Yew Tree Gardens E-Book

Anna Jacobs

• Herausgeber: Allison & Busby
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Serie: The Wiltshire Girls
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2012

Seitenzahl: 417

Beschreibung

Sisters Mattie, Nell and Renie have all managed to escape their oppressive and bullying father, but now separated, the girls must draw upon their strength and courage to build new lives for themselves. Renie, the youngest sister, is living with the newly married Nell, happy in her waitressing job at the King's Head Hotel. But a shadow falls over her the day Mr Judson arrives as assistant manager. Feeling increasingly harassed by him and also eager to escape from Nell's unpleasant husband, Renie is delighted when she is offered a new job in London. Although she at first finds the city a huge and bewildering place, soon she is settling in and making friends. And yet she still worries about her sister Nell, and the way her husband Cliff treats her. When tragedy strikes Nell and her family, Renie is left feeling horrified and helpless. Her only comfort is her growing friendship with the injured Gil, towards whom she has felt an instant trust and affection. But can their relationship progress from friendship to something more? And how will the return of the threatening Judson affect their future?

Leseprobe

Yew Tree Gardens

ANNA JACOBS

In loving memory of Leonie Knight, a very dear friend and fellow novelist, taken from us far too soon.

With gratitude and thanks to Chris Barker, Archivist of the Model T Ford Register of Great Britain, for his wonderful help with the details of Model T Fords.

Contents

Title Page

Epigraph

1910

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

1911

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

1912

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

1913

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

1910

Prologue

Swindon, Wiltshire; March

Renie woke with a start as her sisters shook her. She stared at them for a few moments, then realised it was morning and the adventure had begun. They were all running away from home today to escape their bully of a father.

Then she remembered that her eldest sister Mattie was going somewhere on her own, while Renie had to go with Nell. As she got dressed, she tried one last time to persuade them otherwise. ‘I really ought to go with Mattie. If I don’t, she’ll be on her own.’

‘Shh! You’ll wake Dad.’

Renie lowered her voice but didn’t give up. ‘Yes, but you’ve got Cliff, and you know he doesn’t really want me living with you two after you’re married. Please. It’s not too late for us to change our plans.’

Mattie put one arm round her shoulders and whispered hoarsely, ‘We went through all this last night. I don’t know where I’ll be going or what I’ll be doing. You’ll be much safer with Nell and Cliff. He has a good trade and will always be able to get a job.’ She broke off to cough.

When Renie opened her mouth to argue, worried about how ill Mattie still looked, Nell came to her other side. ‘Shh, love. Do you want to wake Dad? If he finds out what we’re doing …’

Nell didn’t have to finish the sentence. Renie shivered at the mere thought of that. If Dad found out they were running away, he’d beat them senseless. He’d done that to Mattie once, when she started courting and insisted she was going to get married. She still bore the marks of his belt buckle on her back. Dad had lamed her fellow, who had left Swindon for good – without Mattie.

Dad didn’t want any of them to marry, just earn him money and then look after him as he grew older. That wouldn’t be much of a life, would it?

But though Renie was eager to get away, she wasn’t looking forward to living with Cliff, either. There was something mean about him. She didn’t think he’d thump her or anything – he’d better not even try – but she didn’t think he’d be kind, either.

She couldn’t say that to Nell, of course, because her sister loved him and thought he was wonderful. Anyway, Nell had no choice about marrying him now, because she was expecting his child. But he didn’t seem even a tiny bit pleased about that.

Renie wasn’t going to let any man have his way with her. She wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, but it sounded awful. She’d heard some of the married women at work talking about their husbands and how they had to put up with them in bed, always ‘at it’.

She had decided not even to walk out with a fellow. She was only sixteen, after all, and there was time to enjoy life before she settled down – if she ever did settle down. Oh, she wanted so much more from life than marriage and children and housework; she wanted adventure, travel, excitement.

She read about it in books, the sort of life people from her part of town rarely managed. And whatever anyone said, she was going to—

‘Renie!’

Mattie shook her again, smiling. ‘Stop daydreaming and finish getting ready.’

Chapter One

Lancashire, April 1910

It was hard settling down in Lancashire and Renie missed Swindon and her eldest sister greatly. She missed Wiltshire, too. It was much softer countryside than here, prettier.

Cliff’s relatives in Rochdale were not helpful, and looked down on Renie’s sister Nell for being in the family way. As if she’d done that on her own!

But help had come from the congregation of a small Methodist church, and Cliff had found a job with one of its members.

Renie helped her sister scrub out their new house, but she hated it and knew Nell wasn’t happy with it, either. Cliff had chosen to live in Milnrow, near Rochdale, because he’d found a place that was cheap and close to where he worked.

The five small houses in Willow Court opened on to a yard and shared one old-fashioned lavatory, situated right next to the only entrance to the yard. They were back-to-back houses, which meant they had no rear doors, just a front one, with one big room and a scullery downstairs, and two bedrooms upstairs.

‘You’d think Cliff could find us somewhere better than this to live,’ she grumbled. ‘It’s horrible, as well as filthy.’

‘He wants to be near his new job.’ Nell sighed as she looked round. ‘It’s only for a few months. I’ll look for somewhere better later, once he’s settled in his job. He’ll be happier then.’

Later, as they finished scrubbing the floors, Nell said, ‘As soon as this is dry, I want to whitewash all the walls.’

‘Wallpaper would look nicer.’

‘Bugs can live in wallpaper. Whitewash is cleanest in a place like this.’

Aslum, Renie thought. That was what it was, a slum.

A few days later, Nell married Cliff and they all moved into Willow Court. Renie hated living there from the start: the smell, the slovenly neighbours, the way Cliff acted like lord of the world, tossing out orders, telling her off for nothing. He wasn’t her husband!

It was a relief when the minister’s wife helped her find a job working in the canteen of a local mill. At least it got her out of the house all day and stopped Cliff complaining of how much she was costing him for food. The job was more pleasant than her old one in the laundry, but the wages were the same.

Cliff wanted to take all her money to pay for her keep, just like her father had. He and Nell had a big row about that, but for once Nell won. If she hadn’t, Renie would have moved into lodgings rather than hand over all her money.

At the canteen, she had to peel mountains of potatoes and wash the same dishes and pans day after day. Her hands were just as red and raw as they had been in the laundry. But at least she made friends with the other girls and they had a bit of fun together.

After they’d served the meals to the millhands, two of them had to clean the tables and mop the floor in the canteen, while the rest cleared up the kitchen and got it ready for the night shift. Daytime workers could either bring their own dinners or buy food cheaply. The night shift had to bring their own food, but one of the lads made them tea and coffee.

In the morning Renie had to start all over again, cleaning up after the men who worked at night and who always tramped dirt in and left the tables in a mess. They should at least have thrown their rubbish in the bin, not left it lying around. That encouraged mice.

One of the best things about this job was that she didn’t have to provide her own midday meals, because the canteen staff could eat the leftovers free. By the time her birthday came in August, she had grown a full inch and some of her clothes were too tight.

She and Nell celebrated her birthday together. Cliff didn’t care whether it was her birthday or not, just whether his food was ready on time and his clothes washed and ironed, so they left him out.

She continued to eat well at work and Cook even let them take leftovers home now and then, so Nell benefited too. Renie noticed Cook always had food to take home, but knew better than to comment on that.

She felt as if she had grown up very quickly and learnt a lot since they left Swindon. She missed it, wished they were still living there. Lancashire just didn’t feel like home.

After a few weeks, one of the women at the canteen took Renie aside. ‘I’ve been watching you. You’re a real hard worker.’

‘Thanks, Mary.’

‘I wondered if you’d like an extra job on Saturday nights. It’d earn you three shillings.’

‘Doing what?’

‘Working in the kitchen at the King’s Head Hotel in Rochdale. It’s mostly washing up, but if they think you’re worth it, they’ll teach you to do other things, like they did me. I’ve been learning waitressing. They’re always on the lookout for good workers, you see, because the owners have other hotels. They’re called Mr and Mrs Carling and the King’s Head was the first hotel they ever owned. They’ve got a hotel in London and three others, I think, only they call them the Rathleighs. I got confused at first about that.’ She laughed. ‘I’m going to give notice at the canteen tomorrow and work in this hotel full-time as a waitress.’

‘You lucky thing!’

‘It’s not just luck. I’ve earned my new job by hard work and you can too. Waitresses get tips as well as wages, and they don’t ruin their hands. One day I want to work as a housekeeper in a big hotel. I’m never getting married. I don’t want to spend my life running round after a fellow and going without to feed the kids, like my sister does.’

Renie was happy to hear another woman say she wasn’t getting married. Whenever she said that, people laughed at her and told her she’d change when she met the right man. But she wouldn’t. Watching how unhappy Cliff made her sister proved how chancy marriage could be. Her father had made her mother unhappy too.

‘It’s really kind of you to think of me, Mary, and I’d love to try for it.’

‘Like I said, you’re a good worker.’

‘How do we get back after work?’

‘The last train and then we have to walk home from the station. They make sure I can leave on time for that and they give me my fare. They’re good employers. Have you ever been inside the hotel?’

‘No. I walked past the door one day and it looked very posh.’

‘It is. People of our sort don’t go there, just rich folk. You should hear how they talk.’ She stuck her nose in the air and said, ‘How do you do?’ in a plummy voice, making Renie laugh.

‘The hotel guests eat meals in the restaurant, three courses at least, the lucky things, and they stay the night in fancy bedrooms. The housekeeper let me have a peep at them. They’re lovely.’ Mary’s eyes grew dreamy for a moment. ‘One day I’m going to sleep in a bedroom like that.’

She shook her head and smiled. ‘Listen to me going on. I can take you to meet the housekeeper after work, if you like, to see if she’ll take you on. I’ve already told her about you.’

Renie nearly said yes, then looked down at herself. ‘Not today. I’ll look a mess by then and this is my oldest skirt. How about tomorrow? I can bring some clean clothes to change into after work.’

She didn’t tell Nell about this chance of an extra job, because Cliff might find out and stop her even trying. He didn’t want anyone to be happy, that one didn’t.

The next day after work, Mary took her into Rochdale and they went into the King’s Head by a rear entrance. She explained to a man in a black suit that she was taking Renie for an interview with Mrs Berton.

The further into the hotel they went, the more nervous Renie became. What was a girl like her doing in a place like this?

The housekeeper’s room was so grand she wanted to clutch Mary’s arm. But then she realised she was being a coward, so took a deep breath and stood up straight. Her sister Mattie said you had to face things you were afraid of. Her heart clenched, as it always did, at the thought of Mattie and she wondered where her eldest sister was.

‘This is Renie, Mrs Berton.’

After a series of questions, the housekeeper said, ‘I’ll give you a trial, Renie, because Mary speaks well of you and you look like a strong, healthy sort of girl.’ She frowned. ‘Is Renie short for Irene?’

‘Yes, Mrs Berton.’

‘Then I think we’ll use your full name here. Renie sounds rather common.’

When they got out of the hotel, Renie said indignantly, ‘Fancy changing my name!’

‘They do things like that in posh hotels. Everything has to sound right, as well as look right. What does it matter? You’ll be earning three shillings every Saturday.’

Three whole shillings for herself. She’d not give a farthing of it to Cliff.

Nell was delighted for her, but he threw a fit about her being out late. After Renie told him she’d be coming home with Mary, he said the three shillings would be very welcome.

‘I’m not giving you any more money. It doesn’t cost you anything for me to work in Rochdale.’

‘I’m the head of this household and you’ll do as you’re told, young woman.’

‘I won’t go to work there at all if you take my money.’

‘Don’t be cheeky. You live under my roof and you’ll do as I say.’

‘I’m not being cheeky, but it’s my money. And if you don’t like me living here, I can always go into lodgings.’

‘Cliff, let her do it. She’ll be saving me the meal on Saturday night, because they give her something to eat, so we do benefit.’

The dirty look he gave Renie said he’d not forget this, but she’d had enough of him and his grasping ways and she didn’t care. Nell might have to put up with him, but she didn’t.

It was hard on the hands washing up all evening, but Renie did the best she could, grating the soap carefully and shaking it up in a bottle of hot water to dissolve it. She made sure she rinsed the dishes and got them sparkling clean, because she was desperate to be kept on.

To her surprise, the cook was a man and insisted on being called ‘Sheff’ (she found out later it was spelt ‘chef’). He came to inspect her work every hour or so the first night.

After his third visit to the scullery he said, ‘You’re very thorough. Keep that up and you’ll get the job permanently, young Irene.’

‘Thank you, Chef.’

He went back to his cooking. She saw the meals sometimes when she went to collect the dirty dishes from the side bench just inside the kitchen door. She’d never seen food like he and his assistants made.

When he offered her something to eat in the middle of the evening, she accepted gratefully. Another girl, who was also eating, explained what the food was and taught her some French words.

Renie felt very grown up, catching the train home. She walked to Willow Court from the station with Mary, who lived nearby, feeling tired but exhilarated. Best of all were the florin and shilling wrapped in her handkerchief and bumping against her leg.

She found the house in darkness, so lit a candle and made her way up to her bedroom. She wasn’t going to let the money out of her sight until she could open a savings bank account of her own. Maybe Cook at the canteen would let her nip along the street to do that in her lunch break.

Nell’s daughter was born in late September and was a little darling. Renie loved cuddling her, but Cliff never even picked her up, complaining that he’d wanted a son.

The following week the manager at the King’s Head summoned Renie to his office before she started work. Another man was sitting next to the desk.

‘This is Mr Judson, who’s going to be working here for a while as my assistant.’

She nodded to the stranger and clasped her hands in front of her, hoping they didn’t look too reddened.

‘We’re very pleased with your work, Irene. When you stepped in for Janet you did well on the waitressing too, which is why we let you try that out a few times.’

Renie had guessed they were testing her out.

‘We’ve decided to offer you a job here full-time as a waitress. We’ll train you in our ways.’

She couldn’t hide her delight. ‘Oh, I’d love to do that! Thank you very much. I’ll work really hard.’

He smiled and turned to the man next to him. ‘We have some good workers here in Lancashire.’

The man nodded, but the way his eyes ran over Renie’s body made her feel uncomfortable.

Even when she found she’d be earning less money at first, till she was trained, she didn’t care. She’d get out of the canteen and not have such rough hands, and if she did her work well, there would be tips and maybe one day she could go to work in London, or in one of the other Rathleigh hotels.

She twirled round as she walked back to the kitchen and one of the waiters laughed at her. She didn’t care.

She might even go back to Wiltshire one day, but not near her father. She didn’t think Mattie would have gone too far away from home.

Renie rushed home that night and burst into the house, delighted to see her sister still up, just finishing feeding the baby. ‘Guess what! They’re going to keep me on at the hotel as a waitress, because I’ve given satisfaction. Isn’t that marvellous?’

‘That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?’

‘Yes.’ She cuddled up against Nell and the baby for a moment or two. ‘And one day I’ll go and work in London. I really will.’

‘I’m glad for you, but I don’t want you to go to London. I’ll miss you in the evenings as it is.’

‘Will you be all right on your own?’

‘Of course I will. I have my library books, don’t I? It’ll make me very happy to see you getting such a good chance. And I’ll have Sarah to keep me company. I won’t be on my own any more.’

They didn’t tell Cliff till the next evening.

‘You’ll not last long,’ he said at once. ‘You’re too clumsy to be a waitress.’

She raised her chin and stared at him the way Chef stared at someone when they’d made a mistake. She’d been practising that in front of the broken piece of mirror in her bedroom. She’d been practising speaking better too. ‘The manager doesn’t think so.’

Nell moved closer to her as if to protect her, only Renie was taller than her now, nearly as tall as Cliff. She’d grown in the past few months, thanks to the excellent food she’d been eating. She was no longer afraid of him physically, either. If he hit her, she’d thump him right back.

‘How much are they paying you?’ he asked.

‘None of your business.’

‘It is while you’re under my roof.’

‘Enough to pay my keep, don’t worry. And I’ll get food to eat, all except my breakfast, so I’ll cost you less.’

‘We should take less money from you, then,’ Nell said at once.

He rounded on her. ‘You’ll do no such thing! You still do her washing, don’t you? And clean up after her?’

Renie tried to turn his anger away from his wife. ‘They let some of the girls live in, only I told them I wanted to stay here to help my sister. But they said there would always be a bed for me there.’

He went red and his hands clenched into fists. All hung in the balance for a moment or two. ‘Well, don’t try to pay any less for your keep.’

‘I won’t. I know you keep Nell short and she needs every penny I can give her to make ends meet.’

He did walk across to her then, but she stood her ground. ‘Don’t you dare lay a finger on me or I’ll definitely leave!’

‘I wouldn’t waste my energy on you. You’re useless. No wonder you’re not walking out with anyone like the other girls.’

‘It’s not for lack of chances. I don’t want to get married.’

‘You will. That’s what all women want, a man to work his fingers to the bone providing for them and their children.’ After glaring at her and then at Nell, he went out to the pub, slamming the door behind him.

‘I wish you’d be more careful how you talk to him,’ her sister said once his footsteps had faded into the distance. ‘What if he’d hit you?’

‘I’d have hit him back. Where it hurts. And then I’d have moved out. Never mind him, look what I’ve brought you as a present for giving me such a lovely little niece.’ She brandished a Fry’s Chocolate Cream bar. ‘What’s more, we’re not saving him any.’

Nell’s eyes filled with tears and the two sisters hugged.

The first time Mr Judson pressed himself against her, Renie shoved him away hard. She’d met men like him before and you had to make it plain from the start that you’d not put up with it. ‘Stop that!’

He stood still for a moment, smiled, then walked away whistling.

When he touched her body again, she kicked him hard in the shin. If he’d been anyone else except the assistant manager, she’d have kicked him where it hurt a lot more.

He looked furious, but she was angry too.

They stood glaring at one another for a few moments, then he straightened up and said, ‘You’ll be sorry for that.’

‘And you’ll be sorry if you touch me like that again!’

The housekeeper was passing just then and stopped to stare at them.

‘And don’t you be cheeky to me again, young woman,’ he said and walked away.

Renie looked at the housekeeper. ‘I wasn’t being cheeky to him.’

‘I didn’t think you had been. You’re not the cheeky sort. Is he giving you any trouble?’

She shrugged. ‘He tries to touch some of us. I don’t like it and I won’t let him do it, not even if I lose my job for it.’

‘You won’t. I’ll make sure of that.’ The housekeeper patted her shoulder. ‘You carry on sticking up for yourself, young Irene.’ She hesitated, looking over her shoulder before asking, ‘Has he given anyone else any trouble?’

‘He grabbed Nellie’s breast the other day and hurt her. She cried about that in the back pantry.’

The housekeeper breathed deeply. ‘I’ll have a word with the manager. We employ decent girls here and I’m not having them treated like … like the other sort.’

Things got better then and Mr Judson stopped touching the women staff, but the looks he gave Renie said he blamed her and he’d not forget what she’d done. Luckily, he wasn’t in charge of the dining room staff, but worked in the office – she didn’t know what he did there. Some of the time, he stood in Reception and fussed over customers when they arrived.

Smarmy devil, he was to them.

There was always a worm in the apple, wasn’t there? Nothing ever went smoothly. Renie was learning that. She was learning a lot about life since they’d fled from Swindon.

Renie loved being a waitress, helping people, seeing the pleasure on their faces as they ate the delicious food Chef produced. She’d never had a job as interesting as this before, hadn’t realised food could be so wonderful.

Six weeks after she’d started, the manager summoned her with a flick of the finger. ‘A word, Irene.’

She cast a quick glance over the restaurant, but it was quiet now after the lunchtime rush and she’d cleared up all her tables. She followed Mr Sewell into his office to one side of the foyer, frowning as she tried to work out what she’d done wrong. Nothing that she could think of.

He sat down behind his desk and stared at her over his steepled fingers. ‘We’ve been very pleased with how you’ve settled in, Irene, and how quickly you’ve learnt the job. I’ve not seen anyone pick it up as quickly as you. And the customers like you, too. That’s important.’

‘Oh. Well, thank you. I do enjoy my work.’ She could feel herself flushing with pleasure at the compliment. Mr Sewell wasn’t noted for handing them out too often, so it really meant something.

‘I overheard you the other day talking about how you’d like to see more of the world.’

She looked at him warily. What had that to do with working here?

‘The company has an opening in London for a waitress, and since they’re very particular about who they employ, they’ve asked the managers of our regional hotels if we have any staff with potential. I don’t want to lose you so quickly, but I can find someone else for our level of waitressing. The London Rathleigh is a very fine hotel and the restaurant there maintains a much higher standard than this one can – though we do quite well for a small provincial hotel.’

She was surprised at that. To her, the King’s Head seemed the last word in luxury – and large, not small.

‘You’d learn things from continuing your training in London which you could never learn here. However, it is my hope that one day you may come back here as head waitress. Your family lives in the area, after all.’

The offer took her breath away and for a moment she couldn’t put two words together. Then they tumbled out in a rush. ‘Oh, I’d love to go to London! Thank you so much for thinking of me, Mr Sewell.’

‘There’s just one thing: are you courting? It’d be a waste us putting all this effort into you if you’re going to get married in a year or two.’

‘I don’t have a young man because I don’t want to get married.’ Though she’d been asked to walk out with fellows three times now. ‘I’ve seen how unhappy my sister is with her husband.’

He looked surprised at her frankness. When would she learn to keep quiet about her personal life? Mary had told her the other day that managers and head waiters didn’t want to know that sort of thing.

He didn’t comment, apart from, ‘That’s all right, then. Now, to practicalities. We need you to start next week, Irene, so that you’re trained in London ways by the Christmas rush. It takes a very special girl to do that so quickly, but I know you won’t let me down.’

‘I can do it, sir, I know I can. But where will I live in London? Will they help me find lodgings?’

He smiled. ‘You’ll live in at the Rathleigh, of course. They employ so many young women, they have dormitories for them. They’ll deduct the cost of living in from your wages, but I think you’ll find it much cheaper than London lodgings.’

She beamed at him. ‘That’s all right, then. I’ll do my very best to give satisfaction, sir.’

‘We’d like you to leave on Monday. You’ll be provided with a train ticket and your taxi fare from the station to the London hotel.’

That took her breath away. Her, riding in a taxi.

She floated out of his room, and when Mary asked her what was making her smile, she told her. Then she realised that Mary had been there longer and was struggling not to appear jealous. ‘I’m sorry. I owe this to you. I wish you were coming too.’

‘So do I. Perhaps another time.’

She gave Mary a hug. ‘Thank you so much. If I can ever put in a good word for you, I will.’

It was only when she was walking home that Renie had time to think how this would affect her sister. Poor Nell would be very lonely then. The thought of that made her feel guilty, but she couldn’t bear to turn down this golden opportunity and she knew dear Nell wouldn’t want her to.

Renie sighed happily. She’d dreamt of escaping from Milnrow and her brother-in-law, and now she was going to do it, she really was.

Cliff threw a fit when Renie said she’d be leaving and instantly forbade her to go. He and Nell had a row about it later and of course, in such a small house, Renie heard every word.

‘I forbid her to go!’ he yelled.

‘Why?’ 

‘Because I bloody well say so, that’s why.’

The baby began to cry, frightened by the loud voices. Renie heard Cliff yell, ‘Stop that brat squalling!’ and then the bed frame creaked as he turned over. Poor Nell had to get up to comfort little Sarah. She took the baby downstairs, as she often did.

Renie wondered whether to go down and join her, but was tired and couldn’t resist closing her eyes.

Once Cliff had gone to work the next day, Nell said, ‘Just pack up and go on Monday. You’ve only a few days to wait. He needn’t know anything till after you’ve left.’

‘He’ll get mad at you then.’

Nell shrugged. ‘He’s always getting mad. I can’t do anything right these days, especially when Sarah wakes him up at night.’

‘Oh, Nell.’ Renie hesitated, wondering whether to say something about this sham of a marriage, but her sister turned round and started clattering pots and pans, so she held her peace.

Cliff seemed to take for granted that she’d do as he told her and stay in Milnrow. Luckily, he never poked his head into her bedroom, so he didn’t see the trunk she’d bought with money from her savings. Not that the trunk was full, but it was on the list of items she had to provide. She wasn’t going to buy any new clothes till she got to London, where she’d keep her eyes open for good quality, second-hand ones. If she’d dressed well here, Cliff would have demanded more money from her.

On the Monday Cliff went off to work as usual, but somehow, while she finished her packing and got her trunk taken to the station, Renie kept thinking he’d find out and try to stop her.

It wasn’t till the second train pulled out of Manchester that she began to feel safe. Her spirits lifted and she began to take an interest in the places they were passing through. Nell had packed her some sandwiches, an apple and a bottle of cold tea for the journey, so she wouldn’t need to spend any of her money on food.

She felt as if she’d grown suddenly older, thrown on her own resources like this. She only had her savings to fall back on if anything went wrong, so she was determined to be very careful.

She still winced when she remembered how careless she’d been with the few pennies that came her way when she was younger. Such a waste! Now, thanks to her tips, every penny of which she’d saved, she had nearly ten pounds tucked away for a rainy day because she would never ask Cliff for help, no matter how desperate she was.

She could live on that money for weeks, if the worst came to the worst. But if she worked hard, she should be all right. The hotel owners treated their staff well.

But oh, she was going to miss Nell so much. She missed her eldest sister too. Surely a woman as clever as Mattie would be managing all right?

And one day the three of them would be reunited, Renie had to believe that. When they ran away, they’d agreed to try to make contact after two years through Cliff’s family. But Cliff was refusing to contact his family. In March next year the two years would have passed and maybe somehow, whatever Cliff said, they could find a way to get in touch with Mattie.

Chapter Two

In November, Gilbert Rycroft flung himself out of the house after yet another row with his father. Marriage! Was that all his parents could think of? He was twenty-five and enjoying life. Why should he marry when he had two older brothers quite willing to provide heirs for the family estate in Hampshire?

He had no desire whatsoever to settle down. He loved visiting friends, hunting, shooting, whatever each season brought.

‘You shouldn’t be riding when you’re in such a temper, Master Gil,’ the head groom said.

‘I’ll be calmer when I get back, Walter.’

‘You’ll have to give in to them one day, Master Gil.’

‘I’m not marrying Amelia Frensham and that’s flat. It’d be like marrying my sister.’ He looked at the ageing man, who’d been more like a father to him than his own father had, and said quietly, ‘I just can’t do it with her, Walter.’

‘They shouldn’t have brought you up together.’

‘I don’t know that it’d have made any difference. There are some women you want in bed and others you don’t want, however nice they are.’

‘Then go and ride it off, but treat that horse gently. It’s muddy underfoot after all the rain we’ve had lately.’

Impatient to get out into the fresh air, Gil mounted and rode off across the nearby meadow, sailing over the fence at the other side of it.

Walter watched him go, shaking his head. ‘They’re pressing him too hard,’ he muttered. ‘No good will come of it.’

That lad didn’t have enough to keep him busy and use up his energy. They should have found him a job instead of encouraging him to live in idleness. Money didn’t always bring true happiness, as Walter had seen in this household.

Two hours later the son of a local farmer came galloping into the stable yard, yelling loudly. ‘Come quick! Master Gil’s hurt bad.’

Walter sent one groom up to the house, the other to fetch the doctor, then set off to find out what had happened to his lad, not forgetting to take his rifle. If the accident had been a bad one, there might be a horse to put out of its misery.

The sound of a horse groaning, a hoarse anguished sound, reached them before they got to the scene of the accident. A rifle shot cracked out and the sound cut off abruptly.

Walter shook his head, tears rising in his eyes. He’d bred that mare himself and she was one of his favourites. ‘Damn fool! I’ll give him what for.’

But there was no scolding Gil, who was lying on the damp ground, white and only half-conscious, his left arm and leg twisted at unnatural angles.

London terrified Renie. The buildings were so tall, and even Euston Station was like a palace, with a high ceiling full of glass panels like a giant’s greenhouse. She was jostled by crowds of rushing people, who all seemed to know where they were going, which was more than she did.

She was relieved when a kindly older porter took pity on her and carried her luggage, showing her where to get a cab.

She knew she was supposed to tip him because she’d seen guests at the hotel tipping people, but wasn’t sure how much.

When she offered him sixpence, he smiled and closed her hand round the coin. ‘Keep it, lass. You’re the same age as my granddaughter, I should think, and about as short of money.’

‘Thank you.’

As he helped load her luggage into the cab, he added, ‘Good luck in London. I hope you’re going to a good place. In service, are you?’

‘No. I’m going to work in a hotel, the Rathleigh.’

‘The one round the corner from Yew Tree Gardens? Nice hotel, that. You’ll be all right there if you work hard. I’ve heard they treat their staff decently.’

She looked back at the station as they pulled away. The porter had told her to look at the famous arch in front of it. Big columns of stone were topped by a roof like a flattened triangle. She’d never seen anything like it before.

It felt very grand to be riding in a cab.

The horse slowed down and the cab driver called out, ‘These are the gardens. The hotel is just round the corner. You’ll be able to walk round them when you’re free. They were left for the use of everyone.’

She was a bit disappointed but didn’t say so. Yew Tree Gardens were in the centre of a square, and weren’t very big, only a scrubby oblong of grass about two hundred yards long and a hundred wide, with a few trees and flower beds round the edges, all enclosed by iron railings. The yew trees formed dark clumps here and there. Not her favourite sort of tree.

The horse speeded up again and turned a corner which led to a terrace of buildings. These weren’t small houses like those in the terraces she knew, but very large ones, built for rich people, she was sure. They were all five storeys high and exactly the same in style, looking quietly elegant, as if they knew and were proud of their place in the world.

‘They bought the end four houses,’ the cab driver called, ‘and made them into a hotel. It goes round the corner, too.’

She’d have liked to go up the wide steps to the big front entrance of the hotel, but of course she knew better than to do that. So did the driver, who turned into a narrow street between the side part of the hotel and the next row of large houses.

A bored-looking pageboy came out of the hotel as she was paying the driver and called, ‘Can I help you?’

‘I’m starting work here.’

‘Right-o.’ He vanished and reappeared with a trolley, on to which he and the driver unloaded her trunk and bag. Then the lad wheeled them inside without even looking at her.

Before she followed him, she looked up at the building in awe. It was surprisingly big with the wing down the side.

‘Hurry up, you!’ the lad yelled.

She rushed inside and followed him to the housekeeper’s room, feeling nervous. This woman could make her life pleasant or miserable.

He knocked on the door and when a voice called, ‘Come!’ he led the way inside.

‘The new girl’s here, Mrs Tolson. Shall I take her things up?’ This time his voice was quiet and respectful.

‘Yes please, Billy. She’s in Dormitory Two, the bed next to the door on the right.’ She turned to study the newcomer.

Mrs Tolson was so elegant she took Renie’s breath away. She looked more like a lady than a housekeeper.

‘Welcome to the London Rathleigh, Irene. You come highly recommended by Mr Sewell.’

‘Thank you, Mrs Tolson.’

‘He says you’re a hard worker, but you still have a lot to learn, so I’ll put you under Maud’s wing. She’s our senior waitress and a very good teacher, so be sure to listen to her carefully and do what she tells you.’

‘I’ll do my very best, I promise.’

‘Tell me about your family.’

This question surprised Renie, but she explained the situation quickly.

‘And what do you like to do in your spare time?’

‘Read. Is there a library near here that I can join?’

Mrs Tolson nodded approvingly. ‘A very good pastime and one we encourage. We have two bookcases full of books in the women’s sitting room for the use of our female staff. When you’ve finished reading those that interest you, you might need to go to the local library, which isn’t far away. Not many of our women staff bother much with reading, I’m afraid.’

She rang a small silver bell and another woman arrived, about forty and very thin. ‘This is Irene Fuller, who is starting as a waitress. Irene, this is Miss Pilkins, who is the assistant housekeeper in charge of the hotel rooms, and also the women staff and their accommodation. Take Irene upstairs, please, Miss Pilkins, and check that she has the correct clothes. If not, fit her out from the spares, then take her down to meet Maud. By the time you’ve done that, it’ll be nearly mealtime and you can show her where to go.’

Miss Pilkins led the way at a brisk pace. ‘This is the staff lift and those are the staff stairs. We never use the customers’ lifts or stairs.’

Renie had never ridden in a lift before and she felt a little nervous because the iron grill, which was pulled across to form a door, allowed her to see all the workings as well as each floor they passed through. She had an urge to clutch Miss Pilkins, but didn’t give in to it.

‘This is the fifth floor, the top one. The women staff’s accommodation is to the right. You are never, ever to go to the left, which is the men’s area.’

‘Yes, Miss Pilkins.’

Just before they turned into Dormitory Two, which was apparently for the younger women, Miss Pilkins indicated a door. ‘That’s my room. If you need help in the night, you’re to knock me up. You’re not to bring anyone else up here, even if they’re related to you.’

‘I don’t know anyone in London.’

‘Very well. If you’ll open your trunk, I’ll check your working clothes.’

Feeling a bit ashamed of how little she had, Renie took the key off the chain round her neck and unlocked her trunk.

‘You’ll need more than that.’ Miss Pilkins pulled a little notebook out of her pocket and made a quick list. ‘Let’s go and sort out what you need. Mrs Tolson keeps some spares. They’re second hand but of good quality. You’ll be charged for them at a shilling a week out of your wages.’

An hour later, Renie owned more clothes than ever in her life before. They were made of good, hard-wearing fabrics and Miss Pilkins took care to find ones that fitted her properly, too. She wished she had something half as good for her off-duty clothes.

So many new things to learn, she thought as Miss Pilkins showed her how to tie the apron. ‘Aprons belong to the hotel and are laundered by them. You will be given a clean one every day. If there’s an accident and you need another clean one, ask Maud. Now, take the uniform off and change into your normal clothes.’

She led the way briskly down to the foyer and introduced Renie to Maud, who was supervising the clearing up of the tea shop.

‘I’m just finishing,’ Maud said. ‘If you wait over there, you can watch what we do, then we’ll go for our meal.’

In the staff dining room, which was at the rear of the building in the rear wing, Maud handed her over to Daphne, who was a year or two older than Renie, rather plump, with a cheerful expression and brown hair with a frizzy fringe.

‘Call me Daff, everyone does when I’m not on duty,’ she said as soon as Maud had gone off to the senior staff dining room for her own meal.

Renie sat quietly at the table, enjoying the food, of which you could eat as much as you wanted. She noticed how daintily the girls used their cutlery, and kept an eye on them to make sure she was doing things the right way. But her time waitressing in the King’s Head had taught her to use her knives and forks properly, thank goodness.

After they’d cleared the table, Daff explained about the roster for clearing up the staff dining rooms, then took Renie to the attic sitting room, where both the housekeeping and waitressing female staff sat in the evenings.

‘Girls, this is Irene. She’s from Lancashire.’ Daff frowned at her. ‘You don’t sound like a northerner.’

‘I’m from Wiltshire really. I’ve only been living in Lancashire because my sister and her husband moved there.’

‘Parents dead?’

‘Well, my mother is. I don’t get on with my father.’

They spent a few minutes asking Renie questions about herself, then left her in peace. At nine o’clock, two girls went out to fetch jugs of cocoa and supper, which was whatever cakes and biscuits had been left in the tea shop. Soon afterwards the women started going to bed, so Renie followed Daff.

She felt shy about undressing in front of strangers, but she quickly realised that they didn’t stare at one another and most used a nightdress to cover themselves as they finished undressing.

She was so tired she didn’t even remember pulling the covers up, and could only stare round, bewildered by her surroundings, when Daff woke her at seven o’clock in the morning.

Walter fell to his knees beside Gil and tried to comfort his lad while they waited for help after the accident. He felt more a father to Gil than Mr Rycroft had ever been. If Walter had ever been blessed with children, he’d have treated them more lovingly. All show and no go, that was the master. Appearances and ‘doing the right thing’ counted more than people’s feelings, especially with an unimportant third son.

Dr Lawrence arrived a few minutes later and, to Walter’s annoyance, he’d been drinking. At this hour of the morning, too! If there had been anyone else to send for, Walter would have done it.

A short examination and the doctor shook his head. ‘It’s a bad one, this. Send for a cart with plenty of straw. It’s going to hurt to move him.’

‘I sent for one already.’

‘His left arm’s out of its socket and it’s broken as well. Let’s get that shoulder back in place first, then we’ll find something to splint the arm.’

He did this so quickly that Walter didn’t have time to protest. But surely more care should have been taken? It was the second time Gil’s shoulder had popped out in the past year and his scream of pain was so loud and agonised, Walter felt sick to think how rough the doctor had been.

To his relief the cart arrived then.

Back at the house, Walter had a quiet word with the master, begging him to send for a London specialist doctor to set the arm and leg properly, not Dr Lawrence.

‘Why do you say that?’

‘He’s been drinking, sir.’

Mr Rycroft went across to the local doctor, recoiling at the smell of alcohol. ‘You’ve been drinking.’

‘Just a quick nip to keep out the cold.’ But the doctor was swaying slightly and his eyes weren’t in proper focus.

‘More than a nip. You’re not fit to care for anyone. Leave my house this minute!’ Mr Rycroft himself escorted the doctor to the door.

As he watched his master use the telephone to call for a London doctor, Walter decided there was some use to the newfangled apparatus after all.

He was concerned about the mistress, who was sitting by Gil’s side, looking as if she might faint at any moment.

But there was nothing any of them could do except wait. And pray for their poor lad.

By the time a specialist arrived from London three hours later, accompanied by his assistant, Gil was tossing and moaning. Walter stood by the bed, occasionally trying to comfort him, but Mr Rycroft remained by the window, looking round in disapproval as his son groaned in pain.

It was left to Walter to explain exactly what had happened.

The specialist stared down at his patient. ‘I’ll have to examine the arm and leg, and I’m afraid I’m going to hurt you, Mr Rycroft.’

He was gentle and careful, very different from the local doctor, but though Gil tried hard to bear the pain in silence, he couldn’t help crying out and Walter had to help the doctor’s assistant hold him still as the arm and leg were checked.

When he’d finished, the specialist turned to the master. ‘Only time will tell for sure, Mr Rycroft, but some fool’s handled your son’s arm roughly. The leg’s a nasty break, but it would be much worse if someone hadn’t straightened it carefully.’

‘I did that. I’ve dealt with animals with broken limbs,’ Walter said.

‘You did well. Now, I’ll need to use chloroform on your son to deal with the broken limbs.’ The specialist looked towards Mr Rycroft, who had come as far as the foot of the bed now, but still wasn’t looking at his son. ‘Is there a nurse for afterwards?’

‘We can send for one.’

‘There’s me,’ Walter said quietly. ‘I’ve had a lot to do with sick and injured animals.’

‘This is not a job for a groom,’ the master said at once.

Walter was already disgusted by the way he was treating his son and had difficulty speaking politely. ‘With respect, sir, I’ve known Master Gil since he was a babe in arms. He’ll do as I tell him where he won’t listen to others.’

‘You’re not—’

The specialist interrupted, speaking with a lowered voice, but Walter could hear what he said and was sure Gil could too.