The Christmas Rose Page 10

  ‘I haven’t forgotten,’ Rose said earnestly. ‘She’s Max’s half-sister and I don’t suppose she’ll know me now, but I remember her. She was a really beautiful bride and she had lovely blue eyes and dark hair.’

  Cecilia slapped butter on the toast, adding a spoonful of marmalade. ‘She’s a nice person, and I’m sure she’ll help you, if she can.’

  ‘Where does she live?’

  ‘Great Hermitage Street. It’s not a particularly good area, but her brother-in-law gave her the house as a wedding present. I don’t suppose her husband earns a great deal as a sea captain, at least nothing like the fortune that Phineas Colville has made for himself.’

  ‘I hope she remembers me,’ Rose said earnestly. ‘I really need her help.’

  Chapter Eight

  The domestic buildings in Great Hermitage Street were dwarfed by tall warehouses, linked by bridges high above ground level to those on the far side of the road. Maria’s four-storey house was sandwiched between a disreputable-looking pub and a ship’s chandler, and yet more pubs were interspersed with small shops selling anything from second-hand furniture to exotic seashells, and curios brought back from far-off lands by generations of mariners.

  Rose stood on the pavement, gazing up and down the cobbled street with the vague stirrings of childhood memories.

  Cecilia brushed past her to hammer on the door. ‘This is not the sort of place I would like to live,’ she said in a low voice. ‘I don’t know how Maria can bear it here when she was brought up in Pier House, which is a palace compared to this.’

  Rose was trying to think of something suitable to say when the door opened and a large woman with a florid complexion stood there, glaring at them. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Mrs Barnaby is expecting me,’ Cecilia said coldly.

  ‘What’s yer name?’ A wart on the side of the woman’s nose wobbled when she spoke.

  ‘I’m Miss Sheldon, as you very well know, Edna. I’ve been coming here once a week for the last six months at least.’

  ‘Only doing me job, miss. Come in, and close the door. I don’t trust the sorts that wander the streets round here.’ Edna turned her back on them and waddled off, returning moments later to lead them along a dark, narrow passage, past a steep staircase and on until she thrust a door open at the rear of the house.

  Rose stood in the doorway, taking in the details of the room that was crowded with old-fashioned furniture and a horsehair sofa that sagged in the middle. The heavy curtains seemed to absorb what little daylight managed to filter through the small windowpanes, but the flickering flames of a coal fire and a single candle set on the middle of a table revealed a young woman seated in a chair by the hearth with an overflowing workbasket on the floor at her feet.

  ‘They’re here, missis.’ Edna stood, arms akimbo, as if ready to throw them out at a word from her mistress.

  ‘Maria, how are you, my dear?’ Cecilia sailed past Edna, giving her a withering glance. ‘I’ve brought an old friend to see you.’

  ‘I suppose you’ll be wanting tea or some such thing,’ Edna said gruffly.

  Maria Barnaby rose from her chair, abandoning the small garment she was mending. ‘I’ll ring if we need anything, Edna. Tell Cook there’ll be one more for luncheon.’

  ‘My sister won’t be best pleased,’ Edna muttered as she backed out of the room. ‘Jessie hates people what take liberties.’ She slammed the door.

  ‘I’m sorry to come uninvited,’ Rose said hastily. ‘Perhaps I ought to leave.’

  ‘Don’t take any notice of Edna. She’s an old harpy.’ Cecilia turned to Maria with a disarming smile. ‘I knew you wouldn’t mind if I brought Rose with me. You might remember her.’

  Maria put her head on one side, eyeing Rose thoughtfully. ‘I’m afraid I don’t recognise you,’ she said slowly. ‘But I did once know a little girl with copper hair and green eyes.’

  ‘That was me.’ Rose studied Maria’s face, comparing the thin, pale-faced woman with the beautiful bride she had been all those years ago. ‘Sadie and Laurence took me in when my pa went back to sea. I was at your wedding, but I’ve grown a lot since then.’

  Maria rushed forward to give her a hug. ‘Rose Munday, of course I remember you. What brings you back to London? I thought you migrated to Australia with Sadie and Laurence.’

  ‘It’s a long story.’ Meeting Max’s half-sister again after so many years made Rose inexplicably tongue-tied.

  ‘Rose has come all the way from Australia to meet her fiancé, only to find that he’s been sent abroad with his regiment.’ Cecilia shrugged off her fur-trimmed mantle, laying it on a chair together with her gloves and reticule.

  ‘Oh, dear. How awful for you, Rose. Who is the lucky young man? Might I know him?’

  Cecilia lowered herself carefully onto the well-worn sofa. ‘Tell her, Rose.’

  ‘It’s your brother Max,’ Rose said slowly. She refrained from using the term ‘half-brother’, even though it was more accurate. The story of the brief affair between Grace Colville and Jack Manning, which had resulted in Maria’s illegitimate birth, was well known in the family, but still a raw subject for Jack’s widow, Esther, and was rarely mentioned.

  ‘Max must be a handsome young man,’ Maria said, smiling. ‘I wish I’d known him better.’

  ‘Max, Jimmy and I were at school together in Bendigo, and then Max returned to England to attend Sandhurst. When he came home after a couple of years’ absence we met again and fell in love. It was as simple as that.’

  ‘I’m a little confused.’ Maria shot a questioning glance in Cecilia’s direction. ‘What is the problem? I never had the chance to get to know the boys properly, but I remember Max as being a charming young fellow, and James also.’

  ‘The family objected,’ Cecilia said, nodding. ‘You know how that feels, Maria.’

  Maria returned to her chair and sat down with a sigh. ‘I thought the old scandal would be forgotten after Jack died, but it’s lived on to haunt me. Now it seems that you and Max are suffering because of it, Rose.’

  ‘I don’t think it had anything to do with you or your mother,’ Rose said hastily. ‘Mrs Dorincourt, Max’s mother, doesn’t think I’m good enough to marry her son. She made that perfectly clear.’

  ‘I can’t see why Esther would take against you, Rose,’ Maria said, frowning. ‘She came from a very humble background, even if she has married into the aristocracy, but I faced much the same problem when I fell in love with Theo.’

  ‘But you married him anyway, and it’s worked out well for you.’ Rose gazed at her hopefully, waiting for confirmation.

  ‘We’ve been very happy, even allowing for Theo’s long absences. My grandmother was very much against our marriage and I was determined to prove her wrong, but being married to a seafarer isn’t easy.’

  Cecilia had been listening quietly, but she was suddenly alert. ‘Is the old lady still as intransigent?’

  ‘Grandmama has never forgiven me for being born, let alone marrying a man she considers to be unworthy, which is ridiculous. I visit her once a week, but we have very little to say to each other.’

  ‘I’m surprised that she is still alive.’ Cecilia raised her delicate eyebrows. ‘She must be getting on in years, Maria.’

  ‘She would never admit her age, but she’s quite infirm now and confined to her bed, which hasn’t improved her temper. She has servants to wait on her, but she is very much alone.’

  ‘That’s hardly surprising, considering the way Clarissa Colville has treated you and your mother,’ Cecilia said, pursing her lips. She sat back on the sofa, and the springs creaked ominously. ‘Let’s not talk about her any more. You have two delightful children, Maria. Where are the little ones now?’

  ‘They’re in the nursery with their nanny.’ Maria’s sad expression melted into a tender smile. ‘She’ll bring them down after we’ve had luncheon and you can meet them, Rose. Do you like children?’

  ‘Yes, indeed I do. I used to help in the school
room, and I loved it.’

  Cecilia gave her a calculating glance. ‘You didn’t tell me that, Rose. Perhaps you could earn your living as a teacher, or a nursemaid.’

  ‘I’m getting confused again,’ Maria said, frowning. ‘You said that you are engaged to Max, so why would you need to work, Rose?’

  ‘That’s the nub of the matter, Maria.’ An impatient note crept into Cecilia’s voice. ‘Max’s regiment was sent to Egypt, and he doesn’t seem to have made provision for Rose, which is why I brought her here today.’

  ‘Max told me that should he be prevented from meeting me, for any reason, I was to go to the Captain’s House and wait there for him,’ Rose said eagerly. ‘But I found it occupied by some really horrible men. They didn’t seem to me to be the sort of tenants that anyone would want.’

  Maria reached out to put more coal on the fire. ‘I believe the house was rented out to a perfectly respectable family who fell on hard times and had to move out. It seems likely that the men are squatters and should be removed.’

  ‘Do you think I would be allowed to stay there?’ Rose asked eagerly.

  ‘Caroline owns the house and I know she adores her brothers. I’m certain she would be happy to have you as a tenant.’ Maria frowned thoughtfully. ‘But we would need to find out if those people are there illegally, and I have no influence whatsoever in my cousin’s business. If Phineas were here it would be different.’

  ‘He must have left someone in charge of the day-to-day matters.’ Cecilia shifted her position on the sofa, and once again the springs protested with loud pings. ‘You are part of the family, Maria. Who is the head of the company when Phineas is absent?’

  ‘I believe our grandmother is still a major shareholder, although she would have nothing to do with the actual running of Colville Shipping.’

  ‘Do you think she would help?’ Rose asked anxiously.

  ‘I very much doubt it.’ Maria gazed into the fire, her whole body tense. ‘I spent my early years a virtual prisoner in that beautiful ice palace. It holds only unhappy memories for me, but Max is my brother and if he loves you that’s good enough for me, Rose. I’ll visit Pier House, but I can’t promise anything.’

  ‘I can’t thank you enough. Maybe I could come with you so that she can see I’m not a bad person and that I would be a suitable tenant.’

  ‘I’d be grateful for moral support, but don’t mention Max. Grandmama won’t allow the name Manning to be mentioned in her presence.’ Maria tugged at a bell pull. ‘I’m sure you both must be hungry. Cook must have luncheon prepared by now, although to be honest she’s not very good, but she’s Edna’s sister and I daren’t sack her or Edna would go too.’

  ‘I wouldn’t stand for that.’ Cecilia tossed her head, causing her perky little hat to slip over one eye and she adjusted it hastily. ‘You ought to be firmer with your servants, Maria. Sack the pair of them, I say.’

  ‘I took them on to save them from the sort of lives they were forced to endure,’ Maria said sadly. ‘If I turn them out they would have little option but to return to their former ways, and I would never forgive myself.’

  ‘It was a good thing to do.’ Rose could see that Cecilia’s forthright tone was upsetting Maria. ‘I arrived in London to find myself lost in a peasouper. Max wasn’t there to meet me and if Cora hadn’t taken me in I don’t know what would have happened to me. She is one of the unfortunates you mention, but she’s a good person.’

  ‘If I were to sell myself I would make sure I only slept with very wealthy men, who would set me up in style,’ said Cecilia with a wry smile.

  Rose stared at her open-mouthed. ‘You wouldn’t?’

  ‘Of course not, silly. But I might consider taking a lover at some time in the future, should the man I marry turn out to be an utter bore.’

  ‘You should see your face, Rose.’ Maria burst out laughing. ‘Don’t believe a word Cecilia says. She loves to shock.’

  The door opened before Rose had a chance to reply and Edna poked her head into the room. ‘Grub’s up, ladies. Come and get it.’ She withdrew quickly.

  Maria merely rolled her eyes and sighed. ‘Don’t say anything, Cissie. Believe me, I’ve tried to teach her the basics, but Edna insists on doing things her way, and she is better than a guard dog when it comes to drunken sailors knocking on the door.’ She jumped to her feet. ‘Come on, I’m hungry. I just hope the food is edible, and when we’ve eaten I’ll send for Nanny and my babies. You’ll love them, Rose. They are so adorable. I can even bear the loneliness of being separated from Theo when I have them with me.’ She opened the door and led them into the next room where a small table was laid with what Rose assumed had once been a white cloth, but it was now grey and covered in stains.

  Maria took her place at the head of the table and rang a small brass bell. ‘When I lived with my grandmother we were summoned to dine by a gong. It rang once five minutes before the meal and that meant we had to be seated at the table in readiness for her arrival. Grandmama disliked unpunctuality, especially for meals.’

  ‘It sounds like boarding school to me.’ Cecilia unfolded her napkin, gazing at it with distaste as she laid it on her lap. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, Maria, but your laundress isn’t doing a very good job.’

  ‘I know. She’s another of the Spriggs sisters, although she’s married with ten children and she takes in washing to make ends meet. I can’t say anything for fear of upsetting Edna and Jessie. They’re a very close family, and I admire them for that.’

  Rose tried to ignore the fragment of squashed cabbage she found in the middle of her napkin. ‘Is the nanny also one of the sisters?’

  ‘Izzie is only thirteen – she’s the youngest of the Spriggs sisters. She’s not very bright, but she’s very loyal.’

  ‘So was my King Charles Spaniel,’ Cecilia muttered. ‘But I wouldn’t trust him to look after children.’

  A thud on the door echoed round the room as it flew open and Edna marched in carrying a tureen, which she slapped down in front of Maria. ‘Cabbage soup. Ignore the burned bits, Jessie says. She was at the door chatting to the butcher’s boy when the bottom of the pan caught.’ She slammed out of the room.

  The meal, as Maria had predicted, was barely edible and highly indigestible. The soup was awful and the roast lamb so overcooked that it was burned to a crisp, but the potatoes were raw in the middle, and the cabbage had been boiled until it was a greenish-brown mush. The pastry covering the apple pie was rock hard and the apples extremely sour, while the custard was so thick that it could have been cut with a knife. Maria was apologetic, but Cecilia laughed it off and Rose ate it anyway. If she held her breath while swallowing, the food did not taste too bad.

  Edna bumbled in to clear the table, which was a signal for Maria to take her guests back to the parlour, and Izzie brought Maria’s children, Polly aged five and Teddy aged two, to meet them. Cecilia and Maria chatted amicably while Rose went down on her knees and played with the little ones, but when the clock on the mantelshelf struck three, Cecilia rose to her feet and announced that it was time to leave. Maria rang the bell for Izzie, and Rose gave the children one last hug with a promise to return soon. Izzie burst into the room without knocking and picked up Teddy. She seized Polly by the hand and left the room with her young charges protesting loudly.

  Maria followed Cecilia and Rose to the front door. ‘I will go and see Grandmama, but I really would like you to come with me, Rose.’

  ‘Of course I will. Just tell me when and at what time.’

  ‘Would tomorrow morning suit you?’

  Rose frowned. ‘I’ll have to ask the guvnor’s permission, especially since he gave me time off to visit you today.’

  ‘I’m sure Gene will allow it,’ Cecilia said firmly. ‘In fact I’ll insist upon it, even if I have to go to the top and speak to Cousin Arthur. What’s the use of being related to the editor if you can’t pull rank occasionally?’ She stepped onto the pavement and waved at a passing cab. ‘Come
on, Rose. Don’t dawdle.’

  Pier House overlooked the entrance to Wapping Basin with an uninterrupted view of the upper pool of the River Thames. Set in wooded parkland, it might have been in the country if it weren’t for the never-ending cacophony of sound from the steam whistles of the river traffic, and the general hubbub of the docks. Rose was impressed none the less, but she was unaccountably nervous as she followed Maria into the vast marble-tiled entrance hall. The house was beautiful, but the atmosphere in the echoing hall made the hairs stand up on the back of Rose’s neck, and the grim-faced maidservant made her feel even more uncomfortable.

  ‘How is my grandmother today, Gilroy?’ Mary asked pleasantly.

  ‘She might see you or she might not.’ Gilroy eyed Rose suspiciously. ‘Who’s this?’

  ‘I don’t think that’s any of your business,’ Maria said firmly. ‘And there’s no need to announce me. I know the way well enough.’

  ‘Hold on. You can’t go barging in on madam.’ Gilroy barred the way but Maria sidestepped her with a skilful move.

  ‘You may think you run this household, Gilroy, but you’re very much mistaken, and if I report your behaviour to Mr Colville you’ll suffer the consequences.’ Maria walked off, head held high.

  Rose ignored the black looks she was receiving from Gilroy and she hurried after Maria.

  ‘You put her in her place,’ she said when she finally caught up with her. ‘Is she always like that?’

  ‘Gilroy used to bully me when I lived here. She’s managed to worm her way into my grandmother’s confidence, but I don’t like her and I certainly don’t trust her.’ Maria walked on until she came to a door at the far end of the passage. ‘I’ll introduce you to Grandmama, although she might not acknowledge you. I’m afraid her mind wanders.’

  ‘I understand.’ Rose followed her into what must once have been an elegant drawing room, but was now a sickroom shrouded in semi-darkness. Rose could just make out a figure propped up on pillows in the four-poster bed, and as she drew nearer she was shocked to see an old woman whose skin was drawn so tightly across her bones that she looked like a living skeleton. A few wisps of white hair hung down from her lace nightcap and her eyes were closed.