Cinderella Sister

by Dilly Court

  He thrust the garden gate open and walked past her, making his way to the front door. ‘Not exactly, but we’ve got to do something about the Frenchman.’

  Forgetting all about the ale, she followed him into the house. ‘Why? What’s happened?’

  Matt paused, turning to stare down at her with a worried frown. ‘The padre at the mission can speak French and he acted as translator so that I could question the sailors from the wrecked vessel.’

  ‘Don’t keep me in suspense,’ Lily said breathlessly. ‘What did they say?’

  ‘To be honest I couldn’t get much sense out of them as to how they managed to ground the ship or how the fire broke out, but I did find out who we’ve been harbouring in the attic.’

  Lily’s heart sank. ‘Don’t tell me he’s a criminal on the run.’

  ‘No such thing. His name is Armand Labrosse and his father owns a fleet of merchant ships. They are an old and much respected French family and we have the fellow sleeping in the attic with the bats, rats and a leaking roof.’

  ‘I knew it,’ Lily breathed, hardly able to contain her excitement. ‘I had a feeling he was someone special.’

  ‘Never mind that. We must make the chap comfortable. Light a fire in Grandpa’s old bedroom, and make up the bed. We must move Monsieur Labrosse before he comes to and finds himself in the attic.’

  Lily frowned. ‘You thought the room was good enough for an ordinary sailor.’

  ‘Well it’s not good enough for the son of a rich and powerful man. I could lose my job over this, and if Monsieur Labrosse senior complained to the London Dock Company we would find ourselves out on the street.’

  ‘But why? I don’t understand.’

  ‘There are reasons. Just do as I say, Lily, and make up the bed in Grandpa’s old room. Our whole future depends on this.’

  Chapter Four

  ‘Haven’t you finished yet, Lily?’ Matt stood in the doorway of the bedroom where their grandfather had slept until his rheumaticky legs made it impossible for him to climb the stairs. ‘It doesn’t look very welcoming. What in heaven’s name have you been doing all this time?’

  ‘I’ve done my best,’ she said defensively. ‘I can’t help it if everything is old and shabby, but at least it’s clean and warm. I’ve just got to finish making the bed and then you can bring him down.’ Matt’s impatient tone and critical words were hurtful, especially when she had tried so hard to do as he asked. She had cleaned the grate, which had been filled with soot, seagulls’ feathers and crumbling pieces of the chimney stack, and she had managed to get the fire going after several unsuccessful attempts. Not only that, but she had taken the rugs out into the yard and beaten them until her arms ached, and she was now making up the bed with the freshly laundered sheets. Someone would have to go without clean bedlinen for another week at least. To make matters worse, Grandpa’s room was directly below and she could hear his bell clanging impatiently as he waited for his midday meal and ale. She shot a resentful glance at her brother. ‘You’re being very unfair, Matt. I can’t work miracles.’

  ‘I didn’t mean to criticise you, Lil,’ Matt said in a gentler tone. ‘I can see that you’ve worked hard, but I want our friend upstairs to be comfortable. He’ll need more pillows for a start, so you’d best take them off the boys’ beds. They won’t notice the difference.’

  ‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’ Lily sniffed as she plumped up the bolster and laid it across the bed. ‘I’ll do it, but I’m not taking the blame when they find out.’

  ‘Don’t worry about that. I’ll deal with them.’ Matt strolled over to the window and tugged at one of the curtains, sending a shower of dust onto the windowsill and causing a jagged tear in the moth-eaten material. ‘We must have something better than this.’

  Lily smoothed the counterpane and straightened up, holding her hand to her aching back. ‘That’s Nell’s department, Matt. You’ll have to ask her.’

  ‘I will, as soon as she gets home.’ He turned to her with a grateful smile. ‘You’ve done well, Lily. I know it’s an almost impossible task, but saving young Labrosse might be the answer to all our problems.’

  ‘What problems?’ Lily stared at him nonplussed. ‘You said that before. Can’t you tell me what’s wrong?’

  ‘It’s nothing for you to worry your head about, Lil. Let’s just say that Labrosse’s father is an important man, and I’ve just found out that he has shares in the dock company.’

  ‘I don’t understand. What has that to do with us?’

  He was silent for a moment, eyeing her speculatively. ‘If I tell you something will you promise not to mention a word of it to the others?’

  ‘Cross my heart and hope to die,’ Lily said, making the appropriate sign with her hand.

  ‘This is strictly between the two of us, but I’m hoping that a word in the right quarter from an influential man like Labrosse’s father might give us more time to find other accommodation.’

  ‘What do you mean by that?’ Shocked and startled, Lily stared at him in horror.

  ‘Leave it at that, Lily. No one knows a thing about this, except Nell.’

  ‘What don’t they know? You’re scaring me, Matt.’

  ‘To put it in a nutshell, the dock company have given us notice to quit the house. I’ve only just found out about it myself, but they’ve written several times to Grandpa and he’s ignored the letters. We’ve got until the end of the year and then we’re out.’

  ‘I don’t understand. I thought that Grandpa had the house for the rest of his natural.’

  ‘So did I, but it seems the new dockmaster isn’t happy with his present accommodation and this house should be his by rights. The dock manager called me into his office, and it seems that the original arrangement with Grandpa, which he neglected to mention, was that he could have this house for a period of five years after his retirement. That time will be up at the end of December.’

  Lily could hardly believe her ears. ‘There must have been some mistake. Did you ask Grandpa?’

  ‘Of course I did, but he went off in one of his rages and denied ever receiving any letters from the dock company. He seemed to think that it was a plot by some unknown enemy to humiliate him. I’m afraid he’s going a bit doolally.’

  Lily sank down on the edge of the bed. ‘I know he’s a bit odd at times, but he’s not out of his mind.’

  ‘I think Pa’s death affected him more than he would admit. I know he loves the old house but unless a miracle happens we’ll have to leave. The dock manager made it perfectly clear that he wants us out, which is why I was hoping that Labrosse senior might be persuaded to put in a good word for us, and at least give me more time to find somewhere suitable for us to live.’

  ‘And what if he can’t or won’t help us?’

  ‘We can only hope that he’ll be grateful to us for looking after his son, which is why we must put in every effort to pamper the fellow.’

  ‘But if the worst happens, where will we go, Matt?’

  ‘I’ll find somewhere. If all else fails there are a couple of rooms to let above the shop next door to the fire station.’ Matt moved swiftly to her side and ruffled her hair. ‘Don’t look like that, Lily. Your big brother will look after you. Now, I’m going to fetch Labrosse and we’ll make him comfortable. I just hope that he won’t remember anything about the attic when he is himself again.’

  He hurried from the room and Lily sat for a moment, stunned by what she had just learned. She had been born in this house, as had all her brothers and sisters; it was the only home she had known. The thought of leaving in such a manner was horrible and quite terrifying. She had seen down and out people living beneath railway arches and curled up in shop doorways at night, roosting like pigeons. She rose slowly to her feet, the weight of the secret she must keep from the family resting heavily on her narrow shoulders. But Matt had taken her into his confidence and she must be proud of that. She must not let him down.

  She could hear him moving about in the att
ic room above and she forced herself to take positive action by adding more coal to the fire. The orange and gold flames leapt up the chimney, forming glittering patterns as they ignited the soot on the fireback. It was ironic, she thought, that her brothers spent their working lives putting out fires and yet tonight they would grumble because there was no comforting blaze in the hearth. There was just enough fuel left in the coal shed to keep the kitchen range going and a modest fire in Grandpa’s room, but the front parlour would remain cheerless and chilly until payday. Suddenly Lily’s whole world seemed to have been turned upside down. Times had been hard in the past, but she had felt safe and secure until now; she realised with a heavy heart that if the dock company had their way, everything was about to change.

  ‘Here he is,’ Matt said, pushing the door open with the toe of his boot. He carried the semi-conscious man across to the bed and laid him down gently. ‘He’s been raving like a lunatic, so chances are he won’t recall a thing. Make him comfortable, Lily, I’ve got work to do.’

  ‘Where are you going?’ Lily demanded anxiously. ‘What do I do if he wakes up?’

  Matt shrugged his shoulders. ‘I don’t know, Lil. Give him some more laudanum, I suppose, only don’t overdo it. Just keep him quiet and Nell will see to him when she gets home. I’ve got to write up my report for the shipping agent, and he is going to contact Labrosse’s father in Dieppe by telegraph.’ Matt’s serious expression melted into a grin. ‘I dunno, Lil, but the wonders of modern science might save us yet.’

  She did not feel much like smiling as he left the room. Downstairs she could hear Grandpa’s bell clanging away with the insistence of a fire engine on a shout, and Armand was tossing about on the pillows, muttering feverishly. She braced herself to lift his head gently and hold a glass of water to his lips. This seemed to revive him a little and he opened his eyes. For a moment she thought that he smiled but then he began rambling again and she laid him back on the pillows while she mixed a small dose of laudanum and water. She stayed with him, stroking his hair back from his forehead and speaking softly as she might to a fractious child, until he lapsed into a deep sleep.

  When she left the room she found that her legs were shaking. Looking after sick people seemed to come so easily to Nell, but for Lily it was an ordeal. Sympathy for the young Frenchman had overcome her qualms, but she would gladly relinquish her nursing duties to her eldest sister. She hurried downstairs to placate her grandfather who was interspersing the ringing of his bell with pleas for food.

  * * *

  Later that day, when Grandpa and Aggie were both having their afternoon nap, Lily returned to Armand’s bedside armed with her sketching materials. Her fingers had been itching to capture his likeness on paper, and she knew that she had at least an hour undisturbed. Dr Macpherson had arrived at midday, hoping no doubt to sample some of Aggie’s cooking, but she had not been in a generous mood and he had gone off in a huff, having glanced at the patient and said he was doing as well as could be expected.

  Lily settled down to make sketches of the handsome Frenchman. It would have been much easier had he been awake, but perhaps it was better this way. While he slept he did not seem to suffer pain from his burns and his sprained ankle, and when she laid her hand on his forehead he felt cooler to the touch. That must be a good sign.

  She worked feverishly, making sketch after sketch. If she had had her paints with her she could have added colour, bringing the drawings to life. She would just have to memorise the soft, thrush’s wing sheen of his hair and the pale olive complexion that she found so fascinating.

  She barely noticed the fading light, and she was so absorbed in her task that she did not hear the sound of approaching footsteps until it was too late. Molly burst into the room, causing Lily to drop her pencil and send sheets of paper fluttering to the floor.

  ‘You’ll cop it if Nell finds out. What d’you think you’re doing anyway? Isn’t it a bit odd sitting there making drawings of the poor bloke when he’s unconscious? I call it weird. And I don’t know how you can see to draw in this poor light.’

  Lily scrambled about on the floor, picking up her drawings. ‘You won’t tell on me, will you?’

  ‘What’s it worth?’

  ‘Don’t be mean, Moll. You know I haven’t got anything worth trading.’

  Molly tossed her head. ‘You can let me take my turn sitting with Armand.’ She sighed ecstatically. ‘Isn’t that the most wonderful name you’ve ever heard? And he’s filthy rich so Aggie was telling me. His pa is a shipping magnate.’

  Lily shuffled her sketches into a pile, rising to her feet and clutching them to her breast. ‘I wouldn’t get any ideas if I were you. Armand Labrosse wouldn’t look twice at girls like us.’

  Molly moved round the bed to sit on the chair that Lily had just vacated. ‘We’re as good as any of those rich society females. All they’ve got is money. We’ve got …’ She paused, frowning.

  ‘Well, you’ve got yellow hands today and a green splodge on your cheek. If he opens his eyes and sees you sitting there he’ll probably die of fright, or think he’s gone to hell.’

  Molly jumped up to look in the mirror over the mantelshelf. ‘I can’t see a thing.’ She lit a candle using a spill from the jar in the hearth and took a second look. ‘Damn and blast! I wish I’d been apprenticed to a milliner or a dressmaker. I’m sick to death of coming home looking like a fright.’ She hurried to the washstand and poured water into the bowl, scrubbing her face with her hands and reaching for the towel that Lily had placed there earlier.

  ‘That was for Armand,’ Lily protested. ‘Now I’ll have to fetch a clean towel, but you can empty the washbowl since you used the water.’ She glanced over her sister’s shoulder. ‘And it’s all green and yellow. If Nell sees that she’ll know it was you.’

  Molly seized the bowl and went to the window, throwing up the sash and tipping the contents into the tiny patch of garden below. ‘There, that’s the evidence gone. It’s up to you to find a clean towel and a jug of fresh water.’ She slammed the window, causing the glass to rattle. ‘And if I’m not going to tell on you, I want one of those likenesses of Armand, and you can fetch me a cup of tea with two sugars.’

  ‘You are so mean,’ Lily retaliated. ‘Sometimes I hate you, Molly.’

  ‘And you’d better light the fire in the parlour,’ Molly added, strolling over to the washstand and replacing the bowl. ‘It’s freezing down there and the others will be coming home from work soon.’ She held her hand out. ‘Let me see which one I want.’

  Reluctantly, Lily handed over her sketches. ‘Take one then, but don’t show anyone. And I can’t light the fire downstairs because I used the coal for the parlour fire to keep your precious Armand warm.’

  Molly was examining the drawing in the candlelight, and she either did not hear Lily’s last remark or she chose to ignore it. She looked up and there was genuine admiration in her eyes. ‘I dunno much about art, Lil, but these are blooming marvellous. You must do his portrait when he wakes up, and I want the first copy.’

  Lily felt herself blushing at this unexpected praise and her anger evaporated. ‘Do you really?’

  Molly selected one sketch and handed the rest back to Lily. ‘I certainly do, and I won’t breathe a word to Nell. You are a born artist, my girl. I wish I had half your talent. Now go and make me that cup of tea. I’m going to sit here and dream about being married to this gorgeous man. I can just see myself dripping in diamonds and wearing the latest Paris fashions. No more smelly dyes or listening to old man Jones scolding me.’

  As Lily left the room, Molly was still rambling on about the life she would have with the handsome young Frenchman. Lily could well imagine vivacious, irrepressible Molly capturing Armand’s heart. He had only to wake up and look into her sparkling green eyes and see her tumbling locks of flame-coloured hair to fall hopelessly in love. Lily knew that by comparison she was a pale copy of her elder sisters both in looks and in temperament. She had neither Molly’s fi
re nor Nell’s serene, dark beauty. She was just Lily, the youngest and least important member of a talented, argumentative, temperamental family, and now she was burdened by a dreadful secret which if it came to fruition would tear their lives apart.

  That evening, much to Aggie’s annoyance, Matt and Luke remained in the kitchen after supper, sitting at the table playing cards. Mark had braved the rain to go and see Flossie, and Nell had taken a bowl of broth up to the sickroom to try to tempt Armand to take a little sustenance. Molly and Lily were left to wash the dishes in the scullery. Having completed her part of the task, Molly said she did not want to spend the evening listening to Aggie’s grumbles or watching her brothers gambling, using shirt buttons instead of money. She said she was going to bed early as it was the only way to get a little peace and keep reasonably warm, and she shot a warning glance at Lily as she left the kitchen. Translating this look into words, Lily knew that Molly was going to challenge Nell’s right to be the first of the Larkin sisters Armand would see when the fever cleared from his brain.

  Lily occupied herself by tidying the china on the dresser, and when that was done she went into the scullery to fetch her brothers’ wet boots, which they had kicked off when they came home from the fire station. She stuffed the toes with old newspapers and put the boots in front of the fire to dry overnight. She took care not to disturb Aggie, who had fallen asleep with her several chins resting on her chest and her lips vibrating with occasional loud snores.

  ‘Isn’t it time for Grandpa’s cocoa?’ Matt said, looking up as Lily went past his chair. ‘I’ll have a cup if there’s any to spare.’

  ‘And me,’ Luke added, throwing down his cards. ‘You’ve got me beaten, Matt. It’s lucky we’re only playing for buttons. I’d be bankrupt if it was money.’

  ‘And you can put those buttons back in the box when you’ve finished,’ Lily said, ruffling his hair. ‘They cost money and if you lose them you’ll be going about with your shirts flapping open.’