The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal

Author:Elizabeth Macneal
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pan Macmillan UK

Shepherd

Albie is wearing a sheepskin jerkin as he lies on an assortment of cushions in Louis’s studio. He pictures the heaven that the do-gooders rant on about as a nest in the clouds, and this sheepskin must be how they feel. How he’d love to bounce up and down on the clouds! He strokes the fluffed edge of the jacket and hears a growl across the room. He remembers he is meant to be lying still, and returns his hand to his hip.

‘When’ll I get the payment?’ Albie lisps. And then, as he is a working man now, he announces in the brusque tone he has heard his sister use, ‘Ye’ll pay up two bob according, dearie, I ain’t seeing you scarper when it’s all over.’

‘What?’ Louis says. ‘I’m not scarpering anywhere – this is my house. Hold still.’

‘’Pologies,’ Albie says, but his nose itches and before he knows it, his hand is on his face.

The man growls again.

‘I ain’t a fool, sir, no, if you don’t hand me a pretty silver piece I ain’t handing you my cunny.’

‘What?’ Louis says again. ‘What in heaven’s name are you talking about—’ He slams down the pencil. ‘You’ll be lucky if I pay you a damned thing. By God, will you lie still.’

The threat of no payment is enough to curb Albie’s fidgeting for at least a minute and a half. He’s going to be paid two bob a day. He’ll almost be as rich as the swells in the circle. If he knew his adding, he could work out how many days’ work it would be before he could fit his teeth.

‘Are there fleas in that sofa?’

‘Sorry, sir,’ he says, and he tries his best to be good.

He remembers again the cloaked body of Silas, snoozing on the step outside the empty shop, and he shivers. He saw him on the way to Louis’s door and thought at first that he was a vagrant. But that chemical smell, even from a few paces off – he knew who it was. He wondered if Silas had found out where Iris lived and was watching her.

He sucks on his tooth and thinks of what to say to Louis. I think a man might be taken with Iris. But he frets Louis’ll laugh at him. He doesn’t know for certain there’s anything to it, after all. He could tell Iris herself, but she’s in the garden sketching birds around an old rotten fountain and he doesn’t want to scare her. He remembers the red marks on Moll’s neck the day before. Isn’t it better that he lets Iris know to keep her wits about her?

‘There’s a man,’ Albie begins.

Louis frowns, a look that says, Shut your trap, but Albie has started now, and like a horse running full gallop, he can’t be easily stopped.

‘I saw him outside, sir. He can be quite wicked and you should be minded to keep an eye.’

‘For the love of God, child, hold still!’

‘But sir, I think he might be watching Iris.

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