Unchaining Alice

Chapter 8

“Alright, go upstairs and wake the others and I will get breakfast ready for you all,” Alice instructed. She closed the door behind her and quickly found her clothes for the day. Once she’d buttoned her simple, brown calico dress, she tied her apron around her waist and used a piece of ribbon to tie her dark curls back. She poured water into her basin so that she could freshen up her face.

When she came to the kitchen she thought for a moment that she would appreciate hiring a cook to help her. Doing everything by herself was difficult. It was a job that kept her busy from dawn until dusk.

Alice lit the stove and began cooking porridge, the same as every morning. When it was done she set the long dining table and poured a ladle spoon of porridge into each bowl. As soon as the last bowl was filled, the children began streaming in excitedly as they took their seats and began to tuck in hungrily.

It was now time to go and tend to the infants. Taking the rest of the day’s milk, she went upstairs and came into the little bedroom that was filled with five little cradles containing roused babies. Alice circled the room humming a French lullaby as she calmed each baby down. She had a way with babies. They never seemed to grizzle or cry whenever she was around. She’d like to imagine that she would be a good maman one day, if ever.

Once all the babies were changed and fed, she went back down stairs to let the children outside to play for a while. They amused themselves with all sorts of imaginary games. Joseph arrived soon after to take the children for their lessons but he agreed a break was indeed well deserved. He helped her carry the babies down stairs so that they too could enjoy the sun.

Annie arrived soon after and had brought with her Amy’s baby carriage as Amy was being cared for by her sister, Kitty, for the day. She fetched the orphanage’s baby carriage and offered to take the five infants for a walk which Alice was grateful for. Joseph went with her so that he could push the other carriage. She didn’t have the time to take the babies for walks when she had twenty other children to keep an eye on. She really relied on the help of Joseph and Annie. Her thoughts flashed back to the money in her bedroom and she saw the sense in it more and more. Could she really use it? Would that not go against everything she was raised to believe?

She realised she was refusing the money for selfish reasons. The money was not only for her benefit, but for the children’s as well. If she were to hire a cook, it meant that she would have more time to organise recreational activities for the children, such as outings and excursions about London which they’d never had the luxury of doing.

She sat on the step of the orphanage and watched the children play happily. They skipped and chased each other and laughed the whole time. If ever a carriage came, they would all help each other off the street like a team and then they would resume their game. Yes, Alice decided, she would hire someone. She was the only mother figure these children had and she spent most of her time in the kitchen preparing the same boring meals because she’d never learnt how to prepare anything else.

When Joseph and Annie returned a short while later, Alice propositioned the idea.

“Do you remember that letter I received from your brother yesterday?” Alice asked thoughtfully.