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- Herausgeber: Allison & Busby
- Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
- Sprache: Englisch
Whitechapel, London 1890. Queenie Bonner is only two when she is taken from her large family in the slums to a big house in the country. She is frightened and confused, begging to be taken back, but is told that this is now her home. She yearns for her nine brothers and sisters, especially Harry, who is her favourite. Albert and Mary Warrender rename her Eleanor and bring her up as their daughter. As time passes Eleanor forgets about her other family and loves Mary and Albert as her mother and father. But fifteen years later, when Mary dies, Albert tells her about the Bonners. With Albert's help, she sets about tracing her forgotten family. The search holds pleasure, distress and even danger as she discovers what has happened to her siblings over the years.
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Seitenzahl: 504
Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015
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The Forgotten Family
BERYL MATTHEWS
Contents
Chapter One
Whitechapel, London, July 1890
The tangle of children in the middle of the road was shouting, screaming and laughing. Queenie bounced about on the pavement, making as much noise as her many brothers and sisters. With a gurgle of delight, she launched herself into the middle of them.
‘Get off, Queenie,’ they shouted.
She kicked and fought with all her might. Although she was the youngest of ten, and tiny compared to the rest of them, she was a force to be reckoned with. There was nothing she liked more than a good scrap.
The fight broke up, leaving her giggling on the road with her favourite brother, pounding away with her little fists to show how much she loved him.
‘Pack it in!’ Harry roared as he tried to fend her off. ‘I’ve had enough.’
‘You’re a coward, ’Arry.’ She jumped on him for good measure, refusing to let him get up.
Grabbing his sister round the waist, he surged to his feet, tossing her over his shoulder. At twelve years old, he was growing into a strapping lad, and a two-and-a-half-year-old girl couldn’t do him much harm, as long as he kept out of the way of her flailing hands and feet.
‘Watch her, Harry.’ The eldest boy, Ted, was doubled over, out of breath. ‘She’ll catch you where it hurts if you’re not careful.’
Harry grinned, looking down at his sister’s bare feet as they thrashed about. ‘I think she should have been a boy.’
They were all sitting on the curb; Harry had dumped his burden down and now sat beside her. The entire Bonner brood were in a row – dirty, ragged, and happy, oblivious to the filth and squalor they lived in. Only the eldest had shoes, underclothes were unheard of and, anyway, as it was summer, no one worried about things like that.
‘Queenie,’ a familiar voice called.
Ted gave her a push. ‘Mum’s shouting for you, urchin.’
Scrambling to her feet, she ran into the small slum house. It only had two rooms up and two rooms down, with a wash house at the end of the yard, shared by four families. There were beds everywhere, and Queenie shared one with her sisters; two of them sleeping at the top and two at the bottom. There were only four girls in the family, the rest were boys, and Queenie preferred them. They were more fun.
‘Look at the mess you’re in.’ Her mother swore as she stripped off the filthy frock, and dumped Queenie in the old tin bath full of water.
Squealing in protest, she tried to climb out, but this only earned her a sharp clip around the ear.
‘Ouch!’ With a growl of rage, she lashed out, but her mother was too strong for her, holding her in the water with ease. And to add to the torture, even her hair was washed.
‘Why you cleaning up Queenie, Mum?’ Harry wandered in. ‘She’ll be filthy again in five minutes.’
‘Oh no she won’t.’ She tipped a jug of water on her daughter’s hair, making her shut her eyes tight and splutter. ‘Look at that. Get the dirt off her and she’s got nice fair hair, and, with her bright blue eyes, she don’t look half bad.’
Harry stood watching, his smirk changing to a frown when he saw a clean frock being slipped over his sister’s head. It had even been ironed! ‘What you doing this for?’
‘Tell him, Fred,’ Hilda ordered her husband. ‘And you’d better tell the rest of them, as well. Don’t want no trouble later.’
Queenie was glad she was out of the water and dry again. She didn’t care for water. As her mother tried to get the tangles out of her hair, she watched her dad talking to Harry. She set her mouth in a firm line, trying not to yell as her hair was pulled so much it hurt.
Suddenly, Harry turned, his face like thunder. ‘You can’t do this!’
‘Shut your mouth,’ their mother shouted. ‘It’s none of your bleeding business. We can do what we like. They’re paying good money, and we need it.’
‘If it’s money you want I’ll pack up school and get a job. You can’t do what you’re planning. It’s cruel. She’s one of us.’
‘You try skipping out of school and you’ll get the thrashing of your life. You’re never gonna get out of this hellhole without proper learning. You can’t do nothing about it. It’s all settled.’ She glared at her husband, wanting support, but he was keeping quiet.
Harry looked fit to explode and it frightened Queenie. He was always laughing and happy. She’d never seen him angry before. She ran over to him, throwing her arms around his waist and gazing up. ‘What you angry for, ’Arry?’
Swinging her up into his arms, he hugged her tightly, then put her down and stormed out of the house.
She went to follow him, but was caught by her mother and dragged back. ‘You’ll stay here, my girl. You got people coming to see you soon, and I want you clean.’
She scuffed her toe over a hole in the oilcloth. ‘Don’t like being clean. I want to see ’Arry.’
‘You’ll do as you’re told.’ Her mother dumped her on one of the beds. ‘Stay there and don’t you dare move. I don’t want so much as a speck of dirt on you.’
Picking at the frayed edge of the blanket, Queenie kept her mouth shut. Her mum never usually took much notice of her, but today she’d washed her and changed her frock. She was very worried now. Harry was mad about something, and all the others had gone quiet, looking in at her from time to time, their faces serious.
‘You told them, then?’ her mother snapped when her father returned.
‘They know, and I’ve threatened to knock them all into next week if they cause any trouble.’
‘Fine bloody mess we’re in when we’ve got to do something like this.’
‘Stop moaning, woman. Do you want to end up in the bleedin’ workhouse? ’Cos that’s where we’re heading.’
Hilda’s hands were shaking. ‘You know I don’t. Now, isn’t it time they was here? They said ten o’clock this morning, didn’t they? You sure they’re coming?’
‘Course I am. The man what asked me gave me a guinea as soon as I told him you’d agreed. And didn’t he come and look at her himself?’
Seeing her mum and dad weren’t watching, Queenie slipped off the bed and crept towards the door, only to be caught by the scruff of the neck, and hauled back.
‘I told you to stay where you were,’ her mother shouted and gave her a fierce shake.
‘I wanna play with the others.’ Her bottom lip stuck out in defiance.
‘Well, you can’t.’
Queenie’s lip trembled, but she never cried. It never did any good.
The unusual sound of a carriage coming up their street made her dad rush to the door. ‘They’re here.’
‘’Bout bleedin’ time!’ Her mother scooped Queenie from the bed. ‘You behave yourself, you hear?’
The smart carriage and horses had caused quite a stir, bringing everyone out to have a look.
‘Cor, look at that.’ Queenie strained to get away from her mother’s grip. She’d never seen anything like it before, not up close anyway.
A man got out and told Queenie, ‘Stand by the door and let the lady see you.’
She was pushed forward, and she stared wide-eyed at the woman inside. The lady was wearing a very large hat, and Queenie thought it must be heavy to have that on top of your head. She wouldn’t like it.
After a moment of studying her intently, the woman nodded to the man standing with her dad.
‘All right,’ he said. ‘She’ll do. Five pounds, we agreed.’
‘Five guineas.’ Her mother held onto her daughter tightly. ‘We won’t take less.’
After counting out the money and handing it to her dad, the stranger picked her up and put her in the carriage, getting in after her to control her struggles.
What was going on? She didn’t like this. Panic flooded through Queenie and she fought like a demon. ‘What you doing? I don’t want to go away. Let me go!’
‘Behave yourself, and don’t you cause the nice lady no trouble.’ Her mother leant in and glowered at her.
The carriage began to move and, in sheer terror, Queenie fought her way to the window, leaning through the opening and holding out her little hands. ‘Mum, stop them! ’Arry, stop them. Help me, help me …’
They were moving quickly now, and Queenie watched helplessly as her brothers and sisters waved. Harry was crying. Why was he crying?
The man spoke; his voice was deep and stern. ‘Sit still.’
‘I don’t wanna go with you.’ Her voice trembled. ‘Where we going?’
‘I told you to sit still.’
At the authoritative tone of the man’s voice, Queenie scrambled to the corner of the seat and huddled in a tight ball, confused and very frightened. They were going very fast and leaving her family behind.
The man glared at her, then seeing she was quiet, turned to the woman who hadn’t uttered a word so far. ‘I think you’re crazy, Mary. Look at her.’
‘She’s beautiful.’ The woman smiled at Queenie, and the man snorted in disgust.
‘I should never have gone along with this crazy scheme of yours. Albert was making arrangements for you to adopt a baby.’
‘I know, but it is taking too long, and I’m tired of waiting.’
‘You can’t take a child out of the slums and expect her to adjust to life in our class. She’s probably never worn shoes, and all she has on is that old dress.’
When he reached out to lift up her dress, Queenie bit him, drawing blood. With a smothered curse, he pulled out a white cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around his hand. ‘She’s not even civilised.’
‘Would you be if you had been born into those conditions?’ Mary looked sad. ‘They have one child after another, and I can’t even have one. At least we can give her a better life. Thank you for finding her for me, Henry.’
‘That’s what brothers are for.’ He reached across and patted her hand. ‘I know how unhappy you’ve been not having children of your own, but I’m not sure this is a wise thing to do. We could have found you an unwanted baby.’
‘No, I wanted a child who had little chance of a good life so I could change that for her. They clearly didn’t want her, but I do.’
Henry pulled a face when he remembered how easily his brother-in-law could erupt. ‘I don’t know what Albert is going to say when he sees her.’
‘We’ll have her nicely dressed before he comes home.’ She smiled at Queenie again. ‘Don’t be frightened, child. You’re quite safe with us. What is your name?’
‘Queenie.’ The woman looked quite nice when she smiled. Her mum never smiled.
‘Oh dear, we shall have to change that. I think we’ll call you Eleanor.’
Queenie began to shake. They were taking her away somewhere, and the woman was calling her a daft name. They were going to kill her! ‘I wanna go home,’ she shouted in terror. Her brothers and sisters had always surrounded her, and she wanted them here now.
‘That is where you are going, Eleanor. To your new home. You’ll have a room all to yourself, and a large garden to play in.’
But Queenie could not be comforted with promises. And the thought of having a whole room to herself wasn’t right. She had spent her short life crowded into the small house, surrounded by her brothers and sisters. Would she ever see them again? Loneliness gripped her, making her curl into a tighter ball whimpering. As soon as she got out of this thing she’d run away.
It was a long journey and they’d stopped a couple of times, but the man had made her stay in the coach, watching her carefully. Eventually, the carriage passed through high gates, and all Queenie could see was trees and green grass. Being used to concrete and grey roads, the colour was so bright it hurt her eyes.
‘Are you coming in, Henry?’ his sister asked, when they stopped outside the house.
‘No, thank you, Mary. I’ve done my part in finding you a child, now the rest is up to you. I would rather not be around when Albert returns.’
Mary laughed, a pleasant musical sound. ‘You make him sound like an ogre.’
‘I think I’ll stay out of his way for a while.’ Henry got back into the carriage, and handed Queenie out to a man wearing a green suit.
When the man put her down, she turned in a slow circle, looking for a way to escape. There wasn’t one. The gates were shut, and there was a high wall for as far as she could see. Bursting for a wee, she ran over to a tree, squatted down and relieved herself.
A large woman wearing a black dress and a white pinny, rushed over to her. ‘No, no, my girl, we have a proper place to do that.’
‘I couldn’t hold it no longer.’ Her bottom lip stuck out. They were lucky she hadn’t done it in the carriage.
The woman shook her head in dismay. ‘Dear me, Madam, we are going to have a difficult time with this one.’
‘She’s a spirited little thing, Nanny,’ Mary said happily. ‘But isn’t she pretty?’
Queenie stared at the woman who’d been called Nanny. She didn’t seem too pleased about her being here, so perhaps she’d help her escape. Standing on tiptoe, she tugged at the pinny. ‘I wanna go home. Will you open the gate for me?’
The only answer was another shake of the head.
‘Bring Eleanor in, Nanny. We must make her presentable before my husband comes home.’
‘Why she keep calling me that?’ Queenie protested, as Nanny swept her up into her arms. As they went through a great big door, panic swamped her and she struggled fiercely. ‘My name’s Queenie an’ I don’t wanna be here. I want ’Arry,’ she shouted. ‘He’ll come for me and set the coppers on you.’
‘What is she talking about, Nanny?’
‘The police, Madam.’ Nanny put her down.
‘Ah, I see.’ Mary looked at the small, glowering child, and fought back a chuckle of delight. ‘She bit Henry.’
Nanny kept a perfectly straight face. ‘She’s been brought up rough and used to defending herself, I expect. But she appears to be bright enough. Mature beyond her years.’
‘Indeed. They have to grow up quickly where she comes from.’
The cold on her feet caught Queenie’s attention, and she gazed down at the coloured tiles. They were very pretty. As frightened as she was, she couldn’t help gazing in wonder at her surroundings, then padded around inspecting everything. It was all very clean, and so much space! Her whole street could sleep in here. Spotting an open door, she shot through it. This room was even bigger. She’d never seen anything like it.
‘Eleanor.’
She wasn’t going to answer to that soppy name, so she continued her investigation. There were shelves all around the walls up to the ceiling, with coloured things in neat rows. The woman in the pinny was beside her. She reached out and touched one. ‘What’s these?’
‘Books, and you’ll be able to read them one day.’
‘Blimey.’ She looked up. ‘You rich?’
‘No, I’m employed by the family, and I’m going to look after you.’
‘Don’t need no looking after. I see to myself.’ Her lip stuck out again but there was fear and confusion in her eyes.
‘We must go up to the nursery and get you ready to meet your new father.’ Nanny took her by the hand, and nodded to the mistress.
Queenie felt the soft carpet on the stairs tickle her feet. Halfway up, the stairway curved, and once she reached the top she could look down and see where she had been. Giving a nervous glance through the banister, she edged towards the wall. It was very high up here. The room they took her to made her gasp in astonishment. There was only one bed, and loads of room left over.
‘I’ll send Molly to help you. The new clothes are in the dressing room. I have ordered various sizes, so something should fit. I’ll be back in a short time.’
When Nanny urged her through another door, Queenie tried to run when she saw what waited for her. ‘Ooh, no! Water.’
She was caught easily by the woman who stripped off the dress and put her in the bath.
‘I’ve bin washed,’ she shouted, starting to struggle. Then she stilled when something caught her attention, and she began sniffing the water, soap, and anything near her. What was that smell?
‘That’s lavender.’ Nanny looked amused as she soaped Queenie. ‘It’s nice, isn’t it?’
She wasn’t too sure about that. She continued to sniff loudly. She’d never smelt anything like it.
A younger girl came in. ‘Madam said I was to give you a hand.’
‘Dry Eleanor, please, and then we’ll dress her in the new clothes.’
The girl smiled at Queenie. ‘Hello, my name’s Molly.’
‘I’m Queenie,’ she said, fed up. The vigorous drying made her teeth rattle. ‘I bin washed already today.’ She glared at the girl, hurt that she had to suffer this twice.
Molly just laughed, and took her back into the bedroom, where the girl began to dress her.
‘Ugh!’ Queenie tried to take off the knickers they’d just put on her. Even though they were nice and soft, she didn’t want them on her.
‘No, Eleanor.’ The large woman spoke firmly. ‘Little girls mustn’t go around without undergarments on.’
This whole business was frightening her. Next something was put over her head and a dress on top of that. She squirmed uncomfortably with so many clothes on. When they put socks on her feet that was too much. She wanted to cry, but she wouldn’t, because that always got her a cuff round the ear.
‘There are shoes of different sizes, Molly, so find her something that fits.’
Seeing they weren’t taking any notice of her, Queenie had the knickers and socks off in a second, throwing them on the floor.
‘Oh, dear, Nanny.’ Molly picked them up. ‘I don’t think she’s used to wearing these.’
‘She isn’t.’ Nanny put them back on, sighing. ‘Poor little thing is going to hate shoes.’
‘This pair fit. Stand up and see how they feel, Eleanor,’ said Molly kindly.
They felt awful. How could she run in these? The dam burst, allowing the pent-up tears to flow down her face. She wailed, ‘My name’s Queenie, and I want to go home. I want ’Arry.’
‘There, there.’ Molly gathered the distressed child to her. ‘This ain’t right, Nanny. The mistress should’ve got a baby, not a little child who’s gonna miss her family.’
‘My … name’s … Queenie.’ She was sobbing in earnest now, and felt she had to keep telling them this, because they didn’t seem to listen.
‘I tell you what –’ Nanny sat on a chair and settled her on her lap – ‘we’ll call you Queenie when the mistress isn’t around, but when she’s here we’ll have to call you Eleanor. Will that be all right?’
Queenie allowed Molly to mop up her tears, and made her blow her nose.
‘Why –’ she hiccupped – ‘can’t I go home?’
‘Because you live here now.’ Nanny smoothed a hand over Queenie’s hair. ‘You must promise me to be a good girl, or it will be hard for you. Your parents don’t want you back, and if the master and mistress feel they can’t keep you, then you might be sent to a home. You’ll be much better off here. Do you understand?’
Something stirred in Queenie’s mind; a vague memory of something that was spoken of with fear in their street. Workhouse. That was bad. Even her mum was afraid of that.
‘Do you understand?’ Nanny repeated.
She nodded, terrified, and clung to the woman who was showing her kindness. ‘Don’t let them do that to me.’ Looking up, her eyes wide with hurt, she asked, ‘Why don’t my mum want me?’
‘There are too many of you, and she can’t feed you all.’
‘I don’t eat much,’ she whispered, as the tears flowed again.
Chapter Two
‘Wake up!’
Queenie was being shaken gently, making her eyes snap open as she tumbled off Nanny’s lap, landing with a thud in her unaccustomed shoes. She gazed up at the woman who had brought her here, her teeth chattering with fear.
‘She was worn out.’ Nanny stood up, ‘so I let her sleep for a while.’
‘My, don’t you look pretty.’ The woman bent down and straightened the bow in Queenie’s hair. ‘I’ve brought you a present. It was mine when I was a little girl.’
Queenie took the dolly from her. It had blonde ringlets, a bonnet, dress, shoes … Queenie lifted the skirt … and those things. It was pretty, but she didn’t want it. All she wanted to do was go home and be with her brothers and sisters. It was too quiet here. Saying nothing, she put it on the bed.
‘I don’t think she’s used to having toys to play with.’ Nanny turned to Queenie. ‘When someone gives you something, you must say thank you.’
‘Thank you.’ She didn’t know why she had to say that, but the woman with the pinny was being kind to her. Suddenly, she began to fidget, crossing her legs and looking round in panic.
‘Ah.’ Nanny scooped her up and hurried to a room along the corridor where there was a privy. Queenie thought it was funny having it inside the house.
After she’d finished her clothes were tidied again. She jumped, spinning round in alarm, at the sound of gushing water. She looked in the toilet bowl and saw it was clean, and it had little blue flowers all over it. Where did the water go? This was strange and must be thoroughly investigated. Harry wouldn’t half laugh if he could see this. She wished her favourite brother was here with her.
‘I don’t suppose you’ve seen one like this, have you?’
‘Ours is at the bottom of the yard and stinks rotten.’ She sniffed. ‘This don’t.’
‘The master is very keen on having proper water closets. Now, you must be hungry. We’ll have lunch in the schoolroom, and then you’ll be taken to see the master.’ Holding Queenie by the hand, she led her to another room.
‘What shall I do with this?’ Molly held up Queenie’s old frock for her mistress to see.
‘Throw it away.’
With a yelp of alarm, Queenie lunged, grabbing it out of the maid’s hand and clutching it protectively. ‘That’s mine!’
‘But you don’t need it any more,’ the woman said to the glowering child. ‘You have nice clothes now.’
‘Don’t want rotten clothes.’ Burying her face in the frock, she took a deep breath of the familiar smells of home.
‘I suggest we let her keep it for a while,’ Nanny said. ‘This must be very frightening for her, and it is something she’s familiar with.’
‘Very well, you know best about these things. Have your lunch and then try to persuade her to leave it up here while she comes downstairs to meet her new father.’
Queenie sat on the frock at the table so she could leave her hands free to eat. First, Molly served them with soup, but when she picked up the dish to drink it, she was stopped.
‘No, you must use this.’ Nanny put a shining spoon in her hand.
It was a messy business as Queenie struggled with the unusual implements. She didn’t know what was wrong with fingers; that’s all they used at home. But the grub wasn’t bad.
Her frock had to be changed, even though they’d put a bib round her neck, and her face washed – again! All the time she held on tightly to her old frock, not daring to let it go.
The woman came back. ‘Ready to go downstairs, Eleanor?’
Nanny stooped down in front of her. ‘Leave your frock here. It will be quite safe.’
Queenie clutched it desperately. ‘No, you’ll take it away.’
‘I promise you it will still be here when you come back.’ Nanny eased the garment out of her hands, then she said very softly, ‘You can trust me, Queenie.’
Reluctantly, she put the frock on the bed next to the dolly, and then glared fiercely at everyone. ‘Don’t touch!’
‘We won’t,’ Molly assured her.
‘There’s a good girl.’ The woman held out her hand. ‘Come on, Eleanor.’
Sticking her hands behind her back, she clumped down the stairs, scowling. ‘Can I go home soon? I don’t like it here.’
‘You’ll soon get used to it.’ The woman helped her down the last couple of steps.
Queenie beat her off. ‘Don’t touch!’ She turned to the woman everyone was calling Nanny to make sure she was following them. ‘You tell her to let me alone.’
Nanny just laid a hand on her head to guide her through the door in front of them.
‘This is Eleanor, my dear.’ The woman pushed her towards a man standing by the fireplace.
When he gazed down at her, Queenie knew she was in trouble. She had learnt very early to tell when someone was angry and could lash out. But she had also learnt not to show fear. She glowered back in self-defence. ‘Don’t you hit me. My brother ’Arry will come and bleedin’ well bash you up.’
He spun round to face the woman. ‘What have you and Henry done, Mary? I told you I was arranging for us to adopt a baby. How old is this child?’
‘Two and a half.’ She was unperturbed by her husband’s wrath. ‘Don’t worry, dear, she will soon settle down.’
He shook his head, turning to study Queenie again. ‘Are you sure that’s her age? She sounds older.’
‘They have to grow up quickly in the slums or they don’t survive.’
The look he gave his wife was one of disbelief. ‘Do you really believe you can take a child of this age from that environment and bring her up as our daughter?’
‘I’m certain we can do it.’ Mary laid a hand on her husband’s arm. ‘She seems a bright child, and will soon adapt to her new life.’
Albert looked very doubtful as he studied the small child in front of him. ‘This is highly irregular, Mary, you know that, don’t you?’
‘Yes, but Henry has been thorough and her parents have signed a document saying they give up all claim to her. He’s a lawyer and knows what he’s doing.’ She gave her husband a pleading look. ‘We can give her a much better chance in life. They didn’t want her, Albert, but I do.’
Albert gasped when Queenie kicked him on the shin with her new shoes to gain his attention. ‘You take me home.’
Nanny caught hold of her. ‘You mustn’t do that, Eleanor. The master isn’t going to hurt you.’
‘My name’s Queenie,’ she shouted, stamping her foot in frustration, fear making her lash out at everyone near.
‘That’s a pretty name.’ The man didn’t look quite so angry now; he seemed sad.
‘It’s my proper name.’ She swiped quickly across her eyes to stop the tears falling.
‘I wanna go home. Go tell ’Arry. He’ll come for me.’
‘Don’t you think you would rather live here in this nice house?’ He bent down, reaching out to steady her as she shook her head so fiercely she nearly toppled over. ‘Well, before you decide, why don’t you come and have a look at the garden? It’s very large, and there’s a pond with fish in it. Want to see it?’
Now he was at her level he didn’t seem so frightening. Her natural curiosity took over. The fish sounded fun … perhaps a little look. ‘Suppose.’
‘Good, come on then.’ He straightened up and held out his hand.
‘Don’t need help. I walk on my own.’
‘Independent little thing, isn’t she?’ he remarked to his wife.
Queenie clumped along beside him, relieved to see Nanny was coming with them. Once outside, she gasped in wonder. It was a blooming park! ‘Crumbs, where’s all the houses?’
‘This is our garden,’ the man told her.
Her mouth dropped open. ‘This is all yours?’
He nodded, then winced when she loudly said, ‘Bloody ’ell!’
She stomped onto the grass, looking back at him. ‘Where’s the fish, then?’
‘I’ll show you in a minute.’ He frowned at Nanny. ‘Why is she walking flat-footed like that? Is there something wrong with her feet?’
‘No, sir, she isn’t used to wearing shoes, or … ahem … undergarments.’
His attempt to stifle a groan wasn’t successful, making Queenie take a couple of steps back. Just to be on the safe side. He had big hands.
‘Come here, child.’ When she hesitated, he bent to her level again, holding out his hand. ‘I’m not going to hurt you, I want to look at your shoes.’
Edging cautiously towards him, she stuck out one foot. ‘They’re ’orrible.’
‘Hmm, I can see that.’ He removed the shoe. ‘Now the other one.’
Sticking out the other foot, she breathed a sigh of relief when they were both off. Then she sat down on the grass and whipped off the socks. Standing up again, she did a little jig, loving the feel of the grass under her bare feet.
‘That’s better, isn’t it?’
She nodded, taking a closer look at him. ‘You got funny coloured eyes.’
‘Hmm, so I’ve been told.’ His mouth turned up in amusement at her direct remark. ‘I believe they are called amber.’
‘Oh.’ She had to have another look at those. ‘Mine are blue.’
‘Yes, I can see that, and they’re very pretty.’
No one had ever told her that before. She shuffled a bit closer. He didn’t seem too bad because he’d taken off her shoes. Perhaps … She pointed towards her knickers. ‘I don’t like these rotten things, neither.’
‘You must keep those on.’
From the tone of his voice, she knew it would be daft to disobey. Shame. Still, she’d got rid of the shoes.
‘Mary.’ Albert straightened up. ‘Buy her some lighter and softer shoes. And, Nanny, put shoes on her for only a short time each day until she gets used to them.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘Does that mean you approve and we can keep her, my dear?’ Mary asked hopefully.
‘I don’t think we have any choice. Her family obviously don’t want her, and if she’s returned to them, they will most likely try to sell her again.’ He studied the little girl waiting impatiently for him to show her the pond. ‘She’s an appealing child, and I dread to imagine what might happen to her if we don’t keep her here.’
His wife couldn’t hide her delight. ‘She won’t be any trouble. You will hardly know she’s here.’
‘I have agreed that we keep her, but I am most upset. You should have consulted me first, but it is done now.’
‘I thought you would be pleased, Albert. You are always concerned about the plight of children like her, and urging Parliament for better education rights for the poor.’ Her mouth turned up at the corners. ‘You are very vocal on the subject, I am told.’
Queenie was getting fed up with waiting and began to wander off. She’d find the fish herself, and maybe a gate. It would be easy to run now she had nothing on her feet. A large shadow loomed beside her.
‘The pond is this way, child.’
She followed as they walked round bushes taller than her, and then she let out a gasp. It was big, and there was a stone thing in the middle, running with water. She took off towards it as fast as her legs would carry her.
The man caught her. ‘Careful, water can be dangerous if you fall in.’
He kept a firm hold on her while she knelt down and peered into the pond. The fish swimming around were a pretty colour. She cast a glance at the man beside her. ‘You eat these?’
‘No, they live here. This is their home.’ He watched her face intently. ‘Just as this is now your home.’
Sitting back on her heels, the pleasure drained from her face, her eyes pleading. ‘It’s nice here, but I wanna go home. I want my brothers and sisters. I want ’Arry. He looks out for me.’
His face turned to thunder. ‘I’ll kill Henry for allowing you to do this, Mary.’ Then he stormed off.
Albert Warrender couldn’t remember when he’d been so angry. His wife was a kindly soul and he understood her anguish at remaining childless. It was also a great sadness to him, as well, and he had agreed that they adopt an unwanted baby – and goodness knows, there were plenty of them – but plucking a child of this age away from her family was cruel. Henry was a damned fool, but he had never been able to deny his sister anything she wanted.
When he looked back on the ten years of marriage to Mary, he was filled with sorrow. After losing three babies, it had become clear that his wife would never be able to carry a child full term. Her health was fragile, and she suffered from long bouts of depression. Theirs was a barren marriage, but he loved her dearly and hadn’t been able to hurt her by seeking his freedom and marrying again.
On reaching the stables he saddled the huge stallion, knowing that he needed the challenge of controlling the fractious animal. He had been a Member of Parliament for the last eight years, and he loved the work. After the loss of the third baby, Mary had been desperately ill and they had moved out of London. He’d agreed to an adoption, hoping that, and the country air, would bring the laughter back into Mary’s life, and his own, but he had never expected her to do something this outrageous.
It was dark when he finally returned home, dusty, spent, and not much calmer. The house was quiet as he made his way up to the nursery. He hadn’t been able to banish that distressed little face from his mind. He was deeply concerned for the child and shouldn’t have taken off like that, but he trusted Nanny to take good care of the girl. She had been his nanny and was no longer young, but he had kept her as a permanent member of his household, to live her declining years in peace and security. He knew there would be little chance of that now. He must see that she had all the help she needed.
Opening the door quietly, he stepped into the room. The bed was empty. Concern swept through him, until a slight snuffling sound made his gaze dart towards the corner of the room. Huddled on the floor was the tiny child, clutching something to her.
‘She doesn’t like the empty bed, sir.’
He spun round at the sound of the voice behind him.
‘She’s used to sleeping with her three sisters.’ Nanny spoke softly. ‘I’ve put her back in bed four times, but she won’t stay there.’
‘What’s she holding?’
‘The frock she arrived in. She won’t let it out of her sight. It’s the only thing she’s got to remind her of home.’
He controlled his temper, remaining outwardly calm. ‘Get two extra pillows, please.’
While he waited for those, he picked up the sleeping child, noting that her face was wet with tears. When she whimpered, he spoke gently, his deep voice seeming to soothe her. ‘All right, little one, we aren’t going to hurt you.’
Placing her in the bed he then tucked the two pillows either side of her. Queenie immediately turned and snuggled up to one of them.
‘She might stay there now.’
‘I never thought of that, sir. Now the bed doesn’t seem so empty to her.’
They both remained, staring down at the little girl.
‘What a mess!’ Albert ran a hand through his hair. ‘I’ve got to sort this out, and see that everything is done legally.’
‘Yes, sir, she will have to stay now.’
He nodded grimly. ‘How is my wife, Nanny?’
‘Happier than I’ve seen her for a long time. She came to read her a bedtime story, then kissed her, and went away smiling.’
‘Mary is not strong, and the burden is going to fall on you.’ He looked down fondly at the woman who had been like a mother to him. ‘I’ll see you have more help. If it gets too much, you must let me know at once.’
‘Thank you, sir. If you could release Molly from her other duties, that would be appreciated. She has a nice way with children.’
‘I’ll arrange that.’ Closing his eyes for a brief moment, overcome with fatigue, his mind ran through the things he had to take care of. Then he opened his eyes again. ‘Poor little devil.’
‘Now, don’t you get upset.’ Nanny gave him a confident smile. ‘She’s only a baby and will soon forget her other family.’
‘I hope you’re right. But I’m going to tear Henry limb from limb!’
Queenie watched them leave the room, and then buried her nose in the frock. I won’t forget, she raged silently. Mum and Dad didn’t want me, so I’ll forget them, but I won’t forget Ted, Harry, Jack, Tommy, Bert, Charlie, June, Pearl or Maggie. I won’t forget them. Never!
Henry Jenson’s house was only two miles away, so Albert took a fresh mount and headed for his brother-in-law’s. It was nearly midnight when he arrived. The door was opened as soon as he thumped on it, and he swept aside the flustered servant, storming into the library, knowing that was where he would find Henry.
‘I ought to give you the thrashing of your life,’ he growled, as Henry leapt to his feet in alarm.
‘Now, Albert.’ He backed away, hands up in defence. ‘Mary will take good care of the child.’
‘Mary can’t take care of herself, let alone a troubled child who has been taken away from her family and dumped with strangers. The little girl’s terrified!’
‘That bad, is it?’ Henry visibly blanched as his brother-in-law took a menacing step towards him.
‘Now, I’ll tell you what you’re going to do. From this moment on, that child is mine! You are to see that the adoption is legal. I don’t want anyone else to have a claim on her.’
‘I’ll see to it—’
‘You make sure you do. You make this legal – and with the utmost speed. If anyone comes near me trying to take her away, then I’ll break your bloody neck. Is that understood?’
‘I’ll get straight on to it, Albert.’ Henry swallowed and cleared his throat.
‘Make sure you do, or your life won’t be worth living. And as soon as it’s done I want a notice put in the papers announcing the adoption.’
Henry nodded and held up the decanter. ‘Er … would you like a drink?’
‘No, I wouldn’t!’ Albert stormed out of the house, and galloped away.
Henry collapsed into a leather armchair, pulled the stopper out of the decanter with his teeth, and filled a glass with brandy, his hand shaking. Albert Warrender was a powerful man, with hair as black as night, and eyes that glowed like burning coals when in a rage.
He emptied the glass in one gulp. Facing his sister’s husband when he was in that kind of a mood was not something he would recommend to anyone.
Chapter Three
October 1905
Her father, standing in his usual spot by the fireplace, glowered at her, but Ellie wasn’t fooled for a moment by his stern expression. She loved him and knew his every mood, and his mouth had twitched when she’d walked into the room. Even so, although he had always been extremely indulgent and forgiving of her boisterous moods, she knew he was near the end of his patience.
‘Your explanation had better be good, Eleanor. This is the second school to send you home in disgrace.’ He held up the letter she had given him from the school. ‘Fighting again!’
‘I’m sorry, Father.’ She cast a quick glance at her mother, but she was sitting with her hands in her lap, clearly content to leave this matter with her husband. Ellie drew in a deep breath. ‘They started it first.’
‘They? There was more than one this time?’
‘Um … three, actually.’
He looked up at the ceiling for a moment, then back to her, his amber eyes smouldering. ‘I can see they gave you a black eye. I was hoping that the exclusive finishing school would teach you to control your temper. Why were you expelled when it was three girls who attacked you?’
Shuffling carefully, she slipped out of her shoes. For some strange reason she always wanted to get rid of her shoes when she was in trouble. ‘I think I broke one girl’s nose, and the other two—’
He held up his hand to stop her. ‘There’s no need to go into details as I shall, no doubt, be receiving letters from the outraged parents.’
‘They deserved it, Father. They called us – me names, and I wasn’t going to put up with that. Just because they come from titled families they think they’re better than everyone else.’ She held his gaze boldly. ‘I told them you were richer and more noble than all of them.’
‘You were defending me?’ He shook his head in disbelief.
Ellie squinted at her father with one eye – the other one was fast closing – and tried a little smile. ‘They said their fathers were in the House of Lords, but you were only in the Lower House. I told them that all the intelligent men were there, and it was where all the hard work was done. Their fathers only took their seats to sleep off a heavy lunch.’
‘Oh, my.’ Albert turned away, his shoulders shaking.
‘It was quite a scrap.’ There was pride in her voice. ‘And I won, but they went crying like babies to the Head.’
Her father faced her again, in control. ‘You should not have reacted in such a violent way. I’m quite capable of defending my own reputation.’
‘I know.’ Ellie studied the floor, trying in vain to hide her smile. ‘They said I took after you. Perhaps one day women will be allowed in Parliament.’
Albert turned to his wife. ‘What do you suggest we do with her, Mary? Do you know of another school who would take her, or has her reputation spread to the length and breadth of the land?’
‘But Father –’ Ellie didn’t give her mother a chance to answer – ‘I shall be eighteen in January. Must I still go to school? I would much rather stay here with you and Mother.’
‘She does have a point, Albert.’ Her mother’s tone was gentle, as always. ‘A private tutor for a short time might be the answer. I don’t believe Eleanor is at fault here. The other girls started the argument, so she should not have been expelled.’
‘It does appear to be that way, but the argument should not have turned into a fight. However, your suggestion of a private tutor is a sound one. I shall advertise at once.’
‘Does this mean I can stay at home?’ Ellie asked, relieved. She hated being away from home.
‘I believe it is the only answer.’ Her father shook his head in mock dismay. ‘We have run out of suitable establishments for you.’
‘Oh, thank you.’ She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly, then did the same to her mother, only gently this time. Ellie couldn’t remember her ever being very strong, but she had become rather pale and listless of late. It was distressing to see her deep auburn hair prematurely sprinkled with grey, and her green eyes clouded with pain. ‘I’m sorry to have worried you again, Mother. I don’t mean to get into trouble, but I just can’t seem to avoid it.’
‘You have been a joy to us from the moment you arrived, Eleanor.’ She kissed her daughter’s cheek with undisguised affection. ‘Now you must go and explain to Nanny, but don’t stay too long. She is rather frail.’
‘I won’t tire her.’ Ellie had always loved Nanny, and it was sad to see her so weak, but she must be a good age, as she had also been her father’s nanny.
She ran towards the door, eager to see the woman who had practically brought her up, and skidded to a halt at the sound of her father’s voice. She turned.
‘Shoes,’ was all he said.
‘Oops, sorry.’ Scooping them up and not bothering to put them on, she made for Nanny’s rooms. Her father had provided her with a private place of her own, containing everything she could need for her comfort. The elderly woman was being well looked after, which was only right.
Knocking on the door, she waited until she heard the call to come in, and then opened the door enough to be able to peer in. ‘Hello, Nanny. I’ve come to confess my sins.’
‘Thrown you out again, have they?’
‘It wasn’t my fault.’
‘No, it never is.’ She waved a hand. ‘Come in and let me see you.’
Ellie was delighted to be home again and to see the woman she thought the world of.
Nanny allowed her cheek to be kissed. ‘I don’t know why your father sends you to boarding school. It would never work, and I’ve told him many times.’
‘Well, I’m staying home now, and he’s going to get me a tutor for a while.’
‘Whoever he employs will not stay long.’ Nanny shook her head as she gazed at her former charge.
‘Why am I such a trial to everyone, Nanny?’ Ellie sat on the floor, sighing deeply, tossing her shoes under a small table. ‘I can’t seem to keep out of trouble.’
‘You’ve always had an independent streak, speaking your mind without a thought that you may upset someone. It’s your nature, and we’ve never been able to change you, though we’ve tried very hard to make a lady of you.’
Ellie grimaced.
‘Don’t worry; we all love you the way you are. Now, you can make me a cup of tea while you’re here.’
‘I’ve been told I mustn’t stay too long and tire you.’ Ellie scrambled to her feet and headed for the small stove in the corner of the room. Nanny was served the same food as everyone else, so she didn’t need to do any cooking.
‘And that’s another thing we’ve never been able to break you of.’ Nanny gestured to Ellie’s bare feet. ‘You’ve never liked shoes, have you, Queenie?’
Ellie stopped dead as the name ran through her mind, sounding familiar, and for some odd reason, making her feel sad. She turned, a deep frown on her face. ‘What did you call me?’
‘Eleanor.’
‘No, you didn’t. You called me Queenie.’
‘Did I?’ Nanny laughed. ‘My silly old mind. I must have been thinking about someone else. Hurry up and make the tea. I’m gasping.’
While Ellie busied herself, she couldn’t get the name out of her head. Why had it given her such a start when she heard it? They didn’t know anyone of that name. With a shrug, she concentrated on what she was doing. Must be someone from Nanny’s past. When people got old they often dwelt on days gone by, but she couldn’t help feeling there was something she should remember.
‘What are you doing, Eleanor? It doesn’t take all day to make a pot of tea, surely?’
‘Just coming.’ Ellie laughed. That sounded more like Nanny. She took the tea and placed it on the table.
She only stayed long enough to drink the tea and explain what had happened at school. Then, seeing that Nanny was getting tired, she left.
Her father was no longer in the library, and her mother had retired for her afternoon rest so, putting on her shoes, Ellie made for the stables, knowing her father would most likely be there with his beloved horses.
She was right. He was running his hands over a beautiful dappled grey mare, and talking to one of the grooms. She charged up to them. ‘She’s beautiful. I haven’t seen her before.’
‘I only bought her three days ago.’ He watched the horse nuzzle Eleanor. ‘Looks like you’re friends already.’
Ellie laughed when the mare gave her a playful shove. ‘I think she likes me.’
‘That’s good, because I bought her for you.’
She nearly knocked her father off his feet in her eagerness to thank him. ‘Can I ride her now?’
‘Go and get changed and I’ll come with you, just to make sure the animal behaves herself.’
Ellie tore back to the house, excitement bubbling away. This was a good day: she had got off lightly for being expelled, and she wouldn’t have to go away to school again; she now had a horse of her own and, best of all, her father was coming riding with her. She loved that. He was such fun.
The horse was lively, but Ellie had no trouble controlling her. Her father had always insisted that she ride astride, as it was safer than side-saddle. She had been riding for as long as she could remember, and like her father, she adored horses. There was no greater pleasure than a gallop through the countryside, whatever the weather.
After half an hour, they stopped on a rise to admire the view.
‘You suit each other,’ her father said. ‘So, what are you going to call her? Her bloodline is good.’
‘I don’t know. She’s a regal looking animal.’ Her mind ran over suitable names for her, but one jumped immediately to thought. ‘I know, I’ll call her Queenie.’
There was silence for a while as her father studied her intently. ‘What made you choose that name?’
‘Nanny called me that while I was making tea for her.’ Ellie frowned as she remembered. ‘Is she all right, Father? She said her mind was wandering, but the name seemed familiar. Do we know of anyone by that name?’
‘No, not now.’
The tone of her father’s voice made her look up sharply. He sounded hesitant, which wasn’t at all like him. Her curiosity got the better of her and she asked, ‘But we did in the past?’
‘It was a long time ago. You were only a baby.’
‘Oh, was she a servant?’
‘No, she was just someone we knew for a while. Now, back to the name. I think you should call her Silver Princess.’
Ellie studied the animal’s coat as the sun caught it, making it shimmer. ‘That’s a perfect name for her.’
‘Good.’ Her father remounted. ‘We must return now because I have to be in London this evening.’
Sorry that their short time together was over, she got back in the saddle, and they cantered towards the house. She was bursting with questions about the person they had known when she’d been tiny, but her father had changed the subject, and she knew more questions would not be answered. Still, it explained why the name had sounded familiar. And Nanny’s lapse of memory. Perhaps she could get her to tell her about the girl sometime. That was something else she had never been able to control – her curiosity. She knew she had nearly driven her parents and Nanny mad when she was little with her unceasing questions. Dismissing it from her mind, she laughed at her father and urged Silver into a gallop, leaving him to catch up.
Nanny’s slip was causing Albert concern. The name Queenie had been dropped after only two weeks of her arriving. The first few months had been difficult. Eleanor had never mentioned her parents, but had constantly asked for her brothers and sisters. The one she had missed the most was called Harry, and it had torn the heart out of Albert to see her forlorn little face as she had asked repeatedly for him. It had been a relief when that had stopped and, fortunately, she had been young enough for the memories to fade as she’d settled into her new life. They had invited lots of their friends’ children to play with her. By the time she was ready for school, she appeared to have no recollection of her former life.
They had all been careful to show her love, and to let her know they were happy she was with them. And that had been the truth. Mary adored her, and his wife’s bouts of depression became a thing of the past. Nanny had loved and protected her, and he had been, and still was, captivated by her lively intelligence and independent nature. It hadn’t always been easy, of course, as she seemed to attract trouble, but he could never be angry with her for long. She had a beguiling way, and an openness that was, at times, disconcerting. His Eleanor did not tolerate rudeness from anyone, no matter what their station in life. There was still an element in her of the battling little girl they had brought into their home, and he was pleased it hadn’t been entirely educated out of her. When he thought back to the time he had first seen her, and then looked at her now, he loved and admired her unconditionally. She was a happy girl, but was that happiness now in danger?
There was a worried look on his face when he knocked on his wife’s door, then he strode in. Mary was propped up in bed reading a book.
‘How are you feeling, Mary?’
‘I’m fine, Albert.’ She smiled. ‘Did you enjoy your ride?’
‘Very much.’ Settling in a chair beside the bed, he told her how delighted Eleanor had been with the mare.
‘I knew she would be, but why do you look so worried, my dear?’
‘Nanny called her Queenie today, but quickly recovered by saying that she had been thinking about someone else.’
Mary closed the book, and sat forward. ‘Did Eleanor recognise the name?’
He shook his head. ‘No, but she wanted to call the mare Queenie. I talked her out of it, though.’
‘That’s a relief.’ Mary settled back on the pillows again. ‘If she hears the name too often, she may begin to remember things. My first memories are from about the age of four. I certainly cannot recall anything when I was younger than that, but being removed from her family was traumatic for her, and you never know if memories might surface.’
‘That’s what worries me. We are going to have to tell her one day—’
‘It is only right that she knows, Albert.’ Mary reached out for his hand. ‘She has been happy with us, and still is, and as far as she is concerned, she is our daughter. But I’m going to ask you to wait until she’s older and more able to cope with the revelation.’
He sighed. Like his wife, he was reluctant to do anything to make Eleanor unhappy, and finding out that she was not their natural child would most certainly upset her. And he was quite happy to leave it for a while longer. He was a coward when it came to telling her. ‘Very well, but I will have a word with Nanny to make sure she doesn’t make the same slip again.’
‘That would be wise.’ Mary closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them again, looking directly at her husband. ‘As you are aware, the doctors have given me only a few months to live, so by asking you to wait, I am leaving this burden with you.’
‘Doctors have been wrong, Mary. If you take life easy …’
‘No, my dear, we must face this. I have already stayed alive for longer than I thought possible, but I did so want to see our daughter grow into a woman, and she is almost there. In my bureau there is a box with all the details of Eleanor’s past family. You may give it to her when you feel the time is right, or burn it.’ She gave a tired smile. ‘I know you love our daughter, and will always do what is right for her, but I would like your promise that when the time comes, you will not leave her to face this alone. Stand by her side, Albert, and support her, whatever she decides to do.’
‘I promise.’ Albert stood up. ‘Now you must rest, Mary. I’m sure you are worrying unnecessarily. We will both be here to look after her.’
Chapter Four
Over the next week Ellie enjoyed the freedom of roaming the estate, riding Silver and visiting Uncle Henry. He had one child, a son two years younger than her, who was away at school.
She gave the horse over to the care of one of her uncle’s grooms after her ride, and bounced into the library to find him.
‘Hello, Eleanor.’ He glanced up from the letter he was writing. ‘Are you bored with nothing to do? This is the third visit this week.’
‘I never get bored.’ She sat down and grinned. ‘I’ve come with a message from Mother. She would like you to join us for dinner tonight. Father’s coming home.’
‘You may tell her that I would be delighted to come.’
‘Good. Have you heard from Philip this week?’
‘He’s returning tomorrow. He has been unhappy at that school and your father has suggested that the tutor he is engaging should teach both of you.’
‘What a splendid idea! Father is so sensible.’ Ellie giggled when her uncle pulled a face. ‘I don’t know what you have against him. I do believe you are afraid of him, Uncle Henry.’
‘You’ve never seen him in a rage. It is a frightening sight. I did something once he was furious about, and it’s not an experience I would wish to repeat.’
Settling back in the chair, Ellie rubbed her hands together in glee. ‘Do tell.’
