A Humble Companion by Laurie Graham

Author:Laurie Graham
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Open Road Media
Published: 2024-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

21

Coming home from the royal hen house was always a shock. At Seymour Street I was the only female. The laundress came three times in a month and we shared a housemaid with the Cutlers who lived next door. Esther lived with them but she came in to us every morning at 5.30 to light the fires and bring Jack’s shaving water. I did my own cooking and Morphew and Henry Topham did everything else, running between the house and the shop.

I told Jack my plan. I wanted to take in a foundling girl, the way he had taken in Ambrose.

He said, ‘What for? If it’s for the sewing get a day woman, or put it out to Miss Tod.’

I said, ‘I don’t mean a girl to be a servant. It would be someone to help me, but only in the way a daughter would.’

He didn’t like that.

He said, ‘She’ll be no daughter of mine. Some gin-souse’s bastard.’

I said, ‘But we won’t get a child of our own now, Jack. Nearly eight years married. You know it’s not going to happen.’

‘You give up too easy.’

‘How have I given up? Don’t I lie with you whenever you ask it?’

It was the truth but Jack had grown bitter.

‘When you’re not off on your royal jaunts, he said. ‘Well if you’re set on doing it nothing I say’ll stop you. I don’t know why you pretend to consult me, Nellie, you always please yourself. But you must do it on your own account. Don’t look to me for money. I’m finished with raising ingrates.’

So Sally Blacklock came to live with us. She was fourteen years old. Sally had been left at the Foundling Hospital, just as Ambrose had, but unlike Ambrose there had been nothing pinned to her nightshirt, no name, no message, nothing to suggest that her mother might some day claim her back. So they had named her for her thick black curls. She could read tolerably well, had a cheerful, open way about her and was a good seamstress. When you added her smiles to the excellent repairs she made to Jack’s shirts he couldn’t resent her for long. He agreed she was a welcome addition to our household. Morphew adored her. ‘Whoever could of gave away a treasure like that?’ he’d say, and he used to sing to her:

When she is by, I leave my work,

I love her so sincerely.

My master comes like any Turk

And bangs me most severely.

But let him bang his bellyful,

I’ll bear it all for Sally.

She is the darling of my heart

And she lives in our alley.

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