Hope for Tomorrow (5 page)

“
You must get that cut seen to,” she said. “Where do you live?”

“
Uh, South Marsh Street.”

If she remembered correctly, that wasn't too far from one of the factories that she had visited today.

“
Let me see you home,” she said, stepping forward and taking his arm in case he was unsteady.

“
They came from nowhere,” he finally said. “They jumped me.”

“
This is a bad part of town,” she said kindly. “It might be best if you kept away after dark.”

He nodded.

“
And you, what brought you here?” he asked.

“
Oh nothing, I was just walking.”

He stopped and turned to face her, taking in her appearance.

“
You're very kind to help an old man like this.”

“
Well I guess that someone has got to balance out the wrong that the robbers did,” she joked.

He smiled but it was a haunted smile and they lapsed into silence again.

“
Here we are,” he said as they approached a large townhouse.

Martha couldn't help but notice that the house was dark and unwelcoming.

“
Are your family not home?” she asked, worried that he would have no one to care for him.

“
My family are dead,” he admitted.

“
I'm sorry.” She meant it. “Will you be all right on your own?”

“
I don't have much choice,” he said. “I would offer you something for your trouble but the robbers left me a little short-”

“
I wouldn't accept anyway,” she assured him. “Kindness is its own reward.”

His smile widened a little.

Martha was worried abut him, not just because he'd been robbed but because of the loneliness that hung around him like a black cloud but there was nothing that she, a homeless girl, could to to help him. She let go of his arm and stepped away.

“
Goodnight, Sir. I hope that your troubles ease soon.”

He stood silently and watched as she turned around and left but before she had gone five paces he called out to her.

“
Miss?”

Chapter Five

Martha turned back.

“
I wonder if you might minister my wound,” he said. “I'm afraid I have no clue what to do, my wife used to handle matters like that.”

Martha looked from the house to the man and back again, wondering if his intentions were pure or if he had ulterior motives.

She finally decided to trust her instincts and nodded as she headed back towards him.

He let them into the the house and went into one of the back rooms which turned out to be a study. A fire had been lit there but it had nearly gone out.

“
Don't you even have a housekeeper?” she asked as she threw some more coal onto the fire, enjoying its warmth.

“
I have a woman who comes in once a day, leaves me something to eat and does the basics.”

“
But surely one woman can't look after this whole house?” she asked.

“
The whole house? No, but most of the room are closed up and the furniture covered in dust sheets. What use have I for all this space? I only need a study and a bedroom.”

“
Don't you get lonely?” she asked.

He sat heavily behind his desk, as though he had the weight of the world pressing down on him.

“
I find that I am still lonely in even the largest of crowds,” he said simply.

She wondered what had happened to steal every ounce of happiness from this man's life.

“
I'll get some water from the kitchen,” she said.

The range was still alight (a saucepan containing what she assumed to be his dinner on the top) but it needed some more coal. She put some water on to boil and searched through the cupboards to find what she needed. She also found a tea pot and thought that he might enjoy a cup after his ordeal. The water took a while to come to the boil and in the meantime she hunted for the cups, sugar bowl and milk jug. 

It was a little awkward carrying the tray with Hope secured in the sling but she managed somehow. She placed the tray down on his desk and saw that he had already poured himself a glass of spirits.

“
I'm sorry,” she said. “I thought that tea night calm your nerves but that was awfully presumptuous of me.”

“
I find brandy is much better at soothing the nerves,” he said. “But no matter, you must drink it. What kind of man would I be if I did not offer my good Samaritan a cup of tea?”

“
Thank you,” she smiled and set about cleaning his cut with the cloth and bowl of warm water that she had brought up.

He closed his eyes as she worked and she did her best not to hurt him while still cleaning the blood and dirt off.

“
The cut is not too deep and won't need stitches,” she said. “But I fear you will have an ugly bruise under your eye in the morning.”

“
Ah well, it will give my face character, will it not?”

She smiled but didn't know how to answer.

“
Sit,” he said, gesturing to a chair on the opposite side of the desk. “Enjoy your tea.”

She did as she was told and poured herself a cup of tea adding milk and sugar. It was such a luxury to her that she savoured each sip.”

“
You have been in service,” he said after a few minutes. He could tell from the way that she addressed him, not to mention that she hadn't even had to ask where the kitchen could be found.

“
Since I was ten,” she confirmed.

“
Do you think that you might be able to look after this place?” he asked.

“
A whole house?” she sounded shocked. “Sir, I-”

“
No, just a few rooms,” he interrupted her before she could protest too much. “You are right, I should have someone here full time but as you can see, I don't entertain or have people over so I think you can manage alone. It would just be you and I most of the time.”

“
Thank you for the offer, Sir, but I have tried to find work in private houses and am always turned away.”

“
Why?”

“
My mother died in childbirth and I have to care for my sister. If I hadn't left my previous position, she would have ended up in a work house.”

“
Now it looks as if you might both end up there,” he said though he was just stating a fact, not being unkind. “And what of your father?” he asked.

“
Dead also, Sir, six months before my mother.”

“
So where is this sibling?” he asked.

Martha removed her shawl and gently lifted Hope from the sling that she rested in.

“
Ingenious,” he said. “She's very quiet.”

“
Yes, but for obvious reasons people don't want their housemaids wandering around all day with a baby strapped to them.”

“
I don't see the harm,” he said. “I have no visitors or callers and my business is handled from my premises, not here. Do you think you can cook and clean as well as look after your sister?”

Martha knew that she could but she was still hesitant.

“
Is that all my duties will include, Sir?” she asked in a small voice.

“
Oh please,” he smiled. “I'm far too old to be bothering with all that. No, you showed me a kindness this evening and if you hadn't come along, I don't know what I might have done. Let me return the favour and in return for a good days work, I will give you a wage and a room.”

“
And what of your current help?”

“
Truth be told she is a cook and rather resentful of the other duties she has to do. She will be glad that I have employed proper help so that she can return to simply preparing an evening meal for me.”

“
Then thank you, Sir, I accept.”

He smiled, the biggest she had seen on his face to date, although that wasn't saying much.

“
Well you can't keep calling me sir, can you? I'm Augustus Aldercott but you can call me Gus.”

“
I'm Martha Dawley and this is Hope.”

“
What a marvellous name.” Gus's smile widened a little further. “May I?” He held his arms out for the baby and Martha placed Hope into them. “My my, what an angel you are,” he said softly.

He had clearly had experience with children as he knew exactly how to hold her.

“
Now, why don't you bring us both a portion of whatever Mrs Needham has left for me on the stove while I get to know Hope a little better.”

Though she was wary of leaving Hope with a virtual stranger, she didn't believe that he meant either of them any harm and returned to the kitchen.

There was more than enough in the pot for two bowls of stew and she sliced some of the crusty bread that was waiting on the kitchen table, then brought his up to the study. She paused outside the door as she heard him singing softly. She didn't recognise the tune but it sounded like a lullaby. She came in and paused for a moment as she watched him gently crooning to her daughter. 

Finally he looked up so she came forward and placed the tray on his desk.

“
Where is yours?” he asked.

“
In the kitchen.”

“
There is no point in me employing someone as a companion if we are to lead completely separate lives. I'll watch Hope while you fetch yours.”

She unloaded his tray then did as he said. When she returned she placed Hope on the rug by the fire then sat down opposite him at the desk to eat. It took all of her willpower to eat slowly since she hadn't had a good meal in weeks but if he noticed her enthusiasm he didn't say anything.

When they were finished he told her to help herself to more if she wanted, for Mrs Needham always made far more than one man could eat.

She began collecting the bowls, putting them on the tray.

“
There is a nursery on the next floor with a cot,” he said. “There is a bed for the nanny in the same room so you and Hope can sleep in there.”

“
What about the servants' quarters?” she asked.

“
There is no cot in the servants' quarters and none of the beds are made up. The nursery is more practical.”

He had a kind of far away look on his face as he spoke and she wondered what had happened to his family.

Martha placed Hope back into her sling and took her downstairs with her, knowing that she would be hungry soon. She sat in a chair by the range to feed the child and when she was finished, helped herself to a second portion of stew. She didn't think that any food she had ever tasted was as good as this meal. When she was finished she began washing up the dishes until the bell in the study rang and she went up to see what he wanted.

“
Sir?”

“
Stop with this sir business,” he said. “I'm going to bed shortly. I suggest you remove the dust sheets in the nursery now and light the fire in there, it's going to be a cold night I think.”

“
Yes, Sir,” she said.

“
And have a bath this evening. The servants keep the bath tub next to the pantry I believe.”

“
Yes, Sir.”

She took a candle with her and looked in each room of the floor above until she found the nursery. She carefully removed the dust sheets from the furniture and found that the cot and bed were both made up. She lit a fire using the newspaper, coal and matches that were already in the room then returned to her washing up in the kitchen.

On the shelf above the bath tub sat piles of towels and a bowl of soap bars. She placed two towels and one bar of soap into the bath tub before she dragged it out and placed it by the range. She filled it with jug after jug of warm water which heated up on the stove while she washed the dishes.

When the bath had enough water in it, she got Hope out of her sling and bathed her first. She gurgled as she was placed into the water for it was a new sensation for her. When she was dried off, Martha stood in the tub and set about washing herself.

It had been so long since she'd been able to have a proper bath like this, not since she had left Marchwood in fact, and she relished the opportunity to pour jug after jug of hot water over herself.

She washed her hair with soap before finally getting out and drying off. It was amazing how much simply being clean could lift her spirits. She was loathe to put on her old dress but both her dresses were dirty so she had little choice. Tomorrow she would do a wash.

When she finally finished clearing up in the kitchen, it was almost midnight and she relished the night ahead, sleeping in a proper bed with a fire. She placed Hope into the cot and covered her with the blankets in there. She also placed a knitted doll in the cot with her since Hope had never slept alone before. Then she climbed into her own bed and was asleep moments later.

Hope woke her once in the night for feeding and Martha got up immediately lest Hope disturb Gus's sleep, then she returned to bed and didn't wake again until Hope cried at nine o'clock.

She couldn't believe that she had slept so late, it wasn't like her but she knew that she couldn't let Hope go hungry since she would keep crying. She fed her as quickly as she could, dressed and secured Hope in her sling as she headed downstairs.

“
Sir,” she said as she came across him leaving his bedroom. “I'm so sorry I overslept, it won't happen again.”

“
It's Sunday, I think it's forgiveable.” Gus smiled.

That hadn't made any difference when she worked for the Earl of Marchwood but she was pleased that he didn't seem upset.

“
No, it will not do,” Gus said, his smile having been replaced by a frown. In her relief that she wasn't in trouble, she hadn't heard his next words.

“
Pardon?”

“
That dress, it will not do. You are as clean as a new pin but that dress is fit only for burning.”

She wanted to tell him that she had made the dress but she daren't.

“
Go up to the attic,” he said. “There are some trunks with clothing stored there. Find something clean and pretty to wear.”

Martha was on edge around Mr Aldercott for the first month but finally she seemed to accept that he didn't have any nefarious plans for her; he was just a lonely old man who wanted some company.

While he was out at work one day she removed the dust sheets from the front parlour to wash them and discovered pictures. There was a family portrait over the fireplace of a woman with Gus and two children, one boy and the other still just a baby. Gus looked to be about fifteen, maybe twenty years older than his wife. There were also smaller paintings of the two young boys around the room. This must be his family, she realised.

She wanted to ask what had happened to them but she couldn't find the courage.

Gus was furious when he discovered that she had cleaned the room, even though she put everything back exactly as it had been.