Chagrin

Sydney Walk
November 20th 1852

I am much chastened by Boo's response to my request. She is right, of course, that we must not seek to use the Press for our own ends. I am lucky that such an honourable woman chooses to have a self-serving silly goose like me for a friend. I shall invite her to tea and try to make amends, if that ninny of a maid can see her way to arranging some cakes. The prospect of her serving my London friends with sandwiches makes me quite faint, but I must not sit alone here all Winter simply because I have an idiot in my employ.

By Return

Showcasing the Press

My Dear Boo

I am sending the banker's draft with this note - I have asked the boy to wait and bring me your response, since I shall need proof that he has indeed put it in your hands and not used it to set off for a new life in Pennsylvania, or some such place. I have heard that America is a country where poor people may cast off the shackles of their birth and rise to greatness, although the postboy I am sending does not appear to have much ambition about him. He is a thin little fellow who would be blown overboard by the merest gust of an Atlantic wind. Anyway, please write and tell me you have received the money.

I know that I have been sworn to secrecy about my involvement with The Press, but I am so amazed by our achievements that I am finding it hard not to announce my business interest to Josiah. Do you think now might be an acceptable time to show him some of their work? I only mean to have a few small periodicals or books sent to me, so that I may plan the most propitious moment to show him that I am so much more than a London socialite. Please do not be cross with me for asking - it is only that I am so pleased with the work we have done giving employment to so many eager young women. What do you think, Boo? I am fit to burst with pride.

I shall stand with Dauncey at the window and wait for the next American President to return with your answer!

Yrs

Effie x

My terrible servant

Sydney Walk
November 3rd 1852


We have employed the stupidest girl in Christendom. She can make a fire and heat water to wash with, but beyond that she is useless. She has ruined my blue dress, the one I was planning to wear if we are invited to a party, and she has mislaid my tortoiseshell dressing set, so that my hair has to be put up with horrible little pins. And yesterday she tripped over Dauncey, who was minding his own business on the stairs, and she dropped the bowl and jug from my washstand. This morning I washed from an enamel dish, like a pauper. I have told Josiah that I do not want her working for us any longer, but he insists that she needs time to adjust to our ways.

I almost wish The Girl was back with us - she was competent, despite her ridiculous weeping all the time - but she is now working permanently for Josiah's friend. And since I stopped paying her wages I no longer have any say over what she does. So I can do little but hope this booby improves. If she steps on Dauncey again I shall tread on her head myself to see how she would like it....

New Premises

Sydney Walk
October 29th 1852

I visited the new Press this afternoon - Boo and Mrs Doughty have done tremendous work. They wanted to surprise me so they asked me to take a carriage to an address in Bayswater, where they would meet me and then walk me to the premises nearby. When I alighted, they were giddy as kittens and rushed up with a pretty scarf to cover my eyes in order to prolong the suspense. They chattered over each other in such excitement that I could not work out the route they were guiding me along, and when I told them they should slow down for fear I would never be able to find the place on my own they laughed aloud at my silliness. I have never known them in such a playful mood - it was such fun to be with them again!

The Press is now housed in a most impressive building. It is much larger than the Highgate factory, with a sprawling open ground floor where all the machinery is situated. There were more girls than I could count, all rushing around looking very busy and chattering away as they worked. It is a very happy workplace, for sure.

I wanted to be shown all the upstairs offices - I could see a lot of doors leading off the upper landing - but Boo needed to get back to LB, who has a touch of the croup she said. I do not know what croup is but apparently he needs regular steam baths and Boo was concerned that the maid would not hold his head correctly, or something. So after a whirlwind tour of the shop floor I was put straight into a carriage Mrs Doughty had arranged for me and I came back to Sydney Walk. I did not mind so much because Dauncey was waiting for me in the window and I had to write to Papa's bank to authorise a withdrawal of funds to give to Boo for the Press. I can see now why they needed such a large amount! I shall go back soon and see the rest of it at my leisure - if I can recall how to get there.

Our happy news!

Sydney Walk
October 17th 1852

What a thoughtful man my husband is! He had noticed that I was somewhat deflated at the lack of visitors here since we arrived and so he has given me my very own companion. I now share Sydney Walk with a scrumptious little kitten!

Josiah said he saw him sitting at the bottom of our street steps gazing up at the door waiting patiently for it to open. He said it looked for all the World as if the kitten had been given our address and hurried over to make our acquaintance.

"I would not have been surprised to see him with a little valise, Eff, with a collar and some dried fish inside, ready to move in."

So now Dauncey is a resident, alongside Josiah, myself, Villiers and the maid. I am beginning to see why Boo always looks so exhausted - small creatures are so full of energy they leave no room for any of one's own. And we make quite the happy household. If I listened hard enough I am sure I could hear every one of us purring with contentment.

New rooms, old friends

Sydney Walk
October 14th 1852


This London arrival has been quieter than others. Josiah placed the usual announcement in the newspaper but as yet we have had no callers. I wonder whether we are a little too far away from the centre of London? The rooms are not as well appointed as we have been used to, but nobody could know that until they have visited. Villiers is delighted to be here, he says, as there is so much to do in the evenings. He dashes straight out the moment he is off duty but Josiah and I have yet to venture out after dark - the party season is not quite upon us and we have no wish to go walking abroad just for pleasure.

Even Boo has not been here. I called at hers almost the day we set foot in the City and she was welcoming and warm as ever, but when I invited her to bring Little Bradstone to Sydney Walk she was hesitant and soon found something trivial to discuss instead. I must find out why she does not wish to see us here.

In truth, Bradstone is not so little now, he strides about their house with his hands on his hips like a true gentleman and barks his orders at their maid as if he were born to mastery. It is very amusing to witness and has made me see Boo's husband in quite a different light.

Josiah is busy again, investigating some business idea or other with Mr Waterhouse and Mr Price. He said something about a machine which could harness invisible impulses in the air or some such; I was not properly attending when he told me. But it appears that this machine could make it possible for me to speak to Boo without her being in the same house! It all seems like fanciful nonsense to me but it is keeping him occupied and happy, which is more important.

I shall write again to Mrs Doughty to arrange a visit to the Press now that I am back. Josiah is not the only one to be kept busy with new enterprise.

Back in Touch

Location

Mr & Mrs Josiah Hatherwick are delighted to announce their
Winter Residence in London
at 25 Sydney Walk, Kensington
We shall be at home on Wednesdays after 2 o'clock

Property Search

Eff

Belgrave Square already gone. Have other rooms to see later today. I will stay in Town now, so you must arrange to send our things on. Will send address as soon as secured.

Encountered Waterhouse, who likes the speaking machine idea. Investment needed, I shall approach your father.

Soon

JH

Seeing Double

Blindingham Hall
September 25th 1852

It would seem that I have more in common with the Cornbenches than I thought.

Having returned home last week under the distinct impression that they had pity for me, I could not shake from my head the need to explain our 'situation' further. Quite why their opinion of me should matter I do not fully understand, but I wandered the Hall all the next day composing a speech giving my reasons for housing Cook in her hour of need. Surely they would not expect me to abandon her for ever in that hellish place full of madmen? I had thought it courteous to tell them of our impending absence - were they really concerned that Cook was to stay at Blindingham? I had clearly not explained myself properly and determined that I should see them once more before we leave for London.

So this afternoon, after waving Josiah off as he set out for London to secure our rooms for the Winter, I called Jennet and asked him to drive me over to Lydiatt House again. I had a note with me to leave with their maid if they were not at home, but as we turned up their approach I could see them all playing croquet on their upper lawns. I must say, they do seem to like to spend all their time together in a group. I wondered whether they all sleep in a huge bed and take their baths in an oversized bathtub so that they need never be separated for a moment. As Jennet stilled the horse, Mrs Cornbench swept up to me in the same alarming manner she had greeted me with before.

"Oh, my dear Mrs Hatherwick, how lucky we are to see you again so soon! Do you play?" She offered me her mallet but I did not take it. I could not see how to maintain my dignity and aim for a hoop at the same time. I was invited in to take tea and the whole family settled round me as I drank it. Really, I am sure they must be attached to each other by fine cord.

"I am sure you must be wondering what this second visit is concerning, coming so soon as it does after the first," I began.

"Delighted to see you my dear, couldn't be soon enough!" said Mr Cornbench, beaming at me. "I was only saying to my wife this morning what a pleasure it was to have met you. We have made your husband's acquaintance recently, too. He is quite a character, is he not? A memorable man, we thought." They glanced at each other like naughty children in the schoolroom. I, of course, had no idea they knew Josiah or what he must have done to earn himself such a queer description.

I hardly knew how to continue, but I simply had to explain about poor Cook.

"Mr Hatherwick and I are conscientious employers, Mr Cornbench. We could no more watch a faithful servant suffer than we could pull out our own teeth," I said.

"Of course you couldn't, anyone can see you are the most caring of people," answered he, with a slightly nervous laugh. They looked at each other and then back at me and both smiled as though I had told them a most amusing joke. It occurred to me that they might know more about lunacy than one would have imagined. That would explain why none of them was ever left alone, I suppose.

I told them about Cook's illness as well as I could and they said they had heard talk in the village a year or so ago about Mrs Everdown finding her collapsed on the Green on more than one occasion. It seems she sometimes became unwell after visiting the ale-house to look for Jennet. This was disturbing news to me, since I had thought she was only ever taken ill at the Hall. And since I do not for one moment believe Jennet to be the sort of man who frequents ale-houses, I can think of no reason why she would expect him to be there. I should not be surprised to discover that the poor woman witnessed some abominable sights in there and was overcome with shock.

As I was digesting this new piece of information, Mrs Cornbench spoke gently to me.

"Mrs Hatherwick, please do not spend a moment of your time in London worrying about what is happening here. As I said before, we are more than happy to visit the Hall regularly to keep watch over your staff. It is no trouble at all to us to help ensure you have an enjoyable Winter. It would be a pleasure, wouldn't it Arthur?" She touched my sleeve with her tiny little hands and smiled at her husband, again.

After a while I decided we had said enough about the matter. I thanked them for their kind offer and agreed that they would be allowed in whenever they chose to call. I promised to send them our address as soon as I knew it, in case they needed to contact me. Not that anything untoward would happen, they assured me.

As I went to leave the house I passed the open door of a room I assumed was Mr Cornbench's study. He has an Indian Tea-chest exactly like the one Papa gave me! I did not mention it - to do so would have been an admission that I had been looking too closely into a private room - but I was amazed to learn that there are two such chests in the County. I must mention Mr Cornbench's name to Papa - perhaps they were travelling in the Indias at the same time - heavens, they may even know of each other! Papa may be able to confirm whether or not Mr Cornbench is as unhinged as he seems.....

Neighbourhood Watch

B'ham Hall September 16th 1852

I had occasion to visit our nearest neighbours yesterday. Mr Cornbench and his tiny wife have lived at Lydiatt House for a good few years now and have become established in the village almost as soundly as Josiah and I. They are a nice enough couple and she, despite being no bigger than a sparrow, has produced two strapping boys and a brace of girls. I do not warm to them, though, for reasons I can not fully express. However, being the next family after ours in importance, I felt I should apprise them of our plans to spend the Winter in Town, leaving a lunatic living in the Hall. I hesitated, of course, to refer to Cook in such terms directly, but I cannot pretend in this my journal that she is anything other. If she runs finally mad and burns the hall to its foundations, I feel it my duty to have warned the Cornbenches in case they wonder what the distant fires might be...

Jennet drove me over to Lydiatt - it is too far to walk even though it can be clearly seen from the belltower here - and I found the whole family at dinner together. Mr Cornbench was carving a fine bird and the children were singing some nursery song or rhyme to their mother. They do not stand on ceremony overmuch so the maid had shown me straight into the dining room with no announcement at all, like a physician in an emergency. The children broke off singing as I removed my cloak.

"My dear Mrs Hatherwick!" cried Mrs Cornbench as she swept towards me "How lovely to see you in our home. Please excuse our being at table." She motioned one of the boys aside and I was welcomed to sit between him and his mother as if I had lived with them all my life. "Would you care for some guinea fowl, my dear?" said Mr Cornbench as he drew his knives together, "We have been saddened to hear of your situation, lately and have been wondering how we could be of assistance."

I flushed as red as the cranberry sauce on the table. Villiers, or somebody, must have spoken freely about poor Cook and now we were the talk of the village!

"We are happy that our 'situation', as you put it, is proving to be of some helpfulness to those less fortunate than ourselves." I answered. 'How refreshing that you view it in that way!" said he, passing me a plate laden with the best cut of the bird.

Remembering the reason for my visit, I told them in the least alarming terms I could muster that they were now neighbours to a Hall peopled entirely by servants and half-wits (I include the Everdown girl in this, of course). Mrs Cornbench was not at all perturbed at the news and even offered to send her staff over daily to check that all is in order. She held my arm and assured me that Josiah and I must not give Blindingham a second thought while we are away. Her husband and sons all nodded their commitment to keeping a wary eye on my home.

I should be feeling happier to leave for London, I suppose, but I cannot help wondering why they seemed so keen to come to our aid. I do not want their servants wandering in the Hall every day. I shall tell Josiah of their offer and see if he thinks it a generous one. I do hope they are not simply in awe of us and planning to pretend to own the Hall in our absence.

Respite

Dearest Boo

Now that the cooler winds are upon us, I can feel us being pulled ever closer to London - I am beside myself in anticipation of seeing you all again! Josiah is planning to come up very soon to secure our rooms. I am hoping we can be in Brunswick Square again and I know Josiah is keen to be near his old associate - you know, the one we have allowed the Girl to work for over the Summer. I have been quite firm about not wishing that arrangement to continue and have insisted that her wages are not paid by us for as long as she is in his household. I had to warn Josiah that I should be taking advice from Papa if he did not accede to my wishes and he was horribly stern with me in retaliation, but he assured me the Girl's income would be found from elsewhere and so I am satisfied. After all, the widower for whom she works cannot be in want of funds, living as he does at such a fine address.

Do you remember me telling you about the man from the village who had inspired Jennet with his talk of Chinese furniture, or some such notion? Well you would not recognise Blindingham now - it is practically stripped bare. Oh, it is such an improvement, Boo, you must be careful I do not call upon you to cast your belongings aside as well! Josiah has been most assiduous in his paring down operation and almost all the heavy things, which he says had been sucking the energy from us, are all gone - banished to the lumber rooms in the servants' quarters, he says. It is a remarkably freeing experience to wander the rooms downstairs now. Instead of weaving my way carefully amongst the chairs and sideboards I can dance like a dervish from one doorway to the next! Really, I cannot recommend it enough.

In my excitement about coming back to London I quite forgot about poor Cook, whose mind is still unravelled I am sorry to report. I will not countenance bringing her with us - the bustle and noise would be too much for her fragile senses to bear - so I have left Josiah to decide whether to leave her in Mrs Everdown's care or keep the Nurse on. I confess that I am so keen to relax my own duties where she is concerned that I do not much care which decision he makes.

So, we shall soon be Londoners together again.

Til October!

yrs

Effx