Orphans and Angels

by Linda Finlay

  ‘Goodness,’ Lady Chorlton said with a raise of her immaculately arched brow. ‘That would certainly be an achievement for Red Cliffs.’

  ‘I’m glad you agree for I have every intention of elevating the school’s status. However, I am still waiting to hear when the election will be.’

  ‘Yes, I understand these things can take some time. Even so, to be nominated is an achievement.’

  ‘I was fortunate that it was actually Miss Harmon, one of the school inspectors, who endorsed my application,’ Sarah explained. ‘And with her assistance, Red Cliffs has been appointed a new travelling mistress to replace Miss Green.’

  ‘More suitable, I hope?’

  ‘Indeed. The girls have taken to Miss O’Reilly and she seems enthusiastic even if she does insist on telling them stories about the little people.’

  Lady Chorlton’s lips twitched. ‘Well, a little make-believe never did anyone any harm, Sarah. Goodness knows, I’ve indulged in it myself often enough over the years.’ Lady Chorlton put down her cup and, fearing she was drawing their meeting to a close, Sarah leaned forward in her seat.

  ‘Lady Chorlton, we do have one important issue arising from the last inspection.’

  ‘Ah, yes, Fothergill did mention a fault had been found with the roof. I presume that is to what you are referring?’

  ‘Indeed. Although it is more than a fault. The whole thing needs retiling and, despite trying to raise funds ourselves, we simply don’t have sufficient money to pay for such a large job. That is why I am hoping you will come to our rescue, Lady Chorlton …’ Sarah stuttered to a halt as Lady Chorlton shook her head vehemently.

  ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but it’s out of the question. As I have already mentioned, I have my sons to consider, the elder of whom attains his majority next month. He will then have a large sum settled upon him, and the second son similarly in two years’ time.’

  ‘I see,’ Sarah whispered, her spirits sinking to the Persian carpet.

  ‘Don’t misunderstand me, I will still help, but regrettably, from now on, the donations will of necessity be of a lesser amount.’

  As disappointment flooded through her, Sarah swallowed hard. She hadn’t been expecting this.

  ‘Don’t look so glum,’ Lady Chorlton continued. ‘I seem to remember Samuel mentioning that a developer had offered a princely sum for the property.’

  ‘We have now actually received three offers, but obviously I couldn’t possibly accept any of them,’ Sarah replied, wanting to assure the woman of her loyalty to her godfather.

  ‘Why ever not?’ she exclaimed.

  ‘Because it was my godfather’s home,’ Sarah cried, surprised she should have to explain. ‘He opened it up for waifs and strays. They love it there and rely on us to keep the school open.’

  Lady Chorlton gave her a candid look. ‘Of course you must keep the school open, of that there is no doubt. However, if you don’t mind my saying, I think you are missing the point.’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Sarah asked, frowning.

  ‘That house is merely bricks and mortar and if you accept one of the developer’s offers – the highest one, of course – you could easily purchase another. One that didn’t have a leaking roof.’

  ‘How can you say that?’ Sarah gasped.

  ‘By your own admission, keeping the school open is what matters and if Red Cliffs fails the next inspection because of the state of the building, it will be shut down anyway, won’t it?’

  Sarah stared at the woman, enlightenment dawning at last. ‘I’ve made such a mess of everything,’ she cried, blinking back tears.

  ‘You can hardly be blamed for a roof that has been leaking for some time, so there must be more to that reaction,’ Lady Chorlton replied. ‘What exactly have you made a mess of?’ she invited.

  Sarah took a deep breath. ‘There was this man called Tyler who turned out to be called Slater. Anyway, he said he knew my godfather and could mend our roof for a reasonable sum.’ She drew to a halt as Lady Chorlton gave a chuckle.

  ‘I’m sorry, my dear, but really, a roofer called Tyler or Slater does take some believing.’

  ‘Apparently, his name really was Slater but I didn’t find that out before the thefts and …’

  Lady Chorlton put up her hand. ‘Thefts? I’m afraid you’ve lost me. Tell me about this roofer from the beginning so I can follow.’

  Taking a deep breath, Sarah related the whole sorry story, including the part about Sergeant Watts saying she should have consulted with Master Higgins first.

  ‘The police don’t think there’s much chance of recovering any of the items, which were not of much value anyway, but poor Mrs Daws has been lost without her gong. Oh, I feel so stupid,’ she sighed.

  Lady Chorlton leaned forward and patted her hand. ‘You’ll not be the first person to be taken in. Men like that pray on trusting women. I agree with Sergeant Watts, though. In future, you should consult with Master Higgins before employing anybody.’

  Sarah stared in surprise. ‘But I thought being a woman yourself, you’d understand.’

  ‘I do understand, and I certainly believe in women making decisions. Regrettably, however, it is still a man’s world. A con merchant like Slater wouldn’t try it on with a man of the world like Higgins.’ Never having thought of Harry as a man of the world, Sarah smiled. ‘Oh, don’t you underestimate him, my dear,’ Lady Chorlton urged. ‘Many a time he put dear Samuel right about someone trying to take advantage of his kindly nature.’ The little clock tinkled the next half-hour and the woman frowned.

  ‘I am so sorry to have taken up so much of your time,’ Sarah said, jumping to her feet.

  ‘Not at all, my dear. I have been looking forward to meeting you. You are doing a good job at Red Cliffs so don’t let a setback like this deter you. In the grand scheme of things, it is only a minor annoyance.’

  ‘No, I won’t,’ Sarah assured her.

  ‘However, I would urge you to consider accepting that offer from the developer. I think you’ll find in the long run it will prove financially more viable than throwing good money after bad. In the meantime, I will instruct a deposit be placed into Red Cliffs’ bank account, although alas, it won’t be as much as previously.’

  ‘Thank you, Lady Chorlton. We are all most grateful and I’ll make sure every penny is spent wisely.’

  ‘And I would hate to think of dear Mrs Daws without a gong to summon the children in for their meals, so I will send you back with mine. I prefer the gentle tinkling of a bell myself. Now, I assume you walked here?’ Sarah nodded. ‘Well, you can hardly carry it all that way, so I’ll get Finn to drive you home in the carriage,’ she said, pulling on the bell sash.

  ‘That’s most kind of you, and thank you for meeting me, Lady Chorlton,’ Sarah replied, then followed the maid from the room.

  As promised, Lady Chorlton’s carriage stood waiting outside for her. She was about to climb onto the step when she noticed a gleaming vehicle with tan leather seats but no roof had pulled up in front.

  ‘That’s one of them horseless carriages, ma’am,’ the driver said, noting her curiosity.

  ‘I’ve seen a couple parading along the seafront, but nothing like that,’ Sarah replied.

  ‘’Tis a right bobby-dazzler,’ the driver whistled. ‘Called a Benz petrol car and belongs to the gentleman who’s rented that house for the winter season,’ he added, inclining his head towards the adjoining property. Glancing up, she saw a dark-haired man watching her from the bay window. He was dressed in a tweed shooting jacket with a colourful cravat at his neck. Catching her gaze, he waved his hand in greeting. Embarrassed at having been caught prying, Sarah quickly climbed into the carriage.

  The horses pulled away and Sarah couldn’t help looking up at the window where the man was still watching. As their glances locked, Sarah felt a curious frisson of excitement. Really, Sarah Sullivan, she scolded, staring out of the other window. Have you no shame?

  However, thoughts of the stra
nger were soon replaced by the ever-present worry of funding. During the journey back, as the carriage rocked through the darkening streets where gaslights cast their eerie green-yellow shadows, Sarah reflected on her meeting. Lady Chorlton was charming and she could see why her uncle would have been enchanted by her. However, the fact that she would not be funding the retiling of the roof had been a bitter blow and she couldn’t help wondering if Lady Chorlton would have found the money somewhere if her godfather had still been alive. It seemed to her that the lady’s devotion had been of love to him rather than to the school itself and now she had to rethink her strategy. Although what Lady Chorlton had suggested made sense, Sarah had promised her godfather she wouldn’t sell to a developer, hadn’t she?

  As soon as she’d returned home, she would sit down with Harry and go through the school’s finances. Somehow they needed to raise extra money for the repairs. Her godfather’s house being turned into a hotel for affluent tourists was simply not an option, and now that she’d had time to think, she was surprised that Lady Chorlton should have suggested it. At least she would stay loyal to his cause.

  Before she realized it, they were pulling up outside the school.

  Pip hobbled over, staring curiously at the carriage through the railings.

  ‘It is me, Pip,’ Sarah called, snapping down the window.

  ‘Afternoon, Miss Sullivan. Didn’t realize it were you in that posh coach,’ he chirped, unlocking the gates.

  ‘I’ve brought a surprise for Mrs Dawes,’ Sarah explained.

  ‘Oh, good. She was in a right old tizz earlier. One of the chickens escaped and got in the ’ouse. Mrs Daws threatened to wring its neck if it made any mess on her clean floor. You should have seen Master Higgins trying to catch it. Flapping around like an ’en’ ’imself, he was,’ Pip chuckled. Sarah smiled at the picture he painted.

  ‘Perhaps you could help me into the house with her present then?’ she asked.

  ‘Right-ho,’ he called, then nodded to the driver. The carriage moved towards the front door.

  ‘Phew,’ the driver whistled, as he jumped down and stared at the elaborate quoins decorating the house. ‘This sure is some place for waifs and strays.’

  As Pip helped him unload the gong, which was covered by sheeting, Sarah wondered if she should give the man anything for his trouble. What was the protocol for tipping someone else’s driver? As she stood dithering, the man gave a brisk salute and called to the horses to move on.

  ‘Well, I never, it’s even got the school’s initials on it,’ Mrs Daws exclaimed, staring at the gleaming gong. Sarah and Harry exchanged smiles but didn’t disillusion the housekeeper by telling her they were those of Lord Richard Chorlton.

  ‘How did your meeting with Lady Chorlton go?’ Harry asked, sipping his evening drink before he went home.

  ‘She was charming and sent her regards to you both.’

  ‘She’s certainly a lady, Charlotte Chorlton,’ Mrs Daws replied. ‘The love of the good doctor’s life. If things had been different …’ She sighed, then looked guilty.

  ‘It’s all right Mrs Daws. Though if you all knew I do wish someone had told me before I went to visit,’ Sarah said. ‘Yes, Lady Chorlton explained about her and my godfather.’

  ‘Bet she was too much of a lady to say what an obnoxious, self-centred bast— old buzzard that husband of hers was,’ the housekeeper said.

  ‘She didn’t put it quite like that but I did get the message that there was no love lost between them,’ Sarah replied.

  ‘And how did she receive your request for funding of the roof?’ Harry asked, eyeing her seriously.

  ‘She agreed to make a contribution but can’t spare funds for the retiling,’ she explained. ‘Apparently, her elder son is soon to reach his majority.’

  ‘In other words, we can’t expect any more benefactions after that,’ Harry added.

  ‘Well, we shall just have to look at the budgets again. See if we can raise some money somehow.’

  ‘I’ll come in early and we can go through the ledger; get an exact idea of our position,’ Harry replied. ‘I’m hoping the hens will be laying soon and we shall have our own eggs, eh, Mrs Daws?’

  ‘As long as they don’t come inside messing up my kitchen,’ the woman snorted.

  ‘I must admit, Miss O’Reilly made shutting them in for the night look much easier when she rounded them up on the farm,’ Harry said ruefully.

  ‘Well, that girl’s got the knack with animals, from what I hear, and with children, too,’ Mrs Daws observed. Harry nodded but Sarah, too preoccupied with her meeting with Lady Chorlton, didn’t react.

  ‘Sergeant Watts called while you were out, Sarah,’ Harry said quickly. ‘They’ve confirmed the fire at the foundry was an accident so there’s no need for the site of the forge and tool shop to stay cordoned off. Apparently, the landlord thinks the old buildings were an eyesore and wants to pull them down and use the land for housing.’

  ‘Goodness, is the whole of Torquay to be redeveloped?’ Sarah exclaimed.

  Harry shrugged. ‘Quite apart from the tourists, the population is increasing and there is a need for additional accommodation. Anyway, Solomon has been given permission to collect any possessions that are salvageable.’

  ‘But the blaze was so intense, is it likely anything will have survived?’

  ‘I spoke to Solomon about that. He thinks, because they’re made of metal, some of the tools might be saved. He needs to get in there before the landlord, so I’ve promised to take him to the foundry in the cart after breakfast. It won’t take long to see what’s what, so I was wondering if you could take the children for their English lesson, Sarah?’

  Remembering her fiasco trying to teach the girls adjectives, she could only nod.

  ‘Sally has her music practice at the church first thing so I can drop her off on my way. It would be helpful if you could coach the rest in the songs they are going to sing at the concert. With everything else that’s been going on, they haven’t had much practice and I would like them to be word perfect so they don’t have to refer to the books. Easter will be here before we know it.’

  Sarah mentally ran through her timetable for the next day. ‘Well, I am attending another meeting of the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies tomorrow afternoon, but of course Miss O’Reilly should be here before I leave. And your talking of Easter reminds me I need to check how the girls’ needlework is progressing.’

  ‘Edith has been talking of nothing else,’ Mrs Daws commented. ‘She was showing me the drawing Miss O’Reilly’s made of her outfit. Right grown up she’ll look when it’s finished. It’s good to see her so enthusiastic, what with her missing Kitty so.’

  ‘Speaking of Kitty, that reminds me, Sarah. We have to let the Local Authority know that she and Luke are no longer with us. It wouldn’t do for us to receive funding we are not entitled to,’ said Harry.

  ‘We won’t have to give any money back, will we?’ Sarah groaned.

  ‘Being as how they take so long making payment in the first place, I very much doubt it. However, we’d better check. It’s a criminal offence to keep money deemed unauthorized.’

  ‘If that happened, I’d never get elected onto the School Board,’ Sarah sighed, imagining her ambitions for bettering Red Cliffs disappearing before they’d begun.

  ‘Don’t worry, Sarah, we’ll run through the accounts with a fine-tooth comb. Now I’d better be getting home.’

  ‘Good night, and thank you,’ Sarah said, looking at him gratefully.

  ‘What for?’

  ‘For not saying I told you so. You did warn me that I was setting too much store by my meeting with Lady Chorlton.’

  ‘You might be a touch naïve, but your heart’s in the right place,’ he grinned.

  ‘Good night, Master Higgins,’ Mrs Daws called. She waited until the door had shut behind him then turned to Sarah. ‘It’s good to see you two getting on again.’

  But it wasn’t Harry who f
illed Sarah’s dreams that night. It was the dark-haired man with his earnest gaze.

  19

  Fragments of her strange dream were still playing in Sarah’s head as the cold light of dawn filtered through the window. It wasn’t like her to take any notice when a man looked in her direction. However, for some reason, the intense gaze of that dark-haired gentleman she’d seen in Hesketh Crescent had affected her. It had been as if he were memorizing her features. For heaven’s sake, Sarah, she scolded herself. Get up and on. It’s not as though you don’t have enough to worry about.

  Economy still uppermost in her mind, she ignored the lamp and lit a candle instead. Still smarting from her failure to secure funding for the retiling of the roof from Lady Chorlton, she opened her desk drawer and pulled out Mrs Knight’s tome. Flicking through the pages for inspiration, her attention was caught by the words ‘silver lining’. Well, that’s what they needed now, didn’t they?

  To succeed in business, it is imperative to accept you will be knocked back in your endeavours from time to time. The key is to learn from what went wrong and rethink your strategy:

  Eighth Principle (a) Apply the 5 Fs:

  (i). Failure. Accept that failure is not an option, but sometimes the coat must be cut to suit the cloth.

  (ii). Faith. Continue to have faith in your enterprise for if you don’t have total belief, how can you expect others to?

  (iii). Finance. The economics of business are such that from time to time you will need to seek additional investment/funding either to keep afloat or get a new project off the ground. If you are turned down by one source, grit your teeth and seek another. Rejection is seldom personal.

  (iv). Focus. Keep your attention focused on your goal at all times. Do not allow yourself to be distracted by extraneous matters.

  (v). Fortitude. Be resilient, gather your strength and look for the silver lining. You can be sure there will be one and inevitably it will turn out to be the better option.

  Well, all those points were certainly relevant to Red Cliffs, Sarah thought. But why were the words ‘silver lining’ still chiming with her?