Hold on to your Dreams (6 page)

The boy rushed forward and took hold of the proffered hand, his little face wreathed in smiles now.

‘What’s your name?’

‘Johnny, sir.’

‘And where do you live, Johnny?’

‘Next door to Millie. We’re at the end of the street.’

Alex began walking again, slowly this time so all the youngsters could keep up with them. He took in every detail of the squalid houses and the assortment of ragged clothes the children were wearing in an effort to keep out the cold. He glanced at David, who was carrying a little girl who’d had trouble walking. The two men were now grim-faced.

‘This isn’t right, David. What chance do these poor little devils have in life?’

‘Very little.’ He settled the girl more securely in his arms. ‘This one needs medical treatment or she’s never going to be able to walk properly. She can’t talk very well either, but I think she said her name’s May.’

Reaching out, Alex turned May’s face towards him. ‘Where do you live, May?’

She pointed to Johnny. ‘Near.’

‘How old are you?’

She screwed her face up in concentration and Johnny tugged at Alex’s hand. ‘She’s three, but she ain’t that old
in her head. And there’s summat wrong with her legs. Her mum and dad can’t afford no doctors though.’

‘After we’ve seen Fred, I want you to take me to her house. Will you do that?’

Johnny nodded, gazing up in admiration. ‘You a doctor?’

‘No, but I know a very good one.’

‘You look rich. Never seen clothes like you’re wearing. I can see my face in your shoes.’ Johnny studied David. ‘And you look right posh too.’

‘Thank you, Johnny.’ David winked at Alex. ‘But I’m not as posh as him.’

The boy could hardly contain his excitement as he shouted to the rest of the children. ‘Here, I’m holding the hand of a lord!’

‘I haven’t got a title, Johnny.’

‘You must have, ’cos you’re ever so posh. You don’t have to hide it from us!’

Alex laughed as one of the older girls ran in front of him and gave a tottering curtsy. ‘How do I get out of this, David?’

‘I wouldn’t try. It’s giving this crowd a lot of pleasure. They’ll be talking about this for ages. But you do have a title, Alex, your rank as Major. Most officers keep that title for life.’

‘I’m not in the army now and wouldn’t dream of calling myself Major Glendale.’ Alex grimaced at the very thought.

‘Hey, Lord!’ Johnny tugged on Alex again. ‘I try and look after May. Can you help her? She’s a nice little thing and she ain’t daft really.’

‘I’ll talk to her family.’

Johnny beamed. ‘Fred told us about you. He said you was all right. He said you’d given him and Millie lots of grub. We all had a bit.’

‘Ah, here comes the whirlwind,’ David said as Millie hurtled towards them.

Skidding to a halt, she stopped in front of them, laughing. ‘You got quite a crowd there.’

‘Hello, Millie. We do seem to have gathered a large following.’ Alex smiled, surprised at how pleased he was to see the precocious girl again. ‘Is Fred at home?’

‘No, he’s down at the market trying to sell some of his boxes. He’ll be back soon though. Can you wait? Mum’ll give you a cup of tea.’

For the next hour David stayed in the background and watched Alex deal with the children and their families. He did it with ease, and David was astonished to see this side of the usually stern man. Oh, he laughed and joked, but there was always something in his eyes that made people cautious around him. Not once did he appear ill at ease in the dingy surroundings.

Millie’s mother had insisted on serving tea in the front room. The furniture was old and torn, but it was clean and there was a vase of wild flowers on the window sill. Johnny brought May’s parents over and remained himself, seeming reluctant to leave the tall man who had befriended him. May sat happily on David’s lap all the time, never speaking, but her eyes darted around, taking in everything. Millie ushered in Fred’s mother, and everyone waited
expectantly to hear why these important men had come.

Alex explained what he needed from Fred, and after extracting a promise that no harm would come to him and he would be well looked after, the mother agreed. Then Alex told May’s parents he would like to send a doctor to have a look at their daughter. When he assured them they wouldn’t have to pay for the service, they accepted eagerly.

With everything settled, the two men took their leave, and Johnny insisted on accompanying them back to the carriage. He stood well back from the horse, not sure about being so close to the big animal. ‘Will you come again?’ he asked, looking crestfallen as they prepared to leave.

Alex stooped down in front of the boy. ‘I promise I will. And I want you to do something for me.’

‘Anything!’

‘May needs fresh fruit. You all do.’ He gave Johnny some coins. ‘I want you to buy some with that and share it out.’

The boy nodded. ‘I’ll get a big bag of apples and oranges so we can all have a piece each.’

‘Good lad.’

As they drove away, David couldn’t keep his eyes off his companion. This had been a very revealing visit.

‘Say what you’re thinking,’ Alex told him, amusement in his eyes.

With a short laugh, David said, ‘I’m beginning to realise that under that stern exterior is a man with a soft heart.’

‘It wouldn’t do for a story like that to get around,’ Alex said, giving a wry smile. ‘And you’re quite wrong.’

‘I don’t think so.’ His respect for Alex had been growing by the hour. He couldn’t help wondering how many other charitable deeds he did on the quiet. ‘But I’ll keep my opinion to myself.’

‘Have dinner with me this evening. We’ll dine at my house, where we can talk in private. We have much to discuss.’

‘Has David been able to find out where Edward’s gone?’ Florence’s face was lined with worry as she watched her daughter fastening her shoes.

Gertrude looked up. The concern about leaving the house had been removed for the time being, and her mother’s whole attention had turned towards finding her son. She spoke gently. ‘He hasn’t said anything, but he’s promised he’ll do all he can.’

Her mother nodded. ‘He’s always been a good friend to both of you. Will you see him today and ask?’

‘I’ll go in my break time.’ She stood up and surveyed herself in the long mirror. The dark grey dress was modest and neat. ‘Will I do? I’ve never worked before.’

‘You look charming as always, but I don’t like the thought of you working at the factory.’

‘It’s necessary, Mother.’ Her smile was tinged with
sadness. ‘You wouldn’t be so concerned if I were a boy, would you?’

‘Of course not. Edward should be doing this. It’s his place. But he never showed the slightest interest in the business. All he did was gamble away everything your father has worked for.’ Her mother gave a ragged sigh. ‘But he’s my son, and I need to know he’s all right. I’m half out of my mind with worry. I can’t sleep.’

Stepping forward, Gertrude clasped her mother’s fluttering hands. ‘Shush, you mustn’t upset yourself like this.’

Florence gazed at her daughter with pleading eyes. ‘Where has he gone? If I could know he’s safe, then I’ll be all right.’

‘He’ll be able to take care of himself, you’ll see. Now, what are you going to do today?’ she asked, quickly changing the subject.

‘Hanna’s coming and she’ll keep me busy.’

‘Good.’ Gertrude pulled a face. ‘I must go. If I’m late on my first day I’ll be told off.’

‘Your father would never do that. From the moment you were born he’s adored you. He’ll be so proud to have you working beside him.’

‘And I shall be proud to do it. Enjoy your day with Aunt Hanna!’

As Gertrude left the house, the smile on her face disappeared. If her mother continued to fret over Edward, she would make herself ill. She would do whatever had to be done to find her wayward brother. ‘Damn you, Edward!’ she muttered angrily. ‘Where the devil are you?’

When she arrived at the factory, her father introduced her to the rest of the workers, many of them had been there for years. They were all aware of the gravity of the situation, for Sutton had been open and honest with them, and there was an air of determination about the workshop. Orders were being sought from anywhere. Their furniture had always been of the highest quality, selling to the more affluent, but now they were taking on more modest assignments. In fact, no job, however small, was being turned away.

Gertrude had a sharp mind, always willing to learn new things, and she blessed that ability now. Her father started her on the more simple tasks, going through each step patiently, until she became familiar with the system. She loved working with him and was eager to show she was capable of being an asset. She couldn’t understand why her brother had continually refused to have anything to do with the business. It was quite stimulating.

After only an hour, Sutton smiled at his daughter and stood up. ‘I can see the office is in good hands. I’ll leave you to it. Just call if you come across anything you don’t understand.’

‘Yes, Father.’ She felt so proud.

‘And don’t forget to take an hour for lunch at one o’clock.’

‘I won’t, and don’t you forget either.’

He nodded and left the office.

The morning flew by. There was no sign of her father at one o’clock, so Gertrude decided to take the chance to see David. He nearly always went home for a meal around
this time. Perhaps she would be invited to dine with him. She hoped so, because she was ravenous.

He was eating when she arrived. ‘Sorry to disturb you, but I’ve only got an hour.’

‘Why’s that?’ he asked, standing up to greet her.

‘It’s my lunch break.’ She eyed the food on the table and willed her stomach to stay quiet.

He frowned and pulled up a chair. ‘Sit down, Gertie. What are you up to?’

‘I’m working for Father.’ When she saw the look of disbelief on his face, she explained. ‘We have no choice. It will take a very long time for us to recover, though please don’t tell Mother. She’s worried enough about Edward, and that’s why I’m here. Have you been able to find him?’

‘No, I’m sorry,’ he said gently. ‘I’ve enquired in all the places he used to frequent, but no one’s seen him. I’ve also checked with many of the ship owners to see if he signed on as crew for them, but if he did he didn’t use his own name.’

She was shocked. ‘He wouldn’t do that, would he? Go to sea, I mean.’

‘It was a possibility I had to check.’

She sighed in disappointment as she toyed with the salt pot on the table. Her mother wasn’t going to take this news well.

‘Would you like something to eat?’ he asked.

‘Yes, please.’ She waited while the maid served her. ‘What am I going to do? I’ve promised I’ll find him. Mother needs to know he’s all right, and so do I.’

‘I’ve done all I can, but there is one man who could probably help.’

She looked up eagerly. ‘Who?’

‘Alexander Glendale.’

Her knife and fork clattered on to the plate, her eyes filling with disbelief. ‘I can’t go to him! He’s our landlord, for heaven’s sake! And what the devil can he do that you can’t? You know Edward, he doesn’t.’

‘Gertie!’ David stopped her as she took a breath to continue her tirade. ‘I don’t know what’s the matter with you. One mention of Alex and you start to spit like a frightened cat. He’s a good man.’

She gave an inelegant snort.

‘Has it occurred to you,’ he continued, ‘that he bought your house to help you? That he did it out of respect and compassion for your plight?’

The expression on her face said she thought her friend had lost his mind. Compassion? He was too cold to have such feelings!

Watching her intently, David said, ‘I do believe you’re frightened of him.’

‘I am not!’

‘All right, let’s talk this through, then you can prove it and go to see him.’ David took a deep breath. ‘Now, as I’ve told you, I’ve searched everywhere I can think of, but there’s no sign of Edward. He’s out there somewhere, on his own and without money. For the first time in his life he’s got to provide for himself. His immediate need would be to get food and a roof over his head. Think carefully. What does Edward like to do – except gamble, of course?’

She chewed her lip. It frightened her to think what her brother might be going through. He had been disowned by
his family and was probably too ashamed to go to friends for help. ‘He hasn’t any skills … Apart from socialising, he’s only ever shown an interest in horses.’

‘Exactly.’ Pushing away his empty plate, David sat forward.

‘Would he have left London and gone to work at a stud, or something like that?’

‘Well, if he has, it would be one we don’t know, because I think he doesn’t want to be found. This is where Alex might be able to help. He has estates in the country, and his reach is wide. He was an officer in the cavalry before he had to resign his commission and return home. He knows a lot about horses, and even owns his own stud in Kent to supply the army.’ He let her think about this for a moment. ‘The Glendales have always been a highly respected family, and one of enormous wealth. His influence is wide ranging, and I believe he’s our best hope, so put aside your dislike and ask him for help.’

‘Couldn’t you ask him?’ she asked hesitantly.

‘No, this is something you must do.’ He paused. ‘I never considered you to be a coward.’

That hurt! And he was right; she was being unreasonable – again! ‘I’ll think about it.’

Unable to sleep that night, Gertrude sat up and hugged her knees. David’s accusation that she was acting like a coward had unsettled her. Was she? He was a good friend and had always spoken frankly to her. He didn’t say things he didn’t mean.

Resting her head on her knees, she tried to take an
honest look at her feelings. She didn’t like Alexander Glendale; hadn’t liked him from the moment she’d set eyes on him. But why? He was a pleasant-looking man; some said handsome, but she wouldn’t go that far. What had struck her most was his size. He stood a head above most people, and was even taller than David, who was six feet. When he’d turned his gaze on her she’d felt as if something had hit her. The green of his eyes was startling against his black hair. There was an aura of strength emanating from him and he must have been a commanding figure in his uniform. When he walked into a room he seemed to fill the place; all eyes turned towards him. Not a man to be comfortable around, and that was the mystery, because he’d never done anything to earn her animosity.

Her sigh was ragged. Putting that aside, she hesitated to go to him for two reasons. One – she considered him to be a cold, unfeeling man, and couldn’t believe he would even be interested enough to help. Two – she really didn’t see what he could do. As far as she knew, he had never spoken more than two words to Edward. Oh, David had made some good points in his favour, but she still felt it would be a waste of time. She was desperate though, not knowing which way to turn. She had to do something – anything!

Sitting in the same position, she mulled everything over. Perhaps David was right? Perhaps Glendale did frighten her a little. She didn’t think she had seen him smile – not really smile. But none of that was important. Her brother must be found, and every avenue, however unlikely, had to be considered.

Sliding back into the bed, she pulled the covers up to
her chin. He was a man of influence and might have more chance of tracing her brother. But she didn’t relish the thought of approaching him.

With a growl of frustration, she thumped her pillows into shape. What choice did she have? When she’d told her mother there wasn’t any news, the distress in her eyes had torn Gertrude apart. She had to do something! And her personal feelings didn’t come into this. What was the worst he could do? Allow her to beg, and then refuse?

Her mouth set in a tight line. Well, she was strong enough to take rejection. At least she would know she’d done everything she could. And it would be interesting to see if the man had a heart.

She would visit him tomorrow in her lunch break.