The Secret Orphan. Glynis Peters
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finished lunch, she returned the tray to the kitchen. Rose was nowhere to be seen, and Victoria sat polishing a silver candelabra.
‘Do you sew Victoria? I’ve a mind to make something from my mother’s clothes and wondered if you would help me decide what to make. A keepsake item, maybe. Oh, and young Rose can join us. Again, we’ll make use of her idle hands.’ Elenor smiled gently.
Victoria set aside her cloth.
‘I sew, and Rose will also benefit from a lesson, if you are sure she won’t be in your way.’
‘You fret too much, she’s no bother. Meet me in the study when you are ready.’
An excited Rose followed her mother into the room.
‘I’m good at cutting out,’ she declared.
By the end of their sewing session, Elenor had trimmed her hat and Victoria had created a small flower to match. As they were clearing away, the door to the study burst open.
‘There you are! I’m home and thirsty, and the pot is cold!’ George shouted at his wife.
‘Hello Daddy.’ Rose said.
‘Leave. Out,’ he said in reply and pointed to the door.
Rose slipped out of the room and Elenor heard her run upstairs.
‘I said, where’s my tea?’ George’s voice was low and angry.
He ignored Elenor, and she stood in shock at the way he had spoken to his wife and child.
Victoria stopped folding fabric and went towards the door and her husband stepped to one side.
Anger rose in Elenor’s gullet. The man had no respect for women and again, Elenor decided it was her duty to remind him she was in the room. Keeping her voice calm, she spoke first to Victoria.
‘Stay where you are please, Victoria, and continue clearing the things away.’
She turned to George.
‘Sorry to keep you waiting, George. Victoria will be a while longer yet.’
From the corner of her eye she saw an angry man leave the room as she continued about her business.
‘I do hope George won’t reprimand you for doing your duty, Victoria.’
‘I apologise Elenor. Sometimes he forgets he is not teaching his pupils.’
Elenor leaned on the table and spoke across it to Victoria in a clear, precise voice.
‘I may be young and have a simple education, but I am not blind nor stupid, Victoria. Never apologise for George. Through you he has a roof over his head, and food in his belly. There is no place for a bully in this house. We will keep him waiting a while longer and take these things upstairs.’
Days ticked by and Elenor walked Rose to and from school. Their friendship bloomed, and on more than one occasion, Rose, Elenor, and her aunt sat learning together from the encyclopaedia. Each time she opened the book, Elenor went to the page bookmarked with a scrap of paper on which she’d written, ‘a country to visit one day’. Canada had captured her attention.
Rose was fascinated by the bears. Aunt Maude proved herself a quiet, patient tutor, and Elenor enjoyed their time together.
Elenor’s nineteenth birthday was just a few days away, and Rose let it be known how disappointed she was that adults did not celebrate. From Elenor’s point of view, having never celebrated the day for many years, she had no expectations. She promised herself a walk into town and a browse the department store.
She hoped to find the courage to go to the tearooms around the corner from the store. When Elenor had peered through the window on her first visit, she’d noted a few young women seated as if in wait for a companion. Her plan was to pretend just that and enjoy a birthday treat. She would borrow a few coins from her aunt’s emergency dish and repay the money when she had earned a wage.
The morning of her birthday arrived and with it a misty grey atmosphere, but it didn’t bother Elenor, knowing she had the protection of her new coat. After enjoying a warm bath, Elenor dressed in her wine-coloured outfit.
Entering the dining room, Elenor was aware her aunt had not arrived, or eaten and left. It puzzled her as to why her aunt asked for her to live in and help but had never asked Elenor to do anything for her. After waiting a few minutes, she made a start on her porridge and was pleased to see Victoria arrive with a hot pot of tea.
‘Good morning Elenor, I heard you come down. Many happy returns of the day from George, Rose and myself. Your aunt apologises, she has a severe headache today and asked me to give you this with her birthday greetings.’ Victoria pulled an envelope from her apron pocket.
‘Thank you, Victoria. Please, send my best wishes to my aunt, I won’t disturb her. I have plans to take a walk and will borrow a coin from the dish.’
Elenor opened the envelope and stared down at its contents. A silver shilling and a note for Mrs Green to allow Elenor to select toiletry items, a gift of Elenor’s choosing and a small trinket from her aunt to be chosen by Mrs Green in her absence.
She put her hands to her mouth to smother the squeal of joy.
‘How kind of her,’ she said, as tears of happiness filled her eyes. ‘It is my first gift on my birthday since my mother died. It has been years since anyone thought of me in this way. To think, I once feared my aunt, yet she is the most generous person I know.’
Although the air was damp, Elenor didn’t mind. She relished the idea of taking time looking at beautiful things inside the store once again and pondered over the cost of a small clutch bag.
Once in town she stopped outside the window of the department store. It housed a new outfit, a mannequin sporting a red evening gown. All thoughts of a clutch bag went from her mind as Elenor stared up at the pretty outfit.
Inside the store the mingled aromatic fragrances reminded her she was to purchase toiletries, and she sought out Mrs Green to give her the message from her aunt.
She found the woman at her station, keeping a watchful eye on the shop floor like a mother hen watching her chicks.
‘Is everyone behaving, Mrs Green?’
The older woman turned and took a step backwards. A smile lit up her face.
‘Miss Cardew. How lovely to see you again. You do look elegant. I take it your aunt approved?’
‘Thank you, Mrs Green. Wholeheartedly, I am pleased to say. She has written to you.’
Mrs Green read the letter and gave Elenor another wide smile.
‘Many happy returns. What fun you will have choosing your gift. Do you have anything in mind?’
‘The dress in the window caught my eye, but I am in need of a small bag, one to compliment my hat and gloves.’
‘Sally is free to assist you. Ah, here she comes now.’
‘Miss Cardew, I didn’t recognise you at first. How are you?’
Elenor gave Sally a smile.
‘I am another year older than when we last met, Sally. Today is my birthday and my aunt has been most generous. Toiletries and a new bag are on my list.’
She removed her gloves.
‘And look Mrs Green, your advice about buying the lavender cream has helped them already. They are improving each day. If ever I milk a cow again it will be with softer hands, that’s for certain.’
Both Sally and Mrs Green laughed their approval.
Sally guided Elenor to the toiletry and cosmetic area.
Perfumes