Three Round Towers

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Since my adventures with Wilf I had tried to understand the circumstances that were causing so much unrest. I had been quite stung by the way Wilf spoke to me of not being aware of the lives of the poorer people, of their hunger and deprived conditions.

  I talked to Cecilia who told me that many local people contributed to the parish poor fund to enable families to keep together rather than be taken into the workhouse. Farmer Elwood had taken on extra workers whenever he was able but there were some families who just couldn’t be helped – the lazy and the feckless for example. According to Cecilia the burden on the parish was great.

  We talked much of bad harvests, severe winter weather and failed crops with famine stalking the South Downs. The weather was frequently the means of driving people down into the gutters. Some tradesmen tried to capitalise on the lack of supply with higher prices for their goods. Bread was often the touch paper for rioting; the light loaves that were sold produced less goodness with resulting ill health and weakness.

  Some decent local people were so concerned with the hunger they took matters into their own hands and provided hot broth for upwards of 900 people in Lewes. Mrs Makepiece told me about many benefit occasions to raise money for the malnourished children. I volunteered to accompany her when she was called on to help prepare and serve food. Ladies of the town would make items of clothing from their own spinning and collections of scrap materials so occasionally you would see youngsters clad in the very best fabrics previously worn on the backs of the educated classes. Despite these attempts to help it never seemed to be enough.

  A threat of violence built and Cecilia told me that some men had became sufficiently well organised to threaten those instrumental in keeping prices up; they promised an uprising of thousands of desperate men. Farmer Elwood was at the Star for the Saturday market when a letter was produced threatening violent destruction. The letter had been sent to the justices who promptly sent it to those who were deemed to be the cause of light loaves and profiteering. The writer of the letter claimed to have 18,000 men armed and ready to act, and, with such numbers no militia would be able to prevent a determined assault. Cecilia was greatly frightened by these threats and fretted constantly that she and her benevolent husband were being tarnished by the actions of profiteers.

  Nowadays when I walked around town I saw Lewes in a new light. On the surface all seemed to be calm and prosperous with well-shod people smiling, talking and laughing with their neighbours but underneath in the dark alleyways and less popular areas of town I saw the grim evidence of hunger and want. Crying children with swollen bellies, mean housing, dirt and rampant disease; smallpox, consumption, scarlet fever, even malaria; women who were unable to cope resorting to gin and selling their bodies in order to feed the children. I was horrified to think that I had been enjoying the fruits of other people’s labour with no thought for those who had nothing. I vowed to myself that I would do all that I could to alleviate the suffering of the sick when I began working for Dr Grieve though, in truth, I had never seen anyone poor at his house or the coroner’s office except myself and Billy.

  It was while Mrs Makepiece and I were on a trip to take eggs to a family she supported I had a dreadful shock. We turned a corner near the house of correction in North Street and came upon a small quarry being worked for chalk. As we approached some tiny cottages a young man appeared at the gate of the quarry: he was leading a horse that looked familiar. I clutched Mrs Makepiece’s arm and dragged her back into the shade of a building. ‘Wait,’ I gasped.

  ‘What is it lass? You look like death.’

  ‘It’s one of the Coad boys. The eldest. I can’t go near him, please.’ I pressed myself flat against the wall, my heart thumping.

  Mrs Makepiece stood in front of me and shielded me from his eyes had he been looking in our direction which, thankfully, he wasn’t.

  ‘Esther you are going to have to prepare yourself to meet this family betimes. Lewes is a small place and there are a number of them.

  ‘I know,’ I groaned, but seeing him like that was a great shock. ‘Since the trial I have done my best to erase all memory of those odious people.’

  ‘Well come on, he’s gone now, we’ll go and deliver these eggs and see if the Higgins children are helping their poor ma. Now, turn your thoughts away from Coads and think about this decent family that is down on their luck.’

  I tried, but it wasn’t easy – that is until we got into their house, or what passed for a house.

  Miss Wardle’s piggies lived in better conditions than this family of ten. Everywhere I looked there was a grey face pierced by enormous staring eyes. The mother of all these children had a child to her breast and two more clutching her skirts. She looked drained of all colour and her dark and greasy hair straggled down her back.

  As soon as Mrs Makepiece opened the door they fixed their eyes on her basket, which contained a small jug of milk, a dozen eggs and a twist of salt probably left over from the salting of the meat.

  ‘Here Mary, m’dear, this will make a nice tea for everyone today and I’ve asked Miss Wardle to save you some lard. Have you heard from Samuel, word of mouth like?’

  ‘Nay, not a dicky bird but I know he’ll be trying his best to find some work inland, like.’

  ‘P’raps he would be better occupied in staying put and doin’ a bit of fishing,’ she suggested.

  ‘He’s afeared of bein’ taken up for poaching.’

  ‘Aye. Anyways, my girl I brought you some soap so mayhap your eldest girls could offer to do a bit of washin’. P’raps some in the house of correction might employ them – they are not all vagabonds and thieves and some might pay to look clean afore their meeting with the justices. You tell that girl o’ yours to give these childer a bit of a scrub like.’

  Mrs Higgins thanked us for our visit and encouragement. She smiled as much as she was able through her blackened teeth. ‘We be that grateful to you. I had naught to feed us tonight so a couple of these eggs will do just the job.’

  As we left Mrs Makepiece turned to her and said sternly, ‘You make sure you eat too, Mary. If aught happens to you these childer will be put in the workhouse. You need to keep your strength up until Samuel comes back.’

  ‘Aye, I do know that.’

  The conditions in that little home had taken all thought of the Coads from my mind and it wasn’t until later that night as I was trying to sleep that they resurfaced.

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Cecilia and Farmer Elwood have been invited to the wedding of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales to Princess Caroline and afterwards Cecilia will go to her family home for the remainder of her confinement. They have asked me to stay until Farmer Elwood returns from Hadgwick Hall and I have agreed. Dr Grieve seems well pleased that I am taking up his offer and has offered to show me the accommodation that Beth and I will share in his home. Mrs Jenkins has been very friendly and her kitchen is large so I can prepare some of my receipts without interfering in her domain. I am beginning to relish the thought of earning my own money and being of value in the town. There are a number of physicians in Lewes and I am not aware that any of them have a resident nurse. I am rather nervous that my skills are limited to general work. I have no idea what I can offer in terms of birthing but hope to learn from the doctor. I do believe that most birthing takes place under the care of local women and that physicians’ skills are limited to the wealthy. I understand that Dr Grieve has great experience and training in this most common of practices. It is an area of medicine that I am keen to learn.

  The sun was shining when Beth and I arrived at the doctor’s house to view our rooms. I felt quite nervous and I think he saw my unease and called Mrs Jenkins in to accompany us. The house was large and well furnished but not with delicate feminine pieces. The heavy oak dressers and bureaus were highly polished and dust free. Beth liked the shiny wood as she could see her face. She had a habit of licking anything she couldn’t actually put in her
mouth and I apologised to Mrs Jenkins for all the tongue prints as I gathered her up. We were shown into a sitting room on the second floor: it was large, airy and bright and my heart lifted. A bedroom with space for the two of us adjoined the sitting room. There was a good single bed and a little truckle bed for Beth. A little dresser with a mirror and four drawers for our bits and bobs stood against a wall. It was perfect.

  Dr Grieve and I discussed the terms of my employment, my wages and when I would start. I explained about Cecilia and he agreed that I could start once she had left. I breathed a sigh of relief which I am afraid he accurately interpreted because he said ‘Esther, this arrangement is important for both of us and if for some reason it is not acceptable then we will terminate it with no hard feelings. If, however, you enjoy your work with me then I hope we can move on to a permanent footing that will be satisfying for both of us.

  I agreed wholeheartedly but as always when I was talking to him I had the feeling that I wasn’t entirely sure I was interpreting his words accurately. I tried to tell myself that I, as a young and naive woman couldn’t be expected to understand nuances of behaviour and language and if I made mistakes it wasn’t my fault. I would go over his sentences in minute detail and couldn’t fault what was said but always I felt I was missing something.

  Both Mrs Makepiece and Miss Wardle seemed quite excited that I was moving and I do believe they were planning introductions and little entertainments that would include me. I pointed out that much as I would like to socialise with them and their friends I did not know when I would find time because of the work I would be expected to do.

  Billy-alone was by now quite recovered from his terrible adventure; the only real effect was to make him more wary of life. Every now and again I would see him pretending to be mazed for the benefit of strangers. He spent his days with the shepherds and his evenings with Sally the pig and Miss Wardle. He benefited from the outdoor work and was looking much healthier. Being at the farm so often he would bump into Wilf and I would ask after him as discretely as I could. Then one fine day Beth and I were walking up to the mill above the farm and there he was. I felt a little shy as I approached him but Beth had no such worries and she trotted on her little legs right up to him holding her arms out wide expecting to be picked up. He didn’t disappoint and swung her high in the air as she squealed her delight.

  ‘’Gain, ’gain’ she demanded.

  ‘Only if you tell me your name.’

  ‘Beth I’s Beth!’

  ‘Are you sure?’ he smiled down at her.

  ‘I’s Beth, I am!’

  ‘Oh well, if you say so – here we go then – up, up and up again.’

  We were all laughing and I forgot my shyness as I settled myself on one of the great stones near the mill door.

  ‘How are you Wilf?’

  ‘Grand, an’ you? It’s good to see you Esther.’

  Suddenly I became aware of what a beautiful day it was and how pleasant it was to be high above the town with the skylarks singing above us. ‘Yes, I am fine and you have just met Beth who has her own way of introducing herself. She’ll be wanting more of the same every time she sees you,’ I warned him, laughing.

  ‘Billy tells me you are moving into town with the local quack.’

  ‘He’s not a quack, he’s a physician and I’m only moving in there to work.’ For some reason I thought it important to make that clear and I became all tongue-tied as I realised how could anyone think any different. I could feel myself reddening so I grabbed hold of Beth and started to tickle her.

  ‘Will you be having days off then?’

  ‘Aye, I am not expecting to be wanted all the time, the doctor has many calls on him that don’t require a nurse.’ I had just told Miss Wardle the opposite, shame on me.

  ‘Well, then I will call round and invite you and trouble here to take a breath of air with me when I am in the area, like.’

  ‘Oh that will be lovely, I am quite nervous about being there and it will be great to meet with someone I know so…’ I hesitated.

  ‘…well?’ he offered.

  I laughed, ‘Yes, that is what I meant though I have promised Billy that I would go downriver a little ways with him soon, as I do believe I have family in one of the villages. He wants to help me find my mother’s family.’

  ‘Where do you think they live?’

  ‘I think it maybe Southease, do you know it?’

  A shadow had crossed his face as I named the village. ‘Aye, I know it.’ he said shortly.

  ‘Is there a problem there?’ I was curious as to what had caused his smile to fade.

  ‘Some of the people there are wrong-uns. Make sure Billy is with you and go in the morning light. You don’t want to be there at dusk. And don’t take the little-un.’

  ‘You sound very cautionary, in what way wrong-uns?’

  He jumped up and shook his head before running and scooping Beth up in the air again causing her to shriek with pleasure. Once her giggles had subsided we carried on talking just as we had when rescuing Billy and we did not return to the subject of Southease and its inhabitants.

  ‘Well I must be getting on otherwise Farmer Elwood will wonder why I am not back with the flour. Do you want a ride on the back o’ the cart?’

  I nodded, yes and he picked me up and then put Beth on my lap on the backboard and off we went down the hill by a more winding indirect route. He dropped us off by the stables and as I thanked him for the ride I said, ‘Next time you are here, why don’t you come in the kitchen and say hello – we can always offer a cold drink for those in need.’ I was amazed at my forwardness but he replied with a smile, ‘Aye, I will that, see you soon.’

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Cecilia was still struggling with her early pregnancy and was in two minds as to whether she would be able to attend the Prince’s wedding.

  ‘You’ll be fine, as long as it is not a dawn wedding and Farmer Elwood will take care of you in the crowds. You must try not to stand too long. What about your dress, what are you going to wear?’

  ‘I don’t know, that is a problem – what if I can’t get into anything?’

  ‘One month will make no difference to your shape and you are so small any gain would be tiny anyway,’ I said confidently, knowing I had no basis of knowledge for thinking that. ‘Let’s go and look through your chests and see what is suitable and if anything needs altering, we still have time.’

  ‘I have to look fashionable, I can’t possibly go looking as if I am in last season’s design.’

  ‘We can choose something and then get it remade.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t know, my mother would die if she thought I was attending this wedding in old clothes that have been altered.’

  ‘Is your mother going?’

  ‘No. She is not invited, she is not part of the Prince’s set.’

  ‘Why don’t we go and look and we can send into Lewes for your dressmaker to come and advise.’

  ‘Yes, let’s. I’ll see if anyone is going in this morning. I’ll write a note.’

  We spent all morning rummaging through chests and eventually pulled two beautiful dresses out for trying on and perhaps an alteration to update. I had no idea what was fashionable but I could admire the materials, the workmanship and how beautiful Cecilia looked in both of them. They were both very grand and I can’t imagine she had an occasion to wear them in Lewes so I think they must have come with her on her wedding.

  Miss Simpson, Cecilia’s dressmaker promised to call in during the afternoon and we were delighted to parade our two choices but she wasn’t impressed and spent a lot of time tutting and sighing. She had brought some sketches of current styles with her and we pored over them before agreeing that one of the dresses was suitable for alteration. We decided that Cecilia would need a matching cloak and headpiece and Miss Simpson produced some sample materials in a range of colours. The design was settled as being empire line from under the bust, which would hide any development of pregnancy. We
were all very pleased with ourselves and asked Mrs Fisher to bring some tea and dainties into Cecilia’s sitting room. I presided over the brewing of the tea and having allowed the requisite brew time of five minutes I poured the hot amber liquid into three eggshell thin cups. Mrs Fisher had excelled herself with some delicious little fancy cakes. Cecilia declared that we were copying one of her mother’s ‘at home’ occasions. I couldn’t help thinking that her mother wouldn’t be taking tea with a companion and a dressmaker but we all enjoyed ourselves and looked forward to the first fitting.

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Later in the day I asked Cilla if Billy was likely to visit soon. She thought he would call in shortly, before going back to Miss Wardle’s for the night and I asked her if she would call me when he arrived.

  I wanted to talk to Billy about going to Southease so I could ask him what Wilf meant when he said there were wrong-uns there.

  It was a lovely evening so I walked with Billy towards Lewes.

  ‘What do you know about Southease Billy?’

  ‘Nowt really – there’s not much to it. A church, a few cottages, farms. Folk be a bit secretive down there, they don’t welcome outsiders. The river floods a lot and you needs to know your way through the reeds as it be mighty wet. Some folks use the farm tracks rather than boats as finding your way through the marshes is a mite dangerous.’