The Windsor Girl

by Sylvia Burton

  Jenny had a look on her face, of disbelief, ‘well, I am surprised. At first I was quite sure that you were not a working girl. But ‘a scullery maid?’ I would never have thought it. You seem so...’ She hesitated, not wanting to offend, ‘so ... gentile’.

  Ellie laughed, ‘don’t let appearances fool you!’

  Jenny started to laugh also, but stopped and let out another cry of pain.

  The kettle had boiled and Ellie made two cups of tea and passed one to Jenny, ‘don't worry if you don’t want it but it may just help’, she said.

  In the corner of the large room was a double bed with brass knobs, made up with a clean, but faded cover. It was as if all they possessed was in this one room. Ellie thought this was just as well, as the room was only just warm enough so the upstairs room would probably have been quite cold.

  ‘Are those for your confinement?’ she asked, pointing to a pile of sheets on a stool by the side of the fireplace. They were old and ragged, but perfectly clean. Along side of the sheets, were several large squares of brown paper.

  ‘Yes. I do hope there’s enough. They were all my Mother could get. ‘Aaaaaagh! My God!’ she cried, ‘oh, the pain’s awful’.

  Ellie went over to the bed and stripped it down to the straw mattress. She placed the paper on the bed then folded a sheet in two and placed it, crossways, on top of the paper.

  ‘The bed will be all right like this, if you want to lie down’. She glanced at Jenny’s weary face, and added, ‘please don’t worry, it’ll be all right, I promise’.

  But within half an hour, the pains were coming every few minutes and Ellie, whilst seeming calm, was beginning to panic. What would she do if the baby started to arrive before anyone got here? Although she had been present at a birth before, she had never done anything, other than, fetch and carry. Why was the Midwife taking so long?

  She saw that Jenny was becoming very distressed, not able to sit still, nor stand in one position.

  Someone ought to be here, she thought, and felt she should do something.

  ‘Jenny, should I send for a Doctor?’ You need attending to’.

  Jenny shook her head, ‘no, it would because a guinea and we have no money left. We spent what we had to move into the house’. She said the words through clenched teeth, and then slumped down in agony, onto the bed. She let out a sigh as the pain, once more, subsided.

  ‘It’s getting near Ellie, what am I to do?’ She began to weep.

  Ellie went to the door and looked out. The women were still standing there, gossiping.

  Ellie called to them, ‘is there one amongst you who cold help here, in a confinement?’

  When she got no response, she pleaded, ‘for the love of God! Surely one of you could help?’

  A large, fat woman, hands resting on huge hips, shouted, ‘nay lass, we don’t know her. They only moved in last week and we like to mind our own business around these parts’.

  There were murmurs of agreement, of ‘aye’, and ‘true’, from her ‘cronies’, who gathered around her.

  Ellie was frantic with worry and nobody here was willing to lend a hand. She turned on them with the venom of a ‘fish wife’.

  ‘You call yourself women? No real woman would stand by when a poor young mother needed help. If anything should happen to her, or the baby, I hope you can live with the guilt’.

  Frustrated, she spat out, ‘you’re ... you’re all...! You’re all ... unfeeling ... wretches’, then went indoors once more to Jenny.

  She had no sooner entered the house, than the door opened and the fat woman came in.

  ‘Have you got plenty a hot water there?’ she said.

  Ellie looked gratefully at the woman, ‘thank you. Oh, thank you. I’m so sorry for what I said out there’.

  ‘Nay lass, what’s been said, can’t be unsaid, but don’t bother yourself. Pass me them towels, there’s a good lass and let’s see what’s to be done here. By the way, my name’s bet’.

  Ellie did as she was told and Bet fastened one towel to each brass knob at the bottom of the bed. It was then that Ellie noticed how dirty the woman’s hands were. She did not want to upset the woman by telling her that dirty hands could cause infection but, neither could she allow her to touch Jenny, or a new baby, with hands in such a state.

  What if the woman walked out? Where would she be then? However objectionable, the woman was all she had and was, desperately, needed here.

  Having thought of the consequences, she said, ‘I have some hot water ready for you, I’m sure you want to wash your hands?’

  Bet looked down at her plump fingers and noted the black nails and grimy palms, and thought, snotty little Sod. Still, I don't suppose it would hurt any, to wash them

  So with a look which said, ‘stupid girl’, Bet said, ‘well course I need to wash my hands, you didn’t think I’d touch a new born baby with mucky hands, did you?’

  ‘Of course not Bet, I just wanted you to know that the water was ready for you. I don’t know much about this business, so I will take all my orders from you. Just tell me what you want me to do’.

  Ellie wasn't fooled for a moment, but she was learning that if you wanted people to do things for you, you had to be diplomatic.

  The woman dried her hands as she watched Jenny, who was in the throes of great pain, and moaning loudly.

  Bet took her hands and guided them to the towels, ‘hang onto them lass. It won’t take the pain away, but it’ll give you something to do’.

  Jenny groaned as she pulled with all her might on the towels. Bet turned to Ellie, ‘what’s you name lass?’ Ellie told her.

  ‘Well Ellie, get me a damp cloth for her head. It’ll make her feel a bit better and with a bit of luck she’ll old on till the Midwife gets here. That’s if the old bugger comes’.

  ‘Oh, I do hope so’, Ellie said.

  Suddenly, the sounds that Jenny was making took on a different tone.

  A more urgent, grunting sound, much like an animal would make. Ellie gave Bet a look, alarm evident in her eyes and Bet nodded her head.

  ‘Aye, you right lass. It’s time’.

  She stripped off the blanket, which was covering Jenny, peered under her shift, and rolling up the sleeves of her ragged jumper, repeated, ‘aye, it’s time’.

  Ellie was a little frightened, by the turn of events, but tried not to show it.

  ‘What do you want me to do Bet?’

  ‘Nothing yet, just be here, right?’

  Jenny screamed out loud, and hung on to the towel, as if her life depended on it, ‘Aah! ... My ... God. I can’t ... stand it’, she cried, tears now rolling down her face.

  ‘Well love, there’s nothing you can do about it, but go through with it. It’s what we all have to do. There’s no backing out now, that’s for sure’, she said.

  Bet’s voice had a cynically ring to it as she added, ‘eh! I’d like to see the men go through this, and no mistake. There’d never be a second born’.

  Ellie tried to comfort Jenny by stroking her hair, now lank with perspiration and she vowed that, no matter what, she would never go through this kind of pain.

  ‘It’s coming. Oh Ellie, its coming’, shouted Jenny, loosening her grip on the towels and putting both hands between her legs.

  Bet took away Jenny’s hands and said, her voice strangely gentle, ‘come on lass, let’s have a look’.

  Bet could see the baby’s head. ‘You barn’s nearly here lass. When you feel like ‘pushing’, push for all you worth. You’ll be all right love, you’ll see’.

  Jenny let out a moan, which promptly turned into a grunt. She pushed. Her face turned bright red and her eyes almost popped out, and there was the baby’s head. Ellie could see the red hair and she felt a rush of excitement. She rubbed Jenny’s hand, as she gave another push, then another.

  ‘One more lass and that should do it. eh, it’s got ginger hair’, said Bet, smiling broadly, ‘it’s a good job you husband’s got ginger hair, eh!?’

  Jenn
y pushed once more, her face the colour of beetroot. ‘Aaagh!’ she cried.

  Her head fell back onto the pillow as the baby shot out into the Bet's strong hands. ‘It’s a girl! Well, by the heck, I could have sworn you were having a boy. But there you are, it’s a girl, and a bonny one, an all’.

  Ellie had not realised that she had been holding her breath, until now, as she let it out, with relief.

  ‘Oh Jenny, did you hear? You have a lovely little girl’.

  She wrapped the child in a piece of sheet and placed the little mite in her mother’s arms.

  Jenny held the baby to her heart and wept. ‘I don’t know how I will ever thank you. You have both been wonderful’. She turned her gaze to Bet. ‘Really, you have been so good, thank you so much’.

  Bet stood there in her old, drab, clothes and scruffy tangled hair and beamed at Ellie. ‘I didn’t do so bad after all, did I?’

  Ellie answered her with a smile of genuine affection. ‘Bet, you were marvellous. How would I have managed without you?’

  Ellie sat by the bed with Jenny while Bet tied and cut the umbilical cord and gave the baby, once more, to Jenny. She cleaned up the mess and made two pots of tea.

  ‘I’ll be off then. When that Midwife gets here, tell her she had better watch out for her job cause if she’s not careful, I’ll have it off her’. She called ‘ta’ra’, as she closed the door.

  Jenny couldn’t take her eyes away from the baby. All the terrible pain was now forgotten.

  ‘Is your real name Ellen?’ she asked.

  ‘Yes. Ellen Windsor’, she said, and felt proud of her name.

  ‘Well, Ellen Windsor, my daughter is to be named Sophie but I would like to give her a second name. Would you mind if I gave her your name? If you hadn’t come here today, who knows what may have happened to her? Or me for that matter?’

  Ellie was flattered and she had to admit, very, pleased. She put her hands to the back of her neck and unfastened the clasp of the chain.

  ‘I want Sophie to have this pendent. My Mother gave it to me when I left home, to work at the Courtney Residence, and I think it fitting that I make a gift of it to your lovely daughter.

  ‘Oh Ellie, no I couldn’t let you do that. What would your mother think?’

  ‘My mother would understand and she would be proud of me tonight. Please take it. It’s important that you do’.

  She held out the chain and Jenny no longer hesitated, but accepted the gift for her baby.

  ‘All I can say is ‘thank you’.

  Ellie stayed with Jenny until Mark returned. He was surprised and overjoyed to see his wife, sitting up in bed, with his tiny daughter snuggled up to her breast. He slowly went towards the bed and gave her a kiss, tears of joy running down his face.

  Ellie looked at the clock on the mantelpiece, it was eight o’clock and she had been here for five hours. ‘I really do have to go now. Missus Blunt will wonder what has happened to me’.

  Jenny held out her hand to her new friend, ‘Ellie, I will always be grateful to you and I’ll never forget your kindness to me. Will you visit us sometimes?’

  ‘Yes Jenny, of course I will. How else will I know how my little Sophie Ellen is fairing?’

  Mark looked up in surprise, ‘Ellen? Yes I like it’.

  Ellie donned her cape, picked up the empty basket and left for Thornton Avenue.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Ellie was about half way to Thornton Avenue when she had a strange feeling of foreboding. She quickened her step, not daring to turn around. Too late she realised that someone was following her.

  The road was dark, with little light from the gas lamps, and Ellie forced herself to turn around, straining to see through the dimness. She saw no one.

  As she quickened her stride, two strong hands grabbed her, roughly, from behind and pulled her into a nearby alley. She screamed and kicked her assailant but he was too strong for her. A callused hand was clamped across her mouth to prevent her screams and she was dragged, still kicking, to the ground.

  She could feel the man’s breath on her face and the foul smell of ale washed over her. She knew she had to get away, but how? He had her pinned down and was already fumbling under her petticoat. She held her legs tightly together as her hand reached out, searching for something with which to defend herself.

  Desperately, her fingers clawed around, at last finding a stone but already she feared it might be too late. The man had his face against hers, his rough bristle scratching her skin as he ripped wide her legs.

  God help me, she silently prayed.

  The hand, which had covered her mouth, was, suddenly, no longer there as the man used both hands to pull at her drawers. Ellie let out a blood curdling scream, the sound reverberating down the road.

  The rough hands clawed at her skin whilst his mouth bit at her neck. Ellie continued to struggle, but could not prevent his bloated body pressing, ever closer, to her own.

  Suddenly, everything changed. For a moment she didn’t know what was happening. She was no longer being restrained. Her attacker was, somehow, flying through the air. She tried to stand up but, for the first time, felt a sharp pain in her leg and could only sit on the ground trying to catch her breath.

  She didn’t have to wait long. The man ran for his life, limping into the night, and left Ellie dazed and distressed. It was then that she heard a voice seeming to come from far away.

  ‘Are you all right Miss? My God, I don’t know what the world’s coming to when this kind of thing can happen’.

  A gently hand lifted her chin, then, Ellie heard his sharp intake of breath.

  ‘Ellie? Is it you? Oh Lord, are you hurt?’ He cradled her in his arms and whispered, ‘if he’s done you harm, I’ll kill the cowardly blaggard’.

  She strove to see, though a misty veil of tears, and there in front of her, was Richard.

  When, at last, she found her voice, it was hoarse.

  ‘Oh Richard. Thank God you came along, I don’t know how long I could have fought him’, she said, trying to get to her feet.

  ‘Stay where you are, for a moment, Ellie. You were near to fainting and I want to make sure you are well before you stand’.

  His concern was genuine and Ellie felt a flow of gratitude towards him. Of course, he would have helped anyone in the same situation. Any special concern he felt was because she was a member of his family’s household staff. Nevertheless, she was relieved to see him.

  Now, regaining some of her strength, she said, ‘you have been most kind Sir. Now I really must be going, Missus Blunt will be worried about me, being out so late’.

  ‘Yes, I wondered about that. What are you doing around here, Ellie?

  ‘I was on an errand for Cook, and was just on my way back’.

  She said nothing about where or how long she had been. She was simply too weary.

  ‘You should be all right now. The colour is back in your cheeks’. He helped her to her feet, ‘do you feel steady enough to walk Ellie?’

  ‘Yes, I feel fine now, thank you’.

  Although he was on his way to a rendezvous with a young ‘lady’ of questionable virtue, and very keen to see her, Richard was reluctant to let the girl go back to the house alone.

  ‘I am going to accompany you home and you will inform Missus Blunt that I said you are to go straight to bed’.

  He stopped her as she began to protest, ‘no Ellie, listen to me. You may feel quite all right, at the moment, but there is such a thing as ‘delayed shock’ so we need to be cautious.

  She did not attempt to argue with him, as he flagged down a passing cab and helped her into it, covering her knees with the fringed rug.

  The journey was only a short one but one which Richard would not easily forget.

  As he sat close to Ellie, sensing her still racing heartbeat and had the, almost irresistible, desire to hold her in his arms and kiss her soft, pink lips. He wanted to tell her how much she had been in his thoughts, ever since the day when she had
served him breakfast and how, after having set eyes on her, he had lost all interest in Elizabeth Goodyear, much to his mother’s disappointment.

  He had seen her around the house and gardens on several occasions and had wanted to speak to her. Somehow, he was always afraid to. Afraid? It was well known that Richard Courtney was afraid of no one, not even his father, who was a master of discipline. Yet, he had to admit, he was afraid of this little scullery maid ‘from nowhere’.

  Deep in the recess of his mind, he knew he was afraid of her rejection. He had been rejected before, by young women he had propositioned, and taken it with a shrug but if Ellie should do the same, he didn’t know if he could be so philosophical.

  His instincts told him, that Ellie would only settle for marriage, and it wasn’t marriage that Richard had in mind. Had it been so, marriage to such a girl would be out of the question. His parents would never allow it. Still, he was obsessed with the girl and could do nothing but think about her.

  They had reached home and were turning into the driveway, when Richard asked, ‘can you manage from here Ellie? If you’re sure you’re all right, I can take the cab and be on my way’.

  ‘Yes Sir, of course, and thank you again for your help. I’m really very grateful’, she said, as she stepped down from the cab.

  Ellie looked much better. To him, she looked like the most wonderful, desirable and beautiful woman on earth. However, Richard thought, but, sadly, not for me’.

  As the cab began to move, his heart was singing. He looked very much like a young boy as thought about her and smiled.

  ‘She called me Richard!’ he said, incredulously.

  ‘Beg pardon Sir?’ said the driver, from above Richard’s head.

  ‘Nothing Driver. Carry on’. He laughed and his smile was broad.

  As Ellie entered the kitchen, she heard the cab driving off into the night. She never thought she would see the day when she would have been glad to call this house ‘home’.

  She was to relay, to Missus Blunt all the events of the day, at Jenny’s house but said nothing of her attack or her encounter with Master Richard.