The Forgotten Family (24 page)

As Ted walked along the street he had grown up in, he saw it with fresh eyes. It was over ten years since he’d been here and the houses looked smaller and more squalid than he remembered. There was an unpleasant smell pervading the dust-laden air. As kids they had accepted this as normal, until they’d been old enough to get out and see how other people lived. Then, each one of them, without exception, had walked away, never returning. A wave of pity swept through him for his mum and dad. They were still trapped in this awful place, and the only one of their kids to show any concern was the girl they had sold.

There was a steady cold drizzle falling, the kind that soaks you, so no one was standing outside, but the front door was open. He knocked and waited. After such a long time he couldn’t just walk in.

He hardly recognised the woman when she appeared. Her hair was grey, and she was much too thin, but her carriage was still upright.

‘Hello, Mum.’

She stood absolutely still, searching his face as if she couldn’t believe her eyes. ‘Ted?’

He nodded, his breath catching in his throat when she touched his arm. He hadn’t been sure what kind of a reception he would receive. ‘Queenie told me what happened all those years ago. You shouldn’t have kept it from us.’

‘You was only kids and wouldn’t have understood. Come in, you’re getting drowned out there.’

He followed her into the scullery, removed his coat and sat down at the scrubbed wooden table, marvelling at how empty the house was. When they’d all been here, there hadn’t been room for them to sit down at the same time. Meals had been taken in turns.

‘We would have understood, Mum.’

She shook her head. ‘If I’d told you, you’d have all gone missing school and looking for some way to make money, and I couldn’t have that. I was determined that my kids would have a decent education, or as good as you could get from round here. It was the only way you were going to get out of this bloody place.’

Now he understood. She had sacrificed her youngest in order to give the rest of them a chance. What a heartrending choice that must have been for her to make. Deep sorrow swept through him as he watched his mother lifting the kettle from the top of the old blackleaded fire,
her hands shaking as she poured water into the teapot.

‘Where’s Dad?’

‘He’s heard there might be a job going at Marchants’ the furniture makers. He’s a good carpenter, but will turn his hand to anything.’

‘I hope he’s lucky.’

‘So do I.’ She poured them both a cup of tea. ‘Would you like a bit of cake?’

His mind went back to this small scullery filled with hungry kids, all eager for a piece of their mum’s cake. It wasn’t often they’d enough money for her to buy the ingredients for such a treat. ‘I’d love some, thanks.’

After giving him the cake, she sat down and warmed her hands around the cup. ‘I heard about your wife, Ted. I hoped you would have come home then for a while. I’d have looked after you while you got over it. But you look good, and obviously didn’t need my help.’

Ted grimaced. ‘Oh, I needed help all right. But how did you find out?’

‘You know what it’s like round here. Everyone knows everyone else’s business, and I tried to keep track of you. When you moved, I lost you, but someone said they’d seen you in Hammersmith, so I guessed you must be living there.’ She turned the cup round and round, then gazed at him, eyes worried. ‘Queenie told me you was working on the estate, but that was all. Will you tell me how you come to be there?’

He took a deep breath. ‘If it wasn’t for Mr Warrender and his brother-in-law, I’d be dead now.’

‘Who’s Mr Warrender?’

‘Queenie’s dad.’ The entire story poured out then, and, much to his relief, he found he could talk about it without wanting to rush for a drink.

Hilda was very quiet when he finished, and she wiped a tear away before it spilt down her face. ‘He’s a good man, then?’

‘Yes, he is, and he loves Queenie very much, and she him.’ Ted gave a deep chuckle. ‘They renamed her Eleanor, or Ellie to her friends, but she’s still our Queenie. Her character and temperament haven’t changed.’

‘I’m glad about that, but she’s grown into a fine young girl. I found that out when we sat down and talked.’

Ted took the purse from his pocket and placed it in front of his mother. ‘She’s sent you this.’

Hilda tipped out the money. ‘Oh, my goodness, that will last us ages if I’m careful. She said she’d come back with this, but I really didn’t believe her.’

‘She had every intention of doing so, but when Mr Warrender found out she’d come here unaccompanied, he was furious and took her back home. He’s got a tight rein on her at the moment, so she asked me to bring it.’

‘She always did have a big heart. That was obvious even when she was little.’ Hilda pushed the lovely beaded purse back to Ted. ‘Tell her I’m right grateful, and give her that back. It’s too good for me to keep.’

Slipping the empty purse back in his pocket, he turned slightly in his seat until he was facing his mother. ‘I’m going to see Jack, Pearl and Maggie when I leave here. Once they find out why you sold Queenie, I’m sure they’ll understand at last, and want to come and see you both. Will that be all right?’

His mother nodded eagerly. ‘We’d love that. Thanks, Ted. We was desperate, and only did what we thought was best at the time.’

At that moment his father walked in, stopping suddenly when he saw his eldest son sitting at the table.

‘Ted!’

‘Hello, Dad.’ The smile of pleasure he received from his dad took him by surprise.

He sat beside his son and gripped his arm. ‘It’s good to see you, son.’

‘Did you get the job?’ his mother asked, obviously anxious to know.

‘I did, but I’ll tell you about it later, for now I want to know why Ted’s here after all this time, and how he’s getting on.’

Ted related the whole story again. When he’d finished talking, Fred was nodding, his expression serious.

‘I’m right glad Queenie went to good people. I expect Mum’s told you the mess we was in?’

‘Yes, and you should have told us. I know we were only kids, but we would have understood.’

‘But you wouldn’t have agreed, would you?’

Ted shook his head. ‘No, never.’

‘It was all my fault really, son. I’d lost my job and was drinking too much. Your mum was frantic, and when this bloke said he knew someone who would pay good money for a young kid, I agreed. It near broke your mum’s heart but, like me, she was terrified. Another week and we’d have been in the workhouse, and then we’d have lost all of you. When you all left we knew we should have told you at the
time, but –’ he grimaced in disgust – ‘we had our pride, and it was easier to pretend that we didn’t want her.’

‘I can understand that now.’ Ted studied his dad’s careworn face. ‘Will you tell me why you wrote that letter saying you knew where Harry was?’

‘I was angry when the high and mighty girl came round here and said she was Queenie, looking down her nose at us like we was dirt. She obviously had plenty of money, so I thought she could spare us some.’ He held up his hand when Hilda would have spoken. ‘I’m ashamed of myself. If I ever see her, and that fine gent who’s looked after her, then I’ll say I’m sorry for causing such trouble. Queenie was that disappointed I could see it in her eyes, and I walked away, bloody furious with myself.’

‘I’ll make sure you do apologise, Fred. Now tell us about the job.’ Hilda poured him a cup of tea, then sat back and waited.

‘I’m only going to be sweeping up, and the pay is bloody awful, but it’s a job, and once they see how handy I am with a lathe, it might lead on to better things.’

‘Well, it’s something.’ Hilda looked at the money on the table. ‘Queenie sent this to help us for a while, but now you’ve got a job, I ought to send it back to her.’

‘Don’t do that, Mum. You’ll be insulting her, and she wants you to have it. Dad won’t be paid for a week, so keep it.’

Fred reached out and pushed the money towards Ted. ‘Your mum’s right. That little girl’s been right generous considering what we did to her, and we don’t want her to think we’re scrounging. Not now we know how nice she’s
turned out to be. Tell her I’ve got a job now, and we’ll manage. And tell her that I’m bloody sorry about the way I’ve treated her. I should have been glad she’s done so well for herself, and I am, but I didn’t dare show it. We gets into the habit of hiding our feelings with anger.’

Ted looked at his father in disbelief. This didn’t sound like the man he remembered. ‘I’ll tell her, but I can’t believe you’re turning down money?’

‘I know just what you’re thinking, son, and I admit that I’ve been a bastard most of my life, but it was always too much drink. I’m not saying I ain’t gonna snap and snarl sometimes. I’m trying to change, but it ain’t easy.’

‘I know just what you mean,’ Ted said. ‘The first time I met Mr Warrender, I tried to hit him.’

‘He’s the one adopted Queenie,’ Hilda told her husband, as Ted hadn’t mentioned any names when he’d been talking to his dad.

‘Ah, then in that case, Ted, you picked the wrong one. From what I saw of him, he can take care of himself. Tough-looking bloke, even if he is posh.’

‘I know, but he does have a gentler side. That’s obvious when you see him with Queenie, or Eleanor as he calls her. He thinks the world of her.’

‘That’s good to know.’ Fred squeezed his wife’s hand. ‘Looks like we did right by her after all. Now Ted’s come to see us, I’m starting a new job tomorrow, so this’ll be a new beginning for us.’

‘Yes, perhaps the tide’s turning for us at last.’

‘It’s doing that for all of us.’ Ted stood up. ‘I’m going to see the others now, and once they know what the trouble
really was all those years ago, they’ll understand, I’m sure, and want to come and see you. We shouldn’t have let this misunderstanding go on for so long. We are a family, and should have stuck together.’

He strode up the street, a smile on his face. The money was still on the table, so they would have to keep it now. He marvelled at the way things were turning out. When their little sister had gone, the family fell apart, but now that same little girl was healing the rift.

When Ellie and her father arrived back at the house for lunch, James was coming out of Nanny’s room.

‘What are you doing here?’ Ellie asked, delighted at this unexpected visit.

‘Is your mother with you?’ Albert asked, before James had had a chance to answer Ellie’s question.

‘No, sir. I was concerned when you left London so suddenly, and I’ve come to see if Ellie’s all right.’ James studied her beaming face. ‘But I can see she’s in the best of health.’

‘Give us a moment to change and then you must join us for lunch.’ Albert headed for the stairs, stopped, and looked back. ‘Are you staying overnight, James?’

‘No, sir, I’ll be returning to London this evening.’

‘You must bring your mother back for a visit. I’ll give you an invitation before you leave.’

‘Thank you, we’d like that.’ James watched Ellie’s father stride up the stairs, taking them two at a time, then he whispered, ‘What have you been up to, Ellie? Nanny said you were in disgrace, but wasn’t more forthcoming than that.’

‘I was, but Father has forgiven me now.’

James sighed deeply. ‘I’m almost afraid to ask, but will you tell me what you did?’

She explained as quickly as she could, anxious to change out of her riding clothes.

‘Oh, Ellie!’ James exploded. ‘Why on earth didn’t you come to me? I would have accompanied you. No wonder your father was furious.’

‘I just didn’t think.’

‘You never do. Your father and Mr Hargreaves must have been frantic with worry. I know I would have been.’

Ellie pursed her lips. ‘Would you?’

‘Of course, I’m just like everyone else who knows you. We care about you.’ James reached out and placed his hands on her shoulders. ‘I want you to promise that you’ll come to me if you have another crazy scheme like that one.’

‘I do want to go to Whitechapel again – with my father’s permission, of course,’ she added quickly. ‘But you wouldn’t want to come there with me.’

James looked offended. ‘What kind of a weakling do you think I am? You make sure you ask me, then you’ll see that I’m quite prepared to protect you wherever you go.’

‘All right, I will ask you.’ She gave him an impish smile, then ran up the stairs, calling out, ‘I don’t think you’re a weakling, just old-fashioned in your outlook. Whitechapel will shock you.’

She ran full pelt into Philip, making them grab hold of each other to remain upright.

‘Ellie!’

‘Sorry, Philip, I’m in a hurry to change for lunch.’

Disentangling himself from her, he groaned, ‘Do you ever do anything at a normal pace?’

‘This is my normal pace.’

‘Of course it is.’ He looked down the stairs. ‘Did I hear James’s voice?’

‘Yes, he’s joining us for lunch. Are you coming as well?’

‘I might as well. Mr Rogers has given me an hour and a half today.’

‘Good, I hardly see you these days. Are you really going to university?’

Philip nodded. ‘Next year.’

‘But you’ve always hated living away from home.’

‘I won’t mind so much now.’ He stood up straight. ‘I’ve grown up at last, with Mr Rogers’ help. He’s explained what it will be like, and he’s even going to take me to Oxford one day. That’s where he went, and it sounds like it might be fun.’

‘Eleanor, haven’t you changed yet?’ Her father came out of his room.

‘Sorry, Father, it won’t take me long. Philip’s going to join us as well.’ Then she was off again.

James listened to Ellie’s laughing voice and groaned inwardly. What the blazes was he doing? He hadn’t missed the gleam of speculation in her expressive eyes when he’d admitted he cared for her. It was true, of course, he had become much too fond of her. That boisterous, outgoing nature attracted and worried him in equal measure. And he had no intention of allowing himself to be drawn into her spell any more than he already was. His life had always
been controlled and orderly. The last thing he wanted was to have it turned upside down by Ellie, and she would, she just couldn’t help it. His plan had always been to marry well for land, and he wasn’t about to change his mind, even though she was the most appealing girl he had ever met.