A Poor Girl's Peril (#4, the Winds of Misery Victorian Romance) (A Family Saga Novel)

by Dorothy Green

  She would not be allowing any desperate soul to take her savings from her, so that she could leave London, and start a new life somewhere else. Dreams of living in the countryside where the air was clean and her eyes could see grass fields for miles was now her new goal, and she meant to accomplish it at any cost.

  After a long work week, Adeline was considering making a journey to find Brentwood with the wages that she had saved up. It was just a thought, not a plan of action just yet. For she was quite scared to leave what she had behind, a good place of work and home.

  Still she wanted to know if it was a possibility. She was alone in her room and therefore decided to count her wages. She pulled out her coin purse, but something was not right. It felt lighter.

  She dumped the coin onto the bed, and knew immediately that some was missing, more than half of it.

  “What? No, this can't be.”

  She went to the hiding place and searched for a coin that may have dropped into the cracks, there was nothing there but the letter to Katrina. Someone had stolen from her.

  Just then the door burst open, and Karen the maid came in. “ This be her room ma'am.” She said. Adeline stood up and was in complete shock.

  Mrs Wilcox walked in with Patty trailing behind. “It's not my fault. She made me do it so that she could sell it she did.” Patty shouted.

  Mrs Wilcox narrowed her eyes at Adeline who was confused by what was happening. Then Mrs Wilcox looked at the coin on Adeline's bed.

  “Where is it then?” She said to Patty.

  Then Patti moved across the room, but not to her own bed. She moved toward Adeline's bed and moved a wooden board from the floor, and pulled out a small statue. She handed it to Mrs Wilcox. “ I only took it that day because Adeline here told me that I should. She makes me steal things all the time, and then she sells them and keeps the coin for herself. Look, she is counting her coin now on her bed.”

  “What? No I did not. What are you talking about Patty? I did not make you do anything. I didn't even know that you stole from this from Mrs Wilcox.”

  “She be lying miss. That is why the statue is on her side of the room. It is where she hides things. She was going to go sell it, come this Sunday. She steals all the time. She stole from the factory to, she folds cloth and puts it underneath her skirts and sells it at the market.”

  Mrs Wilcox gasped.

  “I did no such thing, Mrs Wilcox. Patty lies. I have never stolen, not from you or from the factory.”

  “Enough. I have seen the evidence. I will not hear anymore. Both of you are to leave immediately, you are no longer welcome at Brick House. Adeline, I will take this as garnishing your past wages for the cloth you have stolen from the factory.” Mrs Wilcox said as she gathered the coin that was on Adeline is bed.

  “No. That is mine and I earned it. I was just counting it and realize that more than half of it is gone. And now I know who is the thief,” She said looking at patty. Patty just looked at her feet.

  “Brick House is no place for liars and thieves. Karen, see that they gather their things and are thrown out. Good day to you both.”

  Adeline stood there in shock. How could this be happening? After she had to work so hard and so long, and now she had nothing to show for it.

  * * *

  chapter

  2 1

  * * *

  A wet road laid before Adeline, and her brown lace-up boots were covered in mud. Cold water seeped into her stockings.

  “Blast that Patty,” she mumbled. For she could not get the actions of her friend out of her mind and how they had turned into a utter chaos for her. It was most unfair, that she was able to continue to be at Mrs Wilcox, and be comfortable, while she was out on the road alone, once more. She had not remembered her past and it only made her feel so much loss and regret for something that she did not know what she was losing. If only her memory would return to her.

  Even the name Adeline Blakefield was not her real name. It was a name she made up when arriving at Mrs Wilcox because she could not remember her own sir name. Who her real parents and relations were, she did not know.

  “Stupid to trust Patty. Someone with such a temper as she I should have known should not be trusted,” Adeline mumbled. But she knew very well that there was nothing that could be done, but walk out of London and try to find this Brentwood place in her letter.

  It was not safe for a woman to be out in the middle of nowhere as she was. The vast countryside stretched out on either side of her, and she had passed very few buildings along the way. Anything could happen to her out in the wilderness, and no one would be any the wiser. She turned back toward London and could only see the black smoke in the sky and nothing more.

  Her belly growled, and she wanted to eat from the small bundle of food that had been given to her by Karen. The maid took pity on her, but she knew better than to eat the little rations she had. The block of cheese and slices of dried ham would only last but little, and she would have to wait.

  The sun grew near the horizon, Adeline had never been this far on foot away from London. She only knew that a kind merchant pointed her in the direction that she should walk, and not to stop until she came to the Green Tavern. It should only take one entire day at that. But her progress was quite slower than she expected. Trudging through the thick mud made her walking pace very slow, and it felt like she had not made any progress at all. She did not trust anyone, not after her dealings with Patty.

  Adeline stopped abruptly on the road. “Patty! Could it be possible Patty had arranged the attack in the alleyway in London?”

  Adeline felt her heart drop to her stomach. She closed her eyes and the scene replayed in her mind of how that situation had unfolded. Twas Patty that urged they walk down that path, when they never had before. The man asked about a coin purse? How would they know she had a coin purse at all? The man had said it something to the effect that he was promised more than two shillings. Then it was Patty that called off the attack when the men wanted to turn it sexual.

  “How could I have been so stupid! A criminal! The entire time I lived with and befriended a criminal. Obviously those men worked with Patty.” Adeline screamed to herself.

  She began to walk along the road again, though this time stomping her feet and cursing at herself under her breath for her stupidity.

  She walked and walked for hours. Then a farm cart with a daughter and father passed.

  “Please sir! May I ride on the back of your cart for a while down this road?” Adeline felt bold to ask such a thing, but her feet ached.

  “Yes lass,” the man said with a Scottish accent. “Where you be heading lassy?”

  “The Green Tavern for now.”

  “Oh yes I know the place but we are not going as far as that, though I can take you as far as we be heading and you will walk the rest, another three to four hours I believe.”

  “Thank you sir, kindly,” Adeline jumped on the back of the cart and took the time to take off her boots and allow them and her stockings to dry. She felt like a farm girl and that was quite alright with her. She had her fill of sleeping in London alleys with the rats and eating from rubbish bins. At least in this way she could be out in the open fresh air and start fresh.

  Rocks and dust kicked up off the dusty lane surrounded by fields and sky. The rustling of tall grass and the rattling of the farm cart created a calm melody that almost became a rhythmic symphony of sounds.

  In the distance a rooster crowed and stirred nearby dogs to barking. These were the sights and sounds of the English countryside.

  Adeline sat on the back of the farmer's cart, quite at rest for the moment. For it had been a terrifying journey from London, all alone as a woman on the road. This was no place indeed for a woman to travel, there was talk of bandits about that even reached the workhouses of London. She did not wish to come across them.

  So in this moment she allowed herself to feel a sense of safety. For in this moment she was in the company of others, and alt
hough bandits were not hesitant to attack carriages, farm carts, and even an armed guarded post carriage, it made her feel less alone and less frightened of such a notion if she were in the company of others.

  She leaned back on her hands, looking up at the blue sky. It was a gloomy blue gray, but it was very different than the London sky, for it was not filled with black smoke. She took a deep breath of the crisp fresh air, it even seemed cooler in the countryside than in the heated alleyways of London, where the brick buildings seem to keep the heat locked into the city. The breeze brushed her face and pushed back her blond curls. it's only for this moment she would reside in the luxury of giving her feet a rest, and enjoying the view of a very fair prospect in front of her.

  The grass was yellow, from the onset of winter about to make its fall. But it was no less beautiful, as it swayed in the breeze. Just then a herd of deer pranced across the field. She missed seeing the creatures that all of nature had before it. Had she enjoyed this scenery in her youth? Why could she not remember at all?

  “Miss? Where did you come from?” The young girl with her father climbed over the bench of the cart and made her way to the back area of the cart where Adeline set.

  “Hello young lady. I am journeying from London.”

  “London? That be a place of magic. Anything might happen it might in the city. I hear stories. Fine ladies and gentlemen walking the streets, balls and parties, taverns and streets bustling with people and performers.” The girl had a far-off look of hope in her eyes.

  “Yes, it is something to see. Though I would not encourage a young woman to have her sights set on going to London other than to visit. Hear my words girl; do not move there. If you should ever find yourself in need of work, I daresay you would find a better place in moving from small village to village until you acquire a position, no matter how long it might take. For I would not wish the terrible way of London living of our particular kind on anyone. I do wish that I had stayed far from it myself but I had to learn the hard way I assume.”

  “I never think of it that way, Miss.”

  “I understand. But having lived in London for many years, I know that I would take sleeping in a barn with nothing but hay as my bed if I were able to walk out the door and view this prospect that you see now. Bring in fresh air that wasn't black with smoke from the factories. Be able to walk on village roads that weren't covered in piss and disease. Mark my words young lady, London is not a place that you ever want to live. Make your life in the villages, even if it is the poorest home you have ever known, it will be far better than that of town.”

  “I will not forget.” The girl said. Then she untied a bundle and pulled out a small bread roll, and broke it in half handing Adeline half of it.”

  “Thank you, that is most kind.”

  “See girl, London not be the place for you. Thank you Miss for telling my daughter the truth of London. She has spoke of London always, but you see daughter, it is just as I have told you. One day perhaps we will visit, spend a day, but it is no place to live. Not when there is so much beauty out in the countryside.”

  “You are welcome sir. I only speak the truth. Country is a far better place than town.” Adeline said to the father that was very pleased to have someone else telling his daughter the warnings of London besides himself.

  * * *

  chapter

  2 2

  * * *

  The girl and Adeline sat together on the back of the cart, watching the countryside go by as the girl continued to ask a very specific questions about the factories and work houses. Adeline was very persistent to make in sound as horrible as possible, which was not very difficult considering that it was simply the truth. The girl was curious, as any small village girl would be. But Adeline knew that she was doing this girl quite the favor by telling her the truth, and hoped that her advice would be used.

  For no one knew better than Adeline, what hardship lay in London for a girl. Not only was the work in factory hard, but the workhouses were horrendous. Then of course there were the people. People had to get by on their wits, and often took to thieving. She knew of this quite well after the betrayal that she had experienced.

  Patty came to mind. Patty had broken her heart. For she had considered her a true friend and roommate, when all the while she had a black heart. Someone that would scheme and steal from anyone no matter how kind they were. Now Adeline questioned everything that Patty had ever told her, or asked her questions about.

  She thought that it was quite unfathomable that Patty would do such a thing like steal from Mrs Hannah Wilcox herself, the very woman that put food and a roof over their head, one that was possibly the best workhouse in London. Still Patty had betrayed that woman's trust after all that she had done for Patty. Then she took Adeline down with her in the fire of being caught. How long had Patty been stealing and selling things? She could have been doing it for the entire two years that she knew her and Adeline did not think anything. A shilling or two could have gone missing from her coin purse and she thought that it was her memory playing tricks on her. She thought that perhaps she had taken the shilling herself and had spent it on a Sunday outing and just couldn't remember during the next count of her coin. While the whole time it was Patty that was stealing from her.

  Adeline should have been wise to the situation, for every time they went on an outing Patty treated herself to many treats. It wasn't just the candy from the candy shop, she would often buy ribbons, and a new hat almost every 3 months, which was quite strange when the majority of the women had one hat that saw them through many years. But Adeline just assumed that Patty had decided that she would throw away her money on what she wanted and not save it the way Adeline was. Not everyone had sites to save up money and get out of their situation, they were quite content to make the money and immediately spend it. Therefore Adeline thought that Patty belonged to the ladder of this group, the kind that would make money and spend it quickly. So she thought nothing of it; how stupid she had been.

  Now looking at the girl beside her, she hoped that she would indeed take warning to not leave to London, and take her chances. No, Adeline would be quite content to live in the countryside for as long as possible and never to return to London except for a visit here and there, but only if she had plenty of coin and safety. For she would not find herself in the destitute position that she did and then have to return to working in factories.

  Adeline laid back on a sack of grain, and looked up at the sky, birds flew overhead. The farm girl did the same, and they smiled at each other. In quiet with nothing but nature keeping them company with sound, they both enjoyed the road lying in such a way.

  Two hours later she departed ways with the nice Scottish family and continued on down the road with directions from the man of how to get to the tavern.

  “What?” Adeline looked to the sky. Rain began to fall. “No, please.”

  Adeline pulled her bonnet tighter and she squinted her eyes toward a delapitaded structure. She darted toward the fence and climbed over it.

  She ran on the slippery wet grass. The small cottage seemed to be very far.

  “Please Lord!” she said with anger.

  Finally she reached the cottage and was happy to see it still had a roof. It was not perfect but it would have to do.

  Adeline’s teeth rattled. A part of her wanted to crawl into the corner, cry, and admit defeat. But she knew better than that. If she wanted to live through the night, she needed to stay active and warm. She began out of nowhere to stand and perform lines of some sort of story came to her. She recited lines of Shakespeare and of Pericles. It astounded her but she could not stop. “Romeo, Romeo where for art thou Romeo? Deny thy father and refuse thy name or if that wilt no be but sworn my love and I shall no longer be...”

  She went on an on reciting lines and she had no clue as to how or where she knew these stories. Adeline imagined herself on a small stage, reciting and acting out every scene playing all the parts. This helped her to pass
the time and to stay warm in the raging storm outside.

  The sound of her stomach rumbled again, and she pulled out the bundle of food and began to eat in celebration of this small victory of finding shelter from storm and gaining some of her memory back in reciting the lines.

  Adeline slept ill indeed, waking for every noise that frightened her, or a field mouse that scurried by.

  “Hello? Who are you?” the soft voice started Adeline. She jumped to her feet. In front of her stood a young girl of about ten and four years of age with a wild mess of red curls and green eyes.

  “What? I’m...”

  “Did you sleep here?” she asked.

  “I am sorry if I’m trespassing. I just needed a place to sleep and I will be off now. Can you tell me which way to the Green Tavern?”

  “The Green Tavern?”

  “Yes I am trying to get there... though not exactly sure why, since I have no money, but perhaps I could inquire about work there.”

  “My uncle Angus owns the Green Tavern.”

  “He does? That is quite fortunate for me. What is your name child?”

  “My name be Hilda Carson and I am not a child I am four and ten years of age and almost five and ten, thank you very much.”

  Adeline smiled. “Yes, but of course. Will you show me the way to the tavern?”

  “Come with me lady,” the girl turned on her heels. Adeline gathered up her belongings and followed her out.

  “What be your name lady?”

  “My name is Adeline Blakefield.”

  “Please ta meetcha,” the girl stopped and gave a very clumsy curtsy. Adeline restrained a smile.

  “This is the way to the tavern then?” Adeline asked.

  “No it is the way to my home.”

  “Your home? But why?”

  “You need to be eatin’ and get some water. My papa taught me to help folks in need. It don’t be no bother or nothin’. He works in his workshop all day and my brother is away in Scotland to join the regiment. So you be no bother. Then I show you the tavern and take ye there myself so my uncle Angus can get a look at ya.”