times a week for the last two weeks, she’d bathed on returning from Lower George Street. Meg often laughed and made fun of her for constantly washing, saying she’d turn into a water nymph.
She dried her body and then donned clean undergarments. Sitting on the bed, she used the towel to dry her hair. On the small dresser, her parents watched from their portraits and she smiled back at them. After the long voyage out here and living in lodgings for months, she felt that her life back in England had all been a dream. Everything was so different now. Her foreign surroundings and harsh environment were the complete opposite to the softness of her old home and lushness of England’s countryside. Still, she was here to start again and so far, she’d made some lovely friends. Mr Belfroy, God bless the man, had sold another couple of her sketches, but her stock was dwindling. She’d have to find the time to do more and even paint if possible.
“Nicola.” Meg’s voice rang through the bedroom door.
She slipped on her night wrap. “Come in.”
Meg pranced into the room and flopped onto the end of the bed, eyeing the bath. “You all finished?”
“Yes, why?”
“Are you going to that awful woman’s meeting this evening?”
“Yes.”
“Well since you don’t like my ideas for an evening’s entertainment, I thought I’d go along with you, if you don’t mind.”
Nicola hid a grin, knowing that Meg only wanted some diversion from the occupants of the house and was not intrigued by Frances’s issues at all. “I don’t mind.”
Meg sprang up and stepped around the bath to look out of the small window. “I’m bored.”
“I know.”
Fiddling with the curtain, Meg sighed. “I hardly see you anymore. That Frances takes up all of your time. If it’s not the soup kitchen, it’s all that rights nonsense. If it’s not that, then it’s going out on other charity work.”
“I like to be busy.”
“How do you expect to get employment though, when you’re never home to write applications?”
Nicola frowned. It was true. She’d not looked for work in the last two days. She would have to find some form of permanent income soon. Frances, now a firm friend, expected total dependability, which Nicola would be happy to give if only she had a private income to meet her living expenses.
A scream echoed up from downstairs and for a second Meg and Nicola looked at each other in surprise. They heard rushing footsteps and suddenly both of them were whipping open the door.
Emily, tears streaming down her face, ran across the landing. “Nicola, Meg, you must come!”
Nicola reached for her shawl and wrapped it over her shoulders. “What has happened?”
“Mr Eldersley has collapsed in the kitchen!”
As the three women spun around and headed back downstairs, Deirdre Burstall came out of her room. “What’s all the fuss about?”
“Mr Eldersley has collapsed.” Meg shouted over her shoulder. “Come and help.”
Racing into the kitchen, Nicola skidded to a halt near the crouching Mrs Eldersley, who held her husband’s head and shoulders in her arms.
“Have you sent for the doctor, Mrs Eldersley?” Nicola whispered, kneeling beside the couple.
The older woman, her eyes blank, shook her head. “It’s too late for a doctor.”
Nicola turned to the women behind her. “Bring Dr Armitage, Meg. Emily, make everyone some tea. Miss Burstall go next door and ask for help. We need men to carry Mr Eldersley upstairs.”
Once the women scuttled to her bidding, Nicola gently rested her hand on Mr Eldersley’s chest. Nothing. Leaning forward, she placed her ear above his mouth. Nothing.
“He dropped to the floor like a stone.” Mrs Eldersley whispered. “We should never have started this business. His health wasn’t up to it, that’s why we left Mr Belfroy’s employment. It was madness to start up this place, but Mr Belfroy insisted we could do it with his help. Seven months he’s lasted since leaving Mr
She dried her body and then donned clean undergarments. Sitting on the bed, she used the towel to dry her hair. On the small dresser, her parents watched from their portraits and she smiled back at them. After the long voyage out here and living in lodgings for months, she felt that her life back in England had all been a dream. Everything was so different now. Her foreign surroundings and harsh environment were the complete opposite to the softness of her old home and lushness of England’s countryside. Still, she was here to start again and so far, she’d made some lovely friends. Mr Belfroy, God bless the man, had sold another couple of her sketches, but her stock was dwindling. She’d have to find the time to do more and even paint if possible.
“Nicola.” Meg’s voice rang through the bedroom door.
She slipped on her night wrap. “Come in.”
Meg pranced into the room and flopped onto the end of the bed, eyeing the bath. “You all finished?”
“Yes, why?”
“Are you going to that awful woman’s meeting this evening?”
“Yes.”
“Well since you don’t like my ideas for an evening’s entertainment, I thought I’d go along with you, if you don’t mind.”
Nicola hid a grin, knowing that Meg only wanted some diversion from the occupants of the house and was not intrigued by Frances’s issues at all. “I don’t mind.”
Meg sprang up and stepped around the bath to look out of the small window. “I’m bored.”
“I know.”
Fiddling with the curtain, Meg sighed. “I hardly see you anymore. That Frances takes up all of your time. If it’s not the soup kitchen, it’s all that rights nonsense. If it’s not that, then it’s going out on other charity work.”
“I like to be busy.”
“How do you expect to get employment though, when you’re never home to write applications?”
Nicola frowned. It was true. She’d not looked for work in the last two days. She would have to find some form of permanent income soon. Frances, now a firm friend, expected total dependability, which Nicola would be happy to give if only she had a private income to meet her living expenses.
A scream echoed up from downstairs and for a second Meg and Nicola looked at each other in surprise. They heard rushing footsteps and suddenly both of them were whipping open the door.
Emily, tears streaming down her face, ran across the landing. “Nicola, Meg, you must come!”
Nicola reached for her shawl and wrapped it over her shoulders. “What has happened?”
“Mr Eldersley has collapsed in the kitchen!”
As the three women spun around and headed back downstairs, Deirdre Burstall came out of her room. “What’s all the fuss about?”
“Mr Eldersley has collapsed.” Meg shouted over her shoulder. “Come and help.”
Racing into the kitchen, Nicola skidded to a halt near the crouching Mrs Eldersley, who held her husband’s head and shoulders in her arms.
“Have you sent for the doctor, Mrs Eldersley?” Nicola whispered, kneeling beside the couple.
The older woman, her eyes blank, shook her head. “It’s too late for a doctor.”
Nicola turned to the women behind her. “Bring Dr Armitage, Meg. Emily, make everyone some tea. Miss Burstall go next door and ask for help. We need men to carry Mr Eldersley upstairs.”
Once the women scuttled to her bidding, Nicola gently rested her hand on Mr Eldersley’s chest. Nothing. Leaning forward, she placed her ear above his mouth. Nothing.
“He dropped to the floor like a stone.” Mrs Eldersley whispered. “We should never have started this business. His health wasn’t up to it, that’s why we left Mr Belfroy’s employment. It was madness to start up this place, but Mr Belfroy insisted we could do it with his help. Seven months he’s lasted since leaving Mr
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