Stella ignored Ruby’s question and ploughed ahead until the narrow alley opened out into a yard where several men went about their business. They were hitching horses wearing black plumes to a fine-looking carriage, inside of which was a polished ebony coffin. Ruby shivered and crossed herself, as she’d seen others do when a funeral cortege passed by.
Stella approached a man who was leaning against a wall smoking a cigarette. ‘Excuse me . . .’
‘What can I do for you, love?’
‘This may seem a little strange, but I need to find something out that would help my friend here get over her grief. We did ask in the office, but the man was not very helpful.’
Ruby thought it best to let Stella do the talking and simply nodded her head.
‘Albert Brownlow wouldn’t give someone help if they was gasping their last breath,’ the man sneered as another worker nearby called out in agreement. ‘Perhaps we can help you?’
‘Could you?’ Ruby begged, forgetting that she had decided to keep quiet.
The man gave her a grin. ‘I definitely can, if it means putting another smile on that sad face of yours. Has it got something to do with personal effects going missing? We’ve had two complaints in the past week, and we reckon old Brownlow has something to do with it. We all plan to ’ave a word with Mr Hind when he returns, before anyone pokes the finger of blame at us.’
‘No, it’s nothing like that. We wanted to know if Mr Hind ever helps women who lose babies during childbirth?’
‘Does he give them a funeral?’ Ruby chipped in, thinking Stella was too slow with her questions.
The man stubbed out his cigarette and rubbed the whiskers on his chin slowly as he thought. ‘Er, Ernie, I think you could help these ladies,’ he called to an older man who was rubbing a rag over the carriage.
Ernie tucked the rag in his pocket and joined them, taking his cap off as he did so. ‘It’s all right, Jim, I heard what the lady said. I’ll take it from here.’
The two women held their breath, both worrying that they were about to be dismissed from the premises. Ruby thought it time they explained themselves. It was surely their last chance to ask for help. ‘My baby never woke after she was born. I want to know what happened to her. I need to know where I can lay flowers and remember the child I carried,’ she pleaded, placing her hand on her stomach as she spoke.
‘I’m sorry for your loss,’ the older man said. Ruby believed him, as she saw his eyes water. ‘Yes, Mr Hind is a charitable man – he does much for the cottage hospital and the good people of Erith. It was when his own daughter lost a son that he wondered what happened to babies that did not survive childbirth. His brother is a doctor, and a cousin of theirs is a minister of the Baptist church. Together they make sure all those babies receive a burial, even though in the eyes of the law they are not registered.’
‘You mean Ruby’s daughter has been buried in consecrated ground thanks to these charitable gentlemen?’ Stella asked. ‘I suppose they do not inform the families in case a fuss is made. Imagine if all and sundry started turning up at the graves to pay their respects.’
‘That’s about it,’ Ernie said, giving them a gentle smile. ‘I hope in some way it helps with your grief?’
‘It does,’ Ruby said as she took his hand and shook it in gratitude. ‘Is it possible to find out where my Sarah is laid to rest?’
‘Now you’re asking something,’ he said, scratching his head. ‘You’d be surprised how many young souls are helped. We don’t have a special grave for them, you see.’
‘Whatever do you mean?’ Stella sounded confused.
Ernie turned and pointed to the carriage about to leave the yard for a funeral service. ‘Do you see below the carriage there is a compartment? What do you think it is for?’
‘Food for the horses?’ Ruby said.
‘Spades for the grave to be dug?’ Stella suggested.
‘In a way you’re both right, as they have many uses. However, Mr Hind had them included when each carriage was commissioned. They can hold three, maybe four small coffins for the unregistered deceased babies, but it would depend on the size of the grave. I’ve never known us bury more than two together.’
‘You mean Mr Hind goes to all this trouble for babies like my Sarah?’ Ruby shook her head in disbelief. ‘If only my daughter had breathed for a little while, I could have said goodbye properly. He deserves to be knighted for such charitable works.’
Stella nodded in agreement. ‘Can you tell us where Ruby’s Sarah is buried – and how would they bury her, if there is no special grave for these babies?’
‘If you can tell me the date she was born, I can most likely say where she is,’ he said, looking between the two women.
‘It was the fifth of August and Doctor Hind, along with his nurse, left my house at just after four o’clock. They had the child with them. I will never forget that day,’ Stella said as she put her arm around Ruby’s shoulders and pulled the now-crying young woman to her.
‘I’ll get her a cup of water.’ Ernie blew his nose on a handkerchief pulled from his pocket before going to the pump in the corner of the yard and filling a tin cup with clear water. ‘Get that down you, girl, you’ve had a lot to put up with by the sounds of things,’ he said as he made sure she was holding the
