An Independent Woman

by Anna Jacobs

  “Stick him on the cart,” said Hudd. “I’ll go inside and get some clothes for him.”

  The other man nodded and slung the bound man over his shoulder, carrying him out of the back gate and rolling him up in some old carpet that was lying ready on the handcart.

  Aubrey found himself lying in stifling darkness, breathing air so filled with dust and stale smells that he felt he was being smothered. He had to tell himself sternly not to panic. He knew who was behind this, of course he did, had done from the minute he’d seen Hudd. He could even guess why he’d been taken—the same old nagging to follow his father into the business of charging high rents for ill-maintained and crumbling properties—which included making sure rents were paid, even if the tenants starved, something Aubrey had never been able to stomach.

  He wriggled but the ropes round his wrists didn’t give at all, so he lay waiting, angry and ashamed that it’d been so easy for them to catch him. But if his father thought he could coerce him into working and living with him, he would soon discover that his son had changed. Even Serena had rebelled in the end, once their mother was dead.

  Then it suddenly occurred to Aubrey that Jim was still in the house and he began to worry about his friend, who was not yet fully recovered from months of surgery and might be permanently harmed if treated roughly. But although he strained his ears, he could hear nothing.

  It seemed a very long time before he heard voices close by and the cart started moving, bumping him to and fro, helpless in his dusty straitjacket.

  Jim half-woke when he heard Aubrey go downstairs, and came fully awake as he heard Aubrey yell out suddenly a few minutes later. He rolled out of bed and ran to stare out of the window, watching in horror as two brutal-looking men subdued his young friend, tied him up and carried him out through the back gate.

  When one of them walked purposefully towards the house Jim hurriedly straightened the bedcovers, shoved his clothes into his suitcase and pushed it under the bed. Then he went to peer down the stairs. He knew better than to tangle with men like that in his present physical condition, and besides, he’s be of more use to Aubrey if he stayed free. He heard footsteps coming upstairs and drew back, but not before he’s seen the man reach the landing below and check all three rooms before going into the one where Aubrey slept.

  There came sounds of drawers being opened, occasional grunts of effort or annoyance, then the intruder came out on to the landing carrying a suitcase. He stopped there and set it down. Jim wondered what he was doing and to his surprise the man started up the stairs towards the attics, presumably to check that no one had witnessed what had happened.

  Jim tiptoed across to the bed, glad he was still barefoot. As he slid under it, he hoped desperately that he hadn’t left anything out to show that the room was occupied.

  Footsteps went towards the next room then came into Jim’s. From underneath the bed he could see only the man’s heavy boots and the lower few inches of his trousers. For a few nerve-racking moments he tried to keep his breathing quiet while the other turned from side to side as if studying the bedroom.

  With another grunt the man went out again and Jim buried his head in his hands, so relieved he felt sick. He heard those footsteps clump down the stairs, stop for a moment then go quickly down the lower flight of stairs. A minute later there was the sound of the back door banging shut and Jim wriggled from under the bed and peeped out of the window.

  The man was walking down the back garden with a suitcase in his hand. Jim could see a hand cart in the back alley, with a couple of rolls of carpet on it, in one of which poor Aubrey was hidden. The suitcase was slung on the cart as well.

  One man started pushing and the other walked beside it. They vanished round the corner and Jim stood for a moment or two wondering what the hell was going on, then flung on his clothes.

  At the back door he listened but could hear nothing, so ran down the garden and into the alley. He could see the tracks of the handcart on the damp ground and followed them quickly to the end, just in time to see the two men cross Yorkshire Road and vanish from sight.

  He moved to look cautiously down Yorkshire Road. The men were walking along it, going away from the town centre. They were making no attempt to hide and one was laughing at something the other had said. They turned off into one of the downhill side streets, an area where the more affluent folk lived with views down to the river. After hesitating a moment, Jim risked following them again.

  The first narrow street provided the rear access to the big houses on Cavendish Terrace. He saw one of the men closing a gateway behind the third house along. Of the cart there was no sign, so presumably they’d taken their captive inside. Jim decided discretion was the better part of valour and hurried back to the bookshop. The place seemed horribly empty without Aubrey.

  It was the work of a few moments only to complete his morning toilet and gobble down a piece of bread and jam. There was only one person to whom he could go for help now.

  When the jolting stopped, Aubrey couldn’t help groaning in relief and once the old carpet was unwound he sniffed in the fresh air as deeply as he could with his mouth gagged.

  “Sorry about that,” Hudd said.

  Aubrey could see from his smirk that Hudd wasn’t in the least sorry. The other man came towards him and he couldn’t help flinching away, which made the smirk broaden into a smile.

  But all the man did was untie his legs and pull him roughly to his feet. He stumbled and thought they were going to let him fall, but at the last minute Hudd reached out to grab the back of his dressing gown and steady him.

  “Your father’s waiting for you, but I reckon you’d better get dressed first,” he said. “I can release you if you’ll promise not to call out.”

  Aubrey nodded and when the gag was removed, he said nothing.

  “Here. Put these on.” Hudd opened a suitcase.

  Aubrey dragged his clothes on anyhow and followed his captors, relieved not to be facing his father dressed only in pyjamas.

  They walked towards the house but cut across the back garden rather than entering through the scullery and kitchen. The French doors of the small sitting room the family used every day were slightly ajar and Hudd nodded dismissal to the man who’d been helping him before indicating with a mocking wave of his hand that his prisoner should go in first.

  Inside the room Aubrey’s father was waiting for him. For a moment he froze then pulled himself together and stared back steadily at the man who had made his childhood so unhappy. But the encounter immediately set images cascading through his brain and with a gasp, he fumbled for a chair. Someone guided him to it and helped him sit, then he put his head in his hands, rocking to and fro as the pain ebbed and flowed.

  “He gets like this when he starts remembering something, sir,” Hudd said.

  It was the room as much as the sight of his father that had set him off this time, Aubrey decided. He could remember now being beaten in here, harangued, mocked, scolded.

  When his head cleared a little he turned towards the man standing in front of the fireplace, hogging the warmth as he always did. Aubrey didn’t speak, didn’t ask why he’d been brought here, because he knew that was what his father wanted him to do.

  Just then the door opened and Ruby started to come in.

  “Get out!” Ernest snapped.

  Aubrey seized the moment. “Help! Fetch the police. They’re holding me against my will.

  Hel—” Hudd’s hand covered his mouth and his father stalked across to the door to yell, “Don’t come in here again. My son is ill, doesn’t know what he’s saying.”

  But Aubrey could still see Ruby across the hand that was holding him and he put every ounce of silent pleading into his eyes that he could.

  She backed out, muttering, “Sorry, sir.”

  “You’ll say nothing of this or you’ll lose your place,” Ernest snapped.

  “No, sir. Of course not, sir.”

  When the door had closed on her, Hudd le
t go of Aubrey, who leaned his head back with a sigh.

  “Do that again and I’ll have you permanently gagged.”

  “Will you? And how long do you think you can keep me a prisoner here, Father?”

  Ernest gave one of his icy smiles. “As long as I need to, with Dr Tolson caring for you. We can simply drug you if you prove too troublesome.”

  Aubrey shuddered as another memory slotted into place. They’d done that before when he was much younger and had tried his hand at rebellion. He’d been vilely ill as a result because the drug they’d used to sedate him hadn’t agreed with him and had taken so long to recover Tolson had been worried about him.

  “I see you’re beginning to remember, Frank.”

  “Why did you have me brought here by force?” Aubrey didn’t waste time telling his father to call him by his new name.

  “Because you didn’t come willingly. You should be living at home where you belong, not working in a damned bookshop. I don’t want people gossiping when they realise who you are.

  You’re my son and you’ll behave like it, or I’ll have you locked away.”

  Aubrey didn’t reply. He only hoped Jim could get help for him.

  “How did you come to lose your memory and where have you been all these months?”

  Aubrey leaned back in his chair. “It’s a long story. Any chance of my getting a cup of tea first?

  My throat’s dry as dust after that carpet they rolled me in.”

  “Fetch him some tea,” Ernest said impatiently.

  Hudd hesitated. “Will you be all right with him?”

  “Of course I will. He’s a runt as well as a coward.”

  Though burning with the old indignation at his father’s casual use of the same old insult, Aubrey said nothing, more in control of himself than he had ever been when he lived here. At his father’s prompting he began his tale, making it last for as long as he could. He stopped at intervals to sip the strong black tea gratefully, and when Hudd refilled his cup, nodded thanks before continuing his story.

  “How did you come to be working for Bailey, then? You should have come straight home.”

  “Sheer chance. I didn’t know who I really was when I arrived in Tinsley and it seemed like a good opportunity. I’ve always liked books, as you know.” He explained about his job, going on at length about the convenience of the flat above the shop until told to shut up.

  His father wasn’t pleased, was tapping his fingers on his chair arm, but this time Aubrey welcomed the pause in questioning and rested his head against the back of the chair, closing his eyes as he waited for his father to get to the point, which was: what was going to happen to him now?

  The front door bell rang and footsteps crossed the entrance hall to answer it.

  “See if that’s Tolson,” Ernest said irritably.

  Hudd came back a moment or two later followed by the family doctor, who stared from the older man standing by the fire to the younger man sitting in an armchair.

  “He didn’t want to come back home and I believe he’s behaving irrationally,” Ernest announced. “Examine him, if you please. And don’t take too long about it.”

  “If he’s been ill, I should do that properly. You don’t want to harm him, I’m sure.”

  Ernest scowled. “Take him up to his bedroom, then. Hudd, you go with them. I’ll give orders to the staff that they’re to say nothing about his presence here.”

  Aubrey heaved himself to his feet when ordered to and didn’t have to feign the dizziness.

  Tolson came across to him. “What’s the matter?”

  “I’m remembering things. It always makes me dizzy and gives me severe headaches. The doctors told me to rest if I could when it happened.” He rubbed his temple.

  “Is he making that up?” his father asked.

  “Probably not. Resting is standard treatment in cases like this.”

  “Then you’d better give him something to keep him quiet till he recovers.”

  “That’ll only make it worse,” Aubrey said quickly. “It’s sleep I need, not drugs.”

  “Do as you’re told, Tolson!” Ernest snapped. “I’ll be very angry if he causes trouble. He’s got to learn to toe the line. Surely being in the Army has toughened up even a softie like him?”

  Accompanied by Hudd, the doctor went up with Aubrey to the bedroom that had always been his. There Tolson gave him a thorough examination, after which he produced a hypodermic filled with colourless liquid. At the sight of it Aubrey began to struggle, but Hudd held him down while the doctor injected him. To his astonishment Tolson winked at him and rolled his eyes quickly in the direction of Hudd, unseen by the other man, shaking his head as if to say be quiet.

  “I used this drug because others disagree with him,” the doctor said and looked meaningfully at Aubrey. “He’ll start to feel sleepy in about ten minutes and he’ll be sound asleep in half an hour.”

  Hudd grinned. “That’ll make my life easier. How long does this stuff last?”

  “About four hours. I’ll come back when it starts to wear off and if necessary give him another injection.”

  “If you go down and tell Mr Fleming, doctor, I’ll stay here until he falls asleep.”

  “Very well.” Without a backwards glance, Tolson left the room.

  Downstairs Fleming stopped pacing up and down the library to ask curtly, “Well, how is he?”

  “You can see the scars from the explosion which injured him, but there’s nothing wrong with him mentally.”

  Ernest gave him a long, level stare. “If necessary, you’ll find that he’s mentally incompetent and admit him to that asylum of yours as a private patient.” When the other man didn’t respond, he added, “You will unless you want your gambling debts to become public knowledge.”

  “And if I do this thing for you?”

  “We’ll knock another fifty pounds off your debts.”

  Tolson sighed but nodded. “Your son will be sound asleep in half an hour and will stay asleep for about four hours. We have to be careful about injecting him, though. You know how ill he was as a boy.”

  “I’ll risk it. Make sure you’re back by the time he wakes. I’ve told the staff Frank’s not himself and needs medical treatment.”

  Tolson nodded. “I’ll get off home, then. It is Christmas Day, you know.”

  “Not when people are sick and need you!”

  When he’d left, Ernest resumed his pacing then went upstairs to look at his son, who did indeed seem sleepy. He beckoned Hudd over to the door and whispered, “Come down when he’s asleep. I have an errand for you.”

  “Should we leave him alone?” Hudd queried.

  “I’ll look in on him every now and then. Tolson says he’ll be unconscious for four hours once he’s fully asleep, but you’ll be back within a couple of hours, so I doubt we have anything to worry about.”

  “I’ll tie him up just to be sure,” Hudd said. “You can’t be too careful. If he woke early and escaped, we could be in trouble.”

  “Not with Tolson on our side.” Ernest gave one of his tight smiles. “Trust me. The doctor is rather anxious to please me.”

  He went back downstairs to write a note to his daughter for Hudd to deliver.

  When Hudd finally left him alone, Aubrey waited a few moments then risked half-opening his eyes to peer out through his lashes. As he’d thought, the bedroom was empty, but he was tightly trussed so couldn’t escape. Cursing under his breath, he began to struggle with the bonds, working desperately to loosen them, but Hudd knew his work and had tied both hands and feet tightly, so there was no slackness in the ropes.

  Was there any chance of a rescue? And even if someone did rescue him, would people believe his side of things when a respected doctor like Tolson said he was mentally incompetent? That thought made him frown. Why had Tolson not drugged him? Why had he made it plain to Aubrey how to behave to simulate the drug’s effects? Perhaps he remembered how ill Aubrey had been last time they drugged him and di
dn’t want to take any risks. It seemed too much to hope that Tolson was trying to help him escape.

  The door opened and Ruby peeped in, gasping at the sight of him and casting a terrified look over her shoulder.

  “Please!” Aubrey whispered. “Go and fetch help. My father is keeping me a prisoner.”

  She shook her head, looking near to tears. “I daren’t.”

  “Then can you loosen these ropes, so that I can try to escape? Please, Ruby.”

  With another terrified look down the corridor she came inside.

  “Shut the door or he might guess someone’s here,” Aubrey told her. “That’s it. Now, see if you can untie my hands and feet.”

  She pulled the covers back but as she started trying to undo the knots, footsteps came up the stairs, heavy footsteps which could belong to only one person in this house. With a muffled yelp of terror, she covered Aubrey up again and looked round in panic for somewhere to hide.

  “Get under the bed,” he whispered, closing his eyes. Whatever happened to her, he intended to play the drugged patient.

  The door opened, footsteps came towards the bed and stopped.

  The silence dragged on then Ernest muttered, “I know you’re my get, unlike her, but how the hell did a son of mine turn out so stupid?” With a growl of annoyance he left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.

  Aubrey waited until the footsteps had faded into the distance then called in a low voice, “It’s safe to come out now.”

  Ruby emerged from under the bed, her face white with terror, and backed towards the door.

  “I’m sorry, sir, I daren’t do it. I just—daren’t.”

  Before he could speak she had left the room.

  Jim slipped out of the rear of the shop and made his way along back alleys to the main road leading out to Horton. He hurried along it, wishing he had some form of transport and fretting about how long it would take him to get help for Aubrey. But he didn’t want to go to the police without some support, because from what he’d learned since he came back, Fleming was now a man of some importance in the town, even if he wasn’t liked.