A Mother's Courage (34 page)

As she set off in the direction of Guildford
Street, Eloise felt more alone than she had for a
long time. But it was a glorious autumn day, and
it was hard to be sad when the sun was shining
and the rain which had come in the night had
done much to wash the grime from the streets
and dilute the stench of horse dung and overfull
sewers. Soon the November gales would strip
the leaves from the trees and there would be fog
and frost to contend with. Life in the Foundling
Hospital was far from ideal, but at least they
were warm, well fed and safe from the prying
eyes of Pike and the machinations of Hilda
Cribb. If her arithmetic was correct, her parents
were due home on leave in less than eighteen
months, and there would be a joyful reunion. If
Papa felt that he had done his duty, maybe he
could be persuaded to accept a country parish
and then Mama would be able to see her
grandchildren growing up and Janet would be
able to spoil them as she had spoiled Eloise.

She was smiling at the thought and without
realising it she had quickened her pace arriving
back at the Foundling Hospital much earlier than
she had intended. It was an hour until the
children's teatime, and now it was an established
routine that she went to help Phoebe when her
day's work was done. Whether or not the
governor had had words with Miss Marchant on
the subject, Eloise did not know, but if Matron
knew about it, she turned a blind eye. As she
entered through the gates, Eloise glanced automatically
up at the windows of the governor's
house, and she thought she saw a small child
peering out. She smiled and waved but the little
girl merely stared at her and then turned her
head, as if someone in the room had summoned
her away from the window. It occurred to Eloise
at that moment that Maria Caine must be a lonely
child. She had no mother to care for her and no
siblings to play with. Her father was preoccupied
with his job and she had had a
succession of nannies who could not cope with
her bad behaviour. A wave of sympathy washed
over Eloise and she found herself wishing that
she could do something to help the spoilt but
unhappy little girl. She stopped to admire a deep
crimson rose with petals that looked as though
they were made of velvet. Just as she bent her
head to inhale its sweet scent, she caught a movement
out of the corner of her eye and turned her
head to see Annie standing in the middle of the
lawn with her arms outstretched and a look of
delight transforming her plain features.

'Mum,' Annie shrieked. 'You've come. It's me,
your Annie.'

Eloise looked round and realised with a shock
that they were alone in the gardens and Annie
was racing towards her with an expression of
pure joy on her face, which was wiped away as
she drew close and replaced by a look of puzzlement.
'Ellie! Is it really you? I thought – I mean,
the sun was behind you and in me eyes – I
thought for a moment that she had come for me.'

'Oh, my dear Annie. I am so sorry, it's just me.'
Eloise held out her arms and Annie ran into
them, hugging her round the waist and then she
pulled away, wiping her eyes on her sleeve.

'Silly me. I dunno what come over me. But it's
good to see you, Ellie. Where've you been all this
time?'

Eloise slipped her arm around Annie's thin
shoulders. 'It's a long story, but I am so happy to
see you again. Come and sit down and I'll
explain, and you must tell me what has been
happening to you at Mrs King's.'

'Oh, her!' Annie said, wrinkling her snub nose.
'She never changes. She's still a mean old cow
and I hates her. If me mum don't come and find
me soon I think I'll run away from Nile Street
and take me chances somewhere else. I might
even go on one of them big ships to Canada or
Australia. I'll bet there's plenty of work there for
girls like me.'

Acting on a sudden whim, Eloise plucked the
damask rose and gave it to Annie. She grinned
with pleasure and buried her face in the soft
petals. That smells so good. It's how I imagine
me mum will smell when she comes to find me.
I'm sure she will come one day, and perhaps
we'll get on that ship together.'

'That's a happy thought,' Eloise said, not
wanting to spoil Annie's impossible dream.

'She will come for me. I know she will.'

Eloise smiled. 'I hope so, Annie. Let's sit down
for a while and you can tell me what's been
happening to you.'

'Never mind me. I'm dying to know what's
been going on. And where are the little 'uns? I
ain't going until you've told me everything.'

They sat on a bench in the sunshine and Eloise
talked while Annie listened in wide-eyed silence.
When Eloise had finished, Annie blew her nose
noisily on a corner of her pinafore. 'Well I never
did. And now you're living in here,' she jerked
her head towards the hospital building, 'just like
I did, and no one knows that the nippers belong
to you. Why, it's my story all over again.'

'It is, almost, and you must never give up hope,
Annie. Sometimes it's all we have to keep us
going.' Eloise paused at the sound of childish
laughter and her attention was diverted by the
sight of Maria Caine skipping towards them
along the path. Caine strode along behind her
and he called out to Maria, but she ignored him
and ran up to Eloise, stopping in front of her with
her hands clasped behind her back.

'I saw you from the window,' she said conversationally.
'And you smiled at me. You looked
nice and I wanted to speak to you, so I made
Papa bring me out into the gardens.'

Eloise rose to her feet, meeting Caine's stern
gaze with an apologetic smile. 'I'm sorry, sir. I
didn't mean to distract your daughter from her
lessons.'

Caine tipped his hat. 'That would not be
difficult, since Maria has just sent her latest
governess into a fit of hysterics. I think we will
find that Miss Trinder has her notice written out
by the time we return to the house.'

Maria looked up at him with a mischievous
grin. 'But I don't like her, Papa. And she makes
me sit still and stitch my sampler all afternoon
when I want to come out and play.'

'It is all part of your education, young lady,'
Caine said with a reluctant smile. 'And I have
work to do.'

Eloise stared at him, fascinated by the change
that a smile wrought in his set countenance. 'I
still have half an hour left, sir. I would be happy
to look after Maria until teatime. Perhaps she
could come to the nursery and take tea with us.
She could help to feed the babies if she wishes.'

Maria jumped up and down, clapping her
hands. 'Oh, Papa. May I? That sounds so much
more fun than practising embroidery stitches. I
hate sewing and I hate Miss Trinder.'

Caine's smile turned into a frown, and the lines
between his eyes deepened. 'I have an important
meeting, which I left at Miss Trinder's request,
Maria. I am not sure that you deserve to be let off
your lessons.'

Maria clutched his hand and held it to her
cheek. 'Please, Papa. I promise to be good if you
will only let me stay with this person.' She
turned to Eloise, angling her blonde head. 'I
don't know who you are.'

'I am Ellen. I work in the Foundling Hospital,
and this is my friend, Annie.'

Maria gave Annie a cursory glance and did not
look impressed. She reached out to grasp Eloise's
hand. 'You will look after me, won't you, Ellen?
Then Papa can get back to his silly old meeting
and I can help look after the babies. I'm never
allowed into the hospital to play with the
children, but I can see them from my window
and I can hear them laughing when they are
allowed out to play.'

'I will look after her, sir,' Eloise promised,
squeezing Maria's hand.

'Very well,' Caine said reluctantly. 'I must get
back to the meeting, but I'll have words with you
later, Maria. And you be good, or Miss Monk will
tell me and you will be punished.'

Annie nudged Maria with her elbow. 'I'd be
good if I was you, young 'un. He looks like he
means business.'

Eloise cast a nervous glance at Caine, thinking
that he might take offence at Annie's careless
remark, but she saw to her surprise that his lips
twitched, although he managed to keep a
straight face as he regarded Annie. 'Is that rose
from this garden, young woman?'

Annie whipped it behind her back. 'I never
took it, guv. It weren't me. I don't steal.'

'It's all right, Annie,' Eloise said, patting her on
the shoulder. 'It was me, Mr Caine. I couldn't
resist picking it and I gave it to Annie.'

'Do you like roses, Miss Monk?'

Eloise nodded. 'Who doesn't? They are everything
that anyone could wish for in a flower.'

'Quite so.' Caine cleared his throat and turned
his attention to Maria. 'I will allow you to stay
with Miss Monk, but only on condition that you
behave yourself, young lady.'

'I will, Papa. I promise.' Maria threw herself at
him and he patted her on the head, as if she were
an over-boisterous puppy, then he turned on his
heel and strode away along the path and out of
the gardens.

'He didn't remember me,' Annie said with a
note of disappointment in her voice. 'But then
why would he? I was just one of the many, as I
am now. No one notices a foundling child.'

'Well, that's just not true,' Eloise said firmly. 'I
noticed you from the start, Annie. You have a
personality all of your own and when you are
grown up you will be a very striking young
woman. You are brave and you are loyal, and I
am proud to have you as a friend.'

Annie's small face crumpled up and she
covered her face with her pinafore. 'No one's
never said nothing so nice to me before.'

'Why are you crying, girl?' Maria demanded.
'Are you a bit simple?'

'Hush, Maria,' Eloise said, shaking her head.
'Of course Annie isn't simple. She has not had
your advantages in life, that is all. Now you
wanted to play in the gardens, so you'd better
enjoy it while you can. It will soon be time to go
indoors.'

Maria skipped off, running round the gardens
like a small white butterfly.

'I ain't simple,' Annie sniffed. 'I ain't.'

'Of course not,' Eloise said, giving her a hug.
'Maria is just six years old. She doesn't know
what she's saying.'

'She needs a spanking,' Annie muttered.

Now where have I heard that before? Eloise
thought wryly. Perhaps she does need a firm
hand, but maybe she just needs an outward
display of affection, and that seems to be something
sadly lacking in her father.

As the shadows began to lengthen, Annie
departed for Nile Street, promising to return
again on her next afternoon off, and Eloise took
Maria into the hospital. They went straight to the
nursery where Phoebe was at first aghast to think
that the governor's daughter was going to join
them for tea, and then when she grew accustomed
to the idea, she admitted grudgingly that
perhaps it wouldn't do any harm. The older
infants seemed delighted to have Maria's attention
and Joss in particular appeared to have
taken quite a fancy to her. As Eloise watched
them playing together, she wished that Mr Caine
could see the change in his daughter, from spoilt
brat to happy, well-behaved child.

Eloise was helping Phoebe to clear the table
and Maria was organising the toddlers into a
game of her own making when the door opened
and Caine strolled in. He paused, taking in the
scene with a look of astonishment on his face.
Maria was so busy that she had not noticed her
father's arrival. Phoebe snapped to attention, but
Eloise continued to stack the dirty crockery onto
a tray ready to take back to the kitchen. Beth had
been allowed to join in the game, although she
was still finding her feet and could only take a
few steps before losing her balance. She chose
this moment to take a tumble and began to howl
dismally. Maria was at her side in an instant and
she went down on her knees to give Beth a
cuddle.

'Maria. It's time to come home,' Caine said in a
stern voice.

'Not now, Papa. I'm busy.'

Eloise bit her lip to prevent herself from
laughing out loud. Phoebe sucked in her breath,
eyeing Caine nervously, but he seemed
unperturbed.

'Now, Maria. Mrs Dean has your tea ready on
the table.'

'I've had tea with the babies, Papa. Now we're
playing a game and must not be disturbed.' Maria
turned her back on her father and she took Joss by
the hand. 'Come along, boy. I am your mother and
we are going to the market to buy some apples.'

Eloise could see that this was going to turn into
a contest between father and daughter and
would inevitably end in tears. She hitched Beth
onto her hip and stepped in between Maria and
Joss. 'I think that the market will be closed now,
Maria. Say goodnight to Joss and perhaps your
father will allow you to come and play with him
tomorrow.'

Maria stared up at her, pouting ominously,
with her fair eyebrows drawn into a scowl so like
her father's that again Eloise wanted to laugh, but
she managed to control the impulse and she met
Maria's angry gaze with a calm smile. 'I'm afraid
he won't allow it if you disobey him, Maria. And
Joss would be disappointed if you could not
continue the game tomorrow afternoon.'

Caine made a move towards his daughter, but
Eloise turned to him with a slight shake of her
head and he hesitated. For a moment it seemed
that Maria was going to argue, but then she held
her hand out to her father with a beguiling smile.
'May I come here tomorrow, Papa? I have been a
good help, haven't I, Ellen?'

'You have indeed,' Eloise said solemnly. 'I
don't know how Phoebe and I would have
managed without you.'

'You see, Papa,' Maria said, beaming. 'I am a
good girl sometimes.'

Caine took her hand and he smiled down at
her. 'I am very glad to hear it, and if you
continue to be good you may come here
providing that it doesn't upset the running of
the nursery.'