A Place Called Home (20 page)

‘I suppose you're putting yourself forward for the position of adviser and protector, are you?'

Bertie broke away from his uncle, facing up to Piers like a bare-knuckle fighter. ‘Leave Bram be. He's a soldier and he could beat you hands down.'

Bram grinned, hugging Vicky and Maggie, who were clinging to him as if they would never let go. ‘Thanks, Bertie, but I can handle this. Why don't you take your sisters downstairs? I'll join you in a minute.'

‘I'm not leaving you,' Bertie said stoutly. ‘Lucy needs us.'

‘I'm more than capable of standing up for myself.' Lucy's smile faded as she turned to give Piers a steady look. ‘I'm grateful to you for your concern, but I've made my decision, just as you made yours to break off our engagement.' She held up her hand as he opened his mouth to protest. ‘I know it was unofficial, but I think you were right. We wouldn't have suited.'

‘Perhaps I was too hasty,' Piers said, casting a sideways glance in Bram's direction. ‘I've had time to think it over since then.'

‘It wasn't to be. But Dora and I are still friends.'

‘I did so want you for a sister-in-law.' Dora dabbed her eyes on a lace-trimmed handkerchief. ‘I'm so disappointed, and it's all your fault, Piers.'

‘Don't be a baby,' he said impatiently. ‘I don't think there's any more I can accomplish here. We'll wait for the carriage to return and then we'll be on our way.'

Lucy held her hand out to the children. ‘Why don't you go outside and help Franklin bring in the things we brought from Albemarle Street. Cook sent cake and all manner of treats for you.'

Bertie made for the door. ‘Give us a hand, Bram.' He opened it and a gust of foul air wafted in from the street.

Vicky tugged at her uncle's coat sleeve. ‘Come on.'

‘Yes, please help us,' Maggie added, gazing up at Bram with adoring eyes.

He laughed and ruffled her hair. ‘All right, and then you can show me round the house. That's if Lucy doesn't mind.'

‘Go ahead,' she said, smiling.

‘Well, really. You'd think the fellow owned the place,' Piers muttered as Bram ushered the children outside.

Lucy had a sudden desire to giggle, but she managed to keep a straight face. ‘Don't look so disapproving. The children only recently lost their mother. It's wonderful to see them happy again.'

‘Of course it is,' Dora said firmly. ‘We've just come at a bad time, but we'll call again when you're more settled. Won't we, Piers?'

He nodded reluctantly. ‘I don't like leaving you here, Lucy. You're worth better than this.'

‘I'm no stranger to this part of London or this way of life,' Lucy said calmly. ‘I'm not the young lady you thought I was. It's a thin veneer, and beneath it I'm still the girl who used to pick pockets when we were desperate for food. I wouldn't have been the meek and mild wife you wanted, Piers. I'm my mother's daughter and I don't pretend to be anything else.' She stood aside as Bram re-entered the house, hefting a large box in his arms, closely followed by the children and Franklin, who was staggering beneath a pile of bedding.

‘The carriage has returned, Piers,' Dora said urgently. ‘We should leave now.' She gave Lucy a hug. ‘I'll see you soon, and if you need anything you just have to ask.'

Lucy saw them to the door and stood for a moment, watching them climb into their carriage. Piers did not look back and for some reason that hurt. Not so long ago she had imagined herself to be in love with him, and despite her brave words he still inhabited a small place in her heart. They had shared happy times: riding in the park, dancing the night away at society balls, trips to the theatre and extravagant dinner parties in elegant houses. She had been a lady then, or so she had believed. Now she was not so sure.

‘Are you all right, Lucy?'

She spun round to see Bram standing behind her. She forced her lips into a smile. ‘Indeed I am. This is the beginning of my new life, and I'm glad you're here to share it with me.'

He took her hand in his. ‘Were you in love with him?'

‘I thought I was, but I realise now that I was mistaken.'

‘Are you sure? He obviously has deep feelings for you or he wouldn't have come here and made such a fuss.'

She squeezed his fingers. ‘That's just his way. Piers likes to be in control and I've slipped through the net. He'll get over it and find an heiress who can help him in his career. He'll forget all about me.'

‘Bram.' Bertie thrust the baize door open and beckoned frantically. ‘Come and get some cake before the girls eat it all, and then I want to show you my room. I've got one all to myself.'

Lucy and Bram exchanged amused glances, and she slipped her hand through the crook of his arm. ‘This is what matters,' she said softly. ‘Looking after family is what's really important.'

He laid his hand on hers. ‘I'll do anything I can to help you find yours, Lucy. That's a promise.'

Bram left his temporary lodgings and to the delight of the children and Hester he moved into one of the many spare rooms in Lucy's house, which she said was to be kept solely for him. He had a few days' leave remaining and he put all his energy into helping to make the house more habitable. With Bertie's help he put up curtain poles and mended broken windows; between them they cleared the back yard and cleaned the privy, making it less of a health hazard. Hester and Lucy worked tirelessly in the house, aided by Mary and Dot. Franklin and Tapper brought more cleaning materials, cooking pots and crockery from the house in Albemarle Street, but Lucy insisted on taking only the things that Linus would not miss. She did not want to be accused of taking what was rightfully his.

At the end of the week she said her goodbyes to the servants, most of whom had found positions in households elsewhere, although some of the younger ones were going home to their parents until they found new jobs. Bedwin moved into a small room on the ground floor in Leman Street, which Lucy had taken pains to make comfortable for him. His few personal possessions had been brought from Albemarle Street, including the threadbare armchair from the servants' hall in which he had spent many evenings sitting by the fire while he waited to be summoned above stairs by the jangling of a bell. Lucy did not think Linus would be interested in the fate of a saggy, tapestry-covered piece of furniture in much need of renovation, and she resolved to have it reupholstered when funds allowed.

Peckham had already taken up residence and was now a firm favourite with Vicky and Maggie. He had assumed the role of ratcatcher in chief, and by the end of the first week he had killed several large rodents and the rest had apparently fled. The mice retired behind the skirting boards and Bram came home one afternoon with a suspicious bulge in his jacket pocket. Vicky pounced on him, demanding to know if it was the present he had promised, and both she and Maggie uttered cries of delight when a tiny ginger head popped up, followed by the fluffy body of a kitten. Bram handed him gently to Vicky. ‘He's very young, just old enough to leave his mother, so you must look after him and make sure he has plenty to eat. You'll have to house-train him and keep him free from fleas.'

‘We will,' Vicky cried ecstatically. She turned to Lucy with a persuasive smile. ‘May we keep him, Lucy? Please?'

‘Of course,' Lucy said, laughing as the kitten scrambled up Vicky's arm to nuzzle her cheek. ‘And when he's fully grown I'm sure he'll be a good mouser.'

Bram leaned over and brushed Lucy's cheek with a kiss. ‘Thank you.'

‘What for?'

‘Thank you for being a wonderful woman and giving us a home. It was a good day for us when Linus brought you to the cottage in the forest.'

Hester looked up from stirring a pan of stew on the newly fitted range. ‘It was so, Bram. I don't know what we'd have done if Lucy hadn't come to our rescue. I think we'd have ended up in the workhouse.'

‘Stop,' Lucy cried, clapping her hands to her flaming cheeks. ‘You're making me blush.'

‘It's time I did something for you.' Bram smiled down at her. ‘Get your bonnet and shawl. I've been doing a bit of detective work and I think I've found someone who might be able to help you in your search for your grandmother.'

‘Really? Who?'

‘You told me about the people you knew as a child, and your description of Carlos stuck in my mind. I found him in a pub near the old rag market, and he'll be there still with a bit of luck. If we're quick we might catch him.'

Carlos was seated in the ingle nook with a pint of porter on the table in front of him, and judging by the rosiness of his cheeks it was not his first drink that day. Lucy spotted him through a haze of tobacco smoke and made her way between the crowded tables. ‘Carlos, is it really you?'

He was considerably plumper than she remembered, and his black hair was now streaked with silver, as was his moustache, which had lost none of its bushiness. He stared up at her with a blank expression. ‘I'm sorry, miss. Do I know you?'

She sat down opposite him. ‘I'm Lucy Pocket. I'm Eva's granddaughter.'

‘Eva Pocket.' He smiled tipsily. ‘Now who could forget that woman?' He narrowed his eyes, peering at her short-sightedly. ‘You're grown up, but I do recall a little girl with a mass of golden curls and a cheeky face. Is it really you?'

She smiled and leaned over to pat his hand as it rested on the table top. ‘Yes, I'm Lucy, and I'm searching for my nan. Have you seen her recently?' She hardly dared to breathe, watching him closely as his slow mental processes mulled over the possible answers.

He was still thinking when Bram made his way towards them carrying two tankards, which he placed on the table. ‘Is this your man, Lucy?'

‘Who are you?' Carlos demanded, coming back to life with a start. ‘I don't remember you, cully.'

‘This is my friend Bram,' Lucy said hastily.

Carlos narrowed his eyes, taking in Bram's uniform. ‘You're a hussar,' he muttered. ‘Good at horsemanship, are you, mate?'

‘I can ride well enough. Can I get you a drink?'

‘Now that's uncommon civil of you. I was trained by the great Pablo Fanque; you'll have heard of him, of course. In my youth I was in his circus troupe.'

Bram nodded. ‘I know he was a great horseman, but I never saw him perform.'

‘He's been dead these ten years, but he's still a circus legend.' Carlos took a swig of his drink. ‘Anyway, ta for asking. I'll have a pint of porter and a meat pie. Haven't eaten since breakfast.'

‘My pleasure, sir.' Bram left them and returned to the bar.

‘Is he your man, Lucy? Fine fellow, that.'

‘He's just a friend, Carlos. He's helping me to look for my grandmother. Have you seen her recently?' Lucy tried to sound unconcerned but her heart was racing.

‘Saw her with Abe some time ago. Can't say when exactly. Memory's going, Lucy. Old age is catching up with me. You wouldn't think that once I was a top act at Astley's.' He took another sip of his drink. ‘That was before Lord George Sanger bought it, of course. That was a sad day for me, but all those memories are fading into nothing.'

‘I'm sorry to hear that,' Lucy said softly. ‘But you might be able to help me find Eva. Do you know the whereabouts of her friend Abe? Perhaps he can help me?'

‘Abe,' Carlos mused, staring into space. ‘He died some months back. Found in a pool of blood with a knife through the heart. Daresay he deserved it, the old devil. He'll be stoking the fires of hell for eternity.'

Lucy stared at him in horror. ‘Do they know who did it?'

Carlos shook his head. ‘He weren't a popular fellow. There's many who will be happy to see the back of him.' He finished his drink, wiping his mouth on his sleeve. ‘Where's that young man of yours? I'm starving.' He took a small comb from his pocket and ran it through his moustache, finishing off the procedure by licking his fingers and twirling the ends into sharp points. ‘Ah, I see him coming. Just in time too. I was about to perish from hunger.'

Bram wended his way back to them with another pint mug and a pie on a tin plate. ‘There you are, sir. Eat and enjoy.' He sat down beside Lucy. ‘Any luck?'

She shook her head. ‘I'm afraid not.' She pushed the tankard towards Carlos. ‘I'm not keen on beer. You have it, Carlos, and if you should see Eva Pocket, please tell her that Lucy is looking for her. She'll find me at Pilgrim House, Leman Street.'

Carlos nodded, rendered speechless as he stuffed pie into his mouth, washing it down with gulps of ale.

Bram downed his drink. ‘Shall we go, Lucy?' He pushed back his chair and stood up.

‘Yes, there's no point in staying now.' Struggling against an overwhelming feeling of disappointment, she rose to her feet and was about to walk away when Carlos caught her by the sleeve. ‘Pearl might know,' he said thickly. ‘She's still around.'

‘Thank you, Carlos. I'd almost forgotten Pearl.' Lucy leaned over and kissed his whiskery cheek before hurrying after Bram. She caught him up on the pavement outside. ‘Hairbrine Court,' she said breathlessly.

He stared at her as if she had gone mad. ‘What?'

‘Hairbrine Court. It's where Pearl had lodgings. She was Granny's friend and she might know something.'

‘Then that's where we'll go. Is it far?'

‘No. It's quite near.'

The door opened a crack and Lucy could just make out an eye and a mop of untidy brown hair. ‘Who's there?'

‘I'm looking for Pearl Sykes. I believe she lodges here,' Lucy said boldly.

‘Never heard of her.' The door was about to close but Bram put his foot over the threshold.

‘She did live here ten years ago,' Lucy insisted.

The door opened to reveal a young, slatternly woman. A small child clung to her dirty skirts and she had a baby hitched over her shoulder like a small sack of washing. ‘Ten years?' The words came out on a bark of laughter. ‘I was just a nipper then. How d'you expect me to remember that far back?'