The Bad Penny (10 page)

It was another warm and sunny day. A light breeze lifted the hair which fell across Patty’s forehead and tousled the baby’s fair curls. Whilst she was in her own area, Patty was constantly greeted as she walked; mothers, children and tradesmen all had a kind word for Nurse Peel and wanted to admire her baby. Once she crossed the invisible dividing line between Stoddard’s district and her own, however, she noticed the change at once. Folk nodded respectfully as they recognised her uniform, but glanced incuriously at the baby in the pram, never stopping to chat. Patty began, without realising it, to walk more slowly. The school holidays had begun and the pavements were crowded, and when she reached the Scottie and began to pass the courts she saw that they were gay with children skipping rope, bowling hoops and playing ball. Frequently, of course, the hoop was just a circle of metal from a barrel, the ball a bundle of tightly lashed rags, and even the skippers used a piece of orange box rope which they had begged from a greengrocer, but that did not lessen the youngsters’ enjoyment of the games they played. Ragged and ill fed they might be, but such children, Patty considered, were a good deal happier than those in the orphan asylums. The regimented and strictly controlled life of such orphans compared very unfavourably with the freedom and natural gaiety of the street children.

By the time Patty reached Cuerden Street, she was so worried about her reception by the Mullins family that she seriously considered changing her mind, pretending that she had just been taking a walk and returning to Ashfield Place. Indeed, she might have done so, had she not been accosted by an elfin-faced child in a filthy pink dress, who caught hold of the handle of the pram, pulling it to a halt.

‘Oh, Nurse, it’s you, ain’t it? You’re the one who come to our house when our mam died. I reckernise you! I’m Maggie Mullins – do you remember me?’

‘Yes, of course I do, Maggie,’ Patty lied valiantly. The only Mullins girl she could clearly remember was Fanny, the eldest. The rest had been a sea of unidentified faces. ‘How are you, love? And how is your father?’

‘I’m awright, but – but things have changed, miss. Me dad’s brung in a woman to help wi’ things. He telled us to call her Auntie Ethel. We doesn’t like her at all, miss – Nurse, I mean – but Dad reckons we’ll all settle down together, given time.’

‘I’m sure your dad’s right and Auntie Ethel will help him to keep the family together,’ Patty said pacifically. ‘It’s hard for a man left a widower, you know, Maggie. When your mam was alive I expect she did just about everything in the house, didn’t she? Cooked, cleaned, sorted the little ones, baked the bread…’

‘I don’t remember,’ Maggie said, rather defensively. ‘I don’t think she cooked much ’cept for stews ‘n’ that. But so far, Auntie Ethel don’t even do that much. It’s bread and scrape mostly wi’ Guinness for her and me dad to wash it down. As for keeping the family together …’ her voice quavered on a sob,’… she’s already sent the two youngest to the Father Berry Home ’cos she says she can’t be doin’ wi’ so many kids. And now she telled Dad I were useless, just another mouth to feed and why didn’t he send me to her Aunt Flo, who’s past eighty and mad as a bat. Only if they do send me, I’ll run away home, see if I don’t!’ she finished defiantly.

Patty stared helplessly down into the child’s small, tear-stained face. Maggie looked no more than ten, but she seemed a sensible child. ‘I’m so sorry things aren’t working out for you, queen,’ Patty said gently. ‘But perhaps I might be able to help. I’ve come to see your father, to ask him whether he would consider allowing one of his daughters to live with me and the baby here. You see, at present, I have to take her with me whenever I’m called out, but she’s getting too big for such a life. I remembered that your sister seemed to take full charge of the younger ones whilst your mother was – was ill, so I thought perhaps your dad might…’

Maggie had been concentrating all her attention on Patty but now she swung round and stared hard at the baby. Merrell, seeing herself so intently regarded, beamed and held out her hands towards the little girl and Maggie turned towards Patty once more. ‘Is that – is that
our
baby,’ she enquired incredulously. ‘I ’member Fanny saying that there were two and that our dad telled you to take the livin’ one away ’cos he couldn’t be doin’ with it. But Fanny reckoned the poor little bugger had been purrin one of them orphan asylums, and we wouldn’t never see it no more. Oh, miss – Nurse, I mean – is this really our baby? Only … only she looks ever so like our Laurie did when he were a nipper.’

Patty decided to take the plunge. ‘Yes, Merrell is your little sister,’ she admitted. ‘But because your dad said she was to go to an orphan asylum, I’ve never told anyone else that she’s really a Mullins. Everyone believes she’s my own little girl and because I couldn’t bear to see her put into an institution – couldn’t bear to lose her, come to that – I’ve let people go on believing she’s Merrell Peel. I’m Nurse Peel, you see.’

‘Oh, Nurse, ain’t she the prettiest thing?’ Maggie breathed, reaching out a filthy little hand and timidly touching the baby’s cheek. She straightened up, giving a gusty sigh as she did so. ‘But it ain’t no manner o’ use askin’ our dad to let Fanny go, ’cos Auntie Ethel treats Fanny like a perishin’ slave and makes her do most of the work. Fanny keeps saying she’ll be off one of these days to get herself a proper job where she’s paid money for skivvyin’ an’ I do think she’ll go because she were furious when the little ’uns went. As for Biddy – she’s thirteen – they won’t let her go either ’cos they’ll want her to take Fanny’s place when she leaves school.’ The child turned beseeching eyes up to Patty’s. ‘I suppose I wouldn’t be no good?’ she asked wistfully. ‘I’m eleven, and though I’m small, I’m ever so strong. What’s more, the woman hates me; she’d be happy to see me go off and live somewhere else.’

‘I think you would do very well,’ Patty said gravely. ‘But I must have your father’s permission before you can come and live with me. Is he at home at present?’

‘Aye, he’ll be there,’ Maggie said. ‘When me mam were alive, I were real fond of me dad. He tried ever so hard to get work and when he were in the money he gave most of it to Mam, just keepin’ back a bob or two so’s he could have a drink of an evening. But now he’s like a different person. Fanny says that Ethel leads him round by the nose and it don’t seem as if he’s got time for his own kids. Auntie Ethel’s gorra girl of her own, Sadie, she’s five. Our dad moons over Sadie as if she were the bleedin’ Queen of England, and never suggested purrin her into an orphanage when Auntie Ethel took our little ones away.’

The two of them had been talking in Cuerden Street but now Patty began to push the pram towards Stanton’s Court. At the entrance, however, she paused for a moment and addressed her small companion. ‘Maggie, what I’m about to suggest may seem strange to you, but I truly think it is for the best. If you will look after Merrell while I’m gone, I’ll speak to your father – and Auntie Ethel – by myself. I shan’t mention Merrell or say that I have a baby which needs looking after; I’ll let him assume that I simply need help because I’m working full time. I shall offer to pay him a small sum once a month and I’ll tell him that you will bring the money when you visit him, so that he can see you are being well looked after and adequately fed. I don’t mean him to visit me at my home. Do you think he will object to that?’

‘Oh, miss!’ Maggie gasped. ‘Do you
really
want me? I’ll be ever so good, honest to God I will. I’ll run your messages, sweep your floors … oh, I’ll do wharrever you tell me and of course I’ll take the greatest care of Merrell and I won’t never tell no one she’s me sister. As for our dad objectin’, I can’t see it. He wants to please Auntie Ethel more’n anything else and a bit of money comin’ in reg’lar will be a great help. The only thing is, I dare say he’ll want it weekly. It ain’t that he won’t trust you – everyone knows nurses is real responsible and trustable – but he’ll reckon four weeks is too long between payments.’

‘Well, it’s up to you,’ Patty decided. ‘If you don’t mind walking all the way from my place to Stanton’s Court once a week, instead of once a month, that’s fine by me. But you won’t be able to bring the baby so you’ll have to come when I’m at home to look after her.’

Maggie began to agree enthusiastically that she would be quite willing to come back once a week when something occurred to her. ‘Wharrabout school, miss?’ she said doubtfully. ‘We often misses school, us Mullins, but it don’t do to draw attention to yourself and if folks see me on the streets, runnin’ your messages in school time, then I reckon we’ll both be in trouble.’

Patty smiled. The more she knew of Maggie, the more she liked her. Her last remark proved that Maggie was both thoughtful and conscientious. ‘Of course you must continue your education,’ she assured her young friend. ‘I’ve very good neighbours and I’m sure one or other of them will give an eye to Merrell when I’m working during term time. A great deal of my work is done at night, however, and I often don’t get home until eight or nine in the evening when I have a lot of revisiting to do. Now can you think of anything else which needs talking over?’

There was a thoughtful pause, then Maggie shook her head. ‘No, I think that’s all,’ she said. You go in now, miss, in case Dad decides to go down the pub for a quick ‘un. I’ll take good care of – of Merrell. Is it all right if I push her up and down the street? Only I don’t want folk from the court wonderin’ what I’m at.’

‘Yes, that’ll be fine; you are a sensible child, Maggie,’ Patty said gratefully. ‘I think you should come back with me right away, don’t you? If your father agrees, then you can collect your things, say your goodbyes and join me as soon as you can. I’ll walk very slowly along Scotland Road, stopping to look in the shops and perhaps do some marketing, and you can catch me up when you are able.’

‘Right, miss,’ Maggie said gaily. She seemed to have given up the struggle to remember Patty’s title. ‘Oh, aren’t I just glad I met you?’

Patty laughed, straightened her shoulders, and set off for the Mullins home.

Later that afternoon, Patty pushed the pram, with Maggie hanging on to the handle, across Ashfield Place. There had been no difficulty in getting Mr Mullins to agree to letting his daughter move in with Patty. Indeed, when the sum of half a crown a week was mentioned, he had positively glowed.

‘You bein’ a nurse makes it all respectable, like,’ he had said, while his new lady friend lurked in the background, feeding shop biscuits to a fat, fair-haired five-year-old. ‘If our Maggie comes back each week, the way you say she will, I don’t see no objection, no objection at all. As for schoolin’, she’s a bright kid – reads and writes like a clerk already – so we won’t argify about that.’

‘But she will continue to go to school, Mr Mullins,’ Patty had reminded him. ‘Apart from anything else, I would soon have the Schools’ Inspector down on me for letting her sag off. You need have no fear on that score.’

‘Well, isn’t that just grand?’ Mr Mullins had beamed. ‘I can see you an’ me will gerralong just fine, Nurse.’ He had turned to the woman, beckoning her forward. ‘This is me lady friend what’s helpin’ me wi’ the kids an’ that,’ he had said vaguely. ‘We’s gerrin’ married when I find a decent job, ain’t that so, Eth?’

Ethel had agreed that it was and presently Patty handed over five shillings, explaining that she was paying an extra half-crown on this occasion, so that Mr Mullins would be able to buy something nice for his other children. ‘But in future it will be half a crown a week, as we’ve agreed, also paid in advance when Maggie comes to see you,’ she had said firmly. ‘Thank you, Mr Mullins, Mrs er …’

‘I’m Miss Halliwell,’ Ethel said quickly. ‘And thanks to you, miss.’

‘Is this where you live, Nurse Peel?’ Maggie asked in an awed voice, breaking into Patty’s thoughts as they turned and began to heave the pram up the metal steps. ‘Ain’t it posh, though? I’ve never been in a landing house, but there’s a girl at school whose aunt lives in one and they’ve got runnin’ water in the house – runnin’ out of a tap I mean, with a sink an’ everythin’.’

‘Well, these houses have running water and a sink and electric lighting in the rooms,’ Patty said. ‘I’m afraid you can’t have your own bedroom since I’ll want you to share with Merrell. She’ll be in your charge when I’m out at night, so I just hope you’re a light sleeper! I’ll make you up a bed with the cushions off the couch and buy you a proper one as soon as I’m able.’

Maggie nodded confidently, trotting along the landing beside her and staring curiously into the windows as they passed. ‘I’m sure I’ll wake the minute she does, ’cos I never slept through when Laurie and Gus were crying,’ she said. She giggled suddenly. ‘What did our dad say when you told him I’d be coming back to fetch me clothes?’

‘I don’t remember him saying anything,’ Patty said, surprised. ‘Why?’

‘Because I ain’t got any,’ Maggie said briefly. ‘He give me an’ old skirt of Ethel’s – she were that mad, she swore at him – and the blouse what Fanny bought, and that was it.’ She grinned up at Patty. ‘When Fanny sees her new blouse is gone, I reckon it’ll be the final straw. She’ll take off like a rocket and Auntie Ethel will have to find someone else to do the chores.’

Patty laughed, but at this point they reached the front door of No. 24 and very soon Maggie was being shown round. Patty enjoyed the child’s wide-eyed approval of everything she saw and decided that she, Maggie and Merrell would all settle down very nicely once they had grown used to each other’s ways.

Maggie was much impressed by the fact that Merrell had a bath every Friday night but not nearly so impressed when Patty told her that in future she, Maggie, would have a weekly bath too, and a strip-down wash daily. ‘But there ain’t no need,’ Maggie wailed. ‘I ain’t dirty – or not very dirty, in any event. I brush me hair before I goes to school and washes me hands and face. Won’t that do?’