
‘Thanks,’ Jinny said. It crossed her mind to ask if he knew anything about Jake’s accident at the Docks, but he was looking so pleased with himself that she couldn’t. ‘I’ve got to start work in ten minutes … but I’ll look forward to our outing on Sunday …’ She smiled as he nodded, kick-started the bike and roared off down the road …
Sandra carried a tray of tea up to Sister’s office the next morning. She knocked and was invited to enter, and having set the tray on the desk began to pour the tea for them both.
‘I didn’t want to make trouble for Mrs Davies, but it’s obvious what she has been doing, using substandard produce and pocketing the difference,’ Sandra said. ‘It’s far worse than we thought at first, because she was risking the children’s health by giving them poor food.’
‘It cannot have been going on long. I hadn’t noticed anything …’
‘She would make sure your meals were proper,’ Sandra said. ‘Mavis and the other carers had noticed but didn’t like to make a fuss, because she was always saying you didn’t give her enough to manage on … but taking money from Kelly’s bag and the staff’s treat box was her undoing.’
‘We cannot be certain that was her,’ Sister said. ‘I know it looks that way – but Sergeant Sallis told me circumstantial evidence would not be enough in court. Not that I have any intention of it going that far. I was bound to report it – but it is up to the Board to press charges if the police arrest her.’
‘No, you are right,’ Sandra agreed. ‘It looks bad because she did not return – but we don’t know for certain that she took the money …’
‘If she did I dare say it was because of her son,’ Sister Beatrice said. ‘It seems certain she had been cheating us for some time … perhaps only a few shillings here and there. It may be that she was in some kind of trouble …’
‘I can feel sorry for her if her son was putting pressure on her for money, but giving bad fish to the children is unforgivable.’
‘I imagine she thought it wouldn’t harm them,’ Sister Beatrice said, ‘but she was lucky it didn’t kill that child, and that the others have recovered – had it been otherwise she would be in prison now …’
‘Perhaps she feared that – and so she took all the money she could get her hands on and fled.’
‘Whatever the case, it’s just as well she went,’ Sister said. ‘She was not to be trusted and at least this way she’s out of our lives. Jinny is going to be in charge of the provisions for now and her friend Nellie is probably going to help cook the meals. I’m told she is a good cook so I look forward to some improvement …’
‘Jinny did well yesterday,’ Sandra said, ‘but we can’t expect her to do it all – at least not yet. She’s young to be in charge of staff and Nancy has too much work without taking on the charge of the kitchen. I could put in another hour or so …’
‘You have plenty to do as it is,’ Sister Beatrice said. ‘I’m aware we’re often short of staff and I know you help make beds and clean the dorms sometimes, so don’t offer to take on more. It is our old problem of never having quite enough funds – but I think we shall manage as we are for a while, if Nellie obliges us and no one leaves or goes off sick for weeks on end.’
‘It’s such a big responsibility for you,’ Sandra said. ‘I think you must get very tired sometimes …’ She looked at the nun anxiously, because she was looking a little weary.
‘Sometimes I feel my age,’ Beatrice admitted with a wry nod. ‘However, we have to think of the children. They are always my first priority and I am upset to think that I did not realise the standards in the kitchen had dropped so low. These children have had enough of being hungry and given bad food – I am furious that that woman took their money for herself. I eat very little myself and was given a sandwich or an omelette whenever I asked … but it was not the same for the children I’m afraid.’
‘I imagine it was all for her son,’ Sandra said and frowned. ‘Sergeant Sallis told me that they think he had outside help to escape – help that would have needed money to organise … No wonder she took money that belonged to St Saviour’s.’
‘And to the staff. Kelly lost a pound from her bag, you know …’
‘Rose lost ten shillings from her purse the other night. She told me she saw a boy leaving the sick room and when she discovered her loss she thought it might have been him – but it may have been Mrs Davies, grabbing whatever she could.’
‘It is lucky that I keep very little money in the office,’ Beatrice said. ‘It is usually locked in my file, because it is wrong to tempt others – but had I left it in my desk as I once did …’
‘You might have lost that too.’
‘I never imagined she would turn out to be a thief as well as a cheat. I do not understand how she could steal from vulnerable children.’
‘Well, I saw a market trader delivering a box of vegetables to the kitchen just now,’ Sandra said. ‘It seems that word has gone round St Saviour’s is in a spot of bother and they can’t do enough for us.’
‘I think that was down to Jinny. I believe I’ve seen her in the market with one of her friends. We must be grateful, because the Board will not be happy when I ask for more money to last the month and I do not like to run into debt …’
‘Ikey would let you have a few pounds if you need it …’ Sandra offered but Sister shook her head. ‘He was furious when I told him what that woman had done – but he says it is unlikely they will find her in time to recover your money.’
‘No, I imagine not,’ Sister sighed. ‘It will teach us to be more observant in future …’
Sandra gathered up the used cups and carried the tray back to the kitchen. Sister had refused the offer of money, but she would certainly help out in whatever way she could, washing up, peeling veg and making jam, because Jinny had so much soft fruit she couldn’t get round to preserving it and do all the cooking too. It would be a relief when Nellie started work the next day …
‘I heard about what happened,’ Rob said when he spoke to Nancy later that day in the nurses’ rest room where he was putting the finishing touches to the skirting boards. ‘Nick said he was willing to put a few bob in the kitty to help St Saviour’s out, and I’ll do the same. It’s a rotten trick that woman played on those kids – as if they haven’t had it rough enough already …’
Nancy smiled at him. ‘Thank Nick for us, but we’ve already had so many gifts of food and offers of help. I wouldn’t feel justified in taking your money, Rob. Jinny told her friends on the market and they’ve spread the word. She’s had loads of fruit and vegetables brought in already.’
‘Well, tell your Sister Beatrice that we’ve made a little collection amongst some of our colleagues in the building trade of nearly ten pounds – and we can’t give it back so it’s there for her to use on behalf of the orphans.’ He handed her an envelope, which was bursting with coins. Nancy smiled and tucked it into her apron pocket.
‘All right, thank you. I’ll give it to her later …’ She hesitated and then, ‘Some of us are going to give the kids a day at the zoo one day soon – if you and Nick wanted to come along … It won’t be for a week or two, because I couldn’t until my leg is better …’
‘I’d love to,’ Rob said at once. ‘I haven’t been for years – not since I was at school.’
‘Well, you should,’ Nancy said and smiled shyly. ‘It was nice of you and your brother to help us. Now, if you will excuse me, I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do to help in the kitchen …’
‘I thought Sister told you to rest?’
‘She did, but I could sit and peel vegetables or something,’ Nancy said. She smiled at him and left, hobbling a little as s
he went.
Rob watched her, feeling pleased. It was the first time Nancy had spoken to him so freely and he felt as if they were really getting somewhere at last. He didn’t expect it to happen all at once, given her history, but he believed she was beginning to trust him – and perhaps to feel more than just liking …
‘Nice kitchen,’ Nellie said when she walked in the next morning. She was wearing a spotless white apron that covered her floral print dress and looked very professional, and she tucked her hair beneath a cap that covered her hair. ‘We need to start the way we mean to go on, don’t we, my dears?’ she asked and smiled at Elsa who was hovering uncertainly in the background. ‘Now the floor looks nice and clean, and the sink in here is fine, but the range needs a bit of a brush up – and that table wants another scrub, Jinny.’ She rolled up her sleeves. ‘I’ll scrub the table how I like it – and then we’ll start on the cookin’. Can I trust you to clean the range in the mornin’, Elsa? And in future I want you to scrub the table first thing, Jinny.’
‘Yeah, I’ll do that stove fer yer termorrer …’ Elsa grinned at her because she didn’t mind working for someone who treated her all right. ‘What would you like me to do now?’
‘Well, from what I’ve seen in the pantry, this is our menu for today: we’re makin’ a steak and kidney puddin’ with creamy mash, carrots and greens, and we’ll do a nice quiche with some of those leeks and a bit of cheese – and we’ll cook a rice puddin’ and serve it with them dried apricots soaked in a little sugar syrup to make them sweet … and jam tart with custard. Jinny, you can make a start on the beef puddin’ – and peel a couple of those onions just to give it a little extra flavour … and you can prepare the vegetables, Elsa. When you’ve done them all, we’ll have a cup of tea together and take stock of what we’ve got in the pantry.’