by Dilly Court
‘Humph!’ Maude cleared her throat and turned away as the door opened and Martha bustled in with a heavily laden tray, closely followed by Jim.
‘There now, clear the way,’ Martha said brusquely. ‘Let me see to that ankle, Miss Maude, and you can sit down and drink your tea with a tot of medicinal brandy.’ She beckoned to Jim, who stood behind her with a bowl of water clutched in his hands. ‘Make yourself useful and tear that bit of sheeting into strips. We’ll have you fixed up in a trice, Miss Renie.’
Irene met Jim’s amused gaze over the top of Martha’s bent shoulders as she examined the injured limb. He placed the bowl within her reach and began, quite expertly, Irene noticed, to rip the sheet into bandages, which Martha dampened in the water before applying them to the swollen ankle.
Maude sank into one of the chairs by the fireside, adding a generous measure of brandy to her tea which she sipped with obvious enjoyment. ‘Now then,’ she said in a more mellow tone. ‘Irene has told me about her visit to the Kents’ farm and her meeting with my sister and her husband, so we don’t need to go through that again. I think it’s time we heard from you, James Angel. I’m sure we are all curious as to the reason for your sudden reappearance after so many years’ absence.’
‘I know I am,’ Irene said eagerly. ‘And how did you know where to find me, Jim? Do sit down and tell all.’
Jim handed the strips of cloth to Martha and he pulled up a chair. ‘Well, it wasn’t easy.’ He sat down opposite Maude and helped himself to a tot of brandy, which he drank neat in one gulp. ‘When my ship docked at Queenhithe I went straight to Wood Street expecting to find Ma behind the counter as usual, selling jars of pickles and bottles of sauce. I found it closed and shuttered and no one in the adjoining shops seemed to know where my family had gone, although they told me that the departure was fairly recent and that they had heard rumours that Pa was in Newgate. I can’t say that surprised me entirely, so I went looking for old Yapp. As luck would have it I spoke to a boy called Danny, who knows you well, Renie. He told me as much as he knew and directed me to Emmie’s house in Love Lane.’
‘And how is Emmie? Has she had the baby?’
Jim shook his head. ‘Not yet, although I believe the birth is imminent. She was most insistent that I bring you back to London so that you can be there at her confinement.’
‘But that’s impossible. Josiah would not allow it. He sent me away because of lies told to him by that evil Ras and his stupid brother.’
‘Nevertheless, I think our brother-in-law might stretch a point when he sees how much it means to Emmie. I only met him briefly, but I believe that he is sincere in his affection for her and would not want to see her upset so near to her time.’
‘And Ma,’ Irene said with a hitch in her voice. ‘How is she? How did she take it when you turned up out of the blue?’
‘Like the wonderful mother she always was.’ Jim’s eyes were suspiciously bright and he swallowed hard, taking a second or two to compose himself. ‘She never uttered a word of reproach for the way I left. She said she understood why I ran away to sea, and that almost totally unmanned me, Renie. I had to turn my head away in case she saw the tears that came to my eyes. I would have felt less guilty if she’d given me a piece of her mind.’
‘She is a better person than I,’ Maude said in a low voice. ‘I don’t think I would have been so forgiving.’
‘No, indeed you wouldn’t.’ Martha rose stiffly to her feet and placed the bowl and what remained of the cloth on a side table. She poured tea into two cups, adding a tot of brandy and several lumps of sugar in the one she passed to Irene. ‘My aching bones are getting too old for this sort of thing,’ she muttered as she sank down on the nearest chair.
Irene sipped the strong sweet tea and felt the brandy sliding down her throat to warm her stomach. The effect was instant and even the pain in her ankle felt easier. ‘But how was Ma in herself, Jim? Did she seem happy to remain in Emmie’s house?’
‘She did, but it won’t be for long. Before I left town I rented a furnished house in Five Foot Lane, close to the river. As soon as you are fit to travel we will return to London and take up residence. If Ma wants to join us when Emmie’s lying-in period is over, then of course she will be more than welcome.’
Maude put her cup and saucer down with a clatter. ‘Brave talk, my boy, but have you the means to support your mother and sister? How will you live? Or do you intend to return to sea?’
‘Leave the fellow alone, Miss Maude.’ Martha drained her cup and looked longingly at the brandy bottle. ‘It’s none of our business.’
‘None of yours maybe,’ Maude snapped. ‘However, I feel somewhat responsible for Irene. I wouldn’t like to see her return to London only to be pitched back into poverty.’
Jim gave her a reassuring smile. ‘There’s no need to worry on that score, Miss Maude. I’ve saved my money over the years and never squandered it when I went ashore. I have ample means to live on for the time being, and I intend to look into starting a business that will enable me to swallow the anchor and lead a life ashore.’
‘You do?’ Irene could hardly contain her excitement. ‘That’s wonderful news, Jim. What sort of business had you in mind?’
He helped himself to more brandy, offering the bottle to Maude who shook her head with a prim smile and to Martha who nodded eagerly. Having added a generous amount to her tea, he resumed his seat. ‘I don’t intend to sell sauce and pickles, that’s for sure.’
‘And what exactly is your plan?’ Maude demanded.
‘I’ve travelled far and wide, visiting most of the countries in the world, and my observation has been that the best way to make money is to give people what they want.’
Maude folded her hands in her lap, eyeing him suspiciously. ‘And what is that, may I ask?’
‘They crave entertainment, pleasure and a little excitement to brighten up their dull and humdrum existence. The common man longs for an opportunity to fill his pockets with money; preferably without having to work too hard for the privilege.’
Irene pulled herself to a sitting position, ignoring the stab of pain that shot through her ankle. ‘Jim, do I understand you right? Are you thinking of opening a gaming house?’
Maude uttered a shriek of dismay and Martha choked on a mouthful of brandy.
‘Exactly so, my duck,’ Jim said, apparently unmoved by their obvious disapproval. ‘People will say that the gambling streak runs in the family, but I’ve never fallen prey to the addiction myself. I’ve visited many gaming houses abroad and I have seen how they are run. Ours will be a legitimate business, mind you, all open and above board with no attempt to fleece the punters. However, I think it’s time that the Angels recouped some of the losses incurred by the old man over the years. What do you say, Renie?’
She stared at him aghast. ‘I can’t believe you said that, Jim. It’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard. You must have lost your mind.’
Chapter Nineteen
THEY HAD THE first class railway compartment to themselves. Irene relaxed against the comfortable upholstery with a sigh of contentment. Not only was she reunited with her brother, but they were on their way back to London. She could look forward to having a proper home again and she would see Ma and Emmie very soon. Then there was the daunting prospect of venturing into business with Jim. No matter how much she had argued and protested that opening a gaming house was a terrible mistake, he would not be shaken from his purpose.
‘Penny for ’em,’ Jim said, smiling. ‘You look like the cat that ate the cream, or maybe it was a big fat mouse.’
‘A couple of rats more like. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the Sykes brothers, Jim. I won’t be happy until they’re sent away for life, preferably to a penal colony in Australia.’
Jim’s smile faded. ‘Now, Renie, I thought we had that out last night. I don’t intend to put my money into a legal gaming house and then risk losing everything by getting on the wrong side of Vic and Wally.’
/> ‘But don’t you see that’s how they’ve got away with it for so long? Everyone is afraid to cross them, and they are so crafty that they’ve managed always to elude the bobbies. If you insist on carrying out your plan at least there might be some good to come out of it.’
Jim’s sandy brows knotted over the bridge of his nose. ‘What do you mean by that? What’s going on in that head of yours?’
‘Just that the Sykes brothers have got to be stopped. If they thought you were a serious threat they might come out in the open.’
‘I’m setting up a legal gaming club, Renie. I don’t want any trouble.’
She leaned towards him, gazing earnestly into his eyes. ‘Things got bad after you left London. They will get worse and worse unless the cops smash the gangs.’
‘I suppose by that you mean the ambitious inspector you told me about, and not the City of London Police force in general.’
Irene averted her gaze to stare out of the window. ‘Don’t tease me. I’m dead serious about this, and if you won’t help me then I’ll go after the Sykes brothers on my own.’
‘You’ll do no such thing, Renie. If you try anything stupid I’ll put you on the first train back to Havering.’
This drew a reluctant giggle from her and she squeezed his fingers. ‘I can just see Miss Maude’s face if I turned up again and said I had come for good. I think she has enough to do coping with the farm and Artie, especially as he is determined to marry the lovely Betty. And now she has young Arnold to consider as well.’
‘That’s her problem, my pet.’ Jim relaxed back in his seat and took a gold half-hunter from his waistcoat pocket. ‘We’ll be arriving soon if the train is on time. We’ll get a cab and go to the house first, and then, if you’re a good girl, I’ll take you to Love Lane to see Ma and Emmie.’
‘I’m still not sure that Josiah will allow me in.’
‘You’re with your big brother now, Renie. From now on we’ll be persons of consequence and I think you’ll find that things will be very different.’
Irene was about to tell him that she was quite capable of looking after herself, but she thought better of it. It wouldn’t hurt to let him think that she was going to be mild and biddable, for the time being anyway. Jim only remembered her as an eight-year-old child and he seemed to imagine that he could still boss her about, but he was wrong. He would soon discover his mistake, but for the moment she was content to let matters lie. She peered out of the rain-spattered window at the cloud of steam billowing in the wind. ‘It’s raining,’ she said, changing the subject. ‘Everything looks so dreary when it’s dull and wet.’
‘Don’t worry, poppet,’ Jim said cheerfully. ‘You’ll soon be too busy to notice the weather. Tomorrow morning, first thing, we’ll make a start on touring the warehouses to choose furnishings for the gaming rooms.’
She stared at him in surprise. ‘I didn’t realise that you’d found a suitable establishment.’
‘Why do you think I rented a large house if not to use the ground floor for business? It makes perfect sense.’
‘So we’ll be living above the shop again.’
Jim’s shout of laughter was drowned by a blast on the train’s whistle as the engine decreased speed. He rose to his feet and lifted their luggage from the rack. ‘Almost there. This is the start of a big adventure for us, little sister.’
Irene let the window down and inhaled the familiar musty, smoky smell of the city, with the almost overpowering stench from the glue factory mingling with noxious fumes from the gasworks, and she knew that she was back where she belonged. The countryside was peaceful and green, but at heart she was a city girl and soon she would see those she loved most in the world. Then, when she had assured herself that Ma and Emmie were doing well, Irene decided that she would take the first opportunity to visit Alice. She had so much to tell her. She might even venture out after supper this evening, although there was a distinct possibility that this would involve seeing Edward again.
Having met Edward Kent senior and seen how he treated Arnold, Irene could understand how his elder son might have built a stone wall around his heart in order to protect himself from a bullying and selfish parent. She had seen the tender side of his nature in his dealings with Alice, and if he had not been an enforcer of the law, Irene decided that she might have warmed to him sooner. During the long days in the country, she had come to realise that she missed crossing swords with Edward Kent, and that there was a fine line between hate – and love. Of course, she did not actually love him, but she had to admit that she was seeing him in a much more kindly light. Now, more than ever, she needed to have him on her side. It would be the first time that an Angel had colluded with the cops, but theirs would be a relationship based on their mutual desire to see the Sykes gang behind bars, and there it would end.
The train slowed to a crawl as it drew alongside the platform.
‘Home at last,’ Jim said, leaning out to open the door.
Irene alighted from the carriage. With her ankle firmly strapped up she was able to walk with barely a limp, and she followed in Jim’s wake as he strode along the platform, pausing to hand over their tickets at the barrier and then heading for the cab stand in the street outside the station. Jim assisted her into a waiting cab and she reclined against the well-worn leather squabs that smelled of stale tobacco and Macassar oil. He climbed in and sat on the seat beside her, and every now and again she had to glance at him, just to make sure that he was really there. She couldn’t help thinking what a handsome fellow he was, and she noted with pride that his years of training as a ship’s officer had given him an undeniable air of authority. He had grown into a fine man and she was certain that they would do very well together.
The city streets flashed past the windows as the cabby urged his horse through the chaotic traffic. Drays, broughams, hansom cabs and hackney carriages vied for space with horse-drawn omnibuses, costermongers’ barrows and tranters’ carts. After the quiet of rural Essex, the sounds of the city were deafening and Irene heaved a contented sigh. She had been grateful for the rustic respite, but now she was ready to begin again.
‘We’re here,’ Jim said, breaking into her reverie. He tapped on the roof of the cab. ‘It’s the first house on the left, cabby.’
The rain had ceased and rays of pale sunshine filtered through the clouds as Irene caught sight of their new home at the junction of Old Fish Street Hill and Five Foot Lane. In a street lined with soot-blackened brick buildings four or five storeys high, the house that Jim had chosen stood out from the rest by reason of ornate, if slightly rusted, wrought-iron balconies outside the first and second floor windows. The front door might once have been a glossy black but the paintwork was peeling off in huge blisters, and the brass lion’s-head door knocker was in need of a good polish. The windows were filmed with grime and the stone steps were splattered with bird droppings, but it was nothing that could not be fixed with a bit of elbow grease and a general application of soap and washing soda. Irene picked up her skirts and waited for Jim to unlock the door.
‘Welcome to your new home, Renie.’ He stood aside, allowing her to enter before him. ‘What d’you think?’
‘How could you afford to buy a place like this, Jim?’
‘I couldn’t. It’s rented, but one day I’ll buy it outright, you’ll see.’
Irene looked around the large entrance hall, taking in all the architectural details. Many years ago, she thought, this must have been an elegant town house, but now it was sadly neglected. The air was thick with dust, as if the house had been empty for some time, and there was a strong smell of dry rot and mouse droppings. ‘It will need a lot of work to clean a house this big,’ she said doubtfully.
‘A lick of fresh paint will soon have the place shipshape and Bristol fashion,’ Jim said, setting their bags down at the foot of the stairs. ‘Come on, Renie, I’ll show you round.’ He opened the door on his right and ushered her into a large empty room. A gilt-framed mirror hung above the
carved wooden mantelpiece and despite its fly-spotted appearance it added a touch of tired gentility to what might once have been a charming reception room. Dust motes danced in the sunlight flooding in through two tall windows which overlooked the street. ‘I thought this would do for the salon,’ he said with an expansive wave of his hand, and his voice reverberated off the high ceiling in a mocking echo. ‘This is where the ladies would gather to drink tea and gossip.’
‘While the men gamble away their fortunes elsewhere,’ Irene said drily. ‘Much as I detest all forms of gambling, I don’t see why women should be excluded from enjoying a flutter at the tables if that’s what they really want.’
He stared at her, frowning. ‘I don’t know where you get your ideas from, Renie, but that wouldn’t do at all. The gentlemen would be completely inhibited by the presence of women, and by women I don’t mean their wives or sweethearts. The females who frequent these places are not ladies, if you get my meaning.’
‘Oh, I do,’ Irene replied smoothly. ‘You mean that no decent woman would be seen dead in a gaming house and those who do attend are dollymops and harlots.’
Jim’s face flushed beneath his tan. ‘Don’t talk like that. It does you no credit.’
‘Don’t be such a hypocrite,’ Irene said, laughing. ‘I was raised on the streets and some of those women, as you call them, are my best friends. One day I’ll introduce you to Gentle Annie and Fiery Nan and you’ll see that they are just human beings, earning their living the best way they can.’
‘I can see that I’ve been away far too long,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I’m beginning to think that Pa deserved that prison sentence. He should have kept you and Ma safe instead of allowing himself to fall in with un desirables.’
‘Don’t be too hard on him,’ Irene said, following Jim out of the room and across the hallway where he opened a door on the far side.