Chapter 41

Edited by Old Rotorhead

The report in the Mercury of Angelica’s escape from the brothel was sensational to say the least. The heroine, as the paper termed her, was as yet, unnamed, but Angelica was only too well aware that it was only a matter of a day or two before someone told them who she was. She wasn’t looking forward to that. First things first, she decided to replace her revolver.

“Miss Grey,” the gunsmith greeted her. “Always a pleasure to see you. How may I help.”

Angelica explained that she had lost her gun and needed a replacement. She also felt that it would be a good idea if she had one of those pistols that would go in her boot top.

“Lost, you say. You really need to be careful. But a Derringer, Miss Grey. Not a problem,” He looked at her. “It’s a bad time for us all,” he went on. “I read the report in the Mercury about that poor girl,” he shook his head.

Angelica coloured.

“Oh...” said the gunsmith in realisation.

“Oh, indeed,” said Angelica. “It’s only a matter of time before everyone knows, and then my reputation will be ruined.”

“Surely not, Miss Grey. The report was glowing in praise of ... the young lady.”

“Nevertheless, Mr Adams, tongues will wag, and I shall be classed as no better than the rest of the girls who were there.”

“I do hope not, Miss Grey. I shall never think badly of you.”

No, thought Angelica, but like everyone else you will wonder.

They went on to conclude their business to Angelica’s satisfaction.

Chrissie, tears running down her cheeks, stood holding on to Rose, who was just white with shock, whilst Jackson the butler stood over Lord Totterdown waiting for the doctor. It was a matter of some fifteen minutes before the doctor arrived during which time Chrissie mentally reviewed her wardrobe to see if she had something suitable for expectant ladies who were in mourning. The answer was no. It was, she thought, rather a waste to buy a new dress, not that money was a problem, and of course she knew she would look good in black. So, in the morning she would have to send to Victoria and ask if Josephine and Myfanwy could visit. Not that necessary, because they had all her measurements. But perhaps they could provide her with some comfort. Of course, she was holding on to Rose at the moment, and she wondered whether ... hmm ... she’d have to see. She’d allowed her to undress her for ten pounds, a lot of money, but...

“I’m afraid he is dead.” the doctor confirmed the obvious. “I dare say there’ll have to be an inquest. I knew his heart wasn’t good ... what happened m’lady?”

“He was furious with her when he came in,” Jackson could contain himself no longer. “The little bitch really upset him.”

If the doctor thought this outburst odd, he said nothing.

“He was in a terrible mood; he was upset with me,” said Chrissie confirmed with a sniff. “I thought if we danced for him he’d calm down. It was what he enjoyed, and I thought, well, I can’t do it so well now, so I called Rose. I thought that would help ... and it did, he did calm down, and then he just suddenly sort of collapsed.”

A week later in a full virtually shapeless black outfit with hat and heavy veil she told the same story, which was, after all, more or less the truth, to the coroner. At Victoria’s suggestion the outfit did not make her look too attractive, rather the opposite. It was best, Victoria recommended, to look like someone who didn’t really care what they looked like. She was visibly upset, and gave her story, with breaks to sob holding a handkerchief to her eyes nose. But this wasn’t until after Jackson had condemned her as a murderess in an outburst that forced the coroner to have him ejected from the court and apologise to Chrissie. The doctor had given his evidence that Lord Totterdown had had a weak heart and that he was unsurprised that this had happened. The coroner expressed his deep sympathy for Chrissie and announced death by natural causes.

By the time Chrissie arrived home Jackson had packed his bags and left. It saved her the bother of firing him. Perhaps, she thought, she could manage with just a housekeeper. However, before that there was the matter of the funeral and the reading of the will, and she had no idea what that would say. But before that baby Totterdown decided it had had enough and made a very noisy entrance.

The morning after the piracy attempt it was decided that Farquarson should be buried at sea. One of the crew who acted as sailmaker, sewed the corpse into a canvas bag with some chain for weight. When all was ready the ship heaved to, and Fitz read the ceremony before the body was slid over the side. The entry in the log showed that Farquarson had been killed during the attempted take-over of the ship by pirates. This was the truth if not in detail. Mrs Farquarson and Emily seemed happy with the outcome. He had not been popular with his ladies.

It took another two days before they could turn onto a westerly course for the southernmost point of Ceylon, from where they would take a more northerly course for Bombay, a passage of just under two weeks. Alice and Emily thoroughly enjoyed themselves going through the dresses that had been Amanda’s, and by the time they reached Bombay with a little stitching they were both in possession of a reasonable wardrobe. They had relatives in Bombay and would leave the ship there. All the injuries sustained in the fight with the pirates were now either healed, or in the case of the badly injured sailor, Williams, were well on the mend.

Bombay was totally different. The heat, the smell, the colours, the obvious extreme poverty and the displays of extreme wealth of one of the jewels of the empire. ’Rigel’ had been berthed alongside a pier by the usual fussy tug, and secured ready for loading. Their stay should not have been too long, but after steaming as far as they had the engine was in need of some maintenance of parts that could not be done whilst it was running, and this was going to take perhaps ten days.

Meantime the first thing to do was go and see the agents who had been fulfilling the orders that they had received direct from Bristol. Fitz and Bea said goodbye to Alice Farquarson and her daughter Emily, who had sent a message to their relations and were collected by a carriage, and the two nuns were collected by a priest, and left for a convent. They then proceeded to the agent’s warehouse. Whilst they were being shown the merchandise that had been collected together for them, and Fitz was wondering where they would stow it all, two ladies arrived in an open carriage. The agent turned to them.

“Lady Harmsworth, Miss Poireau,” the agent greeted them. “I have Captain Fitzpatrick of the steamer ‘Rigel’, and Lady Beatrice Hatherley. They are here to arrange loading of this consignment.

Brigitte stepped forward and hugged Bea and kissed each cheek.

“Bea! You are looking so well. Whatever are you doing ‘ere?” she demanded. “Look Lady Bridget, it is Bea.”

Lady Bridget’s face gradually changed from incomprehension to recognition. “Of course,” she said. “You were a model for Victoria ... Ah! Of course, Lord Kingswood’s daughter,” she laughed. “You are in the wrong place for me to recognise. But what are you doing here?”

“Lady Bridget, I am travelling on the ’Rigel’ with my fiancé, Captain Fitzherbert.”

“Have you no companion?”

“My companion with whom I began this voyage remained behind in San Francisco, but I have my maid.”

“I think you had better come with me,” said Lady Bridget in a tone that brooked no objection.

Brigitte escorted Bea to the carriage whilst Lady Bridget informed the agent that there was some more stuff coming. She then got in the carriage and instructed the driver to go to her parent’s house, leaving behind a rather perplexed Fitz.

“How long before you sail?” Lady Bridget asked Bea.

“About two weeks I think,” Bea told her. “We have some maintenance to do on the engine. There are several glands to be repacked, and Mr McClean wants to do some work on the steam feed and the condenser.”

“You seem very well informed about mechanical things,” Lady Bridget commented.

“It started when I acquired a pair of Remingtons,” Bea told her.

“Remingtons?”

“They’re .44 calibre revolvers.”

“And you acquired them? How did you do that?”

“There was a man who was, umm ... assaulting me. So I shot him.”

“With the Remingtons.” said Lady B.

“No, with my Derringer,” Bea lifted her skirt to show the eponymous weapon in her boot top.

“My word,” said Lady Bridget. “Are you in the habit of being armed?”

“I learnt it from Hermione.”

“Oh dear.” Lady B fanned herself. “Where do the Remingtons come into this?”

“I took one from the man I had just shot and used it to shoot the other man who was assaulting Amanda, my companion. And then after they pulled the body off me, I decided I would keep the guns and the gun belt too.”

Lady Bridget fanned herself some more.

“And Amanda was your companion. The one you left in San Francisco.”

“Yes,” said Bea.

“I suppose there was a good reason for leaving her there?”

“Yes, she met her aunt who lives there and joined her business,” Bea told her.

“And the business is ... Oh! I don’t think I want to know do I?” Lady B realised.

“Probably not,” said Bea with a grin.

“Beatrice! Brigitte! Behave yourselves! This is no laughing matter!” Lady Bridget was definitely not amused. “What your father is going to say about this, Beatrice, I cannot imagine.”

For a passenger travelling by ship in fine weather it is generally boring, as very little happens, and the sea is, well, the sea. Of course, on the big ships crossing, say, to New York, then there are activities laid on for the passengers in order to relieve that boredom. The alternatives are to catch up on ones reading or converse with other passengers. Jake and Susan spent their time indulging in the latter with the intention of finding some clue as to which of the several ladies on board had joined Jake in his cabin. Not the previous night obviously, because that was Myrtle, who now, incidentally, seemed to have a fixed grin, but the night before that.

Jake spent most time either speaking to the men, which obviously wasn’t going to be helpful, or to couples, and no lady was going to say anything in front of her husband. Susan spent much time talking to the ladies, but the best she could get was what a nice man Jake was, always so attentive and polite. She couldn’t make much out of that. They compared notes on their nightly stroll around the deck.

“How was your visitor last night?” Susan asked with what sounded like a giggle.

Jake certainly coloured although in the fading light it probably wasn’t seen.

“It, umm ... she was ... fine. Enthusiastic,” he said.

Susan laughed. “Yes, she is, isn’t she?” A rather enigmatic reply when Jake thought about it.

Around bed time the ship encountered a squall which livened the sea up for an hour or two and consequently the motion of the ship was somewhat more lively. Past midnight Jake decided that there would be no visitation and settled down to sleep.

Jake had no idea what time it was when he was awakened in much the same way as he had been on the previous nights. This time, however, he rolled the lady onto her back, and since she was ready, he thought she must have been contemplating this for a while, he entered her forcefully eliciting a loud exhalation of breath. He continued to proceed briskly, but with the lady gradually becoming noisier he clamped his mouth over hers and sought her tongue. He felt her shaking under him and decided to finish this round. They remained connected and he started to kiss her neck and down to her breasts sucking her nipples which became hard as he did himself. He started to move again, and worried about the noise he again kissed her to prevent her being too vocal. When they had finished Jake realised that, although it has been remarked that he was not discerning when it came to perfumes, this lady’s perfume was different to the first one, and nothing like Myrtle’s. So, although he would get a name for this one, he was still no nearer the first one. And in any case, what on earth was going on?

“Ada,” the lady said, without Jake asking

She slipped out of the door.

Wait a minute, he thought, that didn’t match up with any of the names he knew.

When ’Lightning’ returned Angelica was as usual, first on board. The captain, George Johnson, came down from the bridge to escort her below so that she could go through the manifests.

“Good trip, Captain?”

“Aye, Miss Angelica. And before you ask your choice of galley assistant and steward, umm, stewardess has been a big hit. Rogers is happy with her; the crew love her and the passengers seem to think the company employed her just for their benefit. Well, I suppose you did, but all told a good idea. Never thought I’d see the day though.”

Angelica laughed. She went through the paperwork with George and then went to see Kathy. She found her in the galley with a mug of tea in her hand.

“Oh Miss Angelica! Thank you so much for your help. The captain says he wants me to stay, but I have to ask you. Will that be all right?”

“No problem,” said Angelica. “Now, Corbyn and his thugs and the awful women he employed are all dead, so you have nothing to worry about. The only problem you are going to have to deal with is your mother. There’s only one way to say this, she is now the madam of the, umm, house.”

“My mother?”

“Yes. You can visit her there if you like.”

“I suppose...”

“Look, I’ll be going there later. If you want to go, I’ll take you. Come and find me.”

It was late Afternoon when Kathy called at Underwoods and asked for Angelica. Together they walked to ‘Grey’s Gentlemen’s Club’. As usual Angelica took them in the back way, but as they were passing the kitchen she could hear singing. She looked in and saw Kate, Kathy’s mother. The mother and daughter reunion was touching, and she left them to it and went into the office. There, as was often the case, Susie was sitting behind the desk poring over the books.

“Hello Susie,” Angelica greeted her. “Kate and Kathy are having a reunion in the kitchen.”

“That’s good, she’s been fretting about Kathy. No chance of her joining us is there?”

Angelica laughed, “I don’t think so. Have you heard anything from the client who works for the city council?”

“Yes, he was in last night. He says we’ve been noticed, which means the council will be wanting some money.”

“It’s what happens when you become an upstanding citizen with a business,” Angelica replied. “What about the other thing?”

“He’s done some research, and it seems that both buildings belonged to Corbyn,” said Susie. “But why do you want to know?”

“We just took this one over, and if those don’t have an owner then we could take those too. In fact, it might be that having decided that we should pay tax on this they’ll link those too. They aren’t in very good condition, but with a bit of work they could be earning us money.”

“How?” asked Susie.

“First, we have what was a music hall that wasn’t big enough to make a profit. We could have tables on the floor and serve food and drink, entertainment on the stage and there are boxes on the first floor for the better class of customers. We could have a connection to the other building which could be a hotel with extra rooms for this business,” Angelica told her.

Susie sat in silence for a moment. “We’d need money, and builders, you know how difficult it was to find decorators for this place. We’ll have to talk to the girls about it too. But I like the idea.”

Before they could go any further Kate came in with Kathy, who immediately hugged Angelica and kissed her cheek.

“Thank you,” she said. “You really are a heroine. I’m not sure about mother’s occupation, but she seems happy, so I am too.”

Baby Totterdown arrived with as little fuss as could be expected. Chrissie was young and healthy and was not in labour for too long, and although there was the usual screaming, cursing and swearing, particularly swearing that no man was ever getting near her again, what arrived was a perfect little boy. Red and wrinkly but otherwise a perfect boy. Who immediately started screaming. Once he was cleaned up he was given to his mother who discovered that babies instinctively seek out a breast to feed from. Despite mutterings from the midwife that ladies did not feed babies, Chrissie started, and continued, to feed the baby. Lord Totterdown’s first name had been James, and he had expected his heir to be named after him. Chrissie wanted no reminder of her late husband and decided that he would be named Martin.

Chrissie did, however, have to employ a wet nurse so that she could attend her husband’s funeral. She was attired in her full widow’s weeds for what was not a particularly well attended affair. The vicar stretched out the entire service as they are wont to do, and included a eulogy that Chrissie found quite amazing, certainly nothing she could recognise her husband from. She was, for the most part ignored by everyone, including her mother.

After this was the reading of the will. This began with one or two small bequests and a slightly larger one to her mother so that she could maintain her house, and then:

“To my wife Christina I leave a life tenancy of the house and two thousand pounds per annum to maintain herself and the house. Provided that she bears me an heir before my death.”

The lawyer looked at her.

“If this is not the case then she will receive the sum of five hundred pounds only.”

Chrissie sat in stunned silence.

“Since there is an heir,” the lawyer went on, “we will have to consult on the interpretation of that clause. Until we have done that then the status quo will be maintained, and we will provide such monies as are required for that purpose. That is all.”

As he left Jackson muttered to her that if he couldn’t get her hung for murder, he’d see her penniless.

Whilst she felt some responsibility for her husband’s death, she also considered that both her mother and the dead man shared that responsibility. After all, if she had had access to all the facts then she wouldn’t have upset her mother, although there was no way that she would have known Totterdown was her father if she hadn’t tripped her mother. And it was that very secret fact that was the cause of his fury. And all Chrissie had done was push a little harder by stripping Rose. She stood and made her way out to her carriage.

Back in the house Chrissie was very tempted to start throwing things, but in the end she sat on the end of her bed and burst into tears. Rose came in and helped her out of the shapeless black dress and into something more comfortable.

“You are a beautiful woman my lady,” Rose told Chrissie. “And whatever the outcome of the will you can succeed at what you want to do. I’ll look after you.”

Chrissie turned to Rose and kissed her. “Of course you’ll look after me. And I’ll look after you.” She was tempted to take this further, but in view of the unsettled will she decided that it was something she would leave for the time being. You just couldn’t be sure, but it might get back to Jackson and thus the lawyers.

As Angelica entered through the back door, the thought that this was how she came in originally always crossed her mind, although the circumstances had been considerably different. She walked along the passage and into the common room where she looked with satisfaction at the redecoration that had been done. Together with new furnishings the place was definitely moving up market. The service that was provided hadn’t changed, and neither had the girls providing it, but the surroundings made it seem as though they were better. She went back into the passage and then entered the office by the new door she had had installed. Susie was sitting behind the desk, with Kate in what she always thought of as the ‘madams’ chair. She sat in the second chair.

“How are things going?” she asked.

“Very good,” Susie replied. “At busy times we could do with a couple more girls. I’ll have to see what I can do.”

“The common room is looking good, how is the bar doing?”

“Receipts are excellent,” said Kate. “I was worried about men over imbibing, but we’ve had no problems.”

Good. How are the bedrooms coming along?”

Angelica had been only too aware of one of the bedrooms and its extremely unappealing ambience. When she took over management of what was now called ‘Grey’s Entertainment Club’ she had found that the rest were the same and took steps to have them upgraded to a ‘home from home’ standard.

“They are really nice,” said Susie. “Both the girls and the clients really appreciate them.”

“Let’s have a look at the accounts then.”

Kate left them to it.

Angelica thought it was lucky that Susie could write and figure to a good standard and she did wonder about her background, but that was Susie’s affair. It had not taken long for Angelica to teach her how to keep the books, which she now checked.

She leaned back. “That all looks fine,” she said. “Despite the expenditure we are in the black.”

Susie looked up at the clock.

“Time for business,” she said.

Angelica joined her in the common room for a few moments just to see how it looked with the girls and clients coming in when she spotted a face she knew well. Before she could duck back out of sight the face recognised her. Face up to it she decided.

“Good evening, Mr Prenderghast,” she greeted Underwood’s chief accountant.

There was a look of utter shock on Prenderghast’s face.

“M-M-Miss Angelica.”

“Better come in the office for a chat, Mr Prenderghast.” she said, opening the door and ushering him into the office. She indicated a chair for him to sit in and took her place behind the desk.

Moments later Susie came in with a bottle of brandy and two glasses on a tray. Angelica poured the brandy and they both sipped for a moment.

“You will remember that a few weeks ago I was kidnapped and brought here, Mr Prenderghast. I managed to escape, but the girls here realised that without Corbyn and his men, and women to be honest, they could take over and run this place. Before I left, they persuaded me to manage the business for them. I realised that my reputation would always be suspect.

“Oh no! Miss Angelica. I never thought any such thing.”

“Mr Prenderghast, like everyone else, you wondered. The truth is that only Nathaniel has ever kissed me, and I assure you that was no more than than your mother would give you. It is unfortunate, but I fear that our engagement will be over when he returns. Now, you know why I am here, and I know why you are here, so shall we agree never to mention this meeting to anyone else?”

Prenderghast tossed back the remains of his brandy, stood and took Angelica’s hand.

“Dear Miss Angelica,” he said. “You may rely on it.”

“Thank you, Mr Prenderghast. Now, shall we get you suited?”

A moment later Susie came in, obviously aware that she was needed.

“Umm ... I usually like Miss Kate, but...”

“For you, Mr Prenderghast, no problem,” Susie told him and took him outside.

“Older ladies have an appeal?” questioned Angelica when Susie returned.

“Reminds him of his wife I should think. But better get one or two more,” said Susie. “Shouldn’t be a problem.”

Victoria’s pregnancy was not quite as advanced as Chrissie’s but nevertheless the time was getting close. She had things well organised, and everything would carry on without her for a couple of weeks. The one thing that concerned her was something that she could, and perhaps should, turn her back on. She was, like everyone else, well aware of Angelica’s kidnap and her subsequent escape. She had even had an almost first-hand account from her husband whose special branch Chief Inspector and his sergeant had been involved. Admittedly in the clear up. But she had now had a visit from Angelica asking if Victoria’s could make some special silk, ‘things’ was as near as she could get, for the girls at ‘Grey’s’. Angelica had admitted that she was in effect managing the business, but didn’t really feel that this was any different to the way the girls had always treated the women around the docks. Victoria didn’t feel she could agree with that. She tried to explain that talking to or giving a shilling to the women didn’t affect Angelica’s reputation, but actually associating with the women was very different. Angelica had replied that due to the kidnap everyone wondered about her anyway, so it made little difference. They were unlikely to agree and so she had sent her to see Josephine and Myfanwy to see what they could think up in the way of ... whatever you might call them. Sort of negligee she supposed. And mother was quite definitely going to have something to say about Angelica’s new business.

“Honestly mama, what that girl told me on the way here wouldn’t just make your hair curl...”

Lady Bridget was telling her mother, Lady Clevedon, about her meeting with Lady Beatrice Hatherley. When they got to the house Bridget had sent Brigitte upstairs with Bea so that they could freshen up before they came down to her mother’s sitting room for tea.

“I’d rather like curly hair,” said her mother with a smile. “But Hatherley, that’s Kingswood, isn’t it. And travelling with no companion, you say. Well, girls nowadays don’t seem to worry about things like we did.”

“Mama, she did have a companion, but she left her in San Francisco to become an...”

“An actress, dear?”

“Well yes, I suppose that covers it.”

“An ordinary girl can do very well as an actress, Bridget,” said Lady Clevedon. “Especially if she finds a gentleman to look after her. Ah! Here they are. Beatrice!”

Bea curtseyed, “Lady Clevedon.”

“Come and sit here, Beatrice,” said Lady Clevedon, “and tell me all about yourself, and what you have been up to. Bridget tells me you’ve been up to all sorts of exciting things.”

“I hardly know where to begin, m’lady,”

“Well now, you’ve just arrived on a ship, so there must have been some excitement,” said Lady Clevedon.

“Mama, you know very well that life at sea can be very boring,” Bridget told her.

Beatrice was becoming slightly needled by Lady Bridget’s attitude and decided to play a trump card.

“We were attacked by pirates in the Malacca strait,” she began. “We have a passenger, a Chinese girl, daughter of a Chinese businessman, Lotus Blossom and her companion, Peony, who are going to England. The pirate leader wanted her. I didn’t get time to ask why. She was going to trade for two English women, a Mrs Farquarson and her daughter.”

“What happened?” Lady Clevedon clearly fascinated.

“I supposed you waved those Remingtons about and they all gave up,” said Lady Bridget clearly unhappy about being upstaged.

“I had some help,” Bea smiled. “Fitz put us in a position where we only had to deal with one boat at a time. There was a fight on the fo’c’sle, and then three of the pirates ran aft. Mr Downes, the mate, shot one and I got a second, but the third got into the accommodation. A passenger who was working for the pirates got in the engine room and forced the engineers to stop the ship. Mr Downs went to find out what had happened, and then the second boat arrived, and some men boarded.”

“I suppose you shot them too,” said Bridget.

“Yes, well, three of them,” said Bea. “But then the man from below came up clutching Lotus Blossom. The pirate leader told me to surrender,” Bea smiled at the recollection. “She said she’d counted my shots, and I had an empty gun. But the Remingtons are a pair.”

“And you shot her with the second one,” said Bridget, clearly not believing a word of this.

“No. Lotus Blossom refused to stand so she gave me a clear shot at her captor. So, I shot him. The pirate woman jumped overboard.”

“And where was the brave Captain Fitzherbert whilst all this was going on?” said Bridget her voice dripping with sarcasm.

“He had been hit by a ricochet and was out cold. The sisters attended to the knife wounds on the fo’c’sle and then cleaned him up and Zeke carried him to his cabin.”

“Who is Zeke? And what about these English women? And these sisters, nuns?” Asked Lady Clevedon.

“Mama, you surely don’t believe a word of this nonsense,” Lady Bridget broke in.

“It all sounds perfectly plausible, Bridget,” Lady Clevedon told her daughter. She looked at Bea. “Well, Beatrice, my daughter doesn’t believe you, and I have to say it sounds like a story from some scurrilous fiction magazine.”

“Every word is the truth, m’lady,” said Bea. “And if Lady Bridget wishes she may come and interview the crew, and of course Lotus blossom is still with us. She can certainly confirm the last part. Between them they should confirm most of it. Now, I think it would be better,” she stood, “if I returned to the ship.”