stable. ‘No, sir.’
‘Then my guess is that someone has seen fit to tan your hide. Am I right?’
Eliza held out her hand with the collar stud resting on her palm. ‘I found it in the grate, sir.’
Dr Prince took it but his eyes never left her face and he ran his hand through his wavy bronze hair. ‘Thank you, Eliza.’
‘You’re welcome, sir.’
‘Now answer me truthfully. Did Mrs Tubbs beat you?’
Eliza stared down at her new boots.
‘I guessed as much. Now a hiding from Mrs Tubbs, with all that considerable weight behind her, would be rather painful. I have a special ointment in my medicine case that will alleviate all the soreness. Come to my room, Eliza, and I’ll give you some to take home with you.’
Going to a gentleman’s room meant only one thing, according to the other girls. Startled and ready to run out of the door, Eliza shook her head. ‘No, ta for the offer, but it’s better already.’
‘You needn’t be afraid of me, Eliza. I’m a medical man.’
She snatched up the bucket filled with ashes,clutching it in front of her like a shield. ‘I ain’t allowed in the gents’ rooms.’
‘Wait.’ He caught hold of Eliza’s hand as she went past him. ‘Has that woman been threatening you? You can trust me. I know exactly what goes on in this establishment. If it wasn’t so cheap, I wouldn’t stop here another night. Come, child. You can tell me.’
‘Please leave me be, sir. I’m all right, really I am.’ Glancing up at Dr Prince, Eliza saw that he was frowning: she could tell by the expression in his eyes that he did not believe her.
‘I’m not convinced, but I won’t say anything more on the subject, for now.’
Eliza bobbed a curtsey and hurried back to the kitchen where she found Maisie sprawled on the floor, face down, with an empty bottle clutched in her hand. Stepping over her, Eliza set about clearing up the broken china and washing the pots and pans from last night’s dinner. She had just finished when Mrs Tubbs sailed into the room, stopping short to stare down at Maisie’s prostrate figure with an exclamation of annoyance. ‘Get up, Carter.’
Maisie groaned, but did not move.
‘Get up this instant or you’re sacked.’ Mrs Tubbs prodded Maisie in the ribs with the toe of her shoe. ‘Do you hear me?’
Maisie rolled over onto her side and opened one bleary eye. ‘Is it morning yet?’
‘You’re drunk and you’re sacked.’ Aiming a savage kick at Maisie’s ribs, Mrs Tubbs staggered and almost came down on top of her.
‘You can’t sack me,’ Maisie said thickly. ‘I’m your sister.’
‘Sister or no, you’re a drunkard and I’m sick of carrying you. Either get up and start cooking them joints of meat before they walk out of the larder on their own, or get out of my house for good.’
Eliza stared, open-mouthed. She had often wondered why Mrs Tubbs kept Maisie on, and now she had the answer. Surely two sisters could never have been so unalike in appearance? Although, now she came to think of it, they were identical when it came to nastiness.
‘And you, girl.’ Mrs Tubbs turned her fierce gaze on Eliza. ‘What are you staring at?’
‘Nothing, missis.’
‘Get on up them stairs to the dining room; you’re starting your new job as chambermaid today. I’ve got your replacement all ready to take over cleaning the kitchen.’ She turned to point her finger at a small girl cowering in the doorway. ‘Come here, child, don’t stand there snivelling.’
Maisie got to her feet, lurched sideways and landed on her chair with a grunt. ‘Throw that one back, sister, she’s too small to be of any use.’
Mrs Tubbs caught the unfortunate child by theear and dragged her into the kitchen. ‘This here is Millie, and she’s the new scullery maid. You, Eliza, you show her what to do and then get up them stairs, double-quick.’
Staring at the terrified girl, Eliza felt anger boil up inside her. Millie was puny and undersized; she was
‘Then my guess is that someone has seen fit to tan your hide. Am I right?’
Eliza held out her hand with the collar stud resting on her palm. ‘I found it in the grate, sir.’
Dr Prince took it but his eyes never left her face and he ran his hand through his wavy bronze hair. ‘Thank you, Eliza.’
‘You’re welcome, sir.’
‘Now answer me truthfully. Did Mrs Tubbs beat you?’
Eliza stared down at her new boots.
‘I guessed as much. Now a hiding from Mrs Tubbs, with all that considerable weight behind her, would be rather painful. I have a special ointment in my medicine case that will alleviate all the soreness. Come to my room, Eliza, and I’ll give you some to take home with you.’
Going to a gentleman’s room meant only one thing, according to the other girls. Startled and ready to run out of the door, Eliza shook her head. ‘No, ta for the offer, but it’s better already.’
‘You needn’t be afraid of me, Eliza. I’m a medical man.’
She snatched up the bucket filled with ashes,clutching it in front of her like a shield. ‘I ain’t allowed in the gents’ rooms.’
‘Wait.’ He caught hold of Eliza’s hand as she went past him. ‘Has that woman been threatening you? You can trust me. I know exactly what goes on in this establishment. If it wasn’t so cheap, I wouldn’t stop here another night. Come, child. You can tell me.’
‘Please leave me be, sir. I’m all right, really I am.’ Glancing up at Dr Prince, Eliza saw that he was frowning: she could tell by the expression in his eyes that he did not believe her.
‘I’m not convinced, but I won’t say anything more on the subject, for now.’
Eliza bobbed a curtsey and hurried back to the kitchen where she found Maisie sprawled on the floor, face down, with an empty bottle clutched in her hand. Stepping over her, Eliza set about clearing up the broken china and washing the pots and pans from last night’s dinner. She had just finished when Mrs Tubbs sailed into the room, stopping short to stare down at Maisie’s prostrate figure with an exclamation of annoyance. ‘Get up, Carter.’
Maisie groaned, but did not move.
‘Get up this instant or you’re sacked.’ Mrs Tubbs prodded Maisie in the ribs with the toe of her shoe. ‘Do you hear me?’
Maisie rolled over onto her side and opened one bleary eye. ‘Is it morning yet?’
‘You’re drunk and you’re sacked.’ Aiming a savage kick at Maisie’s ribs, Mrs Tubbs staggered and almost came down on top of her.
‘You can’t sack me,’ Maisie said thickly. ‘I’m your sister.’
‘Sister or no, you’re a drunkard and I’m sick of carrying you. Either get up and start cooking them joints of meat before they walk out of the larder on their own, or get out of my house for good.’
Eliza stared, open-mouthed. She had often wondered why Mrs Tubbs kept Maisie on, and now she had the answer. Surely two sisters could never have been so unalike in appearance? Although, now she came to think of it, they were identical when it came to nastiness.
‘And you, girl.’ Mrs Tubbs turned her fierce gaze on Eliza. ‘What are you staring at?’
‘Nothing, missis.’
‘Get on up them stairs to the dining room; you’re starting your new job as chambermaid today. I’ve got your replacement all ready to take over cleaning the kitchen.’ She turned to point her finger at a small girl cowering in the doorway. ‘Come here, child, don’t stand there snivelling.’
Maisie got to her feet, lurched sideways and landed on her chair with a grunt. ‘Throw that one back, sister, she’s too small to be of any use.’
Mrs Tubbs caught the unfortunate child by theear and dragged her into the kitchen. ‘This here is Millie, and she’s the new scullery maid. You, Eliza, you show her what to do and then get up them stairs, double-quick.’
Staring at the terrified girl, Eliza felt anger boil up inside her. Millie was puny and undersized; she was
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