The Doorstep Girls Read online

  The smell of the gravy was tantalizing as it spilled onto her fingers, and as soon as she arrived home she bit into the pie and tore into the bread. She saved half of the pie for her mother, and then guiltily realized that she had eaten more than half the loaf. She took a long draught of ale from the jug and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. I’ve still got some change, she thought, I’ll go back to ’bakers for another penny loaf.

  She belched and heaved a satisfied sigh. Perfect! There will never be another meal as good as that, not ever!

  There was another knock on the door, politer than the sharp rap which Jamie had given, and she got to her feet and peered out of the window. Daniel! Her heart gave a sudden lurch. Strange that she had only thought of him a short time ago. She opened the door. ‘Come in.’

  ‘Am I bothering you?’ he asked. ‘Is your ma in?’

  ‘No, she’s out. Did you want to speak to her?’

  ‘No. No!’ He seemed flustered. ‘I was hoping that she wouldn’t be – in, I mean.’ His glance took in the room. ‘I thought you lived upstairs?’

  ‘We did.’ He’s got such a nice face, she thought. Such kind eyes. Trustworthy, that’s what you would say about him. ‘But we had ’chance of coming down when ’Pecks moved out.’

  ‘It’ll be more rent, I expect?’

  ‘I expect it will be.’ She looked at him directly. No point in lying. When she and her ma were thrown out into the street, everybody would know about it anyway. ‘’Landlord doesn’t know we’re here.’

  He stared at her, his grey eyes blank. ‘What –? Oh!’ Enlightenment gathered on his face and he took a breath. ‘You’re fearless, aren’t you, Ruby? Daring!’

  ‘No!’ she protested. ‘Brash, more like, and when ’landlord comes I’ll tremble in my boots.’ She looked down at her bare feet. She never wore her boots on a Sunday, saving the leather for work days. ‘If my boots last long enough, that is!’

  ‘That’s what I mean.’ He gave a wry grin at her joke. ‘You don’t let things get you down. You seem to rise above your difficulties.’

  ‘Don’t believe that, Daniel! It isn’t true. It’s just that I don’t let my troubles show.’ She invited him to sit down next to her on the mattress by the fire. What would he think if I told him that I’m considering changing my line of work? Would he chat to me in this friendly manner if I told him I was going to work on the streets?

  She watched his mouth as he was speaking. Full lips which turned up at the corners. I’ve never been kissed on the mouth, she thought. Daniel kissed me on the cheek when it was my birthday. She touched the place as she remembered. That was ’first time as well. She gave a small sigh, but he kissed Grace too, and it wasn’t her birthday.

  ‘And so, I’ve got to make a decision,’ he said, and she realized that she hadn’t heard a word he’d been saying. ‘But I need to talk it over with somebody who isn’t involved with me or my family. Somebody who can think logically and say whether I’m being a fool or not. I went to Grace’s house, only she’s out and I just have to get it off my chest, so I came to you. I hope you don’t mind, Ruby? I’m sure you’ve got more than enough worries of your own.’

  So I was second choice, she pondered. Grace was out. She nodded. Well, so be it. ‘Can you go over ’basic facts again?’ she hedged. ‘So that it’s clear in my mind.’

  ‘Yes, I was probably rambling, not making sense.’ He shifted uncomfortably and crossed his legs.

  He’s used to sitting on a chair, Ruby supposed. Mattresses are made for lying on, and she considered how it would be to lie with someone like Daniel, with his arms wrapped around her, so that she felt safe and secure.

  ‘Fact is,’ he continued, ‘I’ve got two more years before I finish my apprenticeship. Two years before I start earning any kind of reasonable wage.’

  How wonderful, she thought. To have that to look forward to. ‘Yes – and?’

  ‘Well, I need to earn money now. Da can’t, Ma won’t, and we’ve no money left.’

  ‘Can’t your da do labouring work?’ Ruby didn’t mention his mother. Mrs Hanson never spoke to anyone in the court, and she expected that the woman was too proud to do menial tasks such as washing or ironing to earn a living.

  ‘Well, yes! Of course he could,’ he answered irritably. ‘Only he won’t. Says he worked his apprenticeship to become a craftsman.’ He gazed into the fire. ‘So, I’m going to have to give mine up so that I can earn a living.’

  She drew in a breath. ‘What? Give up your apprenticeship? Is that allowed?’

  He shrugged. ‘I’ll be breaking a contract. But nobody can stop me. It just means that I’ll never be a master craftsman.’

  ‘But what will you do? What kind of work?’

  ‘I’ve been down to ’docks to look around. There’s some foreign ships who are allus on lookout for general dogsbodies. Men who can handle tools and do repair jobs whilst they’re at sea.’ His expression dropped to one of misery. ‘There’s some that’s not that particular if they don’t see proven indentures.’

  ‘It seems a waste,’ she murmured. ‘If you’ve onny got two years to go. Why don’t you tell your ma and da that that’s what you’re going to do, then mebbe they’ll come to their senses and try to get work.’

  He shook his head. ‘Ma will have a screaming fit and blame Da for his accident, and Da will be humiliated at having to look for labouring work. I can’t put him through that.’

  ‘They’ve been lucky then, haven’t they?’ she said, and thought that his father and mother deserved all the misery that came to them. ‘Not everybody has had their good fortune.’

  ‘I know,’ he sighed. ‘Does your ma work?’

  ‘Not any more. She allus did. Sometimes she runs errands for ’traders. But,’ she bit her lip and swallowed hard, ‘she can’t be relied on any more so I’ve had to tell ’em not to ask her and not to give her any money.’

  She saw the question in his eyes, a question that he was too well mannered to ask. At least he’s been well brought up, she mused, his parents haven’t failed in that respect. ‘She has a habit, you see,’ she confided. ‘She’s addicted to opium and spends everything she has to get it.’

  ‘Can’t she give it up, or reduce ’amount she takes? I understand it’s safe in small doses. It’s ’finest thing for pain, they say.’

  Ruby shook her head. ‘So she can’t work.’ She ended the conversation. She knew what the final result would be for her mother and she didn’t want to discuss it.

  ‘What do you think, then, Ruby? Should I give up my trade for a chance to earn money now?’

  She pondered and sighed. ‘I’ve got a similar decision to make, Daniel. I can give up at ’mill.’ She laughed grimly. ‘Unless, like my boots, it gives up on me first – and I can take on this other work that I’ve been offered where I’ll earn more money but where there’s no future.’

  He frowned. ‘What kind of work?’

  ‘Degrading.’ She felt the muscles in her face tighten at the thought of what was to come.

  ‘Don’t do anything you’d be ashamed of, Ruby,’ he said softly, and folded his hand over hers. She looked down and saw its strength, and a few nicks and scratches from honest work. Jamie had taken her hand too, not an hour before. His were white, soft and unblemished and he had put a shilling into hers. She lifted her eyes to Daniel’s and saw his concern.

  ‘I think, Daniel – I think that we have both already made up our minds.’

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  ‘Ruby!’ Grace hammered on the door. ‘Can I come in?’

  ‘I’ve never stopped today,’ Ruby complained good-humouredly. ‘I’ve had a constant stream of visitors.’ She put her hand to her forehead and gave a winsome sigh. ‘I’m fair wore out.’

  ‘I must tell you.’ Grace dropped onto the mattress. ‘Where did you get ’coal?’ She stared into the fire, which was giving off a steady heat.

  ‘From Jamie,’ Ruby said briefly. ‘So what have you got to tell me?’ />
  ‘Well, my da and me went to Dock Green,’ Grace said eagerly. ‘And you’ll never guess! I went onto one of ’speaker’s platforms.’

  ‘You did? Why?’

  ‘I was asked my opinion.’ Grace drew herself up and lifted her chin. ‘This man kept calling me a child and when I said I wasn’t a child, but was a working woman, he asked me to step up on ’platform to answer some questions. Do I look like a child, Ruby?’ she asked anxiously. ‘I don’t feel like one.’

  Ruby shook her head. ‘I don’t think so, but then –’ She pondered. ‘I can’t remember us ever being children.’

  ‘Me neither,’ Grace agreed. ‘Anyway, I was just beginning to get into my stride – and do you know, Ruby, I didn’t feel a bit nervous speaking in front of all those folk – when I thought I saw one of ’Newmarch brothers from ’mill. And that’, she emphasized, ‘did make me feel nervous. I thought if he saw me, I might get finished at work.’

  ‘Why?’ Ruby frowned. ‘Why would you get finished? It’s nowt to do with anybody at work what you do in your free time.’

  ‘It’s just that ’speaker was asking when did I start work, and saying that it was wrong that children should be in work at all.’ Her eyes widened. ‘I didn’t want him, Mr Newmarch, to think that I was causing trouble.’

  ‘Which one was it? The good-looking one or –’

  ‘It was the one who allus looks serious.’ She gave a grin. ‘Not Mr Edward who allus looks over his shoulder at us as he rides past in his carriage.’

  ‘How do you know his name is Edward?’ Ruby exclaimed.

  ‘I make it my business to find out.’ Grace raised her eyebrows knowingly. ‘I ask questions. The other one is called Martin.’

  ‘You’re a dark horse, Grace.’ Ruby contemplated her. ‘Everybody thinks you’re such an innocent little angel, and I’m onny one who knows you’re not! Anyway, you said you onny thought you’d seen one of ’brothers.’

  Grace nodded. ‘Yes, well, it turned out that I was right because –’ She went on to tell Ruby of the grand lady who had offered them a ride in her carriage. ‘She would have brought us all ’way home, Ruby, but my da said onny as far as George Street.’

  Her mouth turned down and she looked desolate. ‘He didn’t want her to see where we lived. She asked if she would be shocked by ’conditions and he told her yes. Isn’t that awful?’ She turned to Ruby. ‘I never thought that Da would be ashamed of where we live. But when we came home I tried to look at it through her eyes, this lady’s, and I saw it as it was. The alley and both courts were flooded, cos there’s no drain. There was rubbish and straw from Mrs Peck’s pigpen floating in ’water and one of Mrs Blake’s bairns was peeing in ’middle of it cos he couldn’t get across to ’privy.’

  They both remained silent and gazed into the fire, then Grace murmured, ‘What are we going to do?’

  ‘I know what I’m going to do,’ Ruby responded bleakly. ‘I don’t know what you’ll do, Grace, but I’ll stand up for you as I hope you’ll stand up for me.’

  ‘Well, of course you know that I will!’ Grace was astonished that Ruby should even have to ask. ‘Haven’t we always supported each other?’

  ‘Yes, but you don’t know what it is that I’m going to do!’

  ‘Rob a bank? Go to ’mill and demand a full week’s work?’ Grace gave a small concerned smile. ‘Is it something really terrible?’

  Ruby looked directly into her eyes. ‘You might think so, Grace.’ Her voice grew tearful. ‘And I should hate to lose your friendship. It’s ’onny thing I have that I can depend on.’

  ‘You’ll never lose that,’ Grace whispered. ‘Not ever. Ruby, what is it? Tell me!’

  ‘I’m going to work for Jamie.’

  They sat until the fire burned low and the room grew dark, Grace detracting and persuading that Ruby should change her mind, and Ruby insisting that there was no other option open to her.

  ‘Maybe tomorrow we’ll be put onto full time,’ Grace cajoled, though she doubted it. She had listened to others at work and had heard that the cotton mill wasn’t thriving, although the Kingston Mill was doing better.

  ‘I need money now,’ Ruby insisted. ‘I can’t expect to be given handouts. I need to work.’ She told of Jamie giving her a shilling.

  ‘A shilling! He could afford to give you a shilling!’

  Ruby nodded. ‘It’s half a week’s rent, Grace! Think what he’s earning. Or at least what his mother is!’

  ‘So, you’ll have to give part of what you earn to Jamie?’ Grace said slowly. ‘What does he do to justify that?’

  Ruby bent her head so that Grace wouldn’t see how her eyes flooded, and was glad that the room was dark. ‘He finds ’customers,’ she whispered, ‘so I shan’t have to hang around street corners. And he’ll know where I am, so I’ll allus feel safe. I’ll be able to buy food and coal, Grace. Ma will be all right, she won’t finish up in ’workhouse. I dread ’thought of that.’ She sniffled and sat up. ‘Ma,’ she gasped. ‘Where is she?’ She scrambled to her feet. ‘She’s been out since this morning! Did you see her when you walked back home?’

  ‘No! No, I didn’t.’ Grace also rose to her feet. ‘Come on, we’ll go and look for her.’

  It was still raining and soon they were soaked through. They looked up and down alleys and courts and peered through inn and alehouse windows. They went to Bessie’s favourite alehouse, the Tap and Barrel, but she hadn’t been seen there at all that day.

  ‘I saw her this morning,’ a man volunteered. ‘She was heading towards Whalebone arm in arm with a young fella.’

  ‘She hadn’t any money to spend on ale,’ Ruby gasped as they ran towards the inn. ‘I gave her ’last of our money to buy some loddy. I couldn’t shut her up,’ she wailed. ‘I was sick of hearing her moan. I should never have given it to her. She might be dead and it’ll be my fault!’

  But she wasn’t dead. She was sitting by a blazing fire, with her smouldering pipe clenched between her gappy teeth and a half-full glass of ale on the table in front of her. A man was sitting with her.

  ‘Here she is.’ Bessie waved an arm when she saw Ruby. ‘Here’s our Ruby.’ Her voice was slurred. ‘I knew she’d come looking for her old ma ’ventually.’

  ‘Where’ve you been all day?’ Ruby was furious, her voice cracking with anger and relief. ‘I’ve been worried sick about you.’

  ‘Don’t you worry about me, Ruby, love.’ Her mother took her pipe from her mouth. ‘I’ll allus survive. I’ve been here all day, I’ve had a nice dinner. A few of these.’ She lifted her glass, then turned to the man who had risen to his feet. ‘You don’t know who this is, do you?’

  Ruby and Grace, their clothes dripping wet and their hair like sodden rat’s tails, stared at the complacent Bessie and her companion. ‘Well, I’m glad you’ve found a friend, Ma.’ Ruby’s voice was filled with sarcasm. ‘I hope he knows he’ll have to pay, cos we’ve no money left.’

  The man came towards them. He was stockily built, wore an earring and was dressed like a seaman, with a short jacket and rough twill trousers. ‘You don’t know me then, Ruby?’ He grinned, and then turned to Grace. ‘And this must be little Gracie Sheppard?’ His eyes appraised her and she took an immediate dislike to him.

  ‘No, I don’t know you. Should I? Do you know him, Grace?’

  Grace shook her head. ‘No, I don’t.’

  ‘You’ve grown up to be beauties, both of you, haven’t they, Ma?’

  Bessie took her pipe out of her mouth and gave a toothless grin. Then she gulped a long draught from her glass.

  ‘Ma! What do you mean, Ma?’ Ruby gave a sudden deep breath and looked acutely at the stranger. ‘You’re not – Josh?’

  He winked. ‘Same,’ he said. ‘Grown up a bit, have I?’

  ‘I’d say you have,’ Ruby answered slowly, and wondered if it could be the same brother who had teased and tormented her. ‘But it’s been a long time.’ She had been nearly eight and Josh twelve when he had left t
o go to sea, and she hadn’t seen him since. ‘Eight years,’ she said. ‘Don’t tell me that you haven’t been back to ’port of Hull in all of that time.’

  Josh looked at her from narrowed eyes. ‘You allus had a sharp tongue in your head even when you were a bairn,’ he said.

  ‘Have you been back?’ she persisted. ‘Did you not think to drop us a note and let us know that you were still in ’land of ’living?’

  ‘Seamen don’t stop long in a port of call,’ he said roughly. ‘I’ve been sailing seas for all those years. It’s a hard life.’

  ‘So is stopping at home and starving,’ she said acidly. ‘Looking at you I reckon you’ve been well fed all those years.’

  He stared at her. ‘I’d have sent money, but there was never enough time and you can’t trust folks to deliver it.’

  ‘No, you can’t,’ she said and turned to go out. ‘You can’t trust anybody. Come on, Grace. We know Ma’s going to be all right now that her son’s come home. Her eldest son, that is.’ She turned back and faced him. ‘Ask Ma to tell you of her other son. You remember your brother?’ Her voice was bitter. ‘Young Freddie? He was just a babby when you left home.’

  He looked confused for a moment. ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Yes! Freddie, I’d forgotten about him. He’ll be a big chap now, I suppose?’

  ‘We don’t know,’ Ruby said from between clenched teeth. ‘We don’t know anything at all.’

  ‘Ruby!’ her mother called from her corner. She had not taken part in the conversation but had stared steadily at her emptying glass. ‘I’ve told Josh he can stay wi’ us tonight. We’re going to get a jug of ale and have a bit of a party. To celebrate, you know.’

  Ruby gave an hysterical laugh. ‘Then he’ll have to sleep on your half of ’mattress, ’cos he’s not sleeping on mine.’ She stared her brother in the face. ‘And there’ll be no party cos I’ve to be at work in ’morning.’

  ‘Oh, come on, Ruby.’ He gave a persuasive smile, which turned her stomach. ‘Take ’day off, you’ll not be missed.’