by Dilly Court
‘Was an earl,’ Essie finished the sentence for her. ‘Yes, we know that, Alice. But if you want to find a man who’s devoted to you, I think you could do worse than Falco. And he has a lovely singing voice,’ she added mischievously. ‘I think he would do well in the opera buffa, and I will tell him so.’
‘What’s the opera buffa?’ Sadie demanded.
Alice glanced out of the window. ‘Hill Street, at last. I’ll alight here, Essie. You may call on me tomorrow morning at eleven o’clock, and we will visit Gilfoyle together. My main concern is for Raven and Freddie. Falco can handle his own affairs.’
George returned home that evening, slightly tipsy, but in good humour. ‘We’ve settled things, Essie.’
‘Really, George, that’s wonderful.’ Essie put down the gift she had been wrapping. ‘Sit down and tell me about it.’
George sprawled in a chair by the fire, resting his feet on the brass fender. ‘We couldn’t afford to buy the Santa Gabriella outright, but Falco agreed to remain as captain, taking a share in the profits. That way he doesn’t lose his vessel, and everyone is satisfied.’
‘But surely it means that the profits have to be shared three ways?’ Essie said thoughtfully. ‘That doesn’t seem like a good deal to me.’
‘It’s better than nothing, and Falco is an experienced seafarer. He might act the fool at times but he’s astute when it comes to business matters, even if he has wavered on the wrong side of the law – but that’s all going to change. Falco knows that and he’s promised to reform.’
‘I’m very glad to hear it,’ Essie said, reaching for a piece of ribbon. ‘I’ll just finish wrapping this gift and then I’m going to bed.’
The following morning Essie accompanied Alice to Gilfoyle’s office in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Outside the sun was shining and birds were nesting in the gardens, but inside the building was as gloomy as ever and the musty smell of old books and dusty documents was only partly disguised by the rank odour of tallow candles in the clerk’s office. A small meanness on Gilfoyle’s part that Essie was quick to notice. They followed the bent figure of the clerk along the dark corridor leading to Gilfoyle’s office at the back of the building, and he ushered them in and retreated hastily.
Gilfoyle rose to his feet, emerging from behind piles of leather-bound books and heaps of documents tied with red tape. ‘Good morning, my lady, and good morning to you, Miss Chapman. Please take a seat.’
Alice settled herself on the most comfortable chair. ‘I’ve come about Raven’s appeal.’ She folded her hands in her lap. ‘What news, Gilfoyle?’
He shook his head. ‘I was going to send word to you today, as it happens, although I didn’t know whether you were residing in London or Devonshire.’
‘I am here, as you see.’
‘Yes, precisely so. I’m afraid it’s not good news. The appeal was rejected. Raven will have to serve the rest of his sentence.’
‘And Freddie?’
‘The warrant for his arrest still stands. If he returns to England he will be committed for trial, and there is nothing I can do about that.’
‘What, in your opinion, would be the outcome of such a trial?’
‘It would definitely be a custodial sentence, and possible transportation.’
Alice uttered a mirthless laugh. ‘Freddie is in Australia as we speak. It seems ironic that if he came home he might be sent back there as a punishment for something so trifling. It’s not as if he benefited from his brief association with the smugglers.’
‘Quite so, my lady, but that is the law.’ Gilfoyle reached for a sheaf of papers and spread them out in the space available. ‘Might I have a few words with Miss Chapman, my lady?’
‘I suppose so, since our business seems to have come to a halt.’ Alice pursed her lips, frowning. ‘But I’m not giving up so easily.’
‘Quite so, my lady. I admire your fortitude.’ Gilfoyle turned to Essie, curving his thin lips in a semblance of a smile. ‘I have more cheerful news for you, Miss Chapman. You are a very rich young woman.’
Chapter Nineteen
‘I can’t believe it,’ Essie said, leaning back against the luxurious velvet squabs in Lady Alice’s barouche. ‘I had no idea that the gold was worth so much.’
‘You’re a wealthy young woman. You already knew that.’ Alice stared out of the window as the carriage drove through the rookeries of Clare Market. ‘Really they should raze these slums to the ground. The people live like sewer rats.’
‘That makes it all the more difficult for me to accept the fact that Beasley’s gold nugget fetched such an enormous sum of money. To profit from the poor man’s death seems wrong.’
‘He was born into the criminal class and his life was blighted from that day onwards. The accident you told me about was bad luck, but he obviously wanted you to benefit from the one good thing that had happened to him.’
‘Yes,’ Essie said slowly. ‘I know you’re right.’
‘And if you’re thinking of giving large sums to charity or founding a home for the poor and destitute, there are already places like that. You’ve moved up in the world, and you need to take your place in society.’ Alice put her head on one side, giving Essie a calculating look. ‘In fact, I’m going to take you in hand once again. I will introduce you to the right people and take you to the places where one should be seen – art galleries, theatres and the opera. You will receive invitations to balls and soirées and I will be at your side to guide you.’
‘Thank you, Alice.’ When Alice was in this mood there was no point arguing with her. Essie had learned that long ago. They lapsed into silence. Alice might be visualising glittering social events with Essie as her protégée, but Essie was thinking of something quite different.
‘You will need a diary in which to keep a note of all your appointments,’ Alice said as Essie was about to alight from the carriage outside the house in Curzon Street. ‘I will draw up a list of places to visit and I think the opera would be a good start. I know that Falco would enjoy that, although I don’t think your brother would be very interested. I’ll send word to you when I’ve organised something.’
Essie allowed the footman to hand her to the pavement. ‘Goodbye, Alice.’
‘Au revoir, my dear. And keep tomorrow afternoon free. I intend to take you to the fabric warehouse. You’ll need a whole new wardrobe.’
‘As a matter of fact I have ordered a new dress and I’m due for a fitting this afternoon.’
‘You still need my advice when it comes to fashion, Essie. I’ll see you tomorrow. Drive on, Clifton.’
The footman leaped onto the box to take his place beside the coachman and the horses moved forward at a sedate pace, breaking into a brisk trot. Essie breathed a sigh of relief. No doubt Alice meant well, but her idea of the future did not correspond with Essie’s vision. She mounted the steps and the door opened as if by magic. Parkinson stepped aside to allow her to enter.
‘Thank you, Parkinson. Is my brother at home?’
‘He left about an hour ago, Miss Chapman.’
‘And Miss Sadie?’
‘I believe you will find her in the morning parlour, Miss Chapman.’
‘I’ll be going out again directly. Please send someone to find me a cab.’ Essie waved aside the young housemaid’s offer to take her outer garments as she hurried to the morning parlour.
Sadie was seated at the table poring over a copy of the Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine. She looked up and smiled. ‘Parkinson said you’d gone to the solicitor with Lady Alice. What did he say?’
‘Run upstairs and get your outdoor things, Sadie. We’re going for a drive. I’ll tell you everything on the way.’
Sadie jumped to her feet. ‘Why the hurry?’
‘If I don’t do this now, I might never do it. You’ll understand when I explain.’
The cab rattled over the cobbled streets, coming to a halt outside the office in Wapping. ‘Wait here, please, cabby.’ Essie alighted with difficulty. Hans
om cabs were not designed to make it easy for women wearing long gowns and crinoline petticoats. ‘Stay in the cab, Sadie. I’ll only be a couple of minutes.’ She picked up her skirts, stepping over the slushy puddles as she crossed the pavement.
As she had hoped, George was seated at the desk. ‘What are you doing here, Essie? This isn’t the sort of place for a lady to visit without an escort.’
‘Have you forgotten where we came from, George? This part of London is more home to me than Mayfair, and that’s partly why I’m here.’ She opened her reticule. ‘I’ve just come from Gilfoyle’s office. This is for you.’ She took out a leather pouch and placed it on the desk with a thud.
‘What is this? I don’t understand.’
‘I’m a rich woman. Gilfoyle secured a huge amount for the gold nugget, and he’s invested it so that it’s making even more money. This is for you to use as you please.’
‘You don’t have to do this, Essie. It’s yours by right.’
‘Yes, I do. My conscience won’t allow me to live like a duchess while you are struggling to build up a business. Anyway, I must go now. I have things to do and a cab waiting outside.’
George weighed the pouch in his hand. ‘I don’t have to count this to know it’s too much. I walked out on you when you needed me. I don’t deserve to share your good fortune.’
‘You did what you had to do, but you’re here now, and that’s all that matters. I really must go, George.’
He stood up. ‘You’re going back to Curzon Street, I hope.’
She smiled. ‘Yes, I have an appointment with Lady Alice’s dressmaker. Sometimes I wish we were back in Ballarat where life was so much simpler.’
George tucked the pouch into his pocket. ‘I’d better take this straight to the bank. You can drop me off on the way home, Essie.’
Despite Alice’s attempts to introduce her to society, Essie was often restless. George’s new venture took up most of his time, and in between visits to the dressmaker, dancing lessons, shopping and attending social functions, Essie found herself with little to do. Spring had given way to summer and, although George seemed able to forget their father, Essie could not. Once again cholera was rife in the slum areas and Essie could not rest until she knew that her father had escaped the dreaded disease.
One hot summer morning, with Sadie at her side Essie hailed a cab. ‘White’s Rents, Limehouse, please.’
‘Are you sure you want to visit your pa, Essie?’ Sadie asked anxiously as Essie climbed in and sat beside her. ‘He wasn’t very nice to you when we saw him last.’
‘Pa behaves badly when he’s been drinking, but he’s still my father. I want to make sure that he’s all right and I don’t trust that woman, Annie Ginger. I don’t believe that Pa would have married her, even though she showed me her ring. It could have been brass, for all I know.’
‘Do you think he deserves to be forgiven? After all, he wasn’t to know you had money. We might have had to sleep rough when his woman threw us out.’
‘The one thing I’ve learned recently is that everyone deserves a second chance. If he’s just the same as he ever was then at least I’ll stop worrying about him. And there’s Ben; he was my sweetheart when we were younger. I owe him an explanation for leaving so abruptly.’
Sadie shook her head. ‘I dunno, Essie. I think they’ll find you very changed. You’re a lady now and you’ve left Limehouse far behind.’
‘Not really,’ Essie said sadly. ‘It will always be a part of me, no matter how much money I have or how much town polish I acquire. Deep down I’ll always be the girl who worked on the river, but I need to say goodbye to my childhood and I want to make sure that Pa is all right.’ She sniffed the air and sighed. ‘This is the stench that greeted me every morning when I opened our front door. One day perhaps someone will do something about it, but for now people simply have to live with it, and die from foul water and bad air.’
‘You can’t alter it on your own,’ Sadie said wisely. ‘You could give all your money away and still nothing would have changed.’
Essie smiled. ‘When did you grow up, Sadie? Yesterday you were just a child and now you’re talking like a wise old woman.’
‘I’ll be thirteen in July, although I never knew the exact date.’
‘Then we must make a special day. You can choose the date you would like to have as your birthday and we’ll have a party and cake and presents.’
‘That would be lovely.’ Sadie glanced out of the window as the cab drew to a sudden halt. ‘We’re here. I remember this place.’
Essie alighted first and paid the cabby. They set off, plunging into the gloom that was White’s Rents. When she reached her father’s house, Essie took a deep breath and knocked on the door. She was expecting the brazen creature with the flame-coloured hair to open it, but it was her father who eventually came to the door. He looked ill. That was her first impression, and he had lost weight. His clothes were filthy and hung off him in tatters. He stared at her blankly. ‘Who are you?’
‘Pa, it’s me, Essie. Don’t you recognise me?’
He shook his head. ‘Essie ran away, just like her brother. You got the wrong house, lady.’ He was about to close the door in her face but Essie put her foot over the threshold.
‘I am Essie, Pa. What’s happened to you?’ Her hand flew to cover her nose as she stepped into the living room, which looked as though a tornado had swept through it, leaving behind a trail of debris and destruction. The only piece of furniture left was the sofa and its upholstery had been slashed so that the horsehair spilled out in long hanks. ‘Who did this, Pa?’
Sadie covered her face with her hands. ‘It’s disgusting. I never seen such a mess.’
Jacob teetered on his feet and Essie led him to the sofa. ‘Sit down and tell me who did this? Where is that woman who claimed to be your wife?’
‘Annie’s husband come for her. Big brute, he was, and he left his mark. Dragged her off screaming and kicking, but good riddance, I say. She took every penny I had and more. She run up debts everywhere but I can’t pay them.’
‘Let her husband worry about that.’ Essie glanced round. ‘You can’t stay here, Pa. When did you last have anything to eat?’
‘I dunno, girl. Miss Flower brought me some soup, but I can’t remember when. Josser bought a bottle of ale last evening, but I got no money and I can’t work since I lost me boat.’ He glared at her. ‘That were your fault. You let it sink.’
‘You nasty old man,’ Sadie said angrily. ‘We nearly drowned that night.’
‘Who are you?’ Jacob demanded. ‘I don’t know you, girl. Go away.’
Essie stepped over the broken furniture and empty beer bottles as she made her way across the room to investigate the kitchen. As she had suspected, the devastation was not limited to the living room. The table had been overturned and one of its legs had been wrenched off. All the crockery had been smashed, as had the window, and the back door hung on its hinges, allowing the cold air to fill the room with the putrid smells from the back yard. The cupboards were bare and there was not a scrap of food to be found. There was nothing she could do other than return to the living room.
‘Get your things, Pa. You’re coming with me,’ she said firmly. ‘You can’t stay here.’
‘This is me home, Essie. I ain’t leaving.’
‘You’re ill, Pa. You need proper food and rest, and most of all you need a bath.’
‘I ain’t had a bath since I was a nipper. A wash down with lye soap was good enough for my ma and pa and it suits me, too.’
‘Stay with him, Sadie. I’ll go upstairs and get him something warmer to wear.’
‘I need a drink, Essie,’ Jacob moaned. ‘Go to the pub like a good girl and fetch me a jug of ale, or a bottle of rum, if you’ve been paid this week.’
‘No, Pa. I’ll get your coat and we’ll get a cab to my house. You’ll like it there.’
‘What?’ Jacob leaped to his feet. ‘Do as I say, daughter. You’re not t
oo big to put across my knee. I need a drink. D’you hear me?’
Sadie shrank away, hiding behind Essie. ‘Shall I run to the pub and get what he wants?’
Essie nodded, taking a coin from her reticule. ‘All right, but hurry and don’t stop to speak to anyone.’ She waited until the front door closed behind Sadie. ‘She’s gone to fetch a bottle of rum, Pa. Sit down, please.’
Jacob sank back onto the sofa. ‘I’m a sick man, Essie.’
‘Yes, Pa. But I’m here to look after you now. You can have a tot of rum when Sadie returns and then I’m taking you for a cab ride. You’ll have a warm bed and a good meal with as much rum as you can drink, but only if you do as I say.’
‘All right, Essie.’
Jacob capitulated like an obedient child and lay back, closing his eyes. Essie breathed a sigh of relief, but he sprang back to life when Sadie returned with the rum. Essie had been unable to find a cup or a glass left intact and there was no alternative but to give him the bottle. Almost immediately she realised that she had made a grave error. Jacob became aggressive when she tried to take it away from him. He drank until he collapsed insensible on the sofa.
‘What do we do now?’ Sadie asked anxiously. ‘Will you leave him here?’
Essie shook her head. ‘I can’t. Look at the state of him.’ She stared at him, frowning. ‘He’s harmless at the moment. I’m going to see if I can find Ben or one of Pa’s old workmates to get him into a cab.’
‘You’re never going to take him back to Curzon Street,’ Sadie said aghast. ‘What will Parkinson say?’
Essie had a sudden vision of Parkinson’s shocked expression and she laughed. ‘I hate to think, but I can’t leave him here. Anyway, I’ll be as quick as I can, I promise.’ She slipped her cloak around her shoulders and pulled up the hood as she left the house, heading for Duke Shore Dock. She wanted to see Ben and explain her new circumstances, although the chances of finding him were slim, but there were others who would be willing to help – she only had to seek them out.
The first person she saw had known her since childhood, but he failed to recognise her and he hurried past, even when she called him by name. In desperation she went to Riley’s office, but he was not there, and then she came face to face with the last person she wanted to see, and as luck would have it he knew her instantly.