Liza (35 page)

‘
How awful!’ she said. ‘They only say I was "assisted by Captain William Morgan", when it was you who pulled the pair of us out.’

He dismissed that.
‘It’s probably how Jock told it. Never mind. You’re famous now. How does it feel?’

She was flattered, pleased. Then she remembered her position. Before, her impersonation of Cecily would have been a prank within the family. There would have been some annoyance, but it would all have been in the family. Now it was public property. Suppose a reporter from the
Echo
turned up and asked for her version of the story, then saw a different Cecily a week later? That would be another story. How would Arkenstall, the lawyer, and William see that?

William must have read her feelings in her face.
‘You’re not happy.’

‘
I don’t like the idea of people reading about me, staring.’

He took the paper from her and threw it into the fire, held it there with a poker until it was ashes.
‘You’ll still be a celebrity for a time, but no reporters. We’ll send them away.’

‘
Thank you.’ But Liza feared the damage was done.

Elspeth entered, beaming.
‘I was reading the
Echo
last night and there was a bit in there all about you, Miss Spencer. You’re famous. Aren’t you the grand lass?’

Liza smiled lopsidedly.
‘If that’s what you think, may I be excused this morning? I’d like to call on Iris.’

Elspeth laughed.
‘I expect the rest of us will manage.’

So Liza walked down through Mowbray Park and found the tagareen shop open and Iris sitting in the kitchen as usual:
‘If anybody wants to buy owt they know where to find me.’

And then:
‘I read about you in the paper last night. There’s a little daredivil y’are.’ Liza had to tell the story again, and gave William the credit he was due. Then she gave a true account of her doings in London, the arrest of Una and Piggy, and the release of Cecily and Mark.

‘
What is she like, this Cecily?’ Iris asked.

‘
You’ll have to make up your own mind about that,’ Liza replied diplomatically. ‘I think she’s found a good man.’ That had been her assessment of Mark Calvert.

‘
You’ve answered my question. Still, I doubt if she’ll be coming down here. But talking o’ good men, I liked what I saw o’ Billy Morgan. I’d heard plenty but that was the first time I’d met him. Is he the one for you?’

‘
That’s out of the question — ridiculous.’ She rose to go.

Iris walked through the shop with her.
‘I don’t see what’s ridiculous about it. Looks to me like you were made for each other.’

‘
I’ll come again in a day or two,’ Liza said.

‘
You mark my words,’ said Iris.

Liza had already done so.

* * *

Flora said there was a carter just a street away who had a pony and trap he hired out, so Jasper walked round to the stables to inspect them. He found the one placid, the other clean and smart.
‘I gave it a coat o’ paint just a week ago to freshen it up,’ the carter said.

‘
Pity you couldn’t paint the pony,’ said Jasper. ‘It looks to need freshening up.’

‘
There’s nowt wrong wi’ that pony. If you wanted a bloody racehorse you should ha’ said so. Now Bobby here,’ and he slapped the pony’s rump, ‘he’ll do whatever you tell him. Stand all day, walk, trot or gallop.’

But Jasper had seen enough. He did some token bargaining,
because it was expected and might have been wondered about if he had not. ‘I’ll hire it for a week.’ He would be gone inside a day or two, if he got the chance, but he might take longer and did not want to keep coming to this man every day. ‘You’ll feed and bed him? And can I get in if I want him early?’

‘
Oh, aye. The lad sleeps ower the stable. He’ll let you in.’

Jasper paid and drove the pony and trap out of the yard. He picked up Flora at the end of the street and she directed him through the town. They stopped outside Spencer Hall, then Jasper turned down a lane and behind a copse that screened them from the house and the road. They could see through the trees to the open gates and the grounds beyond. The house itself was hidden by more trees. They saw several visitors, tradesmen for the most part, and a slight young girl who walked up from the tram stop.
‘That might be her,’ Flora said.

Jasper agreed.
‘Might be, can’t remember for sure. She’ll ha’ changed in five years.’

Then, late in the afternoon, another girl hurried out, slouching, her eyes on the ground.
‘Maybe,’ Jasper said doubtfully.

Flora shook her head.
‘Naw. She’s one o’ the maids, I reckon.’

The girl disappeared down the road. Darkness fell, and Jasper jumped down from the trap.
‘You wait here. I’m going to take a look.’

‘
Be careful.’

He crossed the road and passed through the gates. He saw they were in good condition but did not appear to have been closed for some time. One or two weeds had escaped the gardener and twined round them. He walked up to and around the house and decided it would be easy to force an entrance, but what then? He did not want to steal a few baubles. No
matter. He marked a ground-floor window or two that would suit his purpose. He would go on from there.

He retraced his steps, but had to scurry into the shelter of the trees before the house as a motor-car drove in through the gateway. A man sat at the wheel and he steered it round the house to the rear. Jasper remembered seeing a stable block and garage there. He emerged from the copse and rejoined Flora.

‘Well?’ she asked.

He nodded.
‘Aye, but I need to know where she sleeps.’ ‘How will you find out?’

‘
Don’t know, but I will. I’ll settle this score if it takes me a year.’

‘
You need to get to know somebody inside,’ Flora said.

‘
I know that damn fine,’ he snapped impatiently. ‘It’s doing it.’

*
* *

Flora had an idea, but said nothing. She still hoped he might abandon his thoughts of vengeance; they could be happy if they fled the country and started a new life abroad.

22

WEDNESDAY, 13 FEBRUARY 1907, SUNDERLAND

‘
Lord knows what yon Doreen will be up to while I’m away.’ Elspeth shook her head. ‘I’ve given her a few jobs but who’s to see she does them? Cook won’t have her in the kitchen after that calamity with the saucepan. And when I come back there’ll be nothing done and her with a list of excuses. It’ll be a blessing when she’s worked her notice and we’re rid of her. I’m looking forward to Sunday and seeing her out of the door.’

Liza was not. She had only a few more days to play her part in this house and then she would be free. Once she had looked forward to that, but now?

She and Elspeth were going into town to view the venue for the party on Saturday night, the ballroom of the Palace Hotel. They were to discuss the menu for the buffet, the wines, the flowers and where they were to be sited. Then, with the leader of the orchestra, they would agree upon the music to be played.

‘
You’ll be needing a new dress for this occasion,’ William had said.

‘
I bought one when I was in London,’ Liza had replied.

‘
I look forward to seeing it.’

Now Elspeth was helping Liza into her coat in the hall. Gibson was waiting outside with the carriage and they went out to him and climbed in.
‘Well, we’ve made an early start,’ Liza said brightly.

Elspeth sniffed.
‘I hope they aren’t all still in bed at the Palace.’ And the carriage, pulled by Gibson’s beloved horses, rolled out of the gates on its way to the town.

‘
Why did Uncle Edward insist on the gates always being open?’ Liza asked.

‘
He was afraid some poor devil, gypsy or tramp, might die outside if the gates were closed for want of a drink or a bite. He was a good man. The captain is following in his footsteps, another good man. Lucky the girl who gets him.’

*
* *

They were not the only ones to make an early start. Jasper, Flora by his side, sat in the trap, hidden behind the copse across the road from the gates. He watched them go and muttered hungrily,
‘That young lass looks like she could be the one.’ Flora nodded in agreement: as far as she could see, the girl in the carriage was well dressed. They waited and watched while Bobby cropped the grass.

A succession of tradesmen came and went, but it was two hours later that another young woman came out. This one was shabby and hurrying on foot, with occasional glances behind her. She took the road into the town, walking a few paces then running, teetering on high-heeled buttoned boots. She carried a parcel under one arm.

‘There she goes,’ Jasper growled. ‘We’ll try her, see if she’s needing a few bob extra. Out you get and follow her.’

Flora jumped down from the trap and set out after the girl, a basket in her hand as if she were going shopping. Jasper wheeled the trap out on to the road and followed Flora at a distance. He was rarely in sight of the girl, who hurried on unsuspecting.

In the town he caught up with Flora, standing on a corner. ‘She went down that alley and in a back door,’ she reported. Jasper gave her the reins of the pony and went to see for himself. He stood at the end of the alley, hands in his pockets like some idler, and a minute or two later the girl came out and walked towards him. He turned his back to her and let her pass him. She carried no parcel now. He grinned to himself, then went after her. He seized her arm above the elbow and steered her towards Flora.

She tried to pull away.
‘Here! Who are you? What d’ye think you’re doing?’ He only held her more tightly. ‘You’re hurting me! Leggo!’

He stopped beside Flora.
‘Our little friend here has just been pawning something she didn’t own and we’re all going to have a drink.’

The girl was silent now, frightened. Flora tied Bobby
’s reins to a lamp-post and followed them into a nearby pub. The bar was half full but the sitting room empty at this time of day. Jasper seated the two women at one of the polished round tables and asked the girl, ‘What d’ye want?’

‘
Drop o’ gin,’ she muttered.

‘
Dutch courage, hey?’ He grinned and ordered from the barmaid. As she walked away he asked, ‘What was in the parcel? Tell the truth because I can find out. Lie to me and it’s the pollis for you.’

‘
It was a clock.’ A carriage clock from the mantelpiece of one of the guest rooms. ‘You’re not a pollis?’

‘
No, but never mind what we are. You work at that house, Spencer Hall. I saw a young lady leave there this morning, with an older woman, in a carriage. I believe it was Miss Cecily Spencer and she lives there.’

‘
Oh, aye, that was her wi’ the housekeeper, Mrs Taggart,’ the girl sneered. Jasper nodded; he had the right one. ‘That Miss Spencer is a little cow, she is,’ she went on.

‘
Got me notice. But they’re giving a party for her on Saturday night.’

‘
You’ve been sacked?’ That was not so good and Jasper scowled.

‘
I finish the end o’ the week, Sunday. I’m working my notice.’

She might do, after all.
‘I can see you’re working it now.’

‘
What d’ye want—’ She stopped as he held up his hand, seeing the barmaid returning with the drinks. He paid and she went away. Doreen started again, ‘Miss Spencer. What d’ye—’

He jerked his head at Flora.
‘This lady’s my sister. Miss Spencer took her feller away when she was down south and she wants to have a word with her. Now, if she went up to the front door they’d chase her away, so she wants to slip in nice and quiet one night and find this Cecily Spencer.’

‘
Serve her right,’ Doreen said eagerly. ‘She came in, a soft-handed fine lady, and started doing jobs that was rightly ours, the lasses working there, and making us look lazy. She hadn’t done them properly, o’ course, but that housekeper had it in for me. She—’

‘
How can I get in and where does she sleep? I saw a door on the side of the house. Is that locked or bolted?’

‘
That’s what we call the garden door because it opens on that side garden. Mrs Taggart locks
and
bolts it every night.’

‘
Where does she keep the key?’

‘
It stays in the lock.’

‘
Ah! Fetch some paper,’ Jasper ordered Flora. ‘There’s a shop across the road.’ He turned back to the girl. ‘How do you get from that door to her room?’