The Christmas Wedding

by Dilly Court

  Daisy eyed Lemuel warily, although he did not seem to be listening. ‘It has in a way, Uncle.’ She lowered her voice, just in case Lemuel was more interested than he appeared to be. ‘You’ll hardly credit it, but the squire proposed to me. He made it clear that if I didn’t comply he would refuse to renew the lease on Creek Cottage, or he would make the terms prohibitive.’

  ‘The bounder. I’ll have it out with him man to man. This has nothing to do with you, Daisy. I won’t stand by and see you treated like this.’

  ‘Please don’t get involved, Uncle. Squire Tattersall is a nasty man and he holds the lease on Creek Cottage. I don’t know why, but he seems to be hellbent on evicting people from their homes.’

  Sidney shook his head. ‘Maybe it’s because he doesn’t want to pay for repairs to their cottages. Perhaps he’d rather raze them to the ground, but whatever his motives he’s not the sort of husband I’d wish for you, my dear.’

  ‘I’ll be safe from him in London, although I’ve grown to love it here, even in such a short time.’

  ‘You must do what’s best for you, Daisy. We’ll miss you, but I wouldn’t trust myself if the squire came calling on you – I’d throttle the swine.’

  The idea of her meek and mild uncle doing anything violent made Daisy want to laugh and cry at the same time. She patted him on the shoulder. ‘I wouldn’t want you to do that, Uncle.’

  He was about to reply when a call from Lemuel made him turn round to see the former gamekeeper landing a large fish.

  ‘They’re biting again, Mr Marshall. Best cast your line, sir.’

  Daisy backed away. ‘I’ll leave you to it, Uncle, but I’ll say goodbye now, because I might not see you again before I leave.’

  ‘You’re going so soon, Daisy?’

  ‘I think it’s for the best. You mustn’t suffer on my behalf, and I hate that man. I’d rather enter a nunnery than marry someone like him.’ Daisy leaned over to kiss Sidney on the cheek. ‘Take care of yourself and Aunt Eleanora. I love you, Uncle.’

  She hurried off, not wanting him to see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes, but instead of heading back to the cottage she found herself walking in the direction of the cove where she had last seen Jay’s vessel. She was not sure what she hoped to find, but she had a sudden urge to see if the Lazy Jane really had sailed, or if the ship was still at anchor, and as the cove widened out she broke into a run. But there was no sign of Jay’s craft or any other vessel and she came to a sudden halt. Perhaps it was as well that he had sailed away; there could be no hope of a settled future for her with someone like Jay Fox. He was a free spirit, and she doubted if any woman would be able to tie him down. She knew that she was allowing mere physical attraction to overcome common sense, or perhaps she had simply been in the mood to be charmed by a dashing young man, who refused to conform to the rules of society. She might never know the answer to that particular conundrum. She turned away slowly and began the long walk home.

  Later that day, after a relatively comfortable journey by rail and a cab from the station, Daisy arrived outside her brother’s lodgings in Mount Street, not far from the London Hospital. She knocked on the door of the three-storey terraced house, but when there was no response she decided to walk to the hospital. It had started to rain and she wished she had thought to bring an umbrella, but she put her head down and broke into a run, arriving in the vestibule soaked to the skin and breathless.

  ‘May I help you, miss?’ A uniformed desk clerk looked her up and down.

  ‘I – I’ve come to—’

  ‘Probationer nurses over there,’ he said impatiently.

  ‘No, you don’t understand.’

  ‘Take a seat, please, miss. You’ll be dealt with as soon as possible, and maybe if you’d come earlier you wouldn’t be in such a state.’ He pointed to a row of seats where a group of fresh-faced young women were seated.

  Daisy gave up all attempts to explain and went to sit next to a dark-haired girl, who looked up and smiled at her.

  ‘Are you hoping to enrol on the nursing course?’

  ‘No … well, yes, maybe.’ Daisy glanced at the other applicants, all of whom looked to be calm and self-controlled, despite what they might be feeling inwardly.

  ‘I was inspired by Miss Nightingale.’ The girl held out her hand. ‘Minnie Cole from Hertfordshire.’

  Daisy shook hands. ‘Daisy Marshall, lately from Essex, although I grew up not far from here. My brother is a doctor.’

  ‘And you wish to train as a nurse. How exciting.’

  ‘Miss Cole. Come this way, please.’ An efficient-looking nurse beckoned to Minnie, who jumped to her feet.

  ‘Wish me luck, Daisy. Wouldn’t it be fun if we were both accepted for training?’ She hurried off after the nurse and they disappeared into a side room.

  Moments later another nurse, this time much younger and less formidable, stopped in front of Daisy. ‘What name is it?’

  ‘Daisy Marshall.’

  ‘I don’t seem to have you on my list.’

  ‘I won’t be on it, because I’ve only just arrived from the country.’

  A flicker of sympathy crossed the nurse’s pretty face. ‘We’ve all started that way, Daisy. But there’s no need to be nervous. I can see that your clothes are soaking too. I’ll put you in next, or you might end up as a patient on the women’s ward.’ She chuckled and glided off to speak to the other applicants, who gave Daisy resentful glances, but did not dare challenge the nurse’s decision. Daisy decided to go along with the interview. After all, she needed to work and earn enough money to pay for her keep. Her dream of becoming a doctor would have to be put aside, but maybe one day women would be accepted into medical school. In any event she needed to find Toby or she might end up sleeping in a dosshouse.

  After what seemed like a very long wait, Minnie Cole emerged from the room, smiling broadly. ‘I’ve been accepted. Good luck, Daisy.’

  ‘Thank you.’ Daisy managed a smile but she could see the stern nursing sister advancing on her and she knew that she must come to a decision quickly.

  ‘I’ve been told you haven’t filled in an application form, Miss Marshall.’

  Daisy rose to her feet, fighting down a sudden feeling of panic. ‘Maybe I ought to do so now and try again later.’

  The nurse looked her up and down with a critical eye. ‘No matter. You’re here now. Come this way.’

  Somewhat reluctantly Daisy followed her into a tiny office furnished with a single desk, and two chairs.

  ‘I am Sister Johnson, in charge of the student nurses.’ She sat down, motioning Daisy to follow suit. ‘Fill in this form giving your personal details.’ She indicated an inkstand and pen. ‘And you’ll need a character reference. Have you been in employment before?’

  ‘Yes, I was a governess.’ Daisy wrote her name and her brother’s address on the sheet of paper, and brief details of her education at the private school before handing it back.

  Miss Johnson read it, raising an eyebrow as she looked up at Daisy. ‘And why did you leave your employment?’

  ‘My charge was sent to boarding school and I was no longer needed.’

  ‘Why did you not apply for another such position?’

  ‘I’ve spent the last two months in the country, living with my aunt and uncle in a small village near the coast. I’ve seen great poverty and how the lack of proper medical treatment affects people. It made me realise that I could do something to help.’

  ‘Very laudable, but it sounds to me as if the residents need a good doctor. Presumably there is a local midwife?’

  ‘Yes, an old drunken woman who is totally unreliable, and because of that I was put in the position of helping a woman to give birth even though I had absolutely no experience in the matter.’

  ‘And how did you feel about that?’

  ‘Terrified, but somehow a healthy baby was delivered and is now thriving. The good people of Little Creek suffer enough at the hands of a ruthless landlord
, and the very least they should have is someone to take care of them when they fall ill.’

  Sister Johnson made a note on the piece of paper. She looked up, her piercing grey eyes holding Daisy’s gaze. ‘Can you give me the name of someone who will give you a reference?’

  Daisy thought quickly. She did not want anything to do with the Carrington family and she had no wish to see Julian again. ‘My brother is a doctor here, Sister. He will vouch for me.’

  ‘Toby Marshall is your brother?’

  For a moment Daisy thought that she had made a huge mistake. Surely Sister Johnson was too old for Toby to have toyed with her affections? But then a slow smile transformed the sister’s stern features.

  ‘I’ve known Toby since he was a first-year medical student. He’s come a long way. I suppose you know Nick Neville, too?’

  Daisy felt the blood rush to her cheeks. ‘Yes, he’s a good friend of the family.’

  ‘I’m old enough to remember Nick’s father. Now, there was a brilliant doctor. He could have made a fortune in a prestigious Harley Street practice, but he chose to return home to his native village. It was London’s loss.’

  ‘So I believe, although I never met him.’ Daisy studied the document in front of her and filled in the necessary details before handing it back to Sister Johnson.

  ‘I see that you’ve had a good education, Miss Marshall. You are exactly the sort of young lady we need.’

  Daisy cleared her throat nervously. ‘To be perfectly frank I came to London on the off chance of finding work.’

  Sister Johnson gave her a searching look. ‘Perhaps you’d like to think it over before you commit yourself to nursing? If you want a more formal training you might try St Thomas’ Hospital, but here you would have to start as a probationer and, I warn you, it’s hard work with long hours and low pay.’

  Daisy considered her options. She had rushed back to London with only a vague plan of how she would find the money for her board and keep until she receive her first wage. Her uncle had pressed a small purse into her hand before she left, but the contents would not go far. Here at least was the chance to become independent while obtaining her qualification as a nurse. All these thoughts flashed through her mind as she faced Sister Johnson.

  ‘I would be happy to accept the place you offer, Sister.’

  ‘If you are prepared to start on Monday, I’m happy to recommend you to Matron and the Board of Governors.’

  ‘Thank you, Sister Johnson. I’ll work hard and prove myself to be a good student.’

  ‘I’m sure you will, Miss Marshall. It’s Friday now, so I’ll expect you to be here at seven o’clock on Monday morning.’

  Daisy rose from her seat. ‘Thank you again.’ She left the room feeling slightly dazed by the unexpected turn of events, and when she reached the waiting area she was accosted by Minnie Cole.

  ‘How did you get on, Daisy?’

  ‘I start on Monday morning,’ Daisy said slowly. ‘I still can’t believe it.’

  Minnie gave her a hug. ‘I’m so excited, and I’m glad that you were accepted, too. I tried for a place at St Thomas’ but they didn’t have any vacancies, so I came here. Anyway, enough of me. Where are you going to stay? Have you a room nearby?’

  ‘I’ve only just arrived in London. I was hoping to lodge with my brother.’

  ‘I have a room in Mrs Wood’s boarding house in Fieldgate Street. She’s a bit of a dragon, but the rooms are clean and very respectable. My pa is vicar of Little Threlfall and he sends me as much money each month as he can afford, but it doesn’t go very far. I was hoping to find someone to share the rent with me, but I didn’t want just anyone. Would you be interested, Daisy?’

  Mrs Wood’s establishment was a four-storey terraced house in a busy back street. It was an area that Daisy knew well from her childhood, and it might not have been as salubrious as Queen Square, but she was used to the hustle and bustle of the East End. It was a huge contrast to the quiet rural setting of Little Creek, but she had little time to think about anything when she was with Minnie, who chattered constantly and bubbled over with enthusiasm. She was still talking when the door was opened by a small, plump woman whose smile did not quite reach her eyes.

  ‘So were you successful in your application for employment, Miss Cole?’

  ‘Yes, indeed, Mrs Wood, and I was wondering if you would allow my friend Miss Marshall to share my room. She is also a probationer nurse at the London.’

  ‘A respectable calling.’ Mrs Wood stepped aside and ushered them into the wainscoted entrance hall. ‘You are most welcome to join our happy little household, Miss Marshall. The rent is five shillings a week, including breakfast but dinner is extra. You will be supplied with clean linen once a fortnight.’

  ‘Thank you. I’d be pleased to share with Miss Cole.’

  Mrs Wood held out a plump hand. ‘A month’s rent in advance, if you please.’

  Daisy took her purse from her reticule and counted out the coins, placing them in Mrs Wood’s outstretched palm. The purse was significantly lighter when she replaced it, and she knew she would have to be very careful with her money if she were to survive until pay day.

  ‘Miss Cole will show you to your room, and I expect you to read the house rules and know them off by heart. They are for the benefit of all, as I’m sure you will agree.’ Mrs Wood folded her arms and watched them as they ascended the stairs.

  ‘She’s not so bad, if you keep on her right side,’ Minnie whispered when they reached the third floor. ‘This way, our room is at the front, looking down onto Fieldgate Street.

  Daisy was pleasantly surprised. Their room was large enough for two iron bedsteads, covered in bright patchwork quilts, two chests of drawers and a small table situated in the window with a view of the street below.

  ‘We have to share a washstand,’ Minnie said hastily. ‘And we have to fetch water from the pump in the back yard. That’s where you’ll find the privy.’ She perched on the edge of her bed. ‘You’d best read the rules before we go downstairs again, in case she quizzes you on them.’

  Daisy studied the neatly printed list, which hung on the inside of their door. There were set hours for everything from when to use the pump in the back yard to meal times. All the young ladies in the house must be in by ten o’clock at night, unless they were on duty at the hospital. No gentlemen visitors were allowed, with the exception of close relatives, and even then they must be entertained in the communal sitting room on the ground floor, situated next to Mrs Wood’s accommodation. An evening meal would be provided for an additional ninepence a day, but they had to be booked in advance, and food must not be consumed in the bedrooms. This was followed in block capitals by the word RATS, presumably as a warning of what might happen if the last commandment was broken. Daisy felt quite exhausted by the time she had finished absorbing the dos and don’ts of living in Mrs Wood’s lodging house.

  ‘You’ll get used to it,’ Minnie said cheerfully. ‘Come on, I’ll give you a tour of the rooms we’re allowed to inhabit.’

  Minnie led the way, pointing out the rooms that were occupied by the other lady lodgers, and ending in the front parlour. With its horsehair sofa and uncomfortable-looking chairs adorned with spotless white antimacassars, it was not the sort of place in which to relax, and the looming presence of a large aspidistra standing like a sentinel in the window made Daisy feel distinctly ill at ease. Added to all this was a collection of Toby jugs, grinning at them from shelves in the alcove on one side of the chimney breast, and vacant-looking pot dogs gazing blindly at each other from either end of the mantelshelf. Cheap china fairings in the shape of shepherds and shepherdesses, chubby children with rosy cheeks and fat little cherubs were arranged on small tables dotted around like an obstacle course. Even with all the bric-a-brac the room felt cold and unwelcoming, and a shiver ran down Daisy’s spine – this place was so different from her aunt’s cosy parlour in Creek Cottage.

  ‘I’d be afraid to move in case I knocked
one of those ugly china ornaments over,’ she said in a stage whisper.

  Minnie giggled. ‘I’m sure that Mrs Wood has a spyhole concealed behind one of those hideous paintings, and I suspect she has an ear trumpet glued to the wall when any of the girls entertain their gentlemen friends. I know for a fact that Ivy Price passes her sweetheart off as her brother, and heaven help her if Mrs Wood finds out. But,’ she concluded in a fair imitation of Mrs Wood’s voice, ‘it’s all for your own good, ladies. This is your home from home and you may consider me to be your surrogate mama.’

  ‘I suppose she means well,’ Daisy said in a low voice. Not that she believed that Mrs Wood would be eavesdropping on their conversation, but she thought it best to be careful.

  ‘One would hope so.’ Minnie pulled a face. ‘Anyway, I’m starving. I must eat soon or I’ll faint from lack of nourishment.’

  ‘How do you manage for food?’

  ‘I’ve only been in London for a week. Sometimes I go out with Ivy, who shares a room with Flora Mackenzie on the second floor. They work in an office in the City, and we go to the pie and eel shop round the corner, or we buy ham rolls and coffee from a stall in Whitechapel Road. I haven’t met the two older ladies who have a room next to them – they keep to themselves mostly – and there’s a couple of theatrical girls who share an attic room on the top floor. They’re appearing at the Pavilion Theatre, but they sleep most of the day and they return in the small hours. I think Mrs Wood only allows that because they give her free tickets for the shows.’

  ‘It sounds as if it’s never dull here,’ Daisy said, chuckling.

  ‘It’s been quite lively so far.’ Minnie’s smile faded. ‘But you need to be careful when you speak to Gladys, Mrs Wood’s daughter. She’s only fifteen, but she’s a little sneak and she likes to cause trouble. I think she goes through my things, although I can’t prove it.’

  ‘Is there a key?’ Daisy asked anxiously. ‘I haven’t brought much with me, but I don’t like the thought of someone poking around amongst my belongings.’