The Workhouse Girl (20 page)

A FAMILIAR FIGURE
came towards her and Sarah rushed into Nettie's arms. ‘Is it the master? Am I too late?'

‘He's been asking for you. His mind is wandering and he thinks that you and me are still living here like the old days.'

Sarah's eyes had adjusted to the gloom and she could see Mrs Arbuthnot kneeling at the bedside with her head bowed as if in prayer. Mrs Burgess was standing with her arm around Betty's shoulders and they were both snivelling quietly into their hankies. Pearl Parfitt gave her a sad smile. Sarah approached slowly, her eyes misting with unshed tears. Pearl moved swiftly to her side. ‘Don't let him see you cry,' she said softly.

Sarah leaned over to touch Mr Arbuthnot's hand as it lay on the coverlet. ‘I'm here, sir. It's me, Sarah.'

His face was ashen but his eyelids fluttered and his lips moved, although she could not hear what he was saying. Mrs Arbuthnot lifted her head. ‘He knows it's you, dear. I'm very glad you came in time.'

‘I didn't know he was so ill,' Sarah murmured.

Nettie gave her a reassuring hug. ‘Come away now, nipper.'

‘But I want to say goodbye properly.'

Mrs Arbuthnot dabbed her eyes with her hanky. ‘It's too late, child. He's gone.' She buried her head in her arms and her shoulders heaved.

Betty uttered a howl and Mrs Burgess led her hurriedly from the room, followed by Miss Parfitt, who held her hand out to Sarah and Nettie. ‘Come along, girls,' she said in a low voice. ‘Dorcas will look after her mistress.'

Grey was waiting for them in the entrance hall and he looked up. ‘Are you all right, Sarah?'

Pearl eyed him warily. ‘Is this gentleman with you, dear?'

At any other time Sarah might have thought it funny to hear Grey described as a gentleman, but, having witnessed the death of two people who had been close to her in as many days, she was too upset to see the humour in anything. She moved swiftly to his side and clutched Grey's hand. ‘This man saved me from Trigg.'

Miss Parfitt's lovely face broke into a genuine smile of delight. ‘Then I am very happy to make your acquaintance, Mr er . . .'

He bowed from the waist. ‘Tobias Grey, ma'am.'

Sarah could see that he was impressed by Miss Parfitt, and who could blame him for such a natural reaction to charm and beauty. Even in her black bombazine gown, with her luxuriant dark locks secured in a severe bun at the nape of her neck, she was a lovely young woman who would turn any male head. ‘This is Miss Parfitt. I told you all about her,' Sarah said, although she suspected that Grey had not heard a word she uttered.

‘I'm afraid you have come on a sad occasion,' Pearl said with a gentle smile. ‘Won't you join us in the dining room, Mr Grey? It's the only reception room not given over to the commercial gentlemen who lodge here.'

‘Thank you, Miss Parfitt, but I don't want to intrude.'

‘The master is dead,' Sarah said, gulping back a sob. ‘I don't know if he knew it was me.'

‘He did,' Nettie said stoutly. ‘I'm sure he knew and was glad that you'd come home.'

Pearl ushered Grey into the dining room. ‘Come along, girls. I'm sure you need some refreshments after your journey across London.'

Nettie caught Sarah by the wrist. ‘Where was you? I waited for ages outside the apothecary's shop, and got some very odd looks and several lewd offers for me pains.'

‘I'm so sorry, Nettie. Miss Fitch died yesterday afternoon and I had to go to Spital Square with Grey.'

‘That's a bit of a smart place for the likes of us, isn't it?'

‘I'll explain later.'

‘Well, you might have dropped in at the theatre on your way.'

‘Don't be difficult, Nettie. It was early morning and I didn't think you would be there.'

‘Probably not, but you could have stopped by and left a note or something.' Nettie took off her bonnet. ‘Bloody thing. It might look just the ticket but the feathers slap me in the face every time I move me head.' She tossed it onto the table beside Grey's battered top hat. ‘Don't be a slave to fashion, young Sarah. It ain't always worth the discomfort.'

Nettie's comic expression made Sarah smile in spite of the sadness in her heart, and she followed her into the dining room. ‘I've missed you so much.'

‘Well, I suppose I've missed you too, nipper. But don't ever keep me waiting again. I'm making a name for meself in the theatre and I can't be seen hanging around on street corners. It don't do nothing for me prestige.'

Grey held out his hand. ‘So you're Nettie. I've heard a lot about you over the years.'

She angled her head, fluttering her long eyelashes. ‘Have you now? Well, I thought you was an ogre, but I can see now that I was wrong.' She turned to Sarah, digging her in the ribs. ‘No wonder you was happy in the countryside. He's all right.'

‘Shut up,' Sarah hissed. ‘It isn't like that.'

‘No?' Nettie did not look convinced. ‘He's a good-looking cove and I wouldn't say no if he wanted to take me out for a slap-up dinner in a pie and eel shop.'

Pearl sent her a warning look. ‘This is a serious occasion, Nettie. A little less levity, please.'

Nettie had the grace to look ashamed. ‘Sorry, miss. I was forgetting.'

‘I know it's hard, but we must think of poor Sophia,' Pearl said gently. ‘She'll need all our love and support in the days to come.'

‘It's a sad day,' Grey said solemnly.

Pearl nodded and her brown eyes filled with tears. ‘Mr Arbuthnot passed away peacefully, but it still came as a shock. We truly thought that he was on the road to recovery.'

Grey raised his hand as if he were about to pat her on the shoulder, but let it fall again. ‘I'm truly sorry, miss. He was a good man.'

‘He was indeed.' Mrs Arbuthnot walked into the room, looking round at their crestfallen faces with an attempt at a smile. ‘I'm trying to convince myself that he's gone to a better place. My poor dear James was not a man to enjoy being an invalid, and he's never been the same since that terrible fire.'

Grey held out a chair. ‘Won't you sit down, ma'am?'

She regarded him with a dazed expression in her red-rimmed eyes. ‘I'm sorry, young man. I seem to remember your face but I can't recall when we last met or in what circumstances.'

‘I came to see you after Sarah went missing, Mrs Arbuthnot. I was the fellow who abducted her and I confessed my part in the sorry business.' Grey helped her to take a seat. ‘You were very kind and understanding, but that only made it worse. I knew I'd done a wicked deed, and I've been trying to atone for it ever since.'

Sarah stepped forward. ‘You mustn't blame him, ma'am. Grey was kind to me from the start. He took me to his aunt and she looked after me.' She gulped back fresh tears. ‘Miss Elsie was a good woman, no matter what anyone says about her. She died yesterday and now we've lost the master too. It makes me very sad.'

Mrs Arbuthnot took out her hanky and mopped her streaming eyes. ‘I'm sorry to hear that, Sarah dear. We must all try to be brave, but I can't quite believe that James has gone. We've been together for twenty-three years, and I don't know how I'll manage without him.'

Pearl moved closer to her and laid a sympathetic hand on her shoulder. ‘We're all here to support you, Sophia.' She turned to Nettie. ‘Go downstairs and see what's happening in the kitchen. A cup of tea is what's needed here.'

‘Or a tot of brandy,' Nettie muttered, scowling.

Sarah eyed her anxiously. She was quick to recognise the ominous pout and the rebellious look in Nettie's eyes, and it was clear that the almost famous actress thought it beneath her to run errands. ‘I'll go, Miss Parfitt,' she said hastily. She was about to leave the room when Dorcas entered carrying a tray laden with tea and cake, which she set carefully on the mahogany dining table. She picked up the teapot and poured the beverage into dainty bone-china cups and added a splash of milk.

‘Have you done as I asked?' Mrs Arbuthnot said wearily.

‘Yes, ma'am. I've sent Betty to fetch Mrs Puckle, the laying-out nurse. She'll come directly providing she isn't attending a confinement.'

‘I don't want her to touch him if she's in liquor, Dorcas.'

‘Certainly not, ma'am. I'll make sure she's stone cold sober before she does her business.' Dorcas beckoned to Sarah. ‘Make yourself useful, my girl. Pass the tea and cake round.'

Only too pleased to keep her hands occupied, Sarah did as she was told, and she had to smile at the sight of Grey standing stiffly to attention as he attempted to balance a fragile cup and saucer in one large hand and a plate of seed cake in the other. She motioned to the empty chair beside Miss Parfitt. ‘I'd sit down if I were you,' she whispered.

He glanced at Pearl who smiled up at him. ‘Please take a seat, Mr Grey.'

‘Thank you, ma'am.' He put the plate in Sarah's outstretched hand. ‘You have it, Sarah. I'm not hungry.'

She passed it to Nettie who had already demolished hers and was looking round for a second helping. ‘Ta, ducky. I haven't lost my appetite.' She shot an apologetic glance in Mrs Arbuthnot's direction. ‘Begging your pardon, missis, but I ain't had nothing to eat since last evening.'

Mrs Arbuthnot managed a weak smile. ‘That's all right, Nettie. We must try to carry on as normal, even if it is going to be extremely difficult.'

Sarah longed to give her a hug, but she did not dare overstep the bounds of convention. Servants must always keep their place, even at moments like this. ‘Would you like some more tea, ma'am?'

‘No, thank you, Sarah.' Mrs Arbuthnot glanced at the clock on the mantelshelf. ‘Is that the time?'

Dorcas took the empty cup from her. ‘No, ma'am. I stopped all the clocks. Mrs Burgess said I should.'

‘Quite so. I feel that my life has stopped too.'

Pearl and Dorcas exchanged anxious glances. ‘Perhaps you ought to rest, Sophia?' Pearl said softly.

‘Let me help you, ma'am.' Dorcas was about to help her mistress to her feet when the doorbell rang and its sound echoed through the silent house. She bobbed a curtsey. ‘I'll go and see who it is, ma'am. It might be Mrs Puckle.'

Grey cleared his throat. ‘We should be moving on, Mrs Arbuthnot,' he said awkwardly. ‘I hate to bother you at a time like this, but I had hoped that Sarah might remain here until I've found more suitable lodgings.'

She clutched her hand to her forehead. ‘My poor mind has gone quite blank, and I can't seem to think about the future, but Sarah may stay if she wants to.'

Pearl turned to him with a sympathetic smile. ‘Where are you residing at the moment, Mr Grey?'

‘I have a room in Wych Street, but it's not a safe place for a young girl.'

‘I'm quite all right there,' Sarah said stoutly.

‘And I've got lodgings nearby,' Nettie added through a mouthful of cake. ‘If it's good enough for me and the girls, then I don't see why it's not right for Sarah. She's not a child.'

‘Is there something you're not telling us, Mr Grey?' Pearl's cheeks paled and her voice was barely a whisper.

‘I'm afraid that Trigg is still a threat, ma'am. I wouldn't mention this in such circumstances but I know he bears a grudge against this house and Sarah in particular. He's already threatened her with violence.'

Mrs Arbuthnot was suddenly alert. ‘Are you still having dealings with that villain, Mr Grey?'

‘I'm sorry to say that I did some business with him recently which I sincerely regret, and I have to go away for a while. I don't want to leave Sarah on her own in my lodgings.'

‘I see, and this is made even more difficult because your aunt, Miss Fitch, is no longer with us.'

‘Exactly so, ma'am.'

A slow smile creased Mrs Arbuthnot's face. ‘Then it is very simple, Mr Grey. Sarah must come here and live with us.' She turned to her, holding out her hand. ‘Would you like that, my dear? I'm sure that Dorcas could find work for you. Taking care of commercial gentlemen is quite demanding, and no matter what the circumstances we have to pay the bills.'

Sarah grasped her hand. ‘I would like that, ma'am. But I would also like to go back to the village to let my friends see that I am safe and well.' She sent a pleading glance to Pearl. ‘I was taking classes in the school while the schoolmaster was absent after a riding accident. I want to be a teacher like you, miss.'

‘I'm sure that's very laudable,' Pearl said seriously. ‘But you're still very young, my dear. You have plenty of time to study, and if Mrs Arbuthnot is agreeable you can come and help me in class as well as doing your work in the house.'

‘It all sounds a bit dull to me,' Nettie whispered. ‘You could share with me and the girls. I'm sure we could find you a space to sleep, even if it's on the floor. Maybe you could get work in the theatre. The boss is always looking for cleaning women who don't steal or fall down blind drunk.'

Grey rose to his feet. ‘I'm afraid I must leave now, Mrs Arbuthnot. I have to make the arrangements for Elsie's funeral.'

‘Of course. I understand, Mr Grey.' Mrs Arbuthnot rose somewhat unsteadily to her feet and held out her hand. ‘Sarah can remain here with us for as long as she likes.'

‘You're very kind, ma'am.' Grey glanced over his shoulder and smiled at Pearl. ‘And thanks to you too, Miss Parfitt. I know that Sarah is in good hands.'

She dropped her gaze and a faint blush stained her cheeks. ‘Not at all, Mr Grey. It's a pleasure to have her back with us.'

Sarah stared from one to the other. Everyone was making arrangements for her as if she were still a child. ‘Grey.' She ran after him as he hurried from the room. ‘Don't I get to choose what happens to me?'