Date (Episode 15 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid))

Continued from Episode 14 - Answer

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. The following 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 next day, 'Arry turned up for work and told them that his Mam said the place had always been a shop BUT Anty Marj had originally had a partner, thought to be her sister, whose name was Sarah, and who had disappeared.  Coincidentally, Sarah was the name that Gwladys had told Anty Marj was the name of their shared relative.  With this news, Gwladys tried even harder to persuade Aefelthrith to go out with Sergeant Argent so that they could find out more, to which she eventually agreed but only with the proviso that Gwladys should serve as chaperone:

 

In the kitchen of the Pawn Shop, teatime was fast approaching.  Aefelthrith and Gwladys were seated at the kitchen table, neither speaking and both staring fixedly ahead of them.  Aefelthrith was dressed in her finery and, it had to be said, looked very attractive indeed.  Gwladys, on the other hand, had not changed from her usual drab working clothes and looked positively scruffy by comparison.

Aefelthrith glanced at the clock on the mantlepiece and sighed, deeply.  Gwladys looked over at her companion with, as her mother would have described it, ‘a face like fourpence’.

“I dunner know what yer sighin’ for” She snapped.

“I would have thought it was perfectly obvious!” Aefelthrith snapped back.

“It’s alright fer you, innit?  All yer’ve gotter do is swan around an’ look elegant.  It’s me what’s got to traipse after yer like summat spare at a weddin’”

“Well, at least you will be able to hear the conversation at first-hand” Aefelthrith pointed out.

“Grippin’, I’m sure!” Gwladys sniffed.

“It was you that wished me to interrogate him”

“’terrogate?  I never said nowt about ‘terrogatin’ no-one.  All yer need to do is find out if he knows owt about Anty Marj’s sister, this Sarah person, that’s all”

“Hmph!”

The brooding silence resumed, broken only by the clock chiming ‘six o-clock’ and the shop door-bell simultaneously ringing.

“This will be him” Aefelthrith said, ominously.

“Well, yer best go an’ see ‘im then” Gwladys folded her arms.

“It would be more appropriate for you to greet him, initially, surely?”

“I ain’t yer maid, not no more, you go!”

Aefelthrith glared at her companion but could see that she was not about to change her mind.

“Very well, as you clearly have no idea of how things are properly done in certain social circles” Aefelthrith stood up, abruptly, and swept out into the shop.

Gwladys, still seated and in an evil frame of mind, could hear the ensuing conversation through the curtaining.

“Why, Sergeant you do look…smart”

“Thank you indeed, ma’am” Presumably followed by a bow, “May I be so bold as to say that you look particularly fine this evening, too?”

“You are too kind, Sergeant” Aefelthrith giggled and Gwladys raised her eyebrows to the ceiling.  “You are alone, I see?”

“Ah, well, as far as I can ascertain, ma’am” The pause that followed presumably involved him looking around, “it’s always difficult to tell, with my Constable.  He moves in mysterious ways”

“I had noticed.  I thought it was his accoutrements”

“Ah no, kind of you to say so ma’am but, far as I know, he doesn’t have a problem with them”

Gwladys put her head in her hands and sighed.

“You were to be accompanied by your chaperone, I believe?” The Sergeant added.

“Indeed.  If you are ready, I will call her”

“I am eager to be on our way”

“GLAD!”

Gwladys sighed, deeply, and hauled herself up from the table.  She had a feeling that the next hour or so would pass very slowly indeed.

 

* * * *

 

Aefelthrith would never have admitted it, not even under torture, but she was rather enjoying herself.  It was decidedly pleasant to be the recipient of so many compliments, not to mention the admiring glances from passing gentlemen, as they strolled down the High Street.

“A remarkably fine evening” Sergeant Argent commented, beaming.

“it is certainly remarkably agreeable” Aeflelthrith nodded.

“HURRGHAGH!” Gwladys coughed, violently.

Sergeant Argent stopped, turned and glared at her.

“Are you quite well, madam?  Only that is the fourth time you have coughed in such a spectacular manner”

“’S the night air” Gwladys explained, “gets on me chest” She thumped her chest for good measure.

Aefelthrith turned and frowned but Gwladys ignored her and nodded meaningfully toward the Sergeant.

“Ah yes, you have my sympathies, ma’am” Sergeant Argent nodded, gravely, “Walking the mean streets of this town, as I do, at the dead of night, I too am oft sorely afflicted”

He turned and sauntered on but Aefelthrith stopped and hissed,

“What do you think you are doing?” at Gwladys.

“Tryin’ to get yer to ask a useful question” Gwladys hissed back, “if’n I ‘ear any more about the ruddy weather, I think I’ll tek a shovel to the pair on yer!”

“I have not had chance!” Aefelthrith protested.

“Codswallop!” Gwladys glowered.

“Excuse me, ladies” Sergeant Argent was looking at them with some concern, “is something the matter?”

“No, not at all, Sergeant” Aefelthrith trilled, “Just a little womanly tete-a-tete, don’t you know?”

“Ah, I see” The Sergeant nodded, in what he hoped was a knowing fashion, and resumed his perambulations.

“Tell me, Sergeant, are you familiar with the history of this town?” Aefelthrith ventured.

“Erm, not as much as I would wish, in all honesty” He blushed a little, “You see, I do not hail from here”

“Is that so?” Aefelthrith looked surprised.

“No, I came, originally, from London.  That was where I did my training for this position” He tapped his truncheon, fondly, as he said this.

“Really?  How, then, did you come to be here?”

“Officers of the Watch who have trained and worked in the capital are keenly sought after by provincial towns.” The Sergeant said, proudly, “We are renowned for our professionalism, integrity…”

“Modesty” Gwladys muttered.

The Sergeant stopped, mid-saunter and turned to her.

“What did you say, ma’am?”

“Honesty, I suggested ‘honesty’.  What yer might be renowned for, if yer get me drift?” Gwladys said quickly, thinking on her feet.

“Ah yes, a good and valid point” Sergeant Argent beamed, and resumed his deliberate progress.

“Here,” He gestured expansively, to embrace the town, “I was offered promotion, accommodation and a generous stipend.  An excellent opportunity, I am sure you would agree?”

“My!” Aefelthrith looked impressed and took the opportunity to glare at Gwladys over her shoulder.

“I do, however, know a few things about the town’s history.  Were you aware, for example, that the residents hereabouts are known to each other as ‘Diggers’?”

“I did not” Aefelthrith shook her head, daintily.  “Why would that be?”

“Ah, well, in all honesty, it is not a particularly glorious episode from the town’s past” The Sergeant looked sheepish, “it seems that, many years ago, the King entrusted his war chest of jewels and coinage to a local Duke for safekeeping, during a time of war.  The Duke, and his entourage, were encamped in this town, taking respite from the battles then raging all around.  News then reached the Duke that the enemy were drawing near and his own forces had fled for their lives.  Wishing to avoid capture, and to ensure he could fight another day, he made good his escape but not before placing the war chest in the trusty hands of his devoted servants”

“How exciting!  What followed?”

“Yes, well, this is the less than glorious bit” Sergeant Argent squirmed a little, “the townsfolk, on hearing of the departure of the Duke, fell upon his entourage and killed them, every last one”

“Oh, surely not!” Aefelthrith looked aghast.

“I fear it was so” The Sergeant said, solemnly, “their intention, it would seem, was to gain the war chest and the fortune it contained”

“How greed demeans us all!” Aefelthrith said, piously.

“Indeed, ma’am” The Sergeant nodded, “and the worst of it was, that in their haste to despatch the Duke’s servants, they failed to first find out where they had secreted the war chest.  The suspicion was that it had been buried somewhere in the environs of the town…”

“Ah, hence the term ‘diggers’?” Aefelthrith raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

“Quite so, ma’am.  From then until the present day, any spare bit of ground they find, they dig.  You may have noticed the dilapidated state of some of the buildings?”

“I thought it was just a run-down place”

“Not at all” Sergeant Argent shook his head, and sighed, “it’s simply that the residents have dug up their own floors to such an extent that most of the buildings are only standing upright by virtue of them leaning on each other”

“Any of ‘em fount the treasure, then?” Gwladys asked, innocently.

“I regret not, ma’am” Sergeant Argent turned and said, solemnly, “my fear is that, one good thunderstorm could reduce the place to rubble”

“Go out with a bang, eh?” Gwladys cackled.

“Forgive my colleague” Aefelthrith snapped, “she has a warped sense of humour”

“Yer’d ‘ave to ‘ave, to put up with you” Gwladys stuck her tongue out at Aefelthrith, who turned on her heel and marched on, in a marked manner and with a fixed smile.

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 16