My mother advertised again in the ‘Daily Telegraph’ that a widow living near Croydon would like to meet with a lady to share in her home as a paying guest. A doctor called and said that he knew of a young lady from Freiberg in Germany who would like to come to England to learn the language.

And so I became acquainted with Stephani Lichtenburg and our friendship lasted for over fifty years.

We prepared a small front room for her.

My sister Rosie said she would cook everything. We were to have a late dinner at seven each evening. Our guest would be paying four and a half guineas a week which was considered to be a lot of money in those days. My mother was glad to give Rosie pocket money as she was still engaged to Harry Watkins. They had arranged a three year engagement and the wedding was to be on the 24 of June It was now September.

I was looking out of the window when I saw a four wheeler coming to a stop outside our house in St James Road. The top was laden with large trunks, boxes and bagages and when I saw Stephani alight, my heart gave a bound. She was the most beautiful creature I had ever seen.

I went out to the staircase to greet her. She spoke very little English but what a beautiful voice she had.

My sister Rosie was also very fond of her when we became more acquainted but she had her marriage in view and had other things to occupy her mind.

After Steffy - as we called her - had been in our house for a month, my mother received a letter from a friend of Steffy’s called Nola. Nola wrote that she was very concerned about her friend because Stephani had written to her saying that she had not known that there would be two young girls at St James Road. Stephani had also written that she would feel better if someone wrote to my mother telling her that she was married and that she had kept it a secret from their families as her husband, Edmund Von Freyhold, was not of age. This might cause displeasure and Edmund would have his allowance cut off. Edmund was an artist and as Stephani was expecting a baby she thought it best to come to England so that the secret would still be kept. (The young doctor who had called at our house was Nola’s friend and lived in South london.) Stephani was now perturbed that not only the widow - my mother - but her two daughters would have to know and would we still be so kind?

That was the gist of the letter and my mother handed it first to Rosie and then to me. It was a very awkward situation. My mother said, “I am at a loss at how to broach the subject to her.”

I instantly said, “I will do it - I’ll tell her fortune with cards and then I can bring it out somehow. Leave it to me.”  

 My mother seemed relieved and Rosie said, “ When? After dinner or before?”

I answered, “Leave us alone before the fire and I will do it.”

I had a job teaching two boys during the day and Stephanie always came as far as Thornton Heath Pond to meet me as I returned home.She met me as usual and I told her I was very good at telling fortunes. She laughed and said, “Will you tell mine?”

“Yes,” I said.

After dinner we were left alone and I closed the curtains and made up the fire as it was getting chilly at night.

I spread out the cards.

“Now,” I said, “You must wish and cut the cards and if there is a red card you will have your wish.”

She did so.

“The two of hearts,” I exclaimed, ‘ Yes - you get your wish.”

I peered at the cards further. “ You have travelled over the water but your heart is at home. And you are severed from someone you love.”

Steffy cut the pack again and spread out thirteen cards.

“My dear,” I said, “here’s a man that loves you . There were tears, tears, all the way at parting - oh - but what a reunion you are going to have! But here - wait - it looks as though you are married...?”

“Oh, Nellie dear, I am married and I am going to have a baby.”

She threw both her arms around me and wept on my shoulders. “I know - my darling Steffy. We all know,” I said, “and I love you and I will care for you. I shall love your baby and so will my mother and Rosie.”

“You will be kind to me and not make me go away?”

“Of course not,” I said and then I told her of her friend Nola’s letter to my mother.

Then Steffy told me about Edmund and fetched his photograph which was very large. She told me he had deep blue eyes, was very tall and broad and looked like the artist he was. When Edmund eventually arrived with his luggage with ‘Baden - Baden’ written all over it, I was with delight, able to teach him English. I return for my lessons he promised I would see Paris - where they would go to live after the baby was born.

It was six months after our little sit-down to the fortune telling, that the baby came and was named Iris - pronounced Ere.