‘Rags, bones … bring out yer rags …’
As Jesse shouted, Freedom turned back to stare at Evelyne. He gave her a small wave and then turned to face ahead.
Not having the slightest idea where she was, Evelyne kept walking. She had not a penny to her name, and wondered if there might be a post office, then remembered it was Sunday. She sighed, no train ticket home, no handbag, and what did she look like? She was filthy, her skirt was wrinkled, her blouse torn, beautiful suit completely ruined. She walked on until her feet ached, heading towards the centre of town.
Miss Freda stepped out of her shop, neat as ever and wearing one of her hats. She alwats walked past the Grand Hotel on a Sunday, showing off her creations as a means of advertising.
‘Miss Freda, oh, Miss Freda…I’ve found you.’
She squinted in a shortsighted fashion and looked in the direction of the voice, then her mouth dropped open.
‘Oh, oh, what happened to you, child?’
‘Could I possibly borrow my bus fare, it’s a threepenny ride from the terminal, only I lost my bag and …’
To Freda’s horror Evelyne burst into tears. She looked around to see if anyone was watching, ashamed to be seen with the girl, and hustled her towards a shop doorway. Wiping her nose on Miss Freda’s little lace handkerchief, Evelyne promised to come to the shop next day and repay the three pennies. Freda opened her purse and counted out the money, snapped it shut again and said she had to be on her way as she had a very important business meeting and couldn’t stop to talk. From the doorway, Evelyne watched her hurry away down the street.
By the time Evelyne arrived at Dr Collins’ house her heels were blistered and red raw. Mrs Darwin opened the basement door to her.
‘Gawd love me, what have you been doing? Come on in, lovey.’
She ushered Evelyne into the kitchen where the maid was slumped in a chair by the fire.
Kicking the maid out of the chair Mrs Darwin settled Evelyne down with a steaming cup of tea. As Evelyne drew breath to launch into an explanation of her appearance, Mrs Darwin began to cry, wiping her nose on her apron.
‘I’d have left long ago, but I’ve not had me wages and Master David’s taken everything of value, and what he left that bugger Morgan’s made off with. It’s a shocking state of affairs …’
Evelyne felt the tea warming her chilled body.
‘Is David at home, Mrs Darwin?’
Mrs Darwin looked at Evelyne, her jaw dropped open.
‘We went to a fair last night, there was a terrible to-do afterwards, all the benches fell down and David hurt his leg. Did he come home, or is he in hospital?’
Mrs Darwin glanced at Muriel then back to Evelyne. ‘He doesn’t live here, not any more.’ She could see the confusion in Evelyne’s face and she bit her lip, concerned. ‘He only stays here occasionally, see, he wants to sell this place but he can’t, not without your permission, and then what with all his debts, well, the place is not what it was. He’s sold off everything that wasn’t nailed down. We’ve not been paid …’
Evelyne interrupted her, saying she had already said that she would see about the wages as soon as things were settled.
‘Where is David living, then?’
‘Well, with his wife of course. Then if he’s not there he’s with his friend Freddy Carlton, spends a lot of…’
Mrs Darwin didn’t finish. Evelyne’s body shook and she had to put her teacup down.
‘Wife? Is David married?’
‘Oh, yes, he’s married all right, not that you’d know by his manner, and he’s got a little boy too … Lady Primrose, he married Her Ladyship — oh, what would it be — three, almost four years ago.’
Evelyne couldn’t stop herself shaking, her whole body trembled. Mrs Darwin stood up and bent over her. ‘Are you all right, lovey? You’ve gone ever so pale.’
Unable to speak, Evelyne bit her lip hard, forcing herself not to faint, not to cry out, scream his name. Mrs Darwin held her close, patted her head.
‘I can see by your face, lovey, something is terribly wrong. What did he do to you? Oh, dear God, what did he do?’
Mrs Darwin blew her nose on her apron and, shaking her fat head, slumped into her chair.
‘We’ve had a terrible time with him, he killed his father, you know. Oh, it was shocking the way he carried on when he came home. See, he didn’t know who he was — sometimes he would be gone for days on end and we’d have to send the police out looking for him. Her Ladyship had a shocking time of it, it’s memory loss, they say, but it’s terrible to see. He don’t know who he is, where he is, and he never recognized his father. Broke his heart, it did, killed him as sure as I’m sitting here, shocking, terrible, shocking time.’
Evelyne’s heart was hammering inside her chest and Mrs Darwin’s voice droning on made it worse. She put her hands over her ears.
‘Stop it, stop it.’
‘But it’s the truth, if it wasn’t for Lord Carlton he’d be in a mental home, isn’t that right, Muriel?’
Evelyne stood up and clenched her fists.
‘But he knew me, he recognized me. You saw the way he ran to me. He knew who I was … he called my name, he did, he called me … he called my name!’
She sobbed, and Mrs Darwin rocked her in her arms.
‘No, lovey, I went to fetch him, tell him you was here; you see, they say perhaps something from his past’ll make him remember, sparking something off, like. I told him, I told him who you were … but he didn’t recognize you — he didn’t know you.’
Evelyne felt again the sweet kisses, his gentle kisses on her neck, her face, her lips … she wouldn’t believe it. She shook her head fiercely, and Mrs Darwin sighed.
‘Did he have his way with you?’
Evelyne turned away.
‘Oh, lovey, I wish it was different, but what can I say, he used this place like a whorehouse, always bringing terrible women back here, some of them so filthy I’d have to burn the sheet afterwards. He don’t know what he’s doing … and him what used to have two baths a day.’
Evelyne downed her tea and carefully placed the rose-patterned cup back on its saucer. Always able to fight her emotions, she was suddenly icy calm, controlled, ‘I’ll need to see him, see about signing over my part of the house. We’ll have to sell it to give you both your wages … Do you — do you have a telephone number where I could call him?’
Mrs Darwin nodded and led Evelyne to the hall. ‘There’ll be his own home, Lady Primrose’s, it’s her family house they live in. They had a shocking war, she lost her brother and her father, you know…’
Evelyne snapped, her voice hard. ‘What is the telephone number?’
Mrs Darwin dialled the operator and waited for an answer. The waiting was painful. David was not at home, and a servant suggested they try Lord Carlton’s home. Mrs Darwin called the operator again …
‘Do you remember Lord Carlton, he was in the army with Master David? He married Lady Warner’s daughter, poor bugger, Lord love us, what a lump … an’ ‘im such a nice looker and titled as well. Still, he’s sitting in clover, lot of money and the factory’s going strong. Major Warner, his Lordship, never came back neither. Some say he was killed in action, but there’s those who say he stayed away, out of Lady Sybil’s reach … hello? Hello? Here you are, lovey, you’re through to the house.’
In the marble hallway, the butler held out the telephone to Freddy. ‘It’s Mr Collins’ housekeeper, sir.’
Freddy sighed and took the receiver. ‘Hello? Speaking … who is this? Mrs Darwin? Oh, yes, yes of course, I remember. Well, I’m afraid David’s still rather poorly … Yes, he’s here, resting. I don’t really think that would be very convenient.’