a heavy tread outside her door was followed by Wileyâs booming voice.
âMiss Mirabel, I have a request from Mrs Cutler.â
âThe answer is still no, Wiley.â
âYour father will be informed of your behaviour.â
Mirabel laid a soothing hand on Gertieâs forehead. âDo what you like. I donât care.â
âYouâve been warned, miss.â
She leapt to her feet and ran to the door. âDonât threaten me, Wiley. Youâre little better than a thief. Iâll tell Pa that youâre still stealing his wine, and if he doesnât believe me Iâll go to the police.â
âYou canât prove anything against me.â
âMaybe not, but I suspect you have a shady past. Would it stand up to scrutiny by an officer of the law?â
âI could ruin your father, and make your life unbearable. Donât meddle with things you donât understand.â
Gertie uttered a wild cry and Mirabel hurried back to her side, murmuring softly in an attempt to quieten her.
âWhoâs in there with you?â Wiley banged on the door. âOpen up at once, Miss Mirabel.â
âThereâs no one here but me. I banged my head on a rafter. Go away, Wiley. Leave me alone.â She could hear him swearing as he retreated, but with the danger past even for a short while she heaved a sigh of relief. âYou nearly gave the game away then, Gertie. What am I going to do with you?â
She sat on the floor beside the bed, hoping that Ernestine would give up her efforts to flush her out of her room, but now their mutual animus was out in the open and she realised that nothing would be the same. Ernestine had been looking for an opportunity to rid herself of her stepdaughter and Mirabel knew she had given her the perfect excuse. With Wiley on her side Ernestine had an even greater advantage; Jacob would crumble beneath their combined pressure.
Time seemed to have stood still in the stuffy attic room. Mirabel bathed Gertie with cold water in an attempt to bring down the fever, but there was little else she could do. The ewer was almost empty and the slop bucket had to be taken downstairs to be emptied in the privy. Mirabel had grown used to seeing to her own needs since being consigned to the top floor, but now she was trapped until such time as her stepmother decided to leave the house. With Gertie sleeping fitfully, she took up her position at the window and eventually her patience was rewarded by the sight of Ernestine and her daughters emerging from the porch, making their way towards Seething Lane. She waited for a while longer, giving Wiley time to settle down with the brandy bottle, and then she seized her chance.
Mrs James was up to her elbows in flour but she stopped rolling out the pastry to stare at Mirabel. âWhat a commotion you caused, miss. We thought that the mistress was going to have a seizure she carried on so, and those girls of hers were shouting and screaming fit to bust.â
âIs Wiley in his room, Cook?â
âWhere else would he be when the master and mistress are out? That man is a drunken sot, but he gets away with it.â
âI know he does, and I donât understand it any more than you do.â Mirabel moved to the range and lifted the lid on a large saucepan. âThat smells delicious. Iâll take a bowl up to my room, and some bread and butter.â She took a dish from the dresser and filled it with soup. âAnd I need some laudanum. Do you know where Mrs Cutler keeps it?â
âAre you poorly, Miss Mirabel?â
âItâs nothing more than a headache. A couple of drops of laudanum will make it go away.â
âYes, miss, of course. I donât know if the mistress has any in her room. You could ask Flossie, she does the cleaning upstairs.â
âIâll do that. Where is she now?â
âI sent her out to get some onions from the market, but she should be
Marguerite Henry, Bonnie Shields