by Dilly Court
Irene hung her head. ‘I know and I’m truly sorry, but it seemed to me that he had deserted you when you needed him the most.’
‘Gladys was with me all evening. She put me to bed like a child and then waited until Edward returned home. I’m never left alone for long.’
‘I don’t know what came over me,’ Irene said humbly.
‘You mustn’t be too hard on yourself. You have suffered abominably at the hands of others and you needed someone to blame. I am just sorry that it was my brother.’
Irene reached out to grasp her hand. ‘I’m sorry too. I’ve had plenty of time to mull it over while I’ve been locked up in my sister’s house. I know that Edward – I mean, Inspector Kent – was just doing his job, and it was very wrong of me to say those things in public. I can’t believe that I slapped him; it was an awful thing to do.’
‘Perhaps he understands more than you think,’ Alice said gently. ‘He has never breathed a word of it to me, and I expect he has forgotten all about it by now.’
Somehow this did not please Irene as much as she might have expected. She did not relish the idea that Kent could put her out of his mind so easily, when he was constantly in hers. ‘It’s very warm in here,’ she said, in an attempt to change the subject.
‘You are still upset. Think no more about it, my dear. Edward is not a vengeful man and I am sure he would understand why you acted as you did if you were to tell him everything, just as you have explained it to me now.’
Irene shook her head. ‘No. I think not. We are on opposite sides of the law, Alice. My father is a convicted felon and I can’t forgive your brother for putting him in jail. I’m sorry if this causes you pain, but it is a fact.’
‘Please don’t say that, Irene. Edward and I have few friends other than dear Gladys and Danny. People round here are wary of having anything to do with a police officer or his family.’
‘I’m truly sorry, but I can understand why, and it makes it difficult for us to remain friends.’
‘Don’t let the law come between us. You bring life into this dull house and I truly value your friendship. If there is any way that I can help you, then I will. Perhaps I could speak to Edward—’
‘No,’ Irene said emphatically. ‘No, please don’t. Thank you for the thought, but I must manage alone.’
‘What will you do?’
‘I don’t know, but I will have to return to Love Lane and hope to sneak into the house unseen or Josiah will have my guts for garters … begging your pardon, Alice.’
‘No need to worry on my account,’ Alice said with an irrepressible chuckle. ‘I was raised on a farm where I heard far worse language than that. I’m not a delicate flower, Irene. I used to be a real tomboy until the accident that left me crippled. In fact I can see a lot of myself in you, and that cheers me immensely. I know that things are bad for you at the moment, but sharing your troubles is a great adventure for me. I’m beginning to feel alive for the first time in years. Don’t abandon me now that I’ve found a true friend.’
Irene felt tears burning the backs of her eyes and she went down on her knees in front of Alice, taking her small hands in hers and squeezing them gently. ‘I am your friend, and I’m grateful to you for not judging the way I have dealt with your brother. I know you love him, as I loved my brother before he ran away to sea.’
‘Perhaps he will return one day.’
‘He could be dead for all I know.’
‘You must not lose hope. He might turn up on your doorstep having made his fortune abroad. It happens.’
‘Only in books, I’m afraid.’ Irene rose to her feet. ‘I must go, Alice.’
‘You will come again, though? Please say you will. You can go anywhere dressed like that.’
‘I must admit that wearing men’s clothes gives me a wonderful sense of freedom. I can stride down the street without anyone giving me a second glance. I expect I could walk right past your brother without being recognised.’
‘Oh, I think he would know it was you, Miss Angel.’
The sound of Kent’s voice made Irene spin round to stare at him. ‘How long have you been standing there?’
He eyed her coolly. ‘Long enough to know that you enjoy parading round town in that outlandish garb. Why are you here?’
‘She came to apologise for her behaviour at the ball,’ Alice said hastily. ‘And to see me, Edward. I want Irene to be my friend. You shan’t send her away.’
‘There, there, my dear. Don’t upset yourself,’ Kent said gently. ‘I won’t throw Miss Angel out on the street, but I would like to speak to her in private, if you don’t mind.’
‘You won’t be hateful to her, will you, Edward?’
‘I won’t, if she’ll promise never to humiliate me in public again.’
Irene managed a weak smile. ‘I promise.’
‘If Edward says anything to upset you, I will be very angry,’ Alice said with spirit. ‘You will come again soon, won’t you, Irene?’
‘If your brother has no objection to your mixing with the daughter of a common criminal, then I will be glad to come and visit you as often as I can.’
‘She is free to come and go as she pleases,’ Kent said, ushering Irene from the room. ‘I’ll only be a moment, Alice, and then we’ll have something to eat.’ His smile faded as he followed Irene into the hallway. He closed the door, leaning against it with his arms folded across his chest. ‘Well, what have you to say for yourself? What was your real reason for calling on my sister?’
‘I wanted to see her, and I owed you an apology for my behaviour the other evening.’
‘And this is your apology?’
‘If you care to accept it.’
‘I do. As a matter of fact I think I can understand what drove you to behave as you did. I was in part to blame.’
Irene stared at him in surprise. She could tell nothing by his carefully controlled expression and his tone was certainly not conciliatory. ‘You were?’
‘I should have been plain with you from the outset. I believe that your father was foolish to allow himself to be taken in by the Sykes brothers, and now he is paying the price for that folly, but I will say that I think the sentence was too harsh. Vic and Wally have robbed, murdered and wrecked many more lives than yours, which must not go unpunished. So far they have evaded the law, but that will not continue. You have my word on it.’
‘That won’t help my father.’
‘I am afraid there’s nothing more I can do for Billy Angel.’
‘You could have spoken up for him at his trial. You said yourself that he is not a criminal.’
‘I did what I could.’
‘I won’t rest until he is released. I will make the Sykes brothers pay for what they have done to my family.’
Kent’s hand shot out and he seized her by the arm. ‘Don’t be stupid. They would slit your throat as soon as look at you. This isn’t a game, Irene. Leave the Sykes gang to the police and go back to your brother-in-law’s house where you belong. The streets of London are no place for a girl like you.’
‘Now you listen to me for a change, Inspector Kent,’ Irene cried angrily, shaking off his restraining hand. ‘I will do as I see fit, and neither you nor the City of London police force will stop me.’ She wrenched the front door open and was about to storm out but she hesitated, glancing at him over her shoulder. ‘I will continue to visit Alice, if you have no objection.’
He inclined his head, unsmiling. ‘I can’t stop you, but I don’t want my sister involved in your scheming, which I’m very much afraid will end badly for you.’
‘Why would you care what happens to me?’
He hesitated for a moment. ‘I don’t know,’ he said slowly, ‘apart from the fact that I admire your loyalty and your tenacity. You are a stubborn, maddening young woman but you have courage. I wouldn’t want to see you brought down by a pair of sewer rats like the Sykes brothers. Take my advice and steer clear of them. Allow the law to take its course.’
She tried the door to the tradesmen’s entrance and found it locked. She toyed with the idea of ringing the bell and abandoned it almost immediately. Jessie would be only too pleased to catch her out, and Cook would not dare risk offending her employer by allowing Irene into the house unannounced. She lingered in the mews for a while, hoping that someone might arrive with a delivery of bread or groceries, but commonsense told her that it was too late in the day. It was raining even harder now and she was soaked to the skin. There was nothing for it but to go round to the front of the house and hope that Ras would be the first to return from the emporium. He would think it a huge joke to find her in such a state, but he would not tell his father; of that she was certain.
She hung about in the street, walking up and down in an attempt to keep warm, which was almost impossible with sodden clothes and rainwater trickling between her breasts and running down her back. The lamplighter was doing his rounds when Ras arrived, as expected, the first to arrive home from work. He paid off the cabby and was about to mount the front steps when Irene leapt out of the shadows and caught him by the sleeve. ‘Ras. It’s me.’
He stared at her in astonishment. ‘Renie? Good grief. Just look at you. What a state you’re in.’ He threw back his head and laughed. ‘I’d give a year of my life to see the old man’s face if he were to come along now.’
‘I pray that he won’t,’ Irene said, her teeth chattering. ‘You’ve got to get me into the house without being seen.’
He angled his head. ‘What’s it worth?’
‘Anything, just get me into the house before I catch my death of cold.’
‘I’ll hold you to that, young sir,’ Ras said, chuckling. He rang the doorbell. ‘Leave it to me.’ He took off his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. ‘Give me your cap. Be quick, I hear the sound of Jessie’s flat feet.’
Irene did as he asked and shook out her hair just as the door opened.
Jessie stepped backwards to allow them to pass. She stared open-mouthed at Irene who, in spite of everything, had to suppress a giggle.
‘What are you staring at, girl?’ Ras demanded, peeling off his gloves and handing her his top hat. ‘Miss Angel and I got caught in the rain, as you see. Take hot water to her room and plenty of towels at once.’
‘Yes, sir,’ Jessie murmured, bobbing a curtsey. ‘At once, sir.’ She scuttled off towards the back stairs.
Irene uttered a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you, Ras. You’ve saved my life.’
‘And you owe me a debt of gratitude, Renie. One that I will be eager to collect.’ He drew her to him and kissed her on the lips before she had a chance to turn her head away. ‘Tonight,’ he whispered. ‘You will come to my room. I can’t wait.’
Chapter Sixteen
‘DON’T BE AN oaf, Ras,’ Irene said, breaking free from his amorous grasp. ‘That’s not funny.’
He struck a pose. ‘Do I look as though I’m joking?’
‘You must be. You don’t want me. You could get what you want from any of the women in the places you frequent.’
He took her hand and raised it to his lips. His dark eyes gleamed with lust. ‘But you are different, my pet. I’ve wanted you from the first moment I saw you, and I mean to have you.’
‘Under your father’s roof? Are you so depraved?’
‘I’m afraid I am,’ he said, smiling. ‘And I assure you that you will enjoy your first time. I assume it will be your first.’
‘I won’t have this conversation with you.’ Irene went to pass him but he held on to her hand, gripping it so hard that she winced. ‘Let me go.’
He drew her nearer, placing his lips close to her ear. ‘Come to my room at midnight.’
She could see by the steely expression in his eyes that he meant what he said, and she was desperate to escape to the privacy of her room. ‘I’ll think about it,’ she said, forcing her lips into a smile. ‘Now let me go or I’ll scream.’
‘I don’t think you will, my pet. If the old man discovered that you had gone against his wishes, you would be flung out on your pretty little ear.’
‘It would be your word against mine.’
‘And who do you think my father would believe? Now go to your room and make yourself presentable.’ He released her so suddenly that she stumbled and only saved herself from falling by clutching the newel post at the foot of the stairs.
‘Go to hell,’ Irene muttered furiously.
Ras took a menacing step towards her and he was not smiling now. ‘I mean what I say. Come to me when the household sleeps or I will tell Father that I caught you dressed in those outrageous garments, openly flouting his orders. Take your choice, my pet.’
Wrapping his sodden cloak more tightly around her, Irene raced up the stairs and did not stop until she reached the relative safety of her bedchamber. Once inside she turned the key in the lock and tore off the offending garment. The scent of Ras’s expensive pomade lingered in her nostrils even after she had undressed and put on her wrap. A fire had been lit in the grate and she huddled on the hearthrug, folding her arms around her knees and rocking herself to and fro as she struggled with her emotions. She had thought that matters could get no worse but she had been mistaken. She had also been wrong in labelling Ras as a good-natured rattle brain. She had accepted his flirting at face value: just a bit of fun not to be taken seriously. How wrong she had been.
A knock on the door startled her from her dismal thoughts and Irene scrambled to her feet. ‘Just a moment.’ She patted her damp hair into place before unlocking the door to a disgruntled Jessie, who stomped into the room carrying a ewer filled with hot water and a large towel. She glared accusingly at Irene, saying nothing as she filled the jug on the washstand and hung the towel over its rail. She left the room without a word, ignoring Irene’s murmured thank you. Perhaps Jessie is right, Irene thought miserably. She recognises me for a fraud. I am no lady and she knows it. I am no better than she is. Emmie might have risen in the world by marrying a prosperous merchant, but I am the cuckoo in the nest. As she towelled her damp hair, Irene caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and she pulled a face. ‘I will never be a lady.’ She sighed, shaking her head. ‘But I am no slut. I will call Ras’s bluff. I don’t believe for a moment that he will carry out his threat. After all, it would be his word against mine. Josiah has a low enough opinion of his son already. Ras wouldn’t risk losing his job and his comfortable home. At least, I don’t think he would.’
Dinner that evening was an uncomfortable meal for Irene. Ma and Emmie obviously thought that she had spent the day in bed with a sick headache and were most solicitous. Josiah and Ephraim eyed her nervously, as if fearing that she might have an attack of the vapours at any moment, and Ras kept winking at her in a most salacious manner. By the time they reached dessert, Irene was itching to throw a jug of cold water over him, but somehow she managed to contain her annoyance at his suggestive behaviour. She noted that he was drinking more than usual, and that did not bode well. He had a reckless look in his eyes and she could only hope that he would imbibe enough wine to make him virtually insensible.
Whatever happened, she was not going to his room. She would lock her door and pretend to be asleep. After all, what could he do? If he made a noise it would rouse the whole household and it would be Ras who was in trouble.
‘Are you sure that you are all right now, dear?’
The sound of Ma’s voice brought Irene back to earth with a bump. ‘Oh, yes. I’m sorry, Ma. I was miles away.’
‘Not too far, I hope,’ Ras said, grinning. ‘We would miss you if you left us, Renie.’
‘What sort of talk is that?’ Emmie scolded. ‘Renie is here to stay, at least until after my confinement. I don’t want to hear talk of her leaving.’ She rose from her seat. ‘But I suggest that we ladies go to the drawing room and let you gentlemen enjoy your port and cigars, which is what I believe they do in the best of households. Come, Ma. And you too, Renie.’ She swept from the room, blowing a kiss to Josiah, who was steadily munching his way through a plate of Stilton and celery. He half rose to his feet and then sat down again to cut himself another slice of cheese.
Renie was glad to escape from Ras’s covert glances and sly winks, but she hesitated outside the drawing room. ‘Ma, Emmie, if you don’t mind I think I’ll go to bed.’
Clara’s brow puckered with concern. ‘My dear, are you sure you are not sickening for something? Perhaps we should send for the doctor?’
‘No, Ma. Really, I am just a bit tired. I’m sure I’ll be better for a good night’s sleep.’
‘You go on then,’ Emmie said. ‘We can’t have you falling ill so close to my time. I’ll need all the help I can get then. Goodnight, dear.’
Irene climbed the stairs to her room and locked herself in. The fire had been made up and her bedcovers turned down. Jessie would not return until morning when she brought hot water for the washbowl and coal for the fire. Irene was too tense to think of sleep and she busied herself by hanging Jim’s still damp clothes over the back of the chair, and setting his boots before the fire to dry. Having accomplished this, she undressed and climbed into bed, settling down to read a copy of Mrs Gaskell’s North and South, which she had borrowed from Josiah’s library. She read for a while, but all the time her eyes kept straying to the clock on the mantelshelf, and as midnight drew inexorably nearer she found it hard to concentrate. The words began to dance before her eyes and the letters swam about on the page like tadpoles. It was a good story and she had been enjoying it until now, but in the end she had to admit defeat. She put a bookmark in place and laid the novel on her bedside table.