A Mother's Promise

by Dilly Court

  George moved closer to Hetty. ‘You’ve got your business back, girl. I’m glad for your sake.’

  Hetty met his solemn gaze and realised that she must make a choice which would affect both their lives. If she chose to accept Miss Heathcote’s offer she stood in danger of losing George. To reject it would mean beginning all over again. She must either follow her head, or her heart. She could not have it all. There was a moment of silence in the room, except for the inexorable ticking of the clock. Hetty looked from Miss Heathcote’s eager face to George’s guarded expression. He gave her an encouraging smile. ‘You must do what is best for you, Hetty. I won’t stand in your way.’

  ‘Thank you, but I know what I want more than anything in the world,’ she said softly. She turned to Miss Heathcote. ‘I’ve made wrong choices in the past and lived to regret them. I put everything I had into starting up the coffee shops, but I know now that there are more important things in life than simply making money. I don’t want the business, Miss Heathcote. You see, I’m going to marry George, if he’ll have me.’ She turned to him, holding out her hand with a tentative smile. ‘Will you?’

  He strode across the room to sweep her into an embrace that left her in no doubt of his answer. ‘My darling girl, of course I want to marry you. But are you sure about this?’

  Hetty smiled into his eyes. ‘I am, George.

  You are my life and always will be.’

  Dorrie sniffed audibly and Miss Heathcote struggled to her feet. ‘This is madness. I’m offering you the chance to make a fortune and you are throwing it away for a man?’

  Safe in the circle of George’s arms, Hetty nodded vehemently. ‘I’ll go back to my coffee stall in the market place. After all, Jane will be married by the end of the week and with another baby on the way she won’t have time to run the stall. George and I will work side by side and that is enough for me. I’ll sew pearl buttons on my clothes and be queen to his pearly king.’

  ‘I think that’s ever so lovely,’ Dorrie murmured with a catch in her voice.

  ‘You haven’t heard the end of this matter,’ Miss Heathcote said angrily. ‘Dorrie, open the door. We’re leaving.’

  Hetty went to follow them but George restrained her with a loving hug. ‘Let her go, sweetheart. She’ll come round in time.’

  ‘Yes, I hope so,’ Hetty said with a sigh.

  ‘I love you,’ George said, gazing deeply into her eyes. ‘All I wanted was to know that you felt the same way about me. You’ve proved it, and if you want to call her back and tell the old girl that you’ve changed your mind, then that’s all right by me. I don’t want to rule you, Hetty. I just want you to be happy.’

  She raised her hand to touch his cheek. ‘I know, but I’ve made my choice and I’ll stand by it. Let’s go home and tell the family.’

  The only family member who was not delighted with their news was Granny. She made no secret of the fact that she considered Hetty to be doolally-tap for giving up the opportunity of a shining career in the catering trade. She liked George, she said grudgingly, but he was just a costermonger and Hetty could have had her pick of well-to-do businessmen or even a toff with a townhouse and a country estate. Nora told her not to be such a miserable old cow, and Jane was delighted at the prospect of having George as a brother-in-law. Tom slapped him on the back and added his sincere congratulations and Sammy and Eddie capered about the kitchen whooping for joy. Picking up Natalia and giving her a cuddle, Hetty smiled to herself. What more could she want than all this? She had no doubts about her feelings for George. She could not even consider a life without him, but she was a little sad to think that the businesses she had been building were now going to fall into someone else’s hands. She hoped that Miss Heathcote would understand why she had chosen love over money, and that she would not sink back into her former hermit-like existence. Hetty made up her mind that once Jane’s wedding was over, she would go to Berkeley Square and make sure that Dorrie and the boys were content to remain there. In the meantime, she would go back to her old stall in Spitalfields market. That would be enough for her from now on.

  The day of Jane’s wedding dawned cold and foggy but spirits were high in Nora’s house. The bridal party walked to St Stephen’s Church in Commercial Street, where Tom was waiting with George as his best man. Tom’s mother and sisters were already seated in the front pews, and they smiled to see Jane enter the church on Sammy’s arm. He stuck out his chest proudly as he gave his big sister away. Hetty cried during the ceremony, but they were tears of happiness. She knew that Jane and Tom were well suited and that Natalia, who sat solemnly on her lap throughout the whole proceedings, would have a kind and loving stepfather. They would be renting rooms from Nora until they could afford to move into a house of their own, which pleased Hetty even though she knew it was a bit selfish on her part. No doubt she would get used to the idea of living apart from her sister when she was happily settled with George, and perhaps having a baby of her own would make it easier to part with Talia. The boys would stay with her and George, there was no question about that, and she could not desert Granny.

  Suddenly everyone was standing up as the bride and groom processed down the aisle, and Hetty realised that she had been daydreaming through the last part of the ceremony. She caught George’s eye and all her doubts and fears were dispelled in the warmth of his smile. She took his arm and with Natalia holding her other hand she followed Jane and Tom out of the church into a thick, swirling peasouper.

  ‘Oh! Heavens!’ Jane cried. ‘I can’t see a thing and my new bonnet will be ruined.’

  Tom slipped his arm around her waist. ‘Don’t worry, Mrs Crewe. It’s not far to the chop house. I know the way blindfold.’

  George bent down to pick up Natalia. ‘Best hurry, mate. We don’t want to keep the little ‘uns out in this weather.’

  ‘What about me?’ Granny demanded. ‘I’m not as young as I was, and Nora’s rheumatics are playing her up.’

  Hetty was about to suggest that they hail a couple of hackney carriages, when out of the fog loomed a pair of matched greys pulling a familiar vehicle. It drew to a halt and Hetty recognised Milton seated on the box. She peered in through the window and saw Miss Heathcote wrapped in furs with a blanket over her knees. The groom jumped down to open the door and Miss Heathcote leaned out. ‘Hetty and George come with me. The rest of you can ride in the three hackney carriages following us.’

  ‘Excuse me, ma’am,’ Tom said, doffing his hat, ‘but this is a wedding party.’

  ‘Do I look simple, young man? Of course I know it’s a wedding party. I’ve arranged to have the reception at my house in Berkeley Square. It’s my present to the bride and groom. Now get inside before this wretched fog gets any worse and we’re stuck in this godforsaken place all day.’

  Tom looked doubtful, but Jane was already heading towards the next carriage. ‘Come on, Tom. I’d give me right arm to see inside her drum.’

  Hetty knew that there was no point in arguing with Miss Heathcote, and she allowed George to help her into the carriage. ‘I don’t understand,’ she said as she settled down on the seat. ‘Why are you doing this and how did you know that Jane’s wedding was today?’

  Miss Heathcote smiled triumphantly. ‘George told me. No, don’t look at him like that, Hetty. I sent for him as I wanted to speak frankly and we had a long talk.’

  Hetty turned her head to look at him. ‘George?’

  He took her hand and held it in a warm grasp. ‘Hetty, my love, all we want is for you to be happy. Miss Heathcote convinced me that you ought to be allowed to follow your dream. I won’t stand in your way; in fact I’ll help you. If you’ll have me, I’ll work alongside you to put the coffee shops on the map of London. Miss Heathcote thinks we’ll make a good team.’

  ‘She does?’ Hetty said faintly. ‘I don’t understand. What brought all this about?’

  ‘I had a visit from a certain gentleman,’ Miss Heathcote said mysteriously. ‘He is an acquaintance of yours,
I believe. We talked about many things, but the reason he came to me was that he wanted to invest in the business. With his backing we can begin expanding our chain of coffee shops to cover the lucrative West End.’

  ‘Who is this person?’ Hetty demanded dazedly.

  ‘Maynard Kingsley.’

  ‘Maynard! But I still don’t understand. Why would he be interested in a few simple coffee shops?’

  George squeezed her hand gently. ‘He was impressed by you, Hetty. He saw you for what you are and he knows when he is on to a good thing. As I do myself.’

  ‘It sound too good to be true, but I don’t know if I can do it, or if it’s what I want. It might spoil everything we have together, George.’

  ‘And if you pass up this chance, you will regret it for the rest of your life. You won’t be alone, my darling. You’ll have me, George Cooper, the coster who can sell anything to anyone. We can’t fail.’

  Miss Heathcote chortled with laughter. ‘Do you know, George, I almost like you. I never thought I’d say that of a man again. What do you think, Hetty? Shall we go ahead with this fine venture?’

  Hetty looked into George’s eyes and saw her future. They would disagree and they might argue, but there would be love and laughter and maybe a degree of success, although that was almost immaterial. Her feelings for him were mirrored in his eyes and returned in one long look. ‘Are you really sure you want this, George?’

  ‘I want you, Hetty. Now and always; forever and ever.’

  ‘That sounds very much like a proposal,’ she whispered.

  ‘It is. I was a stiff-necked fool not to have snapped you up the moment you arrived home. You’ve always had my heart. Will you marry me, Hetty?’

  ‘Of course she will, you stupid man,’ Miss Heathcote said, throwing up her hands. ‘For goodness’ sake kiss her and be done with it.’

  ‘Of course I will,’ Hetty repeated, sliding her arms around his neck. ‘Kiss me, George, and be done with it.’

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  Published by Arrow Books 2009

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  Copyright © Dilly Court 2008

  Dilly Court has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as the author of this work

  This novel is a work of fiction. Names and characters are the product of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental

  This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher’s prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

  First published in Great Britain in 2008 by

  Arrow Books

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  A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

  ISBN 9780099519348