Tess barely made it in the last train of the night, finding a seat next to a woman with a crying baby. She exhaled a breath and closed her eyes, tilting her head back. How had it come to this? Opening her bag, she pulled out the folded piece of paper with an address and instructions. She was to go to the address listed immediately from the train station and then meet Edna at the fish market at five o'clock the following morning. This would have been simple had she possessed money for a cab. Instead, she asked an officer at the train station for directions and proceeded to get lost multiple times. When she finally found her destination, she discovered it to be a boarding house. She had to knock repeatedly before a woman opened the door, anger at the late hour written on her face.
"What is the matter with you? Do you know what time it is?" The woman barked.
"I apologize. I got lost." Tess offered, fatigue drowning her words.
"Well, what do you want then?" The woman asked.
"I was told to come here. By an Edna…." Her words drifted as she realized she didn't know Edna's last name to give the woman.
"And your name?" The woman asked.
"Tess. Adelman. Tess Adelman." Tess's brain was overwhelmed with a mix of emotion and exhaustion, she just wanted the woman to let her in so she could sleep what little time she could.
"You're going to be working for Mr. Solomons?" The woman clarified, receiving a tired nod from Tess in response.
The woman stepped aside and allowed Tess to enter the boarding house before leading her upstairs to an empty room.
"Normally, I have an eleven o'clock curfew." The woman began. "But since you're working for Mr. Solomons, it doesn't pertain to you."
Tess's brow cinched at this comment.
"No men are allowed upstairs. If they come to call, they must remain in the living quarters downstairs and must leave by nine o'clock." The woman continued. "Here you are." She said as she opened the door to a room with a small single bed, an equally small wardrobe, a washstand, and washbasin.
"Breakfast is at seven o'clock." The woman said before she turned and proceeded back to her own bed. Tess placed her bag in the ground and moved as quickly as her tired body would allow toward the bed, falling asleep the moment her body touched the mattress.
Tess stood to the side, against a brick building, scanning the fish market for Edna. Unfortunately for Tess, she hadn't a clue as to what Edna looked like. With only two and a half hours of sleep, Tess wasn't sure she would even make it through the day if she found Edna.
Tess had been waiting for fifteen minutes when a woman seemingly in her late forties began walking toward her.
"Tess?" The woman asked and Tess nodded. She looked Tess up and down before shaking her head. "Well, you are young and pretty."
"Thank you." Tess replied before the woman shook her head again, disapproval lining her lips.
"What has Ellin gotten me into?" The woman responded to herself.
Tess followed Edna as she purchased fish and stopped at a stand to buy eggs and vegetables. The ladies walked quickly along the Camden pavement until they reached a brick building by the canal where Edna led the way upstairs.
"How much do you know about cooking?" Edna asked as she began to lay out the items they had purchased.
Tess thought about her answer. If she admitted she didn't know anything, Edna might turn her away but if she lied, Mr. Solomons would know after Edna had left. "Um… I cooked all the time for my uncle." Tess lied, deciding cooking couldn't be that difficult. She would watch Edna closely and learn as much as she could in the time she had her mentor.
"Alright then. First thing you need to know about Mr. Solomons. He eats his eggs scrambled and with toast from fresh baked challah every morning, with coffee. He likes to mix jam or preserves into his eggs and prefers apricot preserves, but occasionally eats apple or pear jam, so have them all on the table for him. Depending on his diary for the day, he will mix whiskey into his coffee so you'll want to have that too." Edna instructed Tess as she got to work, pointing at jars for Tess to grab for her as she went.
They had put the food on the table just as a door opened with a creak and footsteps advanced on the dining room. Tess's stomach broke out into nervous butterflies as her new employer drew close.
Mr. Solomons entered the dining room and looked at Tess briefly before flicking his eyes to Edna and taking a second, deeper look at Tess, his eyes trailing down her legs and back up. When his perusal of her was over, he looked at his former maid.
"Fucking hell, Edna." He said with the shake of his head.
"Good morning, Mr. Solomons. This is Miss Tess Adelman. She will be replacing me in two days' time."
"Yeah, I gathered that." He grumbled. "I still haven't accepted your resignation, you know."
"I am aware." Edna said with a small smile. "However, William needs my assistance, and you will be left in good hands."
"She's a bit young, isn't she?" He asked as he sat and began mixing apricot preserves into his eggs as Edna had predicted.
"Young, but no less able." Edna assured him.
Mr. Solomons grumbled one last time before he began to eat, and Edna led Tess back into the kitchen to clean.
—
"Now," Edna began when they had finished cleaning the kitchen and dining room and led Tess to Alfie's bedroom. "You'll strip the bed and wash Mr. Solomons' sheets every day. Do it in the morning so they have time to dry on the roof."
"They're wet." Tess said, a look of distaste on her face.
"Sweat." Edna told her.
"Sweat?" Tess repeated. "Why on earth wo-"
"Mr. Solomons was in the war." Edna cut her off with such a finality in her voice, Tess knew not to bring it up again. Least of all to Mr. Solomons.
By the time dinner came, Tess's feet hurt, and she was exhausted. She listened half-heartedly to Edna's end-of-day instructions, nodding when she felt appropriate, all the while thinking of sleep.
"Tess." Edna snapped.
Tess jumped. "Yes?"
"You may go. I will meet you tomorrow morning at the fish market at five."
Tess nodded before turning and walking slowly back to the boarding house she now resided in. When she arrived, she pulled off her shoes, cringing as feeling came pulsing back into her toes painfully. It was fairly early, Edna had dismissed her just after dinner cleanup, so the only shower in the house was open. Tess showered quickly, eager to get off her feet and made her way to her room. She sat on the bed, closed her eyes, and instantly fell asleep.