She saw a flash of something that might have been fear in the woman’s eyes but it was gone so quickly that she couldn’t be sure.
‘And whatexactlyis so desperate?’
Abi stared at her helplessly for a moment before saying, ‘It .?.?. it’s rather a personal matter.’
‘I see.’ The woman continued to stare at her for a while before asking, ‘Would you by any chance be the young .?.?.’ She seemed to struggle to give her a description. ‘The youngwomanmy son has recently been seen out with?’
Abi’s eyes shone as she nodded vigorously. ‘Yes, we have been walking out together.’
‘And where are you from?’
‘I’m actually from Astley, a small village near Nuneaton in the Midlands, but I moved here to work earlier in the year and that’s when I met Hugo.’
‘Workwhere?’
Abi felt as if she was being interrogated. ‘Er .?.?. I work in a club, actually,’ she answered in a small voice.
Now Lady Medville’s worst fears were realised and with a snap in her voice, she asked, ‘And are you in some sort of trouble? Is that why you wish to see Hugo?’
Abi sniffed as a tear slid unchecked down her cheek. ‘I-I just need to see him. If you could perhaps give me his address .?.?.’
‘I’m afraid that is quite out of the question. Hugo will be gone for some long time.’ The woman studied her for a moment. The girl was very pretty, admittedly, and much better turned out than she would have expected a common little club hostess to be. She was well spoken too, but Hugo had been earmarked to marry the daughter of a wealthy family they knew when he came of age and this girl would have to be got rid of.
‘So when is the child due?’ she asked bluntly and Abi’s head shot up as she stared at her in shock. The woman had crossed to an ornate French escritoire and removing a little book from it she tore a page out and began to write on it. ‘Don’t think you are the first girl that has come to me in this condition,’ she said harshly. ‘And I do sympathise. But of course, you must realise that you are not in Hugo’s class so nothing could ever come of your short relationship. Here, take this and present it at the bank, then do as you will. Get rid of the child or, if you don’t wish to do that, this should see you right for some time to come.’
Abi stared down in shock at the amount written on the paper. Fifty pounds.
‘But if, as I fear, I am having a child, it will be your grandchild,’ she told the woman with a look of disbelief on her face.
The woman waved her hand dismissively. ‘I consider the matter closed,’ she said, looking Abi directly in the eye. ‘And now I wish you to leave and I must tell you that should you ever return I shall have the police called to remove you. Good day.’ And with that she turned her back.
Abi stood staring at her for a moment, then very deliberately tore up the paper in her hand and dropped it on to the carpet, and with what dignity she could muster she sailed from the room and out of the door the butler was holding open for her.
It wasn’t until she had turned a corner in the road that her shoulders sagged and the tears came. The woman was heartless and it seemed that Hugo, the man she loved with all her heart, was too.But what are you going to do now?a little voice in her head asked her and Abi sighed as she forced herself to move on. She had no idea whatsoever.
‘So ’ow did yer get on at Hugo’s pad?’ Maria asked when she got back to her living quarters. As Abi haltingly relayed what had happened, Maria shook her head.
‘I didtryto warn yer about ’im, didn’t I?’ she said glumly. ‘But now you’ve got to make yer mind up what yer goin’ to do. I’ve got the address of a woman who’ll sort yer out, if yer know what I mean, so give it some thought, eh?’ Then she quietly walked away, leaving Abi to run to her room and sob broken-heartedly all over her silk sheets.
After a time, she managed to pull herself together and she sat up on her bed. Crying would get her nowhere, but what was she to do now? Hugo’s mother was clearly going to do all she could to keep them apart and if what she had said was true – that she was just another in a long line of girls he’d associated with – then perhaps he wouldn’t want to know about the baby anyway.Perhaps it’s just a false alarm,she told herself, but she didn’t really believe it.I could go to Emmy and Aunt Imogen for help, she thought, but dismissed that idea almost immediately. She still had her pride, for what good it would do her, so she couldn’t go home either, and soon it would be harder to keep her secret and then what would happen when Lilly found out? She would probably dismiss her instantly, and where could she go with no job and only the small amount of money she had saved?
That left only one alternative and although the thought of it broke her heart, she wearily crossed the landing to Maria’s room and once inside she asked her, ‘C-could I have the address of the woman you told me about. The one who .?.?.’
‘O’ course. Her name is Mrs Duffy, she lives in a small cottage on the Thames embankment an’ she used to be a midwife apparently. I’ll draw you a map, if yer like. But are yer sure about this? I mean, havin’ sumfin’ like this done ain’t wi’out risk.’ Only the year before one of the girls who had worked at the club had visited the same woman and had died of an infection days later.
‘I shall have to take my chance,’ Abi told her dully.
Maria sighed as she drew a rough map for Abi to follow. ‘When are yer thinkin’ o’ goin to see ’er? An’ would yer like me to come with yer?’
‘I haven’t decided yet.’ Abi took the piece of paper from Maria and pushed it into the pocket of her skirt. ‘And thanks, but I think I’d sooner go alone.’
‘Well, it’s your decision, queen, but my advice to you would be don’t leave it too long.’
Abi thanked her and went back to her own room where she sat nervously chewing on her nails for the rest of the afternoon until it was time to get ready for work.
‘Ah, Abi, here you are.’ Lilly pounced on her the moment she got to the bottom of the stairs that evening. ‘I’ve been meanin’ to ’ave a word with you. Come through.’
Left with no choice, Abi followed Lilly into her room and once the door had closed behind them Lilly immediately asked, ‘Is there anythin’ wrong? You ain’t seemed yerself for some time an’ yer heart certainly ain’t in the job at the minute. I’ve ’ad a few complaints from customers, queen.’
