Dilly Court - The Summer Maiden

‘Don’t worry about him – he’s tougher than you think. Anyway, Jim knows all about the captain. We’re planning to sit up all night and see if he materialises.’

‘Never mind that now. I need you to give a hand to clean this place up before our furniture arrives.’ Caroline reached for a broom that someone had left propped up against the wall and she thrust it into her brother’s hand. ‘You start sweeping and I’ll fetch a dustpan and brush. The floors need a good scrub but we’ll have to wait for Sadie to get the fire going so that we can heat some water.’

Max tossed the broom from one hand to the other. ‘I think I’d rather be at school than doing housework.’

‘I’ve got news for you, young man.’ Laurence descended the stairs with a purposeful look on his face. ‘You are at school and this is your first lesson.’ He took the broom from Max. ‘This is how you sweep a floor. I’ll make a start and you can take over.’

Caroline flashed him a grateful smile. ‘Thank you, Mr Bromley.’

He paused, leaning on the broom handle. ‘I think you could call me Laurence, as we’re going to be living in the same house.’

‘Really?’ Max looked from one to the other. ‘Are you really moving in with us, sir?’

Laurence nodded and resumed the task of sweeping up the debris left by the last tenants. ‘I am indeed, and we begin lessons as soon as we’ve got this place ship-shape.’

It took more than a few days to get the Captain’s House habitable, but everyone did their bit, even James, who was delegated to keep the fire going in the range. Despite his initial reluctance to take on such menial tasks, he made a good attempt at chopping kindling in the back yard, and kept the scuttle filled with coal. Sadie took over the kitchen with a determination to revive her culinary skills that was impressive, and soon the house was filled with the aroma of baking bread and savoury stews. When she was satisfied that the rooms were spotlessly clean Caroline spent her time making them as homelike as possible, but the money Sadie had saved from the sale in Finsbury Circus was dwindling away at an alarming rate. She scoured the second-hand shops and used what little money they had to purchase a sofa, even though it had seen better days. The upholstery was worn and threadbare and the horsehair stuffing protruded in places, but a couple of well-placed stitches soon put that right. She bought two armchairs in a similar state, but despite the sagging seats they were surprisingly comfortable. A rag rug added a touch of colour to the front parlour and a fly-spotted mirror hung over the mantelshelf made the room look slightly larger. Curtains had been left in all the rooms, mainly, she discovered, because they were lacy with moth holes, but they would have to do. Altogether, Caroline was satisfied that she could do no more.

Laurence’s rent money was used for the purchase of food, candles and coal, but by the end of the first week it was becoming even more apparent that they were in desperate need of an outside income. Despite the fact that Caroline checked every day, there was still no news of her uncle’s ship, and the office remained closed, but she refused to believe that anything untoward had happened to him or his vessel. The loss of her father had left a raw place in her heart, and, although she kept a cheerful face for her brothers’ sake, she was still very much in the first stages of grief.

The city simmered in the summer heat, but there was always a breeze this close to the river, and Caroline was beginning to understand why her parents loved the restless spirit of the Thames with its ever-changing moods and colours. In the evenings, when peace descended upon the house, Caroline often chose to sit on the balcony, enjoying the sunset. The scent of tobacco smoke wafted around her, but even though she had started to believe in him, she was not scared of the old captain, and she often spoke out loud, telling him how grateful she was for the shelter his house afforded them. She was certain that he understood, but it was a feeling rather than anything tangible. Even so, she was sure that he appreciated their efforts to take care of his old home. Whether he was real or imagined, she felt that he understood and sympathised with the recent tragedy in her family, and that gave her the courage to take each day as it came.

She spent more and more evenings in her favourite place, and at low tide she could see her brothers exploring the foreshore, searching for anything of value that had popped out of the thick black mud and might fetch a few pennies in the market. They looked for all the world like the other mudlarks who spent their waking hours searching for anything the ebb tide might have uncovered. There were scuffles when territories were breached, but Max and James had learned how to defend themselves in a hard school, and it was a relief to know that they could hold their own in the harsh outside world.

Sadie and Laurence seemed to be getting on very well – so well, in fact, that Caroline felt that she was witnessing a burgeoning romance. Her aunt and the schoolmaster were ideally suited, and nothing would make her happier than to see Sadie married with children of her own, but that thought only served to make Caroline feel lonely and the loss of her old life even more painful. She was no longer Miss Manning of Finsbury Circus, the daughter of a shipping magnate, with servants at her beck and call. She was, in reality, homeless and living on the charity of a woman who, although much loved, was not related to her by blood. As the days went by the uncertainty as to the fate of her uncle and his ship hung over the household in a black nimbus cloud. Money was tight and there was only one answer …

Caroline went downstairs and found Sadie and Laurence in the parlour, seated on either side of the empty grate.

‘I must find work.’ Caroline said with a determined set to her jaw.

Sadie put down her teacup. ‘What do you mean, Carrie?’

‘It’s quite simple. We are desperate for money and we can’t live off the rent that Laurence pays us.’

Laurence leaned forward in his chair. ‘I’ve put an advertisement in The Times , Caroline. I can take day boys, or even a couple of boarders. Sadie and I were discussing it before you joined us.’

‘But that won’t keep all of us, and you can’t be expected to pay us rent and teach my brothers for nothing.’

‘They’re bright boys,’ Laurence said, smiling. ‘I’m sure I could get both of them into Oxford or Cambridge.’

‘Even so, you can’t support all of us.’

Sadie’s smooth brow creased into a frown. ‘If we’re to become a school of sorts I would be happy to look after the pupils. Mrs Cooper’s teaching is coming back to me gradually and I’m getting the hang of that black-leaded beast of a range.’

‘But that leaves me with no place in this house,’ Caroline said sadly. ‘I was brought up to be a lady, even though my parents came from humble backgrounds, but I’m not like Cordelia Bearwood.’

A dry chuckle escaped Sadie’s lips. ‘I would hope not. Lovely as she is, Cordelia has been spoiled to death by her doting parents.’

‘Just wait and see what response I get from my advertisement,’ Laurence said softly. ‘I’m grateful for the opportunity to start my school, and, if I’m successful, I hope one day to have my own establishment.’

‘And you will, Laurence. I’m sure of it.’ Sadie’s pale blue eyes glowed with pride and a delicate flush coloured her cheeks.

Caroline stared at her aunt as if seeing her for the first time. The ever-practical, reliable friend of her childhood had been transformed into a radiant young woman. Was it possible to fall in love so quickly? Caroline could not answer that question, but it seemed to have happened before her eyes and she could only be glad that Sadie had at last found someone worthy of her.