Ettie decided that if the East End was a riotous mass of celebration, then the city itself was completely transformed. From Ludgate Hill to the parks bordering the palace walls, hundreds of thousands had gathered to watch the royal parade that very morning.
Jim found an empty space for the cart close to London Bridge and all the lowers quickly dismounted.
The stable boy was left in charge of the horses and Jim took Mary’s arm.
‘I’ll walk you both. You won’t mind, will you Mary?’
‘As it’s Ettie, no I shan’t mind. But keep your hands to yourself, Jim my boy,’ Mary retorted, giving Ettie a shy wink.
The trio walked joyfully through the crowds, laughing and jesting with the vendors of flags, chinaware, books and hats. The picket line of bayonetted soldiers who had formed the Queen’s escort earlier, was now dispersing.
‘She still wore black,’ the lady stall-holder told them as they paused to buy ice cream. ‘She loved her Albert, that she did. Refused to set aside her widow’s weeds. Came right by here she did. Could see her little face. Like a doll she was. We all sang, “God Save the Queen” as she passed and blow me down, I swear she wiped a tear from her eye.’
After, they went to Trafalgar Square, where under the tall spire of Nelson’s Column, people were splashing in the fountains.
‘Let’s rest awhile,’ Jim suggested as they sat on a bench.
‘Did the Queen pass by here too?’ Ettie asked an elderly lady who sat next to them, feeding the pigeons.
‘I waited here to see her,’ replied the woman. ‘She was beautiful. I saw her close-up as the carriage slowed.’
‘You were very lucky.’
‘Indeed I was, love. Six miles of the city’s streets she travelled. But it upset me when I heard the news she couldn’t get out of the coach at the Cathedral.’
‘Why not?’ asked Mary.
‘Like me she’s got arthritis. Couldn’t get up those big steps. They say she shaded herself with a parasol and didn’t move an inch as the Archbishop said his prayers.’
‘She’s very brave,’ remarked Ettie.
‘Brave ain’t the word, ducks. A saint, I’d say.’
With this they departed, Jim leading them on again, through the city and back past Buckingham Palace for one last look.
Chapter 64
The royal guards were dressed in their uniforms of tall furry hats and red coats and stood to attention outside the gates. The public pressed their noses against the railings hoping to catch sight of their Queen.
But it was in Hyde Park that the real party was just beginning; water was being dispersed liberally to overheated revellers. Picnics were set out in the shade. Children played on the green grass, delighting in their day of freedom and the prospect of the late night to come.
‘Let’s go over there,’ said Jim, shouldering his way through the crowds. He found a leafy tree to sit under and Ettie watched Mary cuddle up to her beau.
Around them were a mass of smiling faces; some people sang, some danced and others were content to sit on the benches and watch the world go by. Couples strolled hand in hand, oblivious of their surroundings. Intent on each other, like Jim and Mary, they whispered words of endearment.
Ettie remembered how much she had once loved someone, too. And still did. Michael was never far from her mind and she thought of him now. It was over a year since she had last seen him in Silver Street. And even then, he hadn’t noticed her.
She heard a sudden movement and looked around to see Jim take Mary’s hand and draw her close. Ettie stood up.
‘I’m going for a short walk. I won’t be long,’ she assured them, discreetly leaving the sweethearts alone together.
She was happy for Mary. Jim seemed to be a sensible and loyal young man. He had won Mary over in the end. His love had changed her life and to a degree, her character.
Ettie walked through the park, her thoughts preoccupied. Everywhere she looked, Londoners enjoyed the sunshine. If only the world could always be in love there would be no wars or unhappiness!
Her life at Chancery House had become her world. Had she not been purchased by Mrs Powell, she might still be a workhouse flusher. The memory made her shudder.
Her thoughts returned to happier times; of Soho and the salon. She could see in her mind’s eye, the salon’s gaslight glow spreading an enchanted light over the shelves of tobaccos. She could smell their aromas as if they were all around her now. She could see Rose looking down at her, with her confident expression. Rose Benjamin, a woman she had admired and in whose footsteps she had tried to follow. Then the most bitter-sweet memory of all; her friend and employer Lucas with his twinkling blue eyes and passionate nature and Clara’s fine features, her pale hair a halo around her face. Ettie had grown to love them both and to love the baby she had imagined she would rock in her arms.
Surely, they could not be gone?
‘Watch out!’ a man yelled and Ettie stopped abruptly. Her feet were only a few inches away from the spinning wheels of a passing carriage. Her heart jumped into her throat. She stood, trembling and shaken. She had been so deep in thought, that she hadn’t seen the oncoming vehicle.
‘Th … thank you,’ she stammered to the concerned man.
‘Don’t thank me,’ he replied. ‘If it wasn’t for that driver pulling sharp on his reins, you’d be celebrating in hospital tonight.’
Ettie felt both foolish and fortunate to have avoided such a calamity. The man walked off and Ettie cast her eyes towards
