A Change of Fortune by Beryl Matthews Page A

wife stood up and walked towards her husband. ‘Perhaps someone gave them to Jenny as a gift.’
    ‘Nonsense.’ He glared at the frightened girl in front of him. ‘Well, I require an explanation.’
    Jenny didn’t answer, as large tears began to course down her face at the memories the dress evoked. Her father’s smile as he’d told her how beautiful she was, and her mother’s nod of approval. They’d taken her to Covent Garden that evening. Such happy memories.
    ‘And how did you come by the diamond and emerald pendant? That cannot have been a gift!’
    Jenny remained mute. She had gone through hardship to get away, and if she spoke now it would all have been in vain. They would go straight to her mother. He believed her to be a thief – his mind was made up. And there wasn’t a thing she could do about it.
    ‘Your silence condemns you,’ he snapped. ‘As you are not prepared to give a satisfactory reason why these items were in your possession, then you are dismissed with immediate effect.’
    His wife tried to intervene, but he held up his hand. ‘I’ll deal with this. I won’t have staff who can’t be trusted.’
    ‘But I haven’t done anything wrong,’ Jenny protested, terrified at being thrown out. ‘My father gave them to me –’
    ‘It’s no good trying to explain now. You’ve had your chance. You may leave at once and thank your lucky stars that I don’t hand you over to the law.’
    She reached out to pick up the dress and pendant.
    ‘Leave those. They will be given to the police to see if they can trace their rightful owner.’
    It was over. Her aunt was bound to have searched her things to find out what she had taken, and then told the police to be on the lookout for them. Terror surged through her. The pendant was her only means of raising money. That was necessary because she was going to have to run again.
    With a moan of despair she lunged for her precious things, hugging them to her as she rounded on Mr Stannard, fear and anger loosening her tongue. There was little point in pretence now. ‘They are mine. My father did give them to me, but now he’s dead.’
    There was a stunned silence in the room. Mrs Douglas, who was still standing by the door, had turned quite pale. Jenny was frantic and spun round to face Mrs Stannard, the words tumbling out without thought. ‘I’ve worked hard for you, never complaining about the long hours, yet you are going to let your husband dismiss me without proof of wrongdoing. I am not a thief!’
    In her anguish she had quite forgotten her cockney accent, and the words gushed out in her best Templeton School accent.
    ‘Who are you?’ Mr Stannard demanded, surprised.
    ‘My dear,’ his wife said, as she took her husband’s arm, ‘something is very wrong here.’
    ‘I know that,’ he said sharply. ‘She doesn’t sound like a servant now.’
    ‘Jenny.’ Madam glanced at the dress again. ‘You appear to be a well-educated young lady. Will you explain why you are masquerading as a servant?’
    ‘I can’t tell you. All I can say is that these are my things and you have no right to take them from me.’ Jenny knew that if the Stannards found out who she really was, Aunt Gertrude would take over her life again.
    Mr Stannard had obviously lost patience. ‘As you refuse to say how you came by these things, then you must leave. I will not have someone under my roof of doubtful reputation.’
    Jenny heard his wife whisper, ‘Do not be so hasty.’
    ‘My mind is made up. This girl is lying.’
    Jenny knew that this was the end of her time here. Still holding tightly on to her things, she ran past Mrs Douglas and up to her room, where she shoved everything into her case. The uniform was left on top of the bed. It didn’t take her more than a minute. Edna had left her hat and coat over a chair, so she put them on, grabbed her case and ran down the servants’ stairs, reaching the door just as Mrs Douglas came rushing after her.
    ‘Jenny,