‘When she was in her teens, she was keen to pursue a career in the music halls and of course our parents were horrified at the very idea. It’s not the sort of thing well-brought-up young ladies do, and so eventually she ran away.’ She sighed as her memory drifted back in time. ‘For a while my father tried to find her to bring her home but after two years, he discovered that she had indeed made a name for herself in London. She was the darling songbird of the stage and the toast of the city by all accounts; she had no intention of returning home, so in the end my parents gave up on her and disowned her.
‘Soon after, word reached them that she had married a very rich older Frenchman and that she was very happy. But her happiness was short-lived for they had only been married for a short while when he suffered a heart attack and passed away. Imogen was totally heartbroken, although he left her a very wealthy woman and from what I could get out of my parents she became something of a recluse after that. She did come to my wedding, and Bernard’s when he married Sybil, and I also let her know when you and Emmy were born. I don’t know if she is still at the same address in London or even if she is still alive but I thought I would chance writing to her to see if she is still there and ask if she might know of any suitable jobs going for Emerald.’
‘Oh,howromantic,’ Abi sighed dreamily. It was like something she read about in the novels she was so fond of. ‘But why are you only asking her if she knows of work for Emmy? What about me?’
‘You are a little younger,’ her mother told her. ‘And so it’s only right that Emerald should find work first. Goodness knows there’s little chance of either of you making a good marriage now, with no dowry to offer and our reputation in tatters!’
Abi’s thoughts instantly returned to the way James Prestatyn had snubbed her in the town earlier in the day and she pouted as she recalled the incident to her mother.
Meanwhile Emmy was reeling with shock. To think that all this time they had had an aunt that they hadn’t even known existed. She half hoped this unknown aunt would find work for her. It was certainly no fun living with her mother and Abi any more, all they ever did was complain rather than count their blessings, and neither of them seemed to be at all concerned about what might have happened to her father.
With a sigh, she rose and made her way to the room she shared with Abi where she sat on the bed staring thoughtfully into space. One thing was for sure, life was never going to be the same again for any of them and the sooner Abi and her mother got used to that idea the better it would be for all of them.
She washed quickly in the water that stood in a pretty jug and bowl on the small marble-topped washstand and after slipping into her nightgown she hopped into bed where she lay wondering where her father was and praying that he was all right, as she had every single night since he had disappeared. She had been racking her brains trying to think of a way that she might trace him but realised that with no idea where he might have gone, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Would she ever know what had happened to him? she wondered. Because it was not knowing whether he was alive or dead that was eating her up inside.
Chapter Eleven
Over the next few days Emmy kept herself busy helping Hetty. They worked together on the small garden at the back of the cottage, clearing weeds and planting vegetables, and Hetty continued to teach Emmy to cook, although Abi stayed well out of the way. Dorcas meanwhile stayed firmly in her chair, almost as if she had been planted there, with a miserable expression on her face as she cursed the man she had married and felt sorry for herself.
Then one day, as Emmy was sweeping the path that led to the front door, she saw the postman on his bicycle riding towards her across the rough ground.
‘Morning, Miss Emerald.’ He doffed his cap. After delivering the Winters’ mail to their former home for many years it still felt strange to find them living in this humble cottage.
He handed a letter to Emmy and she smiled and thanked him before turning to take it inside. It was addressed to her mother and she saw at a glance that the envelope was of the finest quality.
As usual, her mother was sitting staring into the fire, but when Emmy handed her the letter, she immediately opened it.
‘Who is it from?’ Abi asked curiously.
‘It’s from my sister, Imogen,’ Dorcas replied.
Abi was all ears. ‘Ooh, what does it say. Can you read it to us?’
‘I suppose so.’ Clearing her throat, Dorcas began.
Dear Dorcas,
I must admit to being very surprised to hear from you after all these years and was sorry to hear of your circumstances. I have heard nothing from you since you wrote to inform me of your daughters’ births. I had always hoped to have children myself but sadly it wasn’t meant to be. Unfortunately, I am no longer in the best of health so I may be able to offer your eldest a post as my companion-cum-maid if she should prove suitable. Perhaps she would like to present herself here within the next two weeks so I could explain what her role would be and see if we would be compatible. You are, of course, welcome to accompany her.
Yours sincerely,
Your sister,
Imogen.
‘Oh, how exciting!’ Abi clapped her hands. ‘You will go, won’t you, Emmy?’
Emmy was looking a little stunned but her mother answered for her. ‘Of course she must go, and as soon as possible.’ She stared thoughtfully towards the window for a time. ‘We must decide what you are to wear, Emmy. We need you to make a good impression. You can catch a train to Euston and from there you can get a hackney cab to Islington. And if you do prove to be suitable, you must tell her that you are able to start as soon as she likes.’
Emmy smiled ruefully. ‘It almost sounds like you can’t wait to get rid of me, Mama,’ she commented.
Dorcas waved her hand at her. ‘Don’t be so silly. This could prove to be a golden opportunity for you. No one there will know of your straitened circumstances and I’ve no doubt Imogen will know of many eligible young men in London. We might just find a rich husband for you yet, and in the meantime, you will be earning. For all her faults, Imogen was never mean so I have no doubt she will be generous to you.’
It seemed the decision had been taken out of her hands, so Emmy merely nodded in agreement.
Three days later, Emmy was up bright and early to catch the cart into Nuneaton with Hetty. As they waited at the crossroads, Emmy felt very overdressed. Her mother had declined to go with her but had insisted that she should wear her very best travelling costume, which was made of a fine sea-green cotton with a full skirt and a tiny jacket with a peplum at the waist. Beneath it she wore a white ruffled blouse and on her head was a matching bonnet trimmed with silk flowers.
‘This is so excitin’ fer you,’ Hetty said enviously, although she knew she would miss Emmy dreadfully. ‘Fancy goin’ all the way to London on a train. I ain’t never even been outside of Nuneaton!’
