Clue (Episode 13 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid))

Continued from Episode 12 - Court

The story so far:  Gwladys and Aefelthrith have started a new life running a pawn shop, formerly owned by 'Anty Marj', having discovered the shop when they attempted to pawn Aefelthrith's ring, and Anty Marj suddently vanished before the deal was completed.  Finding her lifeless body in the Stock Room, Aeflethrith decided this was a sign that they should take over the business.  With Anty Marj safely stowed in an outhouse, Gwladys and Aefelthrith set about managing the pawn shop and all seemed to be going reasonably well, until  Anty Marj's body vanished and an officer of the Watch, appeared.  When the Watch produced a confused Anty Marj, wondering why someone else was in her shop, Gwladys managed to convince her that she had sold the shop to them, palming Aefelthrith's ring into her pocket to demonstrate payment.  A suddenly hugely enriched Anty Marj went away a happy woman and the Watch withdrew, satisfied.  Meanwhile, Gwladys engaged a young urchin, 'Arry, to help clear the back garden of weeds, as a means of giving him a bit of income to support his poorly mother and avoid him either going down the pit or up the chimney, much to Aefelthrith's displeasure.  Next morning, 'Arry set about his task bright and early and all was well, until he produced a skull from his digging.  Gwladys swore him to secrecy and quiickly buried the evidence, which gave them a breathing space, but then Sergeant Argent of the Watch appeared in the shop.  Fortunately, he was not pursuing his enquiries but was, to her extreme shock and horror, pursuing Aefelthrith, who promptly decided to run away before she had to give him an answer but was crestfallen when she realised the Gwladys was not prepared to come with her.  After a heated exchange of views, an uneasy peace was declared over a bowl of stew!:

The following morning, Gwladys was busy washing the pots from the previous night’s stew.  Aefelthrith was about her ablutions, which could take some time, so breakfast was going to be somewhat delayed.  The shop bell rang and a cheerful voice shouted:

“’Ey up, missus!”

“Arry!” Gwladys grinned at the scruffy child, standing in the shop.  “Yer back!  Good to see yer”

“Ta” ‘Arry managed a faint smile, “D’yer still need me to clear the back garden?”

“We certainly do” Gwladys nodded, “Yer can mek a start at t’other end from where yer were before”

“Oh, right” ‘Arry looked relieved that he still had a job, “’Ow about the erm, the other thing?” ‘Arry nodded in the vague direction of the grave he had uncovered.

“I’ve covered it back up” Gwladys reassured him, “Just ‘til we can find out a bit more.”

Gwladys led ‘Arry through the kitchen and out into the garden or, more accurately, wilderness.

“’Ere, didjer ask yer mam if she knew owt about the shop?”

“Yeah, she didner know much” ‘Arry shook his head, as he went to fetch the tools from the outhouse, “She reckons it’s allus been a shop of some sort, right back to when she were a lass ‘erself”

“Oh, not a church with a graveyard then, or owt like that?” Gwladys looked crestfallen.

“Nah, allus a shop”

“Yer didner tell yer mam what we found, didjer?”

“Nah, ‘course not!” ‘Arry looked deeply offended.

“Sorry, yeah, ‘course” Gwladys nodded, “only, I dunner want folk gettin’ the wrong end of the stick, yer know?”

“I wouldner say nowt, missus” ‘Arry pouted.

“Aye, I know” Gwladys patted him on the head, “you make a start an’ there’ll be some breakfast for yer in a bit”

‘Arry went off to the farthest reaches of the ‘garden’, whistling cheerfully.  Gwladys bustled back into the kitchen, to find Aeflethrith, yawning and stretching.

“Made a start to the day, ‘ave we?” Gwladys looked at her, pointedly.

“I came down to see what that infernal din was coming from the back garden” Aefelthrith grumbled.

“It’s ‘Arry, ‘e’s ‘avin another go at the garden”

“Oh, your protégé is back, is he?”

“Yeah, I told ‘im to come back today, an’ ‘e ‘as” Gwladys looked at Aefelthrith, defiantly.

“Has he found anything out about our…situation” Aefelthrith seated herself at the kitchen table.

“Nowt ‘elpful” Gwladys set about drying last night’s dinner things, “’is mam says it’s never been nowt but a shop, as far as she remembers”

“Oh, so no reason to suppose there’s an innocent explanation for…it”  Aefelthrith looked all about, as if expecting the Watch to burst out of one of the cupboards.

“Dunner mean that there isn’t one” Gwladys shrugged, “’is mam can’t be any great age, can she?  It could ‘ave been anythin’ before ‘er time”

“Hmm” Aefelthrith looked unconvinced.

“Now, are yer ‘avin’ breakfast or what?”

“I think I might manage a lightly boiled egg”

“Do yer now?” Gwladys scowled at her, “Well, I’ve made porridge, so yer can like it, lump it, or boil yer own egg, allus providin’ yer go out an’ get one”

“Porridge, really?” Aefelthrith looked pained.

“Yep, yer want some or what?”

“I suppose I could manage a little” Aefelthrith conceded.

“Good!” Gwladys went over to the porridge pot and gave it a vigorous stir, before slapping a ladleful onto three dishes.  She then went over to the kitchen door and yelled, “’ARRY!”

“Oh no, is that child dining with us?”

“Yep, on account of ‘ow I’ll bet ‘e ain’t ‘ad no breakfast, an’ prob’ly never ‘ad no dinner last night, an’ all” Gwladys plonked a bowl in front of Aefelthrith, put another at the end of the table and seated herself with the last bowl.  ‘Arry edged in from the garden.

“’Ere yer are, lad, sit yersen down” Gwladys nodded to the bowl at the end of the table.

“Coo, ta missus” ‘Arry removed his cap, sat down and launched himself into the porridge.

“’Arry, my, erm, colleague, tells me that you have enquired about the provenance of this building” Aefelthrith suggested.

“Yer what?” ‘Arry, between mouthfuls, looked perplexed.

“Now then, show some respect!” Gwladys chided, “The lady was sayin’ yer were askin’ yer mam about this place”

“Sorry miss” ‘Arry looked suitably admonished, “Yeah, I asked ‘er but it’s never been nowt but a shop”

“I see” Aefelthrith sniffed.  ‘Arry looked from one to the other and felt that he ought to add something.

“She remembers Anty Marj comin’ ‘ere” He offered.

“She does?” Aefelthrith raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, it wunner a pawn shop then, though” ‘Arry was diligently removing any last traces of porridge from his bowl.

“What was it?” Gwladys asked.

“Dunno, me mam never said” ‘Arry shrugged and looked hopefully into his empty bowl.

“Give it ‘ere, there’s some more on the stove” Gwladys chuckled and went to refill his bowl.

“Any other nuggets to add?” Aefelthrith frowned at him.

“Nah, dunner think so” ‘Arry shook his head and pounced on the refilled bowl that was set before him.  “Oh, ‘ang on, yeah, there was summat else”

“And what might that be?”

“She wunner alone, not when she first started.  There were another woman with ‘er.  Me mam thought it were ‘er sister”

“A sister?” Gwladys looked meaningfully at Aefelthrith.

“Ar” ‘Arry nodded, between rapid mouthfuls, “name of…erm…Sarah!  But she wunner ‘ere long, just went”

“Went?  Where to?” Aefelthrith asked, sternly.

“Dunno, me mam said she were ‘ere one day and then gone the next”

The breakfast completed, ‘Arry went back to do battle with the garden once more and Gwladys and Aefelthrith cleared the table and washed the pots.

“Do you think…do you think that this ‘Sarah’…might be the person in our garden?” Aefelthrith asked, in a tremulous voice.

“I dunner know” Gwladys busied herself with the pots, “but , yer’ve got to say, it’s bloody funny that she just vanished like that, innit?”

“There’s something else”

“Oh ar, what’s that then?” Gwladys looked at her companion.

“Do you remember, when Anty Marj reappeared with the Watch…”

“Not likely to forget that in a ‘urry!” Gwlaldys grinned.

“If you recall, you told her we were relatives of hers, remember?”

“Werl, yeah, on account of ‘ow we ‘ad to ‘ave some reason for fetchin’ up ‘ere” Gwladys explained.

“Yes, I appreciate that” Aefelthrith snapped, “but do you remember who you said we were related to?”

“Well, yeah, I ‘ad to come up with a name what was common enough an’ I said…”

“Sarah!” They both said in unison.

“And do you remember how Anty Marj reacted?”

“She were shifty, weren’t she?” Gwladys frowned, put a pot back in the water and turned to her colleague, “Hmm…you know this business of you walking out with the Sergeant?”

“Oh no!  Forget it, I am NOT doing it!” Aefelthrith held her hands up, shook her head, violently and backed away.

“We need a bit more information, see if anyone knows what ‘appened to this ‘Sarah’” Gwladys explained, “An’ who better than an Officer of the Watch?”

You can find the previous adventures of Gwladys and Aefelthrith in both Kindle and paperback formats at The Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid (link is external)

Now read Episode 14