by Linda Finlay
‘Miss Sullivan.’ Sarah heard Mrs Knight call as she was making her way outside after the service. ‘Now the inspection has been brought forward, I’m afraid there’s no way we can get the boys’ shirts made in time,’ she said, her grey eyes clouding.
Sarah’s heart sank. She’d set her heart on all the pupils appearing in some sort of uniform.
‘Never mind, Mrs Knight,’ she replied, swallowing hard. ‘You and your sewing bee have done a fantastic job fashioning the girls’ pinafore smocks and I can’t thank you enough for my smart dress. It fits perfectly.’
‘Good,’ the woman replied. ‘We understand how important this inspection is, and don’t want to let you down. Therefore, hoping you’d be agreeable, we have already started sewing red waistcoats for the boys instead. Oh, and one for Master Higgins too, of course. I see he’s not with you today, and neither is his mother. I do hope everything is all right?’
‘I’m sure it is,’ she assured the woman quickly. ‘Waistcoats for the boys would be marvellous, Mrs Knight,’ Sarah cried, her spirits lifting. ‘You have all been so kind, I hope you and the ladies will allow us to show our gratitude by joining us at Red Cliffs for tea one afternoon.’
The woman nodded enthusiastically, setting the feathers on the side of her elegant hat fluttering. ‘That would be delightful. In the meantime, Amelia can bring all the garments that are finished when she comes on Tuesday. I’m sure our verger here will oblige by delivering the rest on Wednesday afternoon.’
‘Indeed I will,’ Jack Wise said, appearing at her side. ‘If you are ready, Mrs Knight, I will see you safely home before presenting myself for one of Mrs Daws’ splendid lunches.’ He beamed at Sarah, and despite her whirling thoughts, she couldn’t help but smile back.
‘Good morning, Mrs Knight,’ she bid the woman. ‘I’ll see you later, then, Mr Wise.’
‘I’ll look forward to it,’ he replied, rubbing his stomach in anticipation.
Sarah caught up with Mrs Daws, then followed the crocodile of children back to Red Cliffs.
‘I can’t help worrying about the master,’ the woman murmured.
‘I’m sure he’ll be waiting, ready to help with the luncheon. His mother probably required his services for something,’ Sarah assured her.
She certainly didn’t have Harry down for sulking, but then you didn’t really know with men, she thought, remembering the way Rodney had flounced out of her office. Misunderstanding or not, the reactions of Mrs Daws, April and Pip made her realize that mixing business and pleasure was best avoided. From now on, Red Cliffs and its pupils would come first, she thought, dismissing the sinking feeling in her stomach.
The master was not waiting when they arrived back at the school. Under the guidance of April and Pip, the pupils served the urchins their soup, then ate their own luncheon. Having cleared away, they were letting off steam in the grounds when he finally made an appearance.
‘Master Higgins, whatever do you look like?’ Mrs Daws cried.
He put his hand to the livid bruise on his cheek and the dressing covering one ear and grimaced. ‘Got set on by thugs,’ he muttered. ‘I was passing by the station when they tried to nab my wallet. Gave me this for stopping them.’
‘You poor thing. Sit yourself down and have a cuppa,’ the housekeeper ordered, lifting the big brown pot. ‘Thanks to Mr Collyer, we’ve got good strong tea. I was saying to Miss Sullivan this morning, in all the years you’ve been at Red Cliffs, I’ve never known you not show up.’
‘I’m sorry to let you down, but the police insisted on escorting me to the hospital to have my ear checked, then I had to accompany them to the police station to identify the thugs.’
‘My, my,’ Mrs Daws clucked. ‘How many were there?’
‘Two set about me but they’ve also arrested their ringleader. I think you’d better sit down too, Miss Sullivan, for what I’m about to tell you will come as a shock.’ Sarah was about to refuse but seeing the look in his eye, took the chair furthest from him.
‘Bet it were that toff I told the sergeant about,’ Kitty said, appearing in the doorway.
‘Whatever are you doing in here?’ Sarah asked.
‘I was waiting for Master ’iggins to show up. Word on the street says they got the toff for them train robberies.’
‘Word on the street?’ Sarah asked, frowning.
‘Yeah, one of them urchins told me when I gived ’im ’is soup. Said ’e were ’idin up the gypo camp near Yalberton.’
‘Now then, young lady, it’s none of your business …’ Mrs Daws began.
‘It is if one of them was the guv who beat me up,’ Kitty protested. ‘It were ’is patch, see?’ the girl explained, looking at Harry.
‘You’re right, Kitty,’ Harry replied. ‘Sergeant Watts had apprehended him previously, then let him abscond in order to lead the police to the rest of the gang.’
‘You mean ’e’s banged up now?’ she cried. He nodded and she punched the air in delight. ‘Hope they frow away the key,’ she screeched. ‘An’ were the toff the leader?’
Harry nodded and took a sip of his tea. ‘Yes, he was found hiding in Madam Rosa’s vargo,’ he admitted.
‘You mean, Monday’s grandmother?’ Sarah gasped.
‘Wait ’til I tell her,’ Kitty cried.
‘Don’t …’ Sarah began but the girl had already scarpered.
‘Let her go. Monday will find out soon enough,’ Harry sighed. ‘Look, Sarah, the thing is, the ringleader of these delightful men turned out to be the doctor’s nephew, Christian Lawrence.’
Sarah raised her eyebrows, then nodded thoughtfully. ‘I thought as much.’
‘You did?’ Harry asked, surprised by her reaction. ‘I thought you’d be astounded.’
‘I had my suspicions when Sergeant Watts was questioning Kitty.’
‘To think the poor doctor had a nephew as crooked as a dog’s hind leg,’ Mrs Daws sniffed. ‘He’d be turning in his grave, if he had one.’
‘At least they’ve caught up with him, that’s the main thing,’ Sarah said, ignoring the reference to her uncle’s lack of grave, which she still found hard to understand.
‘And he’ll be put away for quite some time, from what the sergeant said,’ Harry told them. Then he winced and put his hand to his head.
‘Time you was heading home for a rest, Master Higgins,’ Mrs Daws said gently. ‘You’ve had one heck of a time by the sound of it.’
‘It certainly wasn’t the way I’d planned to spend Saturday night,’ he replied, looking pointedly at Sarah.
‘Like Mrs Daws said, you should go home and rest,’ she told him, not wishing to be drawn into a conversation. He opened his mouth to protest, then, as if it was too much effort, got to his feet.
‘I’ll be fine by the morning and we can discuss everything then,’ he said, giving Sarah a rueful smile.
‘We’ll certainly need to finalize our strategy,’ she told him, then looked quickly away as hurt sparked in his eyes. He might still have the wrong idea about Rodney, but she could not forget the way he had abandoned her the previous evening without even asking her for an explanation. ‘However, I have an appointment with the bank manager first thing and then have to put the finishing touches to my new filing system, so it will have to wait until after supper.’
The bank was busy that Monday morning, and despite having an appointment, Sarah had to wait. She spent her time watching the customers as they came and went. Their stylish attire made Sarah felt quite dowdy and she wished she’d thought to put on her new charcoal dress. The trouble was, now there were so many children at Red Cliffs, her clothes were invariably the worse for wear by the end of the day, and she was determined to look as smart as she could on Thursday. She now knew how April felt about wearing other people’s cast-offs, and resolved her first task after the aprons were finished would be to show the girls how to adapt the donated clothes to fit them.
‘Miss Sullivan, my apologies for keeping you waiting,’ Mr Colling
s greeted her as he ushered her through to his immaculately tidy office. ‘Now, how may I help?’ he asked when they were both seated and he’d dispensed with the small talk. He listened attentively, then glanced down at the file on the desk in front of him.
‘I can certainly let you draw the sum you require to pay your accountant, Miss Sullivan,’ he told her.
‘Thank you. I would also like to discuss the possibility of taking out a loan,’ Sarah told him.
The man frowned then sat back in his seat. ‘What would be the purpose of this money, may I ask?’
‘The roof has been leaking. Although a temporary repair has been effected, I have been told the tiles need replacing, which will be quite an expenditure,’ she told him.
‘Indeed,’ he agreed. ‘Tell me, Miss Sullivan, if the bank were to agree a loan, exactly how do you propose repaying it?’
Sarah swallowed hard, for in truth she had no idea, but he was waiting for her to answer. ‘I’ve thought of things the school could do to raise funds for the repayments,’ she assured him. ‘We shall grow more vegetables to sell and the girls are becoming quite proficient at sewing so …’ Her voice tailed off as the man smiled, not unkindly.
‘Small fry, Miss Sullivan. Whilst your intentions are to be admired, it will take more than a spot of fundraising to meet the repayments, and I’m not sure that …’
‘The important thing is the children have a secure roof over their heads,’ she interjected.
‘Again, I admire your sentiments, Miss Sullivan, really I do. However, in order to secure sufficient funding, Red Cliffs would have to be held as surety. Have you received confirmation that Red Cliffs now belongs to you? I was given to understand your godfather’s will was being contested.’
Sarah swallowed again. Was nothing private around here? ‘That’s true. However, Mr Fothergill doesn’t think the claim will stand up in court. He is taking advice on the matter and will confirm as soon as he hears. Besides, Mr Lawrence has been arrested and is being held in custody.’
‘So I understand, Miss Sullivan. However, he has yet to stand trial and even that wouldn’t alter his claim, I’m afraid. I had a healthy regard for your godfather, and there’s nothing I would like more than to be able to help. However, even if it is proven Red Cliffs is your property, I wouldn’t be able to advance you such a sum of money without proof you could make the repayments. The interest on such a sum would be quite considerable, have you thought of that?’
‘Yes, of course,’ she replied, returning his candid gaze.
He smiled knowingly. ‘Look, my dear, your determination to keep the school open is to be applauded. However, I would not be doing my job if I didn’t point out that were you to secure a loan and then found yourself unable to meet your repayments, the bank would have no alternative but to seize the property and then where would the pupils go? Better a leaky roof than no roof, eh?’
Although he smiled kindly, Sarah could tell he meant what he was saying. ‘Well, thank you for your time. Mr Collings,’ she replied, getting to her feet.
‘I just wish I could be of more help, Miss Sullivan.’
Whatever had she been thinking of? she thought, making her way out of the bank. Even if she had managed to secure a loan, once the roofer had been paid for his time and materials, there would be no money left to meet the repayments. If the inspectors insisted the roof needed replacing, the property would have to be sold and Red Cliffs would shut anyhow. It didn’t matter which way she turned, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Having paid the accountants and secured a receipt, she was hurrying down the main street when she bumped into Miss Green coming out of the draper’s. The woman grinned superciliously and turned away, but Sarah was not to be put off.
‘Good morning, Miss Green. I see you have had a busy morning,’ Sarah said, indicating the large parcel under the woman’s arm.
‘I have indeed, Miss Sullivan,’ the woman smirked. ‘I’m surprised to see you out and about. I would have thought you’d be preparing for the school’s inspection.’
‘Everything is taken care of, Miss Green,’ she replied, crossing her fingers behind her back. ‘Which is just as well, since I saw from the date on the letter that you failed to hand it over in a timely manner.’
The woman bristled, her smile replaced with a scowl. ‘It isn’t going to make any difference. Red Cliffs will be closed and then me and …’ The woman stuttered to a halt, aware she’d said more than she’d intended. ‘Red Cliffs will get what is coming to it.’
‘You believe in karma, Miss Green?’ Sarah asked.
‘Eh?’ the woman frowned.
‘I too believe what goes around comes around,’ Sarah smiled. When the woman still looked blank, Sarah added, ‘Whatever ye sow, so shall ye reap.’
Aware they were drawing curious glances from passers-by, Sarah bade Miss Green farewell. As she hurried away, she could feel the woman’s eyes boring into her back and hoped her hunch had been right.
Leaving the town behind, she strode along the seafront, hardly noticing the plush hotels with their ornate frontages and well-tended grounds. How could she secure funding for the repairs to the roof? One more storm and they would be in serious trouble, as Mr Collyer had warned them. Catching sight of a large ship crossing the bay, she wondered where he was now. At least Monday was happy, she mused.
Feeling drained after her eventful morning, she leaned against the wall and stared out over the rolling waves. How she wished some of their mighty energy might transfer to her, she thought, idly watching as a cork float bobbed on the sea. Valiantly, it rode the waves, making its journey out to deeper waters only to be swept back again by the incoming tide. Two steps forward, three back, just as her life had been since coming here, she thought. She sighed, remembering the hurt in Harry’s eyes earlier. Had she been too hard on him? Yet trust was everything, wasn’t it?
As Pip let her back in through the gates, he gave her an even brighter smile than usual. ‘Me and April have had a word with the master about that Rodney,’ he whispered, tapping the side of his nose. ‘He’s been pacing the kitchen floor for ages waiting for you to come back.’
‘I see, well, thank you,’ Sarah replied, not knowing whether to be pleased or annoyed at their ‘help’.
It was going to take more than their intervention to put matters right, she thought, hurrying through to her office. Truth to tell, she was still smarting from Harry’s hasty assumption and failure to speak to her. Moments later, there was a knock and Harry’s face peered around the door.
‘About last night,’ he began.
‘How are you feeling after your ordeal?’ she asked, deliberately choosing to misunderstand him.
‘Oh, er, I’m fine,’ he replied, awkwardly rubbing at a mark on her desk. ‘I was thinking, er … It’s a shame about our fish and chip supper and …’ His voice trailed off.
‘Yes, it was,’ she replied.
‘Perhaps we could try again next Saturday?’ he asked, staring at her hopefully. His expression made her heart beat faster but she wasn’t about to let him off the hook that easily.
‘I think we should concentrate our energies on the inspection, Master Higgins,’ she finally replied. ‘So let’s discuss our strategy for the inspection.’
‘Yes, of course,’ he muttered.
38
The rest of the week passed in a flurry of activity as Red Cliffs prepared for the inspection. On Thursday morning, the freshly bathed children lined up in their new outfits, ready to be inspected, and Sarah felt a lump in her throat when she saw how smart they all looked. Even Mrs Daws was sporting a new white apron, which the ladies had made for her.
‘You looks right pretty in that grey dress, miss, don’t she, Master Higgins?’ April cried.
‘Yes, she does,’ he replied, giving Sarah a warm glance.
‘And sir looks right dandy in ’is new red waistcoat, doesn’t ’e, miss?’ Pip prompted.
Although Sarah had determined to
keep her dealings with the master on a professional level, it seemed April and Pip had other ideas.
As they waited for her to answer, a cry went up from Maisie. ‘I feel ’ick,’ the little girl wailed and promptly was, all over her new pinafore.
‘Oh, Maisie, dear,’ Sarah cried, hurrying over to the little girl, who was swaying from side to side, her eyes shining feverishly against her pale skin. She was about to scoop her up when April intervened.
‘Mind your dress, miss. Come along, Maisie, let’s get you cleaned up. ’Tis bed for you. Oh blimin’ ’eck, them inspectors will be wanting to check the dorms. I can hardly put her in there, can I?’
Before Sarah could reply, there was an insistent ringing of the front doorbell.
‘Oh ’eck, they’re here,’ Pip groaned. ‘Shall I let ’em in, miss?’
‘Yes please, Pip. We’ll be in my office,’ Sarah replied. ‘Put Maisie in my bed, April,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘And let me know how she is, please.’
‘Right, everybody, make your way quietly out of the back door and around to the classroom. Pip will join you in a few moments,’ Harry ordered.
‘Me is goin’ with Maisie,’ Monday protested.
‘No, little sproglet. She needs a good wash. You come with me,’ Kitty said, taking hold of her hand.
‘There’ll be extra cake for those who behave themselves,’ Mrs Daws called.
‘I must remember to be good, then,’ Harry quipped as he followed Sarah, but she was too nervous to respond.
‘Mr Green and Miss Harmon,’ Pip announced grandly, as he showed the inspectors into the office.
‘Good morning and welcome to Red Cliffs,’ Sarah greeted them.
‘The new proprietor, I presume?’ the man asked, placing his file on her desk. Although his demeanour was haughty, Sarah noted the cut of his suit was poor. The way his nose twitched reminded her of a weasel.
‘I am Miss Sullivan, and Mr Higgins you already know.’ The man grunted at Harry, who smiled in response.
‘My colleague Miss Harmon and I would like a conducted tour of your premises, then we will check your accounts. They have been audited?’