“Well, if you ever change your mind, there will always be a place at my house for you, Kate,” Melanie said, “You were very popular in your time, as I recall Mr Edwards always wanted you above anyone else.” Kate shuddered at the mention of his name but she couldn’t help but think of how he’d always demanded her at the brothel. It was a bad thing to feel pride about but she could not think of any other word to describe how she felt just then. It made her feel very uneasy. Edwards was the cause of all her miseries but she’d come to soften on him a little knowing that in his own odd way he loved her and considering how things were getting better with Tim.
“Does he still come to the house?” she asked Melanie.
“Not as often as he used to, but he’s still around. Kate wondered if Mel knew she was living in Edwards' apartment but dismissed the idea, what did it matter what this woman thought really? She nodded to Melanie’s answer and then said,
“Well, it has been very pleasant to see you, Madame Mel, but I have to be off, lots to be done!” she smiled holing up her basket of sewing supplies.
“So lovely to see you too, Kate,” Mel said, her smile lighting up her face once more. Kate wondered what Tim made of that same face.
Chapter 35
Alderman James was weary late in the evening. It had seemed like a never-ending day and the arrival of Daniel Deek had only prolonged the evening and pushed back James’ bedtime to well after midnight. As he walked along the hall towards his room, he could think of nothing but the softness of his pillow.
As he ascended the stairs, a door opening below caught his attention and he glanced down. Lisa, the maid who’d tended to James on many occasions since his arrival, came out of the room looking a bit frazzled. James stopped mid-step and watched as she then started to fix her clothes about her. A judgmental frown came over James’ face as he thought what she must have been up to in there. Disappointment clouded his mind; he hadn’t thought of her as such a woman, and truth be told he had found himself attracted to the young woman. He didn't know if it was jealousy or moral anger that he felt at that moment.
Just then, Lisa looked up and they locked eyes. She must have felt his presence. She looked helpless and embarrassed but didn’t rush away as he thought she would. He nodded grimly, the best greeting he could give her at the moment while angry. Lisa looked nervously back at the door she’d come from and then set off towards the stairs after James.
For a moment he didn’t know what to do. Should he continue on to bed without a word or was she coming after him to say something, to perhaps beg him not to tell of what he’d just seen? The politics of the house and servants was not something James’ wanted to be involved in at all.
Lisa reached him and stopped breathlessly.
“Can I get you anything Mr. James?” she asked delving straight back in to her role. James did notice however, that she took small steps towards him as though to move him on up the stairs. Clearly she was trying to hide whoever else may come out of the room downstairs. James stood firm and looked on her with a blank expression.
“No, thank you. I’m just off to bed now. I need no assistance.”
At that moment, the door opened once more and to James’ shock Lord Stapleton emerged from the room. He looked red in the face and worn out. He didn’t look at the stairs but set off down the hall seemingly oblivious to the fact anyone had seen him.
James looked back to Lisa open mouthed, but the maid’s head was down and she was looking ashamedly at the steps beneath her feet.
“It’s not what you think,” she muttered, “I have no say in the matter.” She began to cry, James felt the truth of her words instantly, and his attitude changed accordingly.
“There, there,” he said patting her on the shoulder, “Don’t cry.”
“I hate it!” she said.
“I know,” was all James could think to say to answer this. He knew there was nothing he could do about this kind of thing. It was not against the law, and he knew the rich and powerful did this all the time. They seemed to feel that their servants were their personal playthings and that they could do anything they wanted. James had even come across times when servants would be pitted against one another in vicious combat for the entertainment of their master’s friends. It sickened him. “Is there nowhere else you can go?” he asked Lisa.
“No,” she said shaking her head but then she looked to James and took hold of his hands. “Unless, maybe I could come and work for you?” James was dumbstruck for a moment and Lisa took the opportunity to go on. “You have seen I am a very good worker and I know you would treat me much better. I’ll do whatever you want for whatever pay you deem fair!”
For a moment James’ heart tugged at him, he thought how nice an arrangement this would be and how good it would be to see her every day, but his brain took over quickly, and he knew this was something he could not do. Precisely for the reason that he was attracted to her. It would not be right for either of them.
“I’m sorry,” he said pushing her hands away gently, “But I’m afraid I have all the staff I need.”
“I could work for free then!” Lisa said desperately, “All I need is a small space to sleep!”
“I would never do such a thing as have someone work for me for free,” James said gently. “I understand you are not happy here, but this is not the answer.”
Lisa nodded sadly and James was glad she was taking this on board.
“Do you think I could find work in Dublin?” she asked.
“I’m sure you could find work anywhere you went,” he said, “But I think it would be best if you knew someone in the place you plan to go to first.”
“Yes, I suppose that would be best,” she agreed. He felt she was going to ask him something more, perhaps if he knew of anyone who she could work for. Off the top of his head, he couldn't think of anyone but he would certainly keep it in mind. Lisa didn’t ask for anything more, though.
“If you’ll not be needing me, I better get myself to bed,” she said, “I have to be up early.”
“Yes, go and try to get some sleep,” James said and then before he could stop himself said, “I will think on a place in Dublin for you. I’m sure someone I know is in need of good house help.” Her eyes lit up, a smile beamed on her face, and James knew that he had never seen a more beautiful woman in his life.
“Oh thank you, Mr James,” she said throwing her arms around him and planting a kiss on his cheek. James was stunned and Lisa pulled back suddenly with her hand to her mouth. “Oh, I’m terribly sorry, Mr James, I got carried away.”
“That’s alright,” James said with reddening cheeks. “Well, I better get off to bed, goodnight,” and he set off for his room at once only barely hearing her say goodnight back to him.
His heart was pounding heavily when he got into his room and closed the door. He’d never felt like that in the presence of a woman before and he found that he was happy it had occurred despite his more reserved moral ideas. He felt his cheek where she had kissed him. It still tingled.
Chapter 36
Large drops hit the ground with an echoing slap in Cathedral Lane. It had rained heavily enough to clear the streets earlier than usual but it was over now and all was silent. Just beyond the lane was the open burial ground of Cabbage Patch. The name of the area had taken its name from the time of Oliver Cromwell who used the land to grow cabbages for his men. Now it served as a small graveyard with some twenty headstones protruding from the ground. It was an enclosed area, surrounded by two story houses filled with room renters and tradespeople. Sometimes in summer the locals would hold summer parties on the ground but only so long as the Parish Watch or the army didn’t happen by to break them up.
The slap of the rain dripping from the roof at the end of the lane was the only sound that could be heard though it was not yet past nine in the evening. Soon there was a new noise, however. Footsteps, swift, light, and quiet enough that normally Dinny Collins would pass unheard on his way to and fro.
>
Keeping close to the walls like a scurrying mouse, Dinny looked around constantly as he moved, always wary of the hands of the law on his shoulder after a day’s ‘work.’ Dinny was in the thieving industry and was ever watchful for an opportunity to use his light-fingered tactics throughout the day.
Today had been a particularly good day for Dinny and the lining of his coat and the pockets sewn into this cloak jostled with items of resale value. He was already imagining the foods he was going to buy once he had the money in his hands.
On reaching the end of the Lane from Kevin Street, he stopped and peered down it. No sign of anyone. He slunk along the wall on the most shadowed side as quietly as possible. He was nearly home now, and this was the place he most wanted to remain obscure and unobserved.
He came to the graveyard, moved to the first of the higher headstones, and crouched down behind it. All was quiet, even more so than usual for this forgotten corner of Dublin and Dinny grinned; the world was smiling on him today. He ran the short distance to the tree that grew closest to the back of the buildings and pressed himself against the trunk like a soldier trying to dodge flying bullets.
After one last scan around, Dinny climbed up the tree and moved along the thick branch that led right up to the back of the building. He found a string he’d tied to a slightly higher branch, unravelled it, and held it before him. Pulling on it, a window panel opened just in front of him and he jumped the short distance to it. His chest hit the window ledge lightly and his hands grabbed inside as he began to push with his feet to get inside.
Without warning, the pane suddenly came down hard and cracked him on the back of the head. This had never happened before and it shook him and he nearly let go of the window. Before he could get his sense back a strong hand gripped his arm from within- someone was in his room!
“What did you steal today, Collins?” a man's harsh voice asked him.
“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about,” Dinny answered trying to plant his feet against the wall again for balance.
“You do know what I’m talking about. It’s what you do all day, every day.”
“Who are you?” Dinny asked, the window was still pressing down on his head and he couldn't look up to see his accuser.
“I’m the last,” the voice said.
“That last?” Dinny asked. There came no answer to this. Dinny thought for a moment of dropping his weight and falling the short distance to the ground but he had so little control over how he might fall right now that he did not want to chance it just yet.
“What do you want?” Dinny asked. The weight of the window lifted from his head and he felt the man pull his arm as though to help him inside the room. For a moment of relief, Dinny thought this was one of his scoundrel friends playing a prank on him. He pressed his feet against the wall and wondered who it was inside the room.
When his chest was level with the ledge, he pressed his hands down to pull himself up. He’d only just begun to do this, however, when the powerful hand shifted from his arm and clasped horribly at this throat. Dinny looked up with new terror in his eyes and saw a horrifying red face surrounded by a cloak hood come closer to his own. He tried to call out but the grip on his throat would allow no sound to emit.
Furious eyes bore into him and Dinny searched for some glimmer of recognition. None came and now his own vision began to be blurred by tears. He had no idea what this crazy man who’d gone to the trouble of painting his face wanted. He would never find out either.
Just below the grip of the man's hand, a short piercing pain sharply rose up. Dinny let go of the window in shock and pain and the man released his grip on his neck. The fall was short and the landing painful but as Dinny lay there clutching his pulsing bleeding throat he looked back up to the window.
The red face leaned out and stared down at him smiling. The life was quickly running out of Dinny Collins and he was becoming light headed. Glancing around, he saw a young girl gazing on in stunned horror out her own window. The red face followed his gaze and Collin’s saw the girl meet its gaze and then he heard screaming as his eyes closed over for the last time.
Chapter 37
Since his return to Wild Boar Hall, Oliver Shandy had been keeping as close an eye on Alderman James as he could without raising suspicion. At night he spoke to Owens, giving him drink and trying to get him to tell about James, something that might be useful. So far, this talk had come to nothing. Though Owens didn’t love his employer he was fond of him and did not really have anything bad to say about him.
When Shandy brought up the Weaver’s Riot and how James had made the soldiers shoot at the mob, Owens simply shrugged his shoulders.
“If you’d ever seen those riots or the gang fights that used to plague Dublin, you wouldn’t think it too harsh a thing.” The only tiny bit of information Shandy picked up that he couldn't have figured out on his own, was how much in regret James was for that decision and how he wanted to win the favour of the people back more than anything else in the world.
Though this surprised Shandy, it didn’t make up for anything in his mind. James was still the man responsible for Shandy’s brother’s death. Revenge was still what lay buried deep in his heart. James was going to pay the same price as Shandy’s brother had.
The trouble with accomplishing this was that James was almost never alone. One of the family or Edwards or Hodges were always with him. Shandy didn’t have access to the house without raising eyebrows—there was no job he did in there, and anytime Lord Stapleton wanted him to go on one of his errands, he always arranged to meet Shandy in the stables.
For many years, Shandy had dreamed about taking the Alderman’s life and in each scenario, he was always looking into his victim’s eyes as he perished. It had come time to admit that this was not going to be the reality. If he was going to kill James while here in Waterford, he would have to do it from afar. He thought of using his bow, but that was too recognizable to others in the ‘outhouse’. If he took someone else's bow, they would take the fall for what he had done and this was not something he wanted either.
Looking at the giant mansion, Shandy wondered how to do it, how to finish James off. In this absent meandering scan of the building, the idea came to him. The heavy statues on the roof; surely it would be easy enough to pry one of them loose and have it fall on James as he stood below. The only trouble would be getting James to stand where he needed him to be.
‘First things first,’ he thought. 'I better get up on the roof and see what I can do.’
It took over half an hour for Shandy to get into the house unnoticed and find his way to the roof. He had had to climb out a back window and clamber up the last few feet to get to his goal but he made it without too much difficulty.
Once on the roof, he moved around looking down to get his bearings on the house and testing the weight and rigidity of the busts that adorned the edges of the roof. The weakest one, as it turned out, was actually the one that was dead centre in the front of the house that looked down over the main entrance. This was very fortunate for if he was bound to get James anywhere surely the front door was the best bet.
With this omen just noted, Shandy couldn't believe his luck when he suddenly heard the voice of Alderman James talking. Peering over the edge, he saw it was indeed James. He was out talking to Edwards. This couldn't be more perfect, Shandy thought. If it had been any member of the family he might have to think twice about trying it this way, but Edwards meant nothing to Shandy; he was a rich jackass whom the world would not miss in his estimation.
Shandy immediately set about rocking the bust of the gargoyle and twisting to try to separate it from its base. This took only a few moments and a lot less effort that he expected. It came off so easily that he nearly lost hold of it and sent it falling harmlessly feet away from where James was standing. Using all of his strength, Shandy carried the bust over until it was directly above his target. He didn’t wait to savour the moment; he knew James could move away at
any second. He let go and watched as the gargoyle twisted in the air picking up speed as it fell.
It was hard to tell from above, but Shandy thought it was close when he saw Edwards peer up and see the approaching bust; he took a step back to save himself. Then frustratingly, the maid, whom Shandy had not noticed down there, came bursting forwards and pushed James out of the way. The two of them went tumbling down the steps, and the gargoyle smashed harmlessly but noisily on the ground where James had just stood. It had been a perfect shot, but it had not achieved his aim.
Shandy pulled back from the edge before anyone could look up and see him. He was in danger now; he had to get out of here before he was seen. Surely, someone would be up on the roof in a matter of minutes.
He ran back to where he’d come up but on looking over he saw with fury that someone had closed the window he’d used to leave the house. Searching desperately he looked for another way down. The shouts from the front of the house were enough to raise the dead now and panic began to set in. Shandy could hear pounding footsteps on the stairs and landings within the house. There was only moments to spare.
Running back and forth, he looked over the edge at the back of the house and then remembered the field to the north end, the one that led to the ‘outhouse’. That was always marshy at the best of times, but with this heavy rain during the storm, it was sure to be soft as mush by now. He got to the edge and looked down.
It looked like it was quite cut up by horses hooves and puddles spotted all over. He was sure it was as soft as he thought it would be. From the height he was at, however, it was no simple task to just jump down. There was still a huge risk of being seriously hurt or killed. But he had no other choice. They would kill him anyway for trying to kill James.
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