by S G Read
She laughed. ‘I can not be considered a highwayman as I am a woman.’ She declared. ‘And as the magistrate and a jury have said I am not then I suppose I cannot be one.’
‘Can you shoot a pistol?’ Forty asked.
‘My father taught me how to shoot when I was a little girl and I have not forgotten how to do it. Now let us get on with lessons who can write their name yet?’
Forty one put her hand up.
‘Show me then forty one.’
Forty one wrote Sarah Jenkins on her slate while they watched and then Andrew and Beth clapped in appreciation.
‘You will embroider your name on your dress now.’ Beth advised her.
‘But I can’t sew.’ Fortyone declared.
‘Then we must find a way to teach you.’ Beth answered although sewing was not her strong point; she hoped that Ruth could sew.
Andrew thought about Sarah having a baby here, was she more prodigy from the last beadle or even Zachariah? He was not a name you would really want but it was better than being called a bastard!
‘From now on you will call number forty one by her name ‘Sarah’ He announced. ‘Anyone else who can write their name will be the same; they will have their own name.’
Now everyone wanted to write their name and Beth took charge to make sure they were correct. Anyone able to do it was rewarded by being able to embroider their name on their new clothes. Only four managed it and they were the younger children. Number forty now could have William Lane embroidered on his jacket; number thirty six could embroider Amos Norris and thirty five Lorna Wallace on her dress. Number thirty was struggling as he was called Theodore Eykelbosch; it would be some time before he had that on his jacket and after that it would be some time before anyone used it. Andrew marvelled over the name; obviously the had immigrated to England then fallen on hard times or fallen ill and he was left to be brought up by the orphanage. With a name as unusual as that it should be able to trace any remaining relatives, if there were any and he determined to start looking in the New Year.
A letter arrived and Tom struggled up the stairs to give it to Andrew.
‘Thank you Tom.’ Andrew said quietly as someone was trying to write down their name once more. He opened the letter and found an invite to Lady Lamerton’s New Year’s Eve party. It was for Andrew and Elizabeth. ‘How did she know about our engagement?’
‘I might have let it slip sir.’ Tom answered. ‘He is waiting shall I send him away?’
‘Do we want to go to a New Year’s Ball miss Conibear?’
Andrew asked when the attempt had been successful and number Seven could now put her name on her dress, Eliza Shepherd.
‘I will need a dress Mr McDay.’ She answered coyly.
‘Then I will go and see Mrs Oldray and ask her to call as you will be busy here.’
‘I have no money to pay for it Mr McDay.’
‘Then it will be a wedding present Miss Conibear.’
The words wedding present evoked many questions and also had number six running down the stairs in a hurry.
Andrew followed and found him in the garden throwing stones into the stream.
‘I am sorry but I love her as well number six.’ He said quietly.
‘My name is Ezekiel Savery.’ He answered.
‘It will be when you can write it.’ Andrew answered. He was aware that the changes he had made were now accepted and this sort of behaviour which would normally have led to a violent whipping and that was why there were no numbers lower than six; they had all died after being whipped.
‘Why must you spoil it?’
‘I love her Ezekiel and I have known her longer than you and she loves me. There is a place in her heart for all of you but it is me she will have children by and they will come into her class to learn.’
When he turned, number six was crying, everything else he could cope with but not this. Andrew put his arms round him.
‘This is real life number six. You are kept away from real life here, until they send you out when you reach sixteen but when you go to work outside for Mr Doble, you will eventually earn money and learn a trade. You are a growing boy who I have let have feelings, one day you will have feelings for a girl of your age and then you will know what I feel at the moment. Until then you will just have to make the best of life.’
‘It hurts.’
‘I know, it is worse than any whipping.’
‘More worse.’
‘Much worse.’ Andrew corrected. ‘Think how I felt when they took her to hang her!’
‘I cried that night.’ Number six admitted.
‘And love will make you cry again, sometimes because you are so happy, it can make you cry. There is nothing I can do to ease the pain but I do understand.’
Number six stepped back and looked at him. ‘I owe you so much, so do all the children but now I hate you.’
‘That is understandable Ezekiel, had she been hung I do not know what I would have done. I somehow think my days here would be over.’
‘But what would have happened to us?’ Six asked.
‘Think how you feel now, I would have felt like that and no one or no thing would have mattered to me.’
‘So we would have gone back to whippings and working all day every day and no learning?’
‘I fear so.’
‘I suppose we can share her.’ Six replied.
‘Well that is very decent of you.’ Andrew replied and they both walked back inside.
Morning found him in Mrs Oldray’s shop explaining what was wanted.
‘I will call this afternoon and bring my samples for her to choose the cloth from, there will be time for more than one fitting before the ball.’
‘Will that be enough?’
‘It will be enough.’ She assured him. ‘She will look very pretty for the ball, not that she needs one of my dresses to look pretty.’
On the day of the ball Andrew made sure everything was fine and the children were tucked up in bed with Ruth reading them a story. It was a story she had heard before and read before so now she was word perfect which made it better for the children, those who remained awake. The senior boys and Tom were to walk the ground to make sure all was well while Andrew was away and they did so as if it was their own palace.
The carriage pulled by Hopscotch took Andrew and Beth off to the ball with Tom driving it. It was his task to return at half an hour past midnight to take them home. He stopped in front of Lamerton Hall and Andrew helped Beth to the ground where a red carpet was set for visitors to alight without getting the shoes dirty. The red carpet continued as far as the front door where a servant in a red uniform took their invitation and passed it to another servant in the same coloured uniform on a silver platter. He walked as far as the entrance to the main hall and announced their arrival. Lady Lamerton immediately excused herself from the people she was talking to and walked over to greet them.
‘Let me introduce you to some people who might be able to give you some assistance, should you need it, some are very much for teaching all children. You will be like a breath of fresh air to them, we have all heard tales about the goings on in that orphanage. When I told them I had actually seen a child in there smile, they did not believe it.’
She talked all the way across the room until Andrew squeezed her hand gently and whispered in her ear.
‘Do you think so?’ She asked. ‘I must remember that, thank you Mr McDay.’
She said little for the rest of the journey across the room, then introduced them to anyone she thought counted.
Number six, not Ezekiel yet, as he had not managed to write his name, walked out into the garden where the moon was shining and saw someone move. He did not run or shout but stopped to watch. It was a boy by the stream and to be by the stream meant that he was on orphanage land. He watched as the boy crouched down then lay on his stomach by the stream. Six moved forward worried that he might fall in, only to see him pick up a fish from the water and hit it with a r
ock. He had watched Bill fish the stream and catch fish for them to eat but this boy seemed to just pick it up.
‘Hey you!’ He cried and the boy looked up. ‘I want to talk to you.’
The boy took to his heels and six gave chase. The boy scrambled through the hedge, as six reached the stream and leapt it. It was something he had always wanted to do and then run off into the night away from the orphanage but now he was after a poacher. Beth had read to them about poachers. He just made the other side and pulled his feet out of the water then scrambled through the same hole in the fence. The boy had a good start but six was intent on catching him. He was older and faster and now well fed. The boy dropped the fish and ran as fast as he could to get back to his house but six caught him at the gate.
‘Let me go.’ The boy squealed.
‘I said I wanted to talk to you, didn’t you hear?’
‘Yes.’
‘Then why did you run.’
‘I just took a fish from your stream; I can end up in prison for stealing fish.’
‘If I told anyone.’
‘So you don’t mind?’
‘Not really although Mr McDay might though, what is your name?’
‘Alfred Webber.’
‘Do you live here Alfred?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well go back and get your fish it seems a waste, as you already killed it. I’ll wait here.’
Alfred walked back and picked up the fish. While he was gone a woman limped out of the house.
‘Is that you Alfred?’ She asked softly.
‘He’ll be back in a minute, he dropped the fish.’
‘Who are you?’
‘Best call me six as my given name is Ezekiel.’
‘If your name is Ezekiel, I will call you Ezekiel. What is happening I thought I heard Alfred cry out?’
‘You did. He was running but I caught him.’
‘Was he stealing again?’
‘Only a fish.’ Six replied. ‘What is wrong with your foot?’
‘A carriage run it over, it was that awful Lady Dymonds carriage. I haven’t been able to work since, not properly; that is why Alfred has taken to stealing.’
Alfred returned and they helped the woman inside to a chair.
‘If you can’t work, how do you live?’ Six asked.
‘By what I steal.’ Alfred said proudly.
‘If you get caught they will lock you up.’ Six declared. He looked down at the fish Alfred had caught. ‘Not much of a meal for two of you.’
‘I will get another one later.’ Alfred vowed. ‘You can’t watch the water all the time.’
‘They are too small to catch we have to wait for them to grow to make them worthwhile to eat.’ Six explained, he was only repeating what Bill Hodgson had told him. ‘We have food left over from today; we had a party so I will bring some up to you if you agree to leave the fish alone.’
‘He will leave them alone.’ The woman answered looking at Alfred sternly.
‘Do you want any help carrying it?’ Alfred asked.
‘If you want.’ Six answered.
They walked back to the orphanage but this time going in the gate when they finally reached it.
It was then that six noticed the tear in his new clothes.
‘They are torn.’ He said in amazement and pointed to the tear in the lamplight.
‘Don’t worry my mother will sew it up for you, it is what she does when she can work.’
Six took Alfred inside and found Ruth; the children were now in bed and asleep.
‘I said we could take them some food as they have none.’ Six said hopefully.
‘Then you must take some food to them Ezekiel. A man must keep to his word.’ She sorted out some leftovers which were still warm and put them in a dish and the dish on a tray. ‘How many are you feeding?’
‘Two Mrs Fearon.’
She put two plates and cutlery for two people on the tray for them to take and the two walked back carrying the tray between them. Six could have carried it himself but as he had said Alfred could help he let him.
Alfred and his mother ate the food with six watching, Alfred had told his mother about the tear in six’s clothes which had happened while six was chasing him and she agreed to repair it, after they ate the food while it was still warm.
When she did repair it, six was amazed, he had seen the tear and knew where it was but he could no longer see it.
‘Thank you Mrs Webber, you’re very good at repairing tears. I will ask Mr McDay if he needs a good mender.’
‘When I can walk again I can mend but until then I am not much use to anyone.’ Mrs Webber answered as six went out.
Alfred curled up on his bed and fell asleep. Six walked back to the front gate and Tom let him inside.
‘Do you think it was alright to give them our food?’ Tom asked.
‘I will tell Mr McDay tomorrow and ask if it was alright.’ Six answered.
They both walked on another tour of inspection including the garden again but this time all was quiet. Tom drove away when it was time to collect Andrew and Beth leaving six in charge. Six kept watch until they returned but said nothing about the boy, the fish and his mother. He thought he would mention it in the morning. Andrew walked Beth home and then went to bed himself; the two boys did the same. Now that Andrew was back, six considered his late night vigil was over.
Andrew was late getting up in the morning and work was well under way when he did. Six put fourteen on to the machine he was working and walked over to him.
‘I gave some food away last night Mr McDay.’ He announced.
‘I knew about it though.’ Ruth said from halfway down the stairs, causing Andrew to look round.
‘I feel like I am in an ambush.’ He declared. ‘So who did you give this food to?’
‘A boy and his mother.’ Six answered.
‘Did they need it?’ Andrew asked.
‘Yes sir.’
‘Well done then.’ Andrew turned to walk away.
‘There is more.’ Six declared and Andrew turned back.
‘Well spit it out then.’ He said a little less politely than usual, he had drunk a bit more than he was used to during the party.
‘I saw the boy steal a fish.’ Six declared ready for the consequences.
‘Where from?’
‘The stream.’
‘But they are too little, are they not?’
‘A bit but they were hungry. I saw him and chased him as it was our fish and caught him near his house. I didn’t know it then but I tore my new clothes, when I jumped through the hedge.’
‘Mrs Hodgson might be able to repair it.’
‘No need Mrs Webber the boy’s mother sewed it up. Look you can’t see where the tear was.’
By now Ruth was at the bottom of the stairs and both she and Andrew inspected where six thought the tear had been.
‘She is very good.’ Ruth agreed. ‘I have a few clothes she could repair like that.’
‘Where does she work?’ Andrew asked thinking that he could make use of a good seamstress.
‘She doesn’t any more. Lady Dymonds coach ran over her foot and she can’t walk far so she can’t go to work any more.’
At the name Lady Dymonds Andrew’s ears pricked up.
‘Where do they live?’
‘Up the road but it is a long walk.’ Six answered.
‘We will go and see her in the carriage.’ Andrew declared his interest aroused. ‘Tom!’
Tom appeared.
‘Hitch Hopscotch to the carriage we are going out.’
‘Yes Mr McDay.’
Six and Andrew drove out as Beth walked across from the cottage, she waved and they both waved back.
‘It’s so different now.’ Six said as they drove up the road. ‘All I did was work and keep to myself, now I am in charge of washing and riding in a carriage.’
‘Respect the changes Ezekiel, I hope to be here long enough to make them permanent but I am not in
charge completely. I too have an employer who I have to keep happy.’
They stopped outside the house and both walked up to the door.
‘Are you there Mrs Webber?’ Six called. ‘It’s Ezekiel.’
‘Come in Ezekiel it will save me getting up.’ The woman called back.
‘Come on.’ Six said, opened the door and walked inside. Andrew followed.
‘This is Mr McDay the man who looks after me.’
‘Are you going to take Alfred from me for stealing?’ She asked a worriedly.
‘Not at all but the fish are too small to eat at the moment so I suggest you come up and eat at the orphanage.’
‘I am afraid I cannot walk that far sir.’
‘My carriage awaits…’
Alfred came barging in with a chicken and ran into six. He saw Andrew and the panic was plain to see on his face. Andrew looked at the chicken.
‘At least it is not a fish; I take it you are Alfred.’
Alfred thrust the chicken behind his back. ‘Yes sir, I’m sorry about the fish sir.’
‘Now, I am not going to ask Hopscotch to drag four of us back to the orphanage so you and Alfred walk back and I will go with Mrs Webber. I think we will take the chicken in case someone sees you with it Alfred.’
Andrew had to help Mrs Webber into the carriage and then they started back passing Alfred and six on the way. The two boys immediately started to run to keep up. They all arrived together and Tom let them in. Getting Mrs Webber out of the carriage proved harder than getting her into it but they managed it. Once she was inside in Andrew’s parlour, Andrew sent six for Ruth to look at her foot.
‘This is bad.’ She said sadly. ‘I think it needs a doctor.’
‘Six go for the doctor.’ Andrew ordered.
‘But I have no money how will I pay for a doctor?’ Mrs Webber argued.
‘I understand you can sew quite well?’ Andrew replied.
‘I get by sir.’
‘Well I have sheets, curtains and blankets which need repair you can pay me back by repairing them for me. I will set up a table so that you can sit next to it to work while your bad foot heals.’
‘It has been like this for sometime sir.’ She replied.