Beyond the Sunset (13 page)

‘Is it far to the police station? Will there be someone there at this hour?’

‘There’s a policeman walks round the town centre every night. Mr Blake had a rattle to call him if needed. All the shopkeepers do.’

‘Where is it?’

‘I don’t know, miss. It’s vanished. I think
she
hid it. I asked Mr Prebble about it and he said there was no need for one and the town centre was quite safe.’

‘We’ll have to wait till morning then, unless we see the policeman on duty coming along our street.’

‘We could keep watch from the sitting room, miss. We might see him pass by from there. Only if we put the gas lights on, we’ll not be able to see outside very well.’

‘But he’d notice that the place was lit up. Let’s put all the lights on. Go and light a spill from the kitchen fire.’ She saw Dot hesitating and realised the girl was afraid to go down to the ground floor on her own. ‘We’ll both go and get it. And we’ll make some cocoa afterwards.’

Sure enough, there was a knock on the front door an hour later, and Dot peered out of the window to see a policeman standing there.

‘I’ll go downstairs and let him in, shall I?’ She ran out of the room.

‘I saw the lights. Is everything all right, love?’ he asked.

‘No, we’ve had an intruder. Come up and speak to my mistress.’

He wasn’t much use, Alice thought wryly, watching him look round the house and find nothing. They’d already checked each room themselves, just to be sure.

‘Are you certain you heard something, miss?’ he asked for the third time.

‘Absolutely positive. We both heard the intruder.’ She hesitated, wondering whether to tell him what the intruder had said, but decided to ask Mr Dawson about that first.

‘There’s no sign of anyone breaking in.’

‘He must have had a key, then.’

‘Who would have keys to the shop?’

‘The man who manages it, Harry Prebble. The lawyer, Mr Featherworth. And I don’t know who else the Blakes gave keys to.’

‘I shall have to report this to my sergeant. It’s very puzzling. I’ll walk past every half-hour or so for the rest of the night. You’ll be quite safe now, miss.’

She didn’t feel safe. Half an hour was a long time to manage without help if someone was attacking you. She didn’t go back to bed, couldn’t. She and Dot stayed in the sitting room, each occupying a sofa. Dot was soon asleep again, snuffling softly beneath her quilt like a tired puppy. But Alice didn’t dare sleep in case whoever had a key tried to get back in again.

Who had come and threatened her? And why did he want her to leave?

She could guess who it might be, but she had no proof, so had only included his name among the people she’d mentioned to the police as having keys.

She’d keep an even more careful eye on him from now on, however. And she’d forbid Dot to discuss this incident with anyone, especially those working in the shop.

The next morning she went round to see Mr Featherworth, but he was busy so she found herself talking to his clerk as she waited to see the lawyer.

Ralph stared at her in shock. ‘I can’t believe what I’m hearing, Miss Blair!’

‘I suspect the policeman thought I was imagining it all, but I wasn’t, Mr Dawson. Both Dot and I heard the intruder quite clearly. I don’t want to be driven away, but as things are, anyone can walk into the living quarters from the shop and we’re not sure who has keys to the shop. Why, they might leave the back door unlocked any night by mistake. Neither Dot nor I feel safe there.’

He sat without saying a word, his brow furrowed in thought, then said abruptly, ‘I shall make sure something is done this very day to render the living quarters more secure. Whoever it was who threatened you, was trying to drive you away. I can’t imagine why.’

‘We’ll need to feel secure from those in the shop, too.’ She looked at him, not saying aloud what she suspected.

The look he gave her in return said he knew what she was thinking. ‘I take your point. You didn’t recognise the man’s voice?’

‘No.’

When Mr Featherworth joined them, he was horrified by her news. ‘My dear lady, you must move back to your cousin’s at once. We cannot have you in danger.’

‘I don’t want to move! Apart from the fact that I need the job which gives me time to recover my health, I’d feel ashamed to let whoever it is drive me away.’

‘I can’t understand why anyone would want to.’

She waited for Mr Dawson to say something about that but he didn’t, so she kept her suspicions to herself.

The clerk cleared his throat. ‘Shall I go and examine the premises, sir? There may be something we can do to render them more secure.’

‘But the expense! This is our clients’ money.’

‘And our clients are four young women, who will also need to feel secure there when they return. I’m quite sure they won’t begrudge any money being spent on their safety.’

Mr Featherworth drummed his fingers on his desk, then nodded. ‘You’re right. I shall leave it in your very capable hands, Dawson. But don’t spend more than you need to.’

Walking back with Mr Dawson beside her, Alice felt relaxed enough to chat normally. He was such a sensible, intelligent man. She smiled at him. ‘I’m looking forward to meeting your sister, but if the living quarters haven’t been made secure, I can’t leave Dot on her own.’

‘It’ll only mean postponing your visit. You can come to tea another time.’ As they walked through the private entrance, they heard someone shouting.

Mr Dawson put his finger to his lips and they both listened intently.

‘Tell me where she’s gone or you’ll be sorry!’

‘Miss Blair said not to talk to anyone about it. Mr Prebble, stop! You’re hurting me.’

‘I’m not just
anyone
, am I? I’m the manager of the shop. If you want to keep this job, my girl, you’ll stay on the right side of me and—’

Dot let out a cry of pain and Alice could bear it no longer. She pushed past Mr Dawson and flung open the kitchen door.

‘What are you doing here, Prebble?’

‘Keeping an eye on things, miss. Dot’s behaving so strangely I was worried about you.’

She saw Dot rubbing her arm and moved forward, pushing up the maid’s sleeve to show a bruise already forming, the sort of bruise formed by flesh being deliberately pinched, not by a casual bump. ‘Is that why you hurt her?’

‘I didn’t do that. She must have banged herself on something. She always was clumsy. If I was too zealous—’

‘Wait for me in the shop, Prebble,’ Mr Dawson said curtly.

‘But I—’

The older man didn’t raise his voice, but it rang with authority. ‘Do as I say!’

When Prebble had left them, Mr Dawson looked at Dot. ‘You did right not telling him anything. Well done. I’m sorry he hurt you. He won’t do it again.’

‘He’ll—’ She bit off what she’d been going to say.

‘Tell us,’ Alice said.

She opened her mouth, then shut it and shook her head, whispering in a hoarse voice, ‘I dursn’t, miss. I just – dursn’t talk about him. Not if you dismiss me for it.’

And what did that say about Prebble? Alice wondered. ‘We’ll leave it for now, then. Could you make some tea, please, and bring it upstairs? Take a cup for yourself as well.’ She turned to find Mr Dawson studying the passageway that led from the narrow owner’s entrance hall into the shop via another area used partly for storage.

‘I think we could quite easily put a door in here, with a lock
and
a bolt on your side. We’ll have the lock changed on your outer door too. That should keep you safe.’

‘Dot would appreciate a bolt inside her bedroom as well.’

He nodded. ‘May I look round the rest of the premises?’

‘Certainly.’ She led the way upstairs and they walked round the bedrooms in silence before moving upstairs again.

‘The attics must be made safe as well,’ he said after they’d checked the bedrooms.

They went up the narrow stairs to the attics.

‘There!’ He pointed and wove his way through the discarded items to the left-hand side of the big space to reveal another door, half-hidden by a pile of boxes. He tried to open it and found it locked with no sign of a key on their side. ‘This needs seeing to as well. It leads into the other attics, which are used for storage for the shop.’

‘I’d not have thought of that way of getting in.’ To her annoyance her voice wobbled a little.

He came back to say gently, ‘We’ll have it all made secure before the day is over, I promise you, Miss Blair. I’ll not stay for a cup of tea now, because I need to get things started, but perhaps another time?’

He had a lovely smile, she thought. He was quite an ugly man till he smiled, but then his whole face lit up with warmth and kindness.

She walked slowly back down to the kitchen to tell Dot what was to be done. The maid burst into tears of relief, but Alice hadn’t finished.

‘What did you not dare tell us?’

Dot stiffened.

‘Let me try to guess, then you won’t have told me anything, will you?’

Dot looked at her warily.

‘You’re afraid Harry Prebble will take it out on you if you don’t do as he asks. Am I right?’

Still the girl hesitated, so Alice asked, ‘Or hurt your family?’

Dot bit her lip, then nodded without meeting her eyes.

‘I thought so. What’s the other shopman like, the one they sent to Australia?’

Dot’s face immediately brightened. ‘Mr Carr is ever so kind, miss. You’d not meet anyone in Outham who’d have a bad word to say about
him
.’

‘I shall look forward to meeting him then – and the new owners. Now, I’ll go and work on the inventory and you can cook us a nice hearty soup for our dinner. We’ll eat it together down here. We’ll both feel better for having company, I’m sure. I’ve eaten too many meals on my own. Governesses aren’t treated as members of the family in most households, you know. They’re neither servants nor gentry.’

Dot looked at her in surprise. ‘That must have been very lonely.’ Then she clapped one hand to her mouth. ‘Sorry, miss. I didn’t mean to be impertinent.’

‘You weren’t. You were just showing you understood.’

She didn’t tell the maid, but the other reason she’d be eating downstairs was to make sure Harry didn’t try to get at her maid again. Once the new door was fitted, Dot should be safe enough. Alice decided not to go for a walk this afternoon either, because Harry must be aware of her habits, the way he was forever watching her out of the shop window.

From the living-room window upstairs, she saw Mr Dawson coming back along the street a short time later, but he went into the shop this time. It was fully fifteen minutes before Dot announced him and the poor man looked like a bird with its feathers ruffled.

He didn’t waste his time on greetings. ‘Prebble claims not to have a key to the attic door, and it opens quite easily now. He could have got up there by the back stairs, though.’

‘But he must have a key. Who else could have locked it?’

‘He says it’s never locked but it sticks sometimes.’ Mr Dawson smiled. ‘It’ll stick very firmly once we have the lock changed and a bolt added. The locksmith will be here shortly, by the way.’

The workmen arrived just then and Mr Dawson went down to show them exactly what was wanted. They made a great deal of noise but it had been agreed that they’d not leave that night until the door was in place and able to be secured. She told Dot to make them cups of tea at regular intervals and to give them ham sandwiches at teatime.

‘Do I buy the ham from the shop?’

‘No, I will.’

Mr Dawson came round after he finished for the day and found the men still hard at work.

‘Beautiful woodwork,’ he told the foreman.

‘The young fellow next door doesn’t seem to think so. He says it’s shoddy workmanship. He’s complained about the noise too, says it upsets his customers.’

‘Let him complain. He’s not the owner of this shop.’

Mr Dawson left to get his evening meal, but asked permission to come back afterwards. ‘I want to be here when the men finish.’

‘I’d be happy to have your company,’ Alice said. And she found it was true in more ways than one. When he returned they chatted comfortably together as the noise continued below and she enjoyed the evening, in spite of the reason for his presence.

Not until ten o’clock did the foreman ask to see them.

‘I’ve finished, Mr Dawson.’

‘You’ve done well.’

‘It’ll look better when it’s fully varnished. The first coat will be dry by morning.’

The clerk frowned. ‘Oh, dear! That’ll mean leaving the door open to dry.’

‘Yes.’

‘We’ll have to find someone to stay here while it’s being varnished, then. I’m not leaving Miss Blair and Dot unprotected.’

The foreman looked at him in astonishment. ‘But it’s an inside door. They’ll be quite safe.’

‘Keep this between ourselves, if you please, but they’ve had intruders more than once. I’ll get someone to stay here. I know a good man who’s out of work and will welcome a few extra shillings.’

He went back to tell Alice she was safe for the night and gave her a set of keys. ‘You’re the only one with a key to the new door, except for us. My employer and I will keep ours very safe, I promise you. And since you’ve had the other locks in the house changed and a bolt fitted on the attic and maid’s bedroom door, you should both feel secure.’

‘I can’t thank you enough.’

When he’d left, Dot came out of the kitchen to look at the new door that blocked the way into the shop. ‘I feel better already, miss. I’m still taking a poker to bed, though.’

‘Do whatever you like.’ Alice yawned as she went up to her own room. But though she didn’t take a poker with her, she did bolt the door from the inside and wedge a chair under the door handle.

It would be a while before she felt safe again at night, she knew.

8

L
ike all the passengers, Zachary felt very excited on April the 10th when the Captain announced that the ship was nearing the coast of Western Australia. People stayed up on deck all day, feeling disappointed when there was no sign of land by nightfall.

Even the remaining animals, those brought out as breeding stock, seemed to know that the voyage was ending. They were restless, the pig grunting in its crate and the sheep bleating and edging to and fro, as far as the poor things could in such small, crowded areas.