Whispers (44 page)

‘There’s more to looking after a man than putting his meals on the table and keeping a clean house,’ the Master told her now with a strange glint in his eye, and terror suddenly ripped through Martha as she realised his intentions. He had taken Grace down before her wedding to Bertie, and now he intended to do the same to her – and she knew that she would not be able to bear it. She turned in such haste that she tripped on her skirt and the lamp she was holding crashed to the floor. Oblivious to the mess, she struggled to her feet and began to run, but she had not even reached the door when his arm suddenly came about her waist from behind, and he flipped her onto her back. Then like a wild animal, he began to tear at her skirts and the buttons on her blouse as she struggled against him. At last she was able to catch her breath again and began to scream at the top of her lungs.

Somehow he had managed to undo his trousers and now they flapped about his ankles as he positioned himself above her, panting, ‘’Tis my right to break in any virgin that works for me before she goes to her husband. This is what you must expect, once you are married. Lie still and you might even enjoy it!’

‘NO!’
Martha howled as she tried to tear at his face with her fingernails, but her strength was no match for his, and suddenly a pain the like of which she had never imagined tore through her as he entered her roughly. Martha felt as if she was caught in the grip of a nightmare as he bucked above her, and she continued to sob. The pain seemed to go on for ever but then the Master suddenly let out a deep groan and dropped his full weight on her as she felt something sticky and hot between her legs.

Just then, the door was suddenly thrown wide open and Bertie stood there. He took in the situation at a glance and before Martha had time to realise what was happening, he had covered the distance between them and the Master’s weight was suddenly shifted off her. Cringing with shame and embarrassment, Martha tried to cover her nakedness but Bertie had eyes only for the Master.

‘You dirty stinkin’
bastard
!’ he roared, shaking the Master like a dog
might
shake a rabbit. ‘You’ll not take any more young lasses down after I’ve finished wi’ yer. Enough is enough.’ He then proceeded to flay the Master as Martha looked on helplessly, shaking with terror.

By now, Phoebe also appeared in the open doorway, one hand flying to her mouth as she made the sign of the cross on her chest with the other.

‘Bertie, fer God’s sake stop! You’ll kill ’im.’ She tried to pull Bertie away from the Master but the young man was beyond reason now and his clenched fists and feet continued to slam into him.

After what seemed like an eternity, as Phoebe added her screams to Martha’s, the Master went limp and collapsed in a pool of blood as Bertie stood looking down on him. It was then that Granny appeared with a thin shawl wrapped about her nightdress. She had heard all the commotion even up in the servants’ quarters and had somehow found the strength to come and see what was happening.

Leaning heavily against the doorframe with her breath coming in shuddering gasps, her gaze settled on Martha, and the light went out of her eyes

‘Oh no, not you too, lass,’ she whimpered, and then she too collapsed as Martha began to rock to and fro, weeping hysterically.

‘I shall have to send Hal fer the doctor,’ Phoebe said, distraught, and she sped from the room.

Both Granny and the Master appeared to be dead, Martha thought numbly, and what would become of poor Bertie now?

Somehow she managed to haul herself to her feet, and Bertie lifted Granny into his arms as if she weighed no more than a feather and carried her back to her bed. Martha followed, unwilling to be left alone with the Master.

The doctor arrived almost an hour later, and shook his head gravely as he examined the Master. ‘He’s in a bad way,’ he informed them, then to Hal, ‘Get the horse and carriage ready, would you, Hal? We need to get him into hospital. He may have internal bleeding. I’m afraid we shall need to fetch the Constable, too. Perhaps young Jimmy would go for him?’

Within no time at all Hal had the carriage at the front door and he and the doctor lifted the Master into the carriage and set off for the hospital. Shortly after they had gone the Constable arrived and started to question Bertie and Martha.

‘So what started all this then?’ The man really had no need to ask as he looked at the state of Martha’s clothing, but rules had to be followed.

‘The Master . . . he . . .’ Martha broke into a fresh torrent of sobbing. ‘He called me in here an’ he . . .’

Phoebe hugged her protectively as the girl squirmed with humiliation in her arms.

‘Ain’t it more than clear what ’appened?’ she snapped. ‘The Master raped the girl, an’ when Bertie ’eard her screams he ran in here to ’elp her.’

‘Aye, it were me as battered him,’ Bertie admitted now. ‘An’ I’d do the same again, given ’alf a chance, so don’t expect no apologies from me, man! The dirty swine got no more than was comin’ to ’im an’ I just wish I’d done it sooner. He took me own wife down afore we were wed an’ left her wi’ a bellyful, an’ if I’d done it then I could have saved Martha from havin’ to go through the same thing. He’s a sick, rotten bastard, an’ I hope he dies a slow painful death, so I do!’

‘Aw Bertie, man.’ There was a measure of sympathy in the Constable’s voice, for Bertie was a well-respected member of the community, but even so he was there to enforce the law. ‘You know I’m goin’ to have to take you in fer this, don’t you? An’ if the Master should die . . . Well, you’ll be up for murder an’ you could well face the noose.’

‘
No!
’ Martha whispered, appalled. The nightmare seemed set to continue and it was so unfair.

The Constable said to her, ‘I’m right sorry for what’s happened, miss. Would you like me to send the doctor back to look you over once he’s got the Master to hospital?’

When Martha shook her head he nodded and strode from the room and she watched helplessly as Bertie was taken away.

‘It’s wrong,’ she sobbed into Phoebe’s shoulder. ‘Bertie was only tryin’ to help me. An’ what if the Master has planted his seed in me?’ The very thought of that was terrifying.

‘Let’s face each problem as we come to it, eh, pet?’ Phoebe soothed. ‘Fer now we need to go an’ check on yer granny. She’s had a terrible shock, an’ in her state o’ health it ain’t goin’ to do her no good at all. Then we’ll get you cleaned up again.’ She led Martha from the room by the hand as if she was a small child and as Martha limped along with her, she felt as if her whole world was crashing about her ears.

18 February

Word has reached us that the Master is rallying round. He has three broken ribs and is covered in cuts and bruises, but the doctor brought word that he will live. Even so, Bertie will face a long
prison
sentence for inflicting his injuries and I cannot help but feel it is all my fault. Jimmy has called twice, but each time I have made an excuse not to see him . . .

‘Young Jimmy’s downstairs again. Won’t yer just come an’ have a quick word wi’ him? The poor lad is worried sick,’ Phoebe told Martha, who was sitting at the side of her granny’s bed gripping her frail hand. She had scarcely moved from there since the night of the incident.

‘No – I don’t want to see him,’ Martha said flatly, never once taking her eyes from her granny’s face. The doctor had gravely informed them that the old woman was slipping away. It was only a matter of time now.

Martha was still dressed in the same clothes she had been wearing when the Master raped her, and she had neither eaten nor drunk since that night. Now she looked almost as ill as the old woman did. Sighing heavily, Phoebe bunched her skirts into her hand and quietly left the room.

Alone with her own thoughts, Martha’s mind raced. How could she ever face Jimmy again? She felt used and dirty, and knew that she would never feel clean again. It would be as well if she cancelled the wedding.

Her eyes strayed back to her beloved granny’s face and the tears began to rain down her cheeks. Granny’s every breath was laboured now and her passing would be almost a blessing. Martha could only pray that when it came, it would be peaceful.

20 February

I am all alone in the world now. Granny passed away during the night . . .

‘Aw lass, I’m so sorry,’ Phoebe murmured as Martha pulled the sheet across her granny’s face. Strangely enough, a lot of the pain had gone from the old lady’s face now, and Martha could see that she was finally at peace.

‘Come on, it’s time you got something inside you. I’ll come back and lay her out later.’ Phoebe gently took Martha’s elbow and led her towards the stairs, and it was as they were descending them that Martha asked, ‘What time is Bertie in front of the magistrates?’

‘Any time now,’ Phoebe answered with a glance towards the clock. ‘But don’t fret. Hal is there an’ he’ll be back to tell us what’s gone on.
At
least the Master ain’t died.’ She then helped Martha to wash and change her clothes, brushing her hair for her and watching over her as she ate her soup and a small slice of apple pie.

It was almost two hours later when Hal did arrive home and they knew instantly by the stoop of his shoulders that he was not bringing good news.

‘He got eight years’ hard labour fer assault,’ he informed them as he sank down wearily onto a chair at the side of the table.

Martha’s hand flew to her mouth.
Eight years’ hard labour
. Poor Bertie, and all because he had tried to help her. Martha was truly alone now, apart from Jimmy, and she now knew what she must do in that direction.

That evening, when a tap came on the kitchen door, Phoebe answered it to find Jimmy standing there again.

She had no need to say anything, for Martha instantly rose from her place by the fire, picked up her shawl and joined Jimmy in the courtyard.

As soon as they were alone, he grabbed her hand and shook it up and down, his face full of distress. ‘Aw
lass
,’ he gabbled. ‘Why wouldn’t yer see me afore? I’ve been out o’ me mind wi’ worry about yer.’

Martha looked at him sorrowfully as she slowly extricated her hand from his.

‘I’m sorry about that, Jimmy, but what wi’ Granny an’ everythin’ . . .’

‘It’s all right. I understand, an’ I can’t tell yer how bad I feel about what’s happened. I should have set the weddin’ fer sooner. In fact, I still can. I’ll go an’ see the parson this very night an’ tell him—’

‘There’ll be no weddin’ now,’ Martha interrupted, her voice flat and dull. ‘That’s what I came out here to tell yer.’

‘What do yer mean?’ Jimmy looked shocked.

‘How could I marry any man now?’ Martha looked at him with dead eyes and he saw no trace of the girl he had fallen in love with. ‘I’m soiled goods, Jimmy. Can you understand that? The Master
raped
me.’

‘Aye, I know he did, but that weren’t your fault,’ he choked. ‘It don’t make no difference to how we feel about each other.’

‘Oh, but it does. I saw what the Master did to Grace an’ the way it affected her an’ Bertie, an’ what if I have the Master’s seed growin’ in me?’

‘Then I’ll take the child an’ bring it up as me own.’

‘No, Jimmy.’ Martha spoke firmly. ‘I’ve made me mind up, an’ there’ll be no swayin’ me. It’s over an’ I’ll thank yer kindly not to call on me again.’

And with that she turned and walked back to the house as Jimmy’s dreams turned to ashes.

5 March

The Master returned from the hospital today and within an hour of being home he ordered me into his study to gloat at dear Bertie’s sentence. He told me that from now on, I shall do as he orders or he will tell Miss Melody that the child she has taken as her own is actually
his
child . . .

‘What did he say?’ Phoebe asked fearfully when Martha returned to the kitchen.

‘First of all he wanted to gloat about Bertie’s sentence,’ Martha replied remarkably calmly. ‘Secondly, he told me that from now on I will do as he pleases when he pleases, or it will be the worse for me. He also threatened to tell Miss Melody that the baby is his if I don’t comply with his wishes. As he quite rightly pointed out, I have no one to watch out fer me now.’

Phoebe visibly bristled. ‘Yer still have me an’ Hal – we’ll watch out fer yer, lass. An’ we’re as close to family as you’ll get.’

Martha shook her head. ‘I thank you right kindly, Phoebe, but I think enough people have suffered at the Master’s hand now, don’t you? I wouldn’t want you an’ Hal gettin’ into trouble too.’

‘Just what is that supposed to mean?’ Phoebe was finding Martha’s state of mind highly disturbing. The girl hadn’t shed so much as a tear since her gran had passed away, and she seemed to have grown up overnight. Not that this was surprising after what she had been through. This morning Bill Capener, the local coffinmaker, had delivered a plain pine box for her gran to lie in, but even the task of transferring the dear soul into it hadn’t moved Martha. She might have been handling a stranger for all the emotion she had shown. To Pheobe, it was as if she had no feelings left any more. Sighing heavily, she turned her attentions back to the herbs she was grinding in the pestle and mortar.

It was much later that afternoon when Phoebe had lost track of Martha that her feet guided her to the old woman’s bedroom – and there was the girl standing at the side of the open coffin.

‘Ah, I thought I might find you ’ere,’ Phoebe said gently, moving to stand at Martha’s side.

‘You will see that she’s laid to rest properly, won’t yer?’ Martha suddenly asked, and Phoebe frowned.

‘Well, of course I will! But the parson will be ’ere tomorrow night to make the arrangements fer the service, so you’ll be able to tell him yourself what yer want fer her.’

Martha nodded, and then left the room without another word as Phoebe scratched her head in consternation and watched her go.

It was as Martha was serving the Master his dinner that evening that she smiled at him coquettishly and said, ‘I were wonderin’ if yer might like to take a walk along the river wi’ me tomorrow, sir?’

Jake Fenton was so shocked that he almost choked on his mouthful of potato, but then composing himself he looked at her suspiciously.