The Innkeeper's Daughter (42 page)

‘I don’t want to accuse …’ he began, ‘but …’

‘Your sisters,’ Birchfield said quietly. ‘You owe it to them to find out the truth.’

‘Are you all right, William?’ Sarah bent in concern over her son. Bella was finishing off the tables in the saloon in preparation for the morning, whilst Carter was clearing the bar area. The girl who helped him had gone home; it was late, and she had stayed on well over her time. Since the royal visit they had been incredibly busy with many new customers.

The guests who had come especially for the queen’s progress had turned out to be dignitaries from Lincolnshire, and although they had left on the Saturday evening after Her Majesty had sailed away from the pier the rooms had immediately been taken by other people come for the royal occasion, who had decided to stay over a few days and had had the Maritime accommodation recommended to them. Now they too had gone, and everyone breathed a sigh of satisfaction as well as relief that life could get back to something like normal.

Bella had been very pleased with Carter’s behaviour and was delighted by his polite response to the customers; her fears that he might let her down were fading.

‘Yeh, I’m all right, Ma,’ William told his mother, although he knew that he wasn’t. ‘Just aching a bit. Can you pass me that bottle o’ pills and a glass o’ water? They’ll put me right.’

Sarah frowned and looked at the clock. It didn’t seem long since his last dose, and she wished she’d taken more notice of the time. But she did his bidding, and knowing how he would hate a fuss said she hoped he had a good night and took herself off to bed.

‘Can I do owt for you, sir?’ Adam asked. As soon as the soldier settled he too would curl up on his palliasse and go to sleep. He was dead tired, he’d been at everyone’s beck and
call
all day, not that he was complaining, since he reckoned he was the luckiest lad alive to be living and working here, and he adored Miss Bella.

‘I wish you could,’ William muttered. His hands trembled as he shook out his pills and swallowed them, and water spilled from the glass. ‘I’m in agony, if I’m honest, but don’t you go telling my ma!’

‘I could run for ’doctor,’ Adam suggested. ‘Five minutes it’d tek me, no longer.’

William brushed aside the idea and brusquely told him to go to bed, which he did, pulling the straw mattress in front of the range and taking off his boots before he lay down; but he didn’t sleep and for ten minutes waited to see if William dropped off into slumber. But the corporal writhed about, groaning and muttering; he seemed unaware of Adam’s presence, so the boy uncurled himself and in his bare feet padded through to the saloon.

Carter was putting on his coat and Bella was standing with her hands on her hips looking round the room, checking to see that everything was all right for the night; all the candles out, the lamps turned down, the bar counter covered over with clean cloths.

‘Miss Bella,’ Adam said softly, not wanting to make her jump. She turned, surprised to see him there.

‘Is something wrong, Adam?’

‘Not sure, miss, but Corporal William seems unwell to me.’

Carter was buttoning his coat, but he paused in the act.

‘Do you mean he’s in pain?’ Bella asked the boy, her forehead creasing anxiously.

‘He told me he was in agony, but not to tell his mother; but,’ he added, ‘he didn’t say owt about not telling you.’

‘Thank you,’ Bella murmured. ‘You did right. I’d better come. Carter, I’ll – I’ll lock up now.’

‘I’ll wait, Miss Bella,’ Carter said. Usually he was the last to leave and Bella locked and bolted the door behind him. He turned the key in the door and pulled out one of the chairs from a table; he didn’t normally come through to the living
area.
‘There’s no hurry,’ he insisted. ‘I’ll sit here. You might need a strong pair of hands.’

‘We might,’ she said. ‘Thank you.’

She followed Adam through to the kitchen and then stopped. William was lying half on, half off, the mattress, doubled up and clutching his ankle, his face creased in pain.

She knelt beside him. ‘William,’ she breathed. ‘It’s Bella. Tell me what I can do.’

‘Nowt!’ he muttered. ‘I’m done for. My foot’s on fire. I thought I could bear it, but I can’t. I don’t want to lose it! Why hasn’t he come? He said he would.’ He let out a sound between a scream and a groan. ‘He said he would come. He promised! I trusted him.’

Bella stood up, her decision made. She urgently flicked her fingers at Adam, who came and stood behind William where he couldn’t see him. ‘Ask Carter to come in,’ she whispered. ‘I need him to get William back into bed, and then run as fast as you can to fetch Dr Birchfield. You know where he lives?’

‘Yes, miss. He’s Mr Jacobs’s doctor.’ Adam’s feet were already shifting, tapping as if ready to sprint, and it wasn’t until he had dashed to the saloon to fetch Carter that Bella realized he’d gone barefoot.

Jamie was sitting on the edge of his bed, considering what Birchfield had advised. Perhaps if I go to see the lawyer and discuss my fears; I needn’t take it any further than that. Felix wouldn’t surely have intended any mischief towards his sisters. And yet he had misgivings. Felix liked to impress, he always had; he wanted people to think he was important, a person of substance and consequence. Perhaps that was it. He would have wanted to give an illusion of grandeur and money in order to capture the Lincolnshire heiress, and he couldn’t do that without selling the estate.

He began to unbutton his shirt cuffs; Birchfield had gone to bed and his sister had retired to her room as soon as she’d served supper. It’s no good, he thought despondently. I’ll have to do it. Tomorrow I’ll write and make an appointment to
see
Smithers. At least if I discuss it with him and he tells me that everything is above board, my mind will be at rest; and if I earn sufficient money I can eventually send an allowance to my aunt to help with the expense of keeping Frances and Mary.

He started as he heard the long peal of the doorbell. Somebody in a hurry, he thought, glancing at the clock. Eleven thirty. I’d better go down. Mrs Scott will be in bed and I dare say the good doctor will be too. He put his dressing robe over his shirt and trousers and before he reached the hall the bell pealed again.

‘I’m coming, I’m coming,’ he called, as he unbolted the door. ‘What is it? Is someone ill?’

A youth stood there who seemed startled to see him. ‘Can Dr Birchfield come at once, sir? It’s very urgent.’

‘He’s abed, but I’ll call him. What is the trouble? Who is it who is ill?’

He was shocked by the reply and also by the way the youth was staring at him.

‘It’s a sodger with a festering wound, sir. He’s at ’Maritime Hotel. You know him, I think. He’s in a lot o’ pain. Afeard o’ losing his foot.’

‘Run for a cab, will you?’ Jamie acted swiftly. ‘I’ll wake the doctor.’

‘I am awake,’ Dr Birchfield called down from the top of the stairs. ‘What is it? A birth?’

‘No. The soldier I brought home. His condition has worsened.’ I should have gone today to check on him, he thought as he ran upstairs, hustled into his coat and picked up his medical bag. I told him I would call, but I thought he’d be all right for a few days. But how did this boy know me?

‘I’ll come with you,’ Dr Birchfield said. ‘Just give me a minute. And don’t worry. People often get frightened at night. He may not be as bad as his family think.’

But Jamie had doubts about that. After travelling with Corporal Thorp, he had a fairly good idea that the soldier could withstand more pain than the average man; if he had
sanctioned
the doctor’s call-out, then he was in a bad way; and if he had given in to his family’s insistence then the same reasoning applied.

A two-horse Clarence carriage was waiting by the door when Dr Birchfield came down. He too had dressed swiftly in his dark coat and top hat and carried his battered medical bag.

‘Maritime Hotel,’ Jamie said to the driver, ‘as fast as you can.’ He looked round for the youth, but he’d sped off and was already crossing the road near the Infirmary.

‘He’ll be there before we are,’ Birchfield said as he saw Jamie looking round for him. ‘He runs like the wind; knows all the short cuts too.’

The boy was waiting for them as the carriage pulled up outside the hotel; the door was opened by a broad-set man, who locked it after them.

‘This way, doctor,’ the youth said and led them through the dim light of a saloon, through a door and into the private quarters, where he said, ‘Here’s ’doctor, Miss Bella,’ and disappeared again.

Bella was kneeling by her brother’s side and looked up at Dr Birchfield, who had gone in first. For a moment she didn’t recognize Jamie standing behind him. ‘Thank you for coming, doctor,’ she began, but then Jamie took off his hat, placed it on the floor, unbuttoned his coat and knelt beside her. He glanced at her and then away as he bent over William.

‘Now then, Corporal Thorp,’ he said softly. ‘What’s all this about?’

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN

WILLIAM WAS SWEATING
profusely and was obviously in great pain, but he grabbed Jamie’s arm and cried out hoarsely, ‘Save my foot, please! I don’t want to be a cripple. I’d rather shoot myself first.’

‘Now, young man.’ Dr Birchfield’s voice was brusque. ‘Let’s have none of that sort of talk.’ He bent down to examine William’s foot, and Bella stood back, feeling faint and aghast at the state of it as Jamie carefully unrolled the bandage. She was too shocked to even think about Jamie Lucan’s turning up; she was only concerned about her brother.

They were muttering together and she heard the words ‘still some shot in there’ and ‘hospital’.

Then Jamie turned to her, giving her a diffident smile. ‘Do you remember me? Is it still
Miss
Thorp? I used to call at the Woodman.’

She nodded. Of course she did, and did he think she had married since last seeing him?

‘It seems to us that there might still be some shot in William’s foot and that that’s what is festering and causing him such pain. Dr Birchfield would like to take him to the Infirmary where it can be treated.’ He gazed at her. ‘It will be a relatively simple operation, but he will require chloroform. Will you give permission for that?’

She looked uneasy. ‘I – shouldn’t you ask William?’

‘He’ll give permission for anything, bar amputation, such is
his
state of mind; but we need yours or perhaps his mother’s or brother’s understanding of the implication of the procedure.’

‘What if it goes wrong? What if he loses his foot? How can I be responsible for allowing it?’ Bella put her hands to her face. She was shaking.

‘Bella,’ he said softly. ‘It’s the only option. If we don’t remove the shot, then he might well lose his foot.’

‘How is it that it’s still there?’ She was angry, looking for someone to blame. ‘Why wasn’t it removed before?’

‘The conditions were horrendous out in the Crimea,’ he explained. ‘They would have done the best they could under the circumstances. Many men died. William was one of the luckier ones.’

‘I’m sorry,’ she stammered. ‘I didn’t mean – didn’t mean to imply …’

‘It’s all right,’ he assured her. ‘But we must get William away now. The cab is waiting. Will you allow us to do what we can?’

Bella dashed away tears. How stupid he will think me, but— ‘Yes,’ she said. ‘Of course. My mother’s in bed, my brother Joe doesn’t live here now, so, yes, I’ll take responsibility. Do whatever you must. But can I go with him?’

Jamie looked at his colleague for an answer. He didn’t know the rules for the Hull hospital; some of the London ones didn’t allow relatives of patients to attend.

‘Don’t see why not,’ Dr Birchfield said. ‘You won’t faint or get in the way, will you?’

‘I – didn’t mean that I wanted to attend whilst you operated, doctor.’ Bella shuddered. ‘I meant to be there when he woke up, or when you could say whether the operation had been successful.’

Birchfield nodded. ‘Yes. He might feel less vulnerable if you’re with us. There’s room in the carriage, but we’ll give your brother the whole seat if someone can help us carry him out.’

Carter, Bella thought. He’ll help, he’s strong. She hurried into the saloon. ‘Carter, can you help us? They’re taking
William
to hospital. And …’ Here she hesitated. Could she put her trust in him? She decided she’d have to. ‘I’m going with him. Would you stay until I get back? I’m sorry to ask when it’s so late, but—’

‘Think nowt of it, Miss Bella. I’d be glad to.’ He nodded and she saw a touch of pride in his expression that she’d asked him. ‘Stay as long as you want, all night if need be, an’ I’ll open up in ’morning. Don’t you worry.’

‘Thank you.’ She felt tears trickling down her cheeks. Tears which she had held back, but now her emotions were coming to the fore.

She leaned across the carriage and held her brother’s hand. Jamie had asked for a blanket and pillow and William lay covered up and warm, on one seat, whilst she and Dr Birchfield sat across from him. Jamie had gone up beside the driver.

‘It’s going to be all right, William,’ she said softly. ‘You’re in good hands. Dr Birchfield and Dr Lucan are both here; they can see better what to do once you’re in hospital.’

‘What’s it like? Hospital, I mean.’ William didn’t open his eyes but kept them tight shut, and when he spoke it was as if he was speaking through gritted teeth. ‘Hope it’s not like Scutari.’

‘I don’t know,’ she admitted, turning an enquiring glance on Dr Birchfield.

‘One of the finest and biggest in the county,’ he said. ‘The General Infirmary was newly built maybe seventy or so years ago, but now with additional wings it has a hundred and fifty beds. And’ – he looked out of the carriage window – ‘we’re here already.’

Bella barely took note of the impressive building as they clattered through the gates and drew up at the double doors. Jamie jumped down and a porter came out to assist, but then ran back for more help and a stretcher. Within minutes William was whisked away and Bella was shown into an anteroom where she was told she should wait.

There was no one else waiting and she must have fallen
asleep,
for she opened her eyes to find Jamie Lucan standing over her. He seemed thoughtful and preoccupied.