‘Oh!’ As he rose from his chair, tears flooded into Dorcas’s eyes, and making a snap decision she asked in a small voice, ‘Is there no way I could persuade you to stay?’
‘I think I’ve put you and the girls through enough heartache, don’t you?’
‘I only got what I deserved .?.?. But the thing is .?.?.’ She took a deep breath. She had a feeling she must speak now or forever hold her peace. ‘I meant it when I said that I still love you, Gerald, it just took me a time to realise what’s important. But of course, I’ll understand if you don’t have any feelings left for me any more .?.?.’
‘I’ve always loved you,’ he said softly. ‘And you just reminded me of why I fell in love with you in the first place.’
She too rose and they stood facing each other until suddenly without quite being aware of who made the first move, they were in each other’s arms both sobbing.
‘Does this mean you’ll stay?’ she asked gingerly.
He raised her chin and gently kissed her mouth. ‘Only if you’re sure?’
‘I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life,’ she told him in a choky voice.
Hetty, who was crouched at the top of the stairs, punched the air in delight. It seemed that the master and mistress might just get their happy-ever-after ending and she couldn’t have been more pleased for them. With a broad smile she crept back to her room, leaving the lovebirds to themselves.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
‘Ithink you should have your Sunday off this week and go and help Jake,’ Imogen said one morning as Emmy was getting her dressed. ‘I bet he’ll be busy with all the winter illnesses that are going around. Aggie can see to anything I need while you’re out.’ Imogen was now well enough to get up and sit in a chair for a while each day and Emmy thanked God for it. There had been a time following Imogen’s stroke that Emmy had feared they would lose her and it had made her realise just how much her aunt had come to mean to her.
‘Well, if you’re sure, I’ll just make sure it’s all right with her.’
Aggie was all for the idea when she put it to her. ‘Course it’s all right. As long as I don’t ’ave to give up me Saturday,’ she said with a becoming blush. ‘I’ve met a young man, see, an’ he ’as Saturday afternoons off from the fish market where he works, so we could walk out together.’
‘Then I’m really pleased for you, Aggie,’ Emmy said warmly.
Jake was delighted when he called in that night after work and she told him. ‘I’ll be glad of the help, to be honest, even with Richard helping we’re run off our feet,’ he admitted. Then with a sigh he confided, ‘To be honest, I’m thinking of working at the practice in Harley Street part-time. If I cut my hours, I’d have more time to work with those who can’t afford to pay, which is where my heart is, and the wealthy clients pay ridiculous sums for their treatment so I’d still earn more than enough to survive comfortably.’
Emmy’s heart swelled with pride. He really was the kindest young man she had ever met, very different to his brother, and yet again she found herself wishing that they weren’t so closely related. But it couldn’t be helped and she knew that she must stop thinking of him as anything more than her cousin.
And so bright and early on Sunday morning, Jake called to pick her up and once they had loaded all the bread Cook had baked for the less fortunate they set off for the little rooms that had become Jake’s surgery. Richard wandered in within minutes of them arriving and soon they were all busy preparing for the day ahead, which turned out to be just as busy as Jake had predicted. The bitterly cold weather had caused a glut of colds and influenza and when Emmy saw how inadequately dressed the majority of the patients were, it gave her an idea.
‘I noticed that most of the people who came in for medicine today didn’t even have decent shoes,’ she commented to Jake and Richard. ‘And it got me to thinking. Aunt Imogen’s spiritualist friends have started to call to see her again now that she’s a little better and most of them are quite wealthy. I’m sure if she asked them to put the word out that decent quality second-hand clothes and shoes are needed for the poor we’d get a good response.’
Richard and Jake nodded in unison as they sipped at the tea she had made them during a lull in patients.
‘That’s an excellent idea,’ Jake said approvingly. ‘We could hand them out to the most needy.’
So that evening when she got home Emmy put the idea to her aunt who was only too happy to oblige. ‘Lady Medville is calling to see me tomorrow as it happens,’ she told Emmy. ‘And I’ll get her to pass the word around.’
Just three days later Aggie answered the door to Lady Medville’s butler who unceremoniously dumped two laden boxes of assorted garments on the hall floor. ‘Her ladyship asked me to deliver these to you,’ he said pompously and without another word he turned and left, his back as stiff as a ramrod.
‘Ooh, would yer look at some o’ these, miss,’ Aggie cooed as she and Emmy went through the bags a short time later. She pounced on a very pretty blue gown with a full skirt and held it up against her. ‘Why, these clothes must ’ave come from toffs. I ain’t never owned nothin’ as posh as this in me whole life!’
‘Then I think you should keep that one,’ Emmy told her kindly. ‘It would be just right for walking out with your young man. Oh, and look, here are some shoes that might fit you as well. What size are you?’
‘I ain’t got a clue,’ Aggie admitted. ‘Me ma allus bought us kids shoes an’ boots from the rag stall at the market. If the shoes were too big we just stuffed the toes wi’ newspaper. These what the missus bought me when I started workin’ ’ere are the first new pair o’ boots I’ve ever owned in me life.’
Emmy glanced at the boots. They were very practical and serviceable but not very pretty so she was delighted when Aggie slid her feet into the dainty shoes she’d found and they fit her.
‘I shan’t wear ’em yet though, nor the gown,’ Aggie confided with a pretty blush. ‘If my Archie ever pops the question, I’m goin’ to save ’em to be married in.’
Emmy was touched and patted Aggie’s hand as they resumed sorting through the clothes.
‘I’m afraid some of these would be very impractical for the people they’re intended for,’ Emmy said when they’d finished sorting the various garments into piles. ‘But just think how many smaller garments could be made out of this gown alone.’
Aggie nodded in agreement as Emmy showed her a fine warm woollen gown with a huge skirt. ‘This would make at least three smaller dresses for children.’
