The Innkeeper's Daughter (23 page)

‘Too late now, Ma.’ Bella wiped away the tears that ran down her cheeks. ‘Die is cast.’

‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Nell said from the back of the cart where she sat amongst the bundles of bedding with Henry on her knee.

‘It means that there’s no going back, that ’dice has been thrown.’

‘Good,’ Nell muttered. ‘I shan’t want to go back. I’m looking forward to doing summat else and it won’t be throwing dice.’ She began humming a tune. ‘As soon as we get there I’m going to call at some of ’theatres and see if—’

‘You’ll do no such thing.’ Sarah suddenly asserted herself. ‘You’ll help to get things up and running, miss. Don’t think that ’rest of us are going to be doing everything and that you’re doing nowt. Besides, you’re too young for ’stage. Your father’ll be turning in his grave.’

‘But, Ma!’

‘Ma nothing,’ her mother said sharply. ‘You’ll do as I say and work for your living like ’rest of us do.’

Nell was silenced, but Bella was sure that her sister would be scheming over some plan to do what she really wanted. Nell was much more grown up, more sure of herself, than she had ever been. She’ll get her own way, eventually, Bella thought. Ma will give in to her demands.

When they arrived at the Maritime, the brewery had made some effort to clean it up. The alleyway had been cleared of rubbish and the inside had been cleaned and the walls whitewashed. Carter was there, and even he had benefited from a bath and a haircut. He told them that he had supervised the men in their tasks; they weren’t sure whether to believe him until he took them on a tour of the building.

‘Is this it?’ Sarah demanded. ‘I can’t believe that Bart would say that this was a good place. It’s a mess! What have I done?’ She began to weep. ‘Whatever would your father think? He allus thought I was a sensible woman.’ She took a sobbing breath. ‘And clearly I’m not. I’ve ruined us all!’

‘It’ll be all right, Ma,’ Bella comforted her. ‘We’ll soon get it looking something like.’

‘Course we will.’ Joe joined in. ‘Soon have it lookin’ shipshape so that it matches its name.’

Alice had bent down into a corner. ‘Floor’ll need another scrub,’ she said. ‘It’s not been cleaned very well.’ She looked accusingly at Carter. ‘There’re feathers down here and summat a bit grimy.’ She pulled a face. ‘It needs carbolic, soft soap and some elbow grease.’

‘Ah well,’ Carter said. ‘They used to hold cock fights here, dog fights an’ all. Place was shut down a few times when authorities got wind of ’em.’

Bella groaned. ‘No wonder that ’brewery wanted somebody to tek it on. Did you get ’tenancy cheap, Ma?’

Sarah nodded. It was as if she had had all the stuffing knocked out of her, just as she had when Joseph had died.

‘Right.’ Bella made a decision, mentally rolling up her sleeves. ‘Let’s get ’furniture inside. We’ll put it all in one room until we get ’place cleaned out and whitewashed again. Let’s start upstairs and then we can get ’beds moved in. Alice, will you—’

‘I’ll do owt you want,’ Alice said. ‘Shall me and Nell go upstairs and brush cobwebs off ’ceilings and wash ’windows?’ She seemed eager and willing and Bella felt a huge relief that she had come with them. They hadn’t spoken of wages; Alice said she would be satisfied with bed and board in return for being somewhere she was appreciated and felt safe, and if in time she received a wage she would send some of it home to her mother.

‘Carter!’ Bella said. ‘If you want a job then you can start by helping my brother bring ’furniture inside. We can’t pay
you
until we’re open for business, but we’ll feed you. But we’ll expect you to pull your weight, otherwise you’ll leave.’

Carter bit on his lip and then nodded. ‘I need a chance,’ he said. ‘You’ll have gathered I’m a bit of a drunk, but I’m honest except when I’m in drink and then I’d do owt to pay for a glass of ale.’

Bella glanced at Joe, who averted his eyes. Then she said to Carter, ‘This might not be ’right sort of place for you then. There’s a good deal of temptation working in a hostelry.’

‘I know, miss, but I’ll do me best an’ I won’t hold it against you if I relapse and you give me ’sack.’

‘Which we will.’ Bella was careful to say
we
and not
I
. I mustn’t forget, she told herself, that Ma is the innkeeper and not me.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

IT WAS JUST
over a week later that the rest of their belongings, which Joe had collected from the Woodman, were carried down the alleyway of the Maritime. Bella stood outside keeping a watch on the waggon and looked up at the front of the building, wondering why it was that only a side entrance was in use, which was most inconvenient. She narrowed her eyes. There were windows right at the very top, just under the eaves in the front bedrooms and also in the roof space, in a long room similar to the one they had had in the Woodman where the farm labourers had lodged. As her eyes swept down the walls she saw the outlines of the bricked-up windows, just as Carter had said. And a bricked-up door, and to the right of that on the footpath were the trap doors leading to a coal cellar and a beer cellar, the inside entrance to which they had yet to find.

‘Joe,’ she called down the alleyway. ‘Joe, come here a minute. I want to show you something.’

He came back, dusting his hands on his trousers. ‘What?’

‘Look at ’windows.’ She pointed. ‘Do you think ’brewery would let us open them up? And see, ’front door’s been bricked up as well. Why do you think that was done? Doesn’t make sense.’

‘Because.’ A voice came from behind them and they turned to see Reuben Jacobs smiling at them. He put his finger to his top hat in greeting. ‘I told you, I think, that it was not a
gut
place!’

‘Hello! How nice to see you again,’ Bella said enthusiastically. ‘So, do you know why, Mr Jacobs? It seems a very odd thing to do.’

He nodded. ‘Well, it is a very old building and one would think that the obvious reason would be because of the window tax.’

‘Oh, of course,’ Bella said. ‘I’d forgotten about that.’

‘It was put on buildings with more than ten windows. Nobody liked paying it; they said they were being robbed of light and air.’

‘Daylight robbery!’ Joe said. ‘That’s what they called it.’

‘
Ja
.’ Reuben Jacobs smiled. ‘That’s why people bricked up some of their windows, to avoid paying the tax. But these windows were bricked up only ten or so years ago, so perhaps that was not the reason. More likely I think because of the cock fighting.’

‘Carter told us about that,’ Joe said. ‘Dog fighting too.’

‘By bricking up the windows and door,’ Jacobs went on, ‘these illicit goings-on were, how do you say, out of sight and out of mind, and I am inclined to think that the authorities did not look too closely. The inn continued to sell alcohol during the day, but at night time they would have made money out of the fights, and I mean knuckle fighting also, more than they would from alcohol.’

‘Oh dear,’ Bella said bleakly. ‘It gets worse and worse. It’ll take a long time to be rid of such a reputation and make this an honest business with a good name.’

‘I think not too long,’ Mr Jacobs said. ‘For a start you could open up the windows again – you know, do you not, that the tax on windows has been abolished only this year?’

‘No.’ Bella shook her head. ‘I didn’t know that.’

‘Well, it has, and perhaps you could ask the brewery to help you with the cost?’

‘Oh, Mr Jacobs, you are so good to us,’ Bella said. ‘Would you like to come inside and meet our mother?’

‘I would,’ he said courteously. ‘It would be a great pleasure.’

Sarah was unpacking a crate of glasses. ‘I don’t know where
to
put all this lot,’ she began as they went into the room which would eventually be the kitchen. ‘Joe, you’ll have to put up more shelves and cupboards.’

‘Ma,’ Bella said. ‘This is Mr Jacobs. Do you remember I told you about him?’

Sarah turned in surprise. Mr Jacobs took off his hat and putting his hand to his chest gave her a gallant bow.

‘Delighted to make your acquaintance, madam,’ he said. ‘It has been my pleasure to encounter your son and daughter and it is most agreeable to meet their mother.’

Sarah dipped her knee. ‘Pleased to meet you too, sir. Bella told me of ’help you gave them on their first visit. You must think me very foolish to tek on such a place without coming to see it first.’ She furrowed her forehead anxiously as she spoke. ‘I don’t know what ever got into me.’

‘I fear you were misled, madam,’ Reuben replied gravely. ‘But you are wiser today than you were yesterday, and so all is not lost. This dwelling could once more become a place of good repute.’

‘I’m glad to hear you say so,’ Sarah said. ‘But I’m sure I don’t know where to start.’

‘Perhaps you would allow me to help you?’ he said. ‘I am retired now from business and I have free time on my hands.’

‘Well,’ Sarah began, uncertainty clouding her voice, but Bella interrupted.

‘That’d be very kind of you, Mr Jacobs. We would appreciate it, if it’s not too much trouble to you. Do you think we should ask ’brewery about ’windows and door as you suggested?’

‘Indeed,
ja
. It is very remiss of them to charge you rent for a building without a front door or windows. How would you get out if there should be a fire?’

Bella gasped and stared at him. ‘I don’t know!’

‘Perhaps you would permit me to come with you when you visit the brewers?’

‘Oh, please!’ Bella said before her mother or Joe could intervene. ‘I’ll write straight away and ask for an appointment.’

Newby and Allen, brewers and maltsters of Hull, owned several beer, ale, and public houses as well as the Maritime. Their premises were situated in a growing industrial area of Wincolmlee, close by the River Hull. Mr Jacobs had hired a cab to take them, saying he couldn’t possibly walk so far.

The building was in the middle of a complex which smelled sweetly and strongly of warm malt and roasted barley. Bella, her mother and Reuben Jacobs climbed the stairs to the upstairs office to meet one of the directors, Mr Herbert Newby.

Bella had insisted that her mother should come with them, even though she didn’t want to. ‘They’ll see I’m not old enough to be in charge, Ma. You’re the innkeeper, it’s you that’s been granted ’licence. You don’t have to say anything; I’ll say you’ve lost your voice if you like.’

Reuben Jacobs smiled. ‘Dear lady,’ he said to Sarah, ‘please don’t trouble yourself too much. They will be happy that you are willing to take on this disused property and make them some money.’

Sarah no longer dressed in her mourning clothes, but as a mature widowed woman she preferred to wear dark grey, and this she wore today with a large wool shawl which came almost to the top of her boots, and a grey and black bonnet. Bella, after much deliberation, and as she expected to be the spokesperson, was also dressed soberly in a light grey skirt and bodice, except that she wore several stiffened underskirts, and a warm paisley shawl. On her head she wore the only good bonnet she possessed, in light grey and white pleated poplin, which fastened beneath her chin with blue ribbon.

Joe had said that he didn’t want to come with them but whilst they were out would buy some wood to make shelves for the kitchen. Alice said she and Nell would continue with the cleaning while keeping an eye on Henry.

‘We’d best not do anything yet with ’front taproom,’ Bella said to them both before she left for the meeting. ‘If ’brewers say we can put ’windows back there’s going to be a lot of dust
and
debris.’ She was delighted that Joe was knuckling down to get the place tidy without any haranguing from her or her mother, and because they hadn’t yet had delivery of beer or spirits he hadn’t had a drink either.

Mr Newby rose from his desk when they were shown into his office and Bella and her mother both dipped a knee. He greeted them and asked them to take a seat, and then expressed surprise at seeing Reuben Jacobs.

He held out his hand. ‘Jacobs! I didn’t expect to see you. Do you have an interest in the venture of …’ he looked down at the notepaper on his desk, ‘of Mrs Thorp?’

Jacobs inclined his head. ‘In a manner of speaking, yes, I do. I shall be pleased to give Mrs Thorp the benefit of legal advice should she wish to take it.’

Legal advice, Bella thought, and although her face remained impassive a tremor of anxiety ran through her. He didn’t say he was a lawyer. What fee will he charge and will we be able to afford it?

Mr Newby also looked concerned. ‘Legal advice? With regard to—’

Mr Jacobs indicated to Sarah and Bella that they should explain the reasoning behind their visit and sat down in a chair slightly behind Sarah.

‘Fact is, Mr Newby,’ Bella spoke up, ‘it’s come to our attention that dog fights and cock fights have taken place at ’Maritime, and it’s our concern that ’place has probably gained a shady reputation.’ She took a breath as she saw Newby open his mouth to reply and quickly resumed. ‘My mother is very uneasy about this, as our family have always kept a respectable house.’

Newby glanced at Sarah, who nodded vehemently. Bella went on to mention the bricked-up windows and door and added that although the brewery had said they would pay something towards the cleaning up of the Maritime, they would like to open up the windows and front door and thus invite a different kind of customer from the previous clientele.

Jacobs leaned forward and said confidentially, ‘I think you
have
an opportunity here, Newby, to make this into a profitable concern, given the enthusiasm of the family, especially Miss Thorp and her brother.’

Newby began to bluster that the dog fights were done with long ago, until Sarah found her voice to interrupt him and say, ‘I think you’ll find, sir, that some folk have long memories and decent people won’t come into a hostelry with an unsavoury past unless they can see that it’s changed.’

‘So what is it that you suggest?’ Newby sat back in his chair and folded his hands across his ample stomach.

Bella spoke up. ‘We’ll see to knocking out ’bricked-up windows and ’front door if ’brewery will pay for replacing them. Might I ask, sir, how long it is since you visited ’Maritime?’