Anna's Return Read online

  “I don’t want the money back, Polly. If it’s any use to young Anna, then I don’t begrudge her a penny of it. I just thought that it might help with finding her. I mean, it’s not going to get her very far, is it?”

  “Then you’re not thinking clearly. You know as well as I do that Lady Geraldine will only use it as another excuse to think badly of Anna.”

  “Excuse me,” said a little voice behind them, “I have ten shillings in my savings. If you would like it back, Mr. Stephens…” They turned to see Teddy standing nearby.

  “That’s perfectly alright, Master Edward,” said Mrs. Palmer, stiffly. She was not very pleased with young Teddy at that moment. “We may be servants but we can manage ten shillings for a friend.”

  “I’m so sorry,” said Teddy, his eyes brimming with tears. “I didn’t mean … I didn’t know what Mother was going to say. I’ve tried to tell her I lied, but she won’t listen. Please don’t be angry with me, Mrs. Palmer.”

  Not one who could really be unkind to a child, Mrs. Palmer held out motherly arms to him, and he gratefully accepted her embrace. “Oh, I know, Master Teddy,” she said, stroking his head. “You’re just a little boy and little boys sometimes tell fibs if they think they’re in trouble. You didn’t mean no harm. It’s just that your mother has had it in for your sister since she came here.”

  “Perhaps we could go and look for Anna,” Teddy suggested. “I do have a bit of money. We could hire a private detective.”

  “How much money do you have in your savings?” asked Mrs. Palmer, smiling.

  “About one pounds, ten shillings and sixpence.”

  “I think a private detective costs a little bit more than that. We’ll just have to look for her ourselves.”

  Without knowing which direction Anna had taken, that was to prove to be very difficult indeed.

  Chapter Seven

  It was mid-afternoon when Anna reached central London. Having got there, she hesitated. What could she do next? She had nowhere to stay, and no job. She managed to buy a penny bun from a stall, but it did little to sate her hunger. With only a couple of shillings left in her pocket, she would not even have enough to pay for a hotel.

  As she wandered, she saw an employment agency, but it was shut for the afternoon. However, it reminded her of Templeton’s Temps, which Mrs. Palmer used frequently. Anna had often seen the address on the envelopes which the prospective servants brought with them. She remembered it was somewhere near Shaftsbury Avenue, as Mrs. Palmer had mentioned going to the theatre there once, so she asked someone the way. If Templeton’s turned out to be closed for the afternoon, she did not know what she would do, but she would cross that bridge when she came to it.

  She eventually found it in a side street near to Shaftsbury Avenue. As Anna walked up the steps, a girl came hurtling down them, bumping into her.

  “I am so sorry,” said the girl, in a thick Polish accent. She was of medium height, with wavy auburn hair and bright green eyes.

  “Florentyna?” said Anna. Florentyna had once been one of the staff at Silverton, having been sent there as a prisoner of war to work on the farmland. Due to them being short staffed in the house, Florentyna had soon been moved there. There was very little age difference between the girls so they had struck up an easy friendship. Anna had even persuaded Florentyna to teach her some Polish, so that if she ever met Janek again, she would be able to speak to him in his own language.

  “Miss Anna, how very good to see you. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m looking for a job.”

  “Has your … Lady Geraldine thrown you out at last?”

  “Yes,” Anna lied, though it was not far from the truth. “She has.”

  “And like everyone else she dismisses you have no references?”

  “Unfortunately, no.”

  “Come on inside, and I will help you. Miss Templeton knows of Lady Geraldine’s reputation, so you should not have much to worry about.”

  “I don’t want to bother you,” said Anna.

  “It is no bother. I have an appointment in half an hour, but it is just across the road.” Florentyna pointed to a derelict Georgian terrace over the way. Most of the windows were boarded up, and those that were on show were smashed. “It does not look much now, but it is to be a new hotel called Carmichaels and they want chambermaids. I was going to be early to make a good impression, but it can wait a few minutes. Besides,” said Florentyna, smiling, “You and Mrs. Palmer were the only people who were kind to me at Silverton Hall.”

  “Perhaps I could get a job there,” said Anna. “At Carmichaels, I mean.”

  “Yes, we will ask Miss Templeton about it.” Florentyna turned to walk back up the steps.

  “Florentyna,” said Anna, catching the girl’s arm. “Can you not introduce me as Anna Silverton? I’m afraid the name would not do me many favours.”

  Florentyna thought for a moment then nodded. “Yes, you are right. What shall you be called?”

  “Anna Palmer.”

  “Anna Palmer it is.”

  Anna followed Florentyna up the steps to Miss Templeton’s agency, not altogether sure whether the lady herself might turn Anna over to the police when she said she had worked at Silverton Hall. Especially if her stepmother had been in touch about new staff, and told her the story of Anna’s flight from the police.

  Inside there was a small reception area, and at the desk sat a rather formidable looking woman. Her hair was in a tight bun, and she wore horn-rimmed glasses. As the girls waited, she dealt with an irate client.

  “We have asked several times for a Russian speaking au pair,” said the client, who was a young woman of about thirty. She looked like a secretary and spoke with a Russian accent. “My employer has been most insistent, given that her baby’s birth is imminent.”

  “I am aware of that, Miss Bazarova and I have explained to Madame Voronina that Russian speaking au pairs are very hard to come by. I assure you that as soon as I find someone, I will send her along.”

  “It is not good enough,” said Miss Bazarova. “We will not use this agency again. Never do you have that which we ask for.” She looked like a young woman under a lot of pressure.

  “I can only apologise…” the woman at the desk started to say.

  “Yes, yes, you always apologise, Miss Templeton, but never do you do as we ask.”

  “I can speak Russian,” said Anna in that language, ignoring Florentyna’s warning hand on her arm.

  Miss Bazarova turned and looked at Anna with interest. “You are Russian born, I can tell,” she said. “Not from your speech, but from your look.”

  “My mother was Russian,” said Anna, still speaking the language. “I am a little rusty, because it is so long since I was able to speak it.”

  “I must concede, you are doing well,” said Miss Bazarova.

  “Exactly what is going on here?” asked Miss Templeton in crisp tones.

  “This young lady is willing to come to work for us,” said Miss Bazarova.

  “That’s impossible,” said Miss Templeton. “I have no idea who this girl is, or what her qualifications are.”

  “She was an au pair at Silverton Hall,” said Florentyna, quickly picking up on the tone of the discussion. “She took care of young Teddy Silverton.” It was not really a lie. Much of Teddy’s early care had indeed been left to Anna. “Only Lady Silverton has done her usual trick of dismissing the poor girl without references.”

  “I am still not sure,” said Miss Templeton. “I know Lady Silverton can be difficult, but…”

  “We will, of course, pay you the usual commission,” said Miss Bazarova, clearly impressed by the mention of Lady Silverton.

  “We do not know why she was dismissed,” said Miss Templeton. Despite that, Anna sensed a shift in her attitude. Her eyes lit up at the mention of commission.

  “You do know Lady Silverton,” said Florentyna. “It takes very little to displease her. But I can vouch for Anna … Palmer’s character.
I worked at Silverton Hall in the war, and I saw her treat the child with nothing but kindness and patience.” Again that was something which was very true.

  “Very well,” said Miss Templeton. “You’re an honest girl, Florentyna, so I know you would not lie to me. There is the question of the paperwork, and putting the girl on file.”

  “Yes, yes, we will do that some other time,” said Miss Bazarova. “For now I need to take this girl to Madam Voronina so she can stop worrying. The doctor is already concerned about her blood pressure. Oh do not look so worried, Miss Templeton. Your commission will be sent immediately. I will take care of it myself.”

  Realising that she had no arguments left, Miss Templeton nodded. Anna, Florentyna and Miss Bazarova left the agency together. “We will get a taxi back to the embassy,” said Miss Bazarova.

  “The Russian embassy?” asked Anna.

  “Yes, Madame Voronina is the wife of a diplomat.”

  “Does that mean we will be going to Russia?”

  “Not if my employer can help it,” said Miss Bazarova, tight-lipped.

  “Florentyna,” said Anna, turning to her friend. “Thank you so much for your help.”

  “You’re very welcome, Anna. As you English say, you fell on your two feet there.”

  “Yes, I did rather,” said Anna, with a smile.

  “Do you have clothes or belongings?” asked Miss Bazarova, frowning, as if she had only just realised that Anna carried nothing with her.

  “No. There was no time,” Anna said vaguely, hoping that Miss Bazarova would not press her for details.

  “Never mind, we can find you something. You’re about my size. Come, we must go.”

  Florentyna crossed the road, waving, as the door to the future Carmichael’s hotel opened.

  Janek had opened the door to be free of some of the dust. He saw the young girl crossing the street, and looked beyond her to see two young women standing on the opposite side of the road, watching her. He was about to go back inside when he realised exactly who one of the young women was. She had grown since he last saw her but it was unmistakably Anna.

  “Anna?” he said, going out onto the street.

  The girl faltered slightly then said, “Janek? Is that really you?”

  They met in the middle of the street, two strangers who had once been friends through adversity.

  The young woman standing on the other side of the road tapped her feet, as if she were in too much of a hurry to witness friends reuniting.

  “It really is me,” said Janek. “How strange, I was only just thinking about you and wondering how you’re getting on.”

  “She’s getting on very well,” said the other, older woman. “Or she will be if she hurries.”

  “I’ve just got a job as an au pair to a Russian diplomat,” said Anna.

  “Well, that’s wonderful,” said Janek. “I’m glad to see you’re doing so well.”

  “Yes … yes, I am. And you? Are you well?”

  “I’m busy trying to clean this place up ready for opening, which is why I’m so dusty, but yes, I’m very well.” He could not help noticing what a pretty young woman Anna had become. He would have liked the chance to talk to her more, but her companion was once again tapping her feet. “Well, don’t let me keep you.”

  “It was good to see you, Janek,” Anna said, awkwardly, following the other woman towards the corner of the road. “I’m glad you’re well.”

  “Excuse me,” said the young woman who had been crossing the road when Janek first saw Anna. “My name is Florentyna. I’ve come about the chambermaids’ post. Can I speak to the boss?”

  Janek barely heard her. He was too busy watching as Anna got into a taxi. “What? Oh yes. You’re already speaking to the boss. Come on in.”

  At least he knew Anna was well. It helped to salve his conscience a little. He could get on with what he wanted to do now, without worrying about her anymore. And if he noticed that she looked very pale and frightened, just as she had appeared when he first met her, then he put it down to the nervousness of starting her new post. The woman with her had looked very frightening indeed.

  “Come on, Florentyna,” he repeated. “Can you start straight away?”

  “You hardly know me, sir. Don’t you want to interview me?”

  “You’re a friend of Anna’s, aren’t you? I saw her waving to you.”

  “Yes, sir. I’ve known her since nineteen forty two. I worked with her at Silverton Hall for a long time.”

  “Then I trust you’re the right person for the job.”

  Chapter Eight

  Anna’s heart hammered as she sat in the taxi next to Miss Bazarova. Of all the times to bump into Janek! She wished she could have spoken to him a little longer, so she could find out more about his life now. She was right when she said he looked well. He looked very well indeed. Gone was the scrawny, half-starved teenager of eight years before, to be replaced by a tall, dark and devastatingly handsome young man.

  But, she thought, as the taxi travelled through the streets of London, perhaps it was just as well. She could no more involve him in her life now as she could Mrs. Palmer. He had helped her once, and she did not want to make him feel responsible for her again. Besides, for all she knew, he would turn her straight over to the police if he found out the truth. He owed her nothing and would probably be horrified to learn she had been accused of trying to harm Teddy.

  “I’m sorry we did not have time to talk to your handsome friend for longer,” said Miss Bazarova, pulling Anna out of her reverie. “We are in such a rush.”

  “Is Madame Voronina very difficult?” Anna asked, shyly. She doubted anyone could be harder to please than her stepmother, but she had little experience of other grand ladies.

  “No, not really. Or should I say not usually? I don’t like to gossip, but it’s probably as well to make you aware of the situation into which you are going. The baby Madame Voronina is carrying is her first, and she and her husband have been waiting for it a very long time. She is thirty-eight years old, so the doctors are very concerned about her and the baby. They say she may need bed rest for a long time after the child is born, hence me trying so hard to find an au pair. Mr. Voronin is adamant the au pair speaks Russian. Madame is not so concerned about that, but she will do anything she can to make him happy. Unfortunately trying to make him happy is causing her more stress. But she is a dear woman, so do not be afraid. Before I take you to meet her, you can freshen up and I will loan you some of my clothes.”

  “Thank you, Miss Bazarova.”

  “Since we are to be working together, call me Tasha. And I hope I may call you Anna.”

  “Yes, of course. Thank you, Tasha.” Anna looked at the other girl under her eyelashes. She had thought her fierce, but now she realised Tasha was only fiercely loyal to Madame Voronina. “You say that Madame has no wish to return to Russia.”

  “No.” Tasha looked around, as if afraid of being overheard. “Please do not repeat this, otherwise Madame will be in great trouble, but Madame likes the freedom of the west. In Russia it is not so free. Even now I am afraid that I have said too much to you.”

  “I shan’t betray your trust, Tasha, don’t worry. I lived in Russia as a child, so I know what it’s like there. We were lucky, because my mother could travel all over the world as a ballerina, so we did not have to live there much.”

  “Your mother was a ballerina? What was her name? I love the ballet. Perhaps I saw her.” Just as Anna was afraid she might have to answer that question, the taxi stopped outside a grand house in a leafy square in the north of London. “Ah, we’re here,” said Tasha. “We’ll save this conversation until later. I’m sure we’ll have much to talk about, both being from the Motherland. It is strange, is it not, how one can love their country yet hate living there?”

  Tasha paid the taxi driver and led Anna into the house and up a flight of stairs.

  Half an hour later, Anna was dressed in a dark blue skirt suit with a white blouse. S
he could not remember ever dressing so elegantly, at least not as a young woman. The last time she had dressed up was when her mother was alive. Not wanting to get lost in sad memories, Anna quickly followed Tasha back downstairs and into a grand drawing room.

  It had been furnished in an ornate Russian style, and as such, delighted Anna. A large gold samovar stood on a side board. It had been a long time since she had drunk tea from one and once again she was reminded of her mother, and the days when they had taken tea together, revelling in every delicious cup.

  Sitting at the far end of the drawing room, at a writing desk, sat the most beautiful woman Anna had ever seen. She had jet black hair, pulled back tightly from her head, and alabaster skin. Even though she was with child, she looked very slender, with only the bump on her tummy giving a clue as to her condition. Anna had the strange feeling they had met before. “You are back, Tasha,” she said, with a smile. “And I see you have brought me a new friend.”

  “This is Anna Palmer, Madame,” Tasha said in Russian. “I have engaged her as your au pair. She speaks Russian.”

  “Come closer, child,” said Madame Voronina, also speaking in Russian. “Let me look at you.”

  Hesitating, Anna took a few steps towards Madame, feeling quite intimidated. “How do you do, Madame. I hope you will be pleased with my work.”

  “Anna? Anna Palmer, you say,” said Madame.

  “Yes, that is correct.”

  “I knew a little girl called Anna once. You could very easily be her. Or her mother. In fact you could not be anyone else. It is Anna, is it not? Natalia’s daughter?”

  At that, tears pricked Anna’s eyes. Partly because Madame knew her mother and partly because she feared being sent away. “Yes, that is correct.”

  “And you’re working as an au pair?”

  “Yes, Madame. I don’t mind, really.”

  Madame turned to Tasha to explain. “Anna’s mother and I were in the ballet together, a long time ago.” Madame held out her hands to Anna. “Please, don’t look so fearful child. Natalia Andreyev’s daughter is a friend to me. You must tell me everything that has happened to you.”