To Take Her Pride

by Anne Brear

“You ought to get away home, and put your feet up a bit.” His anxiety made her want to cry.

  “I’m going home now.”

  “Aurrie?”

  She turned to see Anthony Murphy crossing the road towards her.

  “Here, lad.” The shopkeeper frowned, as though her collapse was Anthony’s fault. “Help her home, will you? She needs to be inside.”

  “Course I will, what you take me for?” Anthony snapped, but then turned smiling eyes on Aurora. “Come, Aurrie, lean on me.”

  “Thank you, Anthony.” They walked several yards and Aurora found that she was leaning on him more and more. “I’m so sorry. I don’t seem to have any strength at all today.”

  “Sure an’ is it any wonder? Working all those hours at Ellerton’s. Me mam says she wished she’d never told you about them.”

  “The money was good.”

  “Was?” He perked up. “Yer mean you’ve left?”

  “Yes.”

  “Well, at least something good has happened today.”

  She couldn’t talk anymore and they lapsed into silence for the rest of the way home. The lane was deserted and Aurora was pleased. She didn’t want the neighbors witnessing her struggle. However before she and Anthony reached number nine, they heard a jumble of voices and the moment they entered the hallway they were engulfed in a mass of heaving, fuming people spilling out from the sitting room.

  “Ye gads, I never thought I’d see the day,” Dilys boomed, her eyes red from crying. “Disgusted I am, disgusted!”

  A little disorientated, Aurora, with Anthony’s strong arms around her waist, pushed her way through the crowded room and found Lily, who sat on the sofa crying as though her heart would break. Opposite her, in the old wing backed chair, was Mary Murphy, frozen like a tiny marble statue.

  “Oh Aurrie, lass!” Dilys, on realizing she was there, crushed her into her enormous breasts. “We’ll get the bastard, don’t worry.”

  “What…what?”

  “Anthony, thanks for bringing her home.” Dilys slapped him hard on the shoulder.

  “I don’t understand?” Aurora unsteadily sat down beside Lily. “What’s happened, Lily?”

  “Don’t you know?” Lily’s handkerchief was damp and limp in her hands. She looked at Anthony. “What did you tell her?”

  “Nothing. I didn’t get the chance.”

  Aurora braced for bad news. “Tell me what?”

  “Sophia.”

  Aurora’s heart seemed to somersault in her chest. “What happened to Sophia?”

  “Someone, a man, went into The Yellow Moon and went mad…” A voice from the back spoke up.

  “Not just some man, but Fred blasted Godfrey!” Old Alfie punched his gnarled fist into his other hand. “The bastard!”

  Dilys came forward. “They’ve taken her to the hospital, lass. She’ll be made right as rain there. Won’t she now?” Dilys glared at the people hovering around as if to defy any of them to say something to the contrary.

  “Me dad’s gone to see her.” Lily sobbed. “He’s heartbroken.”

  Aurora frowned, her head pounded terribly. “Your dad?” Noah was heartbroken? Why? Had he done something? She couldn’t make sense of it.

  “Oh aye.” Lily nodded with a slight hiccup. “I didn’t understand how much he’d fallen for her either. I thought it was only friendship, but I was wrong, Aurrie.” Lily looked apologetic. “He loves her.”

  “He loves her?” Aurora couldn’t think straight.

  “And so he should. A person doesn’t have to be single all their life once they become a widower.” Dilys stated, heaving her large bosom up with a forearm. “Jean.” She pushed her daughter towards the door. “Go put the kettle on. We could all do with a cuppa.”

  “I’d just like someone to tell me what’s going on.” Aurora murmured, fighting the nausea rising in her throat. She really didn’t want to be sick on the new rug she’d bought.

  “Tell her, Mary,” Hetty Barclay urged. “You were there. Tell her what you told the polis.”

  Mary Murphy blinked, the only sign she was alive. “I went inter the pub to see Big Eddie. I wanted to thank him for sending Anthony home, now it’s clear for him, you see. I found him dead on’t floor ... blood seeping out of his chest. May God bless and keep him.” She crossed herself. “Mrs Flannigan was out cold in’t corner …” Mary stared into the distance, not a facial muscle moving and Anthony hurried to put his arm around her and she glanced up at him. “I heard scuffling, lad. I went into the bar an’ there they were. He was … he was …” She gulped and Anthony made a distressing sound in the back of his throat. Mary looked sadly at Aurora. “Fred Godfrey has beaten you ma, lass. Beaten an’ raped her. I couldn’t do owt to stop him.”

  The last words were barely heard as Aurora slipped off the sofa and onto the floor in a faint.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Every time Aurora walked through the doors of Doctor Peterson’s private hospital, she felt herself grow smaller. Her whole body seemed to shrink in sufferance with the distressed people inside, room after room, row after row. And Sophia was one of them, but at least she was no longer at the large public hospital crammed in with hundreds of others. It had costs them a large slice of their carefully hoarded money, but Aurora felt it justified.

  In the two weeks Aurora had been coming here, she’d become known to the nurses. Every day at ten o’clock she’d enter the building and smile at the woman at the front desk, before turning left and going up the stairs to the second floor. There, she’d go along the corridor to room number 5. Inside were two beds, one holding Sophia and the other holding Amelia Wilson, a patient whom had been in a coma for nearly a month, and who the doctors and staff had given up on ever returning to life.

  As Aurora settled down on the chair next to Sophia’s bed, she was determined that Sophia would be home by the end of the week. She bent over and kissed her cheek gently. The blue and purple bruising was fading to a garish green yellow. The cuts to her cheek, lips and above the eye were slowly healing. Her three broken ribs were mending too. The doctor was concerned about Sophia’s mental health, wondering if she’d be able to cope with life outside the hospital. However, the news that Fred Godfrey had been found floating dead in the River Ouse had been a blessing. They would never have to worry about him coming after them again.

  Sophia’s eyes fluttered and then opened. “I told you not to come every day.”

  “And I told you I would, and I am.”

  “You’re late today then?” She gave a brief smile.

  “Yes, sorry.” Aurora put her bag down on the floor and held Sophia’s hand. The ordeal and aftermath of the attack had drawn them closer, Aurora couldn’t help it. Seeing Sophia battered and bruised, near to death, had forced her to admit that she’d grown to love the woman who’d given birth to her, the one who’d also given her away for a better life. “Now then,” she smiled with forced brightness, “everyone sends their love. Noah will be along this afternoon, while I watch Lily. She’s overdue, or so she thinks, but she’s not entirely sure. She’s ready to burst.”

  “Poor love.”

  “Yes, she’s been bedridden for a week.” Aurora glanced around the pale, stark room, wanting to change the subject. Lily’s never ending pregnancy and size alarmed Aurora. She prayed nightly to a God she didn’t know if she believed in, hoping that if someone was up there watching over her that they’d not let her balloon to the size of Lily.

  “And everyone in the lane is well?”

  “Well, one of the Morrison’s boys, Seth, I think, was nearly run down two days ago by a hansom cab. Luckily a man pushed him out of the way in time. Seth was playing truant from school. We heard Mr Morrison giving him a good thrashing that night.”

  “He deserved it, scaring his parents like that.”

  “Oh, and old Alfie received a letter from a cousin in Canada. He was cock-a-hoop about that and insisted on going into each house and reading the contents to everyone.”

&nbs
p; “How nice of him to share.”

  “He asked me to help him write a letter in reply, because his handwriting is nigh impossible to understand. I’ll do that tomorrow.”

  “You are good.” Sophia smiled. “I bet Dilys wanted to do it, to have her say.”

  Aurora grinned. “Most likely. Now, Mrs Murphy ...” She paused on mentioning Mary Murphy’s name. The woman had been witness to Sophia’s attack and blamed herself for not arriving at the pub sooner. Aurora had learned that Mrs Murphy fought Fred Godfrey off Sophia. She’d hit him repeatedly with whatever she found behind the bar until he’d had enough and run off. But Mary Murphy refused to talk about that day anymore. She’d said all she was going to. For the first time in her life she’d spoken to police, something she believed her late father, a petty criminal, would be turning in his grave over.

  “Aren’t the flowers nice?” Sophia glanced at the delicate wildflowers in a pottery vase on the windowsill. “Noah picked them for me.”

  “He’s a good man.” Aurora nodded. Again the attack had brought change into their lives in the form of Noah Middleton. Aurora had found it difficult to accept his attentions to Sophia at first, but gradually she grew to understand he loved Sophia very much, had secretly done so for a while, until that fateful day when he’d shown everyone exactly how he felt. Since then, he’d visited Sophia every evening after work and on the weekends. A quiet presence amongst their turmoil.

  “Nothing will come of me and Noah, Aurrie, if you don’t want it to,” Sophia said quietly. “You will always come first with me.”

  Aurora rose and went to the window to look out on the busy street below. Naturally, Noah wanted to marry Sophia when she had recovered, and the fact brought Aurora unease, because she’d be alone. Still, she would survive. Leaving home had taught her many things and one of those things was that she was stronger than she ever knew. She turned back to Sophia. “I will never stand in your way of finding happiness.”

  “I have happiness with you. I don’t need a man.”

  “I know, but he loves you and he is a good person.”

  Sophia plucked at the sheet folded neatly over her waist. “That is true. And perhaps one day you may find that living with me isn’t what you want anymore, and leave, so at least I would have Noah.”

  “This isn’t about me leaving you, but about you marrying a good man.” She sat on the chair and sighed. “Never mind that now. I want you to think about getting out of here and coming home.”

  A spasm crossed Sophia’s face. “Of course.”

  “What is it?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “You do want to come home?”

  “Well, yes…”

  “But?”

  “I suppose I’m frightened.”

  Aurora took her hand and squeezed in reassurance. “There’s no need to be. Godfrey is dead.”

  “It’s not him, but everyone and everything else. I don’t know if I can pick up the pieces again. I’m responsible for Big Eddie dying ... Mrs Flannigan getting hurt and losing her job. It’s all such a mess ...”

  “Godfrey is the one to blame, not you. You aren’t responsible for another person’s actions.”

  Sophia turned her face away. “I feel cheated.”

  “Why?”

  “When Fred knocked me out, he robbed me of the chance to fight back. I remember very little of the attack, of what he did to me.” Sophia glanced back to stare at her. “I can’t even find the strength of will to be really angry at him because I wasn’t truly aware of what he did.”

  “But the doctor told you. You bear the injuries.”

  “I see the bruises, feel the aches, but I can’t picture his face or the scene in the bar room. I am empty when I should be full of hate.”

  “In time you’ll feel better. I’m certain of it.” Aurora tried to inject hope into her voice. She was in out of her depth with this. She didn’t know what to say or do to help Sophia.

  “And Noah. What do I do about him?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “It’s all very well us talking about me marrying him, but will he actually want to…to…touch me after Fred did what he did. Will I want him to?”

  “Noah loves you. He wants to take care of you. How can you think him to be so shallow and weak that he would force you to do something you were comfortable doing?”

  “Yes, of course. You are right.” Sophia sighed.

  “All will be well, I promise. We’ll get over this. Together. You trust me about that, don’t you?”

  Nodding, Sophia wiped at the tear which fell over her lashes. “Forgive me. I’m not usually weepy.”

  “You have every right to be.” Aurora again squeezed her hand affectionately.

  “Can I ask you about something?”

  “Absolutely.” Aurora bent down and opened the bag to take out her knitting. She’d been creating a pile of small clothes for the baby. She sat back and rested the knitting on her small mounded stomach. “What do you wish to know?”

  “Eddie’s funeral … The inquest is over now.”

  Taking a deep breath, she laid her knitting on her lap. “How did you know about that?”

  “Dilys told me. She visited me yesterday evening after leaving court.”

  Fuming, Aurora would be hard pushed not to give Dilys a piece of her mind for worrying Sophia about it all. “The inquest finished yesterday and Godfrey was found guilty.”

  “Yes, Dilys said. So Big Eddie ...” What color Sophia had drained from her face. “His funeral?”

  “His aunt gave him a very nice burial this morning. We all went.”

  “That’s why you’re late.”

  “Yes.”

  “I would like to send her a note, but I don’t know what to say.”

  Aurora nodded. “When you’re home we could write it together, yes?”

  Sophia continually smoothed the folded sheet over her. “Yes. And Mrs Flannigan?”

  “She is well. Dilys found out that she’s gone to live with her daughter in Lincolnshire.”

  “One more thing.”

  “Yes?” Aurora raised her eyebrows in anticipation, hoping the question wouldn’t be too hard.

  “What have the neighbors said about you?” Sophia’s gaze dropped to Aurora’s stomach, which she could no longer hide very well.

  “They don’t know, not yet. The cool change in weather has been helpful for that. I’ve been wearing my coat. No one has seen me without it and I keep the doors locked, preventing the likes of Dilys from barging in unannounced. However, for all that, I managed to buy one of those ready-made skirts when I went into town. I got a larger sized waist.”

  “We can’t keep up the pretence forever.”

  “I know. I’ll deal with that when it happens. Now, I want to tell you that I’ve been to some of the land agents, to see if anyone knows of a cottage.”

  Sophia’s eyes brightened and she stopped smoothing the sheet. “You have? But do we have the money?”

  “Well, one fellow I was talking to said the further away we go from the city the less expensive it is.”

  “I see.”

  “But do you want to live in some isolated spot?” Aurora was doubtful either of them could live in the middle of nowhere on some bleak wind-swept moor.

  “I don’t know…” Sophia folded her hands over the top of the gray blanket. “Although I do like the thought of being away from people.”

  “We need to be close enough to a town to find some work though.”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “I’ll visit some more agents tomorrow. I don’t think it will be an easy task finding our cottage, but I won’t give up.”

  “I need to be home, Aurrie.” Sophia thrust the bedcovers aside and went to swing her legs out. “I’ve been here long enough.”

  “Wait. The doctor—”

  “He can’t keep me here. I’m better, much better. I need to go home. You mustn’t be alone anymore. I’ve been selfish, wallowing in se
lf-pity. How disgusting.”

  “Stay right where you are.” Aurora grabbed her arm and made her stay in the bed. “Let me find the doctor and we’ll talk to him. Yes?”

  Sophia held her stare. “I need to be home, Aurrie, with you, and planning for our future.”

  Standing, Aurora gave her a warm smile. “I’ll find the doctor.”

  Within two hours, Sophia was ensconced in her bedroom in number nine. The doctor had allowed her to go home and he’d call in daily for another week. Aurora used the money from the pouch to pay his bill and then hired a hansom to take them home. It seemed the entire lane had turned out to welcome Sophia’s return, even Lily had left her bed to see them. Aurora struggled to keep the women out of the house, but Lily said no one would rest until they’d come in and had a little chat with the patient.

  Aurora gave them just a few minutes before herding them downstairs with the promise they could call in again tomorrow. Yet, they continued to knock on the front door for the next hour with offers of tureens of soup, a loaf of bread, old Alfie brought over his newspaper for Sophia to read, Dilys took in their washing and Anthony filled their buckets with water to save Aurora the trip to the tap in the morning. Despite them driving her nearly crazy sometimes with their fussing and inquisitiveness, she was grateful for their kindness and generosity.

  The sun was slowly descending over the rooftops, casting the lane into golden shadows before their friends finally left them alone. Aurora was adding more coal to the sitting room fire when Sophia gingerly walked over to the sofa. “What are you doing up? Get back to bed. How did you get down the stairs?” She fussed around her, arranging a blanket over her knees.

  “I took my time and managed it fine.” Sophia smiled, though tiredness was etched around her eyes. “I couldn’t lie down for another minute. I’ve been doing it for weeks. I wanted to talk to you.”

  “I could have come up.” Aurora stood hands on hips, annoyed with her taking such a risk. After nearly loosing Sophia because of that madman Godfrey, she was deeply aware of how much she’d grown to care for her. Sophia was all she had in the world. She looked at her now, sitting on the sofa staring into the fire and couldn’t imagine not having Sophia in her life. Sometimes she believed she had dreamt her other life, that all those other people had simply been made up by her imagination.