Matronly Duties

by Melissa Kendall

  “April!” Red calls out. “The cart is working. We have to leave.”

  April pokes her head out of the office, with her cheeks slightly flushed and looking a little out of breath. “Yes, coming.”

  Red shakes his head, then heads for the exit.

  “I trust all went well?” Darren asks.

  I let out a little squeal of joy as we drive off.

  “We did it, we got the information. Now all I have to do is figure out what to do with it.” I pull out the piece of paper. It makes me happy when I look at April and Red and see smiles on their faces. “I just want to say a huge thank you to both of you for helping me with this. You didn’t have to, but it means a lot to me that you did.”

  I barely get the words out before April throws her arms around me in a hug. “You’re welcome.”

  Red, ever calm and collected, gives me a nod that says just as much as April’s hug.

  He reaches into his jacket and pulls out an envelope. “I was going to give this to you this morning, but I hung on to it in case you needed a pick-me-up after the stop at Central Records.”

  “Thank you,” I reply, grabbing the letter from his hand. By now, I recognise the paper—it’s from Howard. “Could you take the fast route home?” I ask eagerly.

  “Of course.”

  In less than fifteen minutes, I’m in my room, seated in my favourite chair.

  August 24, 2220

  My Sweetest Beth,

  First, I find it extremely interesting that we both have favourite books that are about the oppressed fighting a monstrous power. I think you and I are more alike than even I realised. If you can, I highly suggest trying to get a hold of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea. I think you will really enjoy it.

  Now, with the fun stuff out of the way, it’s onto the serious stuff. I have to say that I am extremely concerned about this deal you made. I don’t believe that anyone in the government is even remotely trustworthy. That’s not to say I don’t trust you. I do. It’s just I’m going to worry about you no matter who is looking after you. At least when that person isn’t me.

  I suppose I should tell you that there are plans afoot from our end. Nothing concrete yet, but I promise you will know when they are. In the meantime, I need you to promise to keep yourself out of trouble until Christmas at least.

  Christmas? Plans? Does that mean he thinks he might be out of jail by then? If so, that means he is going to escape and my stomach clenches in fear at the idea of him attempting something so dangerous. On the other hand, the thought of seeing him again makes my heart skip a beat. If I can see him.

  The reality is, even if he does escape without incident, I doubt he’d risk recapture by trying to see me. Nor would I want him to.

  Beth, your letters are always the highlight of my week, and I read them daily until I have a new letter from you. I hope that when I am no longer in here, you and I might be able to have a relationship like that of my parents. I am very, very fond of you, and I hope that maybe we can build a future together.

  Thinking of you always,

  Howard

  Hearing that he wants a future with me and that he is fond of me makes me wonder just what kind of future that would be. Him an escaped felon and me, well, I’d probably be branded a traitor. We’d always be sought after by the government, constantly looking over our shoulders, never safe anywhere. Is that the kind of life I want?

  Maybe—if I am with Howard.

  I put my elbows on the table and rest my head in my hands. I massage my temples, easing some of the tension that is causing my head to ache. When I feel a little better, I write a quick reply to Howard.

  August 26, 2220

  My Dearest Howard

  I am not too sure how I feel about your plan for Christmas. Please don’t do anything silly; I would rather you be locked up than dead.

  And speaking of locked up, I thought you’d want to know that with help from two of my cohorts, I snuck into Central Records today and found out where Estell is being held. I’m not exactly sure what to do with the information, but I have it and that is the most important part.

  I’m sorry this is only a quick note, but it’s been a long day, though a productive one. Nonetheless, I am extremely tired, so I am going to curl up in bed and see if I can get some sleep. Hopefully, thoughts of possible future relationships don’t keep me awake.

  Yours always,

  Beth

  PS: It is funny how we like similar themes in our books. I wonder whether that is a result of the society we live in, more than having similar tastes? I’ll try and read Twenty Thousand Leagues under the Sea when I can find some free time.

  PPS: I’m very fond of you, too.

  ***

  Two days later, another letter from Howard arrives.

  August 27, 2220

  To my silly, brave girl,

  I don’t know whether I want to kiss you right now or yell at you for being so stupid. What you did is very risky and I can’t believe that you would take that kind of a chance.

  I’m extremely happy that you did manage to get the information, though. Hang on to it for now. Under no circumstances are you to try to go there by yourself. I will try to find a way to send a message to someone who can come and collect the information. I promise she has not been forgotten.

  Okay, it’s almost lights out and I only have a few minutes. I just wanted to let you know my thoughts. I will write again soon.

  Your Howard

  Chapter 15

  The morning after receiving Howard’s latest letter, I’m a mess. I dreamt of him all night and woke feeling barely rested. Images of his hands and lips and body float in and out of my mind, along with snippets of his letters.

  “I don’t know whether I want to kiss you right now or yell at you.”

  “I hope that when I am no longer in here, you and I might be able to have a relationship like that of my parents.”

  “. . . none of my sexual experiences have been half as good as one kiss with you.”

  Damn him. As if dreaming about my time with Howard hasn’t been distracting enough, now he’s going to be all I can think about during the day as well. Even the shower seems to remind me of him.

  The warm water caresses my skin, making it tingle like it did when he touched me. When I move the washcloth over my body, the sensation heightens. For some reason, my pulse starts to pound until it’s centred between my legs.

  “Ms Greene, are you in there?”

  I jump and drop the washcloth.

  “Yes!” I call, shocked at Susan’s interruption.

  “Oh good. Red was wondering where you were.”

  “What time is it?” I ask, shutting off the water. I wrap myself in a towel, then poke my head out the door.

  “Almost eight, Ma’am.”

  Bugger. I’ve been in the shower for almost thirty minutes. “Okay. Susan, you can tell him I’ll be out in about ten minutes.”

  When the door to my room bangs closed, I take a couple of deep breaths until I’m calm enough to exit the bathroom.

  Before I leave for the day, I make a vow not to think of Howard. I will be making my first public appearance since I made the agreement with Mr Denham. By some miracle, I was given a choice of approved facilities and the Eastern Wing Aged Care Facility was one of them, so I’m headed there first thing this morning.

  The ride to the facility is quick, and Jason and Darren have proven to be more respectful when it comes to personal space than their predecessors. They give me as much room as is physically possible, though I still wish I was in the backseat by myself.

  When we head inside, all of the residents are gathered in the rec room. A cheer of welcome goes up as I enter and, for the first time in a few weeks, it is nice to feel appreciated.

  After playing checkers with a couple of residents, I ask one of the caretakers where Rachel Smith is.

  “The lady with the long curly hair and red shirt,” she replies, pointing to a far corner.

>   I advise Red I’m going to talk to former Matron Smith, and he has the two extra guards cover the door while he follows me.

  “Hello,” I say as I sit in the chair opposite her. “I’m—”

  “I know who you are,” she says in a gruff tone. “What do you want?”

  “I’d like to talk to you for a minute, if I may.”

  “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

  “Well, maybe you can just listen.”

  After thinking about it for a minute, she nods. I tell her everything that has been happening recently and how the government is totally out of control. She listens intently, and I can see her expression soften the longer I speak. When I am finished, she looks so sad.

  “I’m sorry,” she says, and I can tell that her apology is heartfelt, but I have no idea what she is apologising for.

  “What do you mean?”

  She looks left, then right, then leans in close. “It’s all my fault.” Her words are so quiet I’m not sure I’ve heard her correctly.

  “How is it your fault?”

  “Because I signed the amendment to the constitution that gave away the last of the Matron’s governing powers. I mean the others had given away some of the rights but it was my signature that ended it all.”

  “What amendments to the constitution? There aren’t any.” I’ve study the constitution extensively. It’s not possible.

  “Yes, there are. They just aren’t public record. The original constitution of Oceania has a multitude of amendments.”

  “But I don’t understand. Even if that were true, why would you sign away the Matron’s powers?”

  “I didn’t have any choice. They threatened my family. It was either do as they say or my family would meet an untimely accident.”

  My mouth drops open in horror. Her words are all too familiar. It appears the government has been pulling the same routine for decades.

  “Did they . . .”

  “No, but it wasn’t a chance I was willing to take.”

  I let out a breath of shaky relief. “I don’t suppose you ever tried to speak to the Matrons before you? About their experiences?”

  “I tried a couple of times, but the government stopped me every time. Actually, I’m surprised we haven’t been interrupted yet.”

  I glance at Red, who nods to confirm everything is okay. I place my hand over hers. “Well, I’m glad we weren’t. Thank you so much for your time.”

  She nods. “You’re welcome, dear. I see you are not alone in this like I was, so maybe things will work out for you.”

  “We can only hope.”

  ***

  September 1, 2220

  Hi, Howard,

  Here’s hoping you are doing well. Today has been an interesting one. Very enlightening. I went to visit ex-Matron Smith this morning. I wasn’t sure she would talk to me at first, but once I explained what has been happening she opened up. It turns out there are amendments to the constitution that have stripped the Matron of her responsibilities. Worse than that, they were all signed by the Matrons themselves because their friends and family were threatened in some way. Not that there’s a record of it in the constitution. Parliament, or someone, covered the whole thing up.

  Regarding Estell, I’d say I am sorry for upsetting you, but I’m not. I needed to do something to help her, and this was all I could do. I haven’t even changed her situation. She’s still in the same place with the same fate looming. It’s so infuriating, and just another frustration to add to the list.

  I forgot to mention it, but I discovered that my mum and dad are missing. Along with the shock of the news, I feel guilty because I didn’t know they were gone and I should have. I mean, what kind of daughter does that make me?

  I’m sorry, I don’t mean to complain about everything. Not everything in my life is terrible. In fact, I’ve had some really wonderful dreams recently thanks to you. Dreams of you and me together. It’s probably too forward of me to ask, but I kind of wonder if you ever dream of me the same way?

  So now that I have completely embarrassed myself, I’ll say goodbye. I hope this letter will find you safe and well.

  Your Beth

  Reading over the letter, I can’t help but cringe at the sentence about my dreams. I feel so naïve sometimes about how things are in the real world. Before I met Howard, I probably would have ignored it, but something about him makes me want to break out of the bubble and experience things.

  Reading the letter again also instils in me a new resolve to try to find out more about my parents. I may have been lax in keeping in contact with them before, but I am going to find out what happened to them.

  After sealing the letter in an envelope, I call Red into my office.

  “Yes, Ma’am.”

  “I was wondering if you’d managed to find out anything about my parents.”

  “Not yet, Ma’am. I am still waiting for a friend at OSP to get back to me.”

  “Oh, okay, no worries. Just keep me informed.” I don’t mean to put pressure on him, but I can’t get rid of this nagging feeling that I’m never going to see my parents again.

  “Will do, Ma’am. Will that be all?”

  I hand him my letter. “Yes, thank you.”

  ***

  September 4, 2220

  My Dearest Beth,

  You really can be a silly woman sometimes. Of course I dream about you that way. I think I have said it before, but I will say it again. Compared to all my previous encounters with women, that one encounter was the most amazing of my life. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about everything I got to do with you and all the things I have yet to have a chance at. Damn, now you’ve got me daydreaming about you, too. Okay . . . change of subject.

  I both can and can’t believe what you learned about the constitution. The Trads have wondered for years what’s really going on behind government doors. At least now we may have some idea. We may also have some ammunition when the time comes. We will bring these power-hungry jackasses to their knees.

  As for your parents, I’m so sorry. They’re probably fine. There are places people can go when they are in trouble. Places where they can hide from the government. I can’t say for certain they are there, but keep your chin up. And I don’t want you thinking badly about yourself. You are a great daughter. The moment you found out they were missing, you were concerned. Someone who didn’t care wouldn’t give it a second thought. You are beautiful inside and out, and I’m sure your parents know that.

  They’d be very proud of what you did for Estell as well. No, it hasn’t changed her situation yet, but she is safe and sound where she is until she delivers. And I promise that as soon as the right people get a hold of the information you uncovered we’ll make sure no harm comes to her.

  Do you want to hear something funny? Prison security has us participate in an art activity once a week. It’s supposedly to help with our rehabilitation. This week the activity was origami. I don’t think I have ever laughed so hard as I did while watching a group of big burly men fold paper into flowers and animals. I actually made a couple of flowers myself and was going to send them to you, but I figured they would end up a crumpled mess. Maybe one day I can give you some real flowers instead. A beautiful girl deserves beautiful flowers.

  Anyway, the guards just called chow time, so I better go. If I’m too late I’ll get the slops.

  Missing you,

  Howard

  Howard’s letters always leave me with a giant smile on my face and this one is no exception. As usual, I’m unable to stop myself from reading it again, wanting the way it makes me feel to last forever. Unfortunately, I’m interrupted by a knock at my office door.

  “Come in.”

  I am not at all happy when Mr Denham walks in. I quickly stash Howard’s letter in the desk drawer.

  “Matron Greene,” he says in greeting.

  “Mr Denham, to what do I owe this visit?”

  “Just wanting to check how you’re doing and
that everything is well.”

  I don’t believe him, but I decide to play along. “I’m fine, everything is great. How about you?”

  “All is as it should be.”

  “Could you be any more cryptic?” I don’t bother to hide my disdain now.

  He doesn’t reply but stands there with a cross between a smirk and snarl on his face.

  I return his stare, unwilling to let him think he’s getting the better of me. “Well, if that’s all—”

  “Now, Ms Greene, you are aware we had an agreement.”

  “I am well aware of our agreement,” I reply in a strong tone. He is not going to walk all over me.

  “You will do well not to piss me off, Ms Greene. Now, I have a document I need you to sign.”

  He pulls some paperwork from his satchel, opening the file to a particular page and placing it in front of me.

  With everything I’ve learned of late, the very last thing I want to do is sign a document because he says so. “And what exactly is this document for?”

  He doesn’t even flinch at my accusatory tone. “That is none of your concern. I just need you to sign at the bottom of this page.”

  “I’m sorry, but I’m not signing a document when I have no idea what it is. That was not the bargain we made.”

  “Regardless, you will sign,” he replies in a menacing tone.

  “No, I won’t.”

  “Either you sign or your parents will pay the price.”

  The gasp is out of my mouth before I can stop it. “Do you know where my parents are?”

  “I might, or I might not.” He smirks, and a shiver runs down my spine. He knows he’s gotten to me.