The Lady of Pelham Street

by Deborah Carr

  Beth hung her head, miserably. ‘I know, Mrs Boot. I’ve been a fool and I know I must go. It was nice living here though, while it lasted.’

  ‘Little minx,’ Cook mumbled as she grabbed hold of a pan. ‘Madam, please don’t feel badly. It isn’t your fault what’s happened and I’m sure Beth will have learnt a valuable lesson for the future.’

  ‘I do hope so,’ Florence said. ‘How will you cope without her here though? Do you know of anyone who might want her position?’

  ‘I’m not sure, but I’ll have a think.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Florence was grateful to the woman for keeping an eye on things when her back was turned. She needed honest people in her home. ‘I’ll leave you to it. I need to go and say hello to the children.’

  Florence picked up her hat and left the kitchen, needing desperately to hug her babies and push away the sad end to her day. She couldn’t help wondering if there was another way she could have resolved the matter with Beth. Her footsteps were heavy as she climbed the stairs to the children’s nursery. As she walked, it dawned on her that though she had not been able to find a way to keep Beth, maybe Beth’s unacceptable behaviour might help resolve someone else’s situation.

  Chapter 14

  By nine o’clock the following morning Florence was sitting in a hansom on the way to Nellie Blythe’s home. She still had Nellie’s home address from when she had sent the letter to her mother that had caused so much trouble.

  Florence recalled only too well how her initial attempts to help Nellie Blythe had gone awry in the worst possible way. This time, though, she knew better and would be far more careful. She would speak directly to Nellie and her mother and hopefully they would approve of what she had in her mind.

  ‘Red Lion Street, madam?’ the driver said. ‘Also known as Narrow Marsh. You sure you want to go there? It’s not somewhere where we usually take a lady like yourself.’

  ‘Yes, that is the place I need to visit,’ Florence said.

  ‘Fair enough.’

  Florence decided that rather than announce her arrival and give Mrs Blythe any chance to rebuff her second attempt at helping her daughter, she would turn up and hope for the best.

  The houses she passed by in her hansom as she neared Red Lion Street became more and more derelict. Florence couldn’t help feeling nervous about what she was intending to do. She also found it difficult to imagine how Nellie was coping with caring for a young baby, her mother, and her brother in one of these squalid homes. The hansom drew to a halt outside a house with broken windows stuffed with damp card and old newspapers. Children stared at her as she looked out of the window.

  The driver climbed down and walked round the hansom to open the door for her. ‘Are you sure this is where you want to be, Mrs Boot? It’s not the best neighbourhood, if you don’t mind me saying.’

  ‘Thank you for your concern, but I am exactly where I need to be.’ She stepped down and checked her hat was straight. ‘Wait for me here, please. I shouldn’t be very long.’

  Florence was more certain than ever now that she was doing the right thing coming here to find Nellie. She heard a baby screaming inside the property and a woman in the next-door house bellowing at someone. Florence didn’t give herself time to think further, but raised her gloved hand and knocked several times on the front door.

  Moments later it was opened by Nellie. At least she thought it was her. Maybe Nellie had a sister she hadn’t known about, Florence wondered.

  ‘Mrs Boot?’ Nellie said, her hand shooting up to her hair as she tried to pat the wild curls into some semblance of order. ‘What are you doing here?’

  Florence noticed a group of onlookers had congregated on the other side of the road. They stared and whispered to each other, no doubt speculating why she had come to Narrow Marsh.

  ‘You’d better come in,’ Nellie said, her baby resting on her right hip. ‘Please watch your beautiful clothes on the walls though, as they’re rather damp.’

  Florence followed Nellie into a room that despite its peeling paper, damp walls, and cracked windows had a small fire in the grate and was very tidy.

  ‘You’ve, er, met my mam,’ Nellie said, blushing as she gestured towards Mrs Blythe, scowling at her from a threadbare armchair near the meagre fire. ‘And that’s my brother Tommy.’

  ‘Hello, Mrs Blythe. I hope you don’t mind me visiting unannounced,’ Florence said. ‘I was hoping to speak to you and Nellie about something.’

  Mrs Blythe stared at her warily. ‘You’re here now, so you may as well say what you’ve come to say.’

  ‘Would you like to sit down, Mrs Boot?’ Nellie asked.

  Florence shook her head. ‘Thank you, but no. I don’t have much time and I have to be back at the office.’ She explained about being unexpectedly down one servant in her house. ‘I know you wouldn’t want a live-in position, but was wondering if you might be interested in coming to work at my home as a scullery maid?’

  Florence could see the surprise in Nellie’s face and wasn’t sure if she was offended or simply shocked at the suggestion. She looked at Mrs Blythe to try and gauge her reaction, but she was watching Nellie. She waited for her offer to be considered. ‘I’m afraid it’s not much. I know that my naivety made matters worse for you last time, Nellie, and for that I’m still mortified.’

  ‘It’s fine, Mrs Boot,’ Nellie said, shooting a look at her mother.

  Florence could see that Nellie seemed much stronger since having her baby. ‘If it’s all right with you, Mrs Blythe, I think a position in my household would work for Nellie. It would be a fresh start and would provide her with an income.’ She clasped her hands together. ‘It’s entirely up to you. I thought I’d come here and ask you first, before going to the agencies to find someone.’

  ‘The cat got your tongue,’ Mrs Blythe said. ‘Well, thank Mrs Boot for her kind offer, Nellie girl.’

  Florence had to concentrate on not showing her relief at Mrs Blythe’s reaction. Finally, she could feel as if she had made amends for her past error. It was a relief to have found a way to help Nellie and atone for her own stupidity.

  ‘You don’t have to if you’d rather not take the position,’ Florence said quickly before the two became angry with each other. ‘I have always felt badly that you lost your position at the factory for something that was unrelated to your work, which was very good, I might add.’

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Nellie said. ‘I’m still a little shocked to see you here. I’d love to come and work for you and Mr Boot at your home, though I’m not sure where it is.’

  ‘Here’s my card,’ Florence said, taking one from the bag hanging from her wrist. It has the address.’ She handed it to Nellie, who studied it briefly.

  ‘When would you like me to start?’ Nellie asked, looking much happier than she had on Florence’s arrival.

  ‘How about next Monday?’ Florence suggested. ‘It will give you time to organise the baby and anything else you might need to sort out.’ She wasn’t sure if Nellie’s mother would be able to care for the little one.

  ‘She’ll be happy to,’ Mrs Blythe said, quickly. ‘I might not be the best on these pins of mine, but Tommy gets things for me and can hand me the baby when I need him to. He’s a good boy.’

  Florence smiled and looked at Tommy, who smiled back.

  ‘Thank you, Mrs Boot,’ Nellie said. ‘I’d be very happy to start work.’

  ‘That’s settled then. Now, I had better make my way to Pelham Street, or my husband will wonder where I’ve gone to. It was nice to meet you again, Mrs Blythe, and you, Tommy.’ She placed a finger on the baby’s cheek. ‘And you, little one.’

  ‘I’ll show you out,’ Nellie said, smiling.

  They reached the door and Florence opened it and stepped outside. ‘I never asked your baby’s name, Nellie.’

  ‘It’s Joey, Mrs Boot.’

  ‘Well, he’s a bonny baby indeed. I look forward to seeing you next Monday.’

  Nellie followed he
r to the door of the hansom and waited for Florence to climb in and settle herself on the padded seat.

  ‘Thank you very much, Mrs Boot. I was horrified when me mam went to speak to you that day. I tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t have it.’

  ‘You have nothing to apologise for, Nellie. It was my mistake and your mother had every right to be upset with me.’

  ‘Well, that’s as may be,’ Nellie said, looking unsure. ‘I’m ever so grateful for your offer of a job though. It’ll make all the difference to my family, really it will.’

  ‘It’s my pleasure,’ Florence said, honestly. The driver closed the door and she gave Nellie a quick wave, delighted that this time she had done the right thing and made Nellie’s situation better. It was a huge relief.

  Being able to give a job to a young girl who desperately needed employment helped make the upset of having to let Beth go the evening before slightly less painful.

  Why was it, Florence thought as the hansom took her through the streets, that women were overlooked and seen as useless once they had borne children? It didn’t make any sense to her and annoyed her deeply. These women should be valued, not looked down upon. Weren’t they the ones who kept families together?

  She sighed angrily. She was tired of the unfairness of it all. Her life might be very different to that of the women who worked for her, but, unlike them, she had the power to make changes and she was determined to use her position to do just that.

  She arrived home aware that, despite Jesse’s hope that she would resist taking it upon herself to try and help others without speaking to him first, she had done exactly the opposite. She joined Jesse in the living room where he was about to drink a cup of tea that Violet had just served to him. Florence watched Violet, thinking that she was another young woman who worked all day and would no doubt shortly return to her own home to begin preparing supper for her young family. These women never seemed to have time for themselves.

  Jesse raised his cup halfway to his mouth, stopping when he noticed Florence’s arrival. Before he had a chance to ask her where she’d been, Florence told him all about her visit to see Nellie.

  ‘After the last time, I’m a little annoyed that you didn’t discuss the matter with me first,’ he said, looking hurt.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Florence said. ‘But I knew if I thought about it too long that maybe I’d talk myself out of going, and I didn’t want to do that.’

  ‘It seems that you did the right thing.’ Jesse gave her a reassuring smile. ‘And was Nellie happy with your offer?’

  Florence stood in front of the fire to warm her hands. ‘Yes, very happy. Nellie’s looking forward to coming and working here.’ She couldn’t help thinking of the other women she had seen in the neighbourhood.

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Jesse placed his cup back on the saucer on the small table next to him. ‘Why don’t you sit down and tell me what happened?’

  Florence took a moment to try and calm herself, before doing as he had asked.

  ‘You seem a little cross. Was Mrs Blythe rude to you?’ he asked, reaching out to take her hand.

  ‘Not at all. I have to admit, though, that I am angry,’ she said, enjoying the comfort of his warm hand in hers. ‘Seeing where Nellie lives, and how much of a struggle it is for her to cope, made me think not only about her but about the other women who work for us.’ She shared the thoughts that she had been having on her way home.

  Jesse listened silently and, when Florence had finished speaking, said, ‘And you want to find a way to help them, I assume?’

  ‘Yes, I do.’ She couldn’t understand why he needed to ask. ‘Wouldn’t you?’

  ‘Yes. But don’t you think we already have more than enough charitable projects to focus on? When would we fit in more?’

  She had no idea, but that didn’t mean she was going to give up on wanting to help these women without even trying.

  ‘Florence, I want you to promise me that you’ll not do anything rash?’

  ‘Like what?’ she asked, irritated with him for not being as upset as she was about the issue.

  ‘You have a family of your own, and –’ he raised his eyebrows as if to make a point of his next few words ‘– work longer hours than many of these women. You cannot take on every cause that concerns you. To do so would make you ill.’ He lowered his voice. ‘Your first priority is to focus on the responsibilities you already have, Florence. If you then feel you have the time and energy to take on this battle, do it. To be honest, though, I don’t see what there is that you can do to make a difference. Isn’t it about changing society’s attitudes to women? That is an issue too enormous even for you to solve, don’t you think?’

  ‘Maybe,’ she said. But she was determined to find a way to make a difference. Surely there was something she could do? Even if she made small differences to some of these women’s lives they would know that they weren’t alone and that someone did care about them and all that they struggled to face each day.

  She looked at Jesse and could see that his concern was for her. She was glad to have someone who cared so much for her welfare. She didn’t like to worry him unnecessarily, so decided that until she came up with a way to help these women she would keep her thoughts on the matter to herself.

  Chapter 15

  January 1894

  The post-Christmas sales were going exceedingly well throughout all the Boots stores, Florence was pleased to discover. Surely now Jesse would take things a little easier, if only while he struggled to shift the cold that had plagued him since the start of the new year.

  Florence was at the top of the stairs on her way to her office when she heard a female voice.

  ‘Good morning, Mrs Boot.’ It was a voice she recognised, but initially failed to place, that called out to her. Florence turned to see a pink-cheeked face grinning up at her from under a rather elaborate hat.

  ‘Lily Buttons?’ she asked, shaking her head in disbelief, stunned to come face to face with someone from Jersey. ‘Whatever brings you to Nottingham, and especially at such a cold time of year?’

  ‘I’ve been saving up to come and stay here,’ Lily replied.

  Florence looked at the young woman in front of her. Gone was the underfed girl she and her sister Amy had pleaded with their father to employ and here was an immaculate, poised woman. She could not have been prouder of her young friend.

  ‘You’re looking very smart. You’re no longer the young girl I first met.’

  Lily laughed. ‘I was thinking a similar thing about you. I almost didn’t recognise you,’ Lily said, her voice quieter than before. ‘You’re so …’

  Florence laughed. ‘Old?’ she suggested, amused by the surprise on Lily’s face.

  Lily giggled. ‘Not at all. I was going to say posh, but I suppose grand is more what I meant.’

  ‘That sounds pretty old to me.’ Florence couldn’t help teasing Lily and was repaid with a wide smile. It was a joy to see someone from her hometown here in the shop. ‘My father has given you time off work from Rowe’s Stationers, I see.’ A thought occurred to her. ‘Or have you left there since your last letter?’

  Florence studied the young woman in front of her. Lily had changed so much in the years since Florence and her sister Amy had rescued her from her brutal father. Even Jesse had become involved in protecting Lily that day she had come into the shop to hide from him.

  ‘I’ve given in my notice,’ Lily announced. ‘I thought I’d come to the mainland to see if I can find work here.’

  Florence could not imagine that her father and sister would be very happy at losing such a hard-working shop assistant.

  Lily must have noticed the shock on Florence’s face. ‘It’s fine,’ she said reassuring her. ‘They were happy for me to come over here and try my luck. In fact, Mrs Rowe, well, your mother,’ she added awkwardly, ‘expressed an interest in helping out at the shop on occasion. I didn’t want your father to struggle to find enough work for me, to justify my wage. I’d a
lso been thinking about travelling to Nottingham for some time. It sounds like such an exciting place in your letters and I’ve been wanting to see your smart shop ever since you wrote and told me some of the plans that you and Mr Boot had for it.’

  Florence was delighted Lily was trying to make something of herself. ‘I’m very pleased for you,’ she said honestly. Florence glanced around her quickly. Everything seemed to be in perfect order and nothing appeared to require her immediate attention. ‘Do you have time to come with me to my office? We can have some tea and biscuits and catch up with what’s been happening in St Helier.’

  Lily smiled at the mention of tea and biscuits. ‘Yes, I’d love that. Do you remember how you were so kind to feed me tea and biscuits when I first began working at Rowe’s? I was such a skinny little thing back then.’ Lily seemed to stand up straighter, as if to add substance to her words.

  Florence couldn’t help thinking about Gladys from the factory and how little gestures could make all the difference to someone’s life. She felt proud of her part in Lily’s break from her troubled past. If she had achieved nothing else in her life, knowing that she had been instrumental in Lily finding work, learning to read, and gaining the confidence to become the elegant young woman she now was would be very satisfying. Like her, Lily had worked hard to overcome obstacles and become the independent woman she was now.

  ‘Please, come this way. Mr Boot might even have time for a quick chat. He usually pops into my office to catch up with me around this time each day.’

  Florence walked slowly next to Lily, allowing her time to take in the different objects on display. Lily stopped every so often to admire something – a picture frame, or glass paperweight.

  ‘They’re beautiful, aren’t they?’ Florence said. ‘Those paperweights are from Scotland. I particularly like them. Jesse has a blue one on his desk in his office at home.