‘Your sister has gone to live with Molly?’ Andre queried the next morning.
‘Er, yes … she has … for now,’ Nessie stammered. ‘You see, the thing is … Marcie is going to have a baby and I didn’t feel it was right for her to stay here. There are already rumours floating around about you and me and if it became known that my pregnant sister was also living here, I dread to think what people would make of it.’
‘I do not care what people say about me,’ Andre stated angrily. ‘But what of Marcie? Will the father not stand by her?’
Nessie shook her head and smiled at him. He really was a kind man. ‘No, I’m afraid he won’t and I believe that you don’t care about what people say, but think of what effect it could have on the business. We’ve worked so hard to build it up over the last months. I would feel awful now if you were to lose trade again because of my family. And I haven’t told Reuben about the baby yet so I’d be most grateful if you could keep the news to yourself for a while.’
‘Of course.’ Andre gave a polite little bow and clicked his heels together before handing her a small bundle of notes. ‘The money for the food for the soup kitchen,’ he informed her. He gave her the same amount as regular as clockwork every week and with that and the money that came in from the sponsors the kitchen was doing remarkably well.
‘Just one thing before I go about my business,’ Andre said, looking slightly troubled. ‘I suggest you tell Reuben about Marcie’s baby at the earliest opportunity. As you said, people around here like to gossip and it would be far better for him to hear the news from you than a stranger.’
Seeing the sense in what he said, Nessie nodded, although she dreaded how he would take it. Still, it had to be done so she determined to speak to him that very evening before he went off to see Maria.
As it happened, she never got the chance, for mid-afternoon, Reuben stormed into the shop with a face as dark as a thundercloud.
‘What’s this I’m hearin’, then?’ he snapped. ‘I just popped out to get some nails an’ Fred Blighty, who I used to work with on the railways, stopped me to ask when me sister’s baby were due? Why didn’t you tell me you were pregnant? Is it Andre’s baby?’
Nessie’s mouth gaped with shock, ‘It’s not me who’s pregnant,’ she said indignantly. ‘It … it’s Marcie.’
She watched his jaw tighten and his hands ball into fists. ‘Marcie!’ He shook his head. ‘How could she after …’
‘It wasn’t all her fault,’ Nessie hastened to tell him. ‘The man responsible led her to believe that they would be married and then dropped her like a hot brick the second he found out about the baby.’
‘Then tell me who it is an’ I’ll go an’ knock some bloody sense into him,’ Reuben stormed.
‘It wouldn’t do any good. It’s George Dorsey, you see. And we’ve already found out that he’s about to become engaged to a friend of the family.’
Reuben’s shoulders suddenly sagged. ‘George Dorsey! So where is she now?’
‘She’s gone to stay with Molly and Charlie for a while.’
‘So why didn’t Charlie tell me? We’ve been workin’ side by side all mornin’.’
‘He probably guessed that it would upset you,’ Nessie said soothingly and Reuben couldn’t argue with that.
‘Oh, this will sound great to me future in-laws, won’t it?’ he groaned and instantly coloured as he realised what he had said.
‘In-laws?’
He nodded as he dropped his eyes, his anger gone now. ‘Aye, I was goin’ to tell you this evenin’. I’ve asked Maria to marry me an’ she’s said yes.’
‘Why, that’s wonderful. You’ve got yourself a good girl there and I hope you’ll be very happy,’ Nessie told him. ‘When is the big day to be?’
‘Ah well, that’s somethin’ else I was goin’ to talk to you about,’ he muttered shamefaced. ‘The thing is, her dad owns a number o’ properties in the town which he rents out and there’s one coming empty in Fitton Street in the autumn. It’s a grand little house with three bedrooms, three rooms downstairs and a nice little garden, and he’s told me an’ Maria we can have it as our weddin’ present, so we thought we’d get wed in September. I’d still work here o’ course … But now this with Marcie …’ he finished sadly.
‘That needn’t alter your plans,’ Nessie assured him quickly. ‘We’ll manage just fine.’ Nessie swallowed the lump forming in her throat. ‘But you haven’t known each other that long and you’re both still very young. Are you quite sure this is what you want?’
‘I’ve never been more sure of anythin’ in me whole life,’ he answered, his eyes softening as he thought of his bride-to-be. ‘I knew the minute I clapped eyes on Maria that she were the only girl for me, but now …’
‘I’ve told you, you’re not to worry and if this is what you really want I wish you all the luck in the world.’ She gave him a gentle kiss on the cheek. At least his forthcoming wedding had softened what he had just heard about Marcie. ‘You must invite Maria’s parents around so we can discuss the plans for the wedding.’
‘Aye, I’ll do that,’ he agreed, and went back to work leaving his sister reeling with shock. She was pleased for him, of course she was, but now a new problem had presented itself. How could she possibly stay here when Reuben left to live in his new home? At the moment, her brother gave everything an air of respectability but what would people say when they discovered that she and Andre were living under the same roof unchaperoned? Once more she felt the weight of her responsibilities. At the moment she had Reuben to help with Joseph but once he was wed he would start a new life with his wife. Marcie would be no help, she had her own worries at present, which meant that very soon she would have to start looking for somewhere else for her and Joseph to live. And then she would have to find someone to look after him while she came to work. It was all very concerning. With a sigh, she told herself she would manage somehow, she always had before and there was no reason why this time should be any different, but oh, she would miss the way of life she had become accustomed to, and she would miss Andre too, for they had become good friends.
Marcie left the cottage just before six o’clock, dressed in her finest clothes and with her hair washed and curled loosely about her shoulders. It was a relief to get out in the open air, for although both Molly and Charlie had gone out of their way to make her feel at home, they were hopelessly overcrowded. Sometimes Marcie felt as if the walls of the tiny cottage were closing in on her and the little truckle bed that she slept on was so uncomfortable that she often woke up feeling irritable and more tired than when she had gone to bed. There was never any chance of a lie-in, for the bed had to be tidied away to the side of the room when the family came downstairs. The children were noisy too, and never having been a particularly patient person they grated on her nerves.
Marcie knew exactly who was to blame for the predicament she found herself in – George! But tonight, he would get his comeuppance. It was the night of his engagement party and Marcie was determined that Belinda would never wear his ring. She intended to stop his engagement before it even started if it was the last thing she did. She was so lost in thoughts of her revenge that she was surprised when the gates leading to Haunchwood House loomed ahead of her.
Already carriages were driving through them, no doubt the guests for the party, she thought, as she slipped into the grounds and took shelter behind a tree. She skirted the wall until she came to the back of the house where she passed by unnoticed into the laundry room. For a second, she gazed at the mangle, the dolly tub and the coppers and remembered the long, hard hours she had toiled over them. Slowly the light faded and from within the house she could hear the faint sounds of an orchestra tuning their instruments in readiness for the ball. Marcie had never seen the place so busy and could only assume that a lot of people must have been invited. Well, that was fine, the more people there to witness his humiliation, the better, she thought with a nasty little smile. It was true what they said, revenge was sweet!
At last she heard music playing and slipping out of her cloak, she flung it to one side and patted her hair before marching to the kitchen door. It was open and inside was a scene of chaos as waitresses ran in and out with silver trays bearing crystal flutes of champagne. Others were carrying trays and dishes full of food into the dining room and the cook was barking orders at everyone.
‘You, girl, get that tray of canapes and carry them among the guests,’ she ordered as she swiped the sweat from her brow. The heat in there was almost unbearable and she had been on her feet since five o’clock that morning so her patience was wearing thin. And then she spotted Marcie and her mouth fell open.
‘And what are you doing here?’ she asked incredulously. They had not seen hide nor hair of her since the day she had left. ‘You do know there’s a party goin’ on, don’t you? It’s hardly the time to come visitin’!’
‘I’m not visiting,’ Marcie informed her imperiously. ‘I’m a guest, if you must know. Mrs Dorsey invited me.’
‘Mrs Dorsey invited you?’ Cook said disbelievingly, but at that moment one of the little maids dropped a silver dish of boiled beetroots that she had been carrying to the dining room and Cook forgot all about Marcie for a second as she turned her wrath on the poor girl, giving Marcie the chance to escape unseen into the hallway.
There, she paused to stare about her in amazement. There were people milling everywhere, the men dressed in fancy waistcoats and the women dressed in silks and satins in all the colours of the rainbow. Until then Marcie had felt that she looked her best but now, looking down at the second-hand dress she had bought from the rag stall, she suddenly felt dowdy. Even so, she stuck her chin in the air and began to move among them as she looked for George. She was quite aware that she was attracting more than a few curious glances but she carried on regardless, intent on what she had come to do.
At the door to the ballroom, she paused. She had never been in there before and was amazed at the sheer size of it. The band was playing a waltz and as the ladies glided by on the arms of their partners they resembled multi-coloured butterflies. The room was enormous and the crystal chandeliers glittered from the myriad candles burning in them. A quick glance about assured her that George wasn’t in there, so next she headed for the dining room where she saw the enormous, highly polished mahogany table almost groaning beneath the weight of food on it. There were delicacies there that she had never even seen before but she was too eager to get on with her plan to take much notice, so she quickly moved on to the next room, the day room. She saw Leonora looking radiant in a cream satin gown that showed off her slim figure to perfection but she barely gave her a glance. It wasn’t her that she had come to find. The next room was the sitting room. In there were mainly men drinking port, discussing business and smoking fine cigars so again she moved on and in the next room, the drawing room, she was lucky.
The Lewises and the Dorseys were congregated in front of the huge French windows, all smiling and looking extremely elated. Well, I shall soon put paid to that, she thought with some satisfaction, as she glided towards them. George was standing next to Belinda with his arm protectively about her waist and just for a second the sight of him looking so handsome caused a pain in her heart. Belinda looked breathtakingly beautiful in an ivory satin gown with sapphires dangling from her ears and about her throat winking in the light. Her hair was piled high on her head and teased into curls that cascaded into ringlets about her shoulders and for a moment Marcie almost felt sorry for her. Until she saw the huge diamond ring glittering on her finger and then she felt a stab of jealousy in her heart.
Connie Dorsey spotted her first, as she weaved through the throng of guests towards them and her face instantly paled as she smelled trouble. Why else would Marcie have come? But it was too late to do anything about it now, Marcie was almost upon them.
‘Hello, George, remember me?’ Marcie asked sweetly as she stopped in front of him. The two families had been deep in conversation but now it stopped abruptly as they all stared at her.
‘Who are you?’ Belinda asked pointedly.
Marcie grinned. ‘I’m the one he was going to marry until he discovered I was carrying his child.’ Marcie stroked the swell of her stomach as Belinda’s mother gasped and clutched at her husband’s sleeve.
‘What is the girl talking about?’ she demanded, staring at George, and Marcie had the satisfaction of seeing him squirm like a worm on a fisherman’s hook.
Meanwhile, Johnny Dorsey had slammed his drink down and was advancing on Marcie, intent on getting her out of the room.
‘Shut up now and get out or I’ll have you physically thrown out!’ he bellowed.
‘Whatever for? For telling the truth?’ She fluttered her eyelashes innocently and he lunged forward but when he snatched at her arm she threw him off and glared.
‘Don’t you dare lay a finger on me!’ she warned with such venom that he took a step back.
‘Go on then tell her about me,’ she said, turning her attention back to George. ‘Tell her about all the promises you made while all the time you were visiting her in London. Tell her about our secret liaisons in the hay loft and about suggesting to me that we could still be lovers after you’d married her!’
‘Is this true, George?’ Belinda’s eyes were brimming with tears as she turned to him and her father looked so angry that Marcie feared he might burst a blood vessel.
‘If it is, by God, you’ll not be marrying my daughter,’ he warned.
‘I … I …’ George was so shocked that he seemed to have lost the power of speech but that was answer enough for Belinda’s father. He was painfully aware of the silence that had settled on the room and the fact that every pair of eyes was trained on them and he was squirming with humiliation. And to think that he had been willing to accept this cad into his family!
‘Give this bloody young whippersnapper his ring back,’ Mr Lewis ordered his sobbing daughter who, slipping it off her finger, flung it towards George. Then gathering her and his wife together he said curtly, ‘We’re going home and I’ll not be darkening this doorway again. And if you’ve any sense, young man, you’ll not attempt to darken mine either else I’ll have you thrown out on your ear.’
Even the band had stopped playing in the ballroom now as Mr Lewis gathered together what dignity he could and marched his family away.
‘Now look what you’ve done, you little whore! Are you satisfied?’ Mr Dorsey bellowed, red in the face.
Marcie gave him a serene smile. ‘Perfectly, thank you, sir.’ And with that she sailed away with her head held high.