Mermaids Singing

by Dilly Court

  ‘You spoil that child,’ Maria said, snatching up the fur coat.

  ‘I want her to grow up knowing that she’s loved. I want her to have everything that I didn’t.’

  ‘So you keep saying,’ Maria said, turning away, sniffing.

  Leonie dribbled chocolate and, realising that the trickle would soon become a stream and flood down the front of Leonie’s sky-blue velvet coat, Kitty leapt forward to wipe her mouth on a clean hankie.

  ‘Greedy baby!’ Lady Mableton said, laughing. ‘But I do hope she won’t be sick in the carriage. You must come with us, Kitty. The fresh air will bring the roses back to your cheeks.’

  Kitty glanced nervously at Maria. ‘It’s not my place, my lady. Shall I fetch Nanny Smith?’

  ‘Certainly not! I want you to accompany us today. I decide what is right and proper in my own household,’ Lady Mableton said, tossing her head. ‘And I saw that look, Maria. Don’t browbeat the girl. I’ll take her with me if I want, never mind what Nanny Smith says, and you may have the morning off to do your Christmas shopping or whatever you wish.’

  ‘Have it your own way,’ Maria said, shrugging.

  ‘Get your coat and hat, Kitty,’ Lady Mableton said, picking up her muff. ‘It’s cold and frosty out of doors and maybe the Serpentine will be frozen over.’

  Downstairs in the hall, Miss Iris seemed to be arguing with Warner and, as they approached, she shot a withering look at her stepmother. ‘I wanted the carriage this morning, Arabella, but Warner says that you are going out.’

  ‘I’m taking Leonie for a drive in the park,’ said Lady Mableton, smiling sweetly. ‘We’ll be back in time for luncheon and you may have the carriage all afternoon, if you wish.’

  ‘That is so unfair,’ Iris said, stamping her foot. ‘I have an invitation to luncheon at Brown’s Hotel.’

  ‘For goodness’ sake, Iris! It’s just down the street, you could walk there in two minutes.’

  Iris’s eyes sparked, making her look like an angry cat and, Kitty thought, if she had fur it would be sticking up all over.

  ‘Arrive on foot like a common shop girl? What would my friends think of that?’

  ‘They would probably admire your spirit of independence,’ Lady Mableton said, taking Leonie by the hand. ‘Come along, darling. You too, Kitty.’

  Warner stood aside, his expression rigidly controlled but, as Kitty hurried past him, she noticed a small muscle twitching at the corner of his mouth. Bob sprang to open the front door.

  ‘Surely you’re not taking the nursery maid with you?’ demanded Iris, her voice shaking with outrage.

  ‘Goodbye, Iris,’ Lady Mableton said, over her shoulder.

  ‘I’ll tell Father,’ Iris called after her. ‘You’ll have everyone talking about us and laughing.’

  But Lady Mableton seemed not to have heard this last remark, or if she had, she chose to ignore Iris’s outburst.

  Bob handed her into the carriage and lifted Leonie in after her. He gave Kitty a conspiratorial wink as she climbed in after them. She answered, with the briefest of nods, to confirm that she would cover for Nanny Smith that afternoon and evening. Nanny had been all twitchy and excited for days, confiding in Kitty that her half-day and Bob’s had coincided and they planned to spend it together. As the carriage door closed, Kitty tucked herself into the corner, leaning back against the padded leather squabs, and lifted Leonie onto her knee.

  Lady Mableton glanced out of the window at Iris, who was standing on the top step with a martyred look on her face and shivering exaggeratedly. Bob gave the coachman the signal to move forward and Lady Mableton turned to Kitty with a rueful smile. ‘My stepdaughter disapproves of me.’

  ‘No, my lady, that’s not possible. I think you’re lovely.’

  Lady Mableton laughed, but it was not a happy sound. ‘You’ll learn as you grow older, Kitty, that sometimes having a pretty face is a curse rather than a blessing.’

  ‘I don’t understand, my lady.’

  ‘I think you do. I saw it in your eyes when you first came to Dover Street, that sad look of lost innocence. I knew then that we had much in common. One day you’ll grow into a beauty, my dear, and you’ll discover that men fall in love with their eyes.’ Lady Mableton sighed and turned her head to gaze out of the window.

  Kitty tried to puzzle this out as the carriage sped smartly along Piccadilly in the direction of Hyde Park. The suggestion that she had anything in common with such a goddess was startling, shocking and totally inexplicable. How could anyone as beautiful, kind and rich as Lady Mableton not be happy?

  Leonie, who up to this moment had been sitting quietly on Kitty’s lap, began to wriggle and tug at her bonnet strings. It took all Kitty’s patience and ingenuity to keep her amused until they reached the gates of the park, giving her little time to enjoy the sheer luxury of travelling in a private carriage. But she filed the experience away in her mind, intending to put it all in the letter to Jem that she had been writing, just a line or two each night before she went to sleep.

  The carriage came to a halt by the bandstand and, almost before it had stopped, the groom had leapt off the dickey seat, opened the door and let down the steps. Getting out last, Kitty looked around in awed delight. The pale winter sun reflected off the glassy surface of the Serpentine and the wine-cold air had a smoky smell. This was the first time she had ever been to Hyde Park and Kitty had never seen so many trees or so much grass in her whole life. It was, she thought, just like being in the country.

  Lady Mableton instructed the coachman to walk the horses and they set off on foot. The park was filled with nannies pushing their charges in perambulators or sitting on benches, chatting and keeping an eye on the older children as they raced around or played ball on the frosty grass. Leonie trotted after her mama with Kitty following close behind them, but she could not help noticing that their presence was causing something of a stir amongst the nannies. Heads turned to stare at Lady Mableton, which did not surprise Kitty, seeing that her mistress was the most elegant figure in the park, but she was uncomfortably aware that there was an undercurrent of whispers and giggling. She walked past them with her head held high, balling her hands into fists at her sides and resisting the temptation to slap their silly faces. Lady Mableton, however, appeared not to notice. She walked ahead at a brisk pace, taking the path that curved around the end of the lake, leading to the rose garden where the last of the frostbitten blooms sparkled like drops of blood amongst the thorns. When they reached Rotten Row, where the rich and powerful exercised their fine horses, Lady Mableton stopped and waited for Kitty and Leonie to catch up with her.

  ‘You’d better hold Leonie’s hand, Kitty. I don’t want her to run in front of the horses.’

  Kitty obeyed instantly, despite Leonie’s loud protests.

  ‘It’s too cold to walk much further,’ Lady Mableton said, tucking her hands deeper into her muff. ‘We’ll walk back to the Serpentine Road and meet the carriage there.’

  They had barely gone more than a few paces when two gentlemen approaching them on horseback drew their mounts to a halt beside them. Instantly on her guard, Kitty didn’t like the way the younger man, with flashing, dark eyes, was smiling at her ladyship, as if he wanted to gobble her up in great big mouthfuls.

  ‘My dear Bella,’ he said, doffing his top hat, ‘what a wonderful surprise.’

  Lady Mableton backed away from the prancing stallion, the colour draining from her cheeks, and a look of alarm on her face. Kitty knew instantly that her distress could not be simply due to fear of the flailing hooves. She felt a stab of pride as her ladyship drew herself proudly upright.

  ‘I don’t know you, Sir.’

  ‘Come now, my dear. You know that’s not true.’

  ‘I’d say her ladyship has a conveniently short memory, Rackham,’ said his companion, urging his horse to circle around them.

  ‘I heard that you’d snared a baronet,’ said Rackham, his blackberry-dark eyes twinkling. ‘You’ve deprived us
all of your talents, Bella. That wasn’t fair and we’re most upset.’

  ‘You’ve had your joke at my expense, Sir. Now please let us pass.’ Lady Mableton’s voice shook, but she gave him back stare for stare, raising her chin with a defiant toss of her head.

  Rackham leaned towards her, caressing Lady Mableton’s face with the tip of his finger, outlining her cheek and the angle of her jaw, his smile fading, his voice sounding almost sad. ‘You’re even more beautiful than you were three years ago; I wouldn’t have thought it possible.’

  ‘Leave her alone, Giles,’ his companion said in a bored voice. ‘Can’t you see she don’t want to play? Let’s get on with our ride.’

  ‘Let me pass,’ Lady Mableton said, her voice rising shrilly as Leonie began to cry.

  ‘Running away again, Bella?’

  Whether by chance, or urged on by his rider, Rackham’s horse moved sideways, pushing Lady Mableton so that she staggered against Kitty. Anxiety bubbled into rage and, scooping Leonie off the ground, Kitty thrust her into her mother’s arms.

  ‘Leave her alone, you bloody bullies,’ Kitty screamed, throwing herself between the horses, slapping each of them on the rump.

  The startled animals reared on their hind legs, whinnying and lunging, almost unseating their riders. Kitty would have gone down beneath their flailing hooves if Lady Mableton had not grabbed her by the scruff of the neck and dragged her to safety.

  ‘That was brave but foolish, Kitty,’ Lady Mableton said, peering anxiously into her face. ‘Are you all right?’

  Kitty nodded; her teeth were chattering too much to allow her to speak.

  ‘Come then,’ Lady Mableton said, hoisting Leonie onto her hip and taking Kitty by the hand. ‘Leave them to their own stupidity.’

  The carriage was waiting in the Serpentine Road. It was not until they were all safely inside, and on their way back to Dover Street, that Kitty was able to speak.

  ‘Who was them men, my lady?’

  Lady Mableton’s lovely mouth drooped at the corners. ‘Part of my past, Kitty, another life best forgotten.’

  ‘You’re late,’ Nanny Smith snapped, casting a meaningful look at the clock on the nursery wall. ‘You knew it’s my half-day off and I should have been gone an hour since.’

  ‘It couldn’t be helped,’ Kitty said, undoing the buttons on Leonie’s velvet coat.

  ‘Just because you’re the favourite today,’ Nanny said, ramming her bonnet on her head. ‘Sucking up to her ladyship and pushing me out. You’d better watch your step, young Kitty, or I’ll see that you go back to the scullery and let Olive and Dora sort you out.’

  ‘Sorry, Nanny.’

  ‘I should think so.’ Nanny yanked at the ribbons on her bonnet, making an unsuccessful attempt to tie a bow. ‘Bother the thing! My fingers are all thumbs and it’s your fault, Kitty.’

  Sitting Leonie in her chair at the nursery table, Kitty offered to tie the bow and, somewhat grudgingly, Nanny allowed her to help.

  ‘Don’t tie it too tight,’ Nanny said, frowning. ‘And I may be a bit late back seeing as how you’ve kept me waiting.’

  ‘That’s all right,’ Kitty said, giving the bow a final tweak. ‘I got it all worked out if Miss Lane comes nosing round.’

  ‘Right then,’ Nanny said, studying her reflection in the mirror above the mantelpiece. ‘You owe me that. Now I’m off to meet my young man and if you don’t do everything just right, I’ll not be responsible for my actions when I get back. Do you understand me?’

  ‘Yes, Nanny.’

  ‘And you see to it that Miss Leonie gets her tea and supper on time.’

  Dora and Olive were off duty when Kitty went down to collect the nursery tea tray. The only person in the kitchen was the new scullery maid, a skinny little thing, all elbows and knees, who could not have been a day over twelve. She didn’t answer when Kitty spoke to her, just stared with saucer-like eyes and ran into the scullery, closing the door behind her. It wasn’t hard to imagine that this was the housemaids’ new object of spite. When she came down later to collect her own supper tray, she caught Olive and Dora tormenting the poor girl and Kitty’s temper flared.

  ‘Ain’t you lot got nothing better to do than pick on them what can’t fight back?’

  Dora spun around, her mouth twisted as if she had just sucked a lemon. ‘Well, look here, Olive. Her high-and-mightiness speaks to us now.’

  ‘You may think you’re better than us now you’ve sucked up to her ladyship,’ Olive said, sneering, ‘but you’re still the same turd that floated in on the tide.’

  ‘I don’t care what you say,’ Kitty retorted, sticking her chin out. ‘You leave that poor girl alone or I’ll …’

  ‘You’ll what?’ Dora pushed Kitty with the flat of her hands. ‘You’ll sneak to Madam?’

  ‘I ain’t scared of you, Dora.’

  With a swift movement, Dora had Kitty’s arm pinned behind her back. She jerked it upwards until Kitty yelped with pain. ‘Are you scared of me now?’

  Kitty shook her head, even when another savage tug threatened to snap her bones.

  ‘Say it.’ Dora spat the words in Kitty’s ear, hissing like a snake.

  ‘N-never.’

  Olive clawed at Dora’s arm. ‘Careful, Dora, if you break her arm you’ll be in trouble.’

  With a hefty push, Dora sent Kitty sprawling onto the tiled floor. ‘Get out of my sight, you bag of piss.’

  Rubbing her grazed knees, Kitty scrambled to her feet. Holding her head high, she picked up her supper tray, ignoring the pain from her arm, leaving the kitchen to catcalls and hoots of laughter from Dora and Olive.

  Upstairs in the nursery, having settled Leonie for the night, Kitty sat down to eat her supper. Taking the cover off the dish, she stifled a scream, jumping to her feet with her hand clamped over her mouth. Lying on the plate was a large, dead rat.

  Chapter Four

  ‘What’s the matter with your arm, Kitty?’ Bella said, noticing that the girl was pale, with dark shadows beneath her eyes and holding her arm limply at her side. ‘Have you hurt yourself?’

  Kitty bobbed a curtsey. ‘I slipped in the bathroom and twisted it a bit, that’s all.’

  Bella could spot a lie a mile off, she had told them often enough in the past. ‘Are they treating you well below stairs? You would tell me if they weren’t, wouldn’t you?’

  ‘It was an accident, my lady. Shall I take Miss Leonie back to the nursery for her bath?’

  Scooping Leonie up in her arms, Bella kissed her rosy cheek, inhaling the sweet scent of Pears soap and the sugary smell of the sweet that Leonie had dribbled all down her chin. ‘Night, night, baby. Mama will see you in the morning.’

  ‘Kitty.’ Jerking away from her mother, Leonie held her chubby arms out to Kitty.

  ‘She loves you.’ Suffering a pinprick of jealousy, Bella passed Leonie into Kitty’s arms and was immediately ashamed of herself as she saw Kitty flinch with pain. ‘If your arm isn’t better by tomorrow, I shall insist that you see my doctor.’

  Bobbing a curtsey, Kitty carried Leonie out of the room.

  ‘You spoil that girl.’

  Bella spun around to see Maria standing in the doorway that led off her boudoir to her bedroom. ‘I know that the poor child is being bullied by the lower servants but she won’t admit it.’

  ‘She’s a kid from the slums, she’s tough and she’ll get over it.’

  ‘Some things you never get over,’ Bella said, sinking down on the padded velvet stool in front of her dressing table.

  ‘The past is past and you’ve done all right for yourself,’ Maria said, yanking steel pins out of Bella’s elaborately coiffed hair. ‘Don’t meddle with what goes on below stairs.’

  ‘Ouch, that hurt,’ Bella said, wincing as Maria dragged the comb through a stubborn knot. ‘Be more careful.’

  ‘You’ve got a face as long as a fiddle!’ Maria eyed her reflection in the mirror with a suspicious gleam in her eyes. ‘What’s up with you t
onight?’

  ‘Sometimes I wish I’d stayed single, plain Bella La Rue, singer and dancer, working the music halls. I’m only twenty-three; I’m still young and yet I feel my life is over.’

  ‘You don’t mean that.’

  ‘Yes, I do. I mean it with all my heart. I’m tired of pretending to be something I’m not. At least when I’d done my act on the stage I could go back to being myself.’

  ‘Don’t talk daft, Bella. This life is a bed of roses compared to flogging yourself to death in cheap music halls, lodging in flea-ridden rooms with damp beds and never knowing where the next penny was coming from.’

  ‘But at least I was free then,’ Bella said, sighing. ‘People took me for what I was and didn’t sneer at me behind my back.’

  Maria’s harsh expression softened just a little. ‘They’re just jealous. Now sit still and let me get you ready. You know Sir Desmond hates being kept waiting and you don’t want to turn up late at Lord Swafford’s dinner party.’

  ‘I don’t want to go at all.’

  Maria picked up a silver-backed hairbrush and began brushing Bella’s hair in long, sweeping strokes. ‘What happened today that upset you so much?’

  ‘Nothing.’

  ‘Such a fuss about nothing?’

  ‘Well, Iris was being difficult as usual – and then I met Giles Rackham and his hateful friend in the park.’

  Maria’s slanting black eyebrows snapped together. ‘Rackham! I thought that bastard had gone abroad for good.’

  ‘So did I, but he’s back and if he chooses to speak out, I’ll be ruined.’

  ‘I doubt he’ll do that. He’s got too much pride to want the world to know that you ran away from him.’

  ‘I thought he’d abandoned me in Dover. You said he wouldn’t come back.’

  ‘And he didn’t, not for three whole years, so don’t you forget that, my girl. You keep away from him, Bella. He’s trouble.’

  ‘I hate him,’ Bella said, snatching the hairbrush from Maria’s hand and throwing it across the room. ‘I hate, loathe and detest him. He’s an unprincipled seducer of young girls, a gambler and a liar.’