The Lady's Maid (27 page)

‘Dearie me. Whatever next?’ Nanny Barnes marched into the room, with Kate and Josie following her. ‘Millicent, are you all right?’

A tall, lean woman in her mid-sixties rose from a chair by the fire. Her gaunt features were set in what appeared to be a permanent frown. ‘You’re two minutes late, Dora.’

‘I – I’m so sorry. I know how you value punctuality, Millicent.’

Josie stepped forward. ‘You must blame me, Miss Spalding. I’m afraid it was my fault that Miss Barnes kept you waiting.’

‘And who may you be?’ Millicent glanced at Josie and allowed her gaze to travel to Kate. ‘And who is this? I didn’t extend my invitation to luncheon to half the town, Dora.’

Nanny Barnes squared her shoulders. ‘Allow me to introduce my one-time charge, Miss Josephine Damerell, daughter of the late Sir Hector Damerell, Baronet.’

Josie inclined her head graciously. ‘Good afternoon, ma’am. It’s a pleasure to meet any friend of Nanny Barnes.’

Miss Spalding twitched visibly, her arrogant demeanour momentarily shaken, but she made a quick recovery. ‘Welcome to my home, Miss Damerell.’

Josie smiled graciously. ‘And this is Coggins, my maidservant. We’re staying with Nanny for a while.’

‘Yes, Millicent. They’re staying with me.’ Nanny Barnes nodded emphatically.

Miss Spalding raised an eyebrow. ‘You must be very cramped in that tiny house.’ She waved her hand towards a small sofa and two rather uncomfortable-looking chairs upholstered in faded damask. ‘Do take a seat, although I’m afraid luncheon is out of the question. That stupid girl has just left without so much as giving a week’s notice. I don’t know what young people are coming to these days.’ She resumed her seat by the fire.

‘My maid will be happy to take over in the kitchen. She is perfectly capable of preparing food, aren’t you, Coggins?’ Josie nudged Kate in the ribs. ‘We can’t turn down the offer of a free meal,’ she added in a whisper.

‘Of course,’ Kate said, taking her cue. ‘I’d be glad to help out.’

‘She’s a dear girl.’ Nanny Barnes smiled and nodded. ‘They’ve been such a comfort to me, Millicent, and I am rather peckish.’

‘The kitchen is below stairs.’ Miss Spalding’s tone implied that it might as well be in a foreign country. ‘I’ve no doubt that silly girl will have left everything in a dreadful mess, but there should be someone there to tell you what’s what. You may go, but remember I want luncheon on the table at half past twelve on the dot. I hate unpunctuality.’

Josie flashed a smile at Kate. ‘Hurry up then, Coggins. Don’t keep us waiting.’

Ignoring the fact that Josie was making the most of the situation, Kate made her way down two flights of stairs. Even if she had not seen the green baize door at the rear of the entrance hall when they came in, she would only have had to follow her nose in order to find the kitchen. A variety of smells filled the air, rancid cooking fat being the most powerful, run a close second by sour milk and rotting cabbage. She wrinkled her nose and held her breath as she entered the dimly lit room. A large range occupied most of the far wall and various soot-blackened pots and pans hung from a beam above the fireplace. A rectangular pine table occupied the centre of the room, its surface smothered in dirty crockery, half-eaten meals and vegetable peelings which spilt over onto the flagstone floor.

A small misshapen creature emerged from the shadows brandishing a ladle. ‘Get out of my kitchen.’

Kate leapt backwards uttering a cry of alarm.

‘Get out.’ The voice was high-pitched but the face scowling at her was wizened like that of an old man. ‘You got no right to be here.’

As he shambled towards her Kate could see that the creature she had mistaken for a malignant dwarf was little more than a child. Beneath the dirt the youth’s face was lined with suffering and his eyes were clouded with pain. His clothes were ragged and he had a wary look as if expecting nothing other than kicks and blows. Kate felt a sudden surge of pity for the odd looking creature and she smiled, holding out her hand. ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you. May I come in?’

He stared at her open-mouthed. ‘Who are you?’

‘My name is Kate. What’s yours?’

‘Boy.’

‘I can see that you’re a boy, but what do they call you?’

‘Boy. That’s all.’ He backed away from her. ‘What d’you want? Where’s the daft girl?’

Taking him to mean the unfortunate female who had worked for Miss Spalding, Kate shook her head. ‘She ran away. Perhaps she didn’t like working here.’

‘No one lasts long, except me, and I got nowhere to go.’ He limped over to the range and picked up a wooden spoon. He stirred the pan bubbling away on the hob. ‘I live here.’ He pointed to a pile of rags in one corner of the room. ‘That’s where I sleeps. This is my kitchen.’

‘Then perhaps you can help me. I have to take Miss Spalding’s luncheon up to her room.’ Kate stared at the mess on the table. ‘But I don’t know what to do. Can you help me, please, Boy?’

‘Why should I?’

He turned his back on her and she stifled a gasp of dismay as she saw the full extent of his deformity. His crooked spine formed a huge hump, which gave him the lop-sided gait and accounted for his stunted growth. Kate had seen plenty of crippled children begging on the streets, but there was something about the boy that touched her heart. She knew instinctively that any show of sympathy would be met with hostility and she made her tone brisk. ‘I’d help someone if they asked me nicely. I’m sorry if I’m in your way but I was sent down here to do a job.’

He lifted the spoon to his lips and tasted. A slow smile spread across his face. ‘That’s good. I may be a
cripple
but I’m a good cook.’ He stared at her for a moment and then held out the spoon. ‘Try some?’

It was a challenge as much as an offer and Kate realised that to refuse would only confirm his suspicions that she was just another person who either condemned or ridiculed him because he was different. She crossed the floor and took the spoon from him, dipping it in the pot and tasting. She did not have to pretend. ‘That is delicious. You are a very good cook.’

‘Yes,’ he said, grinning. ‘I know.’

She licked her lips, savouring the tasty dish. She could have eaten a bowlful of the stew with ease. ‘I can cook, but not like that.’

He thrust a ladle into her hand. ‘Have some more.’

‘You don’t know how tempting that is, but I must take Miss Spalding’s food up to her.’

‘There ain’t none. That girl couldn’t butter a slice of bread without making a mess of it.’ He put his head on one side, giving her a calculating look. ‘You can give the old besom some of mine. The master won’t be home until this evening. He don’t eat much and there’s plenty in the pot.’

‘I can’t take his food. It wouldn’t be right.’

‘You ain’t taking – I’m giving. It’s me who’ll get the whipping if he finds out, which he won’t. I’m too fly to be caught out by the likes of him. I learned the hard way in the workhouse. There’s nothing that frightens me now. Help yourself.’ Boy shuffled off leaving Kate standing by the range with a ladle in her hand. She struggled with her conscience but hunger won.

* * *

‘This is excellent, Coggins,’ Miss Spalding said, wiping her lips on a damask napkin. ‘I don’t know what you did to make this palatable but you’ve worked wonders.’

‘It is very good.’ Nanny Barnes scraped her plate, licking the spoon and receiving a withering look from Miss Spalding. ‘I know it’s not done, Millicent, but I haven’t had a meal like this for years.’

Josie beckoned to Kate, who had eaten her food at a separate table. ‘You may clear now, Coggins.’ She lowered her voice as Kate was about to take her plate. ‘How did you do that?’

Kate smiled. ‘Magic.’

Miss Spalding nodded as Kate picked up her plate. ‘Very well done, Coggins.’ She leaned back in her chair, eyeing Nanny Barnes keenly. ‘Now are you going to tell me the real reason why these young people are staying with you, Dora?’

Josie held up her hand. ‘I’ll tell you the truth, Miss Spalding. I’m sure it will go no further since you were a trusted employee in a great house.’

Miss Spalding’s sallow skin flushed delicately. ‘You can rely on my discretion, Miss Damerell.’

‘I’m escaping from an arranged marriage. My uncle has chosen my future husband, whom I cannot abide. I was on my way to stay with a wealthy aunt but my purse was stolen and I am temporarily without funds. It’s necessary for Coggins to find work to enable us to live until my aunt sends money for our fare to – er – Scotland.’

Kate almost dropped the pile of plates she was
holding
. She glared at Josie but Josie merely smiled, turning her lambent gaze on their hostess.

Nanny Barnes frowned. ‘That doesn’t sound quite right, Miss Josephine.’

Josie patted her hand. ‘You get a bit confused sometimes, Nanny dear. I’m sure Miss Spalding understands, and maybe she could help. Perhaps someone in the house is in need of a maidservant, or a cook.’

Miss Spalding pursed her lips. ‘I can see that you are in need of food and shelter, Miss Damerell, but to be perfectly frank I don’t believe a word of your cock and bull tale.’

Josie rose to her feet. ‘How dare you, ma’am?’

‘I’m too old to fall for every tale of woe I hear, Miss Damerell. Moreover, I don’t believe that you are who you say you are. I have a nose for quality and you don’t fit in.’

‘That’s outrageous. Tell her, Nanny. Tell her who I am.’

Nanny Barnes covered her face with her hands. ‘I do get confused at times. Don’t tell me that I’m losing my mind.’

Kate put the plates down with a thud and wrapped her arms around Nanny’s heaving shoulders. ‘Of course you’re not, Nanny. Miss Spalding is mistaken.’ She shot an angry glance at her. ‘I grew up with Miss Josephine. She is Sir Hector’s daughter and you ought to know better than to question a lady.’

‘Hoity toity.’ Miss Spalding’s face cracked into a semblance of a smile. ‘Whatever the truth of the matter, I know that my good friend Dora has brought you
both
here because you need my help. I may be getting on in years, but I’m not stupid and I’ve seen a great deal more of the world than either of you young things. Now, do you need my help or don’t you?’

Nanny Barnes sniffed and raised her head. ‘They do, Millicent. Money is a problem …’

‘All right, then I’ll tell you what I’ll do.’ Miss Spalding looked from one to the other, obviously enjoying her moment of power. ‘Miss Josephine can stay here with me as my maidservant. She’ll get her bed and board, that’s all. Coggins can come in daily and see to my meals. I will pay her four shillings a week, which I consider to be very generous in the circumstances. It will come out of my meagre pension and the small annuity which I received on the death of my father, but if Coggins continues to provide meals like that it will be worth the expense.’

Josephine leapt to her feet. ‘That’s a preposterous suggestion. How dare you ask me to be lady’s maid to someone who spent their life in service?’

Miss Spalding eyed her with contempt. ‘I’ve spent my entire life being looked down on by my so-called betters. I’ve seen them behave like trollops and libertines and get away with such behaviour because they are the landed gentry. Now it’s my turn.’

‘That is very hard, Millicent,’ Nanny Barnes said softly. ‘These girls are not responsible for the actions of others.’

‘They can take my offer or leave it. But I suspect that there is much more to this case than either you or I know, Dora.’

‘Well, you can go to hell as far as I’m concerned,’ Josie cried angrily. ‘I’ve never been so insulted.’

Kate took her by the arm and led her to the far side of the room. ‘Think about it, Josie. Why not humour the woman and do as she asks? After all, it’s only until we can save up enough money to return to Dorset, and I’ll put every penny of my wages by.’

‘What? Do you really expect me to wait hand and foot on her? And who said that I was prepared to go home?’

Kate bit back a sharp retort, forcing herself to remain calm and objective. ‘When you’ve a better idea, let me know, because I can’t see any other way out of this predicament.’

‘I can’t stay here with that old harpy and I won’t live under the same roof as my uncle.’ Josie shot a sideways glance at Miss Spalding. ‘Look at her. She’s enjoying every minute of this. I won’t give her the satisfaction of agreeing to her plan.’

‘At least give it some consideration, and if you feel hard done by you want to go downstairs to the kitchen and see the poor boy who’s living like an animal for the simple reason that he’s crippled. Perhaps we should think ourselves lucky and return to our families and our comfortable way of living.’

Josie stared at her in amazement. ‘Is your brain addled? Have we come all this way and slept on a dirt floor, eating food fit only for pigswill, for nothing?’

Miss Spalding cleared her throat. ‘It’s very rude to whisper, ladies. You’ve heard what I have to say. I want an answer now or I’ll withdraw my offer.’

Chapter Sixteen

IN SOME WAYS
it seemed to Kate that she had the best of the bargain, and this was largely due to Boy. Spending much of her time in the kitchen gave her a chance to get to know him better and within a few days he had become her staunch ally. She cleaned the kitchen, sweeping, scrubbing and throwing out all the rubbish to be collected by the dustcart. She discovered mouldering food, dead mice and an intrusion of cockroaches in the larder, which she attacked with vigour. Boy was at first suspicious of this war on dirt and grime, but eventually even he had to admit that the kitchen smelt a lot better and it was easier to prepare food when there was space on the table. In return for her hard work, Boy did all the cooking. Kate soon realised that he was happiest when he was creating a meal even from the most meagre ingredients, and she encouraged him with praise and genuine admiration.

The other occupants of the house rarely used the kitchen. They were mostly single gentlemen who went out to business every day and ate their meals elsewhere. Occasionally one of them might wander into the kitchen with a request for hot water for shaving or to make themselves a cup of tea, but for the most part they were quiet, sober and rarely seen. The
exception
was Timpson, the manager of the India Rubber Works, who spent more time in the local pub than in his attic room and often returned late at night singing loudly as he stumbled up the stairs. Miss Spalding regularly complained to their landlord, but her remarks were largely ignored as Timpson paid his rent regularly and none of the other tenants seemed disturbed by his behaviour.