Christmas Child: an absolutely heartbreaking and emotional Victorian romance

by Carol Rivers

  ‘Can you tell me the way to Victoria Park, please?’ Ettie asked a passer-by.

  ‘Wotcha want the park for?’ demanded the woman who pulled two small children along with her. They looked up at Ettie with wide, hopeful eyes just like the children of the orphanage.

  ‘I’m meeting a friend.’

  ‘Then watch yerself, ducks. There’s layabouts that wait for an easy touch.’

  Ettie didn’t know what an easy touch was so she just nodded.

  ‘Keep going down this road till you come to Old Ford. You can’t miss the park gates.’

  Ettie smiled. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘Shouldn’t let no one hear yer posh accent. They’ll ‘ave yer for sure. And keep to the path, don’t wander.’

  Ettie wanted to ask more about this path, but the woman hurried away. The two tiny children stumbled after her, their little ankles blue with cold and bare feet black with grime.

  The further she walked on, the worse the poverty became. Every now and then, a beggar would bar her way, pleading for help. Although she was sorry for them, what could she do? A smile wasn’t enough. Without Sister Ukunda’s company she felt alone and vulnerable.

  The road seemed never-ending. Its cobbles were covered in horse dung left to go mouldy and fouling the gutters. The street traders didn’t seem to care. Instead they pushed their barrows and carts through the mess, so that the wheels got stuck in the grime. The Lord’s Day didn’t stop them from trying to sell their wares whenever they spotted an opportunity.

  Ettie was beginning to feel very lost as she ventured alone through the thoroughfares of London’s East End. The overhanging roofs of the ancient buildings were all leaking from the overnight rain. She thought of the orphanage and how the big puddles would form on the floors of the schoolroom. It seemed to Ettie that the whole world needed to be repaired, yet people managed somehow.

  ‘Where yer off to?’ A voice suddenly boomed in her ear. She looked up into the very tall man’s unfriendly face. His black bushy eyebrows were so close together they seemed to meet over his long nose. His whiskers were matted and he wore a filthy waistcoat under his torn jacket. A gnarled hand held fast to a stick made of wood. The other hand grabbed her arm.

  ‘To the park,’ Ettie said and regretted her words immediately.

  ‘I’m goin’ there too. I’ll show you the way.’

  Ettie tried to free herself. But he held her tight.

  ‘Please let me go,’ she stammered.

  ‘I’m offerin’ yer my assistance,’ he growled. ‘A young gel like you shouldn’t be on yer own.’

  Ettie froze. She looked into his dark, sly gaze. She could smell the drink on him and something much worse.

  He pulled her along. There was nothing she could do, except be dragged, falling over her own feet as he marched her along the road. She wanted to call out for help, but the people all looked too busy. Her cries wouldn’t carry above the horse-drawn traffic that trundled noisily by.

  Every now and then she wriggled to see if his grip had loosened. But each time she did, he pulled her harder, ramming his stick on the cobbles. This frightened her even more.

  Now she was completely lost. The road had narrowed to a lane. This didn’t look like the Old Ford Road that Michael had told her about. Ettie was terrified that her knees would not support her. She dropped to the ground. ‘Please let me go,’ she begged.

  ‘Get up,’ he ordered.

  Summoning her courage, Ettie tried to think of an escape. If she pretended to obey him, perhaps she could grasp the moment and run away. She whispered, ‘Just let me catch my breath.’

  ‘You’re a nice little type, ain’t you?’ he spat. ‘Got any money?’

  Ettie hadn’t brought money with her. She didn’t have any to bring. But then she thought if she said she had, the moment he let her go to reach in her pocket, she would dart away.

  ‘Well, where is it?’ he demanded, shaking her roughly.

  Ettie's teeth rattled.

  ‘Turn out your pockets, kid.’

  Ettie slid her free hand into her pocket pretending to search for pennies. She saw the look of greed in his eyes. In that second, she pulled herself away. Her heart raced so heavily that she scrambled awkwardly, falling, then rising until in a frenzy of panic she found herself able to move.

  But which direction? She didn’t know. Onwards she ran, as fast as her shaking legs would carry her. She bolted through the people who were walking along the path and briefly glanced over her shoulder. The man, despite his walking stick, was running too; she tried to run faster.

  What would he do if he caught up with her?

  Chapter 5

  Ettie could hardly draw a breath as she arrived at the park gates. Her lungs were sore, her legs were trembling. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the man had disappeared! Several fine carriages pulled up and the drivers assisted the well-dressed men and women to the ground. Soon the children were playing on the green grass as the adults clustered together in groups.

  Ettie noticed how they spoke in subdued, discreet accents; even the children were well-behaved. Most of the men wore tall hats and button-down jackets. The women looked fashionable in their silk bonnets, furry muffs and warm cloaks. The park seemed to be a world away from the streets through which she had just run. Perhaps that was why the man hadn’t followed her, since here she could see no sign of beggars or traders.

  Ettie breathed a sigh of relief. Though she knew she looked less than presentable, she had at least, found the park where Michael would meet her.

  Walking slowly under the arch, she saw a long stretch of leafless trees, below which the children played. They rolled hoops and threw balls and there were any number of perambulators being pushed along the path by their nannies. Was this the path the woman had told her about? She would most certainly keep to it.

  Perhaps she had just been unlucky in meeting that dreadful man. Now the tranquil atmosphere was broken only by the children’s laughter. A little way beyond the trees, she sat on a wooden seat and although it was very cold, a ray or two of sunshine broke through the wintry clouds. Ettie wondered where the water fountain was.

  ‘Excuse me,’ Ettie called to a lady dressed smartly in a cloak and fur bonnet. ‘Can you tell me where the water fountain is?’

  The lady looked her up and down and hurried off.

  Tears of humiliation stung Ettie's eyes. She guessed the lady wanted nothing to do with her because of her bedraggled appearance. Her gaze fell upon the boys and girls playing nearby; some had velvet collars and brass buttons on their jackets. The boys’ caps were made of fine cloth and their boots shone. Most of the girls wore their hair in ringlets. From under their smart coats she could see a hint of white petticoat.

  How could it be, Ettie wondered, that God gave so much to the rich and so little to the poor?

  She wrapped her shawl tightly around her head so that no one would see her straggly, unkempt hair. But the contempt in the lady’s eyes and the seed Michael had put in her mind had taken root.

  She was beginning to see just how unfairly life treated some people and rewarded others.

  Living safely behind the convent’s walls appearances hadn’t mattered.

  But today, here in the wide world, she realized how it felt to be poor. The nuns had taught her that everyone was equal. But today she’d discovered this was untrue.

  As she walked to find the fountain, Ettie was so deep in thought, she lost her way. The bushes were thick and the thin branches of the trees looked menacing. It was darker too and the trail was hidden by undergrowth. No longer could she hear the children or the sweet song of the birds. She stopped, her heart hammering.

  Which way to go? Was this still the park, or had she strayed out of it? If only she had concentrated on her direction. Remembering the warning she’d been given about straying from the path, Ettie shuddered. This gloomy place was frightening.

  Suddenly there was a rustling behind her. She turned, but could see nothing more
than brown prickly thorns entangled with the trees. She spun around. Nothing but the wood. She stumbled on faster now, panic pushing her forward.

  On and on she rambled, but the rustling seemed to follow her. She stopped, gasping a breath.

  ‘Where am I?’ she breathed, hearing the fear in her own voice.

  A few more paces and she stepped into a clearing. Just when she was about to give up hope, she saw a tall stone building. It was not very large, and like the ruined folly that stood in the convent gardens.

  She moved towards it and her heart leapt. The pillars that supported it were arranged around a small fountain. Could this be the place that Michael had spoken of? The grass around it was smooth and green and beyond this she could see a winding path. Had she at last found her way back?

  Ettie was about to hurry forward when the noise came again. Before she could turn, two great hands landed on her shoulders and sent her flying. She lay stunned on the grass.

  ‘No one gets the better of old Jim,’ hissed the man she’d been running from. He loomed over her, his breath coming in short, sharp jerks. ‘Where’s your money? Give it over and I might let you go.’

  Ettie blinked, trying to scramble away. But he was soon upon her, grabbing her roughly and pulling her into the bushes.

  ‘Help!’ she screamed wildly.

  ‘No one’s gonna hear you,’ he snarled. ‘So, you’d better cough up or else!’

  Ettie was so frightened she couldn’t speak. Her body seemed frozen. The smell of the man made her feel sick. What was he going to do to her?

  She soon found out.

  ‘You asked for it!’ he roared and tore off her coat, pushing his fingers into its empty pockets. When he found they were empty, he let out an angry roar.

  ‘Don’t, please!’ she cried, as he raised a hand to strike her.

  But the slap burned painfully across her dirty cheek. Ettie was stunned. She had never been struck before. This action was something very new to her. The life she had lived with the sisters was one of peace and prayer. The nuns would never condone violence. If any of the orphans were naughty or disobeyed, they were sent to Mother Superior who gave them a passage to learn from the catechism.

  As Ettie gazed up at her attacker, she knew that this would not be the last of the blows, when he discovered she had no money …

  All she could do was to raise her hands to defend herself. The man dug roughly into her smock and Ettie screamed.

  Suddenly he stood still. His sweating face had a strange look, a startled expression. Just above his eyes a small round mark appeared on his forehead.

  The thud of his falling body made Ettie jump. He lay silent on the ground, his beard entwined with the dry leaves and dirt. A bright red swelling was beginning to appear around the tiny mark.

  Ettie scrambled away, afraid he would stir and grab her. But he just lay there, a trickle of saliva oozing from his open mouth.

  She stood up and pulled on her torn coat and shawl. To her surprise, a soft voice whispered, ‘Don’t worry, he’s out for the count.’

  Ettie swung round. ‘Michael!’

  She almost didn’t recognise him. He was dressed much smarter than she had ever seen him dressed at the orphanage. His coat and trousers were not patched or darned. His dark hair was brushed neatly and cut shorter. Even his boots looked shined and respectable.

  ‘Welcome to the wide world,’ he chuckled, his grey eyes twinkling. ‘You found yourself some trouble at last. But Old Jim won’t bother you again. I took care of that.’

  ‘It was you?’ Ettie stared at the still figure.

  ‘I did what David did to Goliath,’ he replied and slid a small catapult from inside his jacket pocket. ‘Remember the stories you read to us?’

  ‘Yes, but they were only stories.’

  ‘What’s the point of the Bible then?’

  Before Ettie could answer the man stirred.

  ‘Better get moving, Old Jim’s only stunned,’ Michael said taking her arm. ‘Let’s get out of this place.’

  ‘Old Jim? You know him?’

  ‘Everyone does. But I didn’t know he came in the park. Sorry. We should have met somewhere else.’

  They stood at the fountain and Michael pointed to the trickle of water. ‘Take a drink and we’ll be on our way.’

  Ettie was grateful for the cool, reviving water. But she kept glancing around, imagining Old Jim hiding in the wood. If it hadn’t been for Michael, what would have happened to her?

  She wiped her mouth on her torn sleeve. ‘Thank you for saving me.’

  ‘You’re my girl. I’ll always look after you.’

  Ettie smiled as the warm feeling spread inside her chest. She knew a bond was forming between them.

  Chapter 6

  Seated with Michael on a grassy bank of the lake, Ettie's legs finally stopped shaking. Michael had assured her that Old Jim would not follow. All around the lake there was a neat path. The well-dressed children were playing in the weak rays of the afternoon sun. Couples were strolling by the water and feeding the ducks.

  ‘He wouldn’t dare show himself here,’ Michael explained. ‘The toffs would call a rozzer.’

  ‘Why did he come after me?’

  ‘The way you speak. It’s posh. You looked like you might have some money. If not, he’d have nabbed you.’

  Ettie gasped. ‘Nabbed me?’

  ‘They say he uses kids to work for him.’

  ‘How do you know all this?’

  Michael shrugged. ‘I’ve lived on the streets most of me life.’

  ‘Don’t you have any family?’ She had never asked him before.

  ‘Hah!’ Michael scoffed. ‘So far as I know I’ve got none. And what would I want with them anyway? Someone who chucks their kid in the workhouse is no better than Old Jim.’

  ‘Your parents put you in the workhouse?’

  Michael stared at her disbelievingly. ‘Where do you think a kid like me comes from?’

  ‘I thought … well, I …’

  ‘Forget it,’ he cut in moodily. Ettie could see the hurt in his eyes. ‘I don’t care what you thought. Or anyone thinks. I’ll prove you all wrong and get rich one day. And, I won’t care how I do it or who I tread on to get to the top.’

  ‘Oh, Michael, don’t speak like that.’ Ettie shivered as she always did when he sounded so bitter.

  ‘Have you been given your marching orders?’ he asked sullenly.

  She tried to push back the tears and nodded.

  ‘There you are, you see. I told you so.’

  ‘It’s what Rome wants,’ Ettie argued.

  ‘Rome is where they hoard the loot,’ Michael muttered coldly. ‘The Sisters of Clemency are skint. The East End is on its uppers and Rome knows it.’

  Ettie jumped to her feet. ‘I don’t like to hear talk like that.’

  Slowly, Michael stood up. ‘My poor little Ettie. You’re so easily fooled.’

  Ettie felt humiliated. ‘I believe in the good in people.’

  ‘Even the Ripper?’ he said mockingly.

  ‘Who is the Ripper?’ Ettie frowned.

  ‘You mean you’ve never heard about the madman who cut up women to get their insides?’

  Ettie shuddered. ‘No.’

  ‘You must be the only one in the world who hasn’t. It was only a few years back and he ain’t never been caught.’

  ‘Michael, please stop.’

  He laughed. ‘That’s your trouble, you don’t want to know about anything.’

  ‘Not like that I don’t.’

  ’More fool you,’ he scoffed. ‘I can tell you a lot about people’s natures. Take the toffs for instance. They dress up to make you think they’re better than you. So, I’ve done what they do. I’ve stolen clothes so I can mix with people and pick their pockets. Easy as pie. I can fool anyone.’

  Ettie gulped. ‘Stealing is a sin.’

  ‘It’s better than the jug or the workhouse.’

  ‘What if you get caught?’

>   ‘I won’t.’

  ‘Michael, I’m scared for you.’

  He smiled brashly. ‘Don’t be. But thanks anyway.’ He added passionately, ‘You are the one person in this whole rotten world that I give a damn about. Now, it’s time to make your mind up, Ettie O’Reilly. Is it the parting of the ways? Or do you want to be my girl? Come with me now and I’ll teach you the ropes.’

  ‘Michael, I can’t.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘I have to look after the children.’

  ‘So, it’s them before me?’ When she didn’t reply he shrugged as if he didn’t care. ‘You’d only slow me down anyway.’

  Ettie looked into his eyes so full of hurt and bravado. As much as she searched, she could not see the bad in him; only the orphaned boy who had a grudge inside him that was eating away.

  If she went with him now, perhaps she could save him? But leaving the children was out of the question. She wouldn’t desert them, not even for Michael.

  She said in a hushed voice, ‘Sister Patrick has found me a position.’

  His face fell. ‘Where?’

  ’With a shopkeeper and his wife near the city.’

  ‘One of them snooty nosed toffs,’ he sneered. ‘You’ll end up as their skivvy.’

  At this, Ettie burst into tears.

  Michael drew her to him. ‘I’m sorry. I’ll keep my trap shut.’

  ‘Oh, Michael, when will I see you again?’

  He wiped a tear from her cheek with his finger. ‘I’ll get a message to you.’

  ‘How?’

  His grey eyes grew heavy with sadness. ‘Dunno. But I’ll find you.’ His arm went around her waist as they walked back through the streets.

  Whatever this feeling was that she had for him, it was very strong. And, however much he boasted how bad he was, she was certain he had a good heart. Her affection for her dear friend could never fade. She hoped he felt the same.