Grace quickly explained where she was staying with her aunt and he smiled. ‘It seems you may be here for longer than you intended with the snow. I do hope we see you again.’
‘Oh, you will,’ Grace assured him as he walked away with his black cassock swaying about his long legs.
‘That’s Father Luke,’ Angharad informed her. ‘He’ll be taking the place of Father Michael when he fully retires in the summer. But now I really must get on. Goodbye, Grace.’
The young woman rushed after the other postulants with her white veil making her almost invisible in the snow, and alone in the chapel Grace let the peace of the place wash over her. It was then that it came to her. One day I shall be a nun, she vowed, then buttoning her coat she headed for the woods. She didn’t want to be late for lunch.
Chapter Twenty-Two
December 1908
‘Happy birthday, darling. I can’t believe my baby is sixteen and all grown up now.’ Madeline squeezed Grace’s arm as her daughter tucked the blankets on her bed more tightly about her. Although she smiled at her daughter, Madeline’s heart was heavy. Grace should be out and about enjoying herself but instead, after leaving school at fourteen, she had become her mother’s full-time carer, only leaving the house to shop when it was absolutely necessary and to attend church.
Madeline lifted her arm and pointed to a small box on her dressing table. ‘There’s something on there I want you to have,’ she said weakly and frowning Grace went to fetch it.
‘Open it,’ Madeline insisted and when Grace did she gasped.
‘But I can’t accept this,’ she whispered as she stared down at the shining hoop of emeralds and diamonds. ‘This was your mother’s engagement ring and I know how much you treasure it.’
Madeline smiled sadly. ‘I’m hardly likely to wear it again, am I?’
‘Don’t say that.’ Grace felt tears at the back of her eyes. Over the last year she had watched her mother fading away before her very eyes. ‘You will wear it again when you’re better.’
‘Oh, my beautiful girl.’ Madeline took her hand and stroked it gently. ‘I think we both know that isn’t going to happen now.’
Grace made to turn away. She didn’t want to hear this but Madeline gripped her hand. ‘Please listen,’ she implored. ‘I don’t have long left now, darling, and I’m worried about what will become of you when I’m gone.’ As she said this, the sound of her husband’s rowdy visitors, drinking and laughing in the drawing room below, drifted up to them and Madeline shook her head. It was an all too regular occurrence now and she didn’t like the type of men her husband was associating with at all.
‘You’re not going anywhere. Not for a long time,’ Grace insisted, yet even as the words left her lips she feared they were a lie. Madeline’s lips were blue all the time now. Even the tablets the doctor left for her didn’t seem to do her any good anymore.
‘If … no, when anything happens to me, I want you to go and live with Aunt Gertie,’ Madeline said.
‘But what would happen to Father here all alone?’ Grace said, shocked.
‘He would hardly be alone, would he? He has a house full of friends for half the time now and Mrs Batley and Mabel are here to take care of him. You must do this for me, Grace. I can’t bear to think of you here pandering to his whims and growing into an old maid. You’re young with your whole life ahead of you and I want you to live it; to do the things I never did and enjoy yourself.’
‘But I do enjoy myself.’ Grace smiled. ‘I’m quite happy staying in with you and reading and I love helping Mrs Lockett with the Sunday school children each week.’
Madeline sighed as she stared at the daughter she loved more than her own life. ‘There is so much more to life than that, my love.’ She traced a finger gently across Grace’s smooth cheek. ‘One day you will meet a young man and fall in love and then you’ll begin your own family.’
‘I won’t!’ Grace’s chin came up. ‘I don’t think I’ll ever want to get married. Some of the girls I went to school with are married already, some are having babies but that’s not what I want.’
Grace had observed her parents’ marriage and already she knew that this was not something she would want. Theirs was a very strange relationship, from what Grace could make of it. They lived together and yet they lived apart and neither of them seemed keen on spending any time together. No, she decided, she would rather live the life of an old maid than be treated as her mother had been. Thinking back, she couldn’t remember a single time when her father had shown her even an ounce of affection. It didn’t appear to bother Madeline. Truthfully, Grace suspected her mother was happiest when her father was away, which he was every single weekend now and sometimes for the odd night in the week too. She still questioned him occasionally about where he went but all he would tell her was that he visited a club and the friends he brought home with him were also members. Grace dreaded to think what type of a club it might be, for his friends were anything but gentlemen. They were crude and raucous and while they were there she did her very best to keep out of their way, even if it meant spending a lot of time in her room alone.
Now, seeing that her mother was growing tired, Grace drew the curtains. ‘I’ll let you rest for an hour then I’ll bring you a nice tray of afternoon tea.’ She kissed her brow and left the room quietly only to almost collide with one of her father’s guests as she stepped out onto the landing.
‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ she apologised. ‘I didn’t see you there.’
As he leered at her she smelled the alcohol on his breath. Her father was at work and his visitors were clearly taking full advantage of the fact, helping themselves to his finest whisky and cigars.
‘Don’t you be apologisin’ to me, likkle lady,’ he slurred, and if Grace hadn’t found him so repulsive she might have found him amusing. He could barely stand straight let alone string a sensible sentence together.
‘If you’ll excuse me, I have things to do,’ she said quietly, making to step past him, but he clearly had other ideas.
‘Now don’t be in such a rush,’ he breathed as he placed his hand against the wall to stop her progress. ‘Jacob said he ’ad a likkle daughter but I never reckoned yer’d be sho pretty. Why don’t you come along to my room so we can shpend a likkle time together, eh?’
Grace was beginning to panic. ‘I really don’t think that would be such a good id—’
‘Ah, Miss Grace, here yer are, I’ve been lookin’ fer you.’
Grace glanced up and saw Mabel striding towards them with her lips set in a straight line and she could have cried with relief. She was glaring at the man and he seemed to shrivel before her very eyes.
‘I, er … I’ll get down to me friend, then,’ he muttered and scuttled away like a frightened rabbit.
‘Scum!’ Mabel spat, not really caring if he heard her as she watched his retreating back. ‘Was he giving you a hard time, pet?’
‘Oh, I just think he’s drunk and doesn’t really know what he’s doing.’ Despite her brave words Grace was quaking inside and she wondered what might have happened if Mabel hadn’t come along when she did.
‘I was just takin’ these clean nightclothes into your mam’s room,’ Mabel told her, then lowering her voice she hissed, ‘Try an’ keep out o’ their way as much as yer can, pet.’
Grace nodded and hurried to her room, locking the door behind her. It seemed that she wasn’t safe in her own home anymore but thankfully, after telling her father that she was sometimes nervous of his visitors, he had finally relented and let Harry fix a lock to her door.
Mabel meantime entered Madeline’s room to find her sitting up in bed staring anxiously at the door. ‘I heard a bit of a commotion outside on the landing,’ she told her worriedly.
‘Oh, it’s nothing to fret about.’ The last thing Mabel wanted to do was upset her mistress. The way she saw it the woman had enough to worry about what with the way her husband was carrying on. But Madeline was not going to be put off so easil
y.
‘I heard one of Jacob’s guests,’ she said persistently. ‘Who was he talking to? He sounded as if he was drunk.’
Mabel sighed as she tucked her mistress’s clean washing away in the drawers. ‘He just had a little spat with Miss Grace,’ she admitted reluctantly and Madeline began to chew on her lip.
‘I wish I could get her away from here,’ she confided. ‘I don’t like the people Jacob is inviting into our home and I’m afraid that one of them will hurt Grace.’ She had never forgotten Charlie Biggs. After Jacob had helped the police with their enquiries following his death, they had recorded a verdict of murder. But they had never apprehended the murderer and Madeline had her own thoughts on that score. Deep down she wondered if Jacob didn’t know more about it than he was letting on.
‘There ain’t much chance o’ that happenin’ wi’ me about,’ Mabel said stoutly. ‘Yer needn’t worry, I keep me eyes peeled.’
‘I appreciate that but even so I feel she’s at risk.’ Madeline lay back against her pillows. ‘I think I might suggest that Grace goes to stay with Aunt Gertie for a while. She’d like that.’
‘There wouldn’t be any point, she’d never leave you,’ Mabel sensibly pointed out.
Madeline sighed. ‘I suppose you’re right but I’ve just got this bad feeling that something is going to happen and I can’t seem to shake it.’
Mabel smiled sympathetically before going about her business.
The next evening, Jacob’s visitors all went off to the pub after supper and Jacob retired to his study with a bottle of whisky. It was quite late when Grace, who had been in bed for some time, became aware of the door creaking open allowing the light from the landing to flood into her room.
‘Father!’
He was standing in the doorway with a silly smile on his face and even from the bed she could smell the whisky. She cursed herself silently then for forgetting to lock her bedroom door.
‘What do you want?’ She hopped out of bed and went to stand by the dressing table, wrapping her arms protectively about her chest.
‘Jush a little cuddle from my favourite girl.’ He was advancing on her, arms outstretched and she began to panic.
Before she could object further he had clutched her to him and as his slobbery lips sought hers she began to struggle and scream. She could feel his hands roving up and down her back then suddenly her mother was there too.
‘Get away from her.’ Madeline rushed forward and seconds later Grace watched the judge’s heavy body topple to the floor.
Mabel rushed in and came to a skidding halt as she took in the scene before her.
‘What the hell …’ Mabel stared aghast from the judge’s prostrate form to Madeline who was clutching Grace protectively to her with one hand while she gripped a bloody, heavy brass candlestick with the other. Both women seemed to be in shock.
‘He … he was going to hurt her,’ Madeline keened, on the verge of hysteria.
Mabel took control of the situation instantly and dropped to her knees. There was blood gushing from a gash on the judge’s head and his breathing was ragged.
‘Get into bed, Grace,’ she ordered and the girl did as she was told. Her eyes were glassy and she was clearly in shock as she cowered beneath the bedclothes.
‘Now you help me get the master into his own room,’ she ordered Madeline. ‘You take his legs an’ I’ll take his arms.’
But Madeline was trembling uncontrollably and couldn’t move.
‘Now!’ Mabel snapped. The judge had taken a rare old wallop from what she could see but from where she was standing he’d got no more than he deserved. It was up to her now to protect the mistress and Grace.
Madeline sprang forward and with every last ounce of strength she had, she somehow managed to help Mabel lug the man’s limp body along the landing and into his own room. Once he was on the bed, Mabel told her mistress, ‘You get back to bed now. I’ll see to the rest and not a word to anyone about what’s happened mind!’
‘But …’
‘Just do as I say,’ Mabel said bossily as she began to strip the bloodstained clothes from Jacob’s body. ‘When anyone asks what’s happened we’ll say we found him on the floor like this. He must have tumbled and banged his head. Now go!’
On legs that suddenly felt as if they had turned to jelly, Madeline stumbled from the room with her hand about her throat, feeling as if she was caught in the grip of a nightmare.
Once she was gone, Mabel washed the master and somehow got him into his nightshirt and under the bedclothes. She then scurried back to Grace’s room and scrubbed the candlestick and every bit of evidence that could point to him ever having been there.
‘You mustn’t tell anyone that your father was in your room tonight,’ she warned Grace but the girl was so shocked that Mabel wasn’t even sure that she had heard her.
‘I’m afraid he has had a seizure.’ Dr Busby snapped the lock on his black bag and turned to Madeline with a grave expression on his face. He motioned towards the door.
Once they were out on the landing he stared questioningly at Madeline. ‘Can you explain the gash and the bruise on his forehead and the large bruise on his chest?’
Leaning heavily on Mabel’s arm, Madeline looked back at him nervously. ‘It must have happened when he had the seizure,’ she answered, licking her dry lips. ‘Mabel found him on the floor of his room when he didn’t get up for work this morning and she went to wake him. He must have fallen and cracked his head and his chest on the dressing table or something. She and Harry managed to get him into bed and I sent for you. But will he recover?’
He shook his head. ‘It’s far too soon to tell at present. But his condition is critical. He’s too ill to even consider moving him to the hospital. Can you cope with nursing him here?’
‘Yes, we can.’ It was Mabel who nodded.
‘Good, then for now all you can do is keep him as comfortable as possible and he must be kept quiet.’
Again, Mabel nodded as the doctor made to leave, saying, ‘I shall call in again this evening after my surgery, but should you need me before then don’t hesitate to contact me.’
As he clattered down the stairs, Madeline sagged against the wall.
‘Come on, you look awful yourself. Let’s get you back to your room and I’ll fetch you a tray of tea,’ Mabel said kindly, taking her arm.
But Madeline shook her head and drawing on every ounce of strength she had she pointed towards the stairs. ‘No, will you help me downstairs, dear? There are things that I must do. Things that I should have done long ago. Where are Jacob’s guests?’
‘In the dinin’ room fillin’ their faces as usual,’ Mabel said scathingly as she gently helped her mistress negotiate the stairs.
Outside the dining room, Madeline released her arm and drew herself up to her full height, straightened her skirt and took a deep breath before marching purposefully into the room.
The three men seated at the table all looked towards her, and with her face set, she told them, ‘As soon as you have finished your meal I would like you all to pack your bags and leave immediately. Do not ever darken my door again!’
Mabel’s mouth dropped open.
‘What do you mean … leave?’ one of the men said indignantly as he swiped a greasy hand down his waistcoat. There was egg yolk dripping in his beard and Madeline was repulsed at the sight of him, of all of them, in fact; they had less manners than pigs.
‘It were Jacob invited us here an’ we’ll leave when he tells us to.’
‘You will leave now,’ Madeline said with authority. ‘My husband, as you are probably all aware, is very ill and unlikely to recover for some time. In his absence I am requesting that you get out right now. Otherwise I shall have no choice but to bring the police in to have you evicted from my home. You have twenty minutes!’
The men glared at her but didn’t argue and Madeline swept out of the room.
‘Phew, yer were brilliant in there,’ Mabel said admiringl
y. ‘Do yer reckon they’ll go?’
‘Oh, they’ll go all right,’ Madeline said decisively. ‘Otherwise I shall have Harry physically throw them out. Now I am going into the drawing room to watch the time. Would you see that they don’t take anything that doesn’t belong to them? I wouldn’t trust them as far as I could throw them.’
‘With pleasure!’ Mabel was enjoying herself now and heading off to the men’s rooms she began to stuff their belongings into their bags, which she tossed down the stairs where the men found them when they left the dining room.
‘Jacob ain’t going to be none too pleased when he hears how you’ve treated us when he gets better,’ one of the men, a fat greasy little chap with rotting teeth, informed her indignantly.
Madeline eyed him calmly as Mabel held the front door open and Harry stood by in case there was any trouble. Madeline didn’t even bother to reply, she just watched as the men trailed out before Mabel closed the door resoundingly behind them.
‘Good riddance to bad rubbish!’ Mabel declared with satisfaction as she rubbed her hands together. Then side by side they went back upstairs to Jacob’s room.
They found him awake and he glared at them. The left side of his face had dropped, making his features look quite grotesque, and the whole of the left side of his body appeared to be paralysed. But his eyes were burning with malice.
‘Your visitors have left and I hope we never see them again,’ Madeline told him coldly.
He grunted with effort as he tried to speak but all that came out was an unintelligible growl. Dribble was running down his chin and for the merest second Madeline felt pity for him but then it was gone. ‘I shall be hiring a nurse to tend you, I’m quite sure you can afford it. Mabel and Mrs Batley already have more than enough to do. I shall also ensure that you are never alone with Grace again, you are despicable!’
Pain flashed in his eyes but she was beyond caring. Her respect for her husband had died a long time ago but at last she was in control and for now at least he could no longer hurt her … or Grace.
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