Lost In Time

by W M Wiltshire

  “Please, Inspector Case, help my sister. I’ll do anything to repay you,” Daric pleaded.

  “Call me Rich,” Case said, with a warm smile, looking at Mary who had so easily read his mind. She returned his smile knowingly. Rich took a glance out the window and said, “We’re here.”

  Rich opened the carriage door and got out. He helped Mary down and then turned to Daric, “Give her to me,” he said.

  Daric gently placed Dani in Rich’s arms. As soon as he had exited the carriage, he retook possession of his sister and followed Rich up the steps and through the front door of Case’s terraced home.

  100

  Mary stood in the grand foyer of her home shouting orders, to whom Daric didn’t know, because he couldn’t see anyone.

  “Martha, draw a warm bath and prepare the spare bedroom on the first floor as a sickroom,” the order echoed.

  The kitchen door swung open and one hulk-of-a-woman burst into the foyer and surprisingly sprinted up the stairs, as swiftly as a cheetah, considering her size.

  “And I need you to set up the nursemaid’s room for our other guest,” Mary added.

  “Right away, Missus.” Martha’s reply came from above.

  Martha Debo was the Cases’s housekeeper. She was of German descent. Hers was a somewhat masculine physique. She wore the typical servant’s uniform: a white apron tied over a simple-print housedress, a white cap and sensible flat-healed black shoes.

  “Elsie, I need you to prepare a mustard plaster and take it up to the spare bedroom on the first floor.”

  A small head darted out from behind the same door through which Martha had emerged moments before. “Straight away, Missus,” the gentle voice said. The head disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared.

  Then Mary turned to Daric who was still holding a sleeping Dani in his arms. “Follow me,” she said. She headed up the staircase to the right of the entrance way. They proceeded down the hall. They passed two bedrooms; Martha was making the bed in the second one. Shortly they came to the bathroom at the end of the hall; water was filling a large bathtub.

  The bathroom floor was covered with a light-color linoleum and the walls were painted eggshell white. The bathtub, sink and lavatory were made of porcelain and were all decorated with a mazarine blue and gold morning glory design.

  Martha followed Daric into the bathroom. “I’ll take her from here,” she instructed, leaving no room for argument.

  Daric looked puzzled, not sure what to do.

  “It’s all right, Daric. She’s in good hands,” Mary encouraged. “Why don’t you go downstairs and join Rich in the drawing room. I’ll send for you when we’re finished.”

  Martha stepped forward and took Dani in her arms as if she were just a babe. “Go on with ya, now,” Martha urged, shutting the bathroom door behind him.

  Daric stood there dumbfounded, staring at the closed door for a minute. He then turned and made his way back along the hall and down the stairs.

  101

  Daric found Rich in what must have been the drawing room. He was standing beside the fireplace, his arm leaning against the mantel, while he drew on his pipe.

  “I was told to wait here,” Daric uttered timidly.

  “Come, let me pour you a brandy while we sit and wait,” Rich said amiably. He placed the bowl of his pipe in the ashtray on the mantel and walked over to a sideboard that contained a variety of decanters. Pulling the top from one, he poured its amber liquid into two glasses, stopped the decanter and handed Daric his drink.

  “Come and sit a spell,” Rich said, as he sank into a large wing-back chair.

  “I’m filthy. I’d better stay standing,” Daric stated, embarrassed by his shabby appearance.

  “My apologies,” Rich said, pulling himself from his comfortable chair. “Let’s get you cleaned up a bit, shall we? The bathroom is being used at the moment, but the scullery has a large sink you can use to wash up. I’ll go fetch some supplies. Be right back,” Rich said, then hurried off.

  While Daric waited for Rich to return, he enjoyed his drink and systematically took in his surroundings.

  The room’s most striking feature was its fireplace. Located in the center of the wall opposite the entrance, it was set off by an ornately carved marble surround. A simple, embroidered cover lay on the overmantel. On the center of the cover was a beautiful wooden pendulum clock with four carved wooden feet; the entire clock was hand painted and trimmed with gold leaf. Golden candlesticks were positioned on either side of the clock, along with Rich’s decorative tobacco jar and amber glass ashtray. Above the overmantel was a gold-framed mirror. A partly empty coal scuttle sat on one side of the hearth; on the other stood a finely embroidered fire screen.

  Daric’s gaze travelled away from the fireplace, along the walls which were painted a restful olive green. Family portraits hung at various locations around the room. Wall-bracketed gas lights cast a warm glow that gave the room a decidedly homey feel. A large oriental rug lay on the highly polished wooden floor.

  Daric turned his attention to the room’s only window. It was a large bay window, dressed with white curtains with delicate lace edging. In front was a deep red velvet curtain with gold fringe, tie-backs and a valance. In front of the bay window was an oval table, covered in white lace. On top was a crystal vase with fresh-cut flowers: blue cornflowers, white lisianthus and red carnations. Beside the vase was an argand table lamp with Baccarat crystal prisms.

  Daric recognized the Queen Anne style furniture that filled the room: curved shapes, cushioned seats, cabriole legs and pad feet. In the room’s center, to the right of the fireplace were two oxblood leather wing back arm chairs. Between the chairs was a mahogany drop-leaf table; across from them was a sofa, upholstered in hunter-green brocade. Four upright chairs were positioned elsewhere around the room. Two large mahogany sideboards lined the walls on either side of the entrance into the room.

  Daric noticed large folding doors at the end of the room he believed divided it from the dining room. Just as his curiosity was calling him to open those doors, he heard someone approaching.

  “All set,” Rich said upon his return to the drawing room. “I noticed you and I are about the same size, so I brought you some clean clothes, if that’s okay.”

  “I don’t want to be any trouble,” Daric replied politely, taking the items from Rich.

  “Nonsense. Follow me,” he said, ushering Daric through the swinging kitchen door.

  102

  The kitchen was small, Daric thought, compared to today’s standards. But it appeared functional and was impeccably clean.

  Elsie looked up from her worktable when she heard someone enter.

  “Daric is going to use the sink in the scullery to clean up,” Rich informed Elsie. She smiled pleasantly and quickly resumed her task.

  Elsie White was an elderly woman of slight build. These were unusual characteristics for the domestic service profession of a cook, considering the heavy sacks of flour and grain and the pounds of meat she had to lift and move around. But looks could be deceiving; she was a spry, efficient worker who could definitely hold her own in the kitchen. She was five-foot-two with sparkling silver hair and soft hazel eyes. She wore the same uniform as Martha: a simple housedress, apron and cap.

  “It’s through that door.” Rich pointed toward the right door at the back of the kitchen. “Join me in the drawing room when you’re finished.”

  “Thanks,” Daric said.

  “Elsie, can you prepare a snack for Daric? I don’t think he’ll last until dinner.” Rich chuckled when he heard Daric’s stomach grumble, probably brought about by the wonderful aroma emanating from the stove.

  “As soon as I run this upstairs,” and Elsie was off like a flash. Daric thought she moved rather quickly for a woman of her advanced years.

  The kitchen range was set a
gainst the left wall; a pot was simmering on the surface. Daric had to admit it smelled inviting. There was something wonderful roasting in the closed oven, as its fragrance permeated the room, too.

  Pots and pans were stacked to the left of the kitchen range; to the right was a variety of wash basins. The floor was covered with lightly patterned linoleum, and the walls were painted a dove-grey. In the center of the room, there was a square wooden table, where Elsie had been working, with two wooden chairs.

  At the back of the room were two doors. The one on the left led to the pantry. This small room was used for washing and storing china and glassware. It was equipped with a small counter, a small wood-lined sink with running water and cupboards containing several shelves laden with china and glassware.

  The door on the right, the door to which Rich had pointed, led into a long hallway known as the scullery.

  The hallway area nearest the kitchen had a counter with a sink and running water, along one wall; it was used to carry out food preparation activities, such as scaling fish and washing and trimming vegetables, and to keep the ensuing mess out of the kitchen. Farther along the hallway was the larder which housed fresh food. Then came the storeroom closet for dried goods and cleaning equipment. And last, but not least, there was a small washroom or, as Londoners would say, a lavatory or water closet, in the back corner.

  Daric stopped at the large sink. Placing the items Rich had given him on the counter, he noted Rich had generously left various toiletries, besides the clothes. He turned the tap and watched the sink fill with warm water. He would refill the sink four more times before he was satisfied he had rid himself of his stubbly whiskers and all the dirt and grime of the past four days.

  At last, Daric put on the clean clothes. How good they felt and they fit him pretty well, too. He folded his filthy clothes and left them piled neatly on the floor.

  By the time Daric was ready to leave the scullery, Elsie had returned to the kitchen. She was preparing a plate of cheese and biscuits.

  Upon hearing the door behind her open, Elsie turned and dropped the knife she was holding. She was getting her first glimpse of the clean-shaven, well-groomed young man. “Well, I’ll be. Were you under all that dirt this whole time?” she asked gaily.

  Daric was wearing a white shirt with brown pinstripes, a brown tweed vest and trousers, and a chocolate-brown tie. He had even polished his black shoes.

  “I feel much better now,” Daric stated whole-heartedly.

  He smiled at Elsie and she swooned. If I were only forty years younger, she thought.

  “You are a handsome devil, I’ll give you that. Come on, I’ll take this into the drawing room for you,” Elsie said, leading the way.

  103

  Mary laid a blanket on the cold linoleum floor. “Set her down here, Martha,” Mary instructed.

  Martha knelt and gently placed Dani on the blanket. Then she turned the running water off and checked the temperature of the bath. “Perfect,” she said. She returned to Mary’s side, knelt down and helped with the removal of Dani’s dirty clothing.

  “What’s that?” Martha asked. They had removed Dani’s dress and were staring at her sports bra.

  “I don’t know,” Mary replied. “We’ll have to ask her later.”

  After several attempts to remove the bracelet from Dani’s wrist, they decided a little water wouldn’t hurt her jewellery.

  Now that Dani was fully undressed, Martha picked her up gently placed her in the tub. When Dani felt the warm water against her skin, a moan escaped her lips and her eyes fluttered open for a moment.

  “It’s all right, dear. You’re safe here,” Mary assured her. “We’ll take care of you.”

  “Daric?” came a raspy whisper.

  “He’s fine. He’s here, too,” Mary said. “I’ll bring him to you after we get you settled.”

  Dani simply nodded her head in reply. It seemed to take too much effort to even speak.

  After Mary and Martha had washed the street filth from Dani, they were amazed at what lay beneath all of that dirt.

  “Whoa, she’s a real beauty, she is,” Martha proclaimed.

  “Yes, she is,” Mary agreed readily. “Now, let’s get her dressed and into bed.”

  Having towelled her off, Martha pulled a nightgown over Dani’s head and settled it. After a very weak protest from Dani, Martha picked her up and carried her into the bedroom. Mary had pulled the bedcovers back so Martha could lie her down.

  The bedroom had been prepared as a sickroom, meaning most of the furnishings had been removed. Only the essentials for taking care of the sick were left. There was the bed, with no bed curtains or valances. A chest of drawers held towels, blankets, a change of bed linens and clean nightclothes. And lastly, there was a washstand, one straight-back wooden chair, and two tables.

  On the table nearer the bed, Elsie had placed a glass of water, a small jar of vegetable shortening, and a hand towel.

  On the second table, the larger of the two, Elsie had put a small porcelain bowl containing one tablespoon of dry mustard and four tablespoons of flour. Beside the bowl was a mason jar, containing the same measured ingredients. The table also held a wooden spoon, a pitcher of hot water, and four folded cloths.

  Mary poured the hot water into the small porcelain bowl. She stirred the contents waiting, for just the right consistency. When she was satisfied, she opened one cloth and scooped the mixture out of the bowl onto the cloth, spreading it with the back of the wooden spoon. Next, she covered the mixture with a second cloth, creating a poultice.

  Carefully picking up the poultice, Mary returned to the side of the bed. Martha had already opened the front of Dani’s nightgown and had covered her chest with vegetable shortening. Mary placed the mustard plaster on Dani’s chest. She refastened the nightgown and pulled the blankets up under Dani’s chin.

  “Martha, can you check in a couple of minutes, to make sure the poultice isn’t causing a rash on her skin? If it is, remove it and come and get me. We’ll have to try something else. If it’s okay, leave it on until it gets cool, then remove it,” Mary instructed. “I should be back by then and we’ll fix another one to put on her back.”

  “Yes, Missus,” Martha said, pulling the chair up next to the bed and taking watch over her charge.

  104

  As Mary made her way downstairs, the hairs on the back of her neck rose and her face flushed. She walked across the foyer and entered the drawing room. Her suspicions were confirmed.

  “Put that damn thing out!” she scolded Rich. “We have a sick woman in this house.”

  Rich quickly snuffed out his pipe. “Sorry, dear, I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Apparently not,” Mary retorted.

  “How’s Dani?” Daric asked anxiously, as he popped out of his chair.

  Mary turned to address Daric and couldn’t help but admire the handsome young man standing in front of her. “She’s much cleaner now, too,” Mary said charmingly.

  She teasingly extended her hand to Daric. “I don’t believe we’ve met,” she said playfully. “My name is Mary.”

  Sensing that Dani was in no immediate danger by Mary’s levity, Daric decided to play along. He clasped Mary’s hand delicately, turned it over, and gently kissed the back of it. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Mary. My name is Daric,” he said, flashing her one of his charming smiles.

  They both laughed, but, on a more serious note, Mary said, “Dani is resting comfortably. Martha’s watching her. I’m treating her with a mustard plaster. We use them at the hospital all the time to relieve symptoms of many respiratory ailments, including bronchitis. I’m hoping we can arrest this before it goes that far.”

  Mary was still wearing her nurse’s uniform: an ankle-length deep-blue chambray dress with a white collar and cuffs. Attached to her dress by a gold bead at each breast and tied in the back
was a white-on-white striped apron. Her detachable black armband signified she was a teaching nurse. Her brunette hair had been pulled up into a bun and was topped with a starched buckram cap.

  Rich picked up his empty glass and made his way over for a refill.

  “I’ll have one of those, while you’re at it,” Mary said, collapsing onto the sofa. She pulled the pins from her hair and removed her cap.

  “We’ll do everything we can to get her fever to break. Once that happens, she’ll be well on the road to recovery,” Mary said reassuringly.

  “I can’t thank you enough for all that you’re doing, for both of us,” Daric stated.

  “Think nothing of it,” Rich jumped into the conversation. He handed Mary her drink. She took a delicate sip of the amber nectar. “Mmmm, just what the doctor ordered,” she said.

  “I’m afraid we couldn’t find the clasp to remove Dani’s bracelet before her bath,” Mary said regretfully.

  “That’s all right,” Daric replied. He was thankful that Dani was still wearing her travel band because one never knew when their dad would summon them home.

  “Daric, if you were so desperate for money, why didn’t you pawn your bracelets instead of resorting to stealing?” Rich asked. He had noticed Daric’s bracelet earlier and was waiting to bring up the question.

  Daric pulled up his sleeve and looked at his own bracelet. “These bracelets were the last gifts our parents gave us. We just couldn’t bring ourselves to part with them. You understand, don’t you?” Daric asked hopefully.

  Mary noticed the plate on the table between the two chairs. “I see Elsie has prepared a snack. That’s good. It could be a while before we’re able to sit down to dinner.”

  Mary got up and snagged a piece of cheese. “I’ll go ask Elsie to make a big batch of chicken soup. It’s always good for what ails you and we’ll have plenty of ingredients after tonight’s dinner. When Dani’s feeling a little better, we’ll try to get some soup into her.”