Clover Moon Read online

  ‘Mr Dolly is the most perfect friend. He’s always been extremely kind to me and taught me everything I know,’ I insisted.

  ‘But with no system whatsoever. He can’t have used proper schoolbooks,’ said Miss Ainsley.

  She was right. Mr Dolly had bought one specially when he first started teaching me, but we both agreed it was very boring.

  ‘I shan’t know which class to put you in,’ she continued. ‘In many respects you belong with the very little girls, for all your fancy penwork. Ah well, tomorrow we will try you in the middle class and see how you get on. Now, let us get you organized. You need to wash and put on some respectable clothing.’

  I stared at her as if she were mad. ‘I’ve had a wash today. Two washes, actually. And I’m extremely respectably dressed.’

  ‘It’s one of our rules that all our girls wear uniform, Clover. It’s to stop any bad feeling if one girl is more finely dressed than another. It’s a very attractive uniform, specially designed by Miss Smith: a fresh blue cotton frock, with a navy reefer jacket for chilly days. I never had such a stylish outfit when I was a girl.’

  ‘I have to wear black. I’m in mourning,’ I said, wrapping my arms round my black dress and coat.

  ‘Yes, I know, but you have to wear uniform even if you’re in mourning.’

  ‘Does it say so in the rules?’

  For the first time Miss Ainsley looked uncertain. ‘No, it doesn’t. I don’t think this situation has arisen before. I shall have to consult with Miss Smith tomorrow,’ she said, pronouncing the name with reverence, as if she were referring to the Queen.

  ‘Can’t you consult with her now?’

  ‘No, of course not. Miss Smith only comes to the home in the morning – when she can manage it. She is an extremely busy lady. She writes her books, she’s a governor of the Foundling Hospital, she serves on various committees and she does a host of good works. We are so lucky that she still considers this establishment her top priority. You are lucky, Clover Moon. There are many thousands of poor waifs in desperate circumstances on the streets of London, suffering dreadfully. Many die, like your poor sister. Many suffer a fate worse than death, like your so-called friend.’ She sniffed and shook her head.

  I clenched my fists. ‘Please don’t talk about her like that, miss.’

  ‘Miss Ainsley. I can see you’re very attached to that person, but it’s obvious she’s a most unsuitable friend for a little girl.’

  ‘How can you say that when you don’t know her at all?’ I asked.

  ‘I know the type, child. There are many similar debauched girls who come flocking round this area. We have tried taking in some of the younger ones to see if we can instil in them a moral sense and purpose, but it nearly always proves disastrous. Miss Smith feels that our offices should be right in the centre of vice-land, within reach of any female in dire need, but for once I cannot help feeling that she might be mistaken. When they have spent an evening in one of those dreadful gin palaces, girls sometimes carouse outside our building, entertaining wretched men in our doorway, and when I tap on the windows and remonstrate they scream the most dreadful abuse at me.’

  ‘Thelma wouldn’t carouse,’ I said, though I wasn’t really sure what the word meant.

  ‘She insulted me in the most vulgar way,’ said Miss Ainsley. ‘I fear she wasn’t a true friend at all. She was only befriending you to get you into her clutches so she could corrupt you too.’

  I couldn’t bear the thought that Thelma had only been kind to me for an evil purpose. I knew she was a true friend. ‘That’s bleeding nonsense!’ I said hotly.

  Miss Ainsley gasped.

  ‘I mean, that’s nonsense, Miss Ainsley,’ I tried, more meekly.

  ‘I think you had better soap inside that dirty mouth when you take your bath, Clover Moon,’ she said.

  She went to the door and opened it. ‘Sissy!’ she called.

  After a minute or so a tall girl in the regulation blue print dress came walking briskly along the corridor, her boots squeaking on the polished lino. ‘Yes, Miss Ainsley?’ she said.

  ‘Please take this girl to the washroom, Sissy. Cast an eye over her clothes, especially the seams. If it seems clean enough and you’re sure it’s not infested, we will allow her to wear them for a month as she is in mourning for her sister. And keep an eye on her. She looks meek enough, but she’s a contrary little madam with a mouth like a sewer,’ said Miss Ainsley. ‘Off you go.’

  I stood up and clutched my sack.

  ‘And take that dirty sack from her. It’s in a disgusting state,’ said Miss Ainsley, wrinkling her nose.

  Thelma had scrubbed my clothes but we’d both forgotten my sack, and it was undeniably stained from my tumble in the alley. Nevertheless, I clasped it to my chest passionately.

  ‘You’re not taking my sack away!’ I declared. ‘Never! It’s got my most treasured possessions in it.’

  Miss Ainsley rolled her eyes. ‘Dear Lord, must you turn everything into an argument, Clover Moon? I haven’t the energy to deal with you any longer. Take her away, Sissy, please.’

  ‘Certainly, Miss Ainsley. Why don’t you go and ask Maude to make you a nice cup of tea? She’s on kitchen duties this week,’ Sissy said cheerily. She patted my shoulder. ‘Come on, little ’un.’

  ‘I’m not little, I’m eleven,’ I insisted. ‘I’m just small for my age.’

  ‘Yes, you’re a tiny scrap,’ said Sissy.

  ‘My friend Thelma calls me little rabbit,’ I said.

  ‘That’s a sweet nickname.’

  ‘She’s a sweet lady. But she called her horrible names,’ I said, nodding at Miss Ainsley as she left the room.

  ‘Ssh! You mustn’t be rude to Miss Ainsley.’

  ‘She was rude to me,’ I said.

  ‘I dare say. But she means well. She’s just trying to teach us right, see. She had her work cut out when I first fetched up here!’ said Sissy. ‘But you’ll get used to her ways soon enough, Clover, I promise you.’

  ‘I don’t want to get used to them.’ I looked longingly down the hallway to the locked front door. Then I looked up at Sissy. She seemed surprisingly obliging. ‘Sissy, I don’t really want to stay here any more. Do you have a key? Would you let me slip out without letting that Miss Ainsley know? This place isn’t a bit how I expected. I really don’t like it here.’

  ‘Everyone feels like that at first, Clover. Try a few days first.’

  ‘I don’t want to! Please let me out.’

  ‘Do you want to go home?’

  ‘No! I want to find my friend Thelma. She says I can stay with her. That Miss Ainsley says horrid things about her, but she’s truly kind and lovely and she’ll look after me,’ I said.

  ‘I’m sure that’s right, Clover, but I can’t let you go, not if Miss Ainsley doesn’t approve,’ said Sissy, taking my hand. ‘Come on, let’s go upstairs.’

  ‘So we’re prisoners and Miss Ainsley is our jailor and keeps us locked in all the time?’ I asked bitterly.

  ‘We keep the door locked for security, that’s all.’

  ‘And we’re never allowed out?’

  ‘Of course we are! We have walks in the park, under supervision. And I dare say I could go anywhere I choose, as I’m a pupil teacher now,’ said Sissy proudly. She kept hold of my hand and coaxed me gently upstairs as she spoke. ‘You wait and see, Clover. I think you’ll be really happy here.’

  ‘No I won’t,’ I said. ‘I shall hate it.’

  ‘Then if you still feel like that in a week or so, you will have to talk to Miss Smith and see if she can help you,’ said Sissy.

  ‘Is she very severe like Miss Ainsley?’

  ‘No, she’s absolutely marvellous. We all love her.’ Sissy opened a door upstairs. ‘Don’t we all love Miss Smith, girls?’ she cried.

  The girls in blue print dresses and pinafores who had peeped at me through the banisters were now gathered in this room, sitting at a table or lolling on battered sofas, drawing, sewing and readin