A New Day Read online

  ‘Our father drives a battleship with lots of guns. Do you know what your brother’s ship is like?’

  ‘It will be quite different.’ She glanced at Captain Harcourt. ‘Royal Navy, sir?’ And when he nodded she began to explain the difference between the two services. The boys listened with rapt attention until she had finished.

  ‘Thank you,’ they both said together, and then ran back to their mother, wanting to tell her about the things Hanna had told them.

  She glanced up and saw Captain Harcourt studying her intently. ‘Is your brother the only family you have?’

  ‘Yes, sir.’

  ‘You are going to miss him, but he can make a good life for himself if he is willing to work hard.’

  She nodded. ‘It’s the first time we have been parted, but Jack will be free. He isn’t afraid of hard work and loves ships. We’ve spent hours at the docks watching them sail in and out.’ Her smile spread as she remembered. ‘When he was little he was always begging me to take him to see the boats.’

  ‘He’s younger than you, then.’

  ‘A little, sir,’ she said cautiously, not wanting to give away Jack’s age.

  The man sitting opposite her wasn’t fooled, and said gently, ‘Don’t worry, I ran away to sea when I was only fifteen, and as soon as I was old enough I joined the Royal Navy. I fully understand your brother’s desire to go to sea.’

  ‘I’m sure you do, sir,’ she replied with relief.

  He stood up. ‘Do you boys want to help me pack my bag?’ When the twins yelped with delight and ran to his side, he said, ‘Say goodbye to Hanna and thank her for agreeing to come and look after you.’

  Two heads swivelled round and when their gorgeous eyes fixed on her she couldn’t help smiling. Now they appeared to be violet, not blue. How extraordinary.

  ‘Thank you,’ they said in unison. ‘When are you coming to live with us?’

  ‘Tomorrow afternoon.’

  One of the boys stepped closer. ‘That’s good because our father is going back to his ship in the morning so we’ll all be feeling sad.’

  ‘My brother is leaving then as well, so we’ll be able to cheer each other up.’

  They nodded, smiling again, and she was surprised when the one who had spoken reached out and touched her hand.

  ‘Do you know lots of stories?’ he asked.

  ‘Hundreds.’ She tipped her head to one side, studying them for a moment. ‘I expect you like stories of knights on brave adventures.’

  ‘Yes, yes!’ Their faces were glowing now in anticipation of all the tales they were going to hear.

  ‘Come on, boys, you can talk to Hanna tomorrow.’

  Rushing over to their father they left the room, their excited chatter fading as they climbed the stairs.

  There was silence for a few moments before Hanna asked Mrs Harcourt, ‘How do you tell them apart?’

  ‘Physically it’s almost impossible, but their personalities are different. Andrew is the quieter of the two, more thoughtful and shows his emotions. He’s the one who came close to you just now. David is always on the go, wanting to see and do everything. He will plague you with requests for adventure, and –’ she smiled wryly – ‘you won’t get any hugs from him when they get to know you.’

  ‘It sounds as if David has his father’s sense of adventure.’

  ‘That is so, but it seems as if my husband’s character has been shared by the two boys – one all action, the other kind and loving. Andrew tries to keep his brother in check. They are a handful, Hanna, but when I saw you with the children at the orphanage I was sure you would be able to handle them. And from what I’ve seen so far I believe I was right. The boys have already taken to you.’

  ‘I will love looking after them, Mrs Harcourt, and thank you for offering me the job. It has come at just the right time.’ She stood up. ‘If you will excuse me, please, I must get back.’

  ‘Of course.’ Jane Harcourt stood as well, her expression serious. ‘If you have any trouble leaving the orphanage so soon, then tell them to contact me.’

  ‘Thank you, I’ll do that.’

  Hanna hardly remembered the journey back to Lambeth; her mind was in a whirl with everything she had to do. The first stop was at the greengrocer’s shop to see Jack. She was selecting apples from a box outside when her brother came out of the shop. He handed her a paper bag, and as she put the choice pieces of fruit in the bag, she whispered, ‘I’ve got the job, Jack, and I start tomorrow afternoon.’

  ‘Wonderful!’ He sighed with relief.

  ‘What you doing here?’

  ‘Buying some of your beautiful apples, Mr Talbot,’ she said politely, not wanting to do anything to raise this man’s suspicions. ‘You’ve got the best ones I’ve seen, and I thought I’d give the youngest children at the orphanage a treat.’

  ‘Humph, well don’t stand here gossiping. Jack ain’t got time to waste. Weigh them for her and then get back to shifting those crates. And you make sure you charge her full price.’

  ‘Yes, sir.’ Jack put them on the scales with his hand underneath so they wouldn’t register properly, then he took one coin from Hanna. He stepped close and whispered in her ear. ‘The mean old devil; these are only a penny to you. See you tomorrow, like we said.’

  ‘Tomorrow,’ she replied, putting the rest of her money back in her pocket. She needed every bit she could scrape together to give Jack in the morning.

  Two

  Although it was the beginning of July, Hanna shivered as she waited at the end of the road for Jack in the early hours of the morning. She had managed to slip out of the orphanage without anyone noticing, but would her brother be able to get away unseen? He had to! She would give him a little longer, and if he didn’t come she would darn well go and get him. Nothing must stop him. This was his chance for a new life, a chance to do something he had always dreamed about, and she was damned if that brute of a man was going to stop him.

  A movement further down the road caught her attention, and she watched anxiously. When she could make out the figure of her brother, she nearly cried out with relief. Without a word he grabbed her arm and they ran as fast as they could, not stopping until they were well away from the Talbot shop.

  ‘I was afraid you weren’t going to get away,’ she gasped.

  ‘It wasn’t easy. I felt as if he was watching my every move this morning, but I wasn’t going to let anything or anyone stop me.’ They had reached the main road to the docks, and Jack was looking anxiously around.

  ‘I hope we haven’t missed that lorry,’ she said.

  ‘A man told me he comes every day without fail.’ Jack put his head to one side, listening, and stepped into the road, waving to catch the driver’s attention. ‘Ah, this could be him.’

  ‘If you’re going to the docks then hop in,’ the man said as he pulled up.

  They settled in the back of the truck, and by the time they reached the docks he had picked up about a dozen men. Hanna was glad to get out because she had been teased all the way, and it had been a new experience for her. They thought it highly amusing that a girl should be sharing their lift to the docks.

  When they reached the ship Jack was going to sail on he stood gazing at it, a smile on his face. ‘She’s a general cargo ship. Isn’t she beautiful! North Star, she’s called.’

  Hanna thought she was big and ugly, but she agreed with her brother, not wanting to spoil his excitement. This was a huge step for him to take, and her heart beat with pride for the courage he was showing. She was determined to be just as brave, even though her heart was aching at the thought of saying goodbye to him for a while. They had never been apart in their lives before.

  ‘Hello, I saw you in the office yesterday, didn’t I? You’re Jack Foster, aren’t you?’

  ‘Yes, sir,’ he said to the man who had approached them.

  ‘You don’t need to call me sir. Frank’s my name and I’m the cook.’ He gave Hanna a curious look. ‘And who is this? Your girl?�
�

  ‘No,’ Jack laughed. ‘This is my sister, Hanna. She’s come to see me off.’

  ‘Pleased to meet you, Hanna. Don’t you worry about Jack, because we’ll take good care of him.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She returned his smile.

  ‘We’d better get on board, Jack. Say goodbye to your sister. We’re on our way to New Zealand, but we’ll be back in time for Christmas.’

  Jack hugged her, suddenly looking apprehensive and a little tearful now the moment of parting had arrived.

  ‘Write when you can – and good luck.’ It was a struggle to keep her own tears at bay, but she managed it. ‘Have a good, safe voyage, and when you get back we’ll make it the best darned Christmas we’ve ever had.’

  While they had been standing on the dock the sky had begun to brighten as the sun peeped over the horizon. ‘Look, Jack, a new day.’

  He nodded. ‘A new day, and a new beginning for both of us.’

  Without another word he turned and walked away with Frank. She watched as he boarded the ship, and then settled herself on an old crate to wait for them to sail.

  It was two hours before the ship began to move away and she scanned the rail hoping to see Jack and give him a last wave, but there was no sign of him. She didn’t turn away until the ship was almost out of sight, and only then did she make her way back to the orphanage. Jack was safely away from Talbot, and now it was time to cut her ties with the orphanage and begin her new life.

  A voice she knew only too well could be clearly heard when she walked in the door. Talbot was demanding to know where Jack was. Knowing this moment had to be faced, she braced herself and walked into the office.

  Talbot spun round to face her, his face bright red with anger. ‘Where is he?’

  ‘Somewhere you can’t get at him.’ She had no intention of telling him where Jack really was.

  ‘You’ll tell me where he is, girl!’

  She didn’t flinch or move away when he came close to her, even though his hands were clenched into fists. She knew he wanted to beat the information out of her, but if he did she would lash out as well. It didn’t matter now. Jack was out of his way, and she would be as well soon. ‘No! You’ll never find him.’

  ‘He’s mine and you’ll bloody well tell me where you’ve hidden him!’ He gripped her shoulders painfully and shook her.

  ‘Take your hands off me! You’re a bully. Are you really surprised that my brother wanted to get away from you?’

  When his fingers bit into her thin shoulders she turned her head and looked at the woman who was in charge of the orphanage. ‘Call the police, Mrs Buxton, this man is attacking me.’

  ‘There’s no need for that,’ he snarled, stepping away from her and looking at Mrs Buxton. ‘You order this girl to tell me where the boy is. He can’t run away because we’ve adopted him. He’s mine and I want him back!’

  ‘You haven’t legally adopted him yet and he has every right to leave if he wants to.’

  ‘Hanna, you must tell us where Jack is. He’s too young to be out on his own, and he might not be safe.’ Mrs Buxton looked flustered.

  ‘He isn’t on his own, and he is safer than he was with Mr Talbot.’

  ‘I can’t force Hanna to tell us where he is, Mr Talbot. I’m so sorry.’

  ‘You haven’t heard the last of this, Mrs Buxton. If he doesn’t come back then you will owe me!’ he stated with menace. He stormed out and slammed the door with such force that the old building almost rocked on its foundations.

  Taking a deep breath Hanna faced the woman she had always considered quite incompetent to be in charge of so many vulnerable children. ‘How could you have let that odious man keep my brother? I told you time and time again that he was beating Jack, but you did nothing. You’re not fit to be in charge of children, and I’m going to do my best to see that you are removed from this job!’

  That brought a reaction. ‘Who do you think you’re talking to? Where is your brother?’

  ‘None of your business! And as soon as I’ve collected my bag I’m leaving as well. You won’t see either of us again.’

  How Hanna climbed the stairs to her room she didn’t know. Her legs were shaking and her shoulders hurt where Talbot had gripped her, but she wouldn’t show any sign of weakness because Mrs Buxton was following her. Her bag was already packed, and she picked it up.

  ‘Where do you think you’re going?’ the woman demanded. ‘You are both being very foolish. If you think you can survive on your own then you are mistaken. You are only used to the institution, and will not be able to cope outside. That is why we persuaded you to let your brother go to Mr and Mrs Talbot.’

  ‘Yes, I did agree, thinking it would be right for my brother, but it was a terrible mistake. At least while he was here I could protect him, but there was little I could do to stop him being thrashed while he was in their house.’ She glared at the woman in charge. ‘And you did nothing!’

  ‘It was out of my hands. Jack made no effort to fit in with the Talbots.’

  ‘What absolute rubbish! No one would fit in with them. Talbot is a bully and a coward! You could have reported him and had Jack taken from him, but that was too much trouble for you, wasn’t it? Get out of my way.’

  ‘You won’t last long. You’ll soon be back begging me to take you in again.’

  Shaking her head in disbelief, Hanna stormed out and walked quickly towards the bus stop. That wasn’t the way she had intended to leave. A polite, dignified exit had been planned, but there hadn’t been anything dignified about her outburst. She had always held her tongue in an effort to protect both of them from any unpleasantness, but that was no longer necessary, and her anger had spilled out. Well, that couldn’t be helped now. What was done was done, and couldn’t be changed. The past was behind them and they had a future to build.

  The twins rushed to meet her as soon as she arrived at the house. ‘Did you see your brother’s ship?’ they asked.

  ‘Yes. And I watched it sail out to sea. The sun was shining on the water, and it was a beautiful sight.’

  ‘Father has gone, as well, and mother is visiting Grandma. She’ll be back soon, and she told us to look after you.’

  Hanna studied the children, but could not tell them apart yet. She looked at the maid. ‘Do you know who is David and who is Andrew?’

  ‘No idea,’ she laughed. ‘Every time I think I’ve worked it out they play little tricks, and I’m confused again. They enjoy fooling people. It’s a huge joke to them.’

  The twins were grinning.

  ‘Oh, I’ll sort you two out in no time,’ she teased.

  They thought that was very funny, obviously sure she didn’t have a chance, and the two girls joined in with the laughter.

  ‘I’m Mary, by the way,’ the maid told her. ‘And I’m very glad you’re here. Come on, boys, let’s show Hanna her room.’

  ‘You’re next to us.’ Andrew and David spoke together.

  ‘You’ll get used to that,’ Mary explained as they climbed the stairs. ‘They seem to know what the other is thinking and often say the same thing at the same time. But it’s when they’re talking to each other you will have trouble. None of us can understand a word they say then. They seem to have a language of their own. Here we are.’ She threw open a door. ‘This is yours.’

  When Hanna walked into the room she couldn’t believe her eyes. It was huge, and very beautiful. The decor of cream and pale pink took her breath away. ‘This can’t be right, Mary?’

  ‘This is your room.’ One of the boys caught hold of her hand and pulled her towards a door, while the other twin opened it. ‘We’re in here. You’re next to us in case we need anything in the night.’

  ‘But we never do,’ the other one told her. ‘Or not often. We’re very good.’

  ‘I’m sure you are, but I won’t mind you calling me in the night if you need to.’

  The boys gave each other a knowing glance.

  ‘Now they’ve got you where they wa
nt you,’ Mary whispered in her ear, trying not to laugh out loud.

  The rest of the day flew by. Mrs Harcourt arrived home at four o’clock, and insisted that they all have afternoon tea together. By the time the twins were fast asleep, Hanna was drained. It had been an emotional day and she was relieved to climb into her own bed, sinking into the luxurious comfort.

  Tired as she was, sleep didn’t come at once. This was the first quiet moment she had had to herself, and her thoughts naturally turned to her brother. He would be well out to sea now, and she prayed that he was going to be all right on the ship. That man, Frank, had seemed nice enough, and she hoped he meant it when he’d said they would keep an eye on Jack for her.

  For ten years she had looked after him, protected and worried about him. Now he was on his own in a man’s world. She didn’t try to stop the tears flowing, knowing she was going to miss him so much. It had been hard to let him go, but it had been the right thing to do.

  ‘Be happy, Jack,’ she murmured as she fell into an exhausted sleep.

  Three

  ‘Whoops!’ Jack slid along as the ship pitched, landing on his backside. Strong hands lifted him up, and he grinned at the sailor, wondering how he was managing to stay on his feet without holding on to anything. ‘Thanks. I’ve been told to get some grub. But that’s easier said than done. How do you stay upright?’

  ‘You’ll get the hang of it. Come and walk with me and I’ll give you a few tips.’

  At that moment the floor fell away from under his feet and Jack was saved from falling again. He burst out laughing, finding the whole thing hilarious. ‘I certainly need some tips.’

  The sailor grinned at him while holding him steady. ‘What’s your name, lad?’

  ‘Jack.’

  ‘Welcome aboard, Jack. I’m Bill. Do you feel all right?’

  ‘I’m skidding about all over the place and keep getting lost, but apart from that I’m all right. This ship is like a maze.’