Christmas Child: an absolutely heartbreaking and emotional Victorian romance by Carol Rivers (classic english novels txt) 📕

‘But what is wrong?’ demanded Lucas, staring at the parcel.

‘Your wife is dependent on opium.’

‘Opium?’ repeated Lucas, aghast. ’There must be some mistake.’

‘You must have observed the decline in her health? And that rather strange smell in the house?’

‘I have been so busy,’ Lucas babbled. ‘But forgive me. I have no excuse. What can I do to help Clara?’

‘This substitute will help, but I cannot guarantee an outcome. Mrs Benjamin must not be left alone. Or be allowed to go out in order to purchase more of the tincture.’

‘But Clara will be made a prisoner,’ Lucas objected.

’She is one already,’ observed the physician dourly, ‘of this odious drug.’

Lucas could not hide his desperation. ‘My wife has not enjoyed good health it’s true. But opium, you say? How did she come upon it?’

‘That I cannot tell you, although …’

‘What is it?’

The elderly man turned to Ettie. ‘Are you Maggie?’

‘No, Sir, I am her replacement.’

‘I see.’ He looked sternly at Lucas. ‘In her delirium, Mrs Benjamin asked for Maggie. From what I heard, I suspect your former maid had a hand in this.’

‘Maggie!’ gasped Lucas. ‘Of course. My wife relied on her so much. Now I know why. She must have been the one to introduce that wretched drug to Clara.’

The physician closed his bag. ‘I shall call next week, but should you want me before …’ His grey eyebrows lowered in a frown as if to warn of an impending catastrophe.

When he had gone, Lucas pushed his hands over his face.

‘How could I have been so blind?’ he questioned. ‘I should have noticed Clara’s decline. But I chose to bury myself in work. Unforgivable!’

Ettie had never seen him so forlorn. ‘Sir, shall I make you some tea?’

‘What? Oh yes. I suppose so.’

She went to the kitchen and filled the kettle. Her hands were shaking as she put it on the range to boil. Opium! And Maggie had been sent by Clara to buy it.

Ettie thought of the orphanage library books and the lurid drawings of opium dens and their degraded, destitute victims, snared in the drug’s thrall. But surely her beautiful, kind and considerate mistress could not be one of these poor souls?

Chapter 15

Caring for Clara meant Ettie could rarely leave her side. She knew Lucas tried his best to console his wife, but he still had a business to run. His face grew pinched with tiredness and his blue eyes wore a permanent expression of defeat.

Ettie tried to keep Clara presentable, but her mistress had no interest in her appearance. Sometimes she refused to bathe or change her clothes and she developed a nervous, troublesome cough.

Ettie often sat at her bedside, as a strange sickness engulfed her. The malady raged through her tiny body and left her weak. Her recovery was slow and she would sit in her chair by the fire, often falling asleep. Many nights Ettie lay awake, listening to the voices from the bedroom below as Lucas tried to console his wife.

Several more physicians were called. She was prescribed more medicines, all of which had little effect.

One day, on a rare escape from the house, as Ettie walked to the market, two figures stepped out from the alley.

‘Ettie O’Reilly, where have you been all this time?’ Gwen enfolded Ettie in a warm embrace. A scented cloud of aniseed wafted around her as she tossed back her mop of golden hair. Her pale skin and blonde hair made a startling contrast to Lily’s Latin looks. They both wore their colourful dresses with shawls tucked loosely around their shoulders.

‘I’ve been meaning to call but I’ve been busy,’ Ettie explained.

‘How boring!’ Gwen studied her closely. ’Are you a slave to this mistress of yours?’

Ettie didn’t think it was right to talk about her employer’s private affairs. ‘Mrs Benjamin has delicate health,’ she said after some hesitation.

Lily’s pretty nose wrinkled. ‘That job wouldn’t suit me. I’d faint at the sight of blood!’

Ettie smiled. ‘There’s no blood, Lily. I’m more of a … a companion.’

‘So, when are you coming to see us again?’ Gwen demanded.

‘Oh, that might not be for some time, I’m afraid.’

‘And we thought you liked us,’ wailed Lily slinking her arm around Ettie's waist. ‘Our little sister.’

‘Oh, I do like you,’ Ettie insisted. ‘I’ve never forgotten our afternoon together.’

‘Then don’t leave it too long to visit us again.’

‘I won’t.’

‘You’ve missed a kiss from Gino,’ Gwen giggled. ‘He’s gone to Europe again to flex those muscles in the cirque.’

Ettie said quietly, ‘He must be very famous.’

Gwen and Lily broke into laughter, hugging her and kissing her cheeks. ‘How sweet and innocent you are, little beauty.’

‘Now, remember, come soon. A girl’s got to have some fun,’ Lily whispered. ‘Or else you’ll be an old maid. You wouldn’t want that would you?’

Ettie shook her head firmly.

‘My little beauty,’ Gwen purred. ‘We’ll drink the green fairy and dance away the hours!’

‘Goodbye little sister,’ said Lily.

Ettie knew that it might be some while before she saw her friends again. Clara relied on her so much. Ettie felt like the mother and Clara her child.

It was early in June when Lucas closed the blinds of the salon and called Ettie from the kitchen.

‘I have arrived at a decision,’ he informed her. ‘The decision of a desperate man.’

Ettie’s heart lurched. What could Lucas have in mind?

‘I am taking Clara to Europe,’ he explained. ‘I have heard from some of my gentlemen that miraculous cures have resulted from such a trip.’

Ettie felt a wave of fear. ‘Sir, do you think she is well enough to travel?’

‘Indeed not, my dear Ettie,’ he agreed. ‘But I can no longer bear to see her sitting day after day, gazing into the fire. I must give her food for thought, breathe vigour into her bright and clever brain which has fallen into the deepest of slumber. I must wake her up!’

Ettie clasped her hands together anxiously. ‘When will you go, Sir?’

‘By the time I have arranged our trip it will be September. Leaving a cold