Read Online Tattycoram by Audrey Thomas - Free Book Online

was still pale, but she had a glow on her and lookedvery young and happy. The baby was in a cradle by the bed. I had seen hundreds of little babies at the Foundling, for I was one of the trusted big girls who stood with babies in their arms while the chaplain sprinkled them with water and gave them new names. “In the name of the Father . . .”
    This was different. Mr. Dickens was sitting close up to the bed, holding his wife’s hand, beaming.
    â€œShe is to be called Mary,” he said, “after the dearest, sweetest girl who ever lived.” I thought this remark a bit peculiar, given the hell my mistress had just been through, but she smiled and nodded.
    â€œYes, after Mary, but I think we shall call her Mamie amongst ourselves.”
    The baby was just another baby, red-faced and wrinkled. What brought tears to my eyes was the sight of the happy family: father, mother, newborn
wanted
child.
    We offered our congratulations and stole away.
    By the new year she was pregnant again.

5
    â€œWriting to your sweetheart, Coram?”
    Miss Georgina often appeared in the kitchen without warning, hoping to catch us stuffing our faces with forbidden foods or entertaining riffraff. It drove Cook wild.
    â€œI am writing to my mother,” I said, without looking up.
    â€œYour
mother
?”
    â€œMy foster mother, then.”
    â€œWhat a good girl you are, the very model of a foster daughter.”
    Miss Georgina had come down to ask Cook, as a special request from Mrs. Dickens, if she could make a Madeira cake and some flapjack because the family were coming to tea. Cook scowled, but of course she would do it.
    At the door Miss Georgy turned and addressed me once more.
    â€œOh, Coram, can your foster mother read?”
    â€œOf course she can,” I lied. “Why?” (Count to two and twenty, count to two and twenty, one, two, three, four . . .)
    â€œI’m rather surprised, that’s all. How long has it been since you saw her?”
    â€œOver a year, but I shall see her soon.”
    â€œHow so?”
    â€œI’m to go home for a few days around Easter.”
    â€œMy goodness! Kate — your mistress — can let you go when there is so much to do here?”
    Cook stopped on her way to the larder.
    â€œMrs. Hogarth — your mother — will be coming to visit for a few days. It’s all arranged, Miss Georgina.”
    â€œIs it now? I have not heard of it. And Mrs. Hogarth is not a nursemaid. How typical of soft-hearted, soft-headed Kate!”
    Cook spoke up for me.
    â€œIt’s in the contract, Miss Georgy. The girl gets three days off each year to go and see her mother.”
    â€œWell, you are a lucky girl. I shouldn’t think many servant girls have such agreements with their employers.”
    Smirk, smirk and she was gone.
    â€œI’ll flapjack ’er,” Cook said. “The sooner she’s growed up and married off and ’as a ’ousehold of ’er own to manage, the better for everybody.”
    â€œShe’s never going to marry. I heard her say that to Madam.”
    â€œThat’s unnatcherl. She’ll change ’er mind when she’s a little older.”
    â€œWhy does she dislike me so?”
    â€œWell, I don’t think it’s because of your curly hair. I thinks it’s because Master likes you. I thinks it’s because
she’d
like to be living ’ere.”
    I folded my letter and prepared to go back upstairs to the nursery. Charley was with his mother, being specially dressed up for his relatives in a new little sailor suit. The baby was asleep.
    â€œMrs. Rogers,” I said (I never called her Cook to her face), “when the time comes, would you teach me how to make a simnel cake? I’ve been saving for the spices and such. Mrs. Dickens suggested I should take one to my mother when I go.”
    Cook looked up from where she was cracking eggs one-handed into a big bowl.
    â€œOf