Mermaids Singing (38 page)

Jem jumped to his feet. ‘Don’t talk like that, Sir.’

Captain Madison smiled, gripping his pipe between his teeth. ‘Don’t worry, lad. I hope I’ve got a few more years before I die and I don’t intend to waste them. I’ve got a tidy nest egg put aside and, with my bonus for this last trip to New Zealand, I plan to buy a craft that can be converted into a pleasure boat. There’s money to be made taking day-trippers up and down the river, but I can’t do it on my own. That’s where you come in, Jem.’

‘Me, Sir?’

‘We’ll need to search out a suitable vessel, have it made ready and then I’ll need a man I can trust to skipper it. I’ll handle the business side of things but I’ll teach you how to take over and run it on your own, for when the day comes that I can’t do it any longer.’

Jem ran his fingers through his cropped hair. ‘I don’t know what to say, Sir.’

‘There’s one condition.’ Captain Madison took the pipe from his mouth. ‘That is that you sail with me, as second mate, on my final voyage.’

‘But, Sir …’ protested Jem.

‘It’s part of the bargain,’ Captain Madison said, tapping the contents of his pipe into the fire and refilling it from the tobacco jar. ‘You’ll earn a bonus and you’ll study for your skipper’s certificate while you’re at sea. We’ll do this thing properly, or not at all.’

‘My mother and Kitty need me at home, Cap’n,’ Jem said, pacing the floor. ‘I can’t go away and leave them homeless.’

Kitty jumped to her feet. ‘What a lot of nonsense you talk, Jem Scully. Here’s the captain offering you the chance of a lifetime and you’re worrying about details. Betty and me will be fine. Don’t you worry about us.’

‘You’re a remarkable young woman, Kitty,’ Captain Madison said, getting up and holding out his hand. ‘Jem is a lucky young fellow to have a girl like you.’

Jem and Kitty argued all the way home in the hackney carriage. Jem insisted that he was not going back to sea unless he saw Kitty and his mother settled and secure. Kitty told him that he would be a fool to pass up such an offer from a man whom he admitted had been a second father to him, and didn’t he owe the captain something for the way he had looked after him during his years at sea? They were still squabbling like a pair of starlings when they entered the house in Sackville Street.

The salon door opened and Betty rushed into the hall. ‘Jem! Kitty! I could hear your raised voices outside in the street. What will the neighbours think?’

Jem and Kitty looked at each other and burst out laughing.

‘What’s so funny?’ demanded Betty, offended.

Jem flung his arms around her. ‘It’s so good to see you, Ma. I’ve missed you.’

‘And I’ve missed you too, son,’ Betty said, smiling and returning his embrace. ‘But I don’t understand what was so funny.’

‘Just us being silly,’ Kitty said, suppressing a grin as the tension leached from her body. Worrying about what the neighbours might think seemed so trivial compared to the huge decisions that they had to make, with their future hanging in the balance, but sharing the humour of it with Jem had eased the situation between them. There would be plenty of time to explain everything to Betty later, when they were on their own. In the meantime, she had something to do that simply couldn’t wait another day.

‘Where are you going?’ demanded Jem, as Kitty made for the door.

‘There’s something I must put right. Someone who was a good friend to me and whose feelings I hurt, though I never intended it that way. You enjoy a quiet time with your ma. I won’t be long.’

Florrie opened the door to the servants’ entrance. ‘Kitty!’

‘I must see George,’ Kitty said, putting her foot over the threshold. ‘Is he about?’

‘I daresn’t let you in. Miss Iris has given orders that none of us is to have anything to do with Lady Mableton’s household and that includes you.’ Florrie glanced nervously over her shoulder.

‘Please, Florrie. I must see George. I promise I won’t stay more than a minute or two.’

Florrie bit her lip, frowning and shaking her head. ‘I can’t.’

‘All right then, just close your eyes, count to ten and then forget you ever saw me.’

Florrie pulled a face, but she closed her eyes and stood aside.

‘Ta, Florrie,’ Kitty said, brushing past her. ‘You’re a brick.’

Avoiding the kitchen and running up the back stairs, Kitty made her way to the entrance hall. She came to an abrupt halt, hiding behind a pillar as she heard Mr Warner’s voice giving instructions and George’s monosyllabic replies. Then Mr Warner’s brisk footsteps crossed the marble floor and she heard the faint sigh of the hinges on the green baize door leading down to the servants’ quarters and kitchens. Peeping round the corner, she saw George on his own, polishing the brass door furniture.

‘George.’

He spun around, dropping the polishing rag, his face crumpled in shock. ‘Kitty! What the bleeding hell are you doing here?’

Kitty stooped to pick up the rag and handed it to George with an apologetic smile. ‘I had to see you, George. I couldn’t let things end between us in a bad sort of way.’

George grabbed the rag, scrunching it up in a ball. ‘You made a proper fool out of me.’

‘No, George. I didn’t. We were just friends, I told you, and told you that it couldn’t be any more than that, you just didn’t believe me.’

‘Well,’ George said, rubbing hard at the brass door handle. ‘I believe you now.’

Kitty watched him for a moment, desperately trying to find the words that would comfort him, salve his hurt pride; for hurt pride was all it was, she was certain of that. ‘You’re a fine, honest man, George. You deserve someone better than me.’

George stopped what he was doing and straightened up, facing Kitty and looking her in the eye. ‘I deserve better than the way you treated me, Kitty. You should have told me that there was someone else, right from the start.’

Kitty laid her hand on his arm. ‘I didn’t know it myself until now. I’m so sorry, George.’

George opened his mouth but, before he could speak, the sound of horses’ hooves and carriage wheels made him open the door and look outside. ‘My God. It’s Captain Edward and his new bride. We weren’t expecting them until tomorrow. Get out quick, before they see you.’

Kitty started towards the back staircase, hesitating as Mr Warner came striding towards her from the direction of the servants’ quarters. The expression on his face was enough to make her dash for the front entrance, where George stood, stiff-necked and red in the face, holding the door open for the new arrivals. Darting past him, Kitty caught her heel in the hem of her skirt, stumbling over the top step. She regained her balance but landed awkwardly on her right ankle, which gave way beneath her, sending her tumbling down the remaining steps straight into the arms of Captain Sir Edward Mableton.

Warner strode down the steps, his face blank with outrage. ‘Begging your pardon, Sir Edward. This young person has no right to be here.’

Edward set Kitty back on her feet. ‘It’s all right, Warner. It was an accident.’

‘I’m sorry, Sir,’ Kitty gasped, momentarily winded. ‘Please, Captain Edward, don’t blame George. It was all my fault, Sir.’

Edward stared at her for a moment, and then his handsome features melted into a charming smile. ‘Why, it’s Kitty Cox, isn’t it?’

Kitty bobbed a curtsey.

‘Edward, I’m waiting.’ A stern voice emanating from the carriage made everyone turn to look at Edward’s new wife, whose expression showed that she did not appreciate being kept waiting.

‘Don’t run away, Kitty,’ Edward said, in a low voice. ‘Just coming, Adeline, my sweet.’

Kitty hesitated, eyeing Mr Warner; she could see that he was inwardly seething with indignation, but he would not question an order from the master of the house and he stood to attention, staring straight ahead of him.

‘Warner will show you into the drawing room, my dear,’ Edward said, handing Adeline from the carriage. ‘I’ll be with you in a moment.’

Adeline paused, giving Kitty an appraising look. ‘Don’t be long, Edward.’ She picked up her skirts and followed Warner up the steps.

‘Why have you come here, Kitty?’ demanded Edward, when his wife was out of earshot. ‘Did Bella send you?’

‘No, Sir. It was all my idea.’

‘But she is all right, isn’t she?’

‘I hope so, Sir.’

‘What do you mean?’ Edward seized Kitty by the shoulders, staring intently into her face. ‘Don’t you know?’

‘Bella left for France this morning, Captain Edward. She’s gone to find Mr Rackham.’

‘Oh my God, no!’ Edward paled alarmingly beneath his suntan. ‘I can’t believe that she’s turned to that libertine.’

‘Begging your pardon, Sir,’ Kitty said, stung by his attitude. ‘But what did you expect? She was really cast down when she heard you’d gone and got yourself married.’

‘I thought she would go to Mableton Manor with Leonie.’ Edward brushed his hand across his eyes and his voice shook with emotion. ‘I wrote to my father entreating him show a little compassion for a mother’s heart and to allow Bella to have custody of Leonie. I wanted to look after Bella and her child in the only way I knew how and I begged him not to deprive Leonie of her rightful inheritance.’

Warner reappeared at the top of the steps, coughing discreetly. ‘Excuse me, Sir Edward. My lady sends her compliments and wonders when you will be joining her in the drawing room.’

‘Tell my wife I’ll be there directly.’ Edward’s voice crackled with irritation and he waved Warner away. ‘Kitty,’ he said urgently, ‘if Bella returns to England, if she needs help in any way, I want you to come straight to me. Do you understand?’

Kitty met his anxious gaze steadily. Captain Edward might be rich and powerful but he was just a man, after all, and it was obvious that he still cared for Bella; all the more shame on him then for treating her so badly. ‘It’s a pity you weren’t here to stop Sir Desmond having us thrown out of the house in Tanner’s Passage. If we hadn’t lost our home things might have turned out different.’ Noting the stunned look in Edward’s eyes, Kitty was satisfied that she had at least given him something to think about. Turning on her heel, she was about to walk off when he caught her by the wrist.

‘I knew nothing of that. What house are you talking about?’

‘You ought to know it, Sir. You own it now, I believe.’

‘Kitty, for God’s sake stop. Tell me in simple plain words what the hell has been going on in my absence.’

Kitty arrived home with hope in her heart for the first time in months. Captain Edward had denied all knowledge of his father’s draconian action in having them thrown out on the street. He had been even more shocked when Kitty had told him about Bella’s unhappy relationship with Humphrey Chester but, best of all, he had dashed off a letter to Mr Feeney, instructing him to look urgently into the matter of the lease on Betty’s house. As she walked home, Kitty decided against telling Betty, or even Jem, that in her pocket she had the address of Captain Edward’s solicitor. It would be wrong to raise their hopes if it turned out that there was nothing to be done to remedy the situation.

Opening the door to the house in Sackville Street, Kitty felt a pang of sadness at the thought of having to leave her home. She would start all over again, of course, but it was going to be a wrench to leave this elegantly set-up house and go back to the mean streets of the East End with the smell of poverty hanging over them. Taking off her straw hat and shawl, she hung them neatly on the hallstand. This was just a temporary setback, nothing that couldn’t be overcome by willpower and sheer hard work.

Pausing at the top of the staircase, Kitty could hear the clatter of pots and pans and the sound of voices coming from the basement kitchen; she braced her shoulders and went down the stairs to face Jem and Betty.

Next morning, Jem left the house early to make his way over to Chelsea. After much discussion over supper the previous night, they had all come to the conclusion that Captain Madison’s offer was too good to refuse. Jem had been reluctant to go back to sea, even for one trip, but Betty and Kitty together had persuaded him that they could manage very well on their own for a few months. They had enough orders for gowns to keep them busy, and money to come in from rich ladies, who only paid up after persistent dunning. Maria had always undertaken this task and she was rather good at it, Betty said. If all else failed, they could always get Maria up from the country for a few days to collect the debts. The idea of sending gunboat Maria out after the debtors, armed not with rifles and grenades but her own fierce attitude, had made them all laugh and, it had seemed to Kitty, that a weight had lifted off them. She had gone to bed after an affectionate hug from Betty but when Jem had tried to kiss her, she had turned her cheek, avoiding the intimacy of his lips.

Next morning, having secured her best hat with a gilt hatpin and fastened the buttons on her jacket with the new and fashionable leg-of-mutton sleeves, Kitty told Betty that she was going to Liberty in Regent Street where they had advertised a clearance sale of cretonnes at an unbeatable price. Picking up her purse, Kitty was about to open the front door when someone pounded on the knocker as if they meant to beat the door down. Turning the key in the lock, Kitty opened it a fraction and was almost knocked down as Humphrey Chester barged past her, red in the face and breathing heavily.

‘Where is she?’

Kitty didn’t pretend to misunderstand. ‘Bella has gone.’

‘Gone? She can’t have gone. She’s under contract to me.’

‘Mr Chester, please keep your voice down.’ Kitty glanced towards the basement staircase, hoping that Betty had not heard the commotion. ‘Bella has left the country.’

‘The bitch!’ Humphrey spat the words out like a bad taste. ‘The conniving, cheating little bitch! I’ll see she never works on the London stage again.’

‘She’s gone and she’s not coming back,’ Kitty said, going to the door and holding it open. ‘Please leave, Mr Chester.’

Pacing up and down, Humphrey struck out at the walls with his silver-topped cane. ‘She’s duped me, taken me for a complete fool. I want you out of this house, young lady. Pack your bags and get out.’