‘Aye, I can believe it, that’s why I swiped ’em.’ Hetty grinned.
Suddenly, to Hetty and Emmy’s surprise, Dorcas leapt to her feet and reached for a large carpet bag at the side of her chair.
‘You aren’t the only one who’s been naughty.’ She grinned as she extracted a large jewellery box and when she lifted the lid the girls gasped. ‘I was careful to leave some of my jewels,’ she told them hastily. ‘They would expect to find something, but I made sure I only left the cheaper trinkets. I left my pearls and silver pieces and some of the jewellery set with semi-precious stones, but I have all the expensive jewellery here and if needs be, we can sell some of these too. Although I hope it won’t come to that,’ she added as she fingered a ruby necklace. The stones sparkled in the sunshine that was pouring through the gleaming windows, and she sighed before placing it back in the box. ‘Now we just have to find somewhere safe to hide them.’
‘I know just the place.’ Hetty stepped forward. ‘There’s a loose floorboard in the corner of your bedroom, ma’am. No one would think to look there. Would you like me to put them there now?’
Dorcas nodded and reluctantly handed the box over. While Hetty scampered off to hide the treasures, Emmy repacked the porcelain figures and followed Hetty out, placing them carefully under the floorboard. It was comforting to know that they had things of value they could sell should the need arise, although like her mother she prayed it wouldn’t come to that.
She went to the sink then and began to prepare some vegetables for their lunch. Hetty was going to teach her to cook and bake bread and she was quite looking forward to it. They had brought all the supplies from the huge pantry back at the house and now it was all neatly stacked on the shelves or tidily put away in the much smaller pantry here.
Hetty returned and smiled appreciatively when she saw Emmy had made a start on preparing the meal.
‘I thought I’d make us a nice steak an’ kidney pie today,’ she told her. ‘You can watch how I do it an’ next time you can ’ave a go at makin’ one. The oven should be warm enough by now.’ She began to get out all the ingredients as Emmy watched closely. Once the potatoes and vegetables were simmering on the top of the oven and the pie was cooking, Hetty went outside to fill the large dolly tub with buckets of water from the pump. ‘Ever done the washin’ or used a mangle before?’
When Emmy solemnly shook her head, Hetty laughed. ‘Well, here starts another lesson then.’ She dumped some of the more delicate underwear she had sorted into the tub before lifting a small wooden device that looked like a three-legged stood with a handle. ‘This is the posser,’ she explained as she shaved some coarse soap into the water. She proceeded to prod the clothes down into the water with it and turn it so that the clothes were agitated. It looked like very hard work to Emmy and soon Hetty was sweating. ‘I’ll just do the lightly soiled things today,’ Hetty told her. ‘The dirtier clothes will need to be soaked overnight an’ we’ll need to get the copper on the go so’s we ’ave ’ot water to wash ’em in tomorrow.’
Once the clothes were washed to Hetty’s satisfaction they then had to be thoroughly rinsed in yet more buckets of cold water before being fed through the mangle and hung on the line in the yard that Jake had kindly fixed up for her.
‘There, just look at that.’ Hetty swiped the sweat from her brow and stood back to admire her hard work. ‘There ain’t nothin’ more satisfyin’ than seein’ a line full o’ clean washin’ flappin’ on the line.’ Then she wiped her hands on her enormous apron and disappeared back into the cottage.
Emmy shook her head. Only now did she realise just how hard servants had to work and it came home to her once more what a privileged life she had led. But that was all about to change drastically and she didn’t know how her mother and sister would be able to deal with it.
Chapter Nine
As they walked beneath the canopy of trees in the woods, Abi preened. Jasper was making no secret of the fact that he found her attractive and although he was her cousin, Abi enjoyed being the centre of any male attention. She knew she was pretty and before the shame of her father abandoning them, she was aware that her mother had had high hopes of her making a good marriage with some eligible rich young man. But what would her chances be now? she wondered. There would be no dowry and she had no doubt that once word got out of what had happened the whole family would be a laughing stock.
‘Penny for them?’ Jasper gave her a dazzling smile.
She toyed with a ringlet hanging over her plump shoulder and sighed dramatically. ‘I was just wondering what was going to become of us,’ she answered with a tremble in her voice. ‘Until all this happened my future looked bright. I was going to attend a finishing school in France and once I came home, I dare say I would have married some rich young man and lived a life of luxury, but who will want me now?’
Jasper grinned. ‘Oh, I shouldn’t worry on that score. You must know that you’re beautiful! Men will always queue for you.’
‘Yes, but whatsortof men?’ Abi pouted. ‘I’ll probably be lucky to become the wife of a farm labourer with the circles we shall be moving in from now on, and I don’t think I could bear that. Mama is already speaking of Emmy and me getting jobs! Ajob– me! Emmy says she likes the idea of becoming a nanny or a governess but that wouldn’t appeal to me at all; so what could I do?’
‘I can think of certain jobs where you would be highly in demand and sought after without having to work hard at all,’ Jasper told her.
Abi stopped walking abruptly and stared up at him. ‘Oh yes, and what jobs would they be then?’
He gave her a wry smile before leading her to a little clearing where they sat down on the grass to enjoy the sunshine. ‘Well, there are certain clubs in London that I frequent where the ladies who work there are very much in demand.’
Abi frowned. ‘You’re not suggesting I should work in a whorehouse, are you?’ She looked so horrified that Jasper laughed.
‘No, of course not. I said clubs not brothels. They are two entirely different things.’
‘Oh!’ Abi’s forehead puckered as she thought on his words. ‘And exactlyhoware they different?’
‘Women who work in whorehouses sell their bodies for sex. Women who work in the upper-class clubs are hostesses to the gentleman guests. Why, I’ve known a number of them marry rich men and live happily ever after,’ he assured her.
Abi blushed at his frank words, but despite herself she was interested. ‘And what exactly do thesehostesseshave to do?’
‘They sit with the customers and encourage them to buy champagne and keep them company – that’s it. The gentlemen that frequent these places are very rich as a rule and if one of the girls takes their eye, I’ve known them to be very generous. I’ve seen them give diamonds, even apartments if they really take a fancy to a particular girl. But the owners of the clubs often provide accommodation when the girls first arrive and they’re very well paid for doing very little from what I can see.’
‘Hm, I can’t see Mama being very happy with that idea,’ Abi told him, although she had to admit to herself that it sounded very appealing. ‘And wouldn’t I be too young? I’m not seventeen until next month.’
‘I should imagine being so young would work in your favour,’ Jasper assured her, watching her reaction closely. ‘The men like the girls young and unspoilt, although I doubt many of them are.’
Abi stared ahead picturing herself being pampered and spoilt, and liking the thought very much. But then common sense took over and she sighed regretfully. ‘It’s the sort of life I would enjoy, I think,’ she admitted. ‘But Mama would never agree to me taking such a job so there’s no point even thinking about it.’
