Parting (Episode 29 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid))

Continued from Episode 28 - Steps

The story so far:  Gwladys and Aefelthrith have started a new life, running a pawn shop, formerly owned by 'Anty Marj',   Gwladys engaged a young urchin, 'Arry, to help clear the back garden of weeds.  Unfortunately, his digging produced a skull, about which  Gwladys swore him to secrecy and quiickly buried the evidence, which gave them a breathing space, until 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, romantically.  Meanwhile, 'Arry revealed 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, who had disappeared.   With this news, Gwladys tried  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.  On their 'date', Sergeant Argent regaled Aefelthrith with tales of the town, much to Gwladys's frustration but he knew nothing about the history of the shop, then Constable John confirmed that there had been a 'Sarah' but that she had disappeared.  Eager to show off his skills of detection, Sergeant Argent insisted on mounting an investigation.  The following day, the Sergeant and his Constable began their search of the premises and were only diverted from digging up the garden by some quick thinking on the part of Aefelthrith.  Meanwhile, Gwladys was surprised to find a rather familiar, and flamboyant, 'sea captain' in the shop, just at the same time that Aefelthrith was dealing with a street urchin with a message for the 'sossij', which turned out to be the Sergeant.  The message revealed that the Watch were needed to apprehend ' a fraud, a trickster and a mountebank', so it was perhaps just as well the the 'Captain' had made himself scarce!  Aefelthrith and Gwladys fell out about the 'Captain' and the torch that Aefelthrith obviously still held for him.  Would he come back, that evening?  When a beggar turned up at the back door, it turned out he had. 'John Thomas' explained that things had not gone well for him, since they left.  Dolly had run off with the Squire's son, the pub had shut as it wasn't commercially viable and their son was now being raised by Dolly's parents, leaving 'John Thomas' to try his hand at fraud again, albeit on his own this time.  And then, just as he was telling them all of this, there came a knock at the door.  It turned out to be the Watch, acting on a tip-off that a beggar had been seen going into the building.  As Gwladys tried to stall them, Aefelthrith tried to get 'John Thomas' to leave but, on discovering he had nowhere to go, smuggled him up to the loft just as the Watch made their entrance.  Gwladys managed to restrict their search to downstairs, by sheer force of character, but she was dumbstruck to learn that Aefelthrith had offered to shelter 'John Thomas' in their loft!  Out of the blue, Dolly showed up, trying to pawn a jet necklace.  It soon became apparent that her version of events was somewhat different to that of 'John Thomas', who seemed to have run away from the loft when he heard Dolly's voice.  Gwladys, much to Aefelthrith's annoyance, decides to offer Dolly and her child a room.  Aefelthrith could not believe that 'John Thomas' had abandoned Dolly and his son and was even more annoyed when Sergeant Argent turned up and asked her and Dolly to go out for a walk.  Whilst Gwladys was trying to amuse young Henry, the baby, she was surprised to hear a voice yelling "YER'VE CHEATED ME!", which was Anty Marj, returned (with Constable John in tow) to accuse Gwladys and Aefelthrith of fraud.  Fortunately, Sergeant Argent arrived on the scene and decreed that Gwladys had no case to answer, which didn't satisfy Anty Marj, who vowed revenge.  That night, Gwladys and Aefelthrith were sharing a bed (again) to give Dolly a room, much to Aefelthrith's annoyance, but it did give them a chance to share their thoughts and memories, ending with the surprise admission that Gwladys had a child that she had been forced to give up.  The following day, with Gwlaldys refusing to talk about her nightime admission, Aefelthrith was coerced into scrubbing the shop doorstep.  Noticing a pile of rags on the street, she shouted to Gwladys who told her to go and get them.   When she bent down to check the 'rags', a hand grabbed her and pulled her into the alleyway, which turned out to be a familiar face:

 

“What do you think you are doing?” Aefeltrith turned and glared at her captor, who she now knew to be Clarence, her former betrothed.

“I apologise if I startled you” Clarence bowed, slightly.

“STARTLED ME?” Aefelthrith hissed, “I thought I was about to undergo a fate worse than death”

“Hardly, Aefelthrith” Clarence chuckled.

“You do not know what it is like!” Aefellthrith shook her head, “Not unless you have experienced it, you just…don’t” Memories of being assaulted by the watchman, so long ago now but still fresh in her mind, came flooding back and she found herself sobbing.

“Oh come, come Aefelthrith, please do not cry.  I am so sorry if I have upset you in any way”

“It is not you…not really” Aefelthrith stifled a sob and dried her eyes.  “Why are you here?”  She asked, when she had composed herself, again.

“I needed to see you, Aefelthrith.  I have to go away, the Watch are all over this town”

“Well, that’s something of an exaggeration” Aefelthrith pointed out, still snuffling, “there are only two of them”

“Nevertheless,” Clarence snapped, “I need to be away from them”

“I see” Aefelthrith nodded, “where will you go?”

“Out on the open road, wherever the wind blows me” He made what he had hoped would be a flamboyant and romantic gesture, but only succeeded in knocking his hat off.  Aefelthrith picked it up and handed it to him, solemnly.  “I must follow my heart” He concluded, somewhat lamely.

“And Dolly and young Henry, what of them?  Surely that is where your heart should lie?”

“Ah, well…”  He squirmed a little and went red in the face, “I think, on the whole, they are probably better off without me.  Dolly is a redoubtable lady and Henry, well…I have not been much of a father to him.  I doubt he will even remember me”

“That may be so” Aefelthrith nodded, “but you still have a duty to them, come what may”

“I will, of course, ensure they are adequately provided for, once I have secured a new business opportunity”

“Well, I suppose that is something…” Aefelthrith began.

“ARE YOU BRINGIN’THEM RAGS IN, OR WHAT?”

“I have to go.  Gwladys needs me” Aefelthrith gathered up her skirts and made to leave.

“One moment” Clarence placed a restraining hand on her arm, “there is something I need to say”

“And what is that?” Aefelthith asked, sharply.

“I want…no, I need you to come with me”

“WHAT?”

“It has always been you, Aefelthrith, you must know that?  You were my first love, my betrothed, everything since has been…unintended”

“I, I cannot” Aefelthrith shook her head, furiously, “I have responsibilities here…”

“Leave them”

“No, it is wrong of you to ask me!”

“What we have, together, how can that be wrong?”  Clarence gazed, earnestly, into her eyes.  Aefelthrith gazed back and, for a moment, their lips came close to touching.  Then Aefelthrith shook her head and pulled away.

“No, no, this is wrong!”  She gasped.

“Come with me, Aefelthrith” Clarence pleaded, “we could have such fun together.  We were meant to be, you must know that?”

“I cannot” Aefelthrith gathered her skirts, again, and set off.

“I will wait for you, here, at midnight”

“I would not trouble yourself” Aefelthrith shouted, over her shoulder, as she marched back toward the shop.

“I will be here, Aefelthrith” Clarence insisted, “oh, and if you do decide to come…”

“Yes?”  Aefelthrih halted her march and turned to face him.

“Bring some funds”

“Funds?”

“I am temporarily financially embarrassed, I regret to say.  An issue that will be swiftly remedied once I have found my next venture”

“Good day to you, sir” Aefelthrith said, curtly, and strode on.

She arrived at the shop steps but could not help making a backward glance to see if he was still there, but he had melted away.

“There y’are!” Gwladys said, on her return, “I’d given yer up fer lost!  Where’s these rags, then?”

“Oh, I…they belonged to someone else”

“That right?” Gwladys looked at her, quizzically, “Pity!  Only, I thought as ‘ow I could ‘ear yer talkin’ to someone”

“I just bade someone ‘good day’” Aefelthrith blushed.

“Was that it?  Sounded a bit more’n that ter me”

“No, nothing at all” Aefelthrith said, airily, “Just being civil, nothing else”

“Hmm?” Gwladys busied herself with some pledged items on the shelves.

“Erm, Gwladys?”

“Yes”

“I might have need of some money, a little later”

“Is that so?” Gwladys turned to look at Aefelthrith who was blushing and twisting the lace on her skirt in her fingers. “What’d that be fer?”

“Oh, items, you know” Aefelthrith said, airily.

“Items is it?”  Gwladys raised an eyebrow.

“Of a personal nature, you understand?” More lace twisting and blushing.

“Oh aye, yes, pers’nal nature, ‘course” Gwladys nodded, “Werl, there’s the till, ‘elp yerself, not that there’s a lot in it, yer understand?”

“Of course.  I will address that, later” Aefelthrith swept through the curtains and into the kitchen.

Gwladys, sorting through the pledges on the shelves, had an uneasy feeling.

* * * *

That night, Gwladys was wakened from a deep sleep by the sound of drawers being opened.  Rubbing her eyes, she heaved herself up in bed to see what was going on.  It took a while for her eyes to get used to the darkness that enveloped the room but she could just make out a figure bent over the chest of drawers.  The absence of her temporary bed companion gave a clue as to the identity of the figure.

“What the ‘ell are yer doin’?”

“Shhh, go back to sleep” Aefelthrith hissed.

“Bit of a time to be organisin’ yer sock drawer, innit?”

“I’m not, I’m…putting a bag together”

“Puttin’ a bag…yer goin’ somewhere?”

“I was going to write a note” Aefelthrith sat down, heavily, on the bed.  “I have to leave”

“Leave?  At this time o’ night?”

“Yes” Aefelthrith said, in a small voice.

“Is this with ‘imself?” Gwladys guessed.

The shadowed figure nodded.

“What about Dolly an’ the kiddy?”

“He says he will make provision for them”

“Oh ar?” Gwladys shook her head, “Werl, that’ll be a comfort to ‘em, I’m sure.  ‘Ow’s ‘e goin’ ter do that, then?”

“He is resourceful and courageous.  He will find a way”

“’E cut ‘is own ‘and off in battle” Gwladys pointed out.

“Please, do not make this any more difficult than it already is” Aefelthrith pleaded, “I have to go, you must know that”

“If’n yer say so” Gwladys shrugged.

“It has always been him, you know that.  I could never give my heart to anyone else” Aefelthrith sounded close to tears.

“Right, well dunner go out the shop door, the bell’ll wake the neighbours” Gwladys grabbed the covers and hauled them over herself as she settled back down to sleep.

Aefelthrith frowned at her.  Grabbed her bag and stood up.

“I will arrange for my other possessions to be collected in due course”

“Huh!”

“I will take a modest sum from the till, on my way out, as we discussed earlier” Aefelthrith announced.

“Do as yer please!”

“I will be going then”

“Right” A muffled voice, from under the bedclothes, agreed.

“Goodbye Gwladys.  Thank you for everything” There was a sob in Aefelthrith’s voice.

“Ar”

The bedroom door opened and closed and there was the sound of footsteps heading down the stairs.  The figure in the bed sighed, rearranged itself a few times and then said, “Bugger!”, heaved the bedclothes back again, got up and plodded to the window.

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)