Mermaids Singing Read online

  ‘Take the child indoors,’ Desmond barked at Maria, who was holding Leonie by the hand.

  With her eyes wide with fright, Leonie began to cry and Maria snatched her up in her arms.

  ‘Giles, help!’ cried Bella, as he leapt from the cab and ran towards them.

  ‘And you, Madam, can leave with your lover,’ Desmond said, turning on her with an expression of pure hatred. ‘I’ll take great pleasure in naming Rackham as co-respondent in our divorce case.’

  ‘I’m leaving, Desmond, but not without Leonie. You can’t take my child from me.’

  ‘I can and I will. The law is on my side. You are an unfit mother and a wanton. Now get out of my sight.’

  ‘You can’t do that, old boy,’ Rackham said, stepping between them. ‘Mother and child belong together. You can’t separate them.’

  ‘And have my daughter’s morals corrupted by a scoundrel like you and her whore of a mother?’

  ‘You’ve said your piece, Mableton,’ Rackham said. ‘Get Leonie into the cab, Bella.’

  ‘You can go to hell, Rackham,’ Desmond said, putting himself between Maria and Bella. ‘Lane and the child stay with me.’

  Kitty lunged at Desmond as Maria struggled to free herself, but he brushed her off and, stumbling, she would have fallen if Rackham had not reached out and caught her. Lifting her bodily, he tossed her into the hackney carriage.

  ‘Leave them alone,’ Bella screamed. ‘Give me my baby, Desmond.’

  ‘Lane will stay here and look after Leonie as she did while you were away in the country. You left your child then. You can do it now.’

  Screaming hysterically, Leonie beat her small fists against Maria’s shoulder.

  ‘You forced me to live apart from Leonie,’ Bella sobbed, flying at Desmond and raking her fingernails down his cheek.

  Grabbing Bella around the waist, Rackham swung her off her feet, setting her down behind him. ‘Let Maria and the child go, Mableton, or I’ll have great pleasure in flooring you.’

  ‘Warner, fetch the constable,’ Desmond roared, as Warner came running down the steps.

  ‘Desmond, I’m begging you,’ cried Bella. ‘Let Maria go and give me back my child. I’ll never ask you for anything ever again, I swear it.’

  Leonie continued to scream, despite Maria’s frantic attempts to pacify her.

  ‘Keep the child quiet, Lane. Take her into the house and put her to bed.’ Desmond barred Bella’s way as she made a grab for Leonie.

  ‘You can’t order Maria about,’ Bella screamed, tears running down her cheeks. ‘She isn’t your servant, Desmond. She has nothing to do with you.’

  ‘Shut up, Bella,’ Maria said, seizing the opportunity to slip past Desmond. ‘Don’t give him the satisfaction.’

  ‘Pass her to me,’ Kitty called, leaning out of the carriage.

  ‘I’ll have you arrested for kidnapping.’ Desmond made a move to follow Maria, but Rackham barred his way.

  ‘You’re very brave when it comes to bullying women,’ Rackham said, squaring up to Desmond. ‘Let’s see how you shape up against a man.’

  ‘I’ll see to it that Lane never gets another place in service,’ Desmond said, backing away. ‘And you, Bella, will be dealt with.’

  ‘There’s nothing more you can do to me, Desmond,’ Bella said, struggling to regain her composure. ‘And for your information, Maria is not a servant. She is my mother.’

  ‘And your mother-in-law, God help me.’ Maria leaned out of the carriage window. ‘That will look good in the society columns, won’t it, Desmond my boy? The Right Honourable Sir Desmond Mableton, Baronet, married to a gypsy’s daughter.’

  Desmond turned to Bella with a vicious snarl. ‘You tricked me, you common little whore.’

  ‘I may be common but at least I’m not a sadistic bully.’

  ‘Do you want me to knock him down, Bella?’ Rackham demanded. ‘I’d be more than happy to oblige.’

  ‘No,’ Bella said, climbing into the cab. ‘He’s not worth it.’

  ‘You won’t get away with this,’ Desmond shouted, as Rackham leapt in after her. ‘I’ll have the law on you.’

  Rackham unlocked the door to his rooms and went inside to light the gas lamps, which shed an instant warm glow on the sparsely furnished room. Leonie had fallen asleep during the short cab ride to Half Moon Street and Kitty laid her gently on the sofa. It was hard to believe that they had managed to escape so easily. She had been sure that Sir Desmond would follow them, or send the constable to accuse Bella of kidnapping her own daughter. Perhaps the fog had served its purpose, making even the shortest journey hazardous.

  Rackham went to the fireplace and poked the dying embers into flames, throwing on a shovelful of coal that sent sparks flying up the chimney. ‘You’ll be safe here tonight, but it won’t take long for Desmond to discover my address.’

  ‘We should get as far away from Dover Street as possible,’ Maria said. ‘But for now what we all need is sleep.’

  Crossing the room, Rackham opened a door that led to a bedroom. ‘If you and Kitty don’t mind sharing a bed, this should do for one night.’

  ‘We’ll manage,’ Maria said, nodding. ‘Leonie can sleep with us.’

  Lifting Leonie so gently that she barely stirred, Rackham carried her into the room and laid her on the bed.

  ‘Let me help you undress, my lady,’ Kitty said, alarmed by Bella’s pallor. ‘You should get some rest.’

  Glancing nervously at Rackham, Bella shook her head. ‘I – I’m not sure where I’ll be sleeping.’

  Rackham went to the chiffonier, picked up a cut glass decanter and poured two generous measures of brandy into crystal glasses, handing one to Bella. ‘Drink this and you’ll feel better.’

  Kitty waited, aware that Rackham and Bella had forgotten her existence. She could feel the tension buzzing between them as Bella sipped the brandy, eyeing Rackham over the rim of the glass. There was only one other door leading off the sitting room, Kitty reasoned, and that had to be his bedroom.

  ‘I’d like another one,’ Bella said, handing Rackham the empty glass.

  ‘It’s not very flattering, my dear.’

  Blushing, Bella seemed unable to meet his gaze. ‘I don’t know what you mean.’

  ‘I’ve never had to get a woman drunk to persuade her to sleep with me, Bella. And I’m not starting now.’ Taking her by the hand, Rackham led her into his bedroom.

  Hovering in the doorway, Kitty waited for instructions; she had no intention of leaving Bella until she was certain that she would be all right.

  ‘It’s all yours,’ Rackham said, with a wry smile. ‘I’ll take the sofa and tomorrow morning, first thing, I’ll go out and find you somewhere safer and more suitable to your needs.’

  Bella stared at him for a moment and then she smiled reluctantly. ‘You know, if you’re not careful, Giles, you might turn into a gentleman.’

  ‘Don’t be fooled by my apparent gallantry, Bella. I’m no gentleman but I don’t take advantage of helpless women.’ Rackham lifted her chin and kissed her lightly on the lips.

  Kitty’s fingers closed around the handle of the valise containing Bella’s things. If Bella needed protecting she was quite prepared to take a swing at Rackham and knock him down.

  ‘You weren’t so scrupulous when I was an innocent fourteen-year-old,’ Bella said, breathlessly.

  Kitty gave a little cough to make them aware of her presence, but they did not seem to hear. Rackham caressed Bella’s cheek with his fingertip and his lips smiled but there was a hint of something akin to sadness in his eyes. ‘You were innocent then, in spite of what that brute of a father put you through. And you would have been sold again and again if I hadn’t come along and rescued you.’

  ‘And taken me as your mistress when I was little more than a child.’

  ‘We had a wonderful few years together – admit it, Bella.’

  ‘You abandoned me. You left me on my own in that hotel in Dover.’

  Ra
ckham threw back his head and laughed. ‘As I remember it, Bella, I left you with virtually all the money I had in the world, which was enough to set you up for quite a long time. Would you rather that I’d dragged you around the gaming hells and race courses of France until I’d built up my stake?’

  ‘You have an answer for everything, haven’t you?’

  ‘Get some sleep, my pet. I’ll respect your virtue tonight, but one day you’ll come to me willingly, I’ll bet my life on it.’

  ‘Never.’

  Kitty jumped clear as Bella slammed the door and the key grated in the lock.

  Noticing Kitty as if for the first time, Rackham smiled and shrugged his shoulders. ‘Are you a betting woman, Kitty?’

  ‘No, Sir.’

  ‘Never mind. Best get some sleep. I’ve a feeling that tomorrow is going to be a difficult day.’ Rackham walked over to the chiffonier and poured himself another drink.

  Kitty crept into the bedroom and, taking off her top clothes, she slid into the bed beside Leonie, taking care not to wake her.

  Lying very still but wide awake, Kitty tried desperately to come to terms with what she had just seen and heard. It did not seem possible that Maria, sleeping in the chair and snoring, could be Bella’s mother. It was equally hard to believe that someone like Bella, who was a lady through and through, could have come from a background similar to her own. Bella had not denied any of the shocking things that Mr Rackham had said and yet, if they were all true, perhaps that explained why Bella had always been so sympathetic and understanding. Kitty saw her bright angel falling from the stars and, with a shock, she realised that they were not so very different after all.

  Next morning Kitty was awakened by such a commotion coming from the passage outside the sitting room that she leapt out of bed. Wrapping the counterpane around her shoulders, she found Maria standing by the door with her ear pressed to the keyhole. Leonie stood in the middle of the room sucking her thumb, a baby habit that she had long since outgrown, but her eyes were round with alarm and she looked as though she was about to yell. Snatching her up, Kitty sat on the sofa, jiggling Leonie on her knee and singing ‘Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross’. Someone outside was shouting and thumping their fist on the door.

  ‘Mr Rackham, Sir,’ cried a female voice, ‘there’s a constable at the front door who wants a word with you.’

  Hurrying out of Rackham’s bedroom, Bella raised a warning finger to her lips, as Maria shot her an anxious look.

  ‘Mr Rackham, answer the door, Sir. The constable says he won’t go away until he’s spoken to you.’

  More bangs and thuds on the door and then the woman appeared to give up. Her grumbling and her footsteps grew quieter as she stomped down the stairs.

  ‘Where is Rackham?’ Bella demanded, lifting Leonie from Kitty’s lap and giving her a cuddle.

  Maria angled her head and raised her eyebrows. ‘I thought he was with you.’

  ‘Certainly not. He slept on the sofa.’

  ‘He did,’ Kitty said stoutly. ‘I’ll vouch for that.’

  ‘Well, he wasn’t here when I got up to use the water closet,’ Maria said, shrugging. ‘Looks like he’s cleared off again. He knew that Sir Desmond would have the law on us.’

  Kitty shot a worried look at Bella. ‘What shall we do, my lady?’

  ‘We must keep quiet,’ Bella said, going to the window and peeping out from behind the lace curtain. ‘I think the constable is going away. Yes, he is. I can see the top of his helmet as he walks off down the street.’

  ‘Then let’s get out of here before he comes back.’ Maria rushed into the bedroom and began flinging things in the suitcase. ‘We can’t trust Rackham. He’s probably sloped off, the stinking coward.’

  ‘You’re forgetting that we haven’t anywhere to go,’ Bella said, setting Leonie down on the floor.

  ‘Hungry,’ complained Leonie, running over to Kitty. ‘Want breakfast, Kitty.’

  ‘A mouse would die of starvation in this place,’ Maria said. ‘I’ve been through the cupboards and there’s nothing, not even a crust of bread. We can’t stay here, Bella.’

  ‘Rackham said he would find us somewhere safe and I think we’ve got to trust him.’

  ‘You’ve changed your tune,’ Maria said, shivering. ‘But we’ve got to do something. It’s bloody freezing and we’re all hungry.’

  Stepping in between them, Kitty held up her hands. ‘Arguing between ourselves isn’t going to get us anywhere. We could go to Tanner’s Passage. I know that Betty would take us in.’

  ‘That’s the first sensible suggestion I’ve heard today,’ Maria said, hefting the suitcase from the bedroom. ‘Let’s get out of here.’

  Bella turned back to stare out of the window. ‘It’s raining! We’ll never find a cab.’

  ‘Then we’ll walk,’ Maria said, picking up an armful of coats from the chair. ‘We daren’t stay any longer, Bella. My guess is that the copper went straight round to Dover Street to report to Sir Desmond. He’ll be back with reinforcements any minute.’

  ‘There’s a hackney cab just pulled up outside,’ Bella cried, pressing her nose to the windowpane. ‘It’s Giles. You were wrong, he hasn’t deserted us.’

  Kitty ran to the door and unlocked it, wrenching it open as footsteps pounded up the narrow staircase. Rackham came up the stairs, closely followed by his irate landlady.

  ‘This is a respectable lodging house, I’ll have you know, Mr Rackham. My reputation will be in ruins if word gets around that I’m harbouring runaways and criminals.’

  Rackham stopped and pressed something into her outstretched hand. ‘There you are, Mrs Hennessy. Perhaps that will recompense you for your trouble.’ He bounded up the remaining steps, two at a time. ‘I saw Desmond’s carriage turning into Piccadilly. We must hurry.’

  Mrs Hennessy stood in the doorway of her apartment, glaring at them as they left the house. There was a mad scramble to get everyone into the cab, but just as Rackham set his foot on the step, a hand fell on his shoulder.

  ‘Is this the person, Sir Desmond?’

  ‘Yes, Officer,’ Desmond said, dragging Bella from the cab and snatching Leonie from her arms. ‘And this is my daughter, who was abducted from my house last night.’

  ‘No, it’s not true,’ Bella cried, desperately trying to wrest Leonie from his grasp.

  ‘Did you think I’d let you steal my daughter?’

  ‘Officer, there’s been a mistake,’ Rackham said, keeping a tight hold on Bella as she fought and struggled to get to Leonie, who was sobbing pitifully. ‘This woman is the child’s mother. That isn’t abduction.’

  The constable turned to Desmond. ‘Sir Desmond?’

  ‘My daughter was taken from my house without my permission. I think my good friend the Lord Chief Justice would agree with me that this is a case of abduction.’ Desmond handed Leonie to Warner, who stood behind him, grimfaced as usual.

  ‘You can’t do this, Desmond,’ Bella sobbed. ‘Give me back my child and I’ll come home. I’ll do anything you ask.’

  ‘Think yourself lucky that I’m not proffering criminal charges against you, Madam. I’ve plenty of witnesses to prove that you left the marital home to spend the night with your lover. There isn’t a court in the land that wouldn’t grant me a divorce and custody of our child.’

  ‘You’re a wicked man,’ Kitty cried, balling her hands into fists. ‘That’s a pack of lies.’

  ‘You’re a bully and a wife beater,’ Maria screamed, leaping out of the cab onto the pavement. ‘How would you like that bandied about in court, Sir Desmond?’

  Desmond drew back, his face contorted with fury. ‘If I’d known that you were the mother of that whore I would never have married her. If you or she ever come near my house again, I’ll have you arrested and thrown in jail, so don’t threaten me, woman.’

  Thrusting Bella aside, Rackham sprang forward and, grabbing Desmond by the throat, he landed a left hook squarely on his jaw.

  Desmond
crumpled to his knees clutching his face. ‘Arrest that man, Officer.’

  ‘What’s the matter, Mableton?’ Rackham said, grinning. ‘Can’t you fight your own battles?’

  ‘You’ll go to prison for this,’ Desmond said, getting stiffly to his feet. ‘And I’ll make sure they throw away the key.’

  Approaching Rackham with a degree of caution, the constable unclipped a pair of handcuffs from his belt. ‘I’d advise you to come quietly, Sir.’

  With a careless shrug, Rackham held up his wrists. ‘We’ve been here before, I think, Constable.’

  Distracted by screams from Leonie, who was struggling in Warner’s arms, kicking out with her feet and crying for her mother, Desmond turned his back on Rackham. ‘Get the child into the carriage, Warner. We’re taking Miss Leonie home.’

  Bella threw herself down on her knees in front of Desmond, clutching at his coat. ‘Desmond, I’m begging you, give Leonie to me. She needs her mother.’

  Desmond jerked his coat free, looking down on her with a contemptuous curl of his lips. ‘Leonie will be brought up to be a lady and you will never see her again. From this day on she has no mother. You will be as dead to her as if you’d thrown yourself off Waterloo Bridge into the Thames.’

  Screaming obscenities, Maria flung herself at Desmond, only to be pulled back by another constable, who had come running in answer to his colleague’s frantic blasts on his whistle. Losing his temper, Rackham struggled to break free, but was dragged off down the street and bundled into a horse-drawn police wagon. Kitty threw her arms around Bella, helping her to her feet, and they clung together sobbing.

  ‘If you ever come near my house again, you’ll join your lover in jail,’ Desmond said, climbing into his carriage.

  Leonie’s sobs and screams could be heard even when the door slammed shut.

  ‘Call yourself a gentleman,’ Maria shouted, spitting at the coat of arms on the carriage door. ‘You’re a bigger bastard than Rackham.’