Mr Cavell's Diamond (7 page)

C
hapter 6 – October 1829

Caroline

It was
several weeks since Caroline had put her plan into action. Since Henry had agreed to the principle of adopting a child, she had been careful to appear a little more cheerful each day, though not completely healed. She had begun to leave her room more often, spending a few hours each day in the sitting room. Staying in the house had been hard – she’d thought she would go mad with boredom. Now the Worthing papers were full of news of the arrival of the King’s daughter, Princess Augusta, Caroline was desperate to resume attendance at the Assembly Rooms and perhaps get a glimpse of the royal visitor. It was time to move on to the next, and final, stage of her plan.

She had risen early today, and surprised Henry by joining him at the breakfast table, instead of taking breakfast in her bed as she usually did.

‘You look better today, love,’ Henry said, as he rose to help her into her seat.

‘
Thank you,’ she said, as she settled herself into the chair and helped herself to a slice of ham and some fried mushrooms. ‘I do feel a little stronger. I think perhaps I would like to go to visit my mother today.’

‘
Splendid idea,’ said Henry. ‘The maid can go with you, in case you need any assistance on the way. I would go with you myself, but Dennett wants me to look over some papers relating to my London properties.’

‘
Oh no, don’t trouble the maid,’ Caroline protested. ‘She’ll be needed here – I want my room cleaned while I am out. I shall be perfectly all right on my own.’

‘
My dear, I insist she goes with you,’ said Henry, as he rang the bell. ‘You have been unwell, you are still not strong, and I should hate anything to happen to you. I make it a condition that you take the maid with you, if I am to allow you to leave the house today.’

Caroline looked down at her plate. The presence of
a servant might upset her plans. Her instinctive reaction was to sulk a little, pout, and cajole Henry into letting her have her own way, and go out alone. But something in the tone of his voice told her he would not give in on this. He had, bless him, her best interests at heart. She would need to play this some other way.

She raised her head and smiled at him.
‘Very well. The maid shall come with me. I may visit the haberdasher’s along the way, so the maid may make herself useful and carry any purchases I might make.’

Henry looked pleased with this. Caroline was aware he would interpret a renewed interest in her dress as a further sign of her return to health.

There was a tap on the door and the maid entered. ‘Did you ring, sir?’ she asked, giving a little curtsey. Caroline smiled at her as Henry spoke.

‘
I did. Your mistress wishes to go out today to visit her family. You are to go with her to provide any assistance she might need. Be ready to go whenever she desires it.’

The maid nodded and curtseyed again.
‘And bring us more coffee.’ Henry waved his hand to dismiss the girl.

‘
So that’s settled then,’ he said. ‘Enjoy your outing, my love, but please take care not to overtire yourself. I am afraid I must dash. I am to meet Dennett at eleven. I shall see you at dinner and hear all about your day.’

She raised her face to be kissed as he left the room, then smiled secretly to herself. So she had until dinner time. And the maid might come in useful after all. There might well be more to carry home than a few ribbons from the haberdasher.

It was mid-afternoon before Caroline decided it was the right time to go out. She rang for the maid, who was already dressed for
the outdoors in a bonnet and woollen shawl. Caroline picked up a large empty basket, handed it to the maid to carry, and they set off. The girl kept a couple of paces behind Caroline, as she led the way eastwards through the town, via the shops on Warwick Street.

At the haberdasher’s shop, Caroline idly fingered the lengths of ribbon and lace that were on display while the little maid stood quietly near the door, still clutching the basket. After a few minutes, Caroline turned and stared at the girl.

‘Why are you watching me, girl? How can I pick out what I want when your eyes follow me everywhere? Wait for me outside on the pavement.’

The girl curtseyed and scurried outside. Immediately Caroline beckoned to the shopkeeper, a balding, short-sighted man.

‘My order. Is it ready?’

The shopkeeper peered at her.
‘Mrs Cavell, is it? Yes ma’am, I have it all here.’ He went into the back room and came out with a parcel, which he began to unwrap to show her the items within.

‘
No, no, leave it wrapped,’ Caroline said. ‘If anything is not to my satisfaction I shall bring it back within the week. You will send the bill to Mr Cavell. And cut me a yard of this, please.’ She indicated a reel of crimson ribbon. It would look well attached to her new bonnet, she thought, tied with a bow to the side.

Outside, she dropped the parcels into the maid’s basket.
‘Come on. We have much to do.’

Further on was a general stores shop. Again Caroline collected a parcel which she added to the basket. By the time they reached the end of the row of shops, the basket was almost full.

‘Ma’am, is there much more to buy?’ asked the maid. ‘Only I will struggle with the basket if much more goes in it.’

‘
We are finished shopping now,’ replied Caroline. ‘And we are almost at my mother’s house, where you can rest a while.’

‘
Thank you, ma’am,’ said the girl, wiping her sweating brow on the corner of her shawl.

What would the girl make of her mother’s house, Caroline wondered, as they turned into High Street and approached the cottage. It was probably no better than the maid’s own family home. She would have preferred for the servants not to know her true origins, but it could not be helped. She glanced at the girl’s face. She was, at least, good at concealing her thoughts, or perhaps simply too dim to have any.

Instead of walking straight into the house as she normally would, Caroline knocked on the door, and waited for her mother to come and open it. When she did, she was wiping floury hands down her apron. She frowned at Caroline and began to say something, but Caroline cut her off.

‘
Hello, Ma. Aren’t you going to invite me in? I’d like some tea.’

‘
Well, you can make it yourself. I’m busy making pastry. Who’s your friend?’

Caroline sniffed.
‘She’s my servant. She’ll sit in your kitchen while I go in the front room. You can bring me my tea in there.’ She pushed past her mother and entered the cottage.

A moment later Ann burst into the front room.
‘You’ve no right to treat me like that, ordering tea, forcing your way into my good room. You’ve always been happy to sit in the kitchen till now. And what do you mean by bringing that girl along and not even bothering to introduce her?’

‘
She’s just the maid. My husband insisted she came with me today to carry my purchases. And I’m not sure I even know her name. Brown, I think.’

‘
Jemima, she tells me. I’ve given her some lemonade. She looks exhausted, poor little mite, carrying that heavy basket. What’ve you been buying anyway?’

‘
Never you mind. Now, will you bring me tea or must I ask the girl to make it for me? And where’s Franny?’

‘
Playing with Jemima in the kitchen. Your servant has a way with children. Franny’ll not want to leave her to sit in here with you.’ Ann folded her arms and gave her daughter a look of triumph. ‘You’ve not seen her for so long – she’ll barely remember you. So much for your promises.’

Caroline felt a pang of jealousy. She debated going herself into the kitchen to snatch up
Frances, but she didn’t want to lower herself in front of the maid. She raised her chin and met her mother’s stare. ‘Tea, Ma, if you would.’

Her mother huffed and turned to leave the room. A few minutes later, she returned, accompanied by the maid who was carrying a tray with a pot of tea and three cups.

‘We’ll
all
have tea,’ said Ann, pointedly. The maid blushed and looked around for somewhere to put the tray. Franny was with her, clutching at the girl’s skirts and giggling. When she saw Caroline she ran to her with open arms. Caroline hoisted the child onto her lap and kissed her.

‘
Hello, my little love,’ she said. ‘It’s been so long. Have you been a good girl since I last saw you?’ Franny put her thumb in her mouth and nodded. ‘Then I shall give you that dolly I promised you.’ She turned to Jemima. ‘Pass me the basket of shopping.’

She rummaged through the parcels until she found the one she wanted, then handed it to
Frances, who turned it over in her hand before putting the corner of the brown paper wrapping in her mouth.

‘
Sweetheart, it’s not to eat,’ laughed Caroline, as she helped the little girl untie the string and tear off the paper. Inside was a wooden doll, with a prettily painted face, dressed in a smock, pantaloons and a bonnet.’

‘
Dolly!’ squealed Frances, clutching the toy to her chest and rocking from side to side. ‘My dolly!’

‘
That’s right, it’s your dolly, all yours. And you shall have plenty more soon.’

‘
Well, we thank you for the present, don’t we Franny?’ said Ann. ‘But don’t you be bringing too many more. I can’t be filling my house up with toys. Besides, you’ll spoil her.’

‘
You won’t need to be storing the toys, Ma,’ said Caroline. Her eyes glittered as she looked up at her mother. ‘Franny is coming to live with me, now. I’m taking her home today. That basket is full of new clothes and other things for her.’

She looked around the room in triumph. Ann’s jaw had dropped open. The maid, who was still busy pouring tea, kept her eyes down but betrayed her surprise by slopping tea all over the tray.

‘Today?’ spluttered Ann. ‘You could have given me more notice. I haven’t packed up her things, and I haven’t time now to run round doing it.’

Caroline sniffed.
‘I don’t want any of the old muck. I’ve bought her all new things. Nothing but the best for my little darling, isn’t that right, Franny?’ She nuzzled into the child’s neck, making her squirm and giggle.

She put the child on the floor to play. Franny instantly ran over to the maid and showed her the doll.

‘So, what do you think of my little girl?’ Caroline asked Jemima.

The maid’s eyes widened.
‘
Your
little girl, ma’am?’

‘
I mean my, um, niece. She is my dear brother’s child. Her mother died giving birth, poor love, and my brother was so heartbroken he went away to sea, so he would not have to look at the child and be reminded of his loss. She’ll be the master’s and my adopted daughter.’ Caroline felt a blush rise to her cheeks. She glared at her mother to remain silent and not contradict the story.

‘
Tis a sad story,’ said Jemima. ‘The poor mite, being left all alone in the world.’ She reached down and stroked Franny’s hair.

‘
She was not all alone,’ Caroline protested. ‘She had me, her loving aunt. And now she shall come to live with me. Well, if you’ve drunk your tea, girl, we should start for home. Frances does not walk very fast and we may have to carry her part of the way.’ She stood up, and held out her hand to Franny who was still playing with her doll, trying to remove its clothes. ‘Come, let’s go to your new home. Shall we go by the beach, so you can see the fishermen and all their boats and nets? Are you ready, do you have your dolly? Come, then.’

Ann started to protest again but Caroline ignored her. Her mother had always made it clear she couldn’t wait to get rid of the child, and now she’d got her wish. W
ithout a backward glance, Caroline led the little girl out of the house and down the road towards the sea front. She kept up a happy chatter all the way, pointing out a cat playing with its kittens on a sunny doorstep, a bright red curtain blowing wildly out of an upstairs window, a cloud that looked like a horse’s head. Frances skipped happily alongside, holding her doll high so that
she
could see the sights as well.

They were half way towards the sea when Jemima caught up, holding the basket
with both hands in front of her. She was out of breath.

‘
Ma’am, sorry, I came as fast as I could, your mother kept me talking a minute more,’ she panted.

‘
Memima!’ squealed Frances in delight. Caroline scowled. She would have to teach Frances not to be too familiar with the servants. Maybe she would employ a nursemaid – then she could keep Jemima Brown away from the child. Later, of course, they would need a governess, so Frances could learn all the accomplishments a young lady of her class – her
new
class – could be expected to have. Piano and singing, embroidery, drawing, French and poetry. She smiled as she imagined how people would compliment her on her daughter’s achievements, grace and beauty.

‘
Oh oh,’ said Frances, tugging at Caroline’s hand. ‘Look, dirty.’ Caroline looked down. The child had trodden in some dog mess.