A Victorian Dream

A Victorian Dream

Sarah looked down at the beach and the horse drawn bathing machines lined up at the water’s edge on Main Bay in Broadstairs, a beautiful seaside town on the southeast coast of England. Listening to the screams from an occupant of a bathing machine, who had decided to take the plunge, made her smile.

  “Mmm. It must be cold in there,” Sarah observed. “Even though it’s a beautiful sunny day.”

  She loved to watch the happy scene before her when the family were out. Tearing her eyes away from the window she took the stairs down to the basement to help cook prepare the evening meal. The family often ate at the Royal Albion Hotel when spending time away from their London Home but tonight they would be entertaining. Sarah had enough to do but cook needed her help and she wasn’t going to risk the wrath of this formidable woman by being late.

  Sarah longed for next Sunday. Her days off couldn’t come quick enough. Walking along the cliff tops of Broadstairs was one of her favourite pastimes. The inimitable Charles Dickens trod the same paths just a few years ago and she wished she could have met the great man himself. His wonderful books and characters were loved by so many and he wrote some of them while staying in Broadstairs which had been his favourite seaside resort. But the thought of seeing Barnaby Jackson again filled her with excitement. He was  a footman in the one of the big houses and they usually managed to get the same Sunday off. They loved to spend time on one of the more secluded sandy beaches eating a picnic and away from the crowds. Hiring a bathing machine was out of the question and she didn’t think it was appropriate to flaunt herself in a bathing costume but they often enjoyed a paddle.

  Barnaby had asked her to marry him the last time they’d met and of course she’d said yes though it seemed an impossible dream. The Lord and Lady he worked for lived in Essex and the family Sarah worked for lived in London. They had met in Broadstairs two years ago and continued meeting on their days off. During the winter months they wrote to each other and met occasionally but a wedding seemed hard to imagine. Fairy tale endings didn’t happen to people like them but she liked to daydream and her daydreams felt tangible  

  Cook soon brought her back from her reverie.

  “Get cracking Sarah the vegetables won’t chop themselves.”

  “Sorry, I was thinking.”

  “Daydreaming about your young man more like,” cook retorted while pretending to be annoyed.

  “Yes,” Sarah replied as she blushed profusely.

  “Now look sharp. We have much to do.”

  It wasn’t Sarah’s job to work in the kitchen when they were in the large London house but only a few domestic staff were needed in the Broadstairs home. Sarah was glad to be asked to accompany them because life without seeing Barnaby would be dreary indeed and she enjoyed being a lady’s maid for the summer months.

  Later that night Sarah lay in bed staring at the ceiling of her tiny attic room continuously rubbing her mother’s locket as if expecting a genie to appear like the one in the Arabian Nights. She was allowed to borrow books from the family’s large library in London and she knew these stories almost off by heart. However a genie didn’t materialise but something else did.

  A mist appeared in the corner of the room. Sarah stared wide eyed knowing it was her mother. Her parents had been killed in a fire when she was seventeen forcing her into service. Eight years had passed but the pain was still there. They had encouraged her to read and educate herself and she was thankful for that but she missed them so.

   Sarah was mesmerised as she watched the mist take shape and she could feel the warmth of her mother’s love permeating her being instead of the cold she usually felt in the tiny attic bedroom whether summer or winter. But hearing her mother’s voice in her head was something new.

  “Believe in your dreams my love.”

  Sarah sat up straight. She wasn’t afraid but she was glad she didn’t have to share her room with Alice as she did in London. Anything to do with ‘spirits’ would scare the living daylights out of her dear friend. Staring at the misty figure in the corner of the room and realising it was fading already didn’t leave her feeling sad. Instead she was elated in the knowledge that loved ones don’t die but live on in another world. Believing in her dreams was something her parents would have encouraged her to do so she was in no doubt it was her mother’s voice she’d heard.

  She was extremely tired after such a busy day and she lay down once more clutching the locket as she fell into a deep sleep with a smile on her face.

  Barnaby had also been thinking about their situation before he fell asleep. In Essex he was the head footman and was expected to be promoted to butler in the not-too-distant future. Lord and Lady Bartram liked him a lot because he was a quick learner, amiable and took his job seriously. Their current butler, Collins, was ageing and wanted to retire soon.

  A Sadness swept over Barnaby because although he really liked his job and the family he worked for he missed Sarah and wondered how they would ever be able to marry and live together. He loved her dearly and admired her positive attitude to life. They enjoyed their summers in Broadstairs, but it was no longer enough and he prayed they would be a married couple one day soon.

  Another summer was coming to an end and they had made the most of every minute when they were together. Broadstairs provided countless beautiful walks and there was entertainment too. Colourful street organs often played on the promenade along with fiddlers and singers. Occasionally they spent time in the Assembly Rooms. The acts weren’t always of a high standard, but they enjoyed their evenings nonetheless, especially when the newly acclaimed mesmerist was on the bill.

  In the winter months, and whenever possible, Sarah and Barnaby met in London. On one such occasion they had a rare treat and visited the new Lyons Tea Shop in Piccadilly.

  “Oh Barnaby it’s lovely in here,” Sarah commented as they were served with current buns and a pot of the famous Lyons tea.

  “I thought you’d like it and at least it’s warm and cosy.”        

  “Yes and it’s nice for us to be waited on for a change,” Sarah quipped.

  They treasured these precious moments together but found it increasingly difficult to be apart for long periods of time. Their letters to each other reflected this although Sarah was determined to stay positive. She often sensed her mother around at night and heard her gentle voice telling her that all would be well though she couldn’t figure out how. Good jobs were few and far between especially when you worked for a decent family.

  Lord and Lady Bartram had been told of their head footman’s predicament. Unlike many upper-class employers they cared about those in their charge and they were hatching a plan. Their present butler, Collins, who had been training Barnaby to take over when he retired, had decided he would leave after the Christmas celebrations of eighteen ninety-four.

  Lord and Lady Bartram’s eldest daughter, Agnes, was now of the age when she needed a ladies maid and she wanted someone young. Lady Bartram spoke to Barnaby about offering the position to his intended so they could be near each other.

  “Oh that’s wonderful,” cried Sarah when he told her the good news.

  “It is my love,” he replied as they hugged each other. “But even if we marry we’ll still be separated at night in the servants quarters and I don’t know if we’ll be able cope with that. We’re only human after all.”

  “At least it’s a step in the right direction.”

  “That’s what I love about you my dearest, your cheerful outlook on life. Nothing seems to dampen your dream of us living in our own home.”

  “I want that more than anything,” Sarah said wistfully. “We can’t afford to rent a cottage yet but we can save hard.”

  “Yes and it will help not having to meet in London now that we’ll be working under the same roof. But it could take a long time before we have enough money behind us.”

  “We’ll find a way Barnaby.” Doubt began to creep into Sarah’s mind for the first time but didn’t her mother say all would be well.

  A few weeks later Sarah had settled into her position as a ladies maid and was enjoying her new status. More importantly she was able to see Barnaby every day and she was so proud of him now that he was ‘Jackson’ the well-respected butler of the house. They wanted to get married and they were saving every penny towards finding suitable accommodation; little did they know that their fortunes were about to change.

  They were summoned to the drawing room by Lady Bartram and they wondered what was about to transpire.

  “Don’t look so worried. I have some particularly good news for you both,” Lady Bartram said while looking pleased with herself.

  Barnaby and Sarah exchanged glances.

  “I know you want to get married as soon as possible and of course it’s only natural that you would want to live together so Lord Bartram and I would like to offer you a cottage in the grounds.”

  They both gasped and were rendered speechless.  

  Lady Bartram smiled. “It would normally be given to an employer after a lifetime’s service. But as you know, Collins has decided to retire and move to London to live with his sister and it seems a pity to leave it empty.”

  “I don’t know what to say your ladyship,” replied Barnaby.

  They couldn’t have been happier and thanked Lady Bartram profusely before returning to their duties.

  A few weeks later their wedding and reception were small but perfect. Lord and Lady Bartram, the household staff, Barnaby’s siblings and mother, Sarah’s dear friend, Alice, and some of the locals from the village attended. The day after their reception they travelled to Broadstairs for a short honeymoon. Lady Agnes knew it was where they’d met so she organised and paid for it as a wedding present.

  On their last evening they stood by the water’s edge on Main Bay with their arms around each other watching the boats rocking gently in the harbour next to the pier. A beautiful setting sun gave off an orange glow and they were silhouetted against the sky.

  “You were right to stay positive Sarah,” Barnaby said to his new wife. “Dreams really do come true!”

  Sarah smiled knowingly as she felt her mother close by.

Geraldine Ann Ford

December 2023