A Change of Fortune (5 page)

‘So what you doing down here on your own?’ Glad studied her intently.

‘She’s looking for a pawnbroker. In bad need of some money,’ Fred explained.

‘Ah, then old Uncle Bob’s your best bet – ’e’s reasonably honest.’ Glad frowned at her husband. ‘But she can’t go to him sounding like that. We’d better do the business for her.’

‘Be best. That’s if it’s all right with you, miss. You’ll get a better deal with us there, ’cos we know the crafty old devil.’

‘Umm, is he a relative of yours?’

‘Gawd ’elp us,’ Glad gasped through her laughter. ‘We all call him uncle. When anyone says they’re going to see uncle, we know they’re going to pop something.’

‘Pop?’ Jenny was becoming more confused by the minute.

‘Pawn something,’ Fred explained with a twinkle in his eyes. ‘You come with us and we’ll see you all right.’

Relief swept through Jenny. She’d been dreading
doing this on her own and these seemed nice people. ‘I really would appreciate it.’

‘Come on, then, let’s see what we can squeeze out of the mean old sod.’ Glad took Jenny’s arm and steered her in the right direction.

They’d been walking for only about five minutes when Jenny spotted the three brass balls hanging outside the shop. Once inside she gazed around in wonder. It was dingy and packed to the ceiling with goods of every description. There was a short, rotund man behind the counter, almost bald with a few strands of grey hair smoothed across his shining head.

‘Hello, Fred, Glad. What can I do for you today?’

‘Not us. It’s our young friend here. She’s got some things to pawn.’ Fred turned his back on the man and whispered in Jenny’s ear, ‘You leave this to us.’

‘Let’s see what you’ve got.’ The shopkeeper sounded impatient.

She emptied the contents of her bag on the counter. The man went for the jewellery immediately; a magnifying glass appeared rapidly from his waistcoat pocket and he clamped it to his eye. It seemed to take him ages as he examined each item carefully, uttering only a grunt now and again. Suddenly he looked up, dropping the eyeglass into his hand.

‘Where’d you get these things? I ain’t taking nothing what’s been pinched.’

‘Stolen,’ Fred muttered for her benefit.

‘They’re mine!’ In her panic Jenny forgot about not speaking. She just had to have some money! She
gazed imploringly at Fred and Glad. ‘They are mine. Honest!’

Glad patted her arm. ‘Don’t you take no notice of Uncle, ducky, he’s as bent as a four-penny piece. All he’s trying to do is get your nice things for as little money as he can.’

Jenny was relieved they were here because it was so difficult to understand these strange ways; if she’d been on her own, she’d have run out of the shop in horror.

‘Stop playing games,’ Fred growled. ‘The kid’s desperate enough to bring her to Lambeth, so what’re you going to give her?’

‘Two quid for the lot.’

‘What?’ Jenny was horrified. That wouldn’t last her very long. ‘But the dresses cost a lot and the jewellery is real gold!’

‘I don’t have much call for posh frocks round here, and –’

‘I’ll go somewhere else, then.’ She didn’t give him a chance to finish speaking and reached out to gather up her precious things. There must be other pawnbrokers around. If she didn’t get more than that, her plan to run away would come to nothing. And that frightened her more than this peculiar man standing in front of her.

The pawnbroker slapped his hands over the jewellery before she could remove it from the counter. ‘Let’s not be ’asty.’

Fred chuckled. ‘She’s got more savvy than you thought, hasn’t she?’

‘Another ten bob, that’s all I can go to.’

Jenny pushed his grubby hands out of the way and shoved the things back in her bag.

‘How much do you want, then?’ He had come from behind the counter now, obviously not wanting her to leave.

She could see the look in his eyes and knew he wanted the jewellery. She relaxed a little. ‘Five pounds.’

‘What?’ He mopped his brow in mock distress. ‘That’s bleeding robbery!’

‘Don’t foul mouth her,’ Glad scolded. ‘She ain’t used to our rough ways.’

The scruffy man looked her over very carefully, clearly pricing everything she was wearing. ‘What kind of trouble you in?’

These people didn’t know her, and if she didn’t mention any names … well, she might get a better price. ‘My father lost all his money in the Wall Street crash’ – her bottom lip trembled as she whispered – ‘and he killed himself.’

Glad dragged an old chair from a heap of furniture and made her sit down, standing beside her with her hand on Jenny’s shoulder. ‘Ah, I’m sorry, ducky.’

Uncle’s gaze became calculating. ‘You must have lots of nice things at home to sell.’

She shook her head. ‘The bank’s taking everything. This is all I’ve got.’

‘You must have family who’d look after you, though.’ Fred stooped down in front of her.

She looked into his kindly face and felt a single tear
trail down her cheek. ‘My aunt is going to give my mother a home, but she doesn’t want me.’

Glad looked scandalized. ‘And what does your ma think about that?’

‘She’s so upset I don’t think she knows what’s going on, or cares. They’ve arranged for me to live with –’ She stopped. ‘To live with a man and when I’m old enough he’s going to marry me.’

‘And you don’t want to do that?’ Glad asked.

‘Oh, no, he must be fifty and he’s awful,’ she wailed in anguish. ‘I’m only sixteen …’

‘My God!’ Fred exploded. ‘I didn’t know this kind of thing still went on, did you, Glad?’

‘Disgraceful the way some of these high-and-mighty people carry on.’

Jenny gazed up at the husband and wife who had befriended her, giving a violent shudder. ‘I can’t go to him!’

‘Of course you can’t. Give her the fiver, Uncle, or I’ll break your mean old neck.’ Fred glowered at the pawnbroker. ‘You know the stuff’s worth that and more.’

‘Throw in the leather bag and it’s a deal.’ He didn’t appear too upset about the agreement.

After she’d handed over the bag with its contents, he counted out four pound notes, a ten shilling note and another ten shillings in small coins. Then he wrote several tickets and handed them over to her as well. She tried to read the scribble on them.

‘They’re in case you wants to buy anything back,’ Glad explained.

‘I’ll only give you three months, though,’ Uncle said hastily. ‘If you don’t come back by then, I’ll sell the goods.’

Jenny doubted she’d ever be able to get them back, and she wasn’t sure she would want to. Nevertheless she put the slips and money in her pocket. ‘Er … can I buy a coat and dress from you?’

‘What on earth for?’ Fred rubbed his chin in puzzlement. ‘Them you’ve got on are real good.’

‘They’re too good.’ Jenny grimaced and felt she ought to explain. ‘I’ve got to get a job quickly and need to look like someone who would seek employment as a servant.’

Fred muttered fiercely under his breath, ‘Find her something, Glad.’

It didn’t take long to sort out a couple of garments that fitted her, or almost. The coat was on the big side but Glad assured her she would grow into it. Jenny was staggered by the amount of clothing in the back of the shop. The dress they finally settled on was dark blue, a little faded but in reasonable condition and it looked clean. The coat was navy blue and a bit frayed around the cuffs. Glad said that after a trim up with a pair of scissors no one would notice. After much fierce haggling, Fred managed to get both items for two and sixpence.

Jenny was well pleased and left the shop clutching her parcel of working clothes. That was the first part of her plan completed, though how she would have managed without her new friends was hard to imagine.

There was a café next door, and Glad urged her through the door. ‘Let’s have a nice cuppa, shall we?’

That would be welcome, Jenny thought. She realized she was shaken by the whole experience in the pawnbroker’s, and would like a sit-down before the worry of getting back into the house without being seen. She took some coins out of her pocket. ‘You must let me pay.’

Husband and wife both shook their heads. Glad smiled kindly.

‘Bless you, my ducky, but we can afford a cup of tea. You’re going to need that money by the sound of things. We’re used to having a struggle to make ends meet, but you ain’t never had to do that, have you?’

‘No, but you must let me repay you for helping me.’

‘Just saying thanks is enough.’ Fred sat opposite her and three mugs of piping hot tea were immediately put in front of them.

‘We comes in here whenever we can,’ Glad explained. ‘The tea’s hot and cheap.’

Jenny examined the mug in front of her and was amazed at how thick the china was – it didn’t look like any china she’d ever seen. The crockery at home was so thin that you could see the liquid through it.

Fred sipped his tea and studied Jenny over the rim of his mug. ‘That there Wall Street crash thing was in America, wasn’t it?’

‘Yes, my father is … was American.’ She took a drink of her tea and nearly scalded her mouth:

‘Well, he must have family,’ Glad said. ‘Can’t you go to them?’

‘I don’t know any of them … and my mother said
they wouldn’t want me anyway.’ She looked away and worried her bottom lip, feeling very lonely.

‘Dear God!’ Fred looked furious. ‘We ain’t got much, but we’d never see one of our own in want.’

‘What you gonna do?’ Glad asked.

‘I must get a job with accommodation.’ Jenny turned her mug round and round in agitation. ‘And I’ve only got another two days to find a place. If I’m lucky, I might be able to find something as a lady’s maid. I know what a lady’s maid does,’ she assured them quickly. ‘My mother has one.’

‘A servant?’ Glad shook her head in disbelief. ‘That don’t seem right for the likes of you.’

‘There isn’t any choice. It’s either that or go to that horrible man.’

‘I can see how you’d not want to do that, but being a servant’s hard graft,’ Glad told her. ‘I know ’cos I’ve done it. But of course that was some time ago. From what I’ve heard, things are a bit easier going now. It still won’t be easy, though.’

‘I’ll manage.’ Jenny dredged up a smile. It wasn’t right to burden these kind people with her problems, but it was such a relief to have someone to talk to about the disaster. When she’d got off the bus, a feeling of loneliness had engulfed her, but having someone to talk to had helped. She was able to give a genuine smile. ‘It will be quite an experience.’

Fred whispered to his wife, who nodded. Glad found a scrap of paper in her capacious bag and wrote something down, then handed it to Jenny.

‘That’s where we live. Now, you keep it safe because if you finds yourself in trouble any time, you’re to come to us and we’ll give you a roof over your head. We ain’t got much, but you’ll be welcome.’

As Jenny took the paper from Glad, her hand shook. She was quite overcome by the kindness of these strangers. Fred and Glad were obviously poor in worldly goods, but they had given her the one thing they had in abundance: kindness and understanding, without thought of reward.

4

The morning excursion to Lambeth had taken longer than anticipated, and it was one o’clock before Jenny ran up the stairs to her room. The first thing she did was to put the clothes she’d bought at the pawnbroker’s in the old suitcase and place it at the back of her wardrobe again. Then she had to sit down for a moment, because she was trembling with a sense of triumph and fear. What an adventure! The forfeits they’d played at school had been nothing like this. Thank goodness no one had seen her coming back into the house with her bundle of clothes. If her aunt had spotted her, she would certainly have demanded to know what was in the parcel. Then she’d have been in trouble.

She saw her trunk had arrived from the school and the servants had put it at the bottom of her bed. With a sense of urgency bordering on panic, she rushed and knelt in front of it. Her aunt was bound to arrive at any moment, and it was imperative that she believed Jenny was falling in with her plans. She must try to fool her by packing her best clothes in the trunk. This would be left behind, but Aunt Gertrude mustn’t have the slightest suspicion that she was intending to run away – if she could, of course. This morning had been a
step towards that, but another two days was not enough. If only she had more time. She was desperate to go out again and find a job, but if she left the house once more today it might arouse suspicion, and she mustn’t risk that.

When she opened the lid there was a note from her friends saying, ‘Write to us.’ She clutched it to her and bowed her head as sorrow flooded through her. That was something she couldn’t do, for no one must know where she was going or what she was doing. Secrecy was of the utmost importance. Also trying to keep in touch would only add to the pain. They wouldn’t want anything to do with her now, and she would never see them again. They were nice enough girls and had been fun at school, but they were all from very wealthy families and inclined to look down on people not in the same class as their own. A clean break was the only way.

For a moment she remembered the ballroom-dancing lessons they’d had to prepare them for their ‘coming out’ parties. She had loved the music of the dance bands, and they had all sighed over the lovely crooner Al Bowlly. But none of that would happen now.