Workhouse Waif

by Elizabeth Keysian

  “Oh yes, he knew. He as much as said so later, when he was explaining why he wouldn’t be taking me to the dance. I’m sorry to say such things about your friend, but I can’t help the way I feel.”

  “Oh no, my dear Miss Hart—Bella—you can say what you like to me. I should have a word with him on your behalf—yes, I should. He has given me the benefit of his opinion often enough, but I shall turn the tables on him now and fully castigate him for the way he has treated you. And,” he added, with a twinkle in his eye, “I shall enjoy it.”

  She hoped he’d come back and tell her how Jack had reacted. Because she thought she would enjoy it, too. That Jack Henstridge had no right to preach to her, no right at all.

  Chapter 38

  God, that woman is so obstinate and wrong-headed! Jack marched back to his horse and mounted it. He grabbed awkwardly at the reins, nearly dropped them, then urged the horse into a trot until he left the hot, tired streets of Warbury behind him. He broke into a canter as soon as he was out in the fields, and without really thinking about it, turned down into the green lanes and gave his horse its head.

  He rode until the animal began to tire, then dismounted in some shade and left it to crop the grass while he worked off the rest of his energy by walking along the banks of the Ware. In the distance, he could hear the throb and rattle of the threshing machines. The meadow beside him smelled strong and sickly sweet where the hay had been cut, and a skylark was trilling high above, its note very clear.

  He finally came to rest beneath a willow, where he sank back against the trunk and watched a parade of ants travelling up and down one of the sweeping branches. Into his mind came the picture of Bella’s face as he’d left her—bruised and swollen, with a pitiful downturn to the mouth. She’d almost been in tears—he was sure of it—and all because he’d done his good Christian duty and advised her to forgive.

  “What a hypocrite!” he said out loud. “How could I say that to her when I was so angry myself last night, that I could have dashed those two women’s heads together? I’m still angry they could do something like that, for the stupidest of reasons. Why can’t people learn to control themselves?”

  Bella had been so brave about it all, so tough, seemingly. But in the ensuing tears, at what he’d said, he’d seen that she wasn’t unbreakable. He’d been too hard on her, and what right did he have? Why did he think he had a right to preach such dictums to her when he wasn’t even sure he believed in them himself?

  “I should apologise,” he muttered. “Then I’ll see if little Bella is really capable of forgiveness.”

  But could he do more than that? A man in his position could usually achieve a great deal. What was the name of that man she said came to the workhouse to buy her out? Maybe he was family or connected to her family in some way. If Jack could find him, he could tell her about her background. That would make her happy. And then he wouldn’t have to feel so bloody guilty.

  Chapter 39

  Bella was still smarting from Jack’s visit when there was a knock at the door.

  Who on earth was it now? It seemed the whole world, both friend and foe, wanted a piece of her today. One person she had not expected to see, however, was Jack’s sister.

  “Miss Henstridge! You’re very kind to call.”

  This wasn’t a social call, nor a sick visit. Bella could tell that from the seriousness of her visitor’s face. She nodded at the chair, and the young woman drew it closer and sat down.

  “You don’t look at all well, Miss Hart. Perhaps I shouldn’t have come at a time like this but oh, oh dear!”

  A handkerchief came out and was dabbed delicately at the blue-grey eyes, so like Jack’s.

  Harriet took a deep breath and managed to recover her dignity. “Miss Hart, there are some things I wish to discuss with you—of a very delicate nature. I’m sorry to impose on you like this, especially when you’re not well. Oh! That reminds me, I’ve some smelling salts here and a little phial of laudanum if the pain gets too bad.” She fumbled blindly in her bag but produced nothing, and seemed to forget why she was holding it.

  “It’s about something that touches me very deeply, and I think you may be the only person who can help me.” Her voice sounded like it was catching in her throat.

  Bella hoped it was nothing to do with Jack. She didn’t want to discuss him, the way she felt about him at the moment. But she didn’t want to upset his sister. It was almost as if Harriet read her thoughts, for she said next, “Please believe me when I say I’m not here to embarrass you concerning your involvement with my brother. Yes,” she said, leaning forward, “I do know a little of that story, but you don’t have to tell me more about it than you wish to.”

  “There’s nothing to tell.”

  “Well, anyway, I know he has behaved rather shabbily towards you which, believe me, is most unlike him. But I believe I’ve been treated very badly too, by someone I thought to be a gentleman. In my case, you may be aware that George Merriwether has been pursuing me for some time—”

  “About last night. I can explain—”

  “It’s alright,” Harriet interrupted. “I’m not possessive about him, not at all. It’s not that—I was more than happy that he should take you to the dance. No, it’s something else.” Here she paused to search for her handkerchief which came up to her mouth and then was crumpled up in her fist. Her voice was more level when she said, “I regret that Georgie’s scurrilous behaviour has caused you such trouble. I don’t think men realise just how much damage they do on occasion. It’s unfair that you should have been the recipient of those women’s spleen when Georgie should have taken the brunt of it. But I’m not saying what I must. Georgie came to me with a confession this morning. He told me you knew all about it—he had been forced to tell you last night. Please tell me, Bella, when he said his liaison with that servant girl was short-lived and a total aberration, did you believe him?”

  Bella struggled to feel and say the right thing. In a way, she hadn’t thought that rich and privileged people like Harriet were just as capable of suffering as the lower orders. To most people, money was the solution to all ills. With money and status, you could be free. But maybe a woman’s heart was never free, was never safe from pain, however rich or powerful that woman might be. It seemed Harriet Henstridge had been even more deeply wounded by Georgie’s revelation than she had been by Jack’s.

  “You want me to say the truth? Even if you mayn’t like it?”

  Harriet bit her lip, but she was nodding.

  “Then I will. Georgie said the girl was… provoking? Something like that. He said there were other fellows she’d been setting her cap at besides him. He told me that when it happened, he had been drinking a lot and was near out of his senses because he’d argued with you. He didn’t really think about what he was doing.”

  “Did he say anything to suggest there was more to the relationship than that?”

  “No. I don’t think she even took his fancy much—she’s not much to look at, is she? But then you wouldn’t know. She certainly weren’t nothing special when I knew her.”

  “You knew her before… before you came here?”

  “Yes. But I don’t really want to talk about it. She was my enemy—you could say that.”

  “And now she is, perhaps, an enemy to us both, for I cannot find it in myself to pity her or to like her, even if some of the fault was on Georgie’s side.”

  Bella reached for her glass of water, but Harriet waved her away and put it gently into her hands.

  “Mr Merriwether was sure he was not the father of her child,” Bella said. “I know a bit about lying, and I don’t think he was.”

  Harriet wasn’t looking at her any more. Her own inner thoughts seemed to consume her. Bella felt a spark of sympathy move in her breast. “What will you do, Miss? Will you marry him after this?”

  “I don’t know.” Harriet’s voice sounded flat. “It all seemed just a joke yesterday. I felt I had all the time in the world to make u
p my mind about Georgie. I could enjoy him dancing attendance on me and at the same time enjoy my freedom while I still had it. Yet underneath, I think I was becoming increasingly fond of him. That is, until this morning.”

  “If you don’t love him, then perhaps you shouldn’t marry him. There must be better men to be had.”

  “Do you think there are, though, really? I wonder if they are not all like Georgie. They all sow a few wild oats in the heady days of their youth before deciding to settle down. Except my brother Jack that is—he would never do that.”

  Bella felt her stomach quiver at the mention of Jack. It didn’t seem right to have Miss Henstridge saying nice things about him when he’d behaved so badly to her, and lectured her, and all.

  “I don’t know much about men, Miss. Certainly not your kind. But from what I’ve seen, there’s none of them are wholly good. They’ve too much freedom, too many secrets, too much power over us and our feelings.”

  Harriet stared at her in surprise. “You’re very candid, Miss Hart. But I can’t help but say I’m inclined to agree with you. Why do we sit around allowing men to make us miserable? What right have they? Georgie’s conduct has been quite appalling. Let us join together to condemn him. What I must do is remember that I can be quite content without the fawning attentions of a flawed suitor. I may even decide to start a quest for someone to replace him. You’ve done me good, Miss Hart. I should like us to be friends.”

  Bella’s fists clenched on the blanket. “It wouldn’t be right, for you and me to be friends. We’re… too far apart.”

  “Nonsense. I can be friends with whomsoever I like.”

  “Well, that’s good of you, but I’ll not be a very useful friend. You’ll have far better to choose from.”

  “But few who are as honest as yourself. And I know, I can feel it, that you won’t tell anyone about why I came to see you today, or about our conversation. We may have more in common than you think. As soon as you’re up and about, you must come up to Henstridge Hall and take tea with me.”

  “But won’t your ma and pa object? And Jack?”

  “Mama and Papa need not be involved. And Jack may not even be around. He packed a bag and set off for Bristol at lunchtime, and I think he’s planning on London after that. So, we can be cosy, just you and me.”

  Bella reached for the water again, to wet her mouth that had suddenly gone dry. “Did he say why he’d gone?”

  “No, he doesn’t always confide in me. But I could tell it was something exciting from the look in his eye. Exciting for him, that is. Probably just something to do with boring engineering—he doesn’t seem interested in anything much else. Oh, but you look unwell—I’m tiring you. I must go. Next time I come, I’ll bring you some raspberries from the garden—that’s if Jack hasn’t picked them all. I must find out what he did with them, as he never touches them himself.”

  Miss Harriet Henstridge left the room, and Bella wondered why she felt like her stomach had just tipped off the edge of a cliff.

  Jack had gone. And never said a word to her about it.

  Her fists tangled in the bedclothes. “Don’t hurry back, Mr Jack Henstridge. I shan’t miss you at all.”

  Chapter 40

  Harriet waited a week until Bella looked well enough to be invited up to the house. However, when she broached the subject to her mother, the lady flapped her fan at her.

  “I can’t possibly approve of you bringing such a… person into this house.”

  “But she’s been here before, Mama. And she didn’t steal any knives and forks, or spit on the floor, or eat with her fingers.”

  Her father sat bolt upright in his wing chair. “Really Harriet, such language. Anyone would think you were no better than she is.”

  “Sorry, Papa. But honestly, she’s quite alright. You know you would never have taken her on at the school if you didn’t think she had some good qualities.”

  “Don’t question your father, Harriet. I don’t know what’s got into you lately—you’ve been really quite rude. Are you sure you’re entirely well?”

  “Oh, I’m well enough. I’m just getting my eyes opened to the real world a bit.”

  Harriet saw a covert glance pass between her mother and father and knew what they were thinking—that something had happened to their darling daughter that had made her cynical and depressed. Her mother would be desperate for the mood to pass, because Harriet was of marrying age, and it was vital she be appealing as a potential wife. As Mama had told her endless times, no man wanted a woman who was too clever, or sarcastic.

  Papa sighed. “There are many worlds and many spheres. You belong to only one, Harriet, and all we ask is that you don’t shame us in it. Your behaviour these last few days has been very strange, and I would wish it to cease, or you’ll soon be embarrassing us in front of our peers. And there’s no better way to do that than to be seen mixing with the wrong kind of people.”

  She wanted to say that he spoke to the factory people all the time, but she would have been told off for answering back. Was it worth the argument? Was it so important to make a friend of Bella when she had plenty of friends of her own class already?

  She tried another tack. “Oh please, Papa, Mama—isn’t it my Christian duty to care for those less fortunate than myself? And Miss Hart has had such a rotten time of it. I really don’t think she’ll disgrace any of us if she comes here. And after all, who’s to know?”

  “George may get to hear of it, and then what will he think? You don’t want to put him off, do you?” Her Mama was fond of the charming Georgie. He’d worked hard at that.

  Harriet narrowed her eyes. Georgie. She’d loved Georgie, or so she thought. And there was no doubt he didn’t deserve her love. But discuss the reason with these old-fashioned, stuffy snobs? They’d be rocked to their roots. And she’d be scolded for speaking of such coarse, dirty things—things a lady shouldn’t know about. She couldn’t win.

  Then some little worm turned inside her, and she knew it was now or never—she had to make a stand of some sort, or she’d always be under her parents’ thumbs.

  “I wish to see Miss Hart. And if you won’t let me bring her here, I shall go there. And I shall make sure everyone in town sees me because I’m not ashamed to know her. I’m old enough to make up my own mind about people, and in this instance, I happen to totally disagree with you both.”

  Her father was getting to his feet, his face an angry mask as she swung out of the room. But she slammed the door behind her and didn’t look back, and when she heard him open it to follow her, she scuttled across the hall, grabbed her bonnet and shawl, and raced out of the front door. She knew he was too proud to make a scene in front of the servants, to shout or run after her if there was a chance of anyone seeing.

  As she ran to the end of the drive, she wondered how seriously she’d upset them. It had been much easier to speak her mind in a heated moment than it would be to come back into the house later on, fearful of what retribution might await her. Whatever had prompted her to do it? Was it all Georgie’s fault, or had it been brewing all along, this need to make some kind of a stand—to assert herself, her own wishes?

  What should she do? Should she go back, try to paper over the cracks, and make it all like it was before? Or should she hold out against them, despite the cost?

  Someone was coming up the road on an unfamiliar horse and turning it into the driveway. Pray God it wasn’t Georgie—the way she was feeling at the moment, she would most likely strike him.

  “Jack! Oh, Jack, thank God it’s you. I’ve just been awfully rude to Mama and Papa.”

  “Hattie! I’ve just spent the most enlightening week in Bristol. Come in, so I can tell you all about it.”

  “I can’t go in—I’ve just had a row with Papa. Jack. Listen—”

  “I have news about Bella. You won’t believe what I’ve found out.”

  She’d never seen him look so excited. Frowning, she said, “But that was what we rowed about.” She was start
ing to dance from foot to foot and kept looking behind her at the front door.

  Jack gave her all his attention now. “Alright. Calm down.” He shouted for a groom to take the hired mount back to the station, then steered her into the garden.

  “No, please!” She pulled away from him. “We can’t talk here. I’ve got to get right away from the house until I’ve decided what to do.”

  “Really Hattie, it can’t be that bad. You’re over-reacting again. I’ve always said you were far too sensitive—”

  “You’ll be on my side, won’t you? You like Miss Hart too, I think. They’ll have to listen to you.”

  His face set hard. “I hope you haven’t been stirring them up about Bella. This is absolutely the wrong time to choose. She isn’t here, is she? Surely, she’s not well enough to be out of bed yet?”

  “Oh, she’s up and about already, but only pottering around the house. Much to Mrs Day’s relief, who said the stairs were likely to bring on another of her attacks if she did them many more times. But there’s been a neighbour in, and their son Ben—who’s quite a sweetheart.”

  Jack’s blue eyes danced with mockery. “Really, Harriet, what can you mean by mixing with such low life people? It sounds as if you’ve been visiting there a lot.”

  “I have. Oh, Jack—don’t look so cross. Surely, you’re not going to reprimand me too?”

  “Let’s walk down the lane a bit. We need to talk about this.”

  So, they talked about it, and when Jack heard what Harriet had to say about Georgie, he grimaced and looked guilty, and she began to wonder if he’d known about Georgie’s indiscretion all the time. But when she told him how her parents disapproved of her bringing anyone of Bella’s class into their house, his mood changed, and he laughed aloud.