Chapter 10

Jake sat for a few minutes after Hatherly had left wondering what he had meant by ‘recognition of your efforts’; surely ‘Moonfleet’ had been sufficient. Still, no point in worrying, and he realised he was worrying rather than speculating, about the future.

Maria O’Brien had returned to Dublin on ‘Moonfleet’ with samples of dresses and a draught of an agreement to discuss with her father. He felt sure that there was good business to be had there.

Turning his mind to other things, he wondered how Evie and Harriet were getting along. On this subject the answer came rather sooner than he expected when Dennis brought the latest post in to him and there was a letter addressed to him in Evie’s rounded and surprisingly good hand writing. Jake slit open the letter and began to read.

Evie was clearly enjoying her stay in Manchester, and equally clearly she was very taken with the business of dying and printing cloth. She was getting on well with Harriet as, again surprisingly, an equal partner in what they were doing, but although she spoke in glowing terms about Herbert and Bessie Graves, she omitted to say anything about Edmund and Stephen, with whom they must be working quite closely. Jake sat back to contemplate that omission.

A day earlier Bessie Graves had invited Evie into her private sitting room.

“Sit yourself down,” she instructed the somewhat apprehensive Evie. “You know when my husband received Mr White’s suggestion that you and Harriet come and study how the printing worked he wasn’t very keen on the idea. Despite working with me all these years he still has the usual feelings that men seem to have about women doing anything other than cooking and having babies. I persuaded him that it could be a good idea, and eventually he agreed. Now he thinks it was a wonderful idea, his of course, and he is delighted with both of you.

“The problem I have Evelyn is that you are something of an enigma. I had understood from Mr White that Harriet was the artist, and you were just the companion. But now Harriet is more the mechanic, and you are producing some very pretty designs. Add to that that the men and women who work for us seem to think you are something special, and several customers who have met you and seen your designs have been very impressed.”

Whilst all of that sounded good, Evie was on the edge of her chair waiting, though for what she wasn’t sure.

“Now, all of that is bye the bye and all well and good,” went on Mrs Graves, “but my son Stephen has spoken of you in such a way that I have little doubt he has far more interest in you than he has shown in any of the many girls we have introduced him to. So I want to know more about you.”

“I honestly haven’t encouraged him in any way, Mrs Graves,” Evie began. “I know I’m not worthy of him, and Mr Jake instructed me that I was only to look out for Harriet because sometimes her single-mindedness can get her into compromising situations. I promised her mama too. I, I, I’m just a maid really.”

“If there is one thing I can say about you, Evie,” said Mrs Graves, “it is that you are not ‘just a maid’. I was a maid myself before I married Herbert, so you may take it that I know all about that situation, and I have no problem with that. How do you feel about Stephen?”

“I really think I should go,” said Evie. “It’s not just that I have failed Mr Jake, but Mrs Wills, too, because Harriet has confided that she is much taken with Mr Edmund.”

A tear trickled down Evie’s cheek as she stood.

Mrs Graves smiled. “Sit down girl, you’re not going anywhere. Yes, I had already noticed Edmund and Harriet. A match made in heaven I think, although whether they would ever stop talking about work long enough to give me grandchildren is something we shall have to wait and see. But, my concern is with you and Stephen. Will you answer my question?”

“I am in love with him,” Evie admitted. She paused. “As to the other things. When I was first introduced to Harriet she showed me her work, she talks of little else as you know, and I was fascinated, and then when I picked up a pencil it just seemed to come naturally, I don’t know where from. I learnt to read and write, but I’ve never drawn anything before. I’ve been a maid in the Underwood’s house since I started work. The daughters, Caroline and Victoria were almost like younger sisters, they are different to most rich girls, they don’t look down on servants. As to people, well, I like people, so I talk to them. And I learnt from, Caroline and Victoria. They talk to Ladies and the women round the docks. They say they’re all sisters under the skin, and really it’s only clothes that make the difference. Well, I’ve made a mess of things haven’t I? It isn’t just the clothes is it?”

“Not at all, you haven’t made a mess of anything. And it isn’t just the clothes, although they do help. You may need a bit more practice, but I think I you’ll be alright. Now, I think it is best not to mention this when you write to Mr White, and then in a week or two we’ll go to Bristol, the three of us, and I’ll talk to him and to Mrs Wills. I shall look forward to meeting with Caroline and Victoria. In the mean time you should get to know Stephen better. But behave yourself, you understand? Don’t just act like a lady, be one.”

“Yes,” said Evie, with a big smile. “I will, and thank you.”

Jake put the letter down and contemplated his next move. His mind moved to Mr Wills, wondering how he was. Although Gina was still living with them he hadn’t seen her for several days and he decided to go to the shop and see if she had any up to date information. She, or should that be he, on the surface so very female, underneath all male. It did seem confusing.

After a short walk Jake arrived at the shop to find two assistants busy with customers and a third, Becky, Jake remembered, tidying dresses on the racks. She came over to him and told him that Victoria was at the workshop, and he assumed that the twins, Siobhan and Roisin were there with their mother too. Gina, she said, was upstairs in her studio.

The building had four floors plus an attic floor in the roof, which had been used as staff quarters by the previous business that had occupied the premises. The fashion business was now occupying the ground and first floors, the second was where the fashion show had taken place, and Gina’s studio was on the third floor. Jake was musing whilst he climbed the admittedly very easy stairs that some of their clientele, the older and sometimes rather overweight ladies, would appreciate a lift. He had heard that a safety elevator had been demonstrated in America, with some regret he couldn’t recall the name of the inventor, but he thought that that would be good if it was applied to the steam and hydraulic lifts that already existed in London. Would one fit into the centre of the stair well? It was something for the future he decided as he reached the third floor.

Gina was in her darkroom where Jake could hear her humming as she worked. She had obviously heard him arrive and called out.

“Hi Jake, I’ll be out in a couple of minutes.”

“How did you know...”

She giggled.

“Sound of your boots, you’re the only man who comes up here.”

Which was an interesting comment, Jake thought. Whilst he was waiting he started to look through a pile of completed photographs showing the various dresses they made modelled by some of the shop girls, the twins, and of course Victoria. Jake appreciated both the dresses which came out very well, and of course the pretty women who wore them. They were all posed standing in front of some carefully draped light coloured material and obviously carefully lit to get the best effect on the dresses. He moved to a second pile and picked up the top picture. This was somewhat different. Rather than the model, in this case Becky, standing in front of the drapes, she was reclining on a chaise longue, a curious piece of furniture Jake thought, really a couch with one arm missing, which had been placed in front of the drapes. In all the previous pictures the models had been straight faced, but here she was smiling, rather invitingly, the effect seemed to have a certain sexual connotation. As he picked up the next picture Gina came out of the darkroom.

“Oh no!” she exclaimed.

Jake immediately understood why. In this picture Becky was in little more than thin shift. He moved his gaze onto the next picture, with Gina standing, apparently holding her breath, time seeming to stand still. Jake picked it up. The girl in the picture was quite naked, sitting on the chaise longue with one arm along the back and the other resting on the seat, her legs stretched out along the seat. Standing behind was a fully clothed Gina looking unsmilingly at the camera. To Jake the picture was the most shocking thing he had ever seen, not least because the reclining girl was Victoria. It was the picture that would inspire a rather infamous painting following Victoria and Gina’s Parisian exploits a year or two later.

“Th, th, they’re n, not in order,” said a red faced Gina.

Jake turned to her.

“You mean there’s more?”

“Yes.”

“How do you get the girls to ... pose?”

“It seems to be easy. I’m not absolutely sure, it could be the camera, or maybe they don’t see me as a threat. Once Becky got the idea I could hardly get her to keep anything on. Mind she is rather nice isn’t she?”

Gina had seen that Jake had moved on to the next photograph which was Becky in her voluptuous altogether.

“Yes indeed, very umm ... nice, yes. You seem to have a well developed appreciation of the female figure.”

“I told you before, I like women. I may love to dress like this, I don’t know why, but it seems to help me be, well, myself. Anyway, Victoria is my ideal, but she did take a bit more work than Becky, but she was still happy enough to pose.”

Jake shuffled through another couple of shots.

“What the devil! This is Millie!”

“Yes, what an advertisement for motherhood, glowing sexiness, no doubt that I’m not holding out...”

“George! Stop! How... ?

“She overheard Victoria and I talking and she asked. It’s you she’s looking like that for, not me. Victoria seemed to think it was a wonderful idea.”

“Are you talking about me?” asked the lady in question, having arrived unnoticed whilst Gina and Jake were engrossed.

“No,” said Jake. “We were looking at you. In pictures.”

“Oh!” said Victoria with her gloved hand covering her mouth and blushing deeply.

“Shame Gina can’t capture colour, Victoria, that blush must go all over. What I actually came here for was to see if Gina knew any more about her father’s condition.”

“Oh!” said Gina. “I haven’t heard anything today. Mama is back as you probably know, she brought one of my aunts with her. But I have had no news today, no.”

“Ah yes, I’ve met your aunts, they’re attractive ladies,” Jake looked at Gina with an eyebrow raised in question.

“Yes,” Gina replied with a thoughtful smile. “Might be interesting.”

“Just as an experiment, you understand,” said Jake.

“Men!” an exasperated comment exploded from Victoria as she realised what they were talking about. “Don’t you ever think of anything else?”

Jake and Gina grinned at each other.

Jake decided that he’d better go and see Annabelle Wills himself, he did feel some responsibility for her two younger children making a break for freedom, although in George’s case he couldn’t possibly have foreseen the outcome. He took a cab to the house where the door was answered by a maid.

“I’ve been told that Mrs Wills isn’t home to anyone, but I’ll check if she will see you Mr White.”

That was a bit odd, thought Jake as he awaited her return.

A few minutes later he was ushered into the darkened parlour where there were two ladies waiting for him.

“Mr White,” Mrs Wills greeted Jake. “My sister, Louisa Smith,”she indicated the other woman. But you’ve already met.”

“Only in passing,” said Jake, inclining his head and smiling at Louisa Smith. “But it is a pleasure.”

“Mr White,” Mrs Wills went on, “I’m sorry, but my husband passed away early this morning.”

“I’m very sorry to hear that. I shouldn’t be here at this time” said Jake.

“Thank you. But I wanted ... no I need to talk to you.”

Mrs Smith rose. “I’ll go and organise some coffee,” she said, diplomatically.

“Have you heard from Harriet?” asked Jake.

“I did have a letter from her, but it was typical Harriet and told me little other than things about what she is doing that I didn’t understand anyway. I must write and tell her...” she trailed off. “You seem, Mr White, to have taken a fatherly interest in my two youngest children. More than my husband ever did. He took William and Henry to his heart and has trained them to run the business. But the younger two ... Mr White, I need help with them. This must go no further, but my husband was not their father. I will go no further. Mr Wills didn’t know, at least I don’t think so. But after George’s outburst, telling him that he wasn’t their father, I think he put two and two together and decided to change his will. Harriet and George are disinherited, and I ... am allowed to stay here at my sons’ whim, and they have already told me that if I continue to associate with that ‘disgusting creature’ then I have to go.”

She smiled thinly.

“So I’ll have to find somewhere else. I feel able to disown people who think like they do, but I’m not abandoning my son. Or is that new daughter?” she laughed. “Whatever. I shall move to London initially, to be with my sisters, but will you ... can you, I’m not sure what I am asking, but keep an eye on Harriet and George?”

“I don’t see a problem there, I think I’ve already taken on the job,” said Jake with a smile. “But what will you do? Will you be alright?”

“I have no means of my own. I suppose I’ll have to find work, although I’ve no idea what I can do. But one thing I do know. I’ll leave here after the funeral and I’ll leave the widow’s black behind me. Damned if I won’t!”

“I think you need a lawyer, and you’ll find the best in London. I don’t know, but I’d think you might be able to force them to settle something on you.”

Louisa came back into the room followed by a maid with a tray of coffee.

“All sorted?” she asked.

“Yes, Mr White has very generously agreed to look after Harriet and Gina ... George. Oh, you know what I mean.”

“Yes, I know, although I haven’t met Gina face to face yet. I remember her from the fashion show but ... Good,” said Louisa. “Now, I’ll need another black dress for the funeral, so I’ll have to go to Victoria’s Secrets anyway.”

“I’m sure that we’ll have something for you,” said Jake. “And I’m sure Gina would be delighted to see you,” he remembered their earlier conversation.

Jake returned to Victoria’s Secrets to convey the news to Gina. As he went through the shop on his way up to Gina’s studio he waved to Victoria and indicated that she should join him. Gina’s reaction to the news was one of horror.

“I will be blamed for his death now,” she exclaimed.

Victoria took her in her arms and hugged her for a few moments until she calmed down. They sat her down on the chaise longue and Jake explained to her what her mother had asked him to do. He, of course, omitted any reference to the fact that her husband was not the two younger siblings father.

She sat there in thought for a minute or two, and then looked up and smiled.

“I can set up in business taking people’s portraits, families, brides, and that sort of thing. I’m sure people would pay for that. That would at least relieve you of the need to support me. What do you think?”

“That’s a great idea,” said Jake. “But fully dressed. Those other pictures are excellent, but would be frowned upon by many people. In fact I think that selling them would be illegal, although taking them probably isn’t. Victoria?”

“I agree,” replied Victoria, “and she can keep doing the work for us too.”

Jake returned to his office and wrote a letter to Evie and one to Herbert Graves to tell them of the situation in Bristol. Mrs Wills had written to Harriet.

Five days later a hastily arranged trip saw Bessie Graves, Harriet and Evie arrive in Bristol in answer to the news of the death of Mr Wills. Harriet left them to go and see her mother, whilst Mrs Graves took Evie to the Grand hotel. Mrs Graves took a suite for the two of them and once they were settled headed for the dining room. To say the Evie was a little apprehensive would be something of an understatement, but Mrs Graves insisted. It was, she told Evie, no more than would be expected of her so she should get used to it. Evie enjoyed the older woman’s company and with an effort relaxed and allowed her to take charge.

Over the meal they discussed their plans.

“Tomorrow morning I must go and see Jake,” said Evie.

“Do you want me to come with you?” asked Mrs Graves.

“No, that’s very kind of you, but I feel I must explain to him myself,” Evie told her.

“That’s very brave of you my dear. I shall go and see Mrs Wills, and then I think a trip to Victoria’s Secrets would be in order. If you meet me there then we can have lunch together.”

And so the following morning found Evie being conducted up the stairs to Jake’s office by Dennis.

Dennis knocked, opened the door and announced, “Miss Evelyn Rockett to see you sir,” he grinned at Evie and left.

“Evie,” said Jake, rising from behind his desk. “It’s good to see you,” he said giving her a hug then stood back looking at her. “D’you know I think you’ve lost a little weight.”

“It’s having to eat like a lady,” replied Evie, “you can’t eat enough to keep a bird alive in these damned corsets, and Stephen likes...”

“Ah! Now what does Stephen like?” asked Jake. “There was nothing about either him or Edmund in your last letter, so I expect there’s something to be told. Here, sit yourself down and tell me all about it.” he continued as he realised that Evie had tears in her eyes.

“I’ve let you down,” she sniffed. “And Mrs Wills too. I really didn’t mean to, it just happened, and you can’t control Harriet, she just gets an idea and off she goes.”

“You’d better explain,” jake told her.

“I, I’ve fallen in love with Stephen.”

“And does he return your love?”

“Oh, yes, he’s asked me to marry him.”

“Do his parents know about this?” asked Jake.

Evie nodded, “Oh yes, we get on very well, and his mama is lovely. We’re staying at the Grand Hotel.”

“Well that’s all right then,” said Jake.

“But you told me to behave myself,” pleaded Evie.

“And did you?”

“Yes, of course.” Evie stiffened. “I’ve acted like a lady all the time.”

“Evie, I didn’t tell you not to fall in love,” said Jake. “I told you not to act like a ... well, you know. So you haven’t let me down at all. And I am guessing that Harriet has formed an attachment with Edmund.”

“Yes, they’re inseparable. So you see I’ve...”

“No, you haven’t let Mrs Wills down either. Harriet would be difficult to find a husband for, and you’ve found a very suitable one. I don’t think she’ll be unhappy about that.”

Evie grinned. “Difficult? I’ll say. She talks about nothing but work and so does he, Mrs Graves wonders if they’ll ever stop to provide her with grandchildren.”

There were footsteps on the stairs and Caroline came into Jake’s office, timely as ever. She gave Evie a hug.

“My,” she exclaimed, “but you do look good in that dress. I didn’t see you before you left, are you back for good?”

To an extent there was in Caroline’s mind a worry about Evie’s future. Jake had elevated her above her previous station as a maid, and now, well, she looked, and was acting like, a lady.

“Evie has had a proposal of marriage from Stephen Graves,” said Jake.

“What?” said a surprised Caroline. “But that’s wonderful,” she looked at Jake, “isn’t it?”

Jake grinned. “Of course it is. It does mean we’ll lose her though. Mind you, nights’ll be quieter.”

Both women hit Jake at the same time.

“Come into my office and you can tell me all about it Evie,” said Caroline. “We’ll leave this oaf to do some work.”

Evie arrived at Victoria’s Secrets to be greeted enthusiastically by Victoria.

“Come up to the studio and tell me what you’ve been doing. There’s only Gina up there and and we can make tea.”

“How are you getting on with Gina,” Evie asked as they went up the stairs.

“Oh, umm ... well...”

Evie giggled. “That well! Must be a bit strange. Does Jake know?”

“I think he suspects something,” replied Victoria. “And you’re right, it is a bit strange. But he does have a very nice ... and no, I’m not going to share with you!”

“I should think not,” said Evie. “I’m betrothed to Stephen Graves.”

“You’re not!”

“Yes I am, and I’m staying at the Grand with my future mother-in-law. Actually she’ll be here shortly, wants some new dresses I think.”

“Oh Evie, that’s wonderful, it’s no wonder you’re looking quite the lady. Lost a little weight too, I fancy.”

“You’re not the first to remark on that. Mind you these corsets don’t help a girl, other than make her look thinner anyway.”

“And help your deportment too. Well I’m glad. You’ve always been a good friend to us, so it’s nice to see you going up in the world.”

Gina greeted them as they entered the studio. “Hello. Have you come for a portrait?”

“Gina, this is Evie, she has been companion to Harriet whilst she’s been away,” said Victoria.

“Good heavens, so it is! Well, you do look good. That’s one of our Spring line dresses isn’t it? I really must take a picture of it, it looks so good on you.”

Evie found herself directed to stand in front of the draped material whilst Gina put a plate into the camera. Evie posed, there were flashes of light and then Victoria had her sitting on the chaise waiting for the result.

“Oh my,” said Gina as she came out of the darkroom. “The camera really loves you! Look!”

Gina handed them the photograph and waited for their reaction.

“A little overdressed?” she said looking at Victoria.

Victoria laughed. “I think you’re right. Perhaps...”

At that moment Becky came in. “Miss Victoria, there’s a Mrs Graves downstairs asking for you and Miss Evelyn.”

Victoria grinned at Gina. “Saved for now,” she said.

“Saved for what?” asked Evie.

“‘Til tomorrow,” Victoria replied enigmatically.

Evie and her future mother-in-law had fun looking at dresses and trying on several. Mrs Graves had a matronly figure and was surprised that there were dresses that would fit her, albeit with some minor alterations.