The Orphans of Halfpenny Street

Alice walked away swiftly, knowing that he was watching her. She half-expected him to run after her and give her a good hiding but he didn’t, though after a moment he called out, ‘I’ll have you begging me yet, Alice Cobb, and you just see if I don’t. I’ve got something you want even if you don’t know it yet.’

Alice didn’t dare to answer in case he changed his mind and decided to punish her for daring to protect herself. She knew that some of the gang he ran with would have slapped her about if she’d done the same to one of them, and a little shiver went through her as she wondered whether he would take his revenge another time.

He was mixed up in bad things, Alice knew he was, and she wasn’t going to let the sweetness of that kiss blind her to his character. Alice had no intention of ending up like her mother, tied to a smelly house with four children, no money, a drunken husband and no prospects of a better life. When she got married, if she did, she wanted to live in a decent place – perhaps out of London, in the suburbs. She wanted no more than two children and the money to raise them properly … but in her heart she knew that life wasn’t so simple. Girls like her too often gave their hearts to the wrong men and ended up having to get married to a man who would make them miserable – or even worse, ending up having a backstreet abortion in one of those filthy houses everyone knew existed but pretended they didn’t. Alice didn’t want that. No sweet-talking charmer was going to do that to her. She had too much of her mother in her.

Alice smiled as she recalled an incident from her childhood when her mother had chased her father up the lane with a rolling pin, and she’d battered him when she caught him. Sid Cobb went off for a while after that but in the end he’d returned to his wife and family. If she’d been him she would have stayed away, but it seemed her mother had something he liked even if he did drink half his pay every Friday night. Alice wasn’t sure whether it was her cooking or what they got up to in bed; they made enough noise to waken the dead sometimes.

She was still thoughtful, torn between anger and the memory of that sweet kiss, as she paused outside the house where she lived. The smell of stale cooking, the stink from the back yard and the odour of mildew greeted her as she opened the front door and went in. Immediately, she heard her mother screaming abuse at someone, but this time it didn’t seem to be her father. As she hesitated in the parlour that led in off the street, the kitchen door opened and a woman with long, straggling dark hair and a filthy apron came storming out.

‘I’ll swing for your ma one of these days, Alice,’ she said. ‘I swear I’ll take the meat cleaver to her if she clouts my Bertie one more time.’

‘I’m sorry, Matty,’ Alice apologised, because she liked the woman, despite her frowsy appearance. Matty Carter cared about her children and did her best to keep them clean, though she was losing the battle in this awful place, which three families shared, because her husband drank more than Alice’s father. In Mr Cobb’s case, he’d been driven to it by his nagging wife, but Matty never nagged her husband; he was just a bully and a brute. ‘What happened?’

‘He was fighting with your Saul as usual, and she waded in and gave Bertie a black eye.’

‘Oh dear, she shouldn’t have done that – I’m sure it was half a dozen of one and six of the other.’

‘Alice, you’re a treasure and that vixen doesn’t deserve you,’ Matty said and smiled at her before going out of the door and banging it behind her.

‘Alice, is that you?’ her mother’s voice screeched at her from the scullery. ‘About bloody time too. Where the hell have you been to until this time, girl?’

‘I worked late at the home, Ma. I told you this morning,’ Alice said. ‘You shouldn’t wait up for me, just leave the key on the string and I’ll let myself in.’

‘I’m waitin’ up fer yer father and he’ll catch it when he gets back, I’m tellin’ yer.’

‘It’s not Friday night …’ Alice said.

‘I bloody know it’s not and I want ter know where he is.’

‘Perhaps he had to work late?’ Alice suggested, though it wasn’t likely.

‘He’s took money from my pot to go drinking, that’s what he’s done. Saul give me half a crown from his wages from the delivery round and that bugger’s took it. I’ll teach him when he gets back, you see if I don’t …’

Alice sighed, because she could smell the beer on her mother’s breath and knew she drank whenever she got the chance; it was a case of the pot calling the kettle black, but she wouldn’t dare to suggest it.

‘Why don’t you try understanding him for once? Perhaps you wouldn’t quarrel so much then.’ Alice wished her father didn’t drink so much and would stand up to her shrew of a mother sometimes, but a part of her still remembered the man he’d been before his wife’s nagging drove him to despair.

‘You’ll feel the back of me ’and if you cheek me, girl. Get through to yer room or I’ll give you a hiding an’ all!’

Alice sighed as she went through to the shared bedroom. She tried not to disturb anyone but she knew almost at once that they were all awake, the boys lying in their beds and giggling, waiting for Pa to come home with bated breath. Alice sometimes wondered what sort of men they would turn into; their parents’ example certainly wasn’t a good one.

‘Listen to her,’ Mavis whispered as Alice undressed and crawled into bed beside her. ‘Rantin’ and carryin’ on. I shall be glad when I can get out of here. I’ve had enough.’

‘You don’t earn enough to get your own place.’

‘Who says I’ll need to? I’ve got a lad and he wants me to get married – and I’m goin’ to as soon as we can.’

‘Mavis! You’re only seventeen. Surely you want a bit of fun before you get married – besides, who is he? You haven’t brought him home.’

‘Bring Ted Baker here? You must be mad,’ her sister said. ‘I don’t want him to run a mile before he even gets the ring on my finger. His father owns a small newspaper and tobacconist shop and there’s a flat over the top. It’s in Bethnal Green – and Mr Baker says we can have the flat and I can work in the shop until we have kids. He’s all for it, says he likes me.’

‘Keep him away from Ma then,’ Alice advised and yawned. ‘I’m so tired. Go to sleep, Mavis. We’ll talk about it another time …’

Closing her eyes, Alice remembered the way Jack’s mouth had tasted, not beery and foul like so many of the lads she’d met at the local dance, but pleasant. He’d had a faint taste of peppermint about him, and he smelled nice too – but he was a bad one. Her father had warned her, and she knew she mustn’t let the memory of a kiss break down her reserve, even if it had been sweet …

SIX

‘Yes, how can I help you?’ Sister Beatrice looked up as the woman entered her office. She was elegant in a pale grey fine wool dress and darker grey suede court shoes with a matching belt around her waist. Her short blue jacket had a fashionable pleated swing back, and she carried a small clutch bag in her hand. ‘I don’t recall – did we have an appointment?’

‘Well, I was told to report to you as soon as I arrived.’ The young woman offered her hand, from which she had just removed her leather glove. ‘I’m Angela Morton.’

‘Good grief, are you here already? I didn’t expect you for at least another week.’

‘Mark’s letter said he was anxious for me to start as soon as possible, but I couldn’t come until last night.’

‘Well, your office isn’t ready yet. I’ve asked the caretaker to install a desk, chair and filing cabinet in the room next door. It’s small but I think adequate for your needs.’

‘I am sure it will be fine,’ the young woman said breezily. ‘I’m so happy to meet you – and grateful for this chance to do something useful. My mother thinks I’m mad, but my father sort of approves …’

Beatrice answered sharply, irritated by her confident manner. ‘Well, I dare say they both think their daughter should spend her days doing something more suited to a girl of your class.’

The smile left Angela’s face. ‘I’m just turned thirty-four, a widow, and I’m tired of sitting at home doing nothing much. I think it’s time I started to do something worthwhile with my life.’

‘Indeed?’ Beatrice was aware that she’d been sharp and stood up, extending her hand to the younger woman. ‘I’m afraid you’ve caught me at a bad time. We have three very sick children in the isolation ward with chicken pox at the moment. I’ve done what I could to stop the infection spreading, but one of my kitchen staff seems to have gone down with it. The stupid girl told me that she’d had it, but it turns out she’d had the measles. She ought not to have taken it even so, but she ignored my instructions and went into the ward when my nurses were busy. I know she thought she was saving them time, but some people have no sense …’

‘Oh, what a shame,’ Angela said. ‘Has she taken it badly?’

‘I’ve no idea. She was sent home when she started to show signs of fever. It is a nuisance because none of the other girls in the kitchens have had it, and I’m afraid of sending any of them up in her place, so it looks as if I shall have to run after Michelle and Sally myself.’

Beatrice wondered why she felt a need to explain. There was something about this woman that pricked at her, made her feel inadequate despite all her years of experience.

‘Would you allow me to help? I did have the chicken pox when was I was ten, and the measles. It would give me something to do until I can start work on the accounts.’

Beatrice was silent for a moment; she was reluctant to hand over even this small task to the woman she still thought of as an intruder, but she had too much to do as it was and it would keep Angela out of her hair for a while.

‘Well, if you’re certain, you may take up their trays, but stay outside the ward. I do not want another casualty going down to it – and God forbid that it should spread to the other children. Although it is usually not serious, it can affect the weaker ones badly – and we have enough to do without an epidemic.’

‘Yes, of course. I can understand your concerns, Sister. I have had some experience of hospital routines, even though I’m not a nurse. And I took an extensive first aid course in the war because I thought it might help in a crisis – and it did.’

Beatrice sighed and heaved herself to her feet. She was feeling a little under the weather herself, just a bit of a sore throat, which she was dosing herself for, but this was an unwanted distraction.

‘I shall take you down to the kitchens myself. Have you thought where you will live? If you would like a room in the Nurses’ Home for the time being it could be arranged. It is situated at the back of the home and once housed the Warden of the fever hospital. These days, it is divided into rooms with a shared kitchen and a communal sitting room. I use it myself, because there are too many nights when it would not be convenient for me to be away from the children, though I do have my own room at the convent, which is my home. Some of my nurses stay in the Nurses’ Home during the week and go home when they have a two-day leave – but you have no parents in London and might not wish to live there permanently.’

Beatrice gave her a challenging look, because Angela was obviously used to better things.

‘I should like to take a room if there is one available. It would be better than the hotel and I could look round for an apartment at my leisure.’

Beatrice was surprised; she’d expected a flat refusal.

‘I’ll arrange it for you. Now follow me and I’ll point out the various rooms as we go …’

Hearing the knock at the door, Michelle went to open it, and looked blankly at the elegant woman standing there with her trolley. Michelle was feeling hot and irritated, because Sally had gone for her break an hour ago and all three children were now suffering the debilitating effects of an illness that might not be serious as childhood diseases went, but was certainly causing her patients a great deal of distress.

‘Who are you?’ she asked sharply. ‘Who gave you permission to come here?’

‘Sister Beatrice,’ the woman replied. ‘I’m Angela Morton and I’m here to help out with the office work – and anything else that is needed.’

‘The new Administrator? Oh, right, I didn’t realise. Sorry, I’ll take that now. For goodness’ sake do not come in here, even if we don’t answer the door promptly. Just leave the trolley here and one of us will fetch the tray.’

‘Of course, if that’s what you wish. I should tell you that I have definitely had the chicken pox years ago, and the measles. I do know the difference – and I helped nurse my young cousin when he took it a few years back.’

Michelle sighed impatiently. ‘You just don’t understand, do you? We have probably more than sixty children here at any one time. If you carry the infection to another person in this home, we could have half of them down with it in days – and we do not have enough nursing staff to cope with an epidemic. I just hope the kitchen staff hasn’t taken it from Maisie, because it could spread through the place like wildfire …’

‘Yes, I perfectly understand. Please do not worry. I shall not risk carrying it back to others. I’m sorry that I distressed you. You must have more than enough to cope with as it is.’

‘To be honest, I could do with more help, but I dare not risk it.’ Michelle picked up the tray and took it inside, kicking the door to with the heel of her shoe. She felt a bit mean for tearing Angela Morton off a strip like that, but Jake had taken the chicken pox despite his proud boast that he never did get ill, and, as luck would have it, he was worse than either his sister or his elder brother.

Sister Beatrice had done her best to contain the sickness to the three children in the isolation ward, and so far her precautions were working. The trouble was that there just weren’t enough trained nurses to cope if a really nasty infection were to spread to the dormitories. Even Sister took extreme precautions when visiting the children, covering up her uniform in the rest room and donning a clean apron before going about her business afterwards.

Neither Michelle nor Sally had had an evening off since Dick first went down with the sickness, several days earlier. They were taking it in turns to rest, but for a lot of the time it needed both of them to keep the children cool and comfortable. If Sister Beatrice had not taken her turn, Michelle thought she couldn’t have coped.

Holding back another sigh, she poured herself a mug of tea, but before she could take more than a sip, Jake was calling out. She put the cup down and went to sit by his bed, soothing his heated brow and watching him with sympathy. He felt so ill and on top of all that he’d suffered in the short years of his life, the sickness was taking its toll on him. He’d certainly got much worse in the last few hours. Seeing how pale and vulnerable he looked, a shiver of fear went through her because she was already fond of him. He was such a likeable little boy and his serious looks had tugged at her heart.

‘Please get better,’ Michelle murmured fervently, hardly knowing whether she was entreating him or praying to God. ‘Don’t die … please don’t die …’ Michelle was afraid that he was slipping away from them, despite all the love and care he’d been given, his once-vital spirit all but extinguished. Yet what more could she do to save him? Although a bright, intelligent boy, his physical strength had been affected by the years of neglect. Her throat caught with tears and she felt a surge of rebellion and despair.

She left him as Susie started to whimper and gave the child a drink to ease her headache. Susie was actually on the mend; she’d only taken it lightly and apart from a tendency to scratch her face because the scabs itched, she was causing less anxiety than either of her brothers.

The door from the rest room opened and Sally entered. ‘I thought I heard the tea tray. How is Jake now?’

‘Still restless. I’m worried about him, Sally, but there’s nothing more Sister Beatrice can do if she comes – and she was up half the night with him, because she insisted we get some rest. Unless, do you think we should have the doctor?’

‘Why don’t you go and speak to Sister about it? The poor little thing seems to be getting worse all the time and perhaps we should have the doctor out.’

‘Normally, we try to manage ourselves. Sister doesn’t like to waste the doctor’s time,’ Michelle said but she was uneasy, fearful that the child might slip away from them.

‘I know,’ Sally agreed. ‘Shall I sponge him down while you drink your tea?’

‘Yes, please,’ Michelle said. ‘He has so many spots now, far more than either of the other two … if Sister Beatrice hadn’t looked at him herself last night I should wonder if what he has is something worse …’ She hesitated. ‘Perhaps I’ll go and talk to her and suggest the doctor just in case of …’

‘What?’ Sally stared at her in horror. ‘You don’t mean smallpox? No, it can’t be … that’s a killer. My father’s mother died of it years ago.’

‘Well, it has crossed my mind – but I’m sure I’m wrong. It’s just a severe case of the chicken pox, but I’ll ask Sister to take a look and tell her that I’m worried about him. If he needs a doctor we shouldn’t leave it too long. Can you hold the fort while I speak to Sister?’

‘Of course I shall,’ Sally said. ‘You look almost all in, Michelle. After you’ve spoken to Sister, why don’t you take your tea into the rest room and have a little sleep?’

‘If you’re sure you can manage …’ Michelle arched back, feeling the ache in the small of her spine. ‘I’m so tired, but you must call me if Jake takes a turn for the worse … and I’ll ask Sister now if we should call the doctor out …’

Angela looked round the room that had been offered to her. It was clean but basic with none of the comforts she was used to, but it would do for a while and would be useful on those nights when she stayed over at the home to help out, even if she found an apartment she liked. There was no point in staying at a hotel that entailed a long bus ride when she had the use of a bed here. As soon as she got used to St Saviour’s and its occupants, she would look for a nice little flat she could make into a home.

A rueful smile touched her mouth, because so far she hadn’t been made to feel welcome here. Sister Beatrice had greeted her politely but she’d sensed an underlying hostility that she couldn’t explain. Why would the woman want to put a barrier between them from the start? Angela had been sent to help her, and was very willing to do whatever was asked of her, even though Mark had made it clear that her main task was to bring St Saviour’s in line with more modern thinking … but the stern Sister wasn’t the only one to show dislike. Cook had told her that she must ask for what she wanted and not go making tea or sandwiches herself.

‘That’s our job,’ she’d said, scowling as Angela began to lay out the tray. ‘Just ask for what you want, and we’ll give you the proper menu for the nurses and carers. The children have different, of course. Sister Beatrice decides what special diets they need, if any – so don’t go getting food for them without my say-so. You might end up doing more harm than good; besides, I don’t want my precious rations being wasted. We can’t afford to waste a scrap.’

‘Of course not, Mrs Jones. I wouldn’t even know where to start …’

She’d let her gaze wander around the large kitchen with its array of copper-bottomed pans hanging above a huge range, the painted wooden dresser and shelves crowded with an assortment of crockery. A large scrubbed pine table occupied the middle of the long room and was littered with dishes and wire trays, which held freshly cooked pies and jam tarts. The food, she’d discovered, was kept in a huge cold pantry and there was a refrigerator for the perishables. It made a loud chirring noise and sounded as if it were overloaded and might give out at any moment. She guessed that it was some years old. They could really do with a new one, more modern and efficient. Perhaps she could make that one of her first priorities, raise some money towards it – that was if a new one could be found. The shops were still struggling to buy in goods like refrigerators, which had been considered a luxury and expendable when metal was in such short supply during the war.

Yes, already she’d begun to make a mental list of changes, but once she got inside the building next door destined for the new wing, her job would really begin.

‘Well, just remember what I’ve said and we’ll get on all right.’ Cook glared at her. ‘We’re short-staffed at the moment so you’ll have to wait until I’ve done this semolina pudding for the children …’

Angela had waited patiently, wishing that she could just prepare the tray herself, but she didn’t want to tread on anyone’s toes, and would rather not make an enemy of the cook right from the word go.

She’d thought the nurses in the isolation ward would at least be glad to get a plate of both chicken paste and tomato sandwiches, a pot of tea, and the jugs of cold lemon barley for their patients. However, that very pretty nurse had snapped her head off and made her begin to wonder why on earth she’d ever accepted this post. Mark Adderbury had spoken of her being needed and wanted, but it certainly didn’t look that way at the moment.

Perhaps she should have taken the offer to return to her old posting in Portsmouth, and yet there were too many memories there – of happier days when she’d met and married John … but that hurt too much and she was determined to put her grief behind her and throw herself into her new life.

Angela’s mother had been upset that she was leaving home again and had done her best to dissuade her; they had argued so many times over foolish little things that in the end Angela had just packed her cases and left. Her father had been staunch in his support but the arguments had left a little shadow hanging over her.

Putting aside all thought of her mother’s reproachful looks as she left, Angela opened her bag and took out the key to the building next door. Its last purpose had been commercial, some sort of offices she understood, and Mark had warned her that it was in a bit of a state.

‘Take a look straight away and refer to the drawings I’ve sent you,’ he’d said when he telephoned to make sure she’d received his letter. ‘I’d like your opinion, Angela. The architect has opened it up and made a lot of the small rooms into much larger ones. It’s more economical that way, I suppose, to have larger groups of children together, but I’m not sure it’s right. If you have any suggestions then we should like to hear them – before the builders move in, please.’

‘Yes, of course. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this, Mark. You’ve been such a good friend to me since … John died.’

‘You know I was fond of him, and he would expect me to help you.’

Mark’s reply had been non-committal, and she’d sensed something … as if he were holding back whatever he wanted to say. Perhaps he understood how sensitive she still was on the subject of her late husband; it still hurt so much and she’d grown a protective barrier to keep everyone away from the source of her pain.

She sighed as she went out of the main building and into the rather dilapidated one next door. The door stuck and she had to put some force into getting it open. A brief inspection told her that the frame had moved out of true, possibly caused by an explosion a few doors down where builders were presently taking down a fire-damaged bakery. The front of their new wing looked as if it might need a bit of rebuilding, but inside was worse.

Angela’s heart sank as she looked about her at the debris. Whoever had left this place had done so in a hurry. Broken furniture lay about and there were old newspapers scattered on the floor, cabinets hanging off the walls and plaster from the cracked ceilings was scattered everywhere. Its condition was daunting to say the least and would cost a great deal to put right.

No doubt the architects and builders had taken all this into account. Her job was to make certain that the plans drawn up were to the best advantage of the children who would live here. She frowned as she saw the clean, clinical layout of the upstairs floors. Down here, there were recreation rooms, and that was a definite improvement. Angela gave that a big tick, because safe space for the children to play was at a premium; they did have a small garden, she’d already observed, but on cool or wet days they needed more to do and this large room at the back with space for them to play various games was excellent. At the front a modern reception area and an office had been planned, which seemed a good use of the available space. She wasn’t so sure about the layout upstairs. With only one shower room for the girls and one for the boys, it did not provide for any kind of privacy and modesty, and in her opinion that ought to be a consideration; there ought at least to be separate cubicles. It would add to the cost, she imagined, which might not go down well with the Board, but perhaps it might not be necessary to knock down so many walls …