The Lady of Pelham Street

by Deborah Carr

  Initially, it was the regular customers that she noticed making the most of the library books. Slowly though, women she hadn’t seen before in the shop began coming in specially to choose a book. Some of them initially seemed reluctant to spend time studying the shelves, but then started to gain a little confidence. Florence sensed people were beginning to feel like the library was theirs as much as anyone else’s. Which, of course, it was.

  ‘Mother, Mother,’ Dorothy shrieked from downstairs. ‘John’s here.’

  Florence opened the windows of John’s room to ensure fresh air had been circulated. Hearing Dorothy’s excited shouts, she went to step into the hallway but had to take a step backwards to avoid her youngest daughter, as Margery charged along the hallway from her own bedroom to the top of the stairs.

  Florence loved that her children were so close. The girls’ excitement had increased almost hourly over the last few days. Florence understood why. John might not be the most studious of boys, but he was fun to be around and kind. His sisters had missed his presence very much, probably even more than she and Jesse.

  By the time Florence reached the open front door, Jesse was stepping out of the hansom and waiting for John to appear. Seconds later, he almost leapt out, not bothering with the small metal step, and raced to his mother to give her a hug.

  Florence laughed at his enthusiasm, as he almost unbalanced her. She hugged her son tightly, relishing the warmth of his arms encircling her waist. He eventually let go and stepped back and Florence studied him for a moment. It was wonderful to have his bounding energy in the house once more and to know that for the next two nights he would be sleeping in his own bed upstairs.

  ‘You’ve grown taller. Don’t you think he has, Jesse?’ she asked ruffling John’s fair hair as he walked over to join them after greeting his sisters.

  ‘I thought as much when he stepped off the train.’

  Margery grabbed hold of John’s right arm. ‘Come and see what Papa has done in the house. It’s for all of us. You’ll love it.’

  Margery pulled him inside the house and towards the back garden with Dorothy running along after them.

  Jesse seemed more content than he had been in a while. She went to stand next to him and put her arm around his waist.

  ‘She’s been dying to show him the new tennis court, hasn’t she?’ Florence asked, aware that the girls had been chatting about what they thought John’s reaction would be when he saw what Jesse had arranged at the back of the house at the end of the lawn.

  ‘She certainly has. He’ll love it and I look forward to playing a few matches with him.’

  Florence laughed, picturing father and son competing against each other. ‘And I’ll be watching.’

  ‘I thought it was something the children would enjoy this summer, and it’s also a good way to warm up if it’s cold later in the year.’ Jesse laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. ‘Come along, let’s go inside and have some tea. I’m parched. It’s been a long afternoon and I think we’re going to have a busy evening ahead of us, don’t you?’

  Florence sighed happily. ‘Yes, I think you could be right.’

  They called for some tea and crumpets to be brought to the living room. Florence knew how much her son loved to eat toasted crumpets and asked Violet to tell the children to join them in the living room as soon as they were ready.

  John arrived first and spotted the treat waiting for each of them on a plate.

  ‘Mother, how did you know? I’ve been hoping that you’d ask Mrs Rudge to make these for me today.’

  Florence handed him a plate. ‘I wanted you to have all your favourite things waiting for you,’ she admitted. ‘Here. Sit down and eat it before it cools too much.’ She poured him a cup of tea and placed it on the table next to his chair. Florence lifted the lid on the muffin dish where Mrs Rudge had stacked several more crumpets, aware that John’s appetite for them would not be satisfied with just the one. She served Jesse and then turned her attention to Dorothy and Margery. ‘Girls, take yours now too, please.’

  Florence watched each of her family savouring their afternoon snack as she ate her own. Once again, Mrs Rudge had surpassed herself.

  ‘Tell us how has this term been,’ Dorothy said. ‘Mother and Father told us that you were having fun, but were you? Really?’ She looked at her brother doubtfully as she took the last bite from her crumpet.

  John looked from Florence to Jesse and back to his sister. He gave a slow shrug.

  Jesse mumbled something under his breath and Florence tensed. The last thing she needed was for Jesse to pick a quarrel with John so soon after his arrival home. ‘Buck up, John. You’ve been there almost a year now. I’d have been delighted if my parents had been able to afford to send me somewhere like that.’

  Florence noticed the muscles in John’s jaw working as he tried to suppress his irritation with his father.

  ‘How’s everything going, John?’ Florence asked.

  John smiled at her. ‘Mostly, it’s fine,’ he said, not giving away very much. ‘I miss being at home with all of you though. The food’s all right, but not as good as it is here.’

  Florence listened intently. She wasn’t sure if his words made her feel any better. ‘Have you made any friends yet?’

  ‘There are enough boys at the school for you to get on with a few of them, surely,’ Jesse grumbled.

  ‘Please let John speak for himself.’ Florence gave him a sideways glare. If he ruined her time with John this weekend, she wouldn’t let him forget it.

  John gave his answer some thought and smiled. Florence noticed that his smile reached his eyes and seemed genuine, and for the first time since his arrival home, she felt herself relax slightly.

  ‘Yes, a few. There’s one chap in particular.’ John grinned. ‘He’s from Canada, Vancouver in fact. He said I can go and stay with his family at their apple farm in the summer. Will you mind?’

  Florence hated the thought of John going away for an entire summer just when she was hoping to make the most of having him back at home for a decent length of time. ‘I think you should wait until you know him better, don’t you?’ she said, happy at her quick thinking.

  ‘Your mother’s right,’ Jesse agreed. ‘The last thing we want to do is book a passage for you all the way to Canada only for you to fall out with the chap and then not wish to go.’

  ‘I can’t see that happening,’ John argued quietly, but Florence could see that their comments made sense to him.

  ‘Maybe next year,’ she reasoned, relieved her son had made some friends. Everyone needed friends, especially close ones they could rely on and be able to confide in, like she did with Lily. ‘What’s the name of this Canadian boy?’

  ‘I want to know why they farm apples,’ Dorothy said and giggled.

  ‘Yes,’ Margery said, coming to sit on the arm of John’s chair. ‘I thought people had animals on farms, like cows and pigs. I’ve never heard of someone farming apples.’

  John nudged her playfully, grabbing her arm when she almost slipped off the chair.

  ‘Children, calm down,’ Jesse said shaking his head. ‘John’s only just returned home and we don’t want to have to deal with any scrapes while he’s here.’ He pointed for Margery to go and sit on a nearby chair.

  Violet brought in more tea for Jesse and Florence and apple juice for the children. While they sat and drank John explained more about his daily routine at the school.

  Jesse finished his tea, placed his cup on the saucer, and put it down on the table in front of where he sat next to Florence. ‘It’s not as bad as you thought though. And it’ll soon be the summer holidays, don’t forget.’

  ‘I know. I’m looking forward to them, especially now we’ve got the tennis court. I’m beginning to feel more like I belong at the school. I think most of the new boys feel the same way as me when they first arrive and they do say the first year is the hardest to cope with.’

  ‘Is it really that difficult for you there, John
?’ Florence asked, concerned. She hated to think of her son finding it hard to fit in.

  He looked over at her and didn’t speak for a moment, then smiled. ‘It’s not so bad. It’s school, isn’t it? I don’t think it’s supposed to be fun. We do a lot of sports though, which I enjoy, and go to church at least twice a week. It’s what I expected only a bit better, I suppose.’

  ‘That’s good to hear,’ Florence replied, relieved to know her son wasn’t struggling as much as she feared he might. She had spent so many hours worrying about him since he had begun at the school. It was an enormous relief to know that John was coping. Florence still slightly resented Jesse for insisting that John attend a school so far from them, and couldn’t completely banish her guilt at giving in to her husband despite her concerns. Her children’s happiness was the most important thing in the world to her, and she would never forgive herself if her initial misgivings had proved correct and John had been miserable.

  ‘Tell us about your Canadian friend,’ Jesse said.

  John shrugged. ‘His name is Frank Hamilton. We mostly like the same kinds of things and we laugh a lot together. His mum is Canadian and his dad’s Scottish.’

  They chatted a little bit more and then when the children had all finished their tea and crumpets, Florence said, ‘I’ll ring for Violet to come and collect these plates and I think you should go and say hello to Mrs Rudge, John. I know she’s looking forward to seeing you, as are the rest of the servants. I think they’ve all found it a little too quiet here without you thundering around and asking them for things.’

  He wiped his mouth on his napkin and stood. ‘Yes, I’m looking forward to seeing her, too. I need to thank her for making these for us today. She’s always so thoughtful.’ He smiled at Jesse and then Florence. ‘It really is good to be home for a couple of days. Thank you for arranging it for me.’

  ‘We’re delighted to have you, my boy,’ Jesse said, smiling. ‘Aren’t we, my dear? It’s good to have our boy home again.’

  ‘It is.’ Florence sighed happily before standing and walking over to the fireplace and pulling the wide cord to summon Violet. ‘Your case should be in your room by now, so after you’ve said hello to everyone, why don’t you go and unpack and settle in for a bit. I’m sure you want to spend some time with your games and books in your bedroom.’

  He smiled and gave her another hug. ‘I do, Mother. I’m mostly looking forward to being able to sleep in my own bed again. The one here is much more comfortable than the one at school.’

  ‘May we go with John, Mother?’ Dorothy asked.

  ‘Yes, may we?’ Margery asked, popping the last of hers into her mouth.

  ‘Of course. Run along and I’ll call you all a little later.’

  Florence waited until the children had left the room and Violet had tidied away their tea things, before settling back down on the sofa next to Jesse.

  ‘Is something the matter?’ he asked, taking her hand. ‘Nothing’s amiss, is it?’

  Florence didn’t want to pick a fight with Jesse but was struggling to cope with his attitude towards his son. ‘I wish you wouldn’t be so hard on John.’

  ‘I’m no harder on him than any caring father would be.’

  Florence wondered if Jesse genuinely believed what he was saying, or maybe he was acting the way his father had when he was younger. Either way, she didn’t like it and said so.

  Jesse took her hand in his. ‘I don’t think you realise how much he has to learn if he’s going to take some of the pressure off me when he’s finished his education.’

  Florence tensed. ‘I know better than anyone, surely. I’ve been the one working with you these past years, haven’t I?’

  ‘Yes.’ Jesse frowned. ‘That isn’t what I meant.’

  ‘Then what?’

  Jesse was silent for a moment. She could see he was struggling to answer her question. ‘I worry that he hasn’t got it in him to take over.’ He hesitated. ‘When the time comes.’ Florence went to speak but Jesse hadn’t finished what he was saying. ‘When I was ill recently, I had a lot of time to think about the future, whatever there is left of it for me.’

  ‘Don’t say that,’ Florence snapped, not wanting to think such things.

  Jesse patted her hand and kissed her on the cheek. ‘We both know it’s inevitable and I worry about what will happen then.’

  She didn’t like to admit that she had also worried about the future, but always resolved any concerns by telling herself that Jesse had an excellent team of managers working for Boots and that she could do whatever was needed for the business. Even train John, if it came to that.

  ‘All I want is for you and John to get on,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper. She cleared her throat. ‘I never imagined that you two would clash like you do. It’s heart-breaking for me to witness.’

  Jesse turned to her, a stricken look on his face. ‘We will be fine, Florence. Please don’t worry. I love my son, very much. I simply want the best for him and from him. Even though I say it myself, he has large shoes to fill and I’m sorry, but I can’t help my concern that he won’t be able to manage it.’

  ‘He will,’ Florence replied, not certain at all that she was right. ‘He’s young yet; let him enjoy this time before he has to focus on the business.’

  ‘I’ll try.’ Jesse inclined his head as he gazed at her. ‘Please don’t worry so much.’ He watched her as she sat thoughtfully. ‘What are you thinking?’

  ‘Just that I’m relieved to hear John has made friends and seems to have settled in at school. Having him back here with us reminds me how different it is when he’s not here, though, and I know I’m going to miss him twice as much when he leaves again.’

  Jesse gazed at her thoughtfully for a moment. ‘So will I.’ Florence was relieved to hear Jesse say as much. ‘And I’m sure his sisters will do, too. But sometimes you have to make sacrifices, my darling, and this is one of those times. I know you had your doubts,’ Jesse said, kissing the back of her hand, ‘and that John going away to school is difficult for you, but I truly believe it’s going to be the making of him. He’s told us he’s fine and we have no reason to disbelieve him.’

  She just wished that John and Jesse would find a way to get along more easily. There were many positives to having the money and status that she and Jesse now enjoyed, Florence mused, but having to educate their children in this way was one of those aspects of their lifestyle she would have rather done without.

  Chapter 21

  August 1902

  Florence enjoyed marking the time around her birthday by arranging outings for her staff. She had been doing it for many years now but this year she was working hard planning the intricacies of taking five hundred of her female employees for a day out at the seaside. After a lot of thought and discussion with Jesse and then Miss Tweed and Lily, she had decided that they were to go by train for a day to Skegness. It was somewhere Florence had never visited and she liked the idea of her initial trip there being one that her employees could also enjoy.

  ‘I believe that visiting new places and having new experiences inspires people. Don’t you agree, Agnes?’

  Agnes pushed her spectacles further up her narrow nose and looked up from writing on her notepad. ‘I do, Mrs Boot.’

  ‘We’ve been on many adventures and the response from the girls is always positive.’ Florence tapped her chin with the and of her fountain pen as she tried to think of anything she might have overlooked in their detailed planning.

  She had been told many times by the women how grateful they were for the days out that Florence and Jesse took them on. She knew that most of them appreciated the events because without them they might not have been able to go on an outing on their own accord, due to lack of funds or leisure time. Each time she enjoyed hearing back from them about how much they had enjoyed themselves.

  These were her Dear Girls, and if Florence could find a way to ensure that these women saw something in themselves they hadn’t
seen before, then she would do all it took to make it happen. She thought back to how little she had known of the world when her life had only extended to the nine-by-five miles of her home island. Now, though, she had been lucky enough to travel to New York, several times, as well as various places on the continent on buying trips. She knew England much better than she had done and had even visited Scotland twice with Jesse. Florence wanted to share as much as possible of the excitement she always felt each time she discovered a new place, and she believed that by taking her girls away with her she was showing them that there was much more to life than the small area where they had always lived.

  All her girls were hard-working and loyal employees. Florence appreciated their efforts and felt a responsibility to help them realise that they should not be held back by the traditional expectations put upon most of them. She found it upsetting to think how few choices many of these women were given and, as their employer, she intended to show them their true worth.

  ‘These girls need to believe in themselves,’ she said to Miss Tweed as the two sat checking through Florence’s endless list while planning the Skegness trip. ‘I have the means and also the opportunity to help make that happen for them, and this outing is going to surpass all the other events that I’ve arranged previously.’

  Florence watched Miss Tweed as she continued making her list of things she thought they would need to pack for the day out. She was another hard-working woman, always on time, immaculately turned out, and thoughtful. Florence knew she was lucky to have such an excellent secretary.