Silver Wishes

by Anna Jacobs

Genres: Sagas; Small Town & Rural

Synopsis

The first novel in the heartwarming and gripping new Jubilee Lake series, from million-copy bestseller Anna Jacobs

Lancashire, 1895. When her controlling stepfather suddenly dies, it seems that Elinor Pendleton finally has a chance of freedom. But her hopes are soon dashed when she learns that the thuggish Jason Stafford has inherited every penny, and is determined to have Elinor too.

Forced to flee with her beloved maid, Maude, Elinor finds shelter with Maude's distant cousin in the remote village of Ollerthwaite, on the shore of Jubilee Lake.

But Walter Crossley has troubles of his own. Having lost his closest family in a tragic accident, he needs one of his grandsons to return from America to inherit his farm - and when practical, kindhearted Cameron arrives, he appears to be the perfect heir.

But is this young man everything he seems? And will Elinor's secret wish to have a family of her own ever come true...?

(P) 2022 Hodder & Stoughton Limited

Release date: November 10, 2022

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton

Print pages: 320

Sample

1

1895 – Lancashire

Reginald Stafford died of an apoplexy while shouting at the gardener’s lad for some imagined carelessness.

Typically, he still had a look of anger on his face even after the last breath had left his body. The gardener tried to smooth the snarling features before sending for his master’s stepdaughter, because the poor lass had had enough to put up with, but he couldn’t get rid of that look.

When the gardener’s lad came running to tell her what had happened, Elinor was so surprised it took her a moment or two to summon up her usual calm expression before she walked slowly outside to the area where her stepfather smoked his cigars. It was a trick, it must be; another of his stupid hurtful pranks.

When she saw the body lying on the ground, one arm outstretched as if beckoning to her, she paused again. But there was no sign of movement of any sort. The first trickle of hope slipped into her. Could she really be free of him at last?

She bent down and steeled herself to check the body carefully, half-expecting him to grab her and roar with laughter at making her jump in shock. She let out a heartfelt sigh of relief when she found no pulse and looked across at the gardener. He gave her a little nod as if to say she wasn’t mistaken. It was true! Her stepfather really was dead.

She stood up. She was free at last. When she turned, she saw his manservant standing behind her and vowed to be free of him as well, and soon.

‘Is the master—?’

‘Dead? Yes. Could you and the gardener please carry him up to his bedroom, Denby?’

She followed closely behind the men. Once they had laid the body down on the bed, she moved to stand near it, asking them to leave her alone with him for a few moments and to send someone for the doctor.

Denby hesitated, looking at her doubtfully, then as she gestured towards the door, he walked slowly out of the room.

She whispered to the gardener as he passed her, ‘Keep your eye on the master’s study, would you, please, Barker?’

He nodded, his eyes going to the manservant. He knew perfectly well why she had said this. That fellow would steal the butter off a piece of bread!

She’d have asked Maude to come and help her, but the maid, who was as close as a sister to her, was out at the shops. She’d have to manage on her own.

Elinor locked the bedroom door and steeled herself to search her stepfather’s pockets for money. She knew he always carried some on him and if she didn’t find it, Denby would take it, she was sure. She searched very carefully, letting out a huge sigh of relief as she found it.

But something made her continue searching and when she found some folded banknotes in an inner pocket as well as what was in his wallet, she stared down at the two bundles of notes in fury. Household bills left unpaid, skimping on food for her and the servants, her clothes mended and so old-fashioned she looked like a maid herself. And all the time he had been walking round with this much money in his pocket, ready to waste it on gambling and any loose woman who caught his fancy.

She tidied his clothes, not wanting her search to show, then tucked the banknotes down as far as she could push them into her bodice. What a good thing she didn’t wear the fashionable corsets that pulled in a woman’s waist and upper body so tightly you could hardly breathe. Well, she was so thin she had no need to ‘improve’ her figure.

She didn’t wear the popular leg of mutton sleeves either, because she not only did not care about keeping up with the changing fashions, she couldn’t afford the extra material it took to make sleeves like that. On the rare occasions she managed to scrape the money together to buy a dress length for a new outfit she looked only for the cheapest and most hardwearing material she could find.

Someone knocked on the door and called, ‘Are you all right, miss?’ Reginald’s manservant had returned and was trying to poke his nose in as usual.

‘I’m fine. I’ll call if I need you, Denby.’ He could stay out there till kingdom come! She wasn’t opening that door to anyone except Maude till she’d checked everything in the room.

She continued to search till she found her stepfather’s desk key with two other small keys in a bowl on the windowsill. After she’d hidden them in her clothing as well and investigated every one of his pockets a second time, she went quickly through the drawers. No money there, but she did find her mother’s wedding ring and didn’t scruple to take that.

Only when she’d searched everywhere did she unlock the door and call for Denby. He came almost immediately and must have been waiting near the stairs.

‘The gardener’s lad has gone for the doctor, miss.’ He stared past her as if trying to see signs of what she’d been doing in the room.

‘Good. I’ve finished praying over your master now. You can stay with his body until the doctor arrives. Better not touch him, though.’

He looked from her to the body suspiciously but she didn’t care. He could no longer tell his master if she did something her stepfather would disapprove of. In fact, the sooner she got Denby out of the house, the happier she would be.

Downstairs she nodded dismissal to the gardener, who was still standing guard, and went into the room her stepfather had called his study. It contained very few books and was actually where he sometimes boozed or played cards with one or two seedy cronies. Once again, she locked the door before searching the desk.

She knew which was the desk key and found by trying them that the two smaller keys opened the locked bottom drawer and the box it contained. In it she found some more money and the few pieces of her mother’s jewellery that were still unsold. She took all its contents and stowed them in her underclothing, then locked the box again and put it back.

There had been no sign of a will in any of the untidy drawers, though her stepfather had made a big thing of going to see the family lawyer last year, telling her he was updating his will and promising her that she’d be taken care of. Presumably Mr Calwell had a copy.

When she opened the door again, she found Maude standing there as if on guard.

‘Barker told me about your step father as I came in. Are you all right, love?’

‘I shall be a lot better now.’ She didn’t have to pretend with Maude.

‘Denby had crept down and was trying to listen to what you were doing, so I stayed here. I’m sorry I was out when it happened.’

Maude had officially been their maid for nearly twenty years but was more like a member of the family than a servant. Elinor glanced over her shoulder then gave her friend a quick hug before she said in a low voice, ‘We’ll both be better off now, I’m sure. And we can show our friendship openly.’

She couldn’t voice a single word of regret for his death because she had hated her stepfather ever since she’d been old enough to know what hatred was – and cruelty. She’d feared as well as hated him after her mother died suddenly a few years ago following a fall down the stairs, because she suspected him of deliberately pushing his wife down them. But she could prove nothing, so had been helpless.

And you couldn’t leave home when you had nowhere to go and no money of your own, so she’d had to stay here, relieved when he’d mostly ignored her presence. She knew perfectly well that he only kept her here because respectable people spoke to him because of her and he knew they’d never speak to him again if he threw her out.

‘I need to send for the lawyer, Maude.’

‘The gardener’s lad can go when he gets back from fetching the doctor.’

‘Wait with me and I’ll write a quick note to Mr Calwell.’

When the doctor arrived, he made a cursory examination of the body then sought her out. ‘Your stepfather died of a seizure, Miss Pendleton, and I’m not surprised. Only last week I warned him that he was drinking far too much and that was damaging his health, but he told me to mind my own business.’

‘He hasn’t looked well for a while.’

‘I’ll write you out a death certificate. You’ll need it for the formalities. You can send for the undertaker straight away.’

Good. The sooner the body was taken away, the happier she’d be, she thought. She wondered whether anyone would miss Reginald Stafford or even attend his funeral.

After the doctor had left, the house fell silent as they waited for the undertaker. It was wonderful not to have her stepfather shouting and upsetting people, not to be waiting for him to burst into the house, half drunk usually.

The only person he visited socially was his equally horrible nephew. She hoped she’d never see Jason Stafford again after the funeral.

Elinor’s relief at being free was short-lived, however. As soon as the lawyer arrived she knew something was wrong from his pitying expression.

‘Please come into the sitting room, Mr Calwell.’

She asked Maude to stay in the hall and make sure no one eavesdropped on them.

The lawyer gestured to a chair, looking at her sadly. ‘You’d better sit down before I start, Miss Pendleton. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you.’

She did as he asked with a sinking feeling, wondering whether her stepfather had driven them to bankruptcy.

After clearing his throat and fiddling with some papers from his briefcase, Mr Calwell said, ‘I’m afraid the will leaves everything your stepfather owned to his nephew, Jason Stafford.’

She could only stare at him, shocked beyond words.

‘And even if he hadn’t done that, you’d not have got much. I fear the house will have to be sold to pay off his debts. It’s not a large dwelling, though it has a nice big garden so should easily find a buyer.’

He took a deep breath and added, ‘He had just asked me to sell another piece of your mother’s jewellery.’ He fumbled in his pocket and held a lumpy envelope out to her. ‘I feel this should come to you, at least, because she left you all her jewellery when she died even though he took it from you. Please put it away quickly and don’t tell anyone.’

She took it and shoved it into her pocket. ‘But the money and house came to him mostly from my mother! Surely something has been left for me? He promised I’d be taken care of.’

He hesitated, looking even more reluctant to speak.

‘Please go on. It can’t get much worse.’

But it did.

‘You’ll only be taken care of financially if you marry his nephew. In that case, there is a small annuity that will be paid to you, so you’ll be able to manage should Jason Stafford predecease you. I had to fight hard to get even that provided and safeguarded.’

She felt physically sick at the idea of marrying him. Last time Jason Stafford had visited his uncle, he’d tried to grab her several times. When she’d complained to her stepfather, he’d merely laughed and said the Staffords were a lusty bunch and she should be grateful for any man being interested in a frump like her.

Thank goodness for Maude and her rolling pin. They had shared a bedroom the whole time he was visiting.

‘I could never marry that man. Never, ever, Mr Calwell.’

‘I don’t blame you. He is . . . despicable, has a dreadful reputation. I wouldn’t even introduce him to my wife or daughter.’

He waited a moment then continued, ‘Last month your stepfather came to see me about a minor matter and I tried once again to persuade him to change his mind about you marrying his nephew, but you know what Mr Stafford was like once he set his mind on doing something. I am so very sorry I couldn’t do more.’

He glanced towards the door and lowered his voice. ‘If you have relatives you can seek refuge with, Miss Pendleton, I will arrange to take you to them after the funeral at my own expense.’

She didn’t even have to think about her answer. ‘There is no relative close enough to ask for that sort of help. My real father was the last of the Pendletons and my mother was an only child. I don’t even know where most of her more distant relatives are living now.’

‘Oh, dear.’

‘I need to think, to work out some kind of plan to get away.’ She started to stand up and he reached out to stop her.

‘Well, um, look. If you wish to leave, you can come to stay with my wife and me for a while after the funeral. We’ll keep you safe from him, I promise. And I’m certain we can find you a respectable job as a governess or companion to an elderly lady. Do you have any money at all?’

She shook her head. She didn’t intend to tell anyone what she had found.

He fumbled in his pocket and pulled out a five-pound note. When he offered this to her, she decided that she couldn’t afford to be proud about anything and took it.

‘Keep this in case there are any problems and your need to leave becomes urgent. You can use it to pay for a taxi cab to bring you and your possessions to my house in the next village. This is our home address.’ He handed her a card. ‘My wife knows about this shameful occurrence and will take you in if I’m not at home.’

‘Thank you. You’re very kind. I’ll pack my things and leave with you immediately after the funeral, if that’s all right? And may I bring my maid? She’s been a tower of strength since my mother died and she too may need help escaping from Jason Stafford.’

‘Ah. Well, yes, I suppose so. We can provide her with suitable references for getting another position because she’s been a faithful servant to your family. And she can help out in the house while we’re looking for a job for her. There’s always someone searching for a good maid.’

Elinor dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands to prevent the protest she wanted to utter and say that was a poor reward for the years of faithful service. ‘She’s the best maid you could ever find.’

‘I’m glad to hear that.’

She wanted to tell him that Maude was far more than a maid to her, more like a cousin or sister even, but this would do no good. He was at least willing to help them both in a limited way.

But she’d only go to him if she were desperate. She’d had enough of being told what to do. And she wanted, no, she intended, to stay with Maude. They had already decided that.

*

Unfortunately, two hours later Jason Stafford arrived, almost erupting into the house and looking extremely cheerful for a man who’d just lost a close relative. His arrival proved that someone must have sent word to him, probably Denby.

Jason stared at her with a gloating smile. ‘I know what was in the will. My uncle and I laughed about it together. So tonight you had better not deny me my marital rights.’

She looked at him in shock. ‘But we’re not married.’

‘We shall be, so why wait? You’re from a good enough family to produce a legal heir and then a couple of other children for me. And marrying you will help prove to people that I’ve turned respectable.’

That man would have a long way to go to be considered even vaguely respectable, whatever he did. There was something particularly sly and nasty about him.

He continued to eye her possessively. ‘It’ll be a good bargain for you because unlike my uncle I don’t waste my money. You’ll be guaranteed a roof over your head, good food to eat and better clothes than those shabby rags you usually wear. I shall wish you to do me credit when you are my wife.’

He flicked a contemptuous finger at her clothes and added, ‘In fact, I’m going to take them off now and enjoy myself.’ He followed that by moving towards her, hands outstretched.

Utterly horrified, she fled from him and ran up the stairs, locking herself in her bedroom. She’d made sure years ago that there were bolts on the inside of its door as well as the old-fashioned key lock.

He banged on the door, shook it a few times then called, ‘I’m warning you: I’ll break it down tonight if I have to. And you had better do as you’re told then. I won’t put up with being defied by a woman.’

2

Once she’d heard Jason go back downstairs, Elinor began to pack her things, hastily thrusting clothes into her pillowcases for lack of a suitcase or even a shopping bag. She sacrificed some space for her paintings. Thank goodness she’d only ever done small ones that she could hide easily. She’d have hated her stepfather to get his hands on them.

She’d have to leave immediately, though she wasn’t sure yet how she was going to get out of the house without him stopping her.

But she was quite sure she was going to try.

To her surprise, as she was stuffing a few final garments into the second pillowcase, there was the patter of small stones against the outside of the window. She looked out to see Maude standing below her, dressed in outdoor clothing and the neat little felt hat trimmed by a feather that she wore to church. It was much newer and smarter than Elinor’s own.

Maude always stood out among the congregation anyway, being nearly six foot tall and strong with it. Even Reginald Stafford at his drunkest hadn’t dared try to fumble with her.

Her friend glanced round then came a little closer and called up, ‘He’s just sacked me and told me to leave immediately. He’s in the study now going through the drawers. Good thing that’s at the front of the house. Barker is bringing a ladder. Throw what you can into a pillowcase and climb down quickly. This will probably be our only chance of getting you away safely.’

‘I’ve packed already. Here.’ Elinor opened the window as wide as she could and dropped her two pillowcases down from the window one after the other just as Barker and the boy rushed round the corner carrying the old ladder.

She didn’t hesitate but squirmed out of the window on to it, not caring how much of her legs and underwear she showed to the world. As she began to clamber down the ladder, one of the rungs gave a loud cracking sound when she put her weight on it and she moved on quickly, heart pounding.

By the time she got to the bottom, Maude had picked up one of the pillowcases as well as two full shopping bags of her own.

‘Barker will take the ladder back while we get away as fast as we can. Come on!’

When she set off at a run, Elinor followed, terror lending her the extra speed needed to keep up with Maude.

‘Where are we going?’ she panted.

‘To Barker’s mother’s house till it’s dark, then he’ll take us to the nearest railway station in his neighbour’s gig.’

‘How kind of him.’

‘He’s going to find himself another job, says he won’t work for Jason.’

They had to pause at the main road, crouching behind some bushes to avoid being seen by pedestrians, cyclists or carriages until it was clear to cross the road.

‘Where can we go from there, though, Maude love? I don’t know anyone who’ll take us in.’

‘We’ll go wherever our feet take us to start off with. I’ve got some savings, not much but it all helps. And you’ve still got that money you took from your stepfather, haven’t you? Unless that Jason took it off you?’

‘No, he didn’t.’

‘Good. It’ll last us months if we’re careful.’

‘Most of it’s safe in my bodice, but I put some in my purse. The lawyer said he would help us, so I suppose we could go to him if we were desperate.’

‘I was eavesdropping. He’d help you find a ladylike job as slave to someone who pays only spending money and your keep, and he’d help me get another maid’s position, and who knows where that might be? We might never see one another again.’

‘Look out. The road’s going to be clear in a minute. Oh bother! There’s another cyclist coming. Keep your head down. I couldn’t bear us to be separated, Maude. Only, where can we go?’

‘Blackpool.’

‘What? We don’t know anyone there.’

‘That’s part of the reason. There are lots of people coming and going even now, before the summer holiday season has started, so strangers won’t stand out. We can start off by booking into a lodging house while we have a look round. And there would be jobs available as maids if we got desperate.’

‘I’d never have thought of that. I’d like to go there anyway. I’ve never even seen the sea.’

‘There you are, then. That’ll be a good start for our new life.’

‘Quick! There’s no one in sight. Let’s get across this road.’

Later, as they tried to rest in Barker’s mother’s front room, because she insisted on giving them the best the small house could offer, Elinor pulled the money out and they counted it. After that she showed her friend the remaining pieces of her mother’s jewellery, including the brooch Mr Calwell had passed on to her, one of the prettiest of them all, and her mother’s wedding ring.

Maude studied them all. ‘I think you should keep quiet about the jewellery, love. If people ask, look sad and tell them your stepfather took it from you a while ago to sell. And say you have a little money but not much. You should sew most of these banknotes into your petticoat and only keep a little money in your purse.’ Maude gave a wry smile. ‘You’re a far more capable needlewoman than I am.’

‘You should take some of it as well. I’ll sew some into your clothing too, if you don’t mind. We’ll be safer spreading the risk of it getting stolen.’

‘All right. You know you can trust me.’

‘I know.’ They smiled at one another.

‘Now, how about you stop being my maid and call yourself my sister? You certainly feel like one. You’re the person who cared for me when I was younger and my mother fell ill. You feel like a sister.’

Maude shook her head. ‘No one will believe that because we don’t look at all alike. Not only am I much taller, but my hair’s dark and yours is a light chestnut brown.’

‘Well, you’ve been more like a relative than a servant for as long as I can remember so I’ll say you’re my cousin, then. No one expects cousins to look alike.’ Elinor reached out to grasp Maude’s hand briefly. ‘Agreed?’

‘I’d like that. We’ll be cousins and we’ll stay together. I’m sure we’ll manage somehow.’

‘Thank you for rescuing me today.’

‘It’s a husband you need really to keep you safe if that horrible man comes after you.’

‘I never got the chance to meet anyone.’

‘Neither of us did. I’d like to have got married and had children too. If you were able to dress better and ate properly, you’d be pretty enough to attract a husband still. At nearly forty, I’m well past hoping.’

‘I’m nearly thirty and scrawny.’ Elinor scowled down at herself. ‘I look more like a scarecrow than a woman. Who’d want me?’

‘A widower might. And you’re not thirty. Stop saying that. You’ve only just turned twenty-eight and you’d make a wonderful mother, the way you love children. And you’re only scrawny because of him spoiling meals with shouting and nasty remarks, so that you could never eat in peace when he was around. That man made your whole life a misery.’

Elinor shuddered. ‘I have no desire to marry after I’ve seen how he treated my mother, no desire whatsoever. How does a woman ever know what a man will be like after the wedding? I was only ten but I remember how happy Mother was when she thought she’d found someone to look after us. Her happiness soon faded after she married him, didn’t it?’

‘Men aren’t all like that pig of a fellow was.’

‘But you can’t know for certain beforehand, can you? And by the time you’re married, it’s too late to do anything about it. No, I’m never going to risk that.’

‘You’ll change when you meet some happily married people.’

Elinor hugged her suddenly. ‘Never mind that. I just want to thank you for staying with me all these years. I was always surprised he let you stay.’

‘He wasn’t stupid. He knew he’d have difficulty finding another maid who’d stay on or work as hard.’

‘You acted as housekeeper, really, but he only paid you a maid’s wage.’

‘I stayed to be with you. That made it worthwhile.’

They both fell silent, thinking about their predicament.

A few minutes later Maude’s eyes closed and she began snoring softly. Elinor smiled fondly across at her. Her dear friend’s hair was tightly drawn back into its usual knobbly bun, emphasising her gaunt appearance. You’d never call her pretty, but she had the kindest nature and a smile that lit up her whole face.

Elinor wished she had the ability to fall asleep so easily. But she couldn’t stop her mind from going over and over what had just happened and wondering how this would all turn out. She couldn’t shake off the worries about what she could do to earn a living when the money ran out. She hadn’t trained as a lady typewriter or done any of the other jobs in an office, hadn’t worked in a shop, hadn’t been able to go to college and become a teacher because she’d been caring for her mother, as well as doing some of the housework.

Her only experience had been in sewing and she was an expert at making one penny do the work of two. She was quite good at sketching and painting, but that was just a hobby.

She dozed off and woke with a start when Barker brought the neighbour’s pony and trap round and his mother came in to fetch her. He gave her some sacks to put their clothes in, apologising that he couldn’t provide proper bags or suitcases. The sacks looked better than the pillowcases, but only just.

As they set off, Elinor stared down at the lumpy bundles pushed against her feet, suddenly realising that they contained all her worldly goods now, every single thing she owned.

Anger at what he had done, what she had lost, seared through her yet again – as well as utter determination to stay out of Jason Stafford’s clutches.

After Barker had left them, apologising for needing to take the pony straight back, the two women had to pass the rest of the night sitting on a hard bench at a small local station, pressed closely together for warmth as they waited for the first train of the day. He said this would be the train taking the farmers’ milk to be bottled and it usually stopped here about five in the morning.

They didn’t chat much; they were too exhausted by now.

An elderly railway employee arrived to open up before the milk train and seemed surprised to see them. He sold them tickets that would take them all the way to Blackpool, chatting cheerfully and giving them instructions about where to change trains.

When Maude took the opportunity to ask about how they might get to a place called Ollerthwaite from Blackpool, he knew that too, because he’d worked on most of the railway lines in the north of England. Now that he was older he’d chosen to settle near his family and earn less money by running this small station, wh. . .