The Summer Maiden. Dilly Court
good to see you here, sir,’ Max said earnestly. ‘Have you found a new position?’
‘I still have to find a suitable premises so that I can tutor two or three boys to begin with.’
James clattered into the kitchen, puffing and panting. ‘I’ve run all the way from the top of the house,’ he said breathlessly. ‘It’s creepy up there without the servants, but they’ve left us our beds and I still have my cricket bat. I was afraid they’d take it.’
‘At least that’s something.’ Caroline had her emotions under control and she turned to Laurence with a faint smile. ‘It was good of you to come but, as you see, we can’t afford to hire you as the boys’ tutor.’
‘But we could offer you a room free from rent in return for tuition,’ Sadie said hastily. ‘We’re moving to my house in Wapping tomorrow. It’s large enough for all of us and, if you were agreeable, you could live rent free in return for tutoring the boys. You could take on more students, if you so wished. I’m sure there’s room.’
Laurence glanced from one to the other. ‘Don’t think I’m prying, but what would Mrs Manning have to say about such an arrangement? I take it that she is not at home.’
‘Mama went to the country for her health and it’s Sadie’s house. She has the final say.’ Caroline sent a warning glance to Sadie. She did not want to admit that her mother was so overcome with grief that she was finding it almost impossible to cope, very much like the poor Queen, who was still in deep mourning for her beloved Albert.
‘What do you say, Mr Bromley?’ Sadie asked eagerly.
He hesitated, stirring his tea and staring into the swirling liquid. ‘It’s a generous offer, but I’m not sure whether it would be proper for me to take lodgings in a house occupied by two single ladies.’
‘But we’d be there, too, sir.’ Max straddled a chair as if he were riding a pony. ‘It would be fun, Mr Bromley. Jimmy and I would be very good students.’
A smile replaced Laurence’s frown, making him look quite boyish. ‘I know you would. You were always top of the class, but …’
‘Why don’t you come with us tomorrow and take a look at the premises?’ Caroline suggested shyly. She could see that Sadie was keen on the arrangement and it would solve at least one of their problems, even if it created another. But perhaps things were different in Wapping – maybe the locals would turn a blind eye to the fact of their unconventional arrangement – and it would be only until Mama returned to London. If she were in residence then it would be perfectly respectable, but for now it seemed best to leave her in ignorance of the situation. The knowledge that she had lost all her worldly goods as well as her beloved husband might be too much for her to bear.
‘Please say yes, sir.’ James tugged at his tutor’s sleeve. ‘I’d like to live by the river and I really don’t want to go away to school. I miss my family and some of the other boys are very mean.’
Laurence patted his hand. ‘I know that, James. Bullying is despicable in all its forms, but still exists, despite our efforts to stamp it out.’
‘Does that mean you’re considering Aunt Sadie’s proposition, sir?’ Max asked urgently.
‘Let me consider your aunt’s generous offer overnight,’ Laurence said, smiling. ‘I could offer my services in helping with your move tomorrow, and that would give me a chance to view the accommodation and consider whether or not it’s suitable.’
‘Are you sure about this, Sadie?’ Caroline asked urgently as the door closed on Bromley. ‘We don’t know anything about this man.’
Sadie shrugged and a smile curved her lips. ‘I know all I need to know. The boys like him and I can’t see Essie sending Jimmy to a ragged school, and Max would have to find a job. What sort of future would either of the boys have in that case?’
‘But we’ll be talked about.’
‘Carrie, dear, the gossips will be chattering their heads off anyway. What choice do we have?’
‘He might refuse.’
‘He might. And what would we do then?’
The Captain’s House on Black Lion Wharf was wedged between a warehouse and a ship’s chandler. The odd assortment of buildings, some of them on wooden stilts driven into the mud, seemed to have been thrown together in a random fashion, but even before they climbed the steps to the front door, Caroline had a feeling of coming home.
Sadie took a key from her reticule and unlocked the door. ‘I still feel bad about this, Carrie. The house should be yours.’
‘No, it shouldn’t. If Papa wanted you to have it then that’s how it must be. I’m not beaten yet, Sadie. I’ll get us out of this mess, if it’s the last thing I ever do.’ Caroline followed Sadie into the oak-panelled entrance hall. The musty smell made her wrinkle her nose and a cobweb hanging from the ceiling brushed against her cheek. The floor was thick with dried mud and the carapaces of dead cockroaches.
‘I hope the rest of the house is cleaner than this,’ Sadie said crossly.
‘Hurry up there.’ Max pushed in behind them. ‘Let us in, Carrie.’
James slipped past her. ‘It’s creepy, but I think I might like living here. I want a bedroom that overlooks the river so that I can watch the boats.’
‘I expect that can be arranged.’ Caroline moved on, opening doors and peering into the empty rooms. The front parlour looked as though it might be comfortable enough, but it needed a thorough clean, and the dining room was positively filthy. Someone must have owned at least one dog, judging by the muddy paw prints on the floorboards and the smell of damp fur that lingered in the air. The dining room was situated at the back of the house and there were steep steps down to the basement kitchen.
‘I spent many a happy hour in here,’ Sadie said, smiling. ‘The smell of baking filled the whole house.’
‘It stinks now.’ James held his nose. ‘I think something died in one of the cupboards.’
Max stuck his head round the door. ‘Mr Bromley wants to know where to put the luggage, Carrie.’
She turned with a start. ‘Of course. I’m coming, Max.’ She turned to Sadie. ‘I suppose we’d best start cleaning in here. It looks so dismal and it does smell awful.’
Max opened a cupboard and a cloud of flies erupted, buzzing angrily. ‘I don’t know what it is, but it’s something that’s gone off,’ he said, grimacing.
‘Throw it out for the seagulls.’ Sadie rolled up her sleeves. ‘James, go outside and see if there’s any coal in the yard, or anything we can use to get the fire going. We’ll need lots of hot water.’
Caroline hurried from the kitchen. The house was a disappointment and it did not live up to her fond childhood memories. It was probably damp, definitely dirty and the stench from the muddy foreshore at low tide was disgusting.
She found Laurence standing in the hall amid a pile of baggage. ‘Thank you, Mr Bromley. It was kind of you to help us.’
He shook his head. ‘I’m just sorry to see you in such a sorry plight, Miss Manning.’
‘We’ll be fine,’ Caroline said with more conviction than she was feeling. ‘When the old place is cleaned up, I’m sure it will be like home.’ She glanced out of the open door. ‘I hope the carter brings the kitchen table and chairs soon, or we’ll have nothing to sit on. The beds are on another wagon.’
He stared at her, frowning. ‘My present lodgings leave a lot to be desired and I need somewhere more permanent. I’d