Down Weaver's Lane

by Anna Jacobs

  Tibby stared at her, hands clasped at her chest, eyes brimming with tears. ‘Do you really mean that? I’d so love to live in Northby again!’

  ‘Of course I mean it. But first we must get Marcus wed. Maybe then he will not be so - troublesome.’ Eleanor’s expression became closed again and she changed the subject firmly to the arrangements for their coming visit to the Rishmores.

  Parson Bradley frowned at Jack who had come up to speak to him after the Sunday classes had finished. ‘Are you sure of this? I mean, sure Emmy is not exaggerating?’ He found it hard to believe that respected members of his congregation like the Butterfields would engage in active cruelty towards their orphaned niece. Though, on the other hand, Lal was not a very likeable young woman and he’d noticed she didn’t seem to have any friends and was only ever seen with her sister.

  ‘I’m pretty sure of it, sir. Emmy was crying when I saw her and she had a bruise on her cheek. I think they’re ill treating her.’

  ‘I’ll speak to my wife. She may be able to help.’ But Gerald Bradley wasn’t sure whether they dared do much. Samuel Rishmore had made his wishes very plain. The girl was to live quietly with her family and be trained in decent ways. It didn’t do to cross the mill owner when he was hell-bent on dispensing charity.

  When Gerald confided in his wife, Prudence looked at him in dismay. ‘I was afraid of this!’

  ‘You mean, you knew about it?’

  ‘I guessed it might happen. Mrs Butterfield was furious that the girl had to live with them. She’s told all her friends that Emmy is beyond redemption and she fears the worst. Someone asked me only the other day if I’d found the girl lazy, but I soon set them straight about that.’ She sighed. ‘I’ll go and call on Mrs Butterfield, but I don’t hold out much hope of being able to do anything. I doubt that woman will listen to anything I say.’

  In fact, the visit was very short and within minutes Lena was bristling with indignation. ‘The girl is bone idle, and she’s a liar too if she’s complained about us!’

  ‘She hasn’t said a word to us.’

  ‘Then why are you questioning me about her like this?’

  ‘Because I can’t help noticing how unhappy she looks when she comes to church and I hear others say you’re not satisfied with her work. Yet I remember how cheerfully and willingly she worked in my house.’

  ‘She was trying to impress you, no doubt. But we have had the dubious pleasure of her living with us for several weeks now and I assure you we have found her seriously lacking in skills, manners and moral fibre.’

  Prudence looked at her, certain now Mrs Butterfield was telling lies. Emmy’s household skills were excellent, and no one could completely change character in so short a time. ‘I’ll be happy to take her back, then, if you’re dissatisfied with her.’

  ‘She is part of our family now, for good or ill,’ Lena said, very much on her dignity, but spoiled it by adding bitterly, ‘and besides, Mr Rishmore has made it only too plain what he expects.’

  A week later Emmy bumped into George Duckworth in town. When she tried to walk past him, he caught hold of her arm, saying, ‘Hold on a minute!’

  Heart thumping, she said, ‘I don’t want to talk to you. Let go of me!’

  ‘I just wanted to say I was sorry about your mam, that’s all. And,’ his eyes raked her body as if she had no clothes on, ‘if you get fed up of being respectable, you can still come to me and I’ll help you get away from Northby.’

  ‘I’ll never get fed up of being respectable,’ she said fiercely, trying to pull her arm away from him and failing. ‘Let go, will you?’

  ‘Is this man bothering you, lass?’ a voice asked behind her, and Emmy sagged in relief as the grip on her arm loosened.

  ‘Yes. I don’t want to speak to him and he won’t let me past.’

  ‘You run along, then.’ When she had hurried away, Constable Makepeace looked at George and said, loudly and distinctly, ‘If anything else happens to that girl I’ll come knocking on your door first, believe me.’

  ‘I was just saying I was sorry about her mother.’

  ‘Bit late for that, isn’t it? Are you sure you had nothing to do with killing her?’

  ‘No, I bloody didn’t. Killing isn’t my style, as you well know, Eli Makepeace!’

  ‘Who do you think did it, then?’

  George shrugged. ‘Who’s to say?’ He turned and walked away. Bloody Makepeace! Well, if his negotiations with Marcus Armistead worked out, he’d not be seeing the sodding constable for much longer. George smiled. He’d make things work out.

  Lal had seen Emmy speaking to George and then the constable’s intervention. She rushed home to tell her mother about it, putting the worst possible interpretation on the scene.

  It had been a frustrating day and Lena’s head was thumping. Indeed she had not felt well for months. ‘That girl must have a lesson she’ll not forget,’ she said. ‘She’s just come in. Fetch her to me.’

  Lal went to the kitchen, smiling in anticipation.

  Dinah was uncertain whether to stay or leave, and worried about what her mother might be planning to do now. She did not dare protest, but their bullying of her cousin sickened her.

  Emmy’s heart sank at the mere sight of her older cousin. She did not ask what the other girl wanted, just waited for whatever unpleasantness Lal was about to unleash upon her.

  ‘My mother wants to see you. Now you’re really in trouble!’

  ‘I haven’t done anything.’

  ‘That’s not what Mother thinks.’ Lal sauntered out to take up a position behind her mother’s chair from where she could watch everything. Her mother’s temper had been very chancy lately and they’d all suffered. It would be good to see it vented on her horrible cousin.

  ‘You were seen talking to George Duckworth today,’ Lena said coldly.

  ‘He was talking to me. He wouldn’t let me pass. I hate George Duckworth.’

  ‘I don’t believe you. I think you’re planning some immorality that will shame us all in the eyes of this town.’ Lena turned to her daughter. ‘Lal, fetch me the kitchen scissors.’

  Intrigued, Lal hurried off.

  Lena stared at Emmy who was beginning to feel nervous. How was her aunt planning to humiliate her now?

  Lal came back with the scissors.

  ‘Come and kneel at my feet, Emmy.’

  She didn’t like the look in those eyes or the scissors in her aunt’s hand. ‘Why? I’m not going to let you beat me for something that isn’t my fault.’

  Lena bounced to her feet, cheeks burning red with fury. ‘Do you dare defy me?’

  ‘I haven’t done anything wrong.’

  As Emmy took a step backwards, Lal ran to stand in front of the door to prevent her leaving.

  Lena grabbed Emmy by the hair, shoving her to her knees. As she started to drag her across the room, she called, ‘Help me hold her, Dinah!’

  Her younger daughter did not move, just stared at her in fear.

  Emmy fought with all her strength, but two strong women were too much for her and soon she found herself held down by Lal, with her aunt holding her head back by the hair in an uncomfortable position.

  She saw something flash, heard the snipping sound and saw a chunk of her hair fall to the ground. She could not help crying out in shock.

  ‘Mother, no!’ Dinah cried, rushing forward. ‘Don’t do this!’

  ‘Shut up, you fool! How else are we to ensure her obedience?’

  Sobbing loudly, Dinah ran out of the room. She could not bear to watch them ill treating her cousin any more, simply could not bear it.

  Screaming and struggling Emmy fought, but the two women laughed and taunted her as her hair was chopped off, ragged chunk by ragged chunk.

  When they had finished, Lena dragged her across to stand in front of the mirror. ‘Remember this. I’ll do it again if you so much as look in George Duckworth’s direction.’

  Lal was nearly choking with laughter. ‘You look like a
convict woman now. Ugly! Everyone will laugh at you.’

  When Isaac got home that night there was no sign of Emmy, but his wife and Lal both looked puffed up with satisfaction. He wondered wearily what they had been doing now. As Lal went to fetch the food, Dinah suddenly burst into tears.

  ‘Is something wrong, my dear?’

  ‘Ask them what they’ve done to Emmy,’ she sobbed, and ran from the room.

  He froze and looked at his wife. ‘Done to Emmy? What does she mean?’

  ‘I’ve made sure she won’t disgrace us. You’ll see how in the morning.’

  ‘I wish to know now.’

  ‘I’ve sent her to her room. She is not to have any supper.’

  The gloating smile on Lal’s face sickened him suddenly. And when his wife followed her pronouncement that Emmy was to go hungry to bed by piling food on her own plate, Isaac suddenly had to know what they’d done. He pushed his chair back.

  ‘Do finish your meal, dear,’ Lena said.

  ‘I’m going to see Emmy.’ He turned to leave the room, ignoring her shrieks to him to come back this minute. He picked up the lamp from the hall table and carried it upstairs.

  When he knocked on his niece’s door, she screamed.

  ‘It’s only me,’ he called, and pushed the door open. What he saw made him stand gaping in horror. They had cut off her hair. How could they have done such a thing? And why? It was no more than an inch long and Emmy had several more bruises on her face and arms as well as scratches. She must have tried to fight them off.

  She was sitting up in bed and when she saw him staring at her, began to sob. ‘Don’t let them touch me! I didn’t do anything wrong!’

  As he took a step forward, she cowered away from him and horror filled him that she should have been so severely ill treated under his roof. ‘No one will hurt you any more, I promise you,’ he said gently. ‘Stay here and I’ll be back in a little while.’

  He went downstairs to demand, ‘What on earth has the girl done to deserve such treatment, Lena?’

  ‘She’s been talking to George Duckworth. Lal saw her and Eli Makepeace had to intervene to send her on her way.’ She glared at her husband. ‘This is the final warning as far as I’m concerned. Someone has to bring that young woman into line. And if I fail, I shall insist on her being sent to the house of correction.’

  ‘But why did her speaking to George Duckworth make you cut her hair off? How could you be so cruel to a young woman as to do that? You’ve made a public spectacle of her.’

  Lena searched for an explanation which would convince him. ‘Because it was the best way to teach her a lesson and ensure that our own daughters remained safe, untainted by her.’

  She looked so unrepentant, so sated with pleasure at her own actions, that Isaac knew he had to get his niece away from her. His wife had been behaving strangely for a while, ever since she entered the change of life, but this was arrant cruelty. ‘The poor child won’t even be able to go out of the house like that.’

  ‘Oh, won’t she? She’ll do as I tell her, believe me, and will run my errands as always.’

  He heard Lal sniggering and glared at her. ‘I forbid either of you to touch or speak to Emmy again. I never thought to see the day I’d be ashamed of you, Lena Butterfield, but I am today. Deeply ashamed. This was a vicious and unprincipled act.’

  With a sniff of disdain she lifted her fork to her mouth and continued to eat. Suddenly his anger spilled over and he picked up her plate, hurling it into the fireplace where it smashed and scattered food everywhere. ‘If you ever touch that girl again, I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine and do exactly the same to you!’

  For a moment Lena gaped at him, then her face turned bright red and she shouted angrily, ‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that! I am your wife!’

  ‘Which makes what you’ve done even worse. Did you really think I would condone such cruelty?’

  As she opened her mouth, anger contorting her face, he could not bear the sight of her and moved towards the door. ‘Do not go near that girl again. You and Lal may both wait for me in the back parlour when you have cleared up this mess. I shall not want any food because I’m too disgusted to eat. And I warn you: I have not finished with this matter yet.’

  He left the room, slamming the door behind him, something he never did normally. He kept seeing his niece’s swollen, tearstained face and then Lal’s ugly expression of triumph. He could guess who had helped hold Emmy down. And the contrast between the two girls suddenly brought home to him one of the other reasons why Lena had done this. Her own elder child was plain and plump while even when she was tired and unhappy Emmy had a sweetness to her face that made her very attractive. No young men had ever tried to court Lal, or even talk to her after church, because her ugliness came as much from her character as from her features.

  As did her mother’s.

  Standing there, Isaac bowed his head and acknowledged that his marriage had not been a good one. He would have been far happier without Lena and her money, and had been badly advised by his father who had arranged the match. At best he and Lena existed in a state of mutual tolerance. He doubted even that would be possible from now on.

  He went back upstairs. ‘It’s me again, Emmy.’ As he went inside, pity overwhelmed him and he reached out without thinking to pull her towards him and try to comfort her, but again she shrank away, as if expecting a blow. ‘Child, child, I’m not going to hurt you!’ She began sobbing, shaking with the violence of her emotions, and this time she allowed him to fold her in his arms and shush her gently.

  As he patted her back, he wondered what to do. First discover the truth, he decided. Then find her somewhere else to live. When she had calmed a little, he asked, ‘What were you doing with George Duckworth, Emmy?’

  ‘He stopped me in the street and wouldn’t let me pass. I was trying to get away from him. Constable Makepeace saw what had happened and made him let me go.’

  He was pleased there had been an independent witness and decided to speak to Eli before he did anything else. If life had taught Isaac one thing, it was to be sure of his facts before he acted.

  ‘You wait here, my dear,’ he said. ‘I have to go out, but I won’t be long.’

  Emmy glanced over his shoulder, fear on her face.

  ‘They won’t come near you, I’ll make sure of that.’

  On the landing he found Dinah waiting for him, also weeping. He put his hands on her shoulders and asked, ‘What happened exactly, dear?’

  When she told him, relief surged through him that she had not taken part. Perhaps there was hope for this daughter. He did not feel there was much for Lal.

  ‘Come down with me now and get your cousin something to eat, then stay with her till I return.’

  ‘Yes, Father.’ She hesitated. ‘Mother will be angry with me, though.’

  ‘I shall deal with her. But I’ll wait until you’ve gone up to Emmy before I leave.’

  He watched Dinah carry a tray upstairs then left the house. He did not come back for over an hour, by which time his anger had grown into a towering rage. When he opened the door to the back parlour Lena looked up and he saw her expression become apprehensive.

  ‘It’s as I thought,’ he announced. ‘Constable Makepeace has confirmed that Lal lied about the meeting with Duckworth and Emmy was telling the truth.’

  His daughter began to sob noisily. ‘It’s not true. It’s not true,’ she wailed.

  ‘And you’re still lying. Go to your room this minute!’ he roared. ‘I shall speak to you in the morning.’

  When she had gone, he turned back to his wife, willing himself to calm down. ‘I went to Parson Bradley’s house to seek their help. I’m taking Emmy there tonight. I don’t trust you with her. In fact, I doubt I’ll ever trust you again.’

  ‘What! How could you shame me so in front of the Bradleys? I shall never be able to hold my head up in church again.’

  ‘You’ve shamed yourself by your cruel behaviou
r to my niece, Lena.’

  He might have been speaking to a stranger, his voice had become so chill and measured. That frightened her more than anything else.

  ‘I shall make sure that from now on I am master in my own house, and since Lal must be taught better manners than you have managed, I intend to send her away to school. Mrs Bradley knows of a place where the discipline is fair but firm. We’ll find another school for Dinah who suffers from her sister’s bad example and bullying ways. At least she did not join in your cruelty today.’

  By this time Lena was weeping, not tears of remorse but of anger, alternately raging at him and begging him not to do this to her. He left her to her hysterics.

  Upstairs he found Emmy sitting on her bed with Dinah beside her at a little distance. His niece stared at him apprehensively. ‘It’s all right, Emmy. You won’t be hurt again.’ Isaac turned to his daughter. ‘Go to bed now, dear. Thank you for sitting with your cousin.’

  When Dinah had gone he studied his niece again. The bruises on her face stood out lividly and he wished he could let them fade before he took her to the Bradleys, but did not dare leave her in his wife’s care a day longer.

  ‘Mrs Bradley has invited you to go back to her, and once your hair has grown and you’ve recovered from this ill treatment, she and I will find you another place away from Northby.’

  Emmy stared at him, her eyes huge in a face chalk-white where it was not bruised.

  ‘My dear, are you all right?’

  She nodded.

  ‘Do you need any help packing?’

  ‘We’re leaving tonight?’ She whispered the words as if afraid to believe what he had said.

  ‘Yes. And Emmy - I’m sorry I didn’t realise what was happening. I’m ashamed that I haven’t taken better care of you, deeply ashamed. I hope from now on you’ll let me visit you sometimes, so that we may get to know one another? Before she - turned to immorality, I was very fond of my sister.’

  Emmy felt too spent to do more than nod and turned with relief to her packing. ‘It won’t take me long - Uncle Isaac.’