The Apothecary's Daughter (10 page)

‘Are you threatening me?’

‘Not in the least. But you should know that your father and I expect a happy event. Our baby will be born in the new year.’

Susannah was unable to contain her gasp of shock. ‘What have you done!’

‘Made your father a very happy man.’

Arabella’s triumphant smile made Susannah feel sick.

‘That child needs a purge,’ said Susannah. She was standing in the kitchen doorway and watching Harriet outside in the yard
as she defiantly kicked up a cloud of dust perilously close to the drying washing. ‘It might dispel some of her spleen.’

‘Might not do you any harm, neither.’

‘How dare you!’

Jennet raised her eyebrows. ‘I’ve known you long enough, Miss Susannah, to know when I can speak my mind. We can’t go on like
this. Everyone is out of temper.’

It was true. Despite her earnest desire not to let Arabella win the battle of wills, Susannah had begun to consider seriously
what employment she could take up that would allow her to escape from the turbulent household. Her life now was nothing but
duty and strife and she was sick of it.

Her mood wasn’t improved by the fact that she missed Henry. She had enjoyed the way he had taken her out and about, regularly
devising some little entertainment or treat for her. Of course, Arabella had always been there, the thorn in Susannah’s side.
And irritatingly Henry, like most men, was oblivious to her stepmother’s barbed comments, uttered as they were from smiling
lips.

Now Henry had gone and there was nothing to amuse Susannah
any more. It was only her terror of childbirth that prevented her from changing her mind about his proposal. Why, oh why,
could they not simply remain friends? Or be married without sharing a bed? But she knew the answer to that every time she
saw her father’s melting looks as he caressed Arabella. As Martha had said, all men were made fools by desire. Henry would
expect a wife in the fullest sense and that was an end to it.

The morning passed in relative peace. Arabella went to visit her glovemaker in the Exchange, while Jennet attempted to restrain
the children from causing complete mayhem. Susannah instructed Ned on the proper use of marigolds in the preparation of a
poultice to strengthen the heart in a fever, while all the time she pictured Henry’s face and wondered if she’d made a terrible
mistake.

Arabella returned from her shopping expedition carrying an armful of parcels, which she dropped onto the counter in the shop.
‘I should have taken Jennet with me to carry my purchases,’ she said. ‘Fetch me a chair, Cornelius. I’m exhausted.’

‘You must take care, Arabella! In your condition …’

‘Susannah, call the maid to bring me a glass of ale. It has never been in my nature to be lazy, Cornelius, which turns out
to be your good fortune since you will not allow me to employ a nursemaid.’

‘You know we have no room for another servant, my dear. As it is Ned sleeps under the counter in the shop.’

‘Nonsense! Jennet could share her bed in the attic with the new girl.’

‘Her room is barely more than a cupboard …’

‘You are not listening, Cornelius. I simply cannot manage the smooth running of the entire household, three children and a
new baby without any help.’

‘But you have Jennet!’ said Susannah, unable to contain herself any longer.

Arabella carried on as if she had not spoken. ‘If your purse strings are so tight, Cornelius, then there is no option but
to take Susannah out of the dispensary and put her to work in the nursery.’ She spoke calmly but directed a challenging glance
at Susannah.

‘You will not!’ Horror at the thought of it made Susannah clench her fists as she planted herself in front of Arabella, her
eyes blazing. How
dare
she? ‘Already I am forced to nursemaid your unruly children while you recline on your bed eating candied apricots or make
visits to the Exchange to shop for fripperies. You needn’t think I’m going to stop my valuable work simply to indulge your
indolent ways.’

‘Susannah!’ Fury made Cornelius’s face white. ‘I will not allow you to speak to Arabella in such a manner. Apologise at once!’

To her? Surely he didn’t mean it? ‘Certainly not!’ Anger and betrayal burned inside her chest. ‘Has she bewitched you so much,
Father, that you have taken entire leave of your senses too? How would you manage in the shop without me?’

Arabella held up her hand as Cornelius opened his mouth to speak. ‘You place too great an importance upon yourself, Susannah.
Your father has a perfectly good apprentice. I shall be gracious enough to overlook your uncivil behaviour this time but you
had better get it into that red head of yours that I am the mistress here now. Your insolent ways will change at once or I
shall find you a position as a scullery maid in another household.’

‘Father?’ Susannah turned to Cornelius for support.

Cornelius’s s mouth was set in a thin line and the corner of one eye twitched. ‘I …’ He swallowed. ‘I …’

‘Father?’ Her voice quavered in disbelief.

‘I am going out to the coffee shop,’ he said, looking down at the floor. ‘I shan’t be back for dinner.’ He snatched open the
shop door and was gone.

Susannah stared at the door, shaking with shock.

‘It’s no good you looking to
him
,’ said Arabella with a curl of her lip. ‘All men are weak.’

Susannah, cut to the quick by Cornelius’s betrayal, was unable to speak.

Arabella sighed. ‘Let me speak plainly. When I married your father I had not meant to make an enemy of you, Susannah, but
you flout me at every turn and I will not have it. The simple truth is that this house will never be large enough for both
of us.’

‘That is certainly true.’ Susannah leaned against the counter, suddenly feeling as if her legs wouldn’t hold her up for a
moment longer. Below her breastbone a cold, hard knot of certainty began to form.

‘I am your father’s wife,’ continued Arabella, ‘and here I shall remain. For the sake of harmony, you must leave. You should
have accepted Henry Savage’s proposal but you’ve missed your chance now. I saw him at the Exchange this morning. He had Miss
Horatia Thynne upon his arm. She is not so well favoured as you, in fact someone less generous than myself might call her
ugly.’ Arabella gave a wry smile. ‘Perhaps I am not as mean-spirited as you might think, Susannah? I do acknowledge that you
are an attractive young woman, if you are prepared to overlook red hair.’

‘How very kind!’

Arabella ignored Susannah’s comment. ‘Horatia is the daughter of Robert Thynne who was an acquaintance of my first husband.
Robert Thynne has made his fortune importing silk from the East and if he has to buy his unfortunate daughter a husband that
is what he will do. No matter what the price. So if you had any intentions of enticing Henry back to your side, you should
give them up now.’

Susannah was silent. In the back of her mind she had toyed with the thought that she could always change her mind if life
at home became too difficult.

‘In my condition I am not prepared to live in a continual state of discord,’ continued Arabella. ‘You will leave by Michaelmas.
You will find yourself a position or I shall find one for you. I have a friend who may be in want of a companion and I shall
make enquiries.’

‘Father will not allow it!’

‘My dear.’ Arabella smiled a smile so dreadful in its self- confidence that it made Susannah blink. ‘You can be sure your
father will do whatever I wish him to. His life will not be worth living if he does not.’

Susannah put on her plain grey skirt and jacket, hid her curls under her hat and went downstairs.

Cornelius was advising a customer on the best course of action to rid himself of a tapeworm so she waited in the dispensary
until she heard the shop bell ring.

‘Are you going out?’ Cornelius asked.

‘I have made up my mind to visit all the apothecaries in Fleet Street and find myself a position.’

Cornelius shook his head. ‘My dear, what you hope for is unattainable.’

‘You could speak for me.’

‘It will make no difference.’

‘But why not? Have I not worked beside you since I was a child?’

‘It might be different if you were an apothecary’s widow; there would be no bar to you continuing with his business then but
…’

‘Someone will know my worth and give me work!’

‘You were always headstrong, Susannah. But you are wrong about this. By all means humiliate yourself if you must but I promise
you that no apothecary of my acquaintance will allow you to work in his dispensary. You had much better seek more suitable
employment as companion to a lady.’ He turned his back on her and began counting pills into boxes.

Susannah left the shop, slamming the door behind her. She walked briskly up the street, anger burning in her cheeks. Taking
a few calming breaths, she stopped outside the first apothecary shop she came to. The shutters were up and by the heap of
detritus wedged against the door it looked as if no one had been inside for weeks.

Several other apothecaries were shut up too and she supposed they must have left in the general exodus to the country. She
hadn’t realised just how many premises had closed. Even more upsetting were the two with red crosses painted upon their doors.

She peered into the gloomy interior of another shop but it looked so ramshackle that she knew this was not the place for her.
The one next door, at the sign of the lavender bush, appeared more promising. She had known the owner, a Mr Gordon, for years.
Inside the shop was empty but there was a half-mixed concoction in a basin on
the counter. She dipped a finger into it and touched it to her tongue. Thyme, fennel, ginger, salts of tartar and magnesia.
A remedy for indigestion and flatulence, she guessed. The mixture would be improved with a few drops of oil of peppermint.

Gordon appeared from the back and folded his hands across his chest. He smiled, exposing a fine set of yellowing teeth. ‘Miss
Leyton, is it not?’

‘Indeed.’

‘Has your father sent you to collect some ingredient he is lacking?’

‘No, not at all. I came,’ she hesitated, but it would not do to lose courage now, ‘I came to ask you if you have need of some
extra help in your dispensary?’

‘A new apprentice?’

‘Not exactly. As you know, my father has recently married and his bride has three children. There will also be a new addition
to the family soon and our house will become too small for so many. Therefore I have taken the decision to seek work in another
apothecary’s shop. I have considerable knowledge, having worked at my father’s side for …’

‘You?’ Gordon frowned. ‘You cannot mean that you are seeking to practise my profession?’

‘Although I have no formal training I already practise …’

‘But you are a
woman
.’

‘Yes, but …’

‘It is against God’s will to have
female
apothecaries.’

Rage swept over Susannah in a red tide. ‘And how do you know that?’

Gordon drew himself up to his full height, puffing up like a toad in self-righteous indignation. ‘Are you questioning the
doctrine of the Church? What other blasphemous thoughts have you? You will leave my premises at once!’

Susannah stared at the spittle frothing his mouth and hated him. ‘One day there
will
be female apothecaries.’

‘Not in this world or in my lifetime! May God strike you down for
even imagining such a thing! I don’t know what your father is thinking of for allowing you out with such ideas. If you were
my daughter I’d have you confined to Bedlam. Now get out!’

‘Nothing would make me stay! Not if you were the last apothecary in the city.’ She shoved the basin of half-mixed medicine
towards him, slopping it onto the counter. ‘Why don’t you take some of your own remedy? It might rid you of some of your hot
air!’ She took a great deal of satisfaction in slamming the door behind her.

August arrived and Susannah was no further on with her quest for a congenial post. She talked to all the servants who came
into the shop, to ask if they knew of any positions in their household, but invariably they shook their heads. So many of
the richer sort of people had left London, abandoning many of their servants to scratch a living in the streets. Susannah’s
frustration and despair increased with the passing of the days and Arabella took every possible opportunity to remind her
that Michaelmas wasn’t far off.