A Mother's Grace

by Rosie Goodwin

Madeline’s green eyes lit up. ‘Do you know what, I think I’ll do that. I get so tired of being stuck indoors all the time. Oh, and by the way, did you enquire about the Sunday school at Chilver’s Coton?’

  ‘I did actually. I spoke to Mrs Lockett, the vicar’s wife who runs it, an’ she said she’d be happy fer Grace to start goin’ just as soon as she likes. I could always walk her there an’ back an’ I’m sure she’d love it. She gets lonely never mixin’ wi’ other children her age.’

  ‘I know she does.’ Madeline sighed. ‘Jacob and I are at loggerheads at the moment about what to do about her education. He wants to hire a private tutor to come in and teach her each day but Grace wants to start at the local school so that she can make some friends. What do you think would be best for her, Mabel?’

  ‘Personally, I reckon she’d be happier at the school in Abbey Green, not that it’s really my place to comment.’

  ‘I agree with you.’ Madeline took the tea that Mabel held out to her and sipped daintily from the china cup. ‘I think I’ll get Grace to speak to her father herself about it when they get home. She can always get round him whereas anything I suggest just seems to fall on deaf ears.’

  Mabel chuckled. ‘I reckon yer right there. But now you finish yer tea an’ I’ll go an’ get Harry to lift one o’ the kitchen chairs out into the garden for you. Oh, an’ I’ll slip upstairs an’ get your sun parasol an’ all. We don’t want you gettin’ sunburn.’

  A short time later, when Madeline was settled comfortably under her parasol, Mabel returned to the kitchen to help Mrs Batley prepare the lunch. They were going to just have cold cuts of meat left over from the day before and salad today along with some freshly baked bread and pickles. The heat and the fact that they were all missing Grace seemed to have robbed them all of their appetite.

  ‘I shall be glad when Grace is back.’ Mrs Batley sniffed. ‘The place don’t seem the same without her, does it?’

  Mabel nodded in agreement as she began to chop a lettuce into the salad bowl. ‘I miss her too, but the master will take good care of her.’

  ‘Hmm! If yer were to ask me, he’s takin’ too good care o’ her! He seems to resent any time she spends with the mistress.’

  ‘I know what you mean. It’s the poor mistress I feel sorry for. When he’s home she don’t get a chance to spend any time at all wi’ Grace an’ she does love her so. I reckon Nanny gets cross wi’ him too, he’s always disruptin’ the little girl’s routine!’

  ‘I dare say I’m bein’ a bit hard on him an’ we should make allowances,’ Mrs Batley said. ‘He probably wants to make the most of her cos he knows he ain’t goin’ to get any more children.’

  ‘I’m tired now, Papa.’ Grace yawned and rubbed at her eyes as they wandered along the Mall after admiring Buckingham Palace.

  Jacob Kettle swung her up into his arms. ‘I’m sorry, sweetheart.’ He kissed her forehead. ‘I’ve kept you out far later than I should have. I’ll get you back to the hotel now; Nanny will be waiting to put you into bed no doubt.’

  Holding Grace with one arm, he went to the edge of the kerb and hailed a hackney cab.

  After hastily giving the driver the address of their hotel in Marylebone, he gently lifted Grace inside and within minutes she was sound asleep on his lap with her thumb jammed into her mouth.

  Nanny was indeed waiting in the foyer and she looked none too pleased as she hurried to take the sleeping child from him.

  ‘Really, judge, this is far too late for Grace to be out,’ she scolded.

  He looked shamefaced. ‘I know, Nanny, and I apologise. We were having such a good time I didn’t realise how late it was.’

  ‘Hmm!’ The woman glared at him. ‘I shall have to leave her bath until morning now and it’s far too late to take her into the dining room.’

  ‘Oh, don’t worry about that. I shall have something sent up to your room for her.’

  She inclined her head and hauled Grace off to the lift, mumbling beneath her breath. Just like Mrs Batley, Nanny was not afraid to stand up to her employer although she disliked the man intensely.

  As he headed off to the bar for a much-needed drink, Jacob let out a low whistle of relief. Truthfully, he would much rather have brought Grace to London by himself but as his wife had pointed out, it wouldn’t be seemly for him to have to see to her bathing and her personal toilet now she was a little older. Grudgingly he had been forced to admit that she was right. Hopefully he wouldn’t have to see the dratted woman again till the morning and then he would whip Grace away on another sightseeing trip. They only had another two days of their holiday left and he was determined that Grace should see as much of London as she could before they headed for home.

  ‘The mistress has been sat by that front winder all afternoon,’ Mabel commented to Mrs Batley as she carried Madeline’s afternoon tea tray into the kitchen. ‘An’ she ain’t touched this nice cake yer sent her in.’

  Mrs Batley shrugged. ‘She rarely does no matter what I try to tempt her wi’. In fact, she hardly eats enough to keep a bird alive. It’s no wonder she’s never got no energy. Still, happen she’ll perk up again when Grace gets home.’

  Just then they heard the horse’s hooves on the gravel drive.

  ‘This sounds like them.’ Mrs Batley grinned. She was another one that little Grace could wrap around her little finger and she had missed her sorely. Sure enough, seconds later they heard the sound of the judge’s key in the lock and Grace exploded into the hallway in a smart new coat and bonnet that her father had bought her from Selfridges in London.

  ‘Grace, my love.’ Madeline had come to stand in the hallway and when the child caught sight of her mother she flew into her arms, her dark red curls dancing on her slim shoulders.

  ‘Oh, Mamma, I’ve missed you … but we had a wonderful time.’ The little girl’s striking green eyes were shining as she gabbled on. ‘Papa took me to see the Palace, an’ Westminster Abbey an’ the Tower of London an’ all sorts of wonderful places.’

  ‘Did he now?’ Madeline bent to kiss her. ‘Then you must come into the drawing room. I want to hear all about it.’

  Both Mabel and Mrs Batley noticed that the judge and his wife barely glanced at each other but they were used to that now. Sometimes the couple seemed to go for days without a word passing between them.

  Nanny followed Mrs Batley and Mabel into the kitchen, saying, ‘Phew, I could really murder a cup of tea. That train journey seemed to go on for ever. And a slice of your delicious cake wouldn’t go amiss either, Enid.’

  Like Mrs Batley, Betty Donovan was a widow, hence her need to earn a living. Both of them were childless too but there any similarity ended. Mrs Batley was a short, rounded little woman whereas the nanny was tall and thin as a whistle. She was also very firm but fair and it tickled the staff that the master seemed to be afraid of her.

  ‘So how did the trip go?’ Mrs Batley asked when the nanny had a hot cup of tea and a slice of cake in front of her.

  Nanny sipped at the tea delicately. She was a great one for etiquette and was trying to drill some into Grace. ‘It went pleasantly enough but as usual, Grace’s father spoiled her shamelessly and kept her out until all hours!’ She shook her head in exasperation. ‘I’m telling you, that man still looks upon her as a baby. I gave him a right telling-off one night when he brought her back to the hotel way past her bedtime!’

  Mrs Batley chuckled as she pictured the scene.

  ‘It’s time some decision was reached about Grace’s schooling. I am a nanny not a tutor and that child has a brain like a sponge. She can already read passages from the Bible. As it happens, I’m intending to speak to the judge about it again. Grace would like to attend the local school and personally I think it would do her the world of good.’

  ‘I think it would an’ all,’ Mabel piped up. ‘It ain’t natural the way the master tries to keep her shut in all the time. The poor mistress don’t even get a look-in with the child when he’s about an’ she rarely goes
out of the house except to go to church with the mistress.’

  Nanny sniffed. ‘You’re right. In fact, I’ll go and have a talk with him just as soon as I’ve finished my tea.’

  She swallowed her tea and wiped the cake crumbs from her fingers with a napkin, then with her shoulders squared as if she was about to do battle, she set off to speak to the judge.

  Chapter Eleven

  July, 1902

  ‘I thought we could travel there in my car, staying at hotels along the way. Cornwall is a beautiful place, I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.’ The judge smiled at his ten-year-old daughter as she stood listening solemnly on the opposite side of his desk.

  And then she surprised him when she answered, ‘Actually, I would rather spend the school holidays here with Mother, if you don’t mind, Father. She isn’t at all well.’

  Forcing himself to keep the smile fixed on his face, he took a deep breath before pointing out, ‘But your mother has the staff here to look after her, Grace. She would not wish you to miss your holiday.’

  ‘Even so, I wouldn’t enjoy myself if I were to leave her.’

  He could feel his anger rising. Lately, Grace had not seemed so happy to spend time with him and it hurt. She was by far the most important person in his life and he was jealous of any time she spent with anyone but himself.

  Glancing down at the papers on his desk, he said dismissively, ‘I suggest you go away and think about it, my dear. I have gone to a great deal of trouble to make myself available to take you away and I’ve no doubt that many children would jump at the chance of a holiday. Oh, and please tell Nanny that I wish to speak to her.’

  ‘Very well, Father.’ Glad to escape, Grace scurried from the room, breathing a sigh of relief as she closed the study door behind her.

  Mabel, who just happened to be passing, saw her reaction and suggested, ‘Why don’t yer come along to the kitchen, pet? Batty’s just made a nice jug o’ lemonade.’

  Mabel felt sorry for the child. Admittedly, she had been allowed to attend school for some years now, so at least she was mixing with children her own age – although the judge hadn’t been at all happy about it. He felt that it wasn’t right for his daughter to mix with children from working-class families but the only other alternative had been to send her away to a boarding school, which Madeline had been adamantly against. In truth, he hadn’t liked the idea either, so in the end he had reluctantly relented. But he never allowed her to bring any of her friends home, or even to visit them in their homes. The fact that she mixed with children who were not as well dressed as she was didn’t seem to trouble Grace in the least. If anything, her gentle nature and kindly ways drew her towards such children and whenever she could she would sneak tasty treats from the kitchen to take to school for them.

  Her special friend was Olivia, or Libby as she was affectionately known. Her father ran a small hardware store in Edward Street and she was a Catholic. Everything that Libby told Grace about the Catholic faith fascinated her. She loved the rosary beads that Libby had been given on her first communion and listening to Libby talk about the lengthy church services. On a few occasions when her father had been away from home, Madeline had allowed her to attend the Catholic church with her and now Grace almost wished for him to go away so that she could go again.

  ‘I just have to tell Nanny that Father wants to see her,’ Grace told Mabel.

  She flew up the stairs, her red curls bouncing, and with a smile, Mabel went on her way.

  Grace found Nanny putting away her freshly ironed washing and the woman glanced up and smiled at her. ‘So, where’s the fire then? You seem in a rush?’

  Grace took a deep breath before saying, ‘Father wants to see you in his study. And I should warn you, he isn’t in the best of moods.’

  ‘Oh?’ Nanny raised her eyebrow. ‘And why would that be?’

  Grace squirmed uncomfortably as she lowered her eyes and fiddled with a fold in her skirt. ‘I think it might be because I just told him that I don’t wish to go away on holiday with him this year.’

  ‘I see, and why is that?’

  ‘Well …’ Grace paused. ‘I don’t really want to leave Mother with her being so poorly. She wasn’t even well enough to attend church with us last week, was she?’

  The nanny’s face creased in a sympathetic smile. ‘She’s just going through a bad spell,’ she comforted. ‘She’ll come through it, she always does, so you shouldn’t worry about that.’

  Grace sighed and threw herself into the chair at the side of the empty fireplace. Through the open window, she could hear the sound of the birds singing and suddenly she envied them. They were free to fly where they wished, whereas she was trapped. Lately she had begun to feel that she was being pulled two ways. Her mother needed her and yet her father begrudged every second she didn’t spend with him. She wanted to please them both, but it was impossible.

  ‘Anyway, I’d best go and see what his lordship wants.’ Nanny straightened her skirt and winked at the child as she breezed from the room and slowly Grace rose to make her way to the kitchen.

  ‘Ah, Nanny Donovan, do come in, take a seat.’

  The woman eyed Jacob Kettle suspiciously as she sat down opposite him. He was leaning on the leather top of his desk eyeing her over his joined hands and she felt a little wriggle of unease in her stomach.

  ‘I’ve been meaning to speak to you for some time.’ Jacob gave her a sickly smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. ‘Grace is getting rather too old to need the services of a nanny now.’ Seeing the alarm flash in the woman’s eyes, he hurried on. ‘I’m giving you notice … Shall we say a month? And I will of course provide you with a reference.’

  ‘You’re dismissing me?’ Nanny’s eyes grew large as the colour drained from her cheeks.

  ‘It’s simply that your services are no longer required and I’m sure a month will give you plenty of time to find another post.’ In actual fact, he could hardly wait to see the back of the dratted woman. She was always interfering when he wanted to spend time with his daughter and had even banned him from visiting the nursery saying that Grace needed to be kept in a routine.

  She rose stiffly and inclined her head, then without another word she stalked from the room, her back rigidly straight. However, once the door had closed behind her, her shoulders sagged and she had to stuff her clenched fist into her mouth to stop herself from crying aloud. She had a bad feeling about this. Oh yes, she did! Jacob Kettle’s devotion to his daughter had been touching to see when she was a little girl but to her mind it was becoming unfair on the girl. When he was home he barely allowed the child out of his sight and he had even taken to escorting her to Sunday school and back. Even so, deep down she supposed that he did have a point. Grace was too old for a nanny, but how she would miss her. The child was such a good little soul and she had come to love her over the years. Still, all good things must come to an end, she told herself and after mopping her eyes with a large white handkerchief, she squared her shoulders and went to break the news to Grace.

  She was still in the kitchen with Mabel and Mrs Batley, sitting at the table with Ginger curled up on her lap and a large glass of lemonade in front of her.

  ‘What? You’re going to leave?’ Grace looked horrified as tears flooded into her eyes. She stood up abruptly causing Ginger to fall in an undignified heap on the flagstones. He flexed his claws and hissed before stalking away as Grace flew into Nanny’s arms.

  ‘But you can’t leave, I need you,’ she sobbed.

  ‘No, pet, you don’t – not really anymore.’ Nanny kissed the child’s hair as Grace clung to her. ‘Your father is right. You’re at school all day apart from the holidays and when you come home you’ll still have Mabel and Batty.’

  ‘B-but what will you do? Where will you go?’

  ‘Well, you know my first thought was that I would look for another post but it’s just occurred to me that this might be the ideal time to retire.’ Nanny grinned. ‘I’m not getting any younger
and my sister, who was widowed some two years back, has been pestering me for some time to go and live with her in London.’

  ‘Will I ever see you again?’ Grace asked tremulously.

  ‘Why, of course you will.’ Nanny forced herself to sound jovial. ‘Perhaps your father would allow you to come and visit?’ She secretly thought that there was very little chance of that happening. ‘And we can always write to each other, can’t we? London’s not so very far away now that we can hop on a train.’

  ‘I suppose not.’ Grace wiped her freckled nose on the back of her sleeve in a most unladylike manner but just this once Nanny chose to ignore it.

  ‘We’re goin’ to miss yer.’ Mrs Batley’s voice was heavy with tears. ‘But as yer rightly told Grace, we can still keep in touch. In fact, I might just pluck up the courage to come an’ see yer meself one o’ these days. If I can force meself to get on one o’ them there noisy trains that is!’

  Nanny thought that was highly unlikely. It was a known fact that Mrs Batley rarely ventured as far as the marketplace and then only when Mabel couldn’t go.

  ‘I don’t think I’ll like sleeping up on the nursery floor all by myself,’ Grace remarked sadly.

  ‘That’s nothin’ to worry about,’ Mabel reassured her. ‘I’ll have a word wi’ your Ma an’ ask her if I can get one o’ the bedrooms close to hers ready for you. I reckon yer old enough to come down from the nursery floor now.’

  Grace perked up a little. She liked the thought of having a grown-up bedroom. ‘I’d better go and find Harry and tell him about Nanny leaving,’ she said, and slowly she made her way out into the sunshine.

  ‘Oh no! But you’re like one of the family now, Nanny.’ Madeline was dismayed when Nanny Donovan relayed her news to her.

  The woman smiled and patted her mistress’s hand where it lay on the arm of her chair by the open window. It was the closest she could get to being outside, for she had been too unwell to leave her room for the last week or two, and today there was a distinct blue tinge about her lips.