A Moment to Remember (5 page)

‘Auntie Doris.’

‘What’s her surname?’

Suddenly Milly felt very silly. She didn’t know her mother’s maiden name, or if Aunt Doris had married. ‘I don’t know,’ she said softly.

‘How can you expect to find someone if you don’t know their name or where they live?’

Milly hung her head.

‘That settles it. You must come with us.’

‘I can’t.’

‘So where else can you go?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘Right, Walton, let’s go home. And you, Milly, will come with us.’

As they walked along, Jane was talking and laughing. She seemed to be a very happy girl.

‘How old are you, Milly?’ she asked.

‘Fourteen,’ Milly replied.

‘How exciting. Did you have a big party on your birthday? I shall be fourteen on the twenty-third of February and I shall have a party and you must come to that. I always have a party but I don’t have any friends; they are all Mama’s friends’ daughters. What school do you go to?’

‘I don’t go to school.’

‘Your family haven’t sent you out to work, have they?’

‘No.’

‘Miss Jane, I insist that you stop questioning this poor girl. You’re embarrassing her.’

‘I’m so sorry. It’s just that I don’t have any friends my own age and I’m very excited at meeting you and I want to know all about you. I like you, Milly. Will you be my friend?’

‘I can’t’

‘Why not?’

‘I must find me aunt.’

‘Oh.’ Jane sat back in her chair.

Milly felt sorry for this girl, who seemed to have everything but no friends. ‘I really shouldn’t be here.’

‘Why not?’ said Jane.

‘Your mother will be cross with you for picking up someone like me.’

‘Mama’s not like that. She does a lot of charity work and often looks after strays. Sorry. I didn’t mean . . . ’

‘That’s all right.’ For the first time Milly smiled. She liked this girl, and why shouldn’t she go home with her and have some breakfast? After all, she was starving, and perhaps the cook would be able to help her find Auntie Doris.

 

Milly was shocked when Walton turned and walked up a long path leading to a large house that stood alone. It had windows on both sides of pillars that held a porch, and there were steps up to a thick-looking wooden door. Walton pushed the wheelchair round the back of the house and Milly followed

‘Miss Jane, you’re back,’ said a jolly-looking woman. ‘All right, Walton, I’ll take her.’ She grabbed the chair’s handles and pushed Jane up a slope and into a bright, warm kitchen. ‘What on earth made you go out so early?’ she asked.

‘We went to feed the swans.’

‘You could have gone later.’

‘I know, but Mama wants me here to meet my new tutor.’

‘Oh yes. Miss Dance.’

Milly stood back.

‘Betty, I want you to meet my new friend. Betty, this is Milly.’

‘And where did Miss Jane find you, young lady?’

‘Betty,’ said Jane excitedly, ‘she was sleeping in the park, all on her own.’

‘Were you now?’

Milly nodded.

‘She’s looking for her aunt and we thought you might be able to help. Perhaps some of the traders might know of her. But first could you find her something to eat?’

Betty’s hair was hidden under her mob cap, which wobbled every time she spoke. Milly stared at it, fascinated.

‘Miss Jane. You know you should stop bringing waifs and strays into the house.’

‘But Milly’s nice. She’s not like that boy Philip.’ Jane turned to Milly. ‘I found him in the park and brought him back, and do you know, I thought he would be my friend, but instead he took some money and silver. Mama was furious.’ She took off her hat. Her hair was tied back with a large floppy white bow.

The kitchen door opened and in walked a very smart-looking woman. Her brown hair, greying at the sides, was piled up on top of her head. She was wearing a long dark blue frock and her tiny waist was held in with a wide leather belt. She looked very regal. ‘Jane, I told you to be back before ten. Miss Dance is waiting to meet you.’ She looked at Milly. ‘And who are you?’

‘I’m sorry, Mrs Green. Jane insisted on bringing the young lady home.’

‘Don’t worry, Walton. We haven’t time for this at the moment.’ She turned to Milly. ‘I’ll talk to you later.’ With that she pushed Jane out of the room, with Walton following.

Betty looked at Milly and said, ‘Who’s this aunt of yours, then?’

Milly could feel the heat from the large stove. On top of it stood a black kettle, its lid bobbing gently up and down.

‘You’d better take yer coat off and sit down. I expect you’d like a cuppa.’

‘Yes please.’ Milly sat on one of the chairs that matched the long deal table in the centre of this large bright room. All the chairs were the same.

‘So, tell me about yourself and this aunt.’

When the tea was put in front of Milly, she clasped her cold hands round the delicate china cup and told Betty about Doris. She was very careful what she said, as she didn’t want them to send her back home.

‘So you don’t know where she lives or what her surname is?’

Milly slowly shook her head.

‘Well that ain’t a lot to go on, is it?’

‘I know. Please don’t send me back home.’

Betty looked at the sad face. Somehow she knew that this girl must have suffered to make her run away. ‘What about your mum and dad?’

‘Me dad sometimes gets annoyed with me. Me mum’s frightened of him and just does what he says. Me little sister died a while ago.’

‘So your mum’s on her own, then?’

‘No. I’ve got six other brothers and sisters.’

Betty didn’t comment on that. She could see that this child had been put upon. Her life must have been a misery and her clothes were shabby and worn. ‘Mrs Green will be in in a mo. She’s just seeing to Jane’s new teacher.’

Milly’s face lit up. ‘Jane seems ever so nice. Why is she in a wheelchair?’

‘She can’t walk.’

‘What happened?’

‘She—’

The kitchen door opened and Mrs Green came in. ‘Now, what’s all this about?’

Once again Milly went through what she had told Betty.

‘Well, Jane certainly seems to be taken with you.’ Mrs Green smiled. ‘And she can be very persuasive. So until you find your aunt, you can stay here for a few days and keep Jane company. She needs to be with someone of her own age. First of all I expect you would like a bath, and then I’ll find you something to wear.’ She began to walk away but stopped at the door. ‘I don’t suppose you have any clothes of your own?’

Milly shook her head and clutched at her bag. She wasn’t going to show this woman her rags.

‘I’m sure Betty can find you some jobs to do while Jane has her lessons and her afternoon nap. I’ll bring in a few things of Jane’s you can wear.’

‘Thank you, Mrs Green, for letting me stay, just till I find me aunt,’ she said hurriedly. She didn’t want her to think that she would be here for ever.

‘Well that’s settled then,’ said Mrs Green, and she left the kitchen.

Betty smiled. ‘Welcome to the household.’

Milly couldn’t believe her luck. Her she was in this big house and she had a friend. She was so happy she wanted to cry.

Betty was watching her closely. She was right. This child had had a terrible life. ‘Come on, I’ll show you where the bathroom is.’

A bathroom! Milly hadn’t known that houses had bathrooms. She had always brought the tin bath from off the big hook in the yard and they all took turns on a Friday night in the same water, just adding more hot as it went cold. Her breath was almost taken away when Betty opened the door. She couldn’t believe her eyes. This beautiful room had a big deep white bath and a washbasin and a lavvy. And all this inside the house.

‘I’ll just run the bath for you.’ Betty turned a tap on a large cylinder over the bath. It made a lot of frightening noise as hot water spurted out, and Milly jumped back. ‘I’ll put some of Miss Jane’s lavender water in it, and if I was you I’d wash me hair as well. When you’ve finished, just pull the plug out and clean round the bath. I’ll show you how to do it properly later.’ Betty swished the water about, adding cold from the tap on the side of the bath. ‘There ain’t many houses that’s got this,’ she said proudly, straightening up.

Milly just stood looking wide-eyed. She had never seen anything like this before. These people must be very rich.

‘I’ll just pop along to the store cupboard and get you some of Miss Jane’s clothes she’s grown out of. They should fit you,’ Betty added, eyeing the skinny girl.

Milly was still gazing all around her when Betty came back, placing a pile of clothes on a chair. ‘There’s a clean towel.’

‘Thank you.’

When Betty had left, Milly picked up the towel and held it to her cheek. It was all fluffy and smelled of flowers, not like the thin, smelly scraps of cloth they had at home. Slowly she took off her clothes, though she left her vest on as she felt very scared and vulnerable. She looked at the door and then put one foot in the bath, before lowering herself carefully into the lovely-smelling water. She lay back and began to cry. What would Dan and Billy think if they could see her? Please God, she prayed don’t let me wake up from this wonderful dream and find meself back in the park.

I
T WAS A WHILE before Milly plucked up enough courage to take her vest off. What if someone came in? She hadn’t locked the door. Were there any men in this house? What were these people like? Her imagination started to go wild. She’d heard about the white slave market in Chinatown. Did they send Jane out to find young girls? That woman Walton said she had picked up people before. Milly suddenly felt very vulnerable sitting in a bath of water without any clothes on.

After a while she rubbed the delicious-smelling soap all over her. It was lovely. The water was beginning to get cold, so she stepped carefully out of the bath and wrapped herself in one of the large fluffy towels. As she rubbed her hair dry, she still couldn’t believe how soft it was. Home seemed a lifetime away. Would she ever see her family again? She looked at the grubby bathwater and tentatively pulled at the plug, as Betty had told her to do. When it popped out of the hole, she was terrified the water would gush out all over the floor. She stood watching it disappear. Where did it go? She got down on the floor and looked under the bath. There were a lot of pipes, so it must run away through those. She smiled and gazed around the room. It was so clean and bright. Then she inspected the clothes that Betty had placed on the chair. There was a vest, a chemise, cotton drawers and stockings, a white blouse and a dark blue overdress. She had never seen such fine clothes. When she put them on, she felt like a princess.

‘Everything all right?’

Milly jumped when, after a polite knock, the door suddenly opened.

‘Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,’ said Mrs Green. ‘Is everything all right?’ she asked again, walking into the room and looking around. ‘Betty will show you how to clean the bath properly.’

Milly felt guilty about the black tidemark round the bath. It hadn’t been there when she’d got in. ‘Sorry.’

‘Don’t worry about that now. Do you like the clothes? Jane has outgrown them.’

Milly smiled broadly. ‘Thank you. Why are you being so nice and kind to me and don’t chuck me out?’

Mrs Green smiled. ‘Don’t look so worried. You see, my daughter hasn’t any friends of her own age, and as long as she’s happy, that’s all I worry about. Now, are you pleased with those clothes? They seem to fit you just fine.’

‘I ain’t ever had such lovely things before. I’ll give ’em back before I go.’

‘It seems that Jane is really taken with you. This was her idea, so please don’t let her down.’

‘I won’t. But I must look for me aunt.’

‘Of course. Now, come along to the drawing room. Jane is waiting to see you.’

Milly was still smiling as they left the bathroom. Perhaps they didn’t want girls for the white slave market after all.

 

Milly had followed Mrs Green along the hall, and the older woman stood to one side at the open door to let her enter the room.

‘Here’s Milly,’ she said, adding, ‘I shall be back later.’

Milly walked into a beautiful room with a very high ceiling. It almost took her breath away.

‘Hello,’ said Jane, who was sitting on a multicoloured tapestry sofa. Milly could only see her pretty cream-coloured slippers, as her frock and a blanket covered her legs. ‘You look lovely. Come and sit next to me.’ Jane patted the seat.

Very cautiously Milly sat down.

‘You look very nice now, and you smell a lot better.’

‘Miss Jane,’ said Walton angrily.

‘I’m sorry, that was very rude of me.’

Milly smiled. ‘That’s all right. I was a bit smelly. And thank you letting me wear your clothes.’

‘You can keep them,’ Jane said dismissively. ‘I’ve grown out of them.’

‘Thank you,’ said Milly again. Her eyes were wide as she sank into the soft cushions on the sofa and she glanced quickly round her. She couldn’t take in all the lovely things that were in this room. There was a large fireplace with a huge warm fire burning in the grate. All sorts of interesting vases stood on the mantelpiece. Lovely pictures hung on the walls, and a long window with heavy green curtains each side tied back with silk rope looked out on to a garden. The huge clock that stood in the corner ticking loudly fascinated her; she had never seen anything like it before.

‘Now. You must tell me all about yourself and why you have run away from home.’

‘Miss Jane.’ Walton, sitting close by in an armchair made of the same material as the sofa and doing some needle work, looked up.

‘Milly doesn’t mind telling me, do you? After all, she is my best friend.’