lowered the broom; it was no use trying to explain. She glanced anxiously at Stinger hanging on the wall, and her backside was already tingling in anticipation of the next assault.
Maisie scrambled to her feet, pointing at Eliza. ‘She done it, missis. She come in flaunting herself and she broke them plates on purpose, just to spite me.’
‘Shut up, you drunken fool. You’ve been at the jigger gin again, Maisie. I’ve warned you a hundred times what’ll happen if you pour that foul stuff down your throat.’
Muttering and whining, Maisie crawled over to her chair and sat upon it, shivering. ‘I only takes a drop of two to ease me twinges, missis. When the miseries get into me bones there’s nothing to ease them but a drop or two of gin.’
While attention was diverted away from herself, Eliza struggled with the knot in the ribbon. Then Mrs Tubbs turned to stare at her and Eliza’s hands shook as she noted the appraising look in her employer’s eyes.
‘That colour brings out the blue in your eyes, Eliza.’ Mrs Tubbs stood with arms akimbo, smiling and looking Eliza up and down until she felt like a prime beef animal in Smithfield Market. ‘How old are you, Eliza?’
She was tempted to lie, but attending church three times a day on Sunday had left its mark on Eliza and she had to tell the truth. ‘Thirteen today, missis.’
‘Ah! Thirteen, you’re almost a woman and you ain’t half bad-looking now I take a proper look-see. How do you fancy training to be a chambermaid then, Eliza?’
Shaking her head, Eliza finally managed to undo the ribbon and she yanked the bonnet off her head, stowing it at the back of the broom cupboard. ‘If it’s all the same to you, missis, I’d rather stick to the job I’ve got.’
Mrs Tubbs waddled across the floor towards her, hooking her arm around Eliza’s shoulders. ‘Come now, dearie. Wouldn’t you like three square meals a day and a pretty new dress to match that fine bonnet?’ She cast a meaningful look at Stinger.
Eliza shook her head. ‘No ma’am, I’d rather keep to what I know.’
‘Then it’s time we had a chat with Stinger,’ Mrs Tubbs said, snatching the cane from the wall. ‘Bend over, Eliza. Maybe a taste of Stinger’s medicine will help you change your mind.’
Stiff and sore, Eliza was cleaning out the grate in the upstairs parlour when the door opened and Dr Prince came in. She was not supposed to be inthe public rooms when the lodgers were about, but it was mid-morning and she had not expected any of the gents to be in residence. Clambering to her feet, she muttered an apology.
‘Don’t mind me, Eliza. I was just looking for a lost collar stud.’ Dr Prince grinned ruefully. ‘Can’t find the damn thing anywhere. I’m always losing the little devils, and it don’t do for a professional gent to turn up at someone’s front door with his collar half undone.’
He looked so pleasant and friendly that Eliza found herself smiling back at him. ‘I suppose not, sir.’
‘Help me look, there’s a good girl. If you find it, I’ll give you a farthing.’ He began rummaging around on the sofa, sending cushions flying onto the floor.
Eliza set the bucket back in the hearth and immediately spotted an ivory collar stud lying in the grate. She bent to pick it up, uttering an involuntary grunt of pain as her sore muscles went into spasm. Mrs Tubbs had meant business this morning when she used Stinger. Eliza had not given in, but she knew that this was the first of many beatings to come if she didn’t accept her terms.
‘Is anything wrong, Eliza?’
She looked up to find Dr Prince eyeing her with a concerned look in his startlingly blue eyes. ‘No, sir. I mean yes, I’m a bit stiff.’
He put his head on one side. ‘Have you been horse riding, young lady?’
Responding to the twinkle in his eyes, Eliza found herself chuckling at the ridiculous thought that she might be rich enough to own a horse, or even hire one from a livery
Maisie scrambled to her feet, pointing at Eliza. ‘She done it, missis. She come in flaunting herself and she broke them plates on purpose, just to spite me.’
‘Shut up, you drunken fool. You’ve been at the jigger gin again, Maisie. I’ve warned you a hundred times what’ll happen if you pour that foul stuff down your throat.’
Muttering and whining, Maisie crawled over to her chair and sat upon it, shivering. ‘I only takes a drop of two to ease me twinges, missis. When the miseries get into me bones there’s nothing to ease them but a drop or two of gin.’
While attention was diverted away from herself, Eliza struggled with the knot in the ribbon. Then Mrs Tubbs turned to stare at her and Eliza’s hands shook as she noted the appraising look in her employer’s eyes.
‘That colour brings out the blue in your eyes, Eliza.’ Mrs Tubbs stood with arms akimbo, smiling and looking Eliza up and down until she felt like a prime beef animal in Smithfield Market. ‘How old are you, Eliza?’
She was tempted to lie, but attending church three times a day on Sunday had left its mark on Eliza and she had to tell the truth. ‘Thirteen today, missis.’
‘Ah! Thirteen, you’re almost a woman and you ain’t half bad-looking now I take a proper look-see. How do you fancy training to be a chambermaid then, Eliza?’
Shaking her head, Eliza finally managed to undo the ribbon and she yanked the bonnet off her head, stowing it at the back of the broom cupboard. ‘If it’s all the same to you, missis, I’d rather stick to the job I’ve got.’
Mrs Tubbs waddled across the floor towards her, hooking her arm around Eliza’s shoulders. ‘Come now, dearie. Wouldn’t you like three square meals a day and a pretty new dress to match that fine bonnet?’ She cast a meaningful look at Stinger.
Eliza shook her head. ‘No ma’am, I’d rather keep to what I know.’
‘Then it’s time we had a chat with Stinger,’ Mrs Tubbs said, snatching the cane from the wall. ‘Bend over, Eliza. Maybe a taste of Stinger’s medicine will help you change your mind.’
Stiff and sore, Eliza was cleaning out the grate in the upstairs parlour when the door opened and Dr Prince came in. She was not supposed to be inthe public rooms when the lodgers were about, but it was mid-morning and she had not expected any of the gents to be in residence. Clambering to her feet, she muttered an apology.
‘Don’t mind me, Eliza. I was just looking for a lost collar stud.’ Dr Prince grinned ruefully. ‘Can’t find the damn thing anywhere. I’m always losing the little devils, and it don’t do for a professional gent to turn up at someone’s front door with his collar half undone.’
He looked so pleasant and friendly that Eliza found herself smiling back at him. ‘I suppose not, sir.’
‘Help me look, there’s a good girl. If you find it, I’ll give you a farthing.’ He began rummaging around on the sofa, sending cushions flying onto the floor.
Eliza set the bucket back in the hearth and immediately spotted an ivory collar stud lying in the grate. She bent to pick it up, uttering an involuntary grunt of pain as her sore muscles went into spasm. Mrs Tubbs had meant business this morning when she used Stinger. Eliza had not given in, but she knew that this was the first of many beatings to come if she didn’t accept her terms.
‘Is anything wrong, Eliza?’
She looked up to find Dr Prince eyeing her with a concerned look in his startlingly blue eyes. ‘No, sir. I mean yes, I’m a bit stiff.’
He put his head on one side. ‘Have you been horse riding, young lady?’
Responding to the twinkle in his eyes, Eliza found herself chuckling at the ridiculous thought that she might be rich enough to own a horse, or even hire one from a livery
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