Chapter 4 #2
Jenny smiled, trying to put the older woman at ease. For her idea to work, it relied on persuading Mrs Walters. She’d felt guilty for hinting at blackmail on their first encounter and hoped she’d be persuasive enough without resorting to it again.
‘It’s nothing really. I’m probably being very foolish.’ Jenny tapped her fingers against her saucer and glanced around at the tightly packed tables. ‘Shall we walk? The weather is quite pleasant for this time of year.’
The weather really wasn’t very good and being indoors was preferable, but Mrs Walters looked intrigued. ‘Of course.’
They paid, then left, huddling close to the shopfronts for protection from the gusts that clawed at their hems and veils.
They paused to look in the window of a haberdasher’s and Mrs Walters placed her hands together.
One of her gloves had a loose thread between the middle finger and forefinger, and there was wear around the knuckles where the nap had faded.
She wasn’t rich, and hopefully that would help persuade her of the attraction of Jenny’s plan.
Before Jenny could propose it, Mrs Walters cleared her throat.
‘It strikes me that if you will pay me for this mixture, there might be others who would do so, too.’
‘Other women?’ Jenny asked. Her stomach tightened. Could it be that Mrs Walters had come to the same conclusion?
‘Yes. Women who might be grateful for the relief it offers. I didn’t mean to make it, of course, but, well, now that I have, it seems to me a great shame not to offer the benefits to others.’
‘This is a very sudden change of heart!’ Jenny said, concealing her euphoria. It was not going to be difficult at all. ‘Last time we met, you were barely prepared to contemplate making this for me and now you are considering selling it to others. What has changed?’
Mrs Walters placed her hands together. She turned and walked slowly away. Jenny fell in at her side. Once they had crossed to the small park, Jenny paused by the bandstand, sheltering against the stone pillars.
‘You know I have been doing what I am doing because my husband has been slightly incapacitated,’ said Mrs Walters.
‘And he needs to pay for his eye surgery. Yes, I know. It must be very expensive,’ Jenny prompted. Money lay at the heart of so many choices.
‘It is, but that’s not the reason I want to do this.
’ Mrs Walters lifted her head and pushed back her veil.
The habitual nervous look in her eyes had vanished.
‘I am going to be very candid with you, Miss Rosewood. It’s true that I have been doing my husband’s job out of necessity.
However, I have discovered that I find preparing the medications enjoyable and stimulating.
When Archibald is able to resume his duties himself, I will be allowed no part of it.
I wish to find a way to occupy myself while making an independent income. In short, I want to do it for myself.’
She held Jenny’s eyes, as if daring her to object. Jenny, however, had no intention of doing any such thing.
‘Mrs Walters, thank you for confiding in me. I think I understand perfectly. It is one of the great injustices of our world that a woman is reliant on a man and his whims. I think your enterprise is an excellent idea.’
She felt a rush of admiration towards Mrs Walters for attempting to take control of her lot.
‘In fact, I think it is so excellent that I would like to throw my lot in with yours. I have no idea how to manufacture your tincture, but I might know people who would buy it. If you make it, may I become involved in selling it?’
The expression of pleasure on Mrs Walters’ face was the answer she needed.
‘I was hoping you would! The problem I have, is that I don’t particularly know many women other than neighbours or the wives of Archibald’s friends, so I couldn’t really ask them myself,’ Mrs Walters said.
‘But I wonder if you are more sociable than I am, and whether you might know of anyone who would be interested?’
‘I’m not particularly sociable,’ Jenny mused. ‘Being perfectly honest, I tend to avoid my uncle’s acquaintances, but I’m sure I will be able to think of one or two customers.’
Mrs Walters held out a hand. ‘I will make it, if you find buyers.’
‘That sounds a fair allocation of work,’ Jenny agreed, shaking her hand.
‘And we will split the profits. We’re sure to make some.
I think half a crown would be a fair price to charge others, or even a crown.
I really do believe we have a good idea.
An afternoon tea where ladies may partake of delights to alleviate our troubles and stimulate our moods. ’
It was growing dark, and a smattering of rain came out of nowhere.
‘Let’s walk back towards the tram while we consider what best to do,’ Jenny said. As they strolled, she thought aloud.
‘I shall invite a few potential clients to take tea in the week before Christmas. I am sure that before too long, one of the other guests will make a reference to aches and pains. I’ll mention that I have heard of the most marvellous product to aid sleep.
We’ll offer to order it from the newspaper, and then, a week or so later, we’ll invite everyone again to collect it.
You must be there, of course, to help steer the conversation in the appropriate direction. ’
‘Oh, I don’t know about that,’ Mrs Walters exclaimed, shrinking into herself. ‘I don’t want to put my name to it. If Mr Walters ever found out, then he would be furious.’
‘You don’t have to admit to being the creator. I will say that I obtained it by writing off for a bottle from a newspaper advertisement.’
Mrs Walters still looked uncertain. ‘But I don’t know any of those people and I am so busy.’
‘That is why you deserve an afternoon for yourself,’ Jenny said smoothly. She took Mrs Walters by the hand.
‘If you want to sell, then you have to be brave. Just think of the profits we’ll make. Some of the products in the magazines are complete quackery, yet people buy them. And our product works.’
Mrs Walters looked a little easier and laughed. ‘Mr Walters is of the opinion that all of them are flimflam. Sugar-water and laudanum coloured with treacle or cochineal.’
‘Doesn’t our tincture contain laudanum?’ Jenny asked.
Our. She shivered with exhilaration. A joint venture was going to be such fun, and she was happier than she could articulate that Mrs Walters had proposed the idea herself.
‘Ours contains opium, from which laudanum is derived. In the pure form, it is much more potent,’ Mrs Walters answered. She frowned. ‘You will have to be careful to whom you offer my creation. It isn’t something that the lower classes would be safe with. It would be ripe for abuse.’
‘Of course,’ Jenny agreed. ‘We want to do some good, not create habits of dependence in the women of the working classes. They have gin for that, which is evil enough.’
She caught herself sounding callous. It wasn’t the fault of the women that society led them to be so weak-willed and susceptible to addiction. Living in poverty would drive anyone to drink.
‘What if no one wants to try it?’ Mrs Walters asked.
Jenny sucked her lip, thinking. ‘They will. I am sure of it. Especially if we feign reluctance. Nothing interests a woman more than being told she can’t have something.
You must not too readily agree to provide it.
I believe it was Thomas Payne who once said that getting things too cheaply devalues them. ’
‘I don’t think I am acquainted with him, but I must respectfully disagree, as I am most pleased when I find a bargain in the market,’ Mrs Walters said with a gentle laugh.
Jenny laughed at her earnestness. ‘Then we shall not price it too high.’ In what she would later reflect was a monstrous temptation of fate, she added, ‘I can’t think of anything that will go wrong.’