The Christmas Rose Read online

  Radley’s lips tightened and she thought he was going to refuse, but he reached into a drawer and took out a cash box. ‘Here,’ he said, extracting a few coins and handing them to her. ‘Take this, but I’ll need a note of how you spend the money. If you want to be treated as a professional you must learn to behave like one. Now go. You haven’t got much time.’

  Hardly able to believe the about-turn in her fortunes, Rose rushed from the office, barely noticing the muted cheers from Nicholls and his acolytes, who obviously mistook her hasty departure for defeat. But as she stepped out into the busy street she came back to earth with a jolt. It was all very well making rash promises, but she had just a few hours to gather the information that Radley required. It would soon be dark and danger would be lurking in every alley and unlit street.

  What, she wondered, would Eugene do in such circumstances? Then, as if he were sending her a psychic message, she remembered Cecilia’s promise to speak to her friend Emily, whose husband was something high up in the Metropolitan Police Force. If anyone could help her it would be Cissie. Rose raised her hand and hailed a cab.

  Cecilia motioned Rose to take a seat by the fire. ‘You look perished, and it will be dark soon. Haven’t you anything warmer to wear than that thin cape?’

  ‘I wouldn’t have this if you hadn’t turned out your wardrobe, and I’m truly grateful, but that’s not why I’m here. I need your help, Cissie.’

  ‘You can tell me when you’ve had a chance to get warm.’ Cecilia reached for the bell. ‘Tea or coffee? It’s a little early for sherry wine.’

  ‘Neither, thank you. I’m in a terrible hurry.’

  Cecilia relaxed against the satin cushions. ‘You haven’t been near me for days and now you say you’re in a rush. That’s simply not good enough, Rose. I’ve been dying of boredom since Gene left and then you abandoned me.’

  ‘That’s not fair. You said you didn’t mind when I told you that I was going to stay with Maria.’

  ‘And I don’t, in theory, darling. But I was enjoying your company and I didn’t realise how much I’d miss you, especially with Gene in Egypt. He’s staying with our parents and, if I know my brother, he’ll be the darling of what society is left after that frightful war.’

  ‘But he’s well and not in danger?’

  Cecilia eyed her curiously. ‘You’re very fond of my brother, aren’t you? But he’s a heart-breaker, Rose. Beware of men like Gene.’

  ‘I’m engaged to Max,’ Rose said primly.

  ‘Tra la la. I’ve heard that song before.’ Cecilia feigned a yawn. ‘I’m sure you didn’t come all this way from Wapping to tell me you miss me. So why are you here?’

  Rose glanced at her anxiously and was relieved to see a mischievous smile curving Cecilia’s lips, and a smile in her fine eyes. ‘I do miss you, and I miss the guvnor, but the main reason I came this afternoon was to ask if your friend Emily has come up with any information about the men who have taken over the Captain’s House.’

  ‘So you still intend to live there until Max returns?’ Cecilia put her head on one side. ‘Is living with Maria not as much fun as you hoped?’

  ‘We’re staying in Pier House at the moment. Mrs Colville is very ill and Maria is taking care of her until her mother arrives from Devonshire. The truth is that I found a link between the squatters and Mrs Colville’s servant. Gilroy has been stealing from her, probably for years. It was Sparrow who gave me the clue.’

  ‘Sparrow?’ Cecilia raised her eyebrows. ‘Who or what is Sparrow?’

  Rose opened her mouth to explain but was interrupted by the arrival of the maid. ‘You rang, ma’am.’

  ‘Yes, I think we need sustenance. Coffee, please, and some cake.’ Cecilia waited until the maid had left the room. ‘A tot of brandy will keep out the cold. It’s rather good added to coffee, as I discovered when staying with an elderly aunt who abhorred strong drink.’ She stood up and went to the side table to pour two tots of brandy. ‘Well, then, Rose, explain. Who is Sparrow?’

  The fiery spirit was warming and Rose began to relax a little. Cecilia was a good audience, listening avidly as she sat on the edge of her chair, sipping her drink.

  ‘Well, you have had an eventful time since you left here,’ she said when Rose came to the end of her explanation. ‘And in answer to your question, I saw Emily yesterday and, in the strictest confidence, she told me that the men who are squatting in the Captain’s House are well known to the police. Unfortunately she didn’t know, or couldn’t divulge any names, but they are there illegally.’

  Rose downed the last of the brandy and leaped to her feet. She rushed over to Cecilia and gave her a hug. ‘Thank you, Cissie. The guvnor would be proud of you, and I am, too.’

  ‘Where are you going now?’ Cecilia asked anxiously.

  ‘You wouldn’t want to know.’ Rose kissed her on the cheek. ‘But I’ll keep in touch.’

  Cecilia rose to her feet. ‘But you’ve only just arrived. Can’t you spare me five minutes of your time?’

  ‘I’m sorry, but this is really urgent. I have to hurry, or I won’t catch Mr Radley before he leaves the office.’ Rose left without giving Cecilia a chance to question her further, and, having declined Giddings’ offer to find her a cab, she let herself out of the house, although she began to regret her hasty decision as she paced up and down. Several cabs went past but they were occupied. Just as she was giving up hope one drew to a halt at the kerb.

  ‘Black Raven Court, please, cabby.’ Rose climbed into the vehicle and the cabby flicked his whip, encouraging his horse to walk on. It was dark now and through lighted windows Rose caught glimpses of homes where families gathered for the evening meal and others where servants hurried about, laying tables and stoking fires. When the cab slowed down almost to a halt due to the heavy traffic, Rose could see into affluent homes where cut-glass decanters filled with wine and spirits glittered in the gaslight and uniformed maidservants fluttered past the windows as they laid tables, attended to fires and made ready for the evening meal. In one house Rose smiled when she spotted a maid and a footman embracing, and through another window children, who had most likely escaped the clutches of their governess, were snatching bonbons from a silver dish. These glimpses into family life made Rose feel homesick for her old home in Bendigo. In the State of Victoria their new day had yet to begin, but in her mind’s eye she could see Sadie cooking up tasty dishes in the kitchen, while Laurence supervised the students as they pored over their books.

  They reached the outskirts of the City where some shop windows were lit by gas and others by naphtha flares, but there were grim reminders of the hardships suffered by the poor. Huddled shapes, almost unrecognisable as human beings, crouched in unlit doorways and crippled beggars held out their caps to passers-by, but were largely ignored by the clerks and shop assistants who were hurrying home after a long day at work. Rose pulled her cape more tightly around her. She might have suffered a similar fate if Cora had not found her wandering about in the fog, and it was this debt of gratitude that she intended to repay in full. The contrast between the comfortably-off area of Tavistock Square and the squalor of Black Raven Court was even more apparent as she alighted from the cab.

  ‘Do you want me to wait, miss?’ The cabby leaned down from his seat. ‘This ain’t the sort of place a young lady should frequent.’

  Rose thought quickly, weighing up the cost against the advantage of a quick getaway. ‘Yes, if you would.’ She tossed a coin to him. ‘I won’t be long.’

  He tipped his cap. ‘I’ll wait ten minutes, but it will cost you.’

  ‘That should give me plenty of time for what I have to do.’ Rose clutched her reticule under her arm as she made her way to the brothel. The door, as always, was unlocked and she let herself in. The familiar stench that permeated the building hit her in a noxious wave of damp rot, stale food and cheap cologne, as she made her way upstairs to knock on Cora’s door.

  ‘Who is it?’

  ‘It’s me – Rose
. Can I come in?’

  Cora’s heavy tread and the creaking of loose floorboards were followed by a click of the latch and the door opened. ‘Rose? What the hell are you doing here?’

  ‘Let me in and I’ll explain.’

  ‘It must be important to bring you out in this weather. Trade has been slack for the last few days or you might have caught me in an embarrassing situation.’ Cora held the door wide open and Rose could see the usual chaotic mess of discarded clothing, and an unmade bed, overflowing ash trays and a washing line stretched across the width of the room, hung with damp stockings and underwear.

  Rose stepped inside. ‘I think I can put Regan behind bars, but I need your help.’

  Cora took a tobacco pouch from the mantelshelf and proceeded to roll a cigarette, lighting it with a spill from the fire. ‘Go on, girl. I like the sound of that.’

  In as few words as possible, Rose told her about Gilroy and her connection with Regan and the men who were occupying the Captain’s House.

  ‘I’d like to see them blokes get their comeuppance,’ Cora said, exhaling smoke at the blackened ceiling. ‘What d’you want me to do?’

  ‘I want you and Flossie to bear witness to Regan’s illicit dealings.’

  ‘What does that mean exactly?’

  ‘I’m writing an article exposing Regan, Gilroy and the others. If the editor thinks it’s worth printing it will go in tomorrow’s copy of the London Leader.’

  Cora drew on her cigarette and smoke trickled out through her dilated nostrils. ‘I dunno, love. Regan would slit me throat if he thought I’d got anything to do with it.’

  ‘The police have been trying to pin something on him for years, so I was told. This should see him arrested and thrown into jail.’

  ‘But what if it don’t? And how long would it take the cops to nab him?’

  ‘I can’t say, but do you want to live like this for ever, Cora? That man bleeds you dry.’

  ‘No, but I don’t want to end up in a wooden box either.’

  Rose thought quickly. ‘What if I could find you somewhere safe to live? Would you and Flossie agree to testify against Regan then?’

  ‘Depends on what it is? I ain’t going in the workhouse.’

  ‘No, of course not. I have a much better idea. I’m sure that my fiancé’s half-sister, Maria, would be pleased for you both to reside in her house until Regan is safely behind bars.’

  ‘People don’t just invite women like us to stay, Rose. You’re living in an imaginary world where folk are kind to all sorts, even pros like me and Flossie.’

  ‘Maria isn’t like that and it would only be temporary. You helped me when I was in dire need and I have a chance to repay you for your kindness. Please say yes, Cora.’

  Cora tossed the stub of her cigarette into the fire. ‘Let me go and ask Flossie. I know she’s on her own because she’s come down with a stinking cold. Give me a few minutes.’

  ‘I have a cab waiting.’

  ‘Two minutes, then.’ Cora waddled from the room and the sound of her bare feet pounding on the stair treads echoed throughout the building. She returned a few minutes later, breathless but enthusiastic. ‘Flossie said she’d do anything to get us out of this hellhole.’

  ‘What about you, Cora?’

  ‘If it nails Regan I’m for it. You’re right – I can’t keep this up for ever, and by the time Regan has taken his cut and the rent, I’ve barely enough to keep meself in baccy and tea.’ Cora scrabbled under the bed and pulled out a threadbare carpet bag. ‘Give us the address, and we’ll need cab fare. I haven’t had a punter for two days and I’m broke.’

  ‘I’ll come back for you,’ Rose said eagerly. ‘Pack your things and get Flossie to do the same and I’ll hire a hackney carriage to take us to Great Hermitage Street, but first I have to get the article past the editor and then I need to get the key from Maria.’

  ‘Are you sure she’ll agree?’

  ‘Yes. I’m certain she will. I’ll be back later, Cora.’

  ‘There it is, Mr Radley.’ Rose thrust the piece of paper under his nose. ‘If that doesn’t put Regan and the others behind bars there’s no justice in the world.’

  ‘I admire your tenacity, Miss Munday, but please sit down. You’re disturbing my train of thought.’ Radley put on his glasses and settled down to read the article that Rose had drafted, wording it carefully and using initials rather than names, but the identities of those mentioned would be obvious to anyone who had any knowledge of the criminal underworld. Radley read on in silence, accompanied by the ticking of the grandfather clock in the corner of the office, and the rhythmic sound of the printing press from the floor below.

  Rose sat on the edge of a hard wooden chair, digging her fingernails into her palms as she waited for his verdict, willing him to approve of what she had written. Eventually he raised his head and gave her a blank stare. Her heart sank and she knew that she was beaten, but then a slow smile curved his lips and travelled to his pale grey eyes.

  ‘Excellent, Miss Munday.’

  ‘Really, sir?’

  ‘Yes, really. This is an article that would not have shamed Eugene. You have something of his style, but with a freshness and lack of cynicism that I find quite appealing. I take it that you have checked your facts?’

  ‘I have witnesses who have promised to attest to their statements, Mr Radley.’

  ‘Are you sure they won’t renege on their promises? If Regan puts pressure on them or the gangs get to them they might be forced to withdraw their statements.’

  ‘I’m taking them to a place of safety, Mr Radley. Regan won’t find them and I’ll make sure they remain under cover until after the trial, if the police arrest Regan.’

  ‘Very well. I’ll make a few minor alterations and this can go to press. You go on now and do what you have to do for your informants. I’ll take this to the print room on my way out.’

  ‘What about my job, sir? Do I get it back?’

  ‘I’ll give you a three-month trial, Munday. You’ll learn the ropes and do exactly as you’re told or you will find yourself out of work. Do you understand me?’

  ‘Yes, sir. I most certainly do.’ Rose stood up. She knew that she was grinning from ear to ear in a most unladylike way, but she had never felt so proud or so happy in her whole life. But it was far from over, as she realised once she was back in a cab, heading for Pier House. First and foremost she had to persuade Maria to allow Cora and Flossie to stay in Great Hermitage Street until Regan was out of the way. It had been rash to make promises that she might not be able to keep, but it was a desperate situation and London would be a safer place with Regan and his associates locked up for a very long time.

  She found Maria in the blue parlour with the children. Sparrow looked up from the game she had been playing with Polly, and frowned.

  ‘Where’ve you been? I thought you wasn’t coming back.’

  ‘I had important things to do,’ Rose said evasively. ‘I’ll tell you all about it after I’ve had a word with Maria.’

  ‘I’ve just rung for Izzie. It’s the children’s supper time.’ Maria eyed Rose curiously. ‘You were gone a long time.’

  ‘The good news is that Mr Radley has relented and given me a three-month trial at the newspaper. He liked the piece I wrote and it’ll be in the morning edition.’

  ‘That’s wonderful, Rose.’ Maria turned her head at the sound of the door opening. ‘Izzie, will you take the children to the kitchen? Jessie will have their bread and milk ready.’

  ‘Yes’m.’ Izzie held her hand out to Polly. ‘Come on, nipper.’ She turned her attention to Sparrow. ‘If you’re coming you can carry the baby. He bit me last time I tried to pick him up.’

  ‘I don’t blame him.’ Sparrow scooped Teddy up in her arms. ‘I’d bite her too if she handled me like I was a sack of taters.’

  Teddy grabbed a handful of Sparrow’s hair in his chubby hand and planted a smacking kiss on her cheek.

  Polly faced Izzie with
a mutinous scowl. ‘I want to hold Sparrow’s hand, not yours.’

  ‘Be a good girl, darling,’ Maria said feebly. ‘Mama has a headache, so don’t make a fuss.’

  Izzie shooed the children out of the room, muttering beneath her breath.

  ‘I’m sorry I left you for such a long time.’ Rose pulled up a chair and sat down by the fire, holding her hands out to the blaze. ‘But I had several things to do, and one of them was to persuade Cora and Flossie, the women I told you about, to testify against Regan.’

  ‘Will they do it?’

  ‘Yes, but they are in desperate need of a safe place to live.’ Rose paused, watching Maria’s reaction.

  ‘I can see that. What had you in mind?’

  ‘I was wondering if they could stay in your house for a while. It would only be until the trial is over and Regan is sentenced.’

  Maria frowned. ‘They wouldn’t conduct their business from my home, would they? I mean, I have great sympathy for women who are reduced to selling themselves in order to survive, but I don’t know Cora and Flossie. Are they honest and trustworthy?’

  ‘There would be no question of that sort of behaviour, and I would hope they’d respect your property. But without their testimonies I’m afraid Regan will walk free, as well as his accomplices – Gilroy being one of them.’

  ‘If it brings that woman to justice I’ll do almost anything. I have no love for my grandmother, but I can’t bear to see her lying there like a broken doll, begging for laudanum. She was once a proud, handsome woman, and it was Gilroy who reduced her to that state.’

  ‘So you agree?’

  ‘I do,’ Maria said simply. ‘I’ll remain here for as long as it takes for Grandmama to recover, and I hope you and Sparrow will stay, too.’

  ‘I will, gladly.’ Rose reached out the clasp Maria’s hands. ‘Things will improve, I know they will.’

  ‘There’s just one thing,’ Maria added thoughtfully. ‘If your friends will agree to work here, I think I’ll send Jessie and Edna home. They’ll take care of my house, and it will put a stop to the discord between Mrs Leary and Jessie. I really don’t need to have them at each other’s throats.’ A wry smile curved Maria’s lips. ‘Besides which, being a reformed character herself, Jessie will do her best to make your friends repent the evil of their ways.’