A Tattooed Heart (12 page)

‘I'm delighted to have been able to help, Sophia,' James said warmly.

They were interrupted then by the approach of a tallish young woman. ‘Excuse me,' she said. ‘Good morning to you. Or is it afternoon now? I've rather lost track, I'm afraid.'

Whipping out his watch, Matthew said, ‘Please, allow me. It is exactly thirty-six minutes past midday.'

‘Thank you, sir.'

Matthew doffed his hat. ‘My pleasure entirely.'

He'd gone quite pink in the face, Harrie noted. Apparently he liked what he saw. Most men probably would. The woman was attractive with lively brown eyes and a full mouth, and the sensible, tight-waisted skirt and bodice ensemble she was wearing accentuated her shapely figure. The dusty pink worsted fabric probably hadn't cost much, but the cut was clever and the maroon cord trim added a smart touch.

‘I take it you are Dr and Mrs Downey?' the woman asked.

‘That's correct,' James said. ‘May we be of assistance?'

‘My name is Lucy Christian. Your sister-in-law, Mrs Penfold, engaged me as chaperone for Robert, Sophia and Anna.'

‘Ah, yes, Miss Christian!' James exclaimed. ‘Beatrice has told me about you. I received a letter four or five weeks ago, so I'm assuming she would have sent it about a month before the
Florentia
set sail?'

Harrie frowned and hoisted Charlotte. She hadn't seen a letter from James's sister-in-law. He must have hidden it, the crafty article.

‘Three weeks, I expect,' Lucy Christian said. ‘It was no longer than that between Mrs Penfold's approach to me and the ship's departure.'

‘Beatrice said you're a schoolmistress,' James said.

‘Actually, I'm a school teacher, but I do hope to be the mistress of my own establishment at some point.'

‘She tells really good stories,' Anna said to Harrie conversationally, ‘and she's been teaching us reading and proper writing.'

Lucy passed James several sealed letters from her reticule. ‘From Mrs Penfold, and one from Mr Handley.'

‘Thank you,' James said. ‘I take it the financial aspects of the arrangement have already been settled to your satisfaction?'

‘Yes, thank you very much. Mrs Penfold saw to that before we left.'

‘Did you ask Beatrice to find them?' Harrie asked James as she tried to piece together the sequence of events leading to today's reunion.

James nodded. ‘Beatrice and my friend Victor Handley.'

‘And then Beatrice asked you to look after them on the way over?' she asked Lucy.

‘Yes, and they've been a delight. They really have.'

‘But you'd planned to emigrate here anyway?'

‘Yes, under the bounty scheme. At home I might have had to wait forever to advance to schoolmistress, so I thought I'd chance my hand out here. I've heard things are different for women in the colonies. Someone told me a woman can even own and operate her own hotel here? Is that really true?'

Harrie nodded. ‘There are quite a few female publicans in Sydney.'

She thought it best not to add that most of the schools in town were run by the churches and that, as far as she knew, the tutors were nearly all men, though there were a few ‘private venture' schools. Lucy might find a position with one teaching the ‘feminine arts' to the daughters of Sydney's wealthier citizens — embroidery and painting and music and the like.

‘What subjects do you teach, Miss Christian?' Matthew asked.

‘Oh, the usual, but I must confess to a fondness for mathematics, particularly Euclidean and analytical geometry, algebra and trigonometry. I'm rather keen on Latin, too.'

They all stared at her.

‘Although I admit,' Lucy added ruefully, ‘that there was never much call for Euclid in my last position in Clapham. The children there had enough trouble with the multiplication table.'

Astonished, James asked, ‘Where on earth did you learn about trigonometry and Euclid?'

‘Ookid!' Charlotte declared, throwing her arms wide and whacking Harrie on the nose. Her eyes watering, Harrie handed her back to Daisy and got out her handkerchief.

Lucy said, ‘Before he retired and he and my mother moved to Clapham, my father was a master of mathematics at Mercers' Chapel Grammar School for some years. He taught me. He thought it might come in handy one day.'

‘And has it?' Harrie asked. What was a Euclid? It sounded like an exotic flower, like an orchid.

‘Not yet, but I live in hope.'

There was a series of almighty bangs as the deck hatches on the
Florentia
crashed open, one after the other.

‘Do you have much luggage, Miss Christian?' Matthew asked. ‘May I collect it for you?'

‘Thank you very much, Mr, er . . . ?'

Mathew took off his hat and bowed. ‘Matthew Cutler, at your service.'

Daisy giggled, but Harrie and James shared a contemplative glance, eyebrows raised. Why not? Matthew was lonely, and clearly taken with Lucy Christian: Lucy was single — as required, to be eligible for the bounty scheme — attractive, personable and obviously very bright. A perfect match.

‘Thank you, Mr Cutler,' Lucy said. ‘I just have the one trunk. Shall we go and wait for it to be brought up?' She crooked an elbow: Matthew — absolutely delighted — settled a hand on her arm, and they strolled off towards the wharf.

‘That looks promising,' James said happily.

‘Fingers crossed,' Harrie said. Then, to the children, ‘Do you have luggage?'

Sophie nodded. ‘We've a trunk between us. Mrs Penfold bought us some new clothes when we were staying with her.'

‘You stayed with her?'

‘She got rid of our nits,' Anna said, ‘didn't she, Sophie? And my ringworm.'

Harrie winced inwardly. ‘And Mrs Penfold paid for everything?'

‘I did, actually,' James said. ‘I gave Beatrice authority to access my London bank account.'

‘Oh, James.' Harrie squeezed his hand. ‘How will I ever repay you?'

James frowned. ‘Harrie, don't be silly. You're my wife. These children are our family.'

Robbie suddenly waved and shouted, ‘Oi! Over here!'

Harrie followed his gaze and almost fainted for the second time that day as Walter Cobley ambled towards them, his sea bag slung over his shoulder. His cap was pulled very low, obscuring his face, but she'd know him anywhere. Panic swelled up in her, bursting out of her mouth in a squeak. Even though the police were no longer looking for Amos Furniss's killer, believing they'd received an anonymous confession, Bella Shand knew all too well who'd killed her right-hand man — Walter had sent her a note
confessing to the deed so she wouldn't assume it had been Friday, Harrie and Sarah.

‘Harrie?' James asked. ‘Are you all right?'

Harrie nodded, though she wasn't.

‘This is my mate Walter,' Robbie said. ‘Off the ship.'

‘Yes, Walter and I already know each other.' Harrie pulled him into a rather violent embrace, hugging him hard. ‘You stupid, stupid boy. Why have you come back?'

Walter extricated himself and stepped back. ‘Couldn't settle at home. I missed everyone. 'Specially Clifford. Is she still around?'

‘Sarah has her. Oh God, Bella's bound to find out you're back. You stupid boy.'

‘I don't care. I'd rather be here and take me chances.'

‘Well, get yourself to Leo's right now.'

Walter nodded. Glancing at the rings on Harrie's wedding finger, then at James, he suddenly grinned. ‘Did you finally get married? Leo said you would.'

‘Never mind that. Just go, and keep out of sight!'

Walter saluted her, said, ‘See you later, mate,' to Robbie, and hurried off.

Looking puzzled, James asked, ‘Who was that? He seemed familiar. And why will Bella “get” him? I take it you mean Bella Shand?'

Harrie stared at him in horror. ‘Do you know Bella?'

James gave her a strange look. ‘She was under my care on the
Isla
, remember? Most unpleasant woman. Johnson, her name was then.'

‘Jackson,' Harrie corrected automatically. She'd forgotten James would have encountered Bella on the
Isla
. All that seemed such a long time ago.

‘Jackson, yes, that was it. She married the late Clarence Shand. How a woman like her could convince someone like Clarence Shand to marry her, I'll never know. That lad . . . that's right, wasn't he —?'

‘The ship's boy on the
Isla
. Walter Cobley.'

‘So he was. What's he done to offend Bella Shand?'

Harrie's heart gave a sickening lurch. James was far from stupid. One question would lead to another, then another, and another . . . and he'd winkle out the whole horrible story surrounding Bella's blackmailing of her and Friday and Sarah. She thought furiously. ‘He stayed with Leo the last time he was in Sydney. He fell foul of Bella then.'

‘In what way?'

‘I don't know. I never asked.'

‘Walter didn't say he knew you,' Robbie interrupted, sounding piqued.

Anna took off her bonnet and scratched her head. ‘We liked him. It'd be nice to see him again.'

‘You might,' Harrie said. Quickly, she changed the subject. ‘I think we should have brought the carriage, James. How are we going to get the children's trunk back to the house?'

‘We'll hire a cart. I'm wondering if Miss Christian has lodgings. If not, perhaps she'd care to stay a night or two while she makes arrangements for something more permanent.'

‘Yes, yes, we like Lucy!' Anna cried.

Harrie felt the tiniest twinge of jealousy, and squashed it. ‘I'll ask her. Nora might know of a good boarding house for ladies.'

‘And I'll talk to Lawrence,' James said. ‘He seems to be in the know regarding those sorts of things.'

Harrie watched him surreptitiously: it seemed he'd lost interest in the subject of Walter and Bella. Fortunately. She breathed an enormous sigh of relief.

It took another hour or so for the
Florentia
's hold to be emptied and her passengers' luggage to be deposited on the wharf, and for James to haggle with a carter over the price of transporting the trunks to Hunter Street. But finally they were ready to leave for home, accompanied by Lucy, who'd gratefully accepted Harrie's invitation.

And then something very unpleasant happened. As they left the shadows of the Commissariat Stores and walked out into the wintry sunshine, a familiar midnight-blue curricle approached along George Street, slowed, then stopped. Bella Shand's servant Louisa Coutts was driving, the reins gripped in her gloved hands, her meaty forearms labouring to restrain the impatient horses. As Harrie looked on in mounting horror, Bella herself leant out from beneath the curricle's hood and stared unblinkingly for a long, long moment.

Then she gave a slow, lizardy smile, her big teeth yellow against her crimson lip stain. ‘Harrie Clarke. Well, well. These kiddies must be your kin. I can certainly see a family resemblance.'

Harrie's terror suddenly turned to rage. Bloody, bloody Bella. She was sick of her, and the poisonous cow was not going to spoil her reunion with Robbie, Sophie and Anna.

‘It's Downey!' she shouted. ‘Harrie Downey. I'm married now, you stupid woman. Go away and leave us alone!'

Bella smirked, then, the undercurrent of malice in her voice plain, said, ‘Be very sure to take special care of them, Harrie.'

Stepping towards the curricle, James began, ‘Now just a minute —'

But Louisa had already given an almighty flick of her whip and the horses tore off, leaving him to address empty air. Perplexed and disconcerted, he turned to Harrie. ‘What on earth was that in aid of?'

Oh God, why did James have to witness that? Harrie thought in despair. And why today, after the business with Walter? ‘I really don't know. She's always disliked me. Us.'

James's gaze didn't waver from hers. She felt like a beetle skewered to a card with a pin.

‘That did appear to be rather more than dislike,' he said. ‘On your part, as well as hers.'

No, no, no!

Matthew said a little too heartily, ‘Look, I'm afraid I really must be getting back to the office. Thanks for inviting me along, James. It was nice to meet you, Sophie, Anna and Robbie, and I'm pleased you arrived here safely. I was delighted to meet you, too, Miss Christian.'

‘And I you, Mr Cutler,' Lucy said.

Harrie knew James was still looking at her, frowning. To deflect any further questions from him, she said, ‘Why don't you come to the house on Sunday night, Matthew? We could have a little celebration and the children can meet Sarah and Friday and Aria. We could invite Nora and her family, too. What do you think, James?'

Jerked out of his ruminations, James said, ‘A celebration? Yes, excellent idea.'

Matthew accepted the invitation immediately and strode jauntily back to work, and Harrie turned to look at her darlings, all four now safe with her after so long. She let the thought fill her up, pushing Bella's haggard face out of her mind.

Leo Dundas sat on his tattooing stool staring down at the floor, across which were spread dozens and dozens of old flash that hadn't see the light of day for several years. He was thinking of resurrecting some, redrawing them so they looked fresh and modern. But perhaps he didn't need to: the walls of his shop were already plastered from ceiling to floor with designs from which his customers could choose, and, without fail, Harrie presented him with a stunning new series every month. No, he couldn't be bothered.

Crouching to gather up the old flash, he suddenly sensed that someone had entered the shop; he glanced towards the doorway, and got the absolute fright of his life.

A hand over his wildly pounding heart, he lurched to his feet and burst out, ‘What the bloody hell are you doing here?'

Walter shrugged. ‘I've come back.'

‘For Christ's sake, lad! You're supposed to be in England!' Leo really thought he was about to have a heart attack.

‘I didn't like it. I want to be here with you.'

‘Well, you can't. What about Bella?'

‘Don't care. I'll hide or something.'

Leo took in Walter's scruffy hair, the thin wrists and shins sticking out of ill-fitting clothes because the lad had grown at least
another two inches since he'd seen him last, and his heart ached. He marched across the room and enfolded him in a fierce hug. ‘You bloody little idiot.'

‘I won't go back,' Walter said tearfully into Leo's chest. ‘I don't care what she does to me. I won't.'

‘Christ,' Leo muttered. ‘Does anyone else know you're here?'

Walter stepped back from Leo's grasp and nodded. ‘I saw Harrie at the quay. She had a fit, too.' He smiled. ‘And her husband. She were meeting her brother and sisters off the ship I come in on.'

Leo's eyebrows went up.

‘That Matthew were there, too.'

‘Shit. So much for hiding you,' Leo said.

‘They won't tell no one.'

‘Not on purpose they won't.'

Walter wiped his snotty nose on the back of his hand. ‘Can I stay here?'

Leo nearly burst into tears himself. ‘Of course you can, lad.'

‘Harrie said Sarah's got Clifford. Can I go and see her?'

‘I'll think about it. Probably.'

Walter nodded. ‘Leo?'

‘What?'

‘What am I going to do?'

Sighing, Leo said, ‘God knows. I'll think about that, too.' He patted Walter's arm. ‘But don't worry, we'll work something out. I'm glad you're back, lad.'

Walter gave a watery smile. ‘So am I.'

When they all finally arrived home, the trunks were sitting on the path leading to the front door.

‘What a beautiful house you have, Mrs Downey,' Lucy said.

‘Thank you,' Harrie said, feeling herself going red.

‘Will we be sleeping in there?' Sophie asked, pointing at the little carriage house and attached stable.

Shocked, Harrie said, ‘Of
course
not. You'll be in the house with us. Why would you think that?'

Sophie said, ‘I don't know,' and burst into tears.

Drawing her into a hug, Harrie realised just how awful things must have been for them in London. But she'd known, really, hadn't she? And had tried not to think about it. There'd been nothing she could do except send money, and there'd never been much of that. She wasn't like Friday, who earnt so much as a prostitute, or Sarah, who was such a clever little thief.

‘May we speak later? In private?' Lucy asked quietly.

Harrie nodded.

James announced, ‘Right, let's get everyone inside and settled, shall we? Cups of tea all round, I think. Daisy, what do we have in the cake tins? Something tasty, I hope?'

‘Shortbread and a pound cake, sir.'

‘Just the thing. Come along, in we go,' James said, shooing everyone ahead of him through the front door as though he were herding geese.

While Daisy was seeing to the tea, Harrie took Lucy and the children upstairs to the bedrooms, the beds already made up as they had been for some time. Harrie smiled to herself, understanding now why James had insisted on buying such a big house and furnishing every single room. Oh, she did love that man.

‘I believe we'll make this your room, Sophie and Anna. What do you think?'

Wide-eyed, the girls gazed at the pair of single iron bedsteads with white covers and linen-slipped pillows, the cedar bureau, clothespress and washstand, the dressing table and looking glass, and the thick carpet covering half the floor.

‘Is this all just for us?' Anna asked, stunned.

Harrie felt the burn of tears again. The poor little things. ‘Why don't you have a look round at everything while I show Robbie his room? If you look out the window, you can see the harbour.'

Robbie was equally impressed by his accommodation, a slightly smaller room next door containing a single bed, bureau, washstand, clothespress and a comfortable chair. Harrie and Lucy left him hurling himself delightedly onto the generously stuffed mattress, hoping he didn't break the ropes beneath it.

Harrie had decided that Lucy would have the room at the other end of the landing, next to Daisy and Charlotte's.

‘Oh, this is lovely. Thank you very much.' Lucy removed her gloves and bonnet but kept hold of them. Her hair proved to be a pretty shade of dark blonde, which she wore braided and pinned in a neat and unfussy coil at the back of her head.

‘I'll ask Isaac to bring your trunk up in a minute. Isaac Longbone, his name is. Unusual surname, isn't it? He's our carriage driver but he's doing the gardens and odd jobs around the house as well. He's getting on a bit but he's still very hale. He hasn't worked for us for long. James only recently bought the carriage, to use when he gets called out after hours. We haven't even been out in it together yet.' Harrie realised she was chattering, and had no idea why she was telling Lucy all this.

Lucy went to the window and looked out. ‘Mrs Penfold told me that you're a convict.'

Harrie froze, bracing herself for condemnation, or at least contempt. ‘Yes,' she said tersely. ‘That's right. My husband is my master. What of it?'

Lucy turned to face her. ‘Forgive me for being blunt, Mrs Downey, but I don't come from particularly grand circumstances either. Father earnt a reasonable salary while he was teaching but he made some very unwise financial decisions. Most of them at the whist table, actually. He never quite perfected the mathematical formula he was so sure would see him win. We were constantly in debt, our roof had a very large hole in it, our floors were bare and, quite often, so was our pantry. I could only just afford my bounty fee, which is why I accepted the job of
chaperoning the children. So I do understand that you might not be entirely at ease with all this,' she said, indicating the pleasantly decorated and well-proportioned room. ‘You don't have to explain anything. Or excuse it. I'm not accustomed to such luxury myself. I hardly know where to step, for fear of breaking something. Having said that, however, I'm
very
grateful for your hospitality. Really, I'd put no thought at all into where to stay for the next day or two.'

Harrie felt herself relax for the first time that day. ‘That was James's idea, actually, inviting you to stay here. I'm very grateful to
you
for looking after the children.'

‘Oh, I enjoyed their company. I suspect the voyage would have been extremely boring, otherwise.' Lucy placed her gloves and bonnet on the bed, then changed her mind and moved them to a cane chair.

Glancing over her shoulder to make sure they were still alone, Harrie asked, ‘Were you there when Beatrice and Mr Handley found them? In London?'

‘No, they'd already been installed in Mrs Penfold's house by the time I became involved. But you do allude to what I wished us to discuss.'

‘Go on,' Harrie said, perching on the edge of the bed.

Lucy moved her bonnet and gloves yet again, this time to a dressing table, and sat in the chair. ‘I don't wish to upset you, Mrs Downey, but Mrs Penfold told me that they were in rather a shocking state when she first located them. They were living in a tenement in St Giles, in a single room with seven other people.'

‘Yes, I knew that. Sophie wrote. But what could I do about it except send money?'

‘Absolutely nothing, I expect. Apparently there was no hearth, the window was unglazed, and there was only one water pump and one privy per hundred tenants.'

Harrie felt sick.

‘The children all had ringworm, and body and head lice, which Mrs Penfold said she managed to eradicate, though I'm not so sure about the latter as my own scalp has been suspiciously itchy for the past three months, and they were also suffering from chilblains, malnutrition, boils and bad coughs. Mrs Penfold had a doctor attend them and I must say they've improved remarkably after five months of decent meals. Even the shipboard food seems to have done them good. Anna, however, I suspect, had a touch of rickets as her legs are a little bowed. She also seems to be long-sighted, which the doctor apparently said can be a result of malnutrition.'

That's my fault, Harrie thought. That's all my fault. ‘James can give them a thorough examination. He'll know what to do if they need medical treatment.'

‘I was thinking Anna might need spectacles. She's very keen on learning to read properly, but the effort associated with trying seems to give her a headache. The thing is, Mrs Downey —'

‘Oh, look, please call me Harrie. Everyone else does.'

‘Well, only if you'll call me Lucy.'

Harrie nodded and managed a smile, even though the news about the children was tearing at her heart. ‘Lucy, then.'

‘The thing is, they're all really rather bright. I don't know what you have planned for them —'

‘I don't have anything planned. I didn't even know they were coming until I saw them on the wharf! This is all my husband's doing. I had no idea at all.'

‘You must be absolutely delighted to see them.'

More tears flooded Harrie's eyes, and a mighty squeeze of feeling almost closed her throat. ‘You have no idea. I've worried for them, and cried over them, and dreamt about seeing them again so often, but I never thought I actually would. And now they're here and none of it feels quite real. Not yet, anyway.'

‘Well, I'm sure it will soon enough. If you'll pardon me for being so forward, I think it would be worthwhile for them to attend
school. As I said, they're bright and I think they'd benefit. They'd have some catching up to do, but I'm sure they're all capable of that.'

‘Do you think so?' Harrie replied. ‘I never went to school. My mother taught me to read and write.'

‘Forgive me again, but did you have the means to attend?'

‘No.'

‘They will, though, won't they?'

‘I expect so. James puts a lot of store in education.'

Lucy fiddled with a button on her sleeve. ‘I do foresee one small problem. While I did manage to get Robbie to sit down with a book or a slate some of the time, I must admit he was more interested in spending time on deck with Walter Cobley and the rest of the crew. He's a very headstrong boy, Robbie. He may not want to attend school, but I feel that he should. Such a waste of a good mind if he doesn't. Harrie, may I be frank?'

‘Again?'

Lucy grinned, but the smile quickly faded. ‘The thing is, I believe Robbie could well be headed for trouble if he isn't gainfully occupied. In fact, Mr Handley suspected he'd already fallen in with a criminal element. Oh, I
am
sorry. No offence intended,' Lucy added, going pink. ‘This
is
awkward, isn't it?'

Harrie waved off the unintentional affront. ‘Whatever he was up to in London, I'm sure he was only trying to provide for Sophie and Anna. There'll be no need for him to get involved with that sort of thing here.'

‘No, but that doesn't mean he won't, does it?'

That was true. While she'd been in Newgate Gaol awaiting trial and then transportation, Harrie had suspected Robbie of being light-fingered, and he'd only been eight then. But he'd had to steal; she'd been the only breadwinner in the family and she'd been taken away. She loved him very much. He was fiercely loyal, quick-witted, determined, resourceful and he could be very funny, especially
when it came to entertaining Anna and Sophie, but perhaps he was also quite happy being a thief. Some people were. Look at Sarah.

‘And that brings me to another matter,' Lucy said. ‘How easy will it be for him to hand over responsibility for his sisters to your husband? He's been looking after them for the last four years, after all.'

Harrie suppressed a sigh. She could certainly see that becoming a concern. ‘You've got to know them quite well, haven't you?'

‘There wasn't much else to do, jammed into a ship's cabin for months.'

Daisy knocked on the open door, Charlotte parked on her hip. ‘'Scuse me. Tea's ready and Isaac wants to know where to put the trunks.'

Charlotte reached out her arms for Harrie, who took her off Daisy.

‘Hello, again, sweetheart,' Lucy said. ‘You're a lovely little thing, aren't you? What have you got there?'

Opening her hand, Charlotte revealed a crumbled lump of shortbread.

‘Mmm, that looks tasty. Is there more downstairs?'

Charlotte nodded solemnly.

‘Well, let's go and find it, shall we?'

‘Find it!' Charlotte crowed.

After endless pestering, and against his better judgment, Leo took Walter to visit Sarah and Clifford, though he made him walk up George Street with his cap pulled down so low he could barely see.

Sarah and Adam had just closed the shop after a busy day's trading, and had locked the front door and were clearing the window displays and counting the takings from the till. Clifford was asleep under the counter, curled into a hairy little ball, when she suddenly woke, her ragged ears at attention, and burst into a fusillade of ear-splitting barks.