‘I reckon that’s just about it then,’ Molly said with satisfaction as she rubbed her hands together and looked around at the soup kitchen.
It was the first week in March and everyone had worked tirelessly. Now the tables and chairs were set out in an orderly fashion, a counter had been erected where the food could be served from, and a variety of pots, pans, crockery and cutlery were neatly laid out on the shelves behind it.
‘I’ve been thinking,’ Nessie said brightly. ‘I thought perhaps we could open each evening? It would be hard for me to get away from the funeral parlour in the day. But someone will have to be here to get the food cooked before we open each day, won’t they?’
‘Don’t worry about that, I’ve got it all in hand.’ Molly grinned. ‘Some of the ladies from the courtyards and myself are going to do it on a rota. We can’t expect you to be here every day, everyone needs a day off. I shall shop for the food each day when I’ve finished work at the parlour and drop it off and someone will be here ready to cook it.’
Nessie was so relieved. Oliver looked pleased too. It seemed that Molly had thought of everything. She really was worth her weight in gold.
‘I had a thought too,’ Oliver piped up and both women looked towards him. ‘I got to thinking that the sort of people who are going to take advantage of the soup kitchen are highly unlikely to be able to afford doctor’s fees, so how about I pop in a couple of times a week to see them for free? I could soon empty another of the smaller rooms where I could mackle up a makeshift surgery. What do you think?’
‘I think that would be wonderful!’ Molly exclaimed. If only she had been able to afford a doctor her baby might still be alive, but during his illness there had been not a penny spare and she felt guilty about it every single day.
‘I think so too,’ Nessie chimed in. Over the last few weeks, she had managed to ensure that she and Oliver were never alone together. It hurt deeply and she missed their chats and the laughter they had shared but she knew it was for the best.
‘So, how about we make the official opening date this Wednesday?’ Molly suggested. ‘I can get the volunteers baking the bread tomorrow and get all the food we’ll need in. Shall we say six o’clock Wednesday evening?’
‘It sounds good to me,’ Nessie agreed.
‘Right then, if we’re all done, can I offer either of you ladies a lift home?’ Oliver asked, looking hopefully at Nessie.
The look was not missed by Molly who wondered why Nessie was suddenly holding the poor chap at arm’s length. He was clearly very fond of her.
‘Er, not for me, thank you. I’ll just stay behind for a while and see to the finishing touches, but you get off, Molly. Charlie will think you’ve got lost. The poor chap has hardly seen anything of you for weeks.’
‘Aye, all right, pet.’ Molly lifted her shawl and minutes later she left with Oliver, leaving Nessie alone with her thoughts.
Nessie left a little later and she had gone no more than a few steps on her way home when a man stumbling along ahead of her caught her attention. It was too dark to see his face but something about him looked vaguely familiar. And then he passed beneath a gas lamp and the breath caught in her throat. He looked suspiciously like her father, but no, she scolded herself, it couldn’t be him. No one had seen or heard a thing of him since the time he had abandoned the family to run off with the pub landlord’s wife in Bedworth. She quickened her steps to try and catch up with him but before she was able to he had disappeared down a dark alley and she was too afraid to follow him. Surely if he was back he would have tried to find her? she reasoned. Wrapping her shawl tighter about her she continued on her way, keeping to the light of the sputtering gas lamps as much as she was able to.
You’re letting your mind play tricks on you, my girl, she told herself sternly. She prayed that had been mistaken, but she couldn’t be sure.
Marcie was sitting at the side of the fire with a gloomy look on her face when Nessie got home but there was no sign of Reuben.
‘Has Reuben taken Maria home?’ she asked.
Marcie nodded. ‘Yes, they left a while ago.’
‘Good, that gives us a chance to have a little chat on our own then, doesn’t it? I think it’s long overdue. So what’s troubling you? And don’t say nothing! I know there’s something on your mind.’
Tears sprang to Marcie’s eyes as she lowered her head. It was time to tell Nessie about the baby. She couldn’t hide it for much longer so she may as well get it over with.
‘The thing is,’ she began, running her tongue across her lips nervously. ‘I wasn’t telling you the whole truth about why I left my job.’
Nessie had come to sit in the chair on the other side of the fireplace and was watching her intently.
‘You see I er … well, I fell in love with George, the Dorseys’ younger son, and we had a romance. He said he loved me and that we’d be together … but then … I found out I was going to have a baby and at the same time I found out that he’d become engaged to a girl from London, the family are friends of the Dorseys.’ She was crying now and trying not to look at Nessie’s shocked expression. ‘I thought that when he knew about the baby he’d marry me but he’s dropped me like a sack o’ spuds.’
‘Oh, Marcie! How could you be so stupid? It’s a well-known fact that men from his walk of life only play with girls like us. They never look on us as marriage material.’
‘I know that now, don’t I? But I believed him when he said he loved me and now I don’t know what I’m going to do. His mother gave me enough money to tide me over until after the baby is born but then …’ She spread her hands helplessly. ‘I might not even last that long because Reuben will throw me out on me ear when he finds out, won’t he?’ She was crying even harder now and Nessie couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.
‘Perhaps I should go and see George’s mother?’ Nessie mused sensibly. ‘And don’t worry about Reuben. I’ll speak to him when the time is right. Whatever happens, we’re not going to see you homeless, although I will have to have a discreet word in Andre’s ear to see how he feels about it. It’s sure to cause gossip when the word gets out and Andre may be worried about the effect an illegitimate baby could have on his business. You can see that, can’t you?’
Marcie nodded miserably as she swiped at her tears with the corner of her shawl. Strangely she felt better now that she’d confided in her sister. It was Nessie who had kept the family together since the death of their mother and she was sure that she’d help her.
‘Look, get yourself off to bed and get some rest now,’ Nessie said. ‘And leave me to have a think about what’s best to do. Oh, and when is the baby due?’
‘Sometime in August, I think.’ Marcie sniffed as she rose from the chair and now Nessie could clearly see her thickening waistline. Why haven’t I noticed it before? she berated herself. She shuddered to think what Reuben was going to say about it but he would have to be told. Taking a deep breath, she dragged herself out of the chair, rolled up her sleeves and went to tackle the pile of dirty pots in the sink before retiring to bed. As usual, Marcie hadn’t bothered to do them.
The next morning, she asked Andre, ‘Would you mind very much if I took a couple of hours off this morning? We don’t have any funerals booked for today, do we?’
He looked mildly surprised; Nessie never asked for time off. If anything, she did far more hours than she should.
‘Of course, take as long as you like. I can handle things here if anyone comes in, although I’m not as good with the clients as you, as you know.’ He smiled. ‘Going somewhere nice, are you?’
‘Not really,’ she hedged. ‘There’s just someone I need to see.’
She was grateful when Andre didn’t question her further and slipped away to get ready.
‘I’m going to see Mrs Dorsey, so whether you like it or not you’re going to have to keep your eye on Joseph for a while,’ she told Marcie firmly.
The girl’s eyes widened. ‘I doubt it’ll do much good,’ she said, glancing nervously towards Joseph.
‘Well, we won’t know until I try, will we?’
It was a cool breezy day but Nessie was heartened to see daffodils and primroses just poking out of the earth when she left the town behind. Spring was on its way and it couldn’t come quickly enough. It had been a long, cold winter. As she neared Haunchwood House, she began to wonder what sort of reception she might get. What if Mrs Dorsey had her thrown out? Squaring her shoulders, she decided there was only one way to find out, so she marched up to the door and quickly rang the bell.
It was answered almost instantly by the same girl who had called at the parlour to see Marcie a short time ago.
‘Hello. It’s Eliza, isn’t it?’ Nessie gave her a friendly smile. ‘Could you kindly inform Mrs Dorsey that Miss Nessie Carson wishes to see her, please?’
Eliza looked all of a fluster as she held the door wide. ‘You’d best come in an’ I’ll see if the mistress will see you.’ She scuttled away like a frightened rabbit as Nessie looked appreciatively around at the hallway. It was just as beautiful as Marcie had described it. However, she didn’t have long to admire it before Eliza was back telling her breathlessly, ‘The mistress says she will see you. She’s in the drawing room.’
She led Nessie across the hall, tapped on a door then silently disappeared as Nessie stepped into the room.
Mrs Dorsey was standing in front of the fireplace, her back straight and her hands folded primly at her waist.
‘Yes, Miss Carson, how may I help you?’ she asked stiffly as she eyed the girl up and down. So this was the young woman that Oliver was always talking about, was it? She had to admit that she looked very respectable. It was just a shame that she was related to the maid she had just had to sack.
‘I’ve come to discuss what’s to be done about my sister,’ Nessie answered calmly, keeping her head high. ‘I believe you are aware that your son has left her with child.’
‘Ah, now hang on a minute, lass. That’s a matter of opinion. George flatly denies that the baby is his but I’ve still sent her away with enough to tide her over for some time. What more can I do? It’s her word against his.’
Nessie suddenly felt deflated. There were many employers who would have cleared Marcie off without a penny and she supposed that the woman was going to stand by her son at the end of the day. Because, like the old saying went, ‘blood is thicker than water’.
‘B-but this baby will be your grandchild,’ she pointed out. She had come expecting an argument at least but the woman was being so reasonable that it was hard to lose her temper with her. In fact, she looked rather upset.
‘If she’s telling the truth,’ Connie Dorsey said and then seeing that Marcie was going to defend her sister she hurried on, ‘and I’m not saying that she isn’t. But what can I do, lass? I can’t force my son to marry her, can I?’
‘No, I don’t suppose you can.’ Nessie’s shoulders drooped as she turned to go. ‘But I’ll tell you now, Marcie isn’t a bad girl and she wouldn’t lie about a thing like this.’
Connie Dorsey lowered her head and turned away. There was clearly no more to be said so Nessie quietly turned and left the room.
Eliza was waiting to let her out and as Nessie stepped outside she hissed, ‘Tell Marcie I’ll try an’ get round to see her next week if I can get what she asked for.’
Nessie had no idea what she was talking about but she nodded anyway.
‘Well? Did you see her?’ Marcie asked eagerly the second Nessie set foot through the door.
‘Yes, for what good it did,’ she answered despondently. ‘George is still saying the baby isn’t his so it looks like you’re on your own. Well, as far as they’re concerned, that is. I’m not about to turn my back on you, though. As I said last night, it might not be possible for you to stay here. But we’ll see what Andre has to say, but I can’t really speak to him until we’ve told Reuben.’
Marcie’s face fell but she knew what Nessie was saying was true. There was no way George was going to change his mind now; he had turned his back on her. Without another word she headed upstairs leaving Nessie to worry about what lay ahead. Once again it seemed that the comfortable, stable life they had made for themselves was about to come crashing down around their ears.