Decked with Folly (10 page)

“You were living here in Badgers End?”

“Yes, m’m. Robert wanted to move down here to be closer to his children. I didn’t want to leave London but he said he’d come without me if I didn’t go with him.”

Cecily wondered if Gertie had known that Ian was living in Badgers End and how she would have reacted to the news. It seemed they had all escaped what could have been a very difficult situation, though she would have wished a better solution to the problem than Ian’s death. Much as she despised the treacherous thought, it seemed that someone had done Gertie an enormous favor.

She watched the other woman tuck her handkerchief back in her pocket. “Do you have relatives in London? Perhaps someone you can stay with until you can decide what you want to do?”

Gloria shook her head so violently a couple of hairpins flew out of her hair and skidded across the desk. “I can’t go back there. Really I can’t. I don’t have nowhere to go. There was just me and my mum. My dad took off when I was little and my mum died two years ago.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Gloria squeezed her eyes shut and opened them again. “Robert was all I had left and now he’s gone, too. He didn’t have no one, either. What am I going to do? I have to take care of burying him and everything, and I don’t know what to do about that and . . .” Again her voice broke into a sob.

Cecily made up her mind. After all, it was Christmas, and she couldn’t bear the thought of this poor woman all alone and helpless. “You must stay here at the Pennyfoot,” she said, rising to her feet. “We will help you see to Ian’s funeral and burial.”

“Oh, I couldn’t.” Gloria jumped up from her chair. “Now that my husband’s gone I couldn’t afford—”

“Free of charge.” Cecily smiled at the other woman’s expression. Surprise, relief, and something else she couldn’t quite read flashed across Gloria’s face. “Just until you get everything settled and find something more suitable for your needs,” she added hurriedly. “No one should have to spend Christmas alone at a time like this.”

Gloria looked as if she would burst into real tears. “I don’t know what to say.” She spread out her hands in a gesture of helplessness. “All I can think of is—thank you.”

“There’s nothing else to say.” Cecily tugged on her bell rope. “I’ll have Samuel take you back to the flat to fetch your belongings, and then when you return one of the maids can show you to your room. I’m afraid it’s rather small, tucked next to the attic on the top floor. We usually keep it free for children, but we have no child guests at present so you are welcome to occupy it for as long as you need it.”

“That is most generous of you, Mrs. Baxter. Thank you.”

“Not at all. I feel we owe you that much, since your husband died on our premises.”

Gloria’s expression changed to one of sadness. “I’ll miss him. He wasn’t much of a husband, but he was mine. I’d like to know who did this to him.”

“We’ll find out in due time.” Cecily looked up when she heard a knock on the door. “Come in!”

Pansy stood in the doorway, her face full of curiosity as she glanced at Gloria. Obviously Gertie had told her the identity of their visitor.

“Pansy, please tell Samuel I need him to take Mrs. Johnson to the High Street to fetch her luggage. When she returns I’ll need someone to show her to room number one.”

Pansy looked surprised, but said nothing as she dipped her knees.

“Thank you again,” Gloria said, a little breathlessly, “I’ll try not to get in anyone’s way.”

“I hope you will join the guests for meals,” Cecily said, as the widow hurried to the door. “Especially the Christmas dinner. Michel always outdoes himself at Christmas.”

“I would like that. Most kind of you.” Tears glistened in Gloria’s eyes once more as she bowed her head, then followed Pansy into the hallway.

Cecily sank onto her chair. She wasn’t at all sure she’d done the right thing. There was bound to be animosity between Gloria and Gertie. Perhaps the two of them would find a way to avoid each other. Gertie would have to understand that she couldn’t turn the poor thing out into the cold, after losing her husband in such a tragic way and with nowhere else to go. All she could hope now was that Gloria’s presence in the Pennyfoot wouldn’t cause more trouble.

CHAPTER 8

“I really enjoyed that walk this afternoon.” Leaning across one of the dining room tables, Pansy laid a folded white linen serviette on the left of the place setting. “Your twins are really fun to be with.”

Gertie twisted her mouth in a wry smile. That was easy for Pansy to say. She didn’t have to clean up after them, or make them behave when they got into mischief. “They’re fun if they’re in a good mood and not scrapping with each other. They get bloody overexcited this time of year. They drive me blinking loopy wanting to know when Father Christmas is going to get here.”

Pansy laughed. “You’re lucky to have them. I wish I had little ones like that.” Her face sobered. “Don’t look as if I’ll ever have ’em, though, at this rate.”

Gertie snorted. “Watcha talking about? You’re only a young kid. You’ve got lots of time to find a husband.”

“I don’t want just any husband. I want Samuel.”

“Yeah, well, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for that one.” Gertie picked up a crystal glass and polished the rim with a corner of her apron. “How many times have I told you to look for someone else?”

“Well, if I can’t have Samuel, I want someone just like your Dan. I think he’s smashing.”

Gertie grinned. “Yeah, he is. He’s so good with James and Lillian.”

“He is that.” Pansy lifted the pile of serviettes and moved to the next table. “He was a lot of fun to be with today. He made me and the twins laugh. I like that.”

“Me, too. I don’t think I ever laughed as much as I do with my Dan.”

“He looked tired, though. Like he’d been up all night. How’d he get that graze on his cheek? It looks nasty.”

“Had an accident in his motorcar, didn’t he.” Gertie followed her, resting the tray of wineglasses against her hip. “He told me someone stepped out in front of him and he had to swerve to miss him. He hit another motorcar coming the other way.”

“Goodness!” Pansy looked at her in dismay. “He could have been killed.”

“Nah, he wasn’t going fast enough.”

“Don’t you get scared when you go out riding in that motorcar with him?”

Gertie shook her head. “Dan’s a good driver. He’s taking me out in it this evening. They’re having a Christmas party down at the pub, with dancing and everything.”

Pansy sighed, her face taking on a dreamy expression. “Oh, it must be lovely to have someone take you out dancing. I can’t imagine Samuel ever doing that.”

Gertie felt like shaking her. Here she was having to sneak out tonight to be with Dan and risk getting into big trouble, while Pansy was too timid to go after what she wanted. “Then find someone who will.”

Pansy made a face. “Not that easy is it. I don’t get out much, and when I do I don’t go to places where there’s single blokes.”

“Well, we’ve got a couple of single blokes staying here for Christmas. How about that Archie Parker? He’s here all on his own. He’d probably jump at the chance of taking out a gorgeous young woman like you.”

Pansy made a gurgling noise of disgust. “A fat old medicine man. I can do better than that.” She tilted her chin up and looked thoughtful. “Now, that Sid Barrett. I wouldn’t mind taking a turn around the Esplanade with that one. He can make me laugh, too. He knows how to treat a lady, and make her feel special, all right.”

Gertie’s smile vanished. “You’d better stay away from that one. He’s trouble. I can sense it a mile off.”

“You’re just worried he’ll fancy me instead of you.”

Gertie snorted. “What me? No, thanks. I wouldn’t touch him with a lamplighter pole. You can bleeding have him if that’s what you want.”

“He fancies you, though. He’s always following you around.”

“Yeah, well he’s out of luck. I wouldn’t have nothing to do with him if he was dripping in diamonds.”

Pouting, Pansy slapped a serviette down on the table. “Well, you don’t have to, do you. You’ve got Dan.”

Gertie sighed. She wasn’t too sure about that. It was nice to have someone to go out with, and she really enjoyed being with Dan, but she couldn’t help wondering if she should take her own advice and give up on the idea of him ever asking her to marry him.

Then again, she wasn’t getting any younger, and with the twins and all, her prospects weren’t too bright. If Dan didn’t want a ready-made family it was unlikely anyone else would, even if she did meet another bloke.

She might just as well enjoy what she had and stop worrying about whether or not Dan would ever propose. The thought of giving up her dream made her heart ache, but dreams were for young kids, and she wasn’t a kid no more.

“I wonder why that Mrs. Johnson is staying here,” Pansy said, breaking into her thoughts.

For a minute Gertie thought she hadn’t heard right. “Mrs. Johnson? You mean Ian Rossiter’s wife?”

Pansy nodded. “Actually, she’s his widow now, isn’t she. I don’t know if I’d want to stay in the place where my husband was killed.”

“Gloria is staying here?” Gertie shook her head. “I don’t bloody believe it.”

“She’s in room number one. I took her up there myself about an hour ago.”

“Why would she want to stay here?”

“I dunno, but she had a lot of luggage with her. Samuel had to go and fetch it from the High Street.”

“What was it doing in the High Street?”

“Samuel said she and Ian was living in a flat over Ab bitson’s, the butcher’s shop. Just think, if Dan still owned it, he’d be her landlord.”

“Flipping heck.” Having placed the last wineglass on the table, Gertie swung the tray down by her side. “That’s it. I’ve had enough surprises for one day. I’m going back to the kitchen. It’s almost time to start dishing up the supper, anyhow.”

“I’m not finished yet.” Pansy dropped another serviette on the table in front of her. “I have to go and ring the dinner bell in a minute.”

“I’ll ring it for you.” Gertie headed for the door. “You get finished up in here.” She waved away Pansy’s thanks and stepped out into the hallway.

After the bright light of the chandeliers in the dining room, the tiny flickering gas lamps on the walls were dim by comparison, and she blinked to adjust her sight.

Gloria here, in the Pennyfoot, right under her nose. It didn’t seem possible. All she could hope was that they didn’t bump into each other. The less she saw of Ian’s widow, the better.

She had taken just a few steps when she saw a movement outside the library door near the other end of the hallway. Two people stood close together, as if deep in a private conversation.

As she approached one of them broke away and sped off in the direction of the lobby. The woman passed under the gas lamp and Gertie frowned. It was Mabel and she seemed in an awful hurry.

The other figure turned and started toward her. Her nerves jumped when she saw Sid Barrett grinning at her. No wonder Mabel had run off like that. He’d probably been pestering her the way he hassled all the women.

Bracing herself, she approached him with a firm step, ready to brush him aside if he barred her way.

“Hello, me old darling,” he called out, while she was still a few steps away.

“I’m not your bleeding darling.” She glared at him, but he seemed unfazed by her animosity toward him.

“I hear they’ve got a Christmas celebration going on at the George and Dragon tonight. If you’ll go with me I’ll buy you all the gin and tonics you can drink.”

“No, ta very much.”

“Oh, you don’t like gin?” He tilted his head to one side. “How about a nice cherry brandy, then?”

She stared at him, jolted by the suggestion. Cherry brandy would always remind her of Ian. She drank it all the time when they were together. Ian used to tease her about it, saying her nose would turn red if she kept drinking it.

Forcing her thoughts away from the memory, she scowled at Sid. “I’m not going anywhere with you, so just bloody leave me alone.”

Sid simply smiled. “Come on, luv, come and have a drink with me tonight. You need cheering up. It isn’t every day you lose a husband.”

She gritted her teeth. “I already told you, Ian wasn’t my husband.”

“He was your children’s father, though, so he must have meant a lot to you at one time.” He leaned forward, a sly gleam in his eyes. “He must have come visiting a lot.”

Gertie frowned. “I don’t think that’s any of your bleeding business, is it.”

“I’d like to make it my business. A nice looking woman like you shouldn’t have to bring up two little ones alone.”

“Yeah, well, that’s for me to worry about, not you. In any case, I already got a boyfriend, so you needn’t worry about me being alone.” Tossing her head, Gertie marched away from him. She could feel his gaze on her back all the way down the corridor.

She was relieved when she could turn the corner and leave him behind. Cheeky bugger. What was he thinking, trying to pick up someone who’d just lost her husband?

She was getting a funny feeling in her bones about that man. He was probably chasing after all the maids and making himself a nuisance. Hoping to get one of them alone, no doubt. Well, he wasn’t going to get her alone anywhere with him. Not if he offered her a hundred pounds and all the blinking diamonds she could wear.

He wasn’t her type. Not like Dan. Now, if only Dan was as eager for her company as that sleazy Sid Barrett, she could be really happy.

Right now, however, she had better things to think about. She had to get supper on the tables and then get the dishes washed and put away before she could meet Dan and go down the pub. Now that was something she was really going to enjoy.

It had been a long day, and Cecily was looking forward to a quiet evening relaxing with her husband. She was smiling at the thought as she approached the stairs, but the smile soon faded when she saw one of her footmen standing over by the Christmas tree.