by Kitty Neale
‘Jepson. Sarah Jepson.’
‘I’m sure Miss Jepson would enjoy a slice of cook’s cake with her tea.’
Sarah’s eyes followed Henry as he left the room, then came back to Mrs Alderton-Steele. Jenny had warned her the woman was a bit eccentric, but she hadn’t expected her to be dressed like a mourning Queen Victoria. She was even wearing a black hat with netting. The woman looked frail, and through the netting, Sarah could see she had deep wrinkles and thin lips.
‘I rarely see visitors, so I do hope you have information of importance for me?’
‘I do, Mrs Alderton-Steele. I have more than merely information,’ Sarah said, and smiled at the old woman.
‘Do tell. That watch is very precious to me.’
Henry entered carrying a silver tea service on a tray, and fine china cups. He placed the tray on a low table between the sofa and Sarah.
‘Leave it, Henry. I believe Miss Jepson is about to tell me something very interesting,’ Mrs Alderton-Steele said, and began to daintily pour the tea while Henry retreated and stood against the wall with his hands behind his back.
‘As you can probably tell, I’m not from round these parts. I’m from across the river in Battersea, and where I grew up it was … well … rough. There were lots of shady people around and it’s given me a nose for sniffing out when something ain’t quite right,’ Sarah said, forgetting her attempt to speak nicely. ‘I was walking across the bridge and I saw this bloke throw something over. I waited ’til he was out of sight, then I went down to the banks and found this bracelet.’ Sarah took the bracelet from her handbag and placed it on the table.
Mrs Alderton-Steele’s bony hand picked it up. ‘My bracelet! But how did you know it belonged to me?’
‘I didn’t at first. I used to spend quite a bit of time at the river, and then one day, a little while after I found your bracelet, I saw the same man on the bridge. He threw something over again, only this time I followed him and he came back to this house. When I went back to the river to look for what he’d thrown, I found this watch.’
‘My goodness,’ said the elderly lady as Sarah then handed the watch to her. ‘I had almost given up any hope of ever seeing this again.’
‘I’m assuming this belongs to you too?’ Sarah asked and held out the ring.
‘Yes, it does,’ Mrs Alderton-Steele said. ‘What did this man look like?’
‘He was well dressed, very tall and slim, with black hair. I’d say he was in his late thirties. I reckon he must live or work in this house ’cos he used a key to get in the door.’ She could see the old woman’s face slowly changing as Mrs Alderton-Steele realised Sarah was describing her son. A look of shock replaced her uppity expression. Then Sarah continued, ‘I racked my brains and couldn’t think why a bloke would just throw away such expensive-looking stuff, and to be honest I did think about flogging it. After all, as they say, finders keepers.’
‘I see. So why didn’t you?’
‘The likes of me could never afford jewellery like that, and I was frightened I’d get nicked for stealing it. I kept it hidden in my room, but eventually my conscience got the better of me, so here I am …’
‘You are a very decent young lady, very decent indeed. I doubt there would be many who would be so honest, but tell me, have you found anything else?’
‘No, I haven’t been to the river for a while now, but there could well be more stuff down there.’
‘Yes, I would imagine there probably is as I have several other items missing. Henry, where is Godfrey?’
‘He went out earlier. He didn’t say where he was going or when he would be returning, but I would assume he’s at his club.’
‘Henry, there’s a photograph on the piano. Show it to Miss Jepson.’
Sarah took the framed photograph and as she looked at it, Mrs Alderton-Steele asked, ‘Is that the man you saw?’
Though she had never actually seen him, the description Jenny had given her matched, so she said without hesitation, ‘Yes.’
Mrs Alderton-Steele held her hand to her head and closed her eyes. ‘Henry, my smelling salts. This is all too much.’
Henry passed the woman a small bottle which she held in her handkerchief and lightly sniffed. ‘Why would my son steal from me? It makes no sense.’
‘The thing is, and I hope you don’t think I’m talking out of turn here, but something odd happened when I arrived. I saw a young woman coming up from the basement and as she looked very upset, I asked her if she was all right. She was crying, but before she hurried off she warned me that if I was after a job, I should stay well away from this house, or I’d end up in trouble with the Mrs’s son like she was. I’m not sure what she meant by that or if it’s got anything to do with your stolen things.’
Sarah knew the old woman had no idea what was going on in her home right under her nose, but Jenny had said that Henry was aware of Godfrey’s wicked behaviour, though he’d turned a blind eye to it. Sarah flashed the butler a look, and saw him shift uncomfortably, then discreetly clear his throat.
‘I can only suggest you saw my cleaner, but I have no idea why she would say that. Do you know, Henry?’
‘Actually, yes, ma’am. I think I do,’ Henry answered.
‘Spit it out then, man,’ the old woman barked.
‘Ma’am, I think this would be better discussed in private.’
‘Well, it’s becoming apparent that my son is a thief, so I think it’s a little late to concern ourselves with privacy. Now, Henry, I demand to know what exactly has been occurring in my house!’
Sarah thought that Mrs Alderton-Steele was quite a formidable character when riled, and hoped Henry would have the bottle to tell her what he knew. It had to come from him, as Sarah didn’t think the old woman would believe her.
‘I’m afraid to say that Miss Jepson’s story has confirmed exactly what I think Godfrey has been doing, but until now I’ve had no proof. I believe he has been taking your jewellery in order to have the staff blamed,’ Henry said, and looked at Sarah with a look of relief as if he was glad to get it off his chest.
‘Why would he do such a thing? What could he possibly gain?’
‘Er … favours, ma’am, of the … er … feminine kind,’ Henry said and lowered his head.
‘I still don’t understand, Henry. How is the theft of my jewellery involved?’
‘I’m afraid Godfrey had his eye on our previous cleaner, Miss Turner, but she refused to be forthcoming with her favours. To punish her, I think Godfrey took your jewellery and Miss Turner was blamed for the theft. I think he’s been doing something similar with this new girl, maybe blackmailing her to be freer with her favours as I caught them in somewhat of a clinch the other day.’
Sarah was pleased Henry had so readily provided the information, but hadn’t expected him to give it up so easily. Now that he had, he looked very pleased with himself, though the same couldn’t be said for Mrs Alderton-Steele.
‘I see,’ she said, her voice no longer forthright but tremulous. ‘Henry, please reward Miss Jepson with the sum of fifty pounds, and Miss Jepson, thank you for returning my jewellery. I do hope a reward will secure your silence about everything you have just heard?’
‘Yes, thank you, Mrs Alderton-Steele, and I can promise you that nothing I’ve heard today will be spoken about outside of these walls,’ Sarah answered.
‘Good, and I hope you keep your promise. I am deeply ashamed of my son, and he will be punished, but if any of my friends and acquaintances hear of his disgraceful behaviour, I will instruct my solicitor to pursue the perpetrator of the rumours for defamation of character.’
‘It won’t come from me,’ Sarah said. She hadn’t expected a reward, and was reeling at how generous it was, but the mention of solicitors frightened her. She hadn’t liked telling lies, but it was the only way she could think of to make Mrs Alderton-Steele see the truth, and it had worked. Henry had blabbed, the jewellery was returned, and now Sarah hoped Mrs Alderton-Steele wo
uld see to it that Godfrey never laid a hand on Doreen again. She doubted Jenny would get her job back, but at least her friend would have the pleasure of knowing that Godfrey’s sickening behaviour had been uncovered.
‘Good, and now Henry will see you out.’
Sarah dashed back over Battersea Bridge feeling slightly dizzy and thankful the wind was behind her to speed her along. She’d stuffed the reward money into her bag, but hadn’t dared to take a close look at it yet. Fifty pounds – she could hardly believe it! It was more money than she’d ever seen in her life!
Once on the other side of the bridge, Sarah began to relax a little in the surroundings she found familiar, though kept her head down as she dashed past the police station where her father worked.
When she got home she’d have to find somewhere safe to keep the money. She couldn’t risk losing it, not this amount of cash. If she was clever and kept a clear head, it would be enough to set her and Tommy up for life.
Chapter 31
It had been over two weeks since Sarah had visited Mrs Alderton-Steele’s house. She knew she had to go to see Jenny to tell her what had happened, but so far guilt had held her back. She had decided not to mention the reward money. Jenny had a good home and a job so she was hardly in a desperate situation, while she had Tommy to think about. He was frequently poorly with his chest and living in a damp room didn’t help. Some of the substantial amount Mrs Alderton-Steele had given her would go into finding them a decent place to live, and more of it would be used to repay George. She also had what she thought would be a profitable plan, and was hoping to get George on board too.
It was a Saturday morning and her day off when she at last plucked up the courage to see Jenny, and now she was walking up the three flights of stairs to her flat. Tommy began to ask questions. She hadn’t wanted to bring him back here, but Mo was busy spending precious time with Samuel.
‘Are we going to see our mum?’ Tommy asked. His little face was screwed up in consternation, and his voice was barely a whisper.
‘No love, she doesn’t live here any more. I told you earlier, we’re going to see my friend Jenny.’
‘Where does Mum live now then?’
‘She lives in heaven with the angels and my good friend Mr Sayers.’
‘If she lives in heaven, does that mean she went to her forever box?’ Tommy quizzed.
‘Yes, Tommy, she went to her forever box and now she’s in the sky.’
Tommy seemed satisfied with her answers and happily skipped on ahead. She was pleased to see that the discovery of their mother’s death hadn’t upset him. In fact, it hadn’t seemed to bother him at all.
Tommy knocked on Jenny’s door and was greeted warmly by Mrs Turner.
‘Hello, young man, look at you, you’ve grown. Is your sister standing you in horse manure?’
‘Hello, Mrs Turner,’ Sarah said. ‘Yes, he’s shooting up quicker than I can keep trousers on him. Is Jenny home?’
‘Yes, pet, come through. I can see you’re doing a fine job with that child, so well done, ’cos I know it can’t have been easy for you. Jenny tells me you’re working in Bosco’s grocers. I’ve not been in there for years, but you’ve landed on your feet there. Mr Bosco is a lovely man, and so was his late wife. There’s some squash made in a jug, go through and pour some for yourself and Tommy while I give Jenny a shout.’
Mrs Turner’s pregnancy was showing, though Sarah thought she had a while to go yet. As Sarah helped herself to a glass of orange juice, Jenny appeared in the kitchen, pleased to see her friend.
‘I didn’t hear you knock. I had the radio to my ear. Tommy, do you remember where my bedroom is?’
Tommy nodded.
‘My little sisters Pat and Carol are playing with my old dolls’ house. You can go and see what they’re doing if you like.’
Tommy went off to play and Mrs Turner came back into the kitchen. ‘I’m sure you girls would like to have a chat, but we’ve got a bit of a houseful today. Tell you what, leave Tommy here with me for an hour and go for a walk. It’s a lovely day, and the girls will look after him.’
‘Thanks, Mum. Come on, Sarah, let’s go down to the old bomb site, you won’t believe how much it’s changed and what they’re building there now.’
As the two of them strolled through the estate, Jenny linked her arm through Sarah’s, which reminded her of the old days when they would walk to school together.
‘Come on then, spill the beans. I’ve been dying to know what happened at the big house,’ Jenny said.
‘It was just like you said it would be. She’s a right old character, that Mrs Alderton-Steele, but I liked her. I did as you said, waited for Godfrey to go out, then rang the bell and met Henry. Anyway, I got invited in, gave her back her stuff and managed to drop Godfrey in it. You was right, the butler knew everything and it didn’t take much persuading for him to admit to it. He seems like a nice old boy, and I got the impression that he ain’t too keen on Godfrey.’
‘Sarah, you’re brilliant! I knew Henry would back up your story. He wasn’t happy when I was forced out, but it was my word against Godfrey’s so there wasn’t much he could do to help. What did the old girl say?’
‘She was pleased to get the watch back, but really upset that her son was the one who’d stolen it.’
‘She believed you then?’
‘Yes, and she knows he’s been bribing Doreen for – how was it Henry worded it? Feminine favours.’
‘Yeah, that sounds like Henry, sort of pompous, but he’s a nice man.’
‘Mrs Alderton-Steele will sort Godfrey out, so Doreen won’t have to worry about him in future. She’s safe now and not only that, your name has been cleared.’
‘That’s bloody marvellous, Sarah. I’ve never been in trouble with the law before, none of my family have. I wasn’t charged with nothing, but that’s not the point. Knowing people think that about me is horrible, but now the old girl realises I’m innocent and it’s her own flesh and blood what stole from her … ha, it’s sweet revenge.’
‘I’m sorry, Jenny. Mrs Alderton-Steele doesn’t want any of this getting out. She said if it does she’d instruct her solicitor to go after the person responsible for defamation of character.’
‘Bloody hell. What’s that?’
‘I dunno, but it don’t sound good. We wouldn’t want to go up against someone with her sort of money. We wouldn’t stand a chance against her fancy lawyers.’
‘Well, in that case, I ain’t going to open me mouth, and you should have a word with Doreen too.’
‘Don’t worry, I will,’ Sarah said.
With nothing else to say on that subject, they spent another half an hour wandering the estate reminiscing about the fun times they’d shared as children, until Sarah suggested they went back. She wanted to collect Tommy and then head for the market.
She had business to discuss with George, and hoped to see Roger too.
The morning had flown by, but it always did on busy Saturdays. George hadn’t seen Sarah for a while, not since he’d dropped the bombshell question and been rebuffed. It hadn’t been easy, but he’d picked himself up, dusted himself down and was smiling again at customers on his stall. He thought he’d got over her rejection, until he spotted her in the crowd heading his way. Nothing had changed. As always, his stomach flipped and his pulse quickened. For Gawd’s sake man, pull yourself together, he told himself, and stretched out his arms to scoop up Tommy, who had run towards him.
‘George,’ Tommy squealed, ‘can I come and live with you again?’
‘I reckon Sarah would miss you too much. Ain’t that right, love?’
‘Yes, I would, and hello, George,’ she said with a warm smile.
As Tommy’s arms tightly squeezed his neck, he looked over the boy’s shoulder and noticed Sarah was wearing new clothes that she hadn’t bought from his stall. Her fashionable straight skirt with a high-necked red blouse tucked in emphasised her small waist. He thought she looked stunning in her hi
gh heels, which showed off her shapely legs, and he saw a few heads turn to admire her.
‘Mum said I can have an ice-cream. Do you want one too?’ Tommy asked him as George placed him back down. The lad was growing, and George could feel how much heavier he’d become.
‘Yes, mate, it’s a scorcher of a day so that that would be nice, though it’ll be my treat,’ George said, fishing in his money bag for some coins.
Tommy skipped off, and George turned his attention back to Sarah, but was saddened to see her gawking at Roger. She looked as if she was daydreaming as she stared wantonly at him. George couldn’t help but feel jealous and said quietly, ‘He’d break your heart.’
‘Eh? Oh … I was … I was …’ Sarah stuttered.
‘It’s all right, Sarah, I know you like him, and I can’t say I blame you. He’s a good-looking chap, but I’m warning you as one friend to another – you’re best off staying well clear of him.’
‘I don’t know what you mean, George Neerly,’ Sarah said in a haughty manner.
‘By the way,’ George continued, ‘I’ve heard some posh bloke has been looking for you, asking around. I’m betting it’s the bloke from the house where the jewellery come from. I take it you’ve returned it?’
‘Yes, I have. You’ll be pleased to hear that my friend Jenny was as pleased as punch when I told her what happened. Godfrey has fallen out of favour with his mother and now you think it’s him snooping around. What’s he been asking?’ Sarah said, finally taking her eyes off Roger.
‘I heard from a few of my mates on the market that he was asking if they knew you. You’re all right though. You know this lot – they wouldn’t say anything to someone like him. Just watch your back.’
Sarah’s eyes darted around nervously as she said, ‘I wonder what he wants?’
‘Don’t worry about the likes of him. If he causes you any trouble he’ll have me to deal with. Now, what did you want to talk to me about?’
‘I told you, not here,’ Sarah said. ‘If you aren’t doing anything tonight, come round to my place and we can talk in private.’