One Step at a Time (12 page)

‘Anything.’

‘That should make it easier to find something then.’ Ted ushered her back outside and up into the van.

When they started off the van was crammed to the roof and there was no sign of Jimmy. Amy guessed he must be wedged in with all the furniture.

On their way Jake stopped so Amy could give the keys to the rent collector and tell him the place was empty.

It was with a great sense of relief that she got back in the van. She wouldn’t have to go back there again. That part of her life was over.

11

Although she now had plenty of money in the old teapot, Amy was still determined to get a job as quickly as possible. She had to show she could look after herself, not only to reassure Mrs Dalton and everyone else, but to prove to herself that she could make her own way in life, despite the handicap of not being able to read properly.

She was up early and insisted on cooking Ted his breakfast with the food she had bought the day before. He told her where she could find the Labour Exchange, and, after washing the dishes and making sure everything was clean and tidy, she headed for the bus stop.

The Labour Exchange was in a street just off the King’s Road, and the place was crowded. Her chances of getting a job didn’t look too hopeful and she decided that whatever they offered, she would take, and worry later how she was going to cope.

When her turn came the man behind the desk looked her up and down. Before he had a chance to speak, she said, ‘I’ll take anything. I’m not fussy.’

He shuffled through some cards and picked one of them. ‘This has just come in. Hammond’s shoe shop along the road needs a junior to train as sales
assistant. Go along right away and you might be lucky.’

‘Thanks.’ She was immediately on her feet, took the slip of paper from him and shot out of the door, anxious to get there before anyone else. How hard could it be to sell shoes?

The shop was only five minutes’ walk away and the sign clear enough for her to decipher. The manager saw her at once.

‘Have you had any experience of shop work?’ He examined her carefully, but she knew she was clean and tidy.

‘No, sir, but I’ll soon learn. And I’m a hard worker.’

‘Very well, come into my office. I’ll take your details and you can start next week.’

She followed him in trepidation, praying that this wouldn’t involve any writing. But she needn’t have worried because he just asked questions about her age, where she lived and things like that. He wrote them down himself. There was an anxious moment when she said her name was Carter and he stopped writing, looking up at her questioningly. Holding her breath she kept a smile on her face. Her father’s trial and hanging were still fresh in people’s minds, but if he said anything she would deny it. Carter was quite a common name.

But much to her relief he just returned to writing it down without saying a word. Her address was a good one in Chelsea so there was no reason for anyone to connect her with Wapping.

‘Your hours will be nine to six, an hour for lunch and a half-day on Wednesdays. The pay will be ten and sixpence to start with, rising to twelve shillings if you are suitable. You can start on Monday and will be on a month’s trial.’

‘Thank you, sir.’

Amy left the shop almost skipping with happiness. She was sure she could smile at the customers and sell shoes. That wouldn’t need any writing!

She was so proud of getting a job that quickly; she was bursting to tell someone her good news. A quick glance in Ted’s shop showed him busy and laughing with a group of customers. She didn’t like to interrupt him so she caught the bus home. It was amazing how quickly she had accepted the new house as home, but she had.

When she arrived there didn’t appear to be anyone around. Howard had told her she could go to his workroom to paint that pot, and she made her way down to the basement. She hesitated outside a door and listened. She could hear tapping coming from the room, so she knocked gently and waited.

‘If that’s Oscar scratching at the door, go away. If it’s anyone else, come in.’

Turning the handle she pushed the door half open and looked in. ‘It’s only me, Howard, are you busy?’

‘Hi, Amy.’ He was holding a hammer and chisel in his hands and was covered in dust from the large piece of stone he was working on.

In fact the whole room was a mess and Amy’s tidy
mind wanted to sort it out at once. There was dust and clay everywhere. The floor was littered with stone chippings and pots in various stages of creation.

‘Make some tea, Amy, would you?’ He ran a hand over his head, leaving streaks of dust like grey hairs. ‘I’m gasping.’

There was a sink in the corner of the room and a gas ring. It didn’t take her long, but the cups had to be rinsed out thoroughly to remove the dust before she poured tea for them both.

‘Ah, bless you, you’re a lifesaver.’ He gulped the tea and held the cup out for a refill before she had even taken a sip of her own. She poured him another one and stared at the thing he was working on.

‘What do you think?’ He swept over the figure with a soft brush, then stood back to study it critically. ‘It’s not quite finished yet.’

‘I can see that.’ Amy thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, but… She wasn’t too sure what to say. ‘Er… it’s lovely, but she hasn’t got any clothes on.’

Howard grinned at her. ‘Are you shocked?’

‘No, no, of course not.’ She wasn’t going to admit that, and although she knew she had led a sheltered life, she had seen statues of naked women before. She had never thought that a man had carved them, that was all. Silly of her. ‘How do you decide how to make them stand, the length of legs, and things like that?’

‘That’s easy, I work from photographs.’ Howard showed her a photograph of a young girl standing
just like his statue. ‘Models pose for us when we need them.’

Her mouth dropped open as she studied the picture. ‘Do you mean girls do this for you?’

‘Yes, and they make a decent living out of modelling.’

Now she
was
shocked. ‘They get paid for taking off their clothes?’

Howard began to laugh at her scandalized expression. ‘Amy, it’s quite normal for artists to employ models like this.’

‘Does Ben paint them as well?’ This was taking a bit of believing.

‘Of course.’

‘Well, I never!’ There was a lot more to this art business than she had imagined. She had to clamp down on a giggle of amusement as she pictured Ben and Howard working with naked models.

‘We don’t think anything of it.’ His lips twitched. ‘It’s just like the life classes we had at university.’

‘You drew naked girls at school?’

‘Oh, Amy.’ Howard doubled over with laughter. ‘You ought to see your face. We had naked male models as well.’

‘
Never!
’

That was too much for Howard and he roared. His laughter was so infectious that she couldn’t help doing the same. This was a very different world from the one she had grown up in. She couldn’t wait to find out more.

The door opened and Ben strode in. ‘What are you two up to? I could hear your shrieks all the way up the stairs.’

Amy mopped her eyes and tried to compose herself while Howard explained, making Ben chuckle. It was a deep throaty sound she found appealing.

‘It’s quite true,’ Ben told her, his eyes glinting with amusement. ‘I’ll show you some of my sketches sometime. There’s nothing offensive in them. Just look at Howard’s sculpture. Don’t you think that’s good?’

‘It’s beautiful. I just didn’t realize girls earned money by taking off their clothes and posing naked.’ She didn’t miss the amused look that passed between the friends. They must think her very innocent – which she was, of course – but they were opening up a completely new world for her, and she felt she could talk to them. ‘I knew there were women who did… er… other things. I saw them round the docks.’

‘You mean prostitutes.’ Ben seemed totally unperturbed by the subject, examining the teapot to see if there was anything in it. ‘This is quite different, Amy, we only deal with professional models, when we can afford them, which isn’t often. It’s just the same as me painting you.’

She stared at him in alarm, remembering that he’d asked her to come up to his studio and
sit
for him. ‘I’m not taking my clothes off!’

‘I’m only painting your face, Amy. I don’t want to
be distracted from that by the rest of you.’ He winked at Howard. ‘Though when you’re a couple of years older we might ask.’

From their expressions it was obvious that they were joking, so she smiled and picked up the kettle to make more tea. ‘I’ll still say no!’

‘There’s a challenge, Ben.’

‘And one I won’t forget.’ Ben emptied the dregs from the teapot in the sink. ‘Are you making more tea?’

‘Looks like it.’ She waved the kettle at him. It was delightful, laughing and joking together like this. It brought home to her just how lonely her life had been up to now. The two men were so different. Ben was the more serious; there was an air of strength and reliability about him. He was such a powerful-looking man that in truth she felt a little shy around him. The impression she had gained from the moment she’d met Howard was one of gentleness and she felt she could say anything to him without worrying about it. There was one thing they had in common though; they cared about other people. Witness how they had looked after her and brought her to this lovely house and safety, although Ben had only met her once, and Howard not at all. She would always be grateful to them for rescuing her. The fact that her father had been hanged for murder didn’t seem to matter at all to them.

After making the tea, she poured them all a cup and sat on a stool, her eyes shining. Now she could
tell them both her good news. ‘I got a job today and I start next week.’

‘Well done, Amy.’ Ben leant down and kissed her cheek. ‘That was quick. What are you going to do?’

‘Junior assistant in a shoe shop.’ She sipped her tea and smiled over the rim of her cup.

‘That’s wonderful!’ Howard smirked at his friend. ‘Hey, Ben, at least one of us will be earning some money. Mrs Dalton will be pleased!’

It was only then Amy spotted the vase Howard had said she could paint some flowers on. ‘Can I have a go at this?’ she asked eagerly.

‘Of course, I’ve left everything there for you. Sit at the bench and I’ll show you how to use the paints.’

For the next hour Amy was lost in the new interest of painting. She didn’t worry about being too careful, because she knew the pot was only going to be thrown away. Ben and Howard were talking quietly in the background, but she ignored them, tongue between her teeth as she concentrated.

Gradually she became aware of silence and looked up to find both of them watching her intently. ‘This is terrible.’

Before she had a chance to pick up the pot and throw it into the bin holding broken pieces, Howard caught her hand.

‘Whoa, don’t touch. What do you think, Ben?’

‘Primitive but striking. A touch of Clarice Cliff about it.’

‘Exactly!’ Howard lined up more vases in front of
her. ‘When you’ve got time, Amy, come down here and do more just like that.’

‘Why?’ She frowned, glancing from one to the other. ‘And who’s this Clarice something?’

‘She’s a ceramic designer, growing in popularity.’ Ben studied the vase, lips pursed. ‘This is good. Have you done any painting before?’

‘No, but I do love nice colours.’

‘Ah, there you all are.’ The landlady came into the workroom. ‘Amy, there’s someone here to see you.’

‘Me?’ Her heart did an uncomfortable jump. Who would come to see her here?

‘Now, don’t you worry.’ Mrs Dalton smiled. ‘I went and told the Council that you were now living with me, as we’d agreed, and they’ve sent a man to talk to you, that’s all. They’re just checking that everything is respectable and in order.’

That wasn’t a bit reassuring and Amy leapt to her feet. ‘I’m not going in a home! I’m not. I can look after myself. Don’t let them take me away from here, please.’

‘Shush.’ Ben and Howard were by her side at once. ‘No one’s going to do that.’ Ben’s mouth was set in a determined line. ‘We won’t let them.’

She was shaking in panic by now and Howard was holding her hands, talking quietly, in his soothing way.

‘You’re not a child. They can’t make you do anything you don’t want to, and you have a good home here. They won’t take you away.’

‘Now, my dear, don’t take on so. I’ve told them that I will look after you until you are eighteen. They just want to check that you are happy with the arrangement.’

‘I am. I am.’

Mrs Dalton took her arm. ‘Let’s go and talk to the man and get this over with then, shall we?’

Amy followed her into the sitting room where a severe-looking man was waiting for them.

‘Ah, there you are at last.’ He glanced at the papers in his hand. ‘I see you have agreed to be Miss Carter’s guardian, Mrs Dalton.’

‘That is correct.’

He turned his attention to Amy. ‘Are you happy to live here?’

‘Yes, sir.’ She nodded vigorously. ‘I’ve got a lovely room and a job.’

‘And what is this job?’

‘Junior assistant in a shoe shop in the King’s Road.’ Amy was so relieved she had this piece of information to give him.

‘That’s respectable enough. Now show me your room.’

She hurried along the corridor and opened her door, allowing him to enter first. It was hard to breathe as she watched him examine the room, even to checking that the bed linen was clean.

‘Do you share with anyone?’

‘No, sir, it’s all mine.’

‘Do you like Mrs Dalton?’

‘Yes, she’s very kind.’ When he concentrated on making notes, Amy couldn’t stand the uncertainty any longer. ‘Please don’t make me leave here, sir. I want to stay. I start my job next week and everyone’s very kind to me. They don’t care that my dad was hanged.’ She was close to tears and hated pleading, but it filled her with horror to think she might have to leave here. ‘I want to stay.’ Those few words came out in a whisper.

He looked at her then and smiled. ‘I can see that, Miss Carter. You’ve had a difficult time just lately and I see no reason to move you. Mrs Dalton is a respectable woman of some means, and is prepared to take responsibility for you. But if you have any problems in the future you are to come and tell us. Is that understood?’