The Workhouse Girl (19 page)

He grinned. ‘I've had a few in my time, kid.'

‘Please stop calling me that.'

‘I will, but only if you eat all your supper, and I might even treat you to a slice of apple pie or some spotted Dick.'

Her stomach rumbled and she realised that she was very hungry. ‘I haven't tasted food like this since I was living with the Arbuthnots. Mrs Burgess is a wonderful cook.'

‘Maybe you ought to go there tomorrow after we've been to Spital Square. I'm not leaving London until I see you well settled, and that's a promise I mean to keep. If all else fails maybe Mrs Arbuthnot will be in a position to take you in.'

The house in Spital Square was grander than anything that Sarah had ever seen. Set in the middle of an elegant Georgian terrace, the four-storey double-fronted building had an impressive Adam-style doorway with Ionic pilasters and trellis-patterned iron balconies at first-floor level. She had thought that the house in Wellclose Square was grand, but this imposing edifice surpassed all her expectations and she realised that Elsie's family must be very rich.

‘Made their money in silk weaving,' Grey said as if reading her thoughts. ‘George won't admit that their fortune came from trade, but that's the truth of the matter. He's a terrible snob and his wife Cecilia is even worse.' He rang the doorbell.

‘Will they see us, do you think?'

‘I'm not leaving here without speaking to my uncle. Anyway, he needs to know that his sister is dead. Someone has to tell him.'

The door was opened by a young maidservant who seemed flustered when Grey demanded to see her master. She disappeared into the hallway, closing the front door and keeping them waiting on the step for several minutes before reappearing and inviting them in. She showed them to a morning room at the back of the house and left without saying a word.

Sarah was suitably impressed by the size of the room and the height of its ceiling with elaborate cornices and a central rose from which hung a crystal chandelier. A tall window swathed with crimson damask curtains overlooked a large garden surrounded by trees clad in their late autumn finery. Grey leaned against the fireplace, warming his hands over the blazing coals. ‘We won't be here long,' he said, smiling grimly. ‘George will be only too eager to get rid of me.'

‘Even though you've come to give him the sad news that his sister has died?'

He nodded. ‘Even so.'

The door opened before Sarah had a chance to question him further and a short, stocky man erupted into the room. He did not look pleased. ‘What do you want, Tobias?'

Grey faced his uncle with a pleasant smile. ‘And how are you, George? It's good to see you again.'

‘I suppose you want money. That's the only reason you would cross my threshold.'

‘As a matter of fact that is the case, but it isn't for myself.'

George turned his attention to Sarah, who had been standing quietly by the window. ‘And who is the young person? Is she the reason for your request?'

‘Indirectly, I suppose.' Grey crossed the floor to stand beside her. ‘This young lady was Elsie's ward.'

‘Elsie? What has my sister got to do with this? You know that we don't mention her name in this house.' George moved to the door and opened it. ‘You had better leave before I say something I might later regret.'

‘Elsie is dead, George.'

‘Dead? How did she die? Is this one of your schemes to extort money from me?'

‘Miss Fitch is dead, sir.' Sarah could keep silent no longer. She did not like Mr Fitch with his fat cheeks and mean eyes. She could see now why Elsie did not want anything to do with her family. ‘There was a fire and Grey rescued her from the flames but she was badly burned. We brought her to London but the doctors couldn't save her.'

George stared at her, eyebrows raised. ‘You have a lot to say for yourself, miss.'

‘Elsie was kind to me. She took me in and taught me how to make medicines to heal the sick.'

George slumped down on the nearest chair, which creaked beneath his considerable weight. ‘This is a shock indeed. I can't pretend that we were close, but she was my sister.'

‘And as such deserves a decent burial,' Grey said quickly. ‘She lies in the mortuary at the Charing Cross hospital, George. I've told them to contact an undertaker and make the necessary arrangements, but I haven't got the funds to cover the costs.'

‘So you came to me.' George frowned, shaking his head. ‘Why should I put myself out for the woman who disgraced our family?'

‘Perhaps you would rather she ended up in a pauper's grave. That would not look good if it was reported in the newspapers.'

‘You wouldn't!' George's eyes almost popped out of his head, reminding Sarah of a codfish that Davey had caught and given to Elsie in return for one of her potions.

‘Would I not?' Grey held out his hand. ‘Come on, Uncle George. What would it cost you to give the old girl a proper send-off? I don't expect a pageant and Elsie wouldn't have wanted anything like that, but surely you could stump up for a simple service and a headstone. She was your only surviving sister. My mother, God rest her soul, would be turning in her grave if she could see you now.'

‘Elsie was always wild and irresponsible. I don't suppose she left a will.'

‘I don't see that it matters since she had nothing to leave.'

George flushed and looked away. ‘Your mother was the eldest and our grandfather was progressive in his thinking. He left the country estate to the two girls, even though it should by rights have come to me. I don't know how things stand now and I need to know if Elsie died intestate.'

‘And if she did, I suppose the whole lot comes to you,' Grey said with an ironic smile. ‘Has it occurred to you that I might inherit?'

‘Don't be ridiculous. No one in their right mind would entrust a cat to your care.' George shot a sideways glance at Sarah. ‘No offence meant, young lady.'

Sarah had lost the thread of this heated discussion and she shrugged her shoulders. ‘It's got nothing to do with me.'

George leaned across the desk, fixing Grey with a hard stare. ‘Did Elsie mention a will?'

‘She did ask me to take a document to her solicitor, Bertram Moorcroft, but that was some time ago,' Grey said slowly. ‘She didn't tell me what was in it, and I didn't ask. It was none of my business.'

‘Moorcroft's brother handles my affairs.' George rose to his feet. ‘I'll ask him to look into the matter. In the meantime you'd best send the bills to me, but don't expect me to invite all the poor relations to weep and wail over someone who disgraced the family name.'

Grey shook his hand. ‘Thank you. Although I think you're being unfair to Elsie. As I see it she did a lot of good and asked very little in return.'

‘I wouldn't know about that,' George said with an irritable shrug of his shoulders. ‘I think our meeting is at an end, Tobias. I'm a busy man.'

‘There is one other thing.'

‘I knew it. You're in trouble and you want me to bail you out.'

‘Not at all, but I feel responsible for Sarah. With Elsie gone the poor girl is all alone in the world.' Grey paused, as if waiting for his uncle to object, but George's lips were firmly closed.

‘I can look after myself,' Sarah protested.

‘Let me handle this,' Grey said in a low voice. He turned to George with a persuasive smile. ‘I'll be perfectly frank with you. My style of living isn't suitable for the comfort and safety of a virtuous female, so knowing that you are a God-fearing man, I was hoping that you'd find her a position in your household.'

‘Get out!' George gesticulated angrily. ‘That's going too far, even for you, Tobias. My wife would never agree to such an arrangement. It simply wouldn't suit, and you have no right to put me in such a position.'

Sarah had heard and seen enough. ‘I'd rather starve in the streets than work for a man like you, Mr Fitch. Elsie was worth ten of you . . .' She did not have time to finish her sentence as Grey whisked her out of the room and led her protesting loudly out of the house. ‘Why did you do that?' she demanded as they reached the pavement.

‘Making George angry was a mistake. In case you hadn't noticed it was only the threat of public humiliation that made him agree to pay for Elsie's funeral.' He raised his hand to hail a passing hansom cab. ‘Anyway, I wouldn't want to leave you in his hands. I'd forgotten what a miserable toad he is. You deserve better, Sarah Scrase.' He handed her into the cab and leapt up beside her. ‘Wellclose Square, cabby.'

She stared at him in surprise. ‘You're coming with me?'

He leaned back against the worn leather squabs. ‘As I told my uncle, I want to see you safely settled before I leave London. We all know what Trigg is capable of and he's not a man to make idle threats.'

‘Why did you get tied up with him in the first place?'

‘We met by pure mischance. I was up before the magistrate and Trigg was in court, I wasn't sure why, but he paid my fine and I wasn't in a position to argue. It was that or a spell in the clink.'

‘What had you done?'

He grinned. ‘Can't remember. Probably drunk and disorderly, or maybe it was a brawl, but Trigg saved me from going to jail and that put me in his debt.'

‘Was that when you tried to kidnap me?'

‘I'm ashamed to say it was.' Grey shook his head and his smile faded. ‘Trigg told me some cock and bull story about you being his orphaned niece who'd been sold to the owner of the sugar mill. I'd no reason to disbelieve his story and I had no means of repaying him other than to go along with his demands.'

‘But you must have realised that it was all lies when you took me the last time.'

‘I did, but if I'd left you with Trigg he'd have found someone else to do his dirty work.'

‘You could have taken me back to Wellclose Square.'

‘And Trigg would have found out. He might have burned the house down as well as the manufactory.' He patted her hand. ‘I knew that you'd be all right with Elsie.'

‘And I was.' Sarah turned away so that he would not see the tears in her eyes. She had been fond of Elsie, and it did not seem fair that her family had disowned her because of her eccentric ways, or that she had lived in relative poverty while her brother enjoyed a life of wealth and privilege. Paying for his sister's funeral might salve his conscience but it would not make up for the years of callous indifference.

‘We've arrived.' Grey stated the obvious as the cab pulled in at the kerb.

Sarah jumped at the sound of his voice. ‘I was miles away.'

‘I know.' He climbed down and held out his hand to assist her onto the pavement. ‘How much, cabby?'

‘That'll be one and six, please, guv.'

Grey tossed him a florin. ‘Keep the change.'

‘Ta very much, sir.' The cabby touched his cap and drove off.

‘You're very flush all of a sudden,' Sarah said suspiciously.

‘There's enough of Elsie's money left to keep us for a while and I've got some jobs lined up which will bring in a fair amount.'

‘What sort of jobs?'

‘A bit of trading here and there.' He brushed her cheek with the tips of his fingers. ‘Don't look so worried. I won't end up in Newgate.'

‘I should hope not, but does that mean I can stay with you?'

‘Ring the doorbell. We'll see what the Arbuthnots have to offer before I make promises I can't keep.'

She mounted the steps and tugged at the bell pull. ‘We could go back to Essex. I could find some rooms to rent in the village and I'm sure that Mr Wills would take me back as his assistant. You could find work locally.'

‘Sarah, my dear girl, I have no skills other than my wits. I do a bit of buying and selling, most of it legal but sometimes it's a bit on the shady side, although I'm careful to steer clear of the law.'

‘You could change. Anyone can improve their lot if they put their minds to it.'

‘I suppose Elsie taught you that?'

‘No. It was my ma.' She looked up as the door opened.

‘Is it you, Sarah Scrase?'

‘It is. May I come in?'

Dorcas stared at her in surprise and her face crumpled. ‘You've come not a moment too soon.' She reached out to grab her by the hand, dragging her over the threshold. She was about to shut the door, but Sarah stopped her.

‘He's with me.'

‘Who is he?' Dorcas whispered. ‘This ain't the time to bring a gentleman friend to the house, and he don't look the sort of chap you should be associating with.'

Grey took off his hat. ‘We met before, Miss Dorcas. Mrs Arbuthnot will remember me, no doubt.'

‘Yes, I recognise you now, but I still don't hold with your sort.' Dorcas stood back to let them in, but she turned her back on Grey. ‘Come with me, Sarah. There's not much time.' She held her hand up as Grey was about to follow them upstairs. ‘Not you. Wait here.'

Sarah shot him an apologetic look before hurrying after Dorcas who was already halfway up the staircase. ‘What's wrong? Is someone ill?'

‘You'll find out soon enough.' Dorcas hitched her skirts higher and raced up to the first landing, coming to a halt outside the room which Sarah remembered as the Arbuthnots' bedchamber.

‘What's going on?' Sarah demanded breathlessly.

Placing her finger on her lips, Dorcas ushered her into the room and closed the door, but the click of the latch shattered the silence and heads turned. Sarah could not see their features clearly as the curtains were drawn across the windows and the only light came from a single candle which cast grotesque shifting shadows on the walls. The figures grouped at the bedside were vague shapes, some kneeling and some standing. ‘Who lies there?' Sarah's hand shook as she released it from Dorcas's firm grasp, and she was suddenly afraid.