The Summer Maiden

by Dilly Court

  ‘She’s better off with Lady Alice, for the time being anyway.’ Sadie replaced the coins in the purse. ‘I suggest we pack up what’s left and move to Wapping tomorrow. I don’t see much point in remaining here, do you?’

  Caroline sighed and shook her head. ‘We’ll be evicted soon anyway. I agree, we have to move on. I’ll tell the boys.’

  ‘Tell us what?’ Max rushed into the kitchen. ‘Never mind that now – look who I found wandering round the empty rooms!’

  Caroline twisted round on her chair to see Laurence Bromley standing in the doorway, his hat clutched in his hand and an apologetic smile on his open features.

  ‘I’m sorry to interrupt, especially as you’ve obviously had a very bad day.’

  Sadie rose to her feet. ‘Take a seat, Mr Bromley. The tea is still hot. Would you like a cup?’

  ‘Thank you. That would be nice.’ He pulled up a chair and sat down next to Caroline. ‘I hope I’m not intruding.’

  ‘Not at all. I dare say it will soon be public knowledge that the Manning family are all but bankrupt.’ Caroline turned her head away. She was close to tears, and sympathy was almost harder to take than the brutal treatment from the bailiffs and the triumphant taunts of the tradesmen.

  ‘I am truly sorry. If there’s anything I can do to help, please say so.’

  ‘It’s good to see you here, sir,’ Max said earnestly. ‘Have you found a new position?’

  ‘I still have to find a suitable premises so that I can tutor two or three boys to begin with.’

  James clattered into the kitchen, puffing and panting. ‘I’ve run all the way from the top of the house,’ he said breathlessly. ‘It’s creepy up there without the servants, but they’ve left us our beds and I still have my cricket bat. I was afraid they’d take it.’

  ‘At least that’s something.’ Caroline had her emotions under control and she turned to Laurence with a faint smile. ‘It was good of you to come but, as you see, we can’t afford to hire you as the boys’ tutor.’

  ‘But we could offer you a room free from rent in return for tuition,’ Sadie said hastily. ‘We’re moving to my house in Wapping tomorrow. It’s large enough for all of us and, if you were agreeable, you could live rent free in return for tutoring the boys. You could take on more students, if you so wished. I’m sure there’s room.’

  Laurence glanced from one to the other. ‘Don’t think I’m prying, but what would Mrs Manning have to say about such an arrangement? I take it that she is not at home.’

  ‘Mama went to the country for her health and it’s Sadie’s house. She has the final say.’ Caroline sent a warning glance to Sadie. She did not want to admit that her mother was so overcome with grief that she was finding it almost impossible to cope, very much like the poor Queen, who was still in deep mourning for her beloved Albert.

  ‘What do you say, Mr Bromley?’ Sadie asked eagerly.

  He hesitated, stirring his tea and staring into the swirling liquid. ‘It’s a generous offer, but I’m not sure whether it would be proper for me to take lodgings in a house occupied by two single ladies.’

  ‘But we’d be there, too, sir.’ Max straddled a chair as if he were riding a pony. ‘It would be fun, Mr Bromley. Jimmy and I would be very good students.’

  A smile replaced Laurence’s frown, making him look quite boyish. ‘I know you would. You were always top of the class, but …’

  ‘Why don’t you come with us tomorrow and take a look at the premises?’ Caroline suggested shyly. She could see that Sadie was keen on the arrangement and it would solve at least one of their problems, even if it created another. But perhaps things were different in Wapping – maybe the locals would turn a blind eye to the fact of their unconventional arrangement – and it would be only until Mama returned to London. If she were in residence then it would be perfectly respectable, but for now it seemed best to leave her in ignorance of the situation. The knowledge that she had lost all her worldly goods as well as her beloved husband might be too much for her to bear.

  ‘Please say yes, sir.’ James tugged at his tutor’s sleeve. ‘I’d like to live by the river and I really don’t want to go away to school. I miss my family and some of the other boys are very mean.’

  Laurence patted his hand. ‘I know that, James. Bullying is despicable in all its forms, but still exists, despite our efforts to stamp it out.’

  ‘Does that mean you’re considering Aunt Sadie’s proposition, sir?’ Max asked urgently.

  ‘Let me consider your aunt’s generous offer overnight,’ Laurence said, smiling. ‘I could offer my services in helping with your move tomorrow, and that would give me a chance to view the accommodation and consider whether or not it’s suitable.’

  ‘Are you sure about this, Sadie?’ Caroline asked urgently as the door closed on Bromley. ‘We don’t know anything about this man.’

  Sadie shrugged and a smile curved her lips. ‘I know all I need to know. The boys like him and I can’t see Essie sending Jimmy to a ragged school, and Max would have to find a job. What sort of future would either of the boys have in that case?’

  ‘But we’ll be talked about.’

  ‘Carrie, dear, the gossips will be chattering their heads off anyway. What choice do we have?’

  ‘He might refuse.’

  ‘He might. And what would we do then?’

  Chapter Four

  The Captain’s House on Black Lion Wharf was wedged between a warehouse and a ship’s chandler. The odd assortment of buildings, some of them on wooden stilts driven into the mud, seemed to have been thrown together in a random fashion, but even before they climbed the steps to the front door, Caroline had a feeling of coming home.

  Sadie took a key from her reticule and unlocked the door. ‘I still feel bad about this, Carrie. The house should be yours.’

  ‘No, it shouldn’t. If Papa wanted you to have it then that’s how it must be. I’m not beaten yet, Sadie. I’ll get us out of this mess, if it’s the last thing I ever do.’ Caroline followed Sadie into the oak-panelled entrance hall. The musty smell made her wrinkle her nose and a cobweb hanging from the ceiling brushed against her cheek. The floor was thick with dried mud and the carapaces of dead cockroaches.

  ‘I hope the rest of the house is cleaner than this,’ Sadie said crossly.

  ‘Hurry up there.’ Max pushed in behind them. ‘Let us in, Carrie.’

  James slipped past her. ‘It’s creepy, but I think I might like living here. I want a bedroom that overlooks the river so that I can watch the boats.’

  ‘I expect that can be arranged.’ Caroline moved on, opening doors and peering into the empty rooms. The front parlour looked as though it might be comfortable enough, but it needed a thorough clean, and the dining room was positively filthy. Someone must have owned at least one dog, judging by the muddy paw prints on the floorboards and the smell of damp fur that lingered in the air. The dining room was situated at the back of the house and there were steep steps down to the basement kitchen.

  ‘I spent many a happy hour in here,’ Sadie said, smiling. ‘The smell of baking filled the whole house.’

  ‘It stinks now.’ James held his nose. ‘I think something died in one of the cupboards.’

  Max stuck his head round the door. ‘Mr Bromley wants to know where to put the luggage, Carrie.’

  She turned with a start. ‘Of course. I’m coming, Max.’ She turned to Sadie. ‘I suppose we’d best start cleaning in here. It looks so dismal and it does smell awful.’

  Max opened a cupboard and a cloud of flies erupted, buzzing angrily. ‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s something that’s gone off,’ he said, grimacing.

  ‘Throw it out for the seagulls.’ Sadie rolled up her sleeves. ‘James, go outside and see if there’s any coal in the yard, or anything we can use to get the fire going. We’ll need lots of hot water.’

  Caroline hurried from the kitchen. The house was a disappointment and it did not live up to her fond childhood memories
. It was probably damp, definitely dirty and the stench from the muddy foreshore at low tide was disgusting.

  She found Laurence standing in the hall amid a pile of baggage. ‘Thank you, Mr Bromley. It was kind of you to help us.’

  He shook his head. ‘I’m just sorry to see you in such a sorry plight, Miss Manning.’

  ‘We’ll be fine,’ Caroline said with more conviction than she was feeling. ‘When the old place is cleaned up, I’m sure it will be like home.’ She glanced out of the open door. ‘I hope the carter brings the kitchen table and chairs soon, or we’ll have nothing to sit on. The beds are on another wagon.’

  He stared at her, frowning. ‘My present lodgings leave a lot to be desired and I need somewhere more permanent. I’d like to accept your offer, if you’ll have me.’

  ‘Do you really want to live in a place like this, Mr Bromley? If you wish to take students I think the families would expect better accommodation.’

  He smiled and shrugged. ‘You obviously haven’t seen some of these so-called educational establishments, Miss Manning. I don’t include my old school in this, but some children are simply unwanted and sent away with little thought as to their material comforts. Many of them remain at these places even in the holidays.’

  ‘That’s awful.’

  ‘Awful but true. Might I take a look at the rooms upstairs?’

  ‘Certainly. In fact, we’ll go together. I haven’t had time to inspect them.’

  Caroline led the way up a narrow staircase. The rooms were in desperate need of a good clean, but when they reached her old room in the attic Caroline could not resist going out on the balcony. It was close to midday and the heat was intense. The river itself seemed to seethe and boil with the turbulence created by large and small craft, and the constant tidal surge as it met the water flowing to the sea.

  ‘How wonderful.’ Caroline shielded her eyes against the bright sunlight. ‘I could stand here all day just watching the traffic on the river.’

  ‘I hope you don’t think I’m being impertinent,’ Laurence began cautiously, ‘but I know that the late Mr Manning owned a shipping company. Might I ask what happened?’

  Caroline turned to face him. There was nothing to be gained by keeping the truth from him: it would be public knowledge soon. ‘When my father died he left nothing but debts. We have only one remaining vessel and that is so overdue that I’m beginning to fear the worst.’

  ‘I’m so sorry. This must be very painful for you.’

  ‘It is, of course, I loved my father very much, but it’s even harder for my mother. He was her whole life and she’s gone to the country to recover.’

  ‘But hopefully matters will improve when your ship returns to port?’

  ‘Yes, but it will be too late to save our home. All I can do is hope and pray that Uncle George returns safely.’

  ‘Once again, I am very sorry to hear about your problems, but I have enough money saved to pay rent, and it would make me feel better if you will accept it. If you will allow me the use of two rooms – one for myself, and the other for use as a schoolroom – I would still be prepared to tutor your brothers free of charge until you are in a position to pay for their education.’

  ‘But you need a proper income, Mr Bromley. Unless, of course, you are a gentleman of means.’

  His laughter echoed round the empty attic. ‘If I were a man of independent means I would not have spent ten years trying to force knowledge into the heads of boys, most of whom were only interested in kicking a ball around a field or riding to hounds. I could advertise for day students and see how that goes, but that would be up to you and Miss Dixon.’

  ‘I can’t see any objection,’ Caroline said thoughtfully. ‘I’ll check with Sadie, but in the meantime we’d better try to make this old house habitable again.’ She was about to leave the room when she paused, sniffing the air. ‘I can smell tobacco smoke. I used to believe in ghosts, but I’m not so sure now. Maybe the carter has arrived, although I didn’t hear anyone call out.’ She descended the stairs as quickly as her long skirts would allow, and was met by Max in the entrance hall.

  ‘You’re in a hurry, Carrie,’ he said, chuckling. ‘Where’s the fire?’

  ‘I thought perhaps the carter was here.’

  ‘No, not yet. I’ve been looking out of the window and I’d have seen his van.’

  ‘It’s just that I thought I smelled pipe smoke.’

  ‘Maybe it was the captain’s ghost.’ Max nodded and winked. ‘Aunt Sadie told me about the old man who haunts the house. When you smell smoke he’s here and he’s happy, but if he doesn’t approve of what’s going on he goes round slamming doors and rattling windows.’

  ‘I know the story, but don’t tell Jimmy or he’ll be awake all night.’

  ‘Don’t worry about him – he’s tougher than you think. Anyway, Jim knows all about the captain. We’re planning to sit up all night and see if he materialises.’

  ‘Never mind that now. I need you to give a hand to clean this place up before our furniture arrives.’ Caroline reached for a broom that someone had left propped up against the wall and she thrust it into her brother’s hand. ‘You start sweeping and I’ll fetch a dustpan and brush. The floors need a good scrub but we’ll have to wait for Sadie to get the fire going so that we can heat some water.’

  Max tossed the broom from one hand to the other. ‘I think I’d rather be at school than doing housework.’

  ‘I’ve got news for you, young man.’ Laurence descended the stairs with a purposeful look on his face. ‘You are at school and this is your first lesson.’ He took the broom from Max. ‘This is how you sweep a floor. I’ll make a start and you can take over.’

  Caroline flashed him a grateful smile. ‘Thank you, Mr Bromley.’

  He paused, leaning on the broom handle. ‘I think you could call me Laurence, as we’re going to be living in the same house.’

  ‘Really?’ Max looked from one to the other. ‘Are you really moving in with us, sir?’

  Laurence nodded and resumed the task of sweeping up the debris left by the last tenants. ‘I am indeed, and we begin lessons as soon as we’ve got this place ship-shape.’

  It took more than a few days to get the Captain’s House habitable, but everyone did their bit, even James, who was delegated to keep the fire going in the range. Despite his initial reluctance to take on such menial tasks, he made a good attempt at chopping kindling in the back yard, and kept the scuttle filled with coal. Sadie took over the kitchen with a determination to revive her culinary skills that was impressive, and soon the house was filled with the aroma of baking bread and savoury stews. When she was satisfied that the rooms were spotlessly clean Caroline spent her time making them as homelike as possible, but the money Sadie had saved from the sale in Finsbury Circus was dwindling away at an alarming rate. She scoured the second-hand shops and used what little money they had to purchase a sofa, even though it had seen better days. The upholstery was worn and threadbare and the horsehair stuffing protruded in places, but a couple of well-placed stitches soon put that right. She bought two armchairs in a similar state, but despite the sagging seats they were surprisingly comfortable. A rag rug added a touch of colour to the front parlour and a fly-spotted mirror hung over the mantelshelf made the room look slightly larger. Curtains had been left in all the rooms, mainly, she discovered, because they were lacy with moth holes, but they would have to do. Altogether, Caroline was satisfied that she could do no more.

  Laurence’s rent money was used for the purchase of food, candles and coal, but by the end of the first week it was becoming even more apparent that they were in desperate need of an outside income. Despite the fact that Caroline checked every day, there was still no news of her uncle’s ship, and the office remained closed, but she refused to believe that anything untoward had happened to him or his vessel. The loss of her father had left a raw place in her heart, and, although she kept a cheerful face for her brothers’ sake, she was still very mu
ch in the first stages of grief.

  The city simmered in the summer heat, but there was always a breeze this close to the river, and Caroline was beginning to understand why her parents loved the restless spirit of the Thames with its ever-changing moods and colours. In the evenings, when peace descended upon the house, Caroline often chose to sit on the balcony, enjoying the sunset. The scent of tobacco smoke wafted around her, but even though she had started to believe in him, she was not scared of the old captain, and she often spoke out loud, telling him how grateful she was for the shelter his house afforded them. She was certain that he understood, but it was a feeling rather than anything tangible. Even so, she was sure that he appreciated their efforts to take care of his old home. Whether he was real or imagined, she felt that he understood and sympathised with the recent tragedy in her family, and that gave her the courage to take each day as it came.

  She spent more and more evenings in her favourite place, and at low tide she could see her brothers exploring the foreshore, searching for anything of value that had popped out of the thick black mud and might fetch a few pennies in the market. They looked for all the world like the other mudlarks who spent their waking hours searching for anything the ebb tide might have uncovered. There were scuffles when territories were breached, but Max and James had learned how to defend themselves in a hard school, and it was a relief to know that they could hold their own in the harsh outside world.

  Sadie and Laurence seemed to be getting on very well – so well, in fact, that Caroline felt that she was witnessing a burgeoning romance. Her aunt and the schoolmaster were ideally suited, and nothing would make her happier than to see Sadie married with children of her own, but that thought only served to make Caroline feel lonely and the loss of her old life even more painful. She was no longer Miss Manning of Finsbury Circus, the daughter of a shipping magnate, with servants at her beck and call. She was, in reality, homeless and living on the charity of a woman who, although much loved, was not related to her by blood. As the days went by the uncertainty as to the fate of her uncle and his ship hung over the household in a black nimbus cloud. Money was tight and there was only one answer …