The Beggar Maid (35 page)

‘We must find Harry,' Charity said firmly. ‘He'll stand up to Wilmot.'

‘I agree, but I need to raise funds first.'

‘Do you know where he is?' Gideon asked.

‘Ned Loveless was a bit vague but I assume he must have put Harry ashore on the coast near St Malo. If I know my brother he'll have headed for the casinos in Paris.'

‘I don't think so,' Charity said, shaking her head. ‘He wanted to clear his name.'

‘I think it's time we set off for home.' Gideon moved to the door and opened it. ‘You'll be able to pass on the good news to Violet and Dorrie.'

‘Yes,' she said, making an effort to sound cheerful, but the pleasure and excitement of finding a home was dimmed by the fear that Harry might not have kept his word. He was nothing to her, of course, but if it weren't for him they would have been in a sorry state. She realised that both Gideon and Daniel were staring at her and she forced her lips into a smile. ‘Let's see if I can remember how to ride.'

Next morning Violet and Dorrie travelled to Bligh Park in the rector's trap with Gideon driving, and as there was not room for all of them Charity opted to ride Nellie. She had quickly developed an understanding with the fifteen-year-old mare and was eager to gain more riding experience. Gideon applauded her enthusiasm and made sure she was safely seated before he climbed up onto the driver's seat. Violet and Dorrie were bubbling with enthusiasm, and as she rode behind the trap Charity could hear their excited chatter punctuated with gusts of laughter.

The cottage, despite its dilapidated condition, was an instant hit. Both Violet and Dorrie were delighted with everything. Dorrie said it was like the illustration of the bears' cottage in a storybook that the doctor had given her for her eighth birthday. Violet was more prosaic and said it needed a thorough clean before she would even think of sleeping there and then she burst into tears, which she assured everyone were tears of happiness. ‘My baby will be born in a proper house,' she said, mopping her eyes with Gideon's handkerchief. ‘But we haven't even got a bed and she'll need a crib and all sorts of things.'

Gideon slipped his arm around her shoulders. ‘Don't cry, Violet. I think my old cot is in the attic at the rectory. I'm sure that father would be only too happy for you to have it.'

‘I bet Miss Jane wouldn't,' Dorrie said in a stage whisper.

Charity hushed her but Gideon did not seem put out. ‘It has nothing to do with my aunt, Dorrie. She won't have a say in the matter.'

‘We mustn't waste time,' Charity said, gazing round at the accumulation of dust and dirt. ‘I think I saw a besom in the lean-to. We can start by sweeping the floor, and perhaps you could go to the big house with Gideon, Vi? Mrs Trevett has promised to let us have buckets and mops and all the things we need to clean this place up.' She turned with a start as someone hammered on the door. She ran to open it and found Tapper standing on the path loaded up like a tinker. Pots and pans dangled from strings looped around his shoulders and in each hand he held a bucket filled with scrubbing brushes, dusters, cleaning cloths and a bar of lye soap.

‘With Mrs Trevett's compliments,' he said gruffly. He peered over Charity's shoulder. ‘And Mrs Diment said the young lady called Violet must come to the house and give them a list of your needs.'

‘I'll take her in the trap,' Gideon said easily. ‘I should be there giving Dan a hand anyway.'

Tapper dumped the buckets on the ground and doffed his cap. ‘Thank you, your reverence.' He slid the pots and pans from his shoulders and laid them at Charity's feet.

‘It's just Gideon, Tapper. I may wear a dog collar now, but you taught me everything I know about horses.'

‘You was a quick learner, Master Gideon. I wish I could say the same for Master Daniel. Now Master Harry was another matter. He could ride almost afore he could walk and he had no fear. It were a bad day when Ned Loveless set him ashore on that little island.'

‘What island?' Charity gave him a searching look, wondering if the old man's mind was wandering.

Tapper dropped his gaze. ‘I weren't supposed to say nothing.'

‘You can trust us, Tapper,' Gideon said gently. ‘Where did Ned take Master Harry? We want to find him and bring him home, but we can't unless you tell us where he is.'

TAPPER STARED DOWN
at his boots. ‘I weren't supposed to say nothing, sir.'

Charity seized his hand. ‘Please, Mr Tapper. We must find him and bring him home.'

Tapper raised his head and his eyes were filled with hope. ‘If Master Harry returns we'll see the back of that man Lady Hedley married.'

‘Yes, indeed we will.' Charity squeezed his calloused fingers. ‘Where did Ned Loveless take Master Harry?'

‘I weren't supposed to say, but it was one of the smaller Channel Islands, miss. I can't exactly remember the name of it but Loveless knows.'

She released his hand with a grateful smile. ‘Thank you, Mr Tapper. You won't regret this, I promise.'

He mumbled something beneath his breath and shambled off along the path to where he had left his barrow. He hesitated, glancing over his shoulder. ‘There's more to come. I'll bring it later.' He walked off in the direction of the big house.

Charity turned to Gideon. ‘Harry didn't go to Paris. He didn't break his word.'

He met her excited gaze with a heavy sigh. ‘I thought perhaps I stood a chance, but now I see that I was mistaken.'

‘I don't understand.'

‘I was deluding myself, Charity. I sensed that there was something between you and Harry, but I hoped it was just my imagination. I can see now that it was not.'

She knew she was blushing furiously and she looked away. ‘Harry was kind to me, that's all, and I owe him a lot. There was never anything romantic between us.'

‘Are you sure of that?' Gideon picked up the buckets and took them indoors.

Charity stepped outside, taking deeps breaths of the cool air. Gideon had jumped to the wrong conclusion, she thought, fanning her hot cheeks with her hand. It was madness to think that a man like Harry would be interested in someone with her background, and she was stunned to think that Gideon had feelings for her. He had been kindness itself, but he had never given her cause to think that he was anything but a friend. She could not look him in the face when he emerged from the cottage with Violet.

‘I'm going to the big house to help Mrs Trevett sort out the bed linen,' Violet said apologetically. ‘I don't like leaving you to do all the work.'

‘You've got an even more important task,' Charity said with an attempt at an encouraging smile. ‘Cleaning is the easy part. It's up to you to bring back the things we need to make ourselves comfortable.'

‘Come along, Violet.' Gideon strode off towards where he had left the trap.

‘Don't worry. I'll be as quick as I can.' Violet hurried after him, leaving Charity to return to the house and supervise Dorrie.

‘Right,' she said briskly. ‘I think there's a well in the back garden. Let's go and fill the buckets.'

Charity saw little of Gideon during the next few days. He accompanied Daniel on his hunt for the remainder of the silver ingots, and she was kept busy in the cottage. At first it was simply a matter of brushing the cobwebs down and sweeping the floors. She managed to get a fire burning in the small cast-iron range, which Dorrie had cleaned and blackleaded so that it looked almost new, and they were able to heat water and begin scrubbing the floors.

Tapper fixed the roof and brought cartloads of furniture from the big house. He hefted the brass bedsteads from the old servants' quarters up the stairs to the first floor. After that came two pine chests of drawers and several clean, but faded, rag rugs. Mrs Trevett had been generous with bedding and kitchen utensils and at the end of the fourth day the cottage was ready for habitation. The garden was still a wilderness but that did not matter. They now had a home of their own.

Their parting with the rector and his household was tearful but they promised to visit often, and Philip demanded the privilege of baptising Violet's baby when she arrived. Violet was certain that her child was a girl and had already chosen her names, which she kept to herself, as she said, ‘just in case it happens to be a boy, although I know it won't be'.

There had been no sign of Miss Jane when they left, but Charity looked back and saw a pale face peering out of an upstairs window. Gideon drove off with Violet and Dorrie in the trap and Charity flicked the reins to encourage Nellie into action, resisting the temptation to wave to Jane and let her know that she had been spotted. During the last few days there had been signs that frosty Miss Jane was thawing a little towards them, but she was a great one for keeping her dignity. Charity blew a kiss to the rector and another to Mrs Simms and Jennet as she urged Nellie into a brisk trot. She was genuinely sorry to leave the comfort of the rectory; she knew she would miss the cosseting and the many kindnesses she had received, but she was eager to start afresh in a place she could call home.

Daniel and Mrs Diment were waiting for them at the cottage with a fire burning in the range and a pot of rabbit stew simmering on the hob. One of Mrs Trevett's freshly baked loaves was on the table, which was set for three, together with a dish of butter and a hunk of cheese. A bowl of oranges on the dresser made Dorrie shriek with delight when she saw it and Mrs Trevett hastily attributed the gift to Daniel, who received a rapturous hug. ‘I only tasted an orange once,' Dorrie said, licking her lips at the memory. ‘Dr Marchant put it in me Christmas stocking with a handful of walnuts and a bar of chocolate. He were ever such a lovely man.' She clapped her hand to her mouth. ‘And so are you, Mr Daniel. So are you.'

He tugged playfully at one of her pigtails. ‘I hope you enjoy them, Dorrie.' He glanced at Charity and smiled. ‘We'll be leaving for London tomorrow. I'll be staying with Gideon at his lodgings and I plan to visit the bullion dealers as soon as possible.'

Gideon nodded. ‘We'll be leaving first thing.'

‘There are still plenty of the wretched things to clean,' Mrs Diment said, sighing. ‘My hands are red raw from dipping them in that dratted mixture.'

‘Perhaps you'd like to drive Mrs Diment home in the trap, Dan,' Charity suggested before Gideon could offer. ‘I'll ride Nellie.'

Gideon shook his head. ‘If Tapper doesn't mind looking after her, I'll leave Nellie for you to ride, Charity. She needs the exercise and she gets none at home. Father only keeps her for sentimental reasons.'

‘Thank you,' she murmured, averting her eyes. She had felt uncomfortable in his presence since he hinted that his feelings for her went deeper than friendship. She had been touched and flattered, but she could not allow him to harbour false hopes. It was only when he made her face up to the truth that she realised it was Harry who occupied her thoughts and dreams, even though she knew it could never come to anything. The mistress of Bligh Park with its restored fortune would need to be a lady of good breeding. It was a sad fact, but she knew that her early misfortune, and the way she had survived by begging and petty theft, would come back to haunt her. She was a criminal in the eyes of the law, the only difference between her and a prisoner in Newgate was that she had not been caught.

‘Come along then, Mrs Diment,' Daniel said, proffering his arm. ‘Let's go home. The aroma of that stew is making me feel hungry.'

‘There's plenty where that came from, sir. Mrs Trevett knows that you're very partial to one of her stews.' She paused in the doorway. ‘I'll see you tomorrow, girls. There are still some ingots to be cleaned and polished, but you'd best remain here, Violet. You look ready to drop at any moment.'

Violet's face reddened and she clasped her hands around her belly. ‘Not in front of the gentlemen, Mrs Diment.'

Daniel opened the door. ‘Don't worry, Violet. I didn't hear a thing.' He propelled Mrs Diment outside into the garden. ‘Don't loiter, Gideon. We've an early start tomorrow morning.'

Gideon turned to Charity. ‘Come and say goodbye to Nellie.'

It was more of a command than an invitation and to refuse would draw attention to herself. Violet and Dorrie were forever teasing her about her two handsome suitors, both of them convinced that Daniel was also sweet on Charity. She hurried after him. ‘I'm very grateful,' she said hastily. ‘It was a kind thought, but won't your father be upset if you leave Nellie here?'

‘It was his idea, Charity. He admires you greatly, as do I.'

‘Please don't say any more, Gideon. I'm very fond of you, of course, but . . .'

‘But you don't love me.'

She raised her eyes to his face, shaking her head. ‘I'm sorry. I wish I felt differently, but it wouldn't be fair to take advantage of you.'

‘You would make a wonderful vicar's wife. We could work wonders together in the East End. You of all people would understand my parishioners' needs.'

‘You mean a girl from the streets would know how to treat others like her.'

‘No, I didn't mean that at all. What happened to you was through no fault of your own. All I meant was that your past experiences have made you a more understanding person. You're brave and you face up to adversity. You don't allow it to crush you.'

‘You deserve a wife who loves you deeply. I could never be that woman.'

‘Harry Bligh is not the man for you,' he said angrily. ‘He might have inherited a baronetcy and a fortune, but he's a gambler and always will be. He'll run through the money and leave you to handle his debts and his estate. You'd do better with Daniel if your heart is set upon joining the Bligh family.'

‘I thought you were his friend.' Stung by his words and the tone of his voice, she met his angry gaze with a toss of her head. ‘That was a cruel thing to say, and unfair. I'm not a fortune hunter, nor am I so heartless that I would marry simply to better myself in the eyes of the world. I'd rather remain a spinster all my life than commit myself to a loveless marriage.'