A Moment to Remember (6 page)

Walton just gave a sigh and returned to her sewing.

Jane giggled and took hold of Milly’s hand.

‘I’m looking for me aunt,’ Milly said.

‘Yes, I know that,’ said Jane impatiently. ‘But why don’t you know her name or where she lives?’

Milly looked down at her hands. ‘Me mum wouldn’t tell me,’ she said softly.

‘But why? She must have had a reason.’

Walton stood up. ‘Miss Jane, I must ask you to stop this at once. Your mother would be very upset if she heard you interrogating this poor young girl.’

‘I just want to know all about her,’ Jane said. Her big blue-grey eyes were full of sadness. ‘I am sorry.’

‘That’s all right,’ said Milly. She didn’t want this girl to get in any trouble. After all, she had rescued her, and she must be worried about where she came from. She would tell her one day. That was, if she was allowed to stay.

 

As the afternoon wore on, Milly told Jane a little about herself, including the fact that she had six brothers and sisters.

‘You have all those?’ Jane said in amazement.

Milly nodded.

‘I wish I had more brothers, and a sister. I have one brother, Richard. He’s older than me and goes away to school. I have a tutor who comes to teach me. Miss Dance is going to teach me now because Miss Brook left to get married. Perhaps you could come to my lessons. That would be so much fun.’

Milly noticed Walton raise an eyebrow at that.

When Betty brought tea in on a tray on wheels, Milly was fascinated. She had never seen anything like that before. Walton moved a small table from the side of the room and put it in front of Jane. Everything on the tray had the same pretty mauve flower design. She poured out the tea into delicate china cups with matching saucers. Then, after arranging one of the linen napkins on Jane’s lap, she put a delicious-looking cake on a plate and placed it on the table in front of Jane.

‘Thank you, Walton,’ said Jane. ‘Please, Milly. Help yourself. Betty is a very good cook.’

Milly had noted all that Jane had done. First she took a napkin and laid it on her lap, then she watched how Jane put sugar in her tea and stirred it very gently. Milly did the same. Then she took a cake and placed it on a plate. She watched Jane when she took up a funny-looking fork that only had three prongs and began to cut her cake up and eat it. She did the same with her own cake. It was delicious. She was very nervous, and when she picked up her cup and saucer, the cup rattled. This was a whole new world for her and she loved it. What would Billy and Dan say if they could see her? And what about her father? Who would get beaten when he found she’d gone? She shuddered.

‘Are you all right?’ asked Jane. ‘Are you cold?’

‘No. Thank you. I’m all right. I was just thinking about me brothers, Billy and Dan.’

‘Tell me about them.’

‘Billy is two years younger then me, he’ll be twelve soon, and Dan is younger than Billy, he’s eleven. Then there’s Pammy and Iris . . . and Rosie and Bert.’

Jane laughed. ‘How do you manage to remember all their names?’

‘They’re me brothers and sisters.’

‘It must be lovely to have so many people around laughing and playing games together.’

Milly didn’t tell her life wasn’t like that.

 

That evening Milly sat in the kitchen with Betty while Jane, Walton and Mrs Green were having their meal. Betty had told her that Mr Green was away and that young Richard was at school.

‘Don’t he come home for his tea?’ asked Milly.

Betty smiled. ‘No. It’s at boarding school. He’s very clever,’ she said as she filled Milly’s plate. ‘Now, the Missus expects you to do a few jobs round the place.’

‘What should I do?’ This food was the best Milly had ever had, and she was stuffing her face as fast as she could.

‘Slow down a bit, girl. Nobody ain’t gonna take it away from you.’

‘Sorry, but it’s so lovely.’

‘Thank you. Now, to answer your question. I’m in charge of running things here but we have a woman, Elsie, who comes in in the mornings to do the grates and fill the coal scuttles. She does the washing as well, and you can help her with that to start with. We’ll see how long Jane puts up with you, then we can go from there.’

Milly let her spoon clatter on to the plate. ‘Does she bring home a lot of friends?’

‘They come and go. You ain’t the first. Her mother lets her have all her own way. The last one was a thief, so don’t let me catch you pinching anything, otherwise you’ll be out on yer ear before you can say boo to a goose.’

Milly felt sad. ‘I like Jane.’

‘You have to call her Miss Jane.’

‘It’s such a shame she’s in a wheelchair. What’s wrong with her?’

‘She was born like that. She can’t use her legs.’

‘Why?’

‘I dunno.’ Betty looked a bit cross. ‘And don’t you go asking her.’

‘I won’t.’

‘Now, clear this table and start the washing-up. They’ll ring when they’ve finished. I’ll collect the crocks and you can wash them up as well, and be careful, we don’t want any breakages.’

‘And you look after this big house all on your own?’

‘When the master and young Richard is away I do. But I have more help when they come back.’

‘Where’s Mr Green?’

‘Nosy little cow, ain’t yer?’

‘Sorry.’ Milly busied herself with clearing the table. That was the best meal she had ever had in her life, and she knew she had to watch her Ps and Qs if she wanted to stay for a few more days. She looked over at Betty who had settled herself down in the wooden rocking chair next to the fire and closed her eyes. She seemed a nice, friendly woman, and Milly hoped that she liked her. How old was Betty? she wondered. And why did she live here? Did she have any family, and if so, where did they live?

Milly was busy washing up and daydreaming when the sound of a bell made her jump. There were bells on a board on the wall, and each bell had the name of a room under it. Betty stood up, straightened her overall and hurriedly left the kitchen. She returned a short while later with a trolley piled high with dirty plates.

‘You start on these while I take ’em their coffee.’ With that she was off again.

Milly knew she could be very happy working here and she would do her best to please everybody. At this moment she wasn’t sure if she still wanted to find her aunt. If she behaved herself and worked hard, perhaps she would be allowed to stay here for ever. But deep down she knew this was just a dream. Things like that didn’t happen to girls like her.

O
VER THE NEXT few days Milly quickly began to fit in with Betty and Jane’s routine, and she was more than anxious to please. Elsie, who came to do the fires, was a very quiet, smiling young woman. Betty had told Milly that Elsie had four children and a husband who was very poorly. In the morning Elsie would come up to the room that Milly had been given and wake her. Milly’s room was in the attic, with a low sloping ceiling that had a window set in it, and although it was very cold, she had a bed with clean white sheets, a pillow, a warm blanket and a lovely multicoloured bedspread, and to her this was heaven. At night when she went up to bed Betty gave her a stone ginger beer bottle filled with hot water to put her feet on. Milly had never known such luxury. There was a small table in the corner of the room for her knick-knacks, not that she had any, just the brush and comb that Jane had given her. The bed was against the wall and she could stand on it and look out of the sloping window. The garden below had grass and what looked like a lot of dead trees, though Betty had told her that come spring it would look a picture. But would she be here in the spring to see it? Milly wondered She was so happy, and she often had to pinch herself to make sure this wasn’t all a wonderful dream.

After Milly had helped Elsie to clean out the fireplaces, light the fires and fill the coal scuttles, Walton, Elsie, Betty and herself would sit in the kitchen and have their breakfast, then Walton would take Jane for her walk before Miss Dance came and it was time for Jane’s lessons. Miss Dance seemed to be a nice young lady, but Jane told Milly that she was very strict.

‘I do wish Mama would let you come and have lessons with me.’

Milly just smiled. She never replied, as she didn’t want to get in the way.

After Jane had had her afternoon rest and walk, Milly always had tea with her and Walton. Milly learnt that Walton was a nurse who washed and dressed Jane and generally looked after her. During afternoon tea the girls would sit on the sofa laughing and talking while Walton read or did some sewing.

‘I am so happy you are here,’ said Jane.

‘And I’m happy I’m here.’

Jane wanted to know all about the things Milly had seen, and Milly told her about the suffragette march.

‘I’ve seen pictures of them. Richard said all the boys at school thought they were very silly women wanting the vote.’

‘They looked so nice in their white frocks and hats with their white, green and mauve sashes.’

‘But some of them have been very naughty, chaining themselves to railings and breaking windows. I believe a few of them have even gone to prison. People don’t like that sort of thing.’ Jane shuddered. ‘I couldn’t do things like that.’

Milly thought she had better get off this conversation, as she approved of women speaking up for themselves.

‘I do envy you,’ said Jane. ‘you must have led such an exciting life.’

Milly didn’t tell her about the bad times.

When the family went for their evening meal, Milly sat with Betty in the kitchen.

‘You’ve settled in very well, young lady,’ said Betty as she dished up another delicious supper.

Milly wanted to ask if she could stay a bit longer but decided against that just yet.

‘Now what about this aunt of yours? I’ve asked all the traders and they don’t know a Doris. You sure she works round here?’

‘Me brother Billy found a letter and he said the postmark was Southwark.’

‘There’s a lot of big houses round this way, or she might have just posted it here.’

‘S’pose so.’

‘Don’t look so down. I’m sure we’ll find her one day.’

At this moment Milly wasn’t so sure she wanted to.

 

A week later Milly was busy helping to prepare the vegetables for the evening meal, when Mrs Green came in. She quickly stood up.

‘Sit down, Milly.

Milly felt her legs turn to jelly. She looked at Betty, who glanced quickly away.

Mrs Green smiled and sat at the table. ‘Don’t look so worried. I just wanted to enquire if you’ve heard anything about your aunt.’

‘No. I’m sorry. Betty’s asked all the men who call but they ain’t heard of a Doris.’

‘What are you going to do?’

Milly looked down at her hands. ‘I dunno. Do you want me to go?’

‘Good heavens, no. I’ve never seen Jane so happy. No, what I’ve come to ask is whether you would like to stay here till you have news of your aunt. I’m sure Betty is keeping you busy.’

Betty smiled. ‘I can always find her jobs to do.’

‘And is Milly good at what she does?’

‘I’ve got no complaints, and Elsie said she is very willing.’

‘That’s all I wanted to hear. Milly, as you know, it’s Jane’s birthday next week, and we shall be having a lot of young ladies here. Now, I shall want you to take their coats and put them into Jane’s room.

‘Betty, when we’ve got over the birthday, we must discuss Easter. Richard will be here, of course, so there will be extra work. And Milly, Jane will have more free time, so I hope you’ll be able to keep her amused. Do you think you could manage to take her out sometimes, just round the outside of the house and in the garden? She needs some fresh air every day. Walton will go to her family for a few days and she will teach you how to control the wheelchair before she goes.’

Although she was disappointed at not joining Jane’s birthday party, Milly wanted to jump up and throw her arms round this lady. This was the best news she could have heard. She was going to be here for Easter and spend more time with Jane. She couldn’t believe her luck, and she hoped she’d never find Auntie Doris.

The day of the party arrived, and Jane looked lovely in her new dress and hair ribbon.

‘I wish you could come in to the party,’ said Jane. ‘I told Mama that you’re not a servant, you’re my friend, but she was worried that you might feel a little intimidated by her friends’ daughters.’

In many ways Mrs Green was right. When Milly took the young ladies’ coats, they looked her up and down and she knew they were laughing at her as they walked into the drawing room.

When she got into the kitchen she said to Betty, ‘They look like a right lot of stuck-up cows.’

‘Milly, kindly watch your language.’

Milly blushed and looked at her feet. ‘I’m sorry, but they do.’