Mrs. Carrouthers frowned. Opal was unsure if it was at the news, or for her temerity in barging in.
“Thomas? What on earth would he be doing here when the house is closed for business? Thank you for telling me, Opal.”
Opal curtsied, pleased that she was not in trouble, and backed out of the office. As she went on about her duties, however, she found her thoughts skipping back to Thomas. What had he been doing here, indeed…
— Garrett Goldthwaite
Old-Fashioned Opal and the House of Ill-Repute
Chapter 17
Alistair continued to be difficult about allowing me to test the flying apparatus, despite my obvious qualifications to do so—after all, I was the only one among us who had actually flown. On the one hand, his concern was flattering—on the other, it was annoying. No matter how hard I pleaded, he refused to be moved, so Fred and I resolved to play hooky from the warehouse and call on Martha.
Despite Roderick’s attempts to convince her, she refused to leave her home without somewhere permanent to go—and she wasn’t interested in serving in anyone else’s home. I admired her conviction, but worried about her safety.
I also wanted to confirm Seamus was no longer lodging with her. I couldn’t believe she would let him continue as her boarder now that she knew the truth. After all, her children were involved. I was fairly positive of the answer, but I needed to make sure.
Fred was dying of curiosity to see the infamous Five Points and—I must admit—I was a bit intrigued myself to see it in the clear light of day.
Five Points wasn’t far from anywhere. We dressed conservatively—and in some of our oldest things. Fred carried a stout stick, pretending to lean on it occasionally as she walked. I contented myself with an extra-long—and sharp—hat pin securing my bowler.
Of course, we told no one else where we were going, because they would surely tell us not to go—but I did take the precaution of asking Phaeton to accompany us. Since he was no longer under suit for pushing Ryan Ferguson, Alistair wasn’t averse to letting him out on the streets, but I told the automaton to wear his livery and a hat pulled low about his eyes. He still loomed above us like a monolith, but it was better than having a large golden man walking unclothed through the streets. I figured Phaeton’s mere presence would dissuade potential attackers.
The three of us had a pleasant stroll through town—until the smell began to build. It was subtle at first—like a windblown hint of an outhouse, but as we progressed, it grew stronger and stronger.
“I’ll have to burn these clothes,” Fred commented. “I doubt the stench will ever wash out!”
I nodded. “It is rather vile. Can you imagine living in the middle of it constantly? No wonder the people in this district are more unruly than other Wards.”
“I imagine one gets used to it.” She sighed. “That’s a terrible burden in itself.”
My thoughts flashed to Sarah and Ray—no young child deserved to live in a place like this! There must be a way to remove Martha and her family to safer, more hygienic quarters. I would talk to Leonora…
Of course, the deeper we went into the sinister streets of Five Points, the more the shortcomings of our visit began to reveal themselves. We had come off without informing anyone of our intentions because most of the people we knew would have forbidden us from coming.
That was all well and good, but I’d been carried here in a closed carriage, and I had no idea which street the rookery occupied. Roderick could’ve told us his sister’s address, but it would’ve raised unwanted questions.
I supposed we would just have to look until we found it. At least we had Phaeton to protect us. One look at his towering frame should discourage even the toughest of the bully-boys.
I hoped.
A group of those delinquents was beginning to gather on the corner across the street. There were whistles and catcalls as Fred and I walked past, but Phaeton stepped toward them, and the noises ceased.
Huddled conversations arose instead, with many a speculative glance our way. That didn’t bode well.
And, it settled my mind. One way or another, I was obtaining a gun of my own.
“Miss Jo!” rang out across the way, startling me no end. Who on earth would be calling me here? I glanced in the direction of the shout, and saw Caleb Douglas pelting toward us.
He halted before me, out of breath. “Miss Jo,” he panted. “This place isn’t safe for a lady! Begging your pardon, miss,” he told Fred, as he registered her presence, “two ladies.”
Phaeton stepped forward. “Is this young gentleman bothering you, Mistress Jo?”
“No, Phaeton,” I answered quickly—as Caleb stared up wordlessly at the automaton. “This is my friend. Caleb Douglas.” I turned to the boy. “How fortui—lucky we found you, Caleb. We were coming to call on your mother, and I realized I didn’t know the address.”
“I’ll take you over there, but you mustn’t come again.”
“Nonsense. Your mother is a lovely woman. I’m sure she can use the company.”
“She don’t like decent folk to see her here. We wouldn’t be if Pa hadn’t died and Ainbheartach—” He spat on the ground. “—hadn’t run off like the coward he was. Rent’s just too dear elsewhere.”
Fred turned to me. “There has to be something we can do, Jo!”
“I know. I just haven’t thought of it yet. But I’ll be speaking to Leonora as soon as I may.”
By this time, we were walking through the streets once more—at a somewhat swifter pace than we had previously employed. In the full light of day, the district was even more disreputable that I had surmised.
“You said you were running errands the other day, Caleb,” I said idly, more to have something to pass the time than because the information truly interested me.
“Yes, Miss. I do lots of things.”
“Like what?” The beginnings of a plan were stirring in my brain.
“Oh, I’m big for my age,” he said proudly. “And strong too. I can lift thirty pounds to my shoulder, and carry it a mile or more if need be.”
There was such pride and vulnerability in his voice that it made me revise my estimation of his age downward. Now, I was curious.
“How old are you, Caleb?”
“Twelve, but near thirteen. I can go to work on the docks soon, and then I can move Ma and the little ones out of this place.”
At twelve, boys should be learning sums and playing with hoops—in an ideal world...and ours was far from it. He certainly shouldn’t have to be the man of his family so young.
We’d arrived at a ramshackle wooden tenement missing the rail on the outside stairway. The front window was grimy, but placed where I remembered. Sarah sat on the bottom step going up, singing to a grimy rag doll.
I thought of the extravagant poppet Leonora had been given to Ella—not once, but twice—and vowed Sarah should have better as well.
She looked up as Phaeton’s shadow crossed her and screamed.
Opal mentioned the disturbing behavior to Victor in passing, and his reaction stunned her.
“Stay away from Thomas!” he ordered, his fingers tight bands around her arms.
“Victor, you are hurting me!” she whimpered.
Instantly, he released her.
“I’m sorry, Opal…, but Thomas is dangerous. You must tell Mrs. Carrouthers, from me, to be on guard against him.”
“Why should she take your word for it?” she sniffed.
“Because of this,” he answered, removing a badge from his pocket.
— Garrett Goldthwaite
Old-Fashioned Opal and the House of Ill-Repute
Chapter 18
Several things happened at once.
I darted toward her, to calm her down. Phaeton—instinctively grasping the situation, bless his heart—sat down on the filthy street to make himself less intimidating. Fred began to laugh helplessly.
And the front door jerked open, Martha flying through it with a frying pan in he
r hand to protect her baby.
By the time Martha was fully out the door, I had Sarah on my lap, and was explaining to her who the big golden man was.
Martha faltered to a stop, hand to her chest. “My stars! What on earth are you doing back here, Miss Josephine? This is no place for the likes of you!”
“We were perfectly safe, Martha. I brought Phaeton to protect us.”
“Us?” Martha noticed Fred for the first time. “Beg pardon, Miss. I didn’t see you standing there.”
“This is my dear friend, Winifred Bond. Fred, Martha Douglas.”
“Pleased to meet you, ma’am. Jo has told me so much about you,” Fred said kindly.
“Won’t you both come inside?” Martha offered, her hands twisting the frying pan anxiously.
A peek inside the room I remembered from my awkward introduction to it was all it took to convince Fred to suggest perhaps the sidewalk would be more pleasant for our visit. The air still reeked, but at least there was a bit of a breeze stirring the stench and diluting it somewhat.
Caleb carried out the chairs that normally sat around the kitchen table, and we perched upon them like birds about to take flight at the slightest noise. Martha shyly offered tea, but I waved aside the offer with a claim of too much breakfast—I didn’t want to deplete her larder unnecessarily. There was little enough in it as it was, I wagered.
Phaeton sat cross-legged on the filthy street, with Sarah on one knee, and Ray—not to be outdone—on the other. The three of them were involved in a very grave conversation about whether or not her rag doll could survive a proper pounding.
I was pleased to see Phaeton trying to convince both children that “pounding” never solved anything. It was a good lesson—exceptions to the rule could be learned as needed.
Seeing them occupied, I turned to a pressing question that had been on my mind ever since my escape.
“Martha, has Mr. O’Leary been back to your...accommodations since I left?”
“Oh, aye! He came back that morning—to take you off, I reckon—not too long after you left. When I told him to get out, he turned right ugly about it. Luckily, Caleb was home, and he and my neighbor, Mr. Flaherty were able to convince the rogue to move along and not return here to where decent folk are trying to live.
“Oh, sure,” she said, glancing from one of us to the other, “I know what they say about Five Points, but not all who live here are murderers and thieves!”
I’d never heard so many words from her at once, and, with her face flushed with temper, I could see how young she was beneath the world-weariness. She must’ve been but a girl when Caleb was born.
I resolved to convince Martha she must accept the idea bubbling in the back of my mind. Employing the great tact I’m famous for, I began to feel Martha out on the possibility of accepting a housekeeper’s keys if she were offered them again.
“You don’t belong here either, Martha. This filth is no place to raise a child. I came to speak to you about a position I’ve come to hear about for a live-in housekeeper. I know Roderick mentioned it to you. Aren’t you interested in moving out of here? The pay would include room and board, and I believe there might also be work for Caleb as well. It would be a real home—and possibly schooling—for the little ones.”
Fred stared at me as if I were mad. Well, I wasn’t. I was sure Leonora could use the help in her new residence. She had been receptive of the idea when I mentioned it to her before.
“I had a bit o’ training as a girl my Gertie’s age, but soon after that I met my Patrick and went off mistress of my own home. It wasn’t much, but it was a castle compared to this.” She waved her hand at the hovel behind her, eyes glittering with tears.
“What would you say,” I began carefully, “to an offer of employment with a single lady who likes to entertain?”
She leaned forward and put a hand on my knee. “Oh, Miss—I’m sure you won’t be single long.”
Fred burst into further gales of laughter.
I glared at her until the merriment died away to sporadic giggles and stifled chortles.
“Not I, Martha,” I corrected her. “My dear friend, Leonora Conn, is purchasing a new estate, and she has no staff. Would you be willing to speak to her if I give her your name?”
Emotions warred across her face, pride chief among them. She had her own household here, poor as it was. Why should she give it up to keep house for someone else?
And then recognition dawned in her eyes. “Miss Leonora who has done gone and found a place for Gertie? And paid me for the loss of her help, besides? She’s already been more than generous. I told Roddie so...”
“Come now, you’re practically friends already. And I know she would value your expertise and advice.” I sweetened the pot. “I believe I can also arrange a place at the convent school at Our Lady the Star of the Sea for Sarah and Ray as well—day school, so you’ll still have the comfort of them about you of an evening.”
That tempted her further, I could tell.
“What of Caleb? I couldn’t leave him behind in this hell hole. He’d be in a gang before the week was out.”
“I know she’s currently looking for a driver, too, and if you feel that’s too much responsibility for a boy his age, I’m sure there’ll be need of a groom, or a footman about the place.” I really had no idea what a normal complement of servants might be, but I was sure Leonora would think of something. She was extremely resourceful.
“And you would be away from this foul stench,” Fred put in. “Surely that’s incentive enough by itself.”
Martha looked miserable. “I know ’tis bad, Miss. The privies back up near to the door most days. Nothing for it with the sewers full to the tip.”
I had gotten so used to the amenities afforded by the relative affluence of our street that I felt uncomfortable remembering they weren’t shared by all.
Martha looked at her children—Sarah, with her grimy fingers back in her mouth; Ray showing Phaeton how he would keep the bad men away should they threaten his mother. I had no doubt she also thought about those absent—Caleb gone off to find another errand that would glean a few coppers; Gertie learning the ins and outs of her new position. There must be better for them than this.
Leonora would be a kind and generous mistress. I was sure Roderick must’ve mentioned her in his stories to supplement her own first-hand knowledge of the lady.
I saw her make up her mind. “Aye, Miss Jo. If the lady wants me, I’ll come to do for her—at least until I get back on my feet.”
“Excellent. Now, we should be getting back. Will you let me know if Seamus O’Leary should turn up anywhere? I don’t want to fall afoul of him again.”
“I’ll keep me ear to the ground, Miss,” Martha promised. “If the man has a lick o’ sense, he’s long gone from here.”
“You would think. But I’m not sure sense is among his attributes. Come, Phaeton. We should be getting back.”
He tucked one arm around each child and rose fluidly to his feet. They squealed with laughter to find themselves so suspended off the ground.
“Do it again!” Ray demanded.
“Perhaps next time we meet,” the automaton answered, setting them carefully on their feet.
Ray opened his mouth to protest, but a stern look from his mother turned the outcry into a pout. Sarah bobbed a little curtsy to Phaeton, who bowed back solemnly. They did know how to behave, even if this place sometimes made them forget.
My plan would be brilliant for them. Now, I just had to convince Leonora of that, and I had no doubts of my ability to do so.
Fred couldn’t leave the neighborhood quickly enough. She would’ve hired a cab as soon as feasible if it hadn’t been for Phaeton. He rather limited our options, but I was still very grateful to have him close.
Especially when a group of idle young men broke away from their corner and began to stroll along behind us at a leisurely pace. Someone began to sing “As Through the Park I Go” in a decent tenor.
I agreed with her in spirit, but if we showed our anxiety, it might have dire consequences. I continued at my current speed.
Phaeton swept up a lost stick of firewood from the road—about three inches in diameter. Casually snapping it in half, he tossed the pieces back into the dusty street.
The crowd behind us dispersed as if by magic.
“Well done!” I told him.
Even though he cannot show his emotions, I sensed he was pleased by the praise.
The next few days were filled with tension. Thomas didn’t appear at the house, but Opal found herself jumping at every noise. She took to keeping a stout stick handy if she had to leave the safety of the house.
She had relayed Victor’s message to Mrs. Carrouthers—and been surprised to learn his badge was no secret to the older woman.
“Victor is more than just my best customer,” Mrs. Carrouthers smiled.
“Why didn’t he tell me before?” Opal asked, feeling a bit hurt.
“He didn’t want you to worry, love.” Suddenly, Opal felt warm all over.
— Garrett Goldthwaite
Old-Fashioned Opal and the House of Ill-Repute
Chapter 19
“I’ll give you five dollars to let me bathe first, Jo.”
“But I need to see Leonora as soon as possible, and I can’t go like this!”
“You do realize that both of us will be needed to draw the water, and Ma won’t be happy about us using her kitchen to heat it up—but at least we ‘ll be clean.”
“I suppose I can have Phaeton run ahead now we’re in a better neighborhood. He can have the water drawn by the time we get there and save us some delay. I must speak to Alistair about some way to heat large quantities of water at a time. It would be ever so much more convenient, and then we can avoid any need for such waiting.”
The Incredibly Irritating Irishman: Book Three of the Conn-Mann Chronicles Page 11