The Innkeeper's Daughter (31 page)

Sarah turned the card over. ‘She says, “Dear Ma and everybody, I had this picture painted of me by a Frenchman that I know and he’s made copies for me to send out to theatre folk, so here’s one for you to put on ’mantelpiece and show off to your friends or customers. With love from your daughter Eleanor.” Well! Well I never. Who’d have thought it? Our Nell has done right well after all. I allus knew she would.’

Bella and Joe exchanged glances and smiled. They had both always thought that Nell would land on her feet, and yet you couldn’t read anything from a postcard that she’d paid for herself.

In that year Joe celebrated his twenty-first birthday and in October Bella became nineteen. They decided they would have a joint birthday party in the saloon on the Sunday, the day before Bella’s birthday. They invited Reuben, who had proved to be so helpful to them, and Sarah had tentatively suggested asking her brother Bart, but both Bella and Joe had objected, saying that he hadn’t been near them since the opening day.

‘We annoyed him, Ma, because we wouldn’t have any dog fights,’ Bella reminded her.

‘Ah, well,’ her mother said resignedly. ‘He doesn’t know either of you and doesn’t seem to want to, so it’s his loss.’

Their mother had bought Joe a pocket watch and chain and for Bella a gold necklace. ‘It’s real gold, Joe,’ Sarah said. ‘Reuben got it for me. And your necklace as well, Bella. I wouldn’t have known where to go to buy them.’

In addition, Reuben had given Joe a silk handkerchief and Bella a gold bracelet. ‘It is my pleasure,’ he said, when they were effusive in their thanks. ‘It’s my honour to know you both.’

Henry had painted them each a picture: for Joe a railway train, and for Bella a vase of spring flowers. Everyone was astonished at how good they were.

‘Such talent in one so young must be nurtured,’ Reuben pronounced as they sat down to eat, and Sarah said she was only sorry that Nell and William were not there to help them celebrate. Nothing had been heard from William, but Reuben said that as he was in the military he could be anywhere in Europe. ‘There is much unrest,’ he said, ‘in France, in Italy and particularly in Turkey and Russia.’

‘They’ll never send our William all that way to somebody else’s war, surely?’ Sarah argued. ‘What interest do we have wi’ them?’

‘Indeed.’ Reuben sighed resignedly. ‘What indeed!’

By the end of their first year at the Maritime in January 1853, Reuben said they had done very well, much better than expected for a first year of trading, and if they still wished to, they could consider the idea of expansion.

Sarah was unsure. ‘It’s going to cost,’ she said. ‘And there’ll be a lot more work.’

‘It won’t happen immediately, Ma,’ Bella said. ‘We’ll have to come to an agreement with ’brewery, although Mr Allen’s very keen. And we’ll take on extra staff. We can have more domestics and that’ll free up Alice to help in ’hotel. You’d prefer that, wouldn’t you, Alice? You could be head housekeeper and tell ’cleaners what’s required and make sure they do it properly.’

‘You’re still giving her a menial role though, aren’t you?’ Joe broke in. ‘Suppose Alice wants to do summat else?’

Bella put her hand to her mouth. Joe was right; she was assuming that Alice wanted to stay with them. ‘Alice, I’m so sorry,’ she floundered. ‘I shouldn’t have taken you for granted – it’s just that I think of you as family, and oh, I hope you don’t want to leave!’

‘Course I don’t want to leave,’ Alice said. ‘Why ever would you think that, Joe?’ She gazed at him. ‘You don’t want rid o’ me, do you?’

‘Don’t be daft, course I don’t.’ Joe’s face flushed up to his ears. ‘I was onny thinking that you should mek your own mind up as to what you want to do.’

‘Well, I do,’ she retaliated. ‘I mean I will. And I want to stop where I feel safe and comfortable – and happy,’ she added quietly.

‘That’s all right then,’ he muttered. ‘And you don’t want to go back to Holderness?’

Alice shrugged. ‘What’s there to go back to?’ The last time Joe had driven her to Holderness in the summer, she had found her mother bruised from a beating a drunken Isaac had given her for not having his dinner ready, and then when she served it up he hadn’t liked it and had thrown the basin of hot stew at her. Seth had muttered to Alice that he couldn’t stand it for much longer and if it happened again he’d kill his father.

But Joe had his reasons for asking. He had, only that week, had a note from Johnson to tell him that there was a board up in the Woodman yard saying the tenancy was vacant.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

JAMIE’S FRIEND HUNTER
had stayed on at their shared lodgings but was now working as an apprentice to a surgeon at Westminster Hospital in order to qualify as a surgeon apothecary. Jamie had been very unsettled since Hunter had left King’s College, and hearing his enthusiasm for working with patients was also thinking of changing his area of study. Although he found the research and analysing of medicine interesting, he was constantly frustrated by the fact that the newer medical reforms were not being put in place and many physicians still preferred to use the old ways rather than try the more radical ideas.

But it was also the knowledge that even after long years of study and qualification as a physician, he would only be able to advise patients, and not treat them, which is what he wanted to do, that baffled and discouraged him.

‘Come and join me,’ Hunter had suggested. ‘With your brain you’d have no difficulty in getting a place; great heavens, if they took me they’d jump at the chance of having you. And then, old chap, we could set up together just like we planned.’

Jamie was tempted, but with his customary caution had decided to discuss it with one of his tutors first.

It just so happened that this particular tutor was also frustrated, and as Jamie began to tell him of his doubts about his future career he interrupted him to say, ‘Let me tell you, Lucan, that I know exactly how you feel, and as a matter of
fact
I have also decided to move on. To France. They’re much more forward in their thinking than we are, and as my French is pretty good I’ve accepted a position in Paris where I can specialize. If you want to practise medicine rather than preach it you’ll take my advice and move over to the Royal College of Surgeons. They’ll take you, especially if I recommend you.’

He’d reached across his desk, drawn out a page of parchment and begun to write a letter of commendation whilst Jamie looked on in astonishment.

‘I’ve dated it for next week,’ he said, ‘so think about it and either send it or not, but I’ll have gone already as I’ve handed in my resignation. Pleaded ill health,’ he added jovially, ‘and said I needed to rest. Nobody’s going to argue with me over that, are they, Lucan?’

Jamie had agreed that nobody would, and after thinking it over and discussing it with Hunter he’d sent off the letter and been accepted. He decided not to tell his father in this instance as the timing of his medical education would be about the same; he had already had three years of study and would complete a further two to qualify for a licence as a surgeon apothecary.

It was in January 1853 that the rumours of trouble in Europe became the dominant talking point in the London colleges, and Jamie and Hunter joined in many of the discussions. They all had different opinions on Tsar Nicholas and his launch of a diplomatic offensive against the Turks.

‘Russia has been simmering over Turkish provinces for ten or fifteen years or more,’ said one student, by name of Pelham. ‘But they’ll be up against the rest of Europe if the Empire collapses. And mark my words,’ he added, ‘if that happens then Britain and France will be drawn in too.’

‘But that will mean war,’ Jamie said. ‘Surely no one wants that!’

‘I’m not so sure about that,’ Pelham, now fired up in his argument, shot back. ‘Look what happened last year when the French threatened bombardment of Tripoli. Just watch,’ he said. ‘The French are itching for another war.’

‘And all because of religion,’ Hunter said gloomily. ‘It always is.’

‘I want to talk to you both,’ Joe said to his mother and Bella about a week after he’d received Johnson’s note.

‘What about?’ Bella said. They’d had a very busy week in the Maritime and as this was Saturday night she was looking forward to a more restful day on Sunday. Her mother was sitting in the easy chair by the range, drinking a cup of cocoa. ‘I really want to go to bed.’

‘I need to talk to you tonight,’ he said. ‘It’s important.’ He glanced at Alice, who was washing up some dishes, and at his glance she put down the dish cloth and went out of the room.

‘Alice, you don’t have to—’ Bella began. ‘I’m sure it’s not anything private.’

‘Alice knows about it already,’ Joe explained. ‘She knows what I’m going to say.’

Bella raised her eyebrows and then gave a little smile. She’d noticed a few signs, a few secret glances between her brother and her friend, which were quite discernible to her.

‘It might be more than you think, Bella,’ Joe advised. ‘But it concerns Alice as well.’

‘Go on then,’ his mother said. ‘Get on with it and then we can all get off to bed.’

‘Woodman is to let and I’ve applied for ’tenancy,’ he said without further preamble. ‘I’m going to Holderness tomorrow to meet ’landlord’s representative.’

‘Oh, Joe!’ Bella exclaimed. ‘I can’t believe it. Not now!’

His mother looked at him as if she couldn’t find any words until she said, ‘Why? Why do you want to go back? And what about this place when we’ve worked so hard?’

‘I know, Ma, and I’m right sorry about that, but Bella’s a better landlord than I’ll ever be.’ He grinned. ‘Landlady, I mean. No, hotelier, that’s what she’ll be.’

‘But it’s not because of that, is it, Joe?’ Bella asked. ‘We’ve worked well together.’

‘Aye, we have, and you’ve got me out of a few scrapes.’ He
gazed
at her intently so that she would understand what he was saying without alerting their mother. ‘But I’m over that now and you’ll recall you said I would, when I found summat more important?’

Bella nodded. ‘Alice,’ she murmured.

‘Come on. Come on,’ Sarah demanded. ‘What ’you both muttering about? Let’s be having it, why do you want to go back? They say you should never go back.’

‘But you did, Ma,’ Joe reminded her. ‘It’s what you wanted to do and we came wi’ you. But now
I
want to go back. I’m not a town lad; I’m like a fish out o’ water here and if I get ’tenancy I’ll go back to Holderness and I’ll be tekkin’ Alice wi’ me.’ He reddened. ‘I’ve asked her to marry me an’ she said yes!’ He broke out into a grin. ‘What d’you think o’ that then?’

‘Well,’ his mother puffed. ‘I’m flabbergasted. Alice!’ she called. ‘I know you’re listening. Come in here this minute.’

Alice crept in from behind the door.

‘What do you mean by it?’ Sarah demanded. ‘Stealing my bairn from me!’

Alice looked from one to another, but she saw the half-smile on Bella’s face and the smirk on Joe’s and guessed that Sarah wasn’t angry, as she’d first thought.

‘I’m onny tekkin’ one bairn, Mrs Thorp,’ she told her. ‘You’ve still got four others so I’m sure you can spare Joe.’

‘But are you prepared for ’life he’s offering you?’ Sarah waved a finger for Alice to come nearer. ‘It’ll be hard work running an inn, and not much money to begin with. I know that better than most.’ Then her eyes became moist and she reached into her apron pocket for a handkerchief. ‘But,’ she wiped her eyes, ‘I have to say,’ she said in a choked voice, ‘I’d be pleased if it’s family that’s running ’Woodman again. An’ mebbe if you have some little ’uns they’ll carry on ’tradition of innkeeping. I made a mistake when I left it, I think.’ She glanced at Bella. ‘But, who knows what it might lead to? Our Bella’s blossomed since coming here, so mebbe it was for ’best after all.’

She took a deep breath and sat up straight in the chair.
‘We’d
better have a discussion tonight if you’re going off to Holderness in ’morning. So, Joe. What ’you going to do about money?’

Reuben Jacobs had sat in on several meetings whilst they discussed finances and the possibilities regarding the expansion of the Maritime. Bella had seen Justin Allen several times over the last few months and he was still very keen on the idea. He said he had talked it over with Mr Newby and he too was agreeable and they were willing to back the project.

‘It would be excellent if we could start immediately,’ he’d said, ‘as I’ve heard that we are to be honoured by a visit from Her Majesty next year and the town will be overflowing with visitors.’

But Bella had refused to be rushed and said she would talk to Reuben, who had explained to her that it must all be done legally and that she and Joe and her mother must have shares in the business in order to safeguard their interests.

‘But now we must have a change of plan,’ Reuben explained when he came a few mornings after Joe had dropped his bombshell. ‘If you wish to set up on your own in Holderness, Joe, I take it you would not wish to have any financial interest in the Maritime?’

‘Well, I don’t know if my application’s been successful yet,’ Joe said. ‘I should know by end of ’week whether or not I’ve got ’tenancy. But if I do get it, then no, I wouldn’t want any shares in ’Maritime. I daren’t even start planning in case I don’t get it, but thanks, Reuben, for offering to send a letter of recommendation. That was right good of you.’

Reuben demurred that it was nothing and Bella thought how kind he was and how supportive; he treated them almost as if they were his own family.

So Reuben suggested that as soon as Joe heard the outcome of his application, he would write to Newby and Allen with suggestions of terms for the allocation of shares in the proposed business of the Maritime Hotel. ‘They may be surprised by it,’ he explained, ‘but you must remember that at present
you
are tenants only and I shall insist that you have equal shares if you are to agree on going ahead with the proposal.’

‘Good idea,’ Joe chipped in. ‘And,’ he wagged a finger, ‘Allen seems very keen on our Bella and if by chance’ – he paused for effect – ‘if by chance he should ask for your hand, Bella, then he’d get your shares as well, mekkin’ him ’majority shareholder!’