Cinderella Sister (7 page)

‘Assuming that one day you will marry a man who has a respectable profession and can keep you in a reasonable style,’ Nell had told the nine-year-old Lily. ‘You will be able to ensure that your cook-general does not cheat you and you will be able to work out your household expenses.’

That had been while they were still reasonably prosperous. Grandpa had not yet retired and Pa had still been alive. Lily felt tears welling up in her eyes and she blinked them away. It was unlikely that any of them would marry into the professional classes now. She could see herself ending up as housekeeper to a well-off family since that was all she knew. She leaned over to smooth the counterpane and her fingers strayed to touch the Frenchman’s hair. It was thick and luxuriant and most probably had a slight wave when it was not slicked with sweat. She had had to force herself to enter his room, but now she left him with the greatest reluctance. She would have been happy to sit at his bedside, waiting for him to open his eyes once again, but there was work to do downstairs and she would be in terrible trouble if she neglected her duties.

She spent the rest of the morning in the kitchen heating flat irons on the range before putting them to use. The kitchen was filled with steam and the scent of the freshly laundered linen that had dried outside in the frosty winter air. She had made potato starch which she used to ensure a glassy sheen on the sheets, collars and cuffs. Working feverishly to make up for lost time, Lily had almost completed her Herculean task when Aggie returned from market.

‘I thought you would have finished this ages ago,’ Aggie said, frowning as she made a space between the neat piles of clean garments to set the heavy wicker basket down on the kitchen table. ‘You’ll have to shift everything out of here so that I can start preparing dinner.’

‘I’m going as fast as I can,’ Lily protested. ‘I’ve had to keep an eye on the Frenchman as well as do my chores.’

‘Foreigners are nothing but trouble, if you ask me.’ Aggie took off her bonnet and shawl and hung them on a peg by the door. ‘But the Lord tells us to look after the halt and the lame and so I bought an oxtail. It will make a nice stew for the family and the fellow upstairs can sup the broth. In the old days I would have made some calves’ foot jelly, but that was then and this is now.’

Lily placed the last few garments on the airer and pulleyed it into place above the range so that the sheets, pillowcases and shirts dangled above them in the rising warm air. ‘There,’ she said with a sigh of satisfaction. ‘That’s done for another week. Lord, how I wish we could afford a scullery maid.’

‘Don’t take the Lord’s name in vain, girl,’ Aggie said sternly. ‘You aren’t too old to feel the back of the wooden spoon across your knuckles.’

Lily backed away as Aggie reached for her weapon of choice. Lily knew only too well what it felt like to be at the receiving end of the spoon wielded by an angry Aggie, and she had seen her brothers with tears in their eyes after receiving a smart rap on the head. Only Matt and Grandpa were exempt from such punishment, and of course Nell, who never put a foot wrong and, in Aggie’s eyes at least, was well on her way to sainthood.

Lily snatched up the remaining garments, which would be hung over a clothes horse in front of the parlour fire. ‘I’ll just see to these and then I’ll check on Grandpa and the Frenchman.’

‘If the doctor comes calling, don’t let him anywhere near my kitchen,’ Aggie said, tipping the contents of her basket onto the table. ‘If that man gets a whiff of stewing oxtail we’ll never get rid of him. And there’s no brandy left, so he’ll have to go elsewhere to get his tipple.’

‘Yes, Aggie.’ Lily hastened from the room and made her way to the parlour where she lit the fire. Having draped the laundered garments over the clothes horse, she went to check on her grandfather. He was at his usual place by the window, peering at the river traffic through a spyglass. ‘Do you need anything, Grandpa?’

He turned to glare at her. ‘I’ve been forgotten as usual. Where was my morning tea? I rang the bell but no one came. I suppose you were mooning over that damned foreigner upstairs.’

‘I was doing the ironing, Grandpa. But I’ll fetch you a cup of tea now.’

‘Too late, the moment has passed. I’m famished and I want my midday meal. I know the old besom has returned from market. I saw her through the window not ten minutes ago, so I know there’s food in the house. I have a fancy for bread and cheese and a couple of pickled onions. Oh, and a pint of strong ale would go down nicely.’ He thrust his hand into his pocket and drew out a leather pouch from which he produced a silver threepenny bit. ‘Take this, but I want the change.’

‘Yes, Grandpa. I’ll be as quick as I can, but I’ve got to check on the poor fellow upstairs before I go out.’

His bushy eyebrows drew together in a scowl. ‘Never mind him. I want my ale now.’ His expression softened and he bared the few teeth he had left in a smile.
‘Be a good girl for your poor old grandpa, Lil. I need some sustenance or I’ll like as not pass out with hunger and thirst.’

She shook her head, smiling. ‘You’re an old fraud, Grandpa. You like people to think you’re a fierce old thing, but I know different.’

‘Get on with you, girl. You’re a sight too much like your ma for your own good.’

‘Not me, Grandpa. It’s Molly who is the spitting image of Ma.’

‘No, you’re wrong there, Lil. You’re the artistic one, and don’t try to deny it. I’ve seen you outside on the wall doing your drawings of the river. It don’t matter what Matt or Nell say; it’s in your blood and you can’t do anything about it.’

‘I’ll go to the pub and fetch your ale, Grandpa.’

She was halfway down the path when she saw Matt striding towards the house. He had a purposeful look on his face and a set to his jaw that made her suddenly anxious. ‘Is anything wrong, Matt?’

He thrust the garden gate open and walked past her, making his way to the front door. ‘Not exactly, but we’ve got to do something about the Frenchman.’

Forgetting all about the ale, she followed him into the house. ‘Why? What’s happened?’

Matt paused, turning to stare down at her with a worried frown. ‘The padre at the mission can speak French and he acted as translator so that I could question the sailors from the wrecked vessel.’

‘Don’t keep me in suspense,’ Lily said breathlessly. ‘What did they say?’

‘To be honest I couldn’t get much sense out of them as to how they managed to ground the ship or how the fire broke out, but I did find out who we’ve been harbouring in the attic.’

Lily’s heart sank. ‘Don’t tell me he’s a criminal on the run.’

‘No such thing. His name is Armand Labrosse and his father owns a fleet of merchant ships. They are an old and much respected French family and we have the fellow sleeping in the attic with the bats, rats and a leaking roof.’

‘I knew it,’ Lily breathed, hardly able to contain her excitement. ‘I had a feeling he was someone special.’

‘Never mind that. We must make the chap comfortable. Light a fire in Grandpa’s old bedroom, and make up the bed. We must move Monsieur Labrosse before he comes to and finds himself in the attic.’

Lily frowned. ‘You thought the room was good enough for an ordinary sailor.’

‘Well it’s not good enough for the son of a rich and powerful man. I could lose my job over this, and if Monsieur Labrosse senior complained to the London Dock Company we would find ourselves out on the street.’

‘But why? I don’t understand.’

‘There are reasons. Just do as I say, Lily, and make up the bed in Grandpa’s old room. Our whole future depends on this.’

‘Haven’t you finished yet, Lily?’ Matt stood in the doorway of the bedroom where their grandfather had slept until his rheumaticky legs made it impossible for him to climb the stairs. ‘It doesn’t look very welcoming. What in heaven’s name have you been doing all this time?’

‘I’ve done my best,’ she said defensively. ‘I can’t help it if everything is old and shabby, but at least it’s clean and warm. I’ve just got to finish making the bed and then you can bring him down.’ Matt’s impatient tone and critical words were hurtful, especially when she had tried so hard to do as he asked. She had cleaned the grate, which had been filled with soot, seagulls’ feathers and crumbling pieces of the chimney stack, and she had managed to get the fire going after several unsuccessful attempts. Not only that, but she had taken the rugs out into the yard and beaten them until her arms ached, and she was now making up the bed with the freshly laundered sheets. Someone would have to go without clean bedlinen for another week at least. To make matters worse, Grandpa’s room was directly below and she could hear his bell clanging impatiently as he waited for his midday meal and ale. She shot a resentful glance at
her brother. ‘You’re being very unfair, Matt. I can’t work miracles.’

‘I didn’t mean to criticise you, Lil,’ Matt said in a gentler tone. ‘I can see that you’ve worked hard, but I want our friend upstairs to be comfortable. He’ll need more pillows for a start, so you’d best take them off the boys’ beds. They won’t notice the difference.’

‘I wouldn’t bet on it.’ Lily sniffed as she plumped up the bolster and laid it across the bed. ‘I’ll do it, but I’m not taking the blame when they find out.’

‘Don’t worry about that. I’ll deal with them.’ Matt strolled over to the window and tugged at one of the curtains, sending a shower of dust onto the windowsill and causing a jagged tear in the moth-eaten material. ‘We must have something better than this.’

Lily smoothed the counterpane and straightened up, holding her hand to her aching back. ‘That’s Nell’s department, Matt. You’ll have to ask her.’

‘I will, as soon as she gets home.’ He turned to her with a grateful smile. ‘You’ve done well, Lily. I know it’s an almost impossible task, but saving young Labrosse might be the answer to all our problems.’

‘What problems?’ Lily stared at him nonplussed. ‘You said that before. Can’t you tell me what’s wrong?’

‘It’s nothing for you to worry your head about, Lil. Let’s just say that Labrosse’s father is an important man, and I’ve just found out that he has shares in the dock company.’

‘I don’t understand. What has that to do with us?’

He was silent for a moment, eyeing her speculatively.
‘If I tell you something will you promise not to mention a word of it to the others?’

‘Cross my heart and hope to die,’ Lily said, making the appropriate sign with her hand.

‘This is strictly between the two of us, but I’m hoping that a word in the right quarter from an influential man like Labrosse’s father might give us more time to find other accommodation.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ Shocked and startled, Lily stared at him in horror.

‘Leave it at that, Lily. No one knows a thing about this, except Nell.’

‘What don’t they know? You’re scaring me, Matt.’

‘To put it in a nutshell, the dock company have given us notice to quit the house. I’ve only just found out about it myself, but they’ve written several times to Grandpa and he’s ignored the letters. We’ve got until the end of the year and then we’re out.’

‘I don’t understand. I thought that Grandpa had the house for the rest of his natural.’

‘So did I, but it seems the new dockmaster isn’t happy with his present accommodation and this house should be his by rights. The dock manager called me into his office, and it seems that the original arrangement with Grandpa, which he neglected to mention, was that he could have this house for a period of five years after his retirement. That time will be up at the end of December.’

Lily could hardly believe her ears. ‘There must have been some mistake. Did you ask Grandpa?’

‘Of course I did, but he went off in one of his rages
and denied ever receiving any letters from the dock company. He seemed to think that it was a plot by some unknown enemy to humiliate him. I’m afraid he’s going a bit doolally.’

Lily sank down on the edge of the bed. ‘I know he’s a bit odd at times, but he’s not out of his mind.’

‘I think Pa’s death affected him more than he would admit. I know he loves the old house but unless a miracle happens we’ll have to leave. The dock manager made it perfectly clear that he wants us out, which is why I was hoping that Labrosse senior might be persuaded to put in a good word for us, and at least give me more time to find somewhere suitable for us to live.’

‘And what if he can’t or won’t help us?’

‘We can only hope that he’ll be grateful to us for looking after his son, which is why we must put in every effort to pamper the fellow.’

‘But if the worst happens, where will we go, Matt?’

‘I’ll find somewhere. If all else fails there are a couple of rooms to let above the shop next door to the fire station.’ Matt moved swiftly to her side and ruffled her hair. ‘Don’t look like that, Lily. Your big brother will look after you. Now, I’m going to fetch Labrosse and we’ll make him comfortable. I just hope that he won’t remember anything about the attic when he is himself again.’

He hurried from the room and Lily sat for a moment, stunned by what she had just learned. She had been born in this house, as had all her brothers and sisters; it was the only home she had known. The thought of
leaving in such a manner was horrible and quite terrifying. She had seen down and out people living beneath railway arches and curled up in shop doorways at night, roosting like pigeons. She rose slowly to her feet, the weight of the secret she must keep from the family resting heavily on her narrow shoulders. But Matt had taken her into his confidence and she must be proud of that. She must not let him down.

She could hear him moving about in the attic room above and she forced herself to take positive action by adding more coal to the fire. The orange and gold flames leapt up the chimney, forming glittering patterns as they ignited the soot on the fireback. It was ironic, she thought, that her brothers spent their working lives putting out fires and yet tonight they would grumble because there was no comforting blaze in the hearth. There was just enough fuel left in the coal shed to keep the kitchen range going and a modest fire in Grandpa’s room, but the front parlour would remain cheerless and chilly until payday. Suddenly Lily’s whole world seemed to have been turned upside down. Times had been hard in the past, but she had felt safe and secure until now; she realised with a heavy heart that if the dock company had their way, everything was about to change.