by Dilly Court
Sadie nodded and hurried off in the direction of the kitchen.
‘Aren’t you tempted to spend some time in luxury with Lady Alice and her swain?’ Jack’s lips curved into a mischievous smile. ‘Think what you’re missing.’
‘That’s exactly what I have in mind. A little of Sir Henry’s company goes a very long way.’
‘So you choose a draughty, burned-out pile over luxury and the company of the nobility?’
‘Stop teasing me, Jack. You know the answer very well. Now I have to go and break the news to Alice.’
‘Shall I send the men home, Essie?’
‘I’m sure that Raven would want us to do all we can to save Starcross,’ she said firmly. ‘Keep them on for as long as they are willing to work. I’ll foot the bill and Raven can repay me when he comes home.’ Essie left him to pass on the message and she hurried to the drawing room where she found Alice pacing the floor while Sir Henry tried in vain to light the fire.
‘Really, Essie. This is appalling.’ Alice came to a halt, shivering dramatically. ‘You can’t stay here. The smoke will get into your lungs and the damp will give you a chill.’
‘I’m truly grateful for your concern,’ Essie said gently, ‘but that’s exactly what I intend to do. At least, we’ll stay until Monday and do what we can to make the house habitable before we return to London. Jack and George have a business to run, or we would stay longer.’
Alice eyed her doubtfully. ‘If you’re sure, but I wouldn’t want to remain here under these circumstances. Anyway, one of the reasons I came here today was to find out if Gilfoyle was successful in obtaining a signed affidavit.’
‘We were too late. Smeaton died of his injuries, but he had made a full confession, which was noted down by the policeman on duty at his bedside. Gilfoyle has taken it to London, and he’s hopeful that it will be enough to prove that neither Freddie nor Raven had anything to do with the smugglers.’
Alice’s lips trembled and she brushed away a tear. ‘I have a speck in my eye. It’s the dust in this wretched house.’
‘It’s time we left, my love,’ Sir Henry said firmly. ‘You’ve done your duty here. I’ll wait for you in the carriage while you say your goodbyes.’ He strode out of the room and the door creaked on its hinges as it closed.
‘That sounds very final,’ Essie said curiously. It was obvious that Alice was not her usual self. ‘Is anything wrong?’
‘On the contrary, my life has taken a turn for the better, although I could not have imagined I would say so, even a short while ago.’
‘How has it changed? I don’t understand.’
‘Sir Henry proposed and I accepted.’
‘But I thought you disliked him intensely, Alice.’
‘Henry is a challenge that I cannot resist. We are two of a kind, only it took me some time to realise it.’
‘Are you sure? It seems so sudden.’
‘A bolt of lightning, my dear. It hit me so suddenly that it took my breath away. We’re to be married in the chapel at Daumerle on Monday. Henry has obtained a special licence.’
‘I don’t know what to say.’ Essie stared at her, dazed by the announcement.
‘I want you to wish me well, and even if you don’t want to come with us now, I hope you’ll attend our wedding.’
Essie enveloped her in a hug. ‘Of course I will. We’ll all come to wish you well, but I haven’t brought anything suitable to wear to a wedding.’
‘You will be the only guests. Henry fell out with his family years ago, and, apart from Raven and Freddie, I don’t wish to involve any of my relations. They would be sure to disapprove and cast a cloud over the proceedings. I’ll send my carriage to fetch you. Please say you’ll come.’
‘I wouldn’t miss it for the world,’ Essie said earnestly.
The chapel at Daumerle was decorated with flowers grown in the hothouse on the estate. The scent of lilies mingled with the scent of roses from the garden, and incense burning in the censer. Essie sat between Jack and Sadie. They were the only members of the congregation, and Sir Henry stood alone in front of the altar. At a signal from the vicar they rose from the pew and the organist began to play. Essie turned her head to see Alice, a vision in white silk lavishly trimmed with lace, walking up the aisle on George’s arm. With no close relative to give her away she had, at the last minute, asked George to officiate.
Essie’s eyes filled with tears as she watched her brother lead Alice to the altar, and when his part in the proceedings was done he came to sit beside Sadie, who was mopping her eyes with her handkerchief. Essie felt Jack’s fingers close gently around her hand, giving it a comforting squeeze and she gave him a sideways glance, meeting his sympathetic look with a smile. He alone seemed to understand her worries for Alice’s future happiness. As the vicar droned on, Essie found herself thinking of Raven and Freddie and wishing they were here to wish Alice well.
‘… I now pronounce you man and wife.’ The vicar’s voice rose as he uttered the last words of the marriage ceremony.
With the formalities completed, the wedding party left the church to be greeted by a storm of applause from both indoor and outdoor servants. Rose petals were scattered in front of the happy couple and handfuls of rice were thrown. The small bridal party walked slowly to the house, and Sir Henry stopped at the foot of the steps to throw a pocketful of coins for the children to pounce upon.
A cold collation was set out in the dining room, after which Sir Henry rose to his feet and raised a toast to his new wife.
‘Now, my dear. I really must ask you to change into your travelling costume. We must leave within the hour if we’re to catch the tide.’
‘You’re honeymooning at sea?’ Essie sent a questioning glance to Alice.
‘It’s news to me,’ she said, shrugging. ‘You might have consulted me, Henry.’
‘It was to be a surprise. My yacht is moored in the Exe estuary, ready to take us to my plantation in Jamaica.’
‘You made your fortune in sugar,’ Essie said, recalling something that Alice had once told her.
‘Yes, sugar.’ Sir Henry eyed her with a cynical smile. ‘And I have never employed slaves. Whatever your opinion of me, Miss Esther Chapman, I pay my workers a decent wage and they have free accommodation. I am in trade, but I’m not ashamed to have made my money honestly and without causing suffering to others.’
‘Well said, sir.’ Jack raised his glass to Sir Henry. ‘We are also in trade. At the moment George and I have only two ships, but I hope soon to add another to our small fleet. Maybe one day, at a more opportune moment, we can talk business.’
‘Maybe we can, Mr Manning. I am a great supporter of enterprise, particularly amongst young men such as yourselves.’ He turned to Alice, his expression softening. ‘My dear, I must hurry you if we’re to catch the tide.’
Alice rose to her feet. ‘Essie, will you come with me? With your help I can be ready all the sooner.’
Essie stood up obediently and followed her out of the room. They did not speak until they reached the privacy of Alice’s bedchamber. ‘Shall I ring for your maid?’ Essie asked.
‘No, thank you. As you can see, my cases are all packed and I have only to change into my travelling attire. Perhaps you could help me. I wanted to speak to you in private.’
Essie began undoing the tiny buttons at the back of Alice’s wedding dress. ‘What did you want to say?’
‘It may seem as though I’m abandoning Raven and Freddie, but Gilfoyle will handle the legalities. I just want to know that you will keep an eye on things. Henry took me by surprise when he announced our bridal trip – I had thought we might travel to Italy or Switzerland, but I had no idea we were going on a long sea voyage. It sounds as though we will be away for months.’
‘You could refuse.’
‘No, I want to go. It sounds idyllic, but I have to be sure that you will do your utmost on my behalf.’
Essie helped Alice out of the wedding dress and slipped the elega
nt silk gown over her head. ‘What are you asking of me, Alice? I know you only too well, so it’s not just the occasional trip to Lincoln’s Inn that you expect of me.’
Alice twisted round so that they were face to face. ‘I want you to promise that if the court decides in Raven’s favour you will take the news to him in person.’
‘You want me to go to Australia? But why, Alice? Surely a letter would suffice?’
‘You don’t know Raven as well as I do. I could tell that he was very much at home in the goldfields, and I’m afraid he might decide to remain in Australia. But he has obligations to his tenants, and for the upkeep of Starcross Abbey itself.’
‘Are you sure about that, Alice?’
‘He never wanted to inherit the title and the estate, and I think his heart was broken when Cordelia died. Mine was, too, but I knew I had to live on. Maybe you could convince him to take up his responsibilities at home. Will you at least try?’
‘Of course I will, if that’s what you really want. But I doubt if he will listen to me.’
Alice clasped Essie’s hands in hers. ‘You almost made him forget Cordelia. I could see that he had tender feelings for you, but Raven has a stubborn streak and he seems unable to put the past behind him. If anyone can persuade him to return home it would be you.’
‘I promise to do what I can.’ Essie stood back to admire Alice’s smart outfit. ‘You look lovely. Sir Henry is a very lucky man.’
‘Yes, he is, and I’ll remind him of that every day.’ Alice turned away to primp in front of the tall cheval mirror. ‘I do look rather splendid. This shade of green matches my eyes.’
‘You are a vain peacock,’ Essie said, laughing. ‘But I hope you will be happy with Sir Henry.’
‘Whatever you think of him, he’s really quite a dear when you get past the schoolboy swagger. I think we’ll deal very well together.’ Alice swung round to face Essie with a bright smile. ‘The first thing I’ll do when Henry and I return from our honeymoon will be to come and see you, Essie. Don’t forget me.’
Essie enveloped her in a hug. ‘As if I could.’
The party ended as those left behind waved off the newlyweds. Alice had put her carriage at their disposal and the drive home was uneventful, but after the luxury of Daumerle, Starcross Abbey seemed even shabbier and more uncomfortable than before. That evening, after supper, Essie, Jack and George huddled round a desultory fire in the drawing room. Sadie had opted to remain in the kitchen with Mrs Grimes and Jenifry, who were agog to hear the details of the wedding at Daumerle.
It did not take much of a discussion to realise that they had done all that they could to restore some order at Starcross Abbey, and that there was little point in staying on. It would require Raven’s permission and considerable funding to repair the fire damage, but, as George said, they had overseen the work to shore up the part of the house untouched by the flames, and it was safe for habitation, at least in the short term. Essie knew that she would be sad to leave, and yet she was eager to return to London.
‘The first thing I’ll do when we get home will be to visit Gilfoyle. I want to make certain that he is doing all he can to bring the case against Raven and Freddie to a satisfactory conclusion.’
‘Don’t you think you’ve done enough?’ George said gloomily. ‘It’s really not our problem, Essie.’
‘I promised Alice that I would see it through, and that’s exactly what I intend to do.’
Jack eyed her thoughtfully. ‘I applaud your loyalty, but it won’t take all your time. Why don’t you come to the office each day? You could be a tremendous help.’
‘What could I do? I know nothing of shipping.’
‘As I understand it, you were raised on the river. You must know the upper reaches as well as any waterman, and you could deal with the day-to-day enquiries as well as either of us.’
‘I agree with Jack,’ George added seriously. ‘You know you would die of boredom if you had nothing to do other than spend your time shopping and gossiping with Alice’s society friends.’
‘That’s the last thing I’d do with my time.’ Essie looked from one to the other. ‘Have you two been plotting together?’
‘No!’ Jack and George spoke in unison.
‘It seems to me that you want me to abandon the Dorincourts’ cause.’
George shook his head. ‘No, Essie, of course not. I want you to do whatever makes you happy, but we could work together to make a success of the business.’
‘I’ll think about it.’ Essie stifled a yawn. ‘I’m going to bed. If we’re to leave first thing in the morning I need to get a good night’s sleep.’
Chapter Twenty-Four
The day after their return to London Essie’s first task was to visit Gilfoyle’s office. He assured her that he was doing everything in his power to bring the case before a judge, and with that she had to be satisfied, although she insisted on being kept informed of every twist and turn in the case, and he agreed. She returned home to find herself alone, apart from the servants. George had left for Wapping earlier that morning, taking Sadie with him as she had taken a real liking to Mrs Cooper, and was eager to see her again.
Essie sat in solitary state at the vast dining table and ate her midday meal, although she barely tasted the dishes that were set before her. Once, not long ago, she would have thought she had died and gone to heaven at the sight of such delicacies as potted shrimps, lamb collops and lemon syllabub. In the days when she had existed on bread and dripping, and quite often dry bread only, washed down with weak tea, she could not have imagined that there were people who ate like this every day. Now, when food was plentiful and appeared on her table without so much as lifting a finger, she had lost her appetite.
‘Will that be all, ma’am?’
Essie looked up and smiled at the housemaid. ‘Yes, that’s all, thank you, Rose. You may clear the table, but first will you fetch my bonnet and shawl? I’m going out.’
Essie arrived at the office to find Jack and George deep in conversation. They gazed at her expectantly.
‘This is a nice surprise,’ Jack said, smiling.
‘I don’t suppose you’d like to look after things for an hour or two, would you, Essie?’ George reached for his jacket, which he had slung carelessly over the back of a chair. ‘We have business in Limehouse, but we’ll be as quick as we can.’
‘I haven’t said I would,’ Essie protested.
George kissed her cheek. ‘But you will. You’re a good sister as well as being a good friend. I know you’ll help out.’
‘Just this once,’ she said, pretending to frown.
Jack gave her a beaming smile. ‘Thank you, Essie. You must call in and see Mrs Cooper before you go home. She’s been asking after you.’
‘I will, and I can collect Sadie at the same time.’
‘Come on, old chap.’ George opened the door and held it, allowing a gust of cold air to rifle through the papers on the desk and snatch at Essie’s hair.
‘Sorry about this,’ Jack said as he hurried past. ‘Everything is very straightforward. If you get any enquiries you can’t deal with tell them to return later.’
‘Don’t worry, Jack.’
‘You might enjoy the challenge,’ he said softly. ‘The offer of a position with us is still there, if you’d like to think about it.’
Jack proved to be right. Essie did enjoy working in the office and she readily accepted his offer of a permanent position. Each day was a new and exciting experience, and she met old acquaintances and made new friends amongst the men who worked on shore and on the water. The traders were charmed to find a young woman who understood their desire for speedy service when it came to shipping goods up and down river, as well as to the Continent. Jack’s vessel sailed regularly for France, Belgium and the Netherlands, taking cargoes of all types. The knowledge that Essie had acquired while helping her father on the river was invaluable, and she was keen to learn more and ready to listen and take advice, which made her eve
n more popular. Jack and George were delighted with her progress, and within months Essie had almost doubled their business.
Sadie accompanied Essie to the office every day and was an avid student. She watched and learned and soon had a grasp of how things were done, so much so that Jack paid her a wage. When she was not needed by Essie, she spent time helping Mrs Cooper in the kitchen at the Old Captain’s House. Sadie loved to cook and Essie was treated as the honoured guest when she found the time to visit. Perched on the window seat, Essie was waited on by Sadie, who plied her with the results of her cookery lessons – crisp, buttery biscuits, melt-in-the-mouth sponge cake or spicy seed cake – all were equally delicious. George often dropped in on the excuse of passing on a message to Essie, but everyone knew that he had a particular fondness for cake, and Jack would turn up unexpectedly, taking a seat next to Essie and insisting that Mrs Cooper should join them for a well-earned rest and a cup of strong, sweet tea.
Essie loved these impromptu tea parties in the oak-panelled room, with the fire roaring up the chimney and rain lashing on the windows. Sometimes the faint smell of tobacco smoke wafted around the room and everyone smiled and nodded, knowing that the old captain was happy to see them there. Essie was loath to admit it, but she was far more comfortable and at ease in the Old Captain’s House than she was in her luxurious home in Curzon Street, and almost imperceptibly her relationship with Jack deepened with each passing day. They shared the same desire to make the business prosper and a similar sense of humour, which eased even the most frustrating situations.
Life was good and fulfilling, but Essie had never allowed Gilfoyle to become complacent, and had regularly attended his chambers, demanding to be kept up to date as to the progress of their latest appeal. Finally, just when she was beginning to think that the case would never come to court, Gilfoyle sent his messenger to inform her that the hearing was set for the middle of November. Essie was delighted, but apprehensive. If Smeaton’s deathbed confession was discounted there would be no chance of a pardon.