Children of the Tide (51 page)

‘So, so we are agreed then, Tom?’ she whispered, suddenly confused. ‘There is no – no – dispute between us? We are of the same mind?’

He smiled and stooped to kiss her cheek. ‘There never was any dispute between us, Sammi. Whether we are of the same mind is another matter altogether.’

She put her hand up to her cheek and her shawl slipped from her shoulders. Tom rearranged it, lifting her hair from beneath it and quite illogically caressed the back of her neck with his fingers. He felt the smooth vulnerability of her neck, the downy softness of her hair, and instinctively kissed her gently on her lips.

He saw her air of bewilderment and quickly gathered himself together. ‘We only want what’s best for you, Sammi.’ He patted her face in a friendly, fraternal gesture. ‘That’s what we all want.’

‘Perhaps I won’t stay for supper, Aunt Ellen,’ Tom said lamely, when they returned. ‘I ought to get back.’

‘Oh, but a place is laid,’ she insisted. ‘George is with your father, isn’t he? And young Jenny? Do stay.’

Sammi sat opposite him at the table and listened vacantly as he exchanged conversation with her parents and Richard and Victoria.
Why do I feel so strange?
she thought.
I want to weep, yet I am not so unhappy, only confused over so many things
. She drew her hair away from the back of her neck and remembered the caress of Tom’s fingers, firm and strong, yet delicate in their touch. She watched him as he ate. She saw his expressive dark eyebrows as they rose and fell during conversation, the curve of his mouth as he spoke or laughed, and wondered why she hadn’t noticed these features before.

She touched her mouth with her serviette and thought of his tender kiss, and again a half-remembered image floated into her mind.

‘Sammi! You’re miles away,’ Richard teased. ‘What or
who
are you thinking of?’

A blush came to her cheeks, but she stressed that she had been thinking that perhaps she and her mother should travel into Hull the next day with her father and Tom, and call on Aunt Mildred. ‘And I also want to see Billy,’ she maintained. ‘I want to find out if he met Mr Pearson, and if he was willing to help with the project for the children in the cellars.’

Her father raised his eyebrows to the ceiling and emitted a deep sigh. ‘Yes. Very well, Sammi. If your
mother wishes to, we will all go and resolve all the issues.’

The meeting with Mildred was cordial enough, though Sammi still found it hard to understand her treatment of James or Adam; but she seemed willing enough to finance the child, and had already made enquiries about the foster home in the town of Beverley.

‘They are honest people,’ Mildred said, ‘and kind, and lost their only son when he was young, and although they are perhaps older than we would have wished, they seem very suitable.’

I wonder what Gilbert thinks of the arrangement?
Sammi felt aggrieved.
He has got away scott free!
‘He cannot leave his nurse yet, you do realize that, Aunt Mildred?’ she said doggedly. ‘He is too young to be weaned.’

Mildred gave her a slight smile and nodded. ‘Yes, Sammi. I am aware of that. We are now in September; if we said just before Christmas? He could then be put onto a bottle and pobs.’

And we can give him away like a Christmas present
, Sammi grieved.
But I am his Godmother; his only one. I can visit him surely?

Mildred drew Ellen to one side as they were leaving. ‘I’m sorry, Ellen, about our harsh words over the child. I cannot ever explain why I behaved the way I did, but I had my reasons, and only Isaac understood. And now he has gone,’ she added in a whisper.

‘Everyone was hasty.’ Ellen leaned forward and kissed her cheek. ‘Including Sammi, but she is young and impetuous.’

‘As once we all were,’ Mildred said softly.

‘Does Gilbert know of your decision?’ Ellen ventured. ‘What are his feelings?’

Mildred shook her head. ‘He has so much to worry him just now, that I hardly ever see him, and I would not add to his burden; but I have written to James and told him of my decision.’

Sammi and her mother journeyed back to Hull in silence, Ellen debating whether she should tell Gilbert of his mother’s decision.
He is in deep water I know
, she pondered,
but he must strike for the shore himself if he is to survive
.

And Sammi thought broodingly of the Christmas to come and the departure of Adam whom she had come to love, and who was going to strangers.

‘There’s Billy!’

Ellen leaned towards the window and pulled it down. ‘Stop, Johnson!’

Johnson had already seen Billy striding along the road and was drawing to a halt.

‘Ma! Sammi! What are you doing here?’ He got into the carriage beside them and they moved off again towards the High Street. He gave his mother a hug and grinned at Sammi. ‘You shouldn’t be here yet, you know, the epidemic is still lingering.’

‘Epidemic? What epidemic?’ His mother’s face showed alarm.

‘Didn’t you hear? There’s been cholera and typhus. It was reported in some of the newspapers.’

They shook their heads. ‘Is that why you haven’t been home, Billy?’ Sammi asked. ‘I’ve wanted to know about the children.’

‘Why yes! I explained to Betsy that I was busy, and I told her that there was disease in the town. Didn’t she tell you? I asked her to.’

They both gazed at him, eyes opened wide. ‘When?’ Sammi asked. ‘When did you see her?’

‘Phew, so much has happened – I don’t know, about three weeks, maybe, nearly four. It was after the opening of the park anyway, and at the start of the epidemic.’

He was on his way to the company, he said. He had promised Gilbert that he would help in any way he could while there were so many difficulties. The closure of Willard’s bank had rocked the town, causing ripples of alarm throughout the business
community. Gilbert had also told him that his father was coming into town and he needed to speak to him regarding the plan he had for his own future, and to ask if he would fund him until his inheritance was due.

Tom was standing in the door of the stables, chatting to Johnson. ‘I was hoping to see you, Billy.’ He came over to greet him. ‘Gilbert said you were coming in. Your father and Arthur are about to begin a meeting with Gilbert, so I decided to wait out here.’

Billy nodded. ‘I’ve just heard about Betsy. I saw her one day; it was during the epidemic and I advised her that she’d be better staying at home. She looked very well, Tom; I wouldn’t have thought that anything was amiss.’ He pulled a wry expression. ‘I wondered afterwards what she must have thought of me, for I’d been up all night and looked like a scarecrow, whereas she looked so lovely in her blue bonnet and cloak.’

‘Blue bonnet and cloak?’ Tom queried. ‘Surely you were mistaken? She was wearing a yellow dress and shawl when she left home that morning!’

‘She’s probably borrowed some finery. You know how ladies are; she would want a change of clothing if she’s staying with friends. Or else she’s bought something new. Don’t worry about her,’ Billy assured him, though he felt uneasy. ‘If she’s said she’s all right, then she will be.’

‘I hope so,’ Tom agreed, and went off again to look around the town.

‘Sammi, can you stay over? May she, Ma?’

His mother agreed and they decided to ask Harriet if she could stay the night with her and Gilbert, as she had promised previously.

Billy ran upstairs and knocked on the door of Gilbert’s office. ‘Just wanted to tell you that I’m here, and could I have a talk with you before you leave, Father?’

His father beckoned him in. ‘Gilbert says that you have resigned, Billy!’

‘Yes, that’s why I wanted to speak to you. I need your advice.’

‘Are you sure that you are doing the right thing?’ Arthur spoke up. ‘This company isn’t finished yet. We shall diversify, which is what I’ve been saying we should do all along! We should go into other forms of shipping, fleeting perhaps, or even some other commercial business, not just whaling.’

‘That isn’t why I resigned, Uncle. I had decided before all this business at the bank flared up,’ Billy said hastily. ‘Gilbert will confirm that, won’t you?’

Gilbert nodded. He had his chin hunched over his hand as he sat behind the desk. He looked tired and had lost weight. He had taken the blow very hard.

‘I want to go into local politics. I want to do something for the people of this town,’ Billy began.

‘Hmph. There’s no money in that,’ his uncle scowled. ‘None whatsoever. You’ll need something else to keep hearth and home secure.’

‘Can we leave Billy’s problems for the moment,’ his father broke in. ‘They have no place in this discussion. What is important is who is going to partner Gilbert if Billy leaves the company? Even with a smaller, more compact enterprise, Gilbert still needs a working partner. I don’t wish to do it and neither do you, Arthur, so if the company is to survive then we have to think of someone else. Someone who has initiative and knows the industry.’

There was silence as they thought over the implications. Then Gilbert shook his head. ‘There is no-one else if Billy leaves, there’s only James and he isn’t interested.’

‘Does it have to be family?’ Billy asked. ‘For if it doesn’t, then I can think of the ideal person!’

‘Well, we’re looking for loyalty. That is the most important thing,’ said his father. ‘Would we get it from a stranger?’

‘Well, that’s just it; he isn’t a stranger,’ Billy said enthusiastically, ‘and his loyalty is unquestionable. Make him a director, give him some shares and the company is on the way up again.’

‘Why – do you mean who I think you mean?’ Gilbert rose to his feet, a gleam of hope in his face.

‘Yes.’ Billy beamed. ‘Hardwick!’

‘I want you to meet Stephen Sheppard, Sammi. We’ve become great friends.’ Billy took Sammi’s arm and they hurried across the busy Market Place towards a coffee house where he had arranged to meet Stephen. ‘And I also wanted to tell you the good news about the children’s project, though I must say it has paled significantly since hearing about Betsy not coming home. I don’t like the sound of that at all.’

‘She has written and apparently she is well and happy,’ Sammi took off her gloves as they sat down at a table in the window, ‘but it is very strange that she doesn’t say where she is staying. We’re all very worried.’

He ordered coffee and chocolate, and gave her the details of the cholera epidemic in the cellars. He told her that Zachariah Pearson was arranging for him to meet two businessmen in the town who might be willing to fund the project for a children’s home.

‘Billy,’ she began, ‘have you thought about where this could lead you? I have thought so often about what might have happened to Adam. Will there be room for abandoned babies in your children’s home? Will there be a place for young women like his mother, who might have been turned out of their homes in disgrace? Will one home be enough?’

‘No, it won’t,’ he said. ‘So much to do. Where shall I begin?’

‘Begin at the beginning,’ a voice interrupted. ‘Wherever that might be,’ and they looked up to see Stephen Sheppard standing there.

Billy made the introductions and ordered more coffee. ‘We’re talking about injustices, Stephen, and how to eradicate them.’

‘Then you can start with me.’ Stephen gazed gloomily at them. ‘My uncle and I have been rebuked for spreading alarm around the town! There has been a meeting at the hospital and none of the other doctors would confirm that they had attended any cholera cases.’ He stirred his coffee vigorously as he explained the situation. ‘I tell you, Billy, I’m sickened by the whole thing. Why should politics interfere with the treatment of the sick or dying? It was definitely cholera. I’m convinced of it! Why damn it, I beg your pardon, Miss Rayner, there was even a
blue
stage, and you only see that with cholera!’

‘Why won’t the authorities admit it?’ Billy asked. ‘Why are they now saying it was acute diarrhoea and typhus, when you and Doctor Fleming were so sure that it was cholera?’

‘It was that last case of typhus. They said that the symptoms were so similar that we were mistaken. Of course, what it really is,’ he said bitterly, ‘is that the doctors can’t agree on a cure, and as the authorities won’t clean up the sources of infection, it’s stalemate.’ He leaned forward and whispered, ‘They are still arguing about the water at Springhead. They say that there isn’t enough to supply the town, and the councillors won’t allow Warden, the engineer, to continue boring. That water is as pure as it is on the Wolds, which is where it comes from,’ he asserted. ‘Yet they still insist on using the water drawn from the Stoneferry works.’ He screwed up his face in disgust. ‘And no matter how much it’s filtered, we’re still drinking river water which has had dead dogs and sewage in it!’

He sat back glumly. ‘We badly need a fever hospital, and neither the Board of Health nor the town Guardians will sanction one. They’ve been using the Citadel and the old hulk in the river for the foreign
seamen, but they’ve nothing remotely suitable for the townspeople.’

He finished his coffee and asked Sammi if she would like more chocolate, but she declined, adding, ‘But what, then, is the answer, Doctor Sheppard?’

‘I honestly don’t know where the answer lies. They say they can’t take precautions or enforce the Prevention of Diseases Act unless the town is under threat, and in my humble opinion it is under threat with those
pestilential privies
that people have to live in!’

‘So are you in trouble, Stephen?’ Billy asked anxiously. ‘Will this affect your career?’

‘No!’ The young doctor was determined. ‘It won’t. But I think my uncle will retire; he says he is sick of petty-fogging politics. I shall go on fighting, but I’m a medical man, I haven’t the time to go in for local politics as well as attend the sick. What I sorely need is a friend on the Board of Health or the Sanitary Committee; someone in authority who isn’t afraid to say what he thinks.’

Sammi pondered before asking, ‘How long could you wait for someone like that?’

‘As long as it takes, Miss Rayner.’ The doctor smiled at her. ‘This problem won’t go away in a hurry.’ He looked at them both as they stared thoughtfully at each other. ‘Why? Have you someone in mind?’