the creditors haven’t been paid for weeks. The firm is facing bankruptcy and the sooner you realise that the better.’
‘I find that hard to believe.’ Sadie faced him angrily. ‘I think you’ve mismanaged the business, and now you’re running away.’
‘If Mr Manning hadn’t died he would have been held to account, but I don’t intend to take the blame for the collapse of the company. I’ve got an interview with one of our competitors this very afternoon. I want that job and I need to get out of here before all this becomes public.’
‘But there must be something left,’ Caroline said slowly. ‘Uncle George will make things right when he returns.’
Parkinson leaned over to open a drawer and produced a ledger, which he slammed down on the desk. ‘Study this, ladies. It lists all the ingoings and outgoings, the profits and the losses, of which there are many. The Esther Manning should have docked three days ago, but I reckon Mr George has seen the light and has decided to stay away. Maybe he’ll start up a business of his own in the Americas. That’s what I’d do if I were him.’
‘No, that’s so unfair.’ Caroline struggled to speak as her throat tightened and she had to force back tears. ‘Uncle George wouldn’t do such a thing.’
‘Of course not,’ Sadie added angrily. ‘You’re the villain here, Parkinson. Did you pay off the clerks and have you taken your wages from the money in the safe?’
‘It was ours by rights.’ Parkinson opened a second drawer and took out a bundle of documents, tossing them onto Sadie’s lap. ‘Unpaid accounts. I’m sick of being dunned by angry suppliers of everything from coal to caulking. Sort that out, if you can, but maybe you’ll believe me when you see how much the company owes.’ He snatched up his bag, opened it and tipped the contents onto the desk. An apple, a red spotted handkerchief, a tobacco pouch and a pipe spilled onto the grimy wooden surface, which had once been polished to a conker shine. ‘That’s all I’m taking from here, miss. It’s true I paid the clerks because they all have families to feed, and I took my wages, too, but not a penny more.’ He stowed his belongings away and rose to his feet. ‘Now, I’m going. Call a constable, if you wish, but I ain’t done nothing wrong. You’d best face up to the fact that it’s over. You’re like the rest of us now. You’ll have to work to earn your daily bread.’ He stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him.
‘Do you think he was telling the truth?’ Caroline asked anxiously. ‘Surely it can’t be as bad as he says.’
‘I think I’d better study the books,’ Sadie said slowly. ‘It’s a while since I worked here, but I don’t suppose the system has changed very much.’ She handed the documents to Caroline. ‘Look through these and see what you make of them, Carrie. I can’t do it all.’
Caroline smoothed the crumpled papers. ‘At least I can do something useful. Maybe we’ll discover something that he’s missed.’
‘Maybe.’ Sadie shook her head. ‘It doesn’t look good so far, but at least the Captain’s House is safe. Your ma knows all about it, Carrie. When the Mary Louise was lost your pa must have known that things weren’t going too well. He changed his will and left the house to me in case the worst happened, and it looks as though it has.’
‘Why didn’t he leave it to me or to Max?’
‘I know it must seem odd to you, love. But your ma and I go back a long way. We had such adventures you can hardly believe, and I helped them to build the business until it was a genuine rival to the Colville Shipping Company. Jack knew that he could trust me, and that I would never let his family down.’ Sadie took a hanky from her pocket and blew her nose. ‘Come on, love. We’ve got work to do.’
After two hours the desk was littered with papers and Sadie had discarded her mourning bonnet and black lace mittens. Strands of fair hair were tucked behind her ears and there was a smudge of ink on the tip of her nose. Caroline reached over to retrieve a particularly large bill for engine oil and placed it on top of the pile.
‘These are all genuine, as far as I can see, and none of the accounts seem to have been settled. It looks as though Parkinson was telling the truth.’
Sadie closed the ledger and laid it on the desk. ‘I’m afraid so, Carrie. Our only hope is for your uncle to return with enough money to satisfy at least some of the creditors, but even a quick glance at the accounts shows that we would need a small miracle to keep the company from insolvency.’
‘Papa must have known about the state of things,’ Caroline said slowly. ‘Why did he allow it to happen?’
‘Only he could answer that, but I do know that Jack blamed the Colvilles for taking away our trade, and I know he went to see Phineas Colville before he went to Germany. He seemed to be more cheerful afterwards, but his mood changed suddenly and he became very withdrawn. Anyway, whatever went on then, it’s up to us to try to salvage what we can.’
Caroline rose to her feet and went to the window. The sun was shining and the River Thames reflected the azure sky, but the heat of midsummer had brought misery to those in the city. Flies swarmed over the detritus in the gutter and the tangled mess of horse dung and straw, which carpeted the cobbled streets. The stench from sewers and uncollected night soil filtered through gaps in the door, and just yards from the window, she could see stick-thin, bare-footed children openly begging. A small gang of bigger and bolder boys were stalking an unwary pedestrian like a pack of hungry wolf cubs, no doubt intent on picking the gentleman’s pockets for anything from a handkerchief to a wallet or a fat purse. It would be easy to condemn them as young villains, but, despite her sheltered upbringing, Caroline understood that terrible poverty existed, although so far it had not touched her life. She turned to Sadie with a sudden feeling of dread.
‘What will happen to us if Uncle George doesn’t return soon?’
Sadie reached for her bonnet and rammed it on her head, tying the ribbons without attempting to check her appearance in the small, fly-spotted mirror that was perched on the mantelshelf next to the black slate clock. ‘Heaven help us, Carrie. That’s all I can say.’ She pulled on her mittens and picked up her reticule. ‘But one thing is for certain – we must not tell your mama.’
‘She’ll have to know some time,’ Carrie said, frowning. ‘Unless I can persuade her to go and stay with Aunt Alice.’
‘They were quite close at one time.’
‘Then I know what I must do. Have we enough money for the cab fare to Bearwood House?’
A wry smile wiped away Sadie’s worried frown. ‘We are not quite destitute. The cab can drop me off at home and take you on to Piccadilly. I think it might be better if you approach Lady Alice on your own.’
Cordelia was in the drawing room at Bearwood House, seated on the floor with her skirts billowing around her like the petals of a flower, and the Aubusson carpet was scattered with swatches of material. She looked up and smiled.
‘Caroline, this is a lovely surprise. You’re just in time to help me choose between silk, lace and muslin, and I’m at a loss to decide what colour will suit me best.’
Caroline felt a sudden surge of impatience – the loss of a beloved parent had turned her whole world upside down, and all Cordelia Bearwood could think of was her next ball gown. But Cordelia’s smile was sunny and she was not to know of the catastrophic events that had overtaken the Manning family. Caroline took a deep breath and forced her lips into a smile.
‘I need to talk to your mama, Delia. Is she at home?’
‘What’s the matter?’ Cordelia scrambled to her feet. Taking Caroline by the hand she led her to the sofa and pressed her down onto the silk damask. ‘My dear, you’re white as a sheet. Are you ill?’
‘I’m quite well, Delia. But I must see Lady Alice. It really is quite urgent.’
‘I’ll go and find her. Wait here, I’ll be as quick as I can.’ Cordelia