Running (Episode 33 - The Further Chronicles of a Young Lady (and her Maid))

Continued from Episode 32 - Caring

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 t - he 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.  Clarence asked her to run away with him that night and she went away to think about it.  In the dead of night, Gwladys was woken by the sound of Aefelthrith opening drawers and packing her bag.  She tried to talk her out of it, but to no avail.  Aefelthrith sneaked out and hurried toward her assignation, only to be apprehended by the Watch for being abroad after the curfew.  She gave them a cock and bull story about having been to a sewing circle and lost track of time.  Returned safely to her home, Constable John  pointed out that, if she was going home, why had she walked past the shop when they caught her?  The following morning, Dolly complained to Gwladys about the noise in the night, then realised what had been going on.  'Arry turned up and asked Gwladys if she could come and help his mother who was very ill.  Gwladys reluctantly left Dolly and Aefelthrith together and made her way through a series of slums, to the hovel that 'Arry called home.  Back at the shop, Dolly interrogated Aefelthrith about her movements, eliciting a confession, eventually.  Gwladys met 'Arry's mother, who was clearly on her death bed.  She told Gwladys that 'Arry had been adopted and that his father had no time for him.  She begged Gwladys to give him a home and work.:

 

“D’yer get it, eh?  D’yer see worrimean?” Constable John was skipping beside Sergeant Argent as they strolled along the street.

“Are you proposing to keep going on about this?”

“S’important” Constable John sulked.

“I agree, it may well be germane…” The Sergeant began.

“Ah, now, I didner know the Germans were involved”

“Not Germans, I said it was germane.  It means it’s related to the matter in hand”

“So, I’m right!” Constable John looked chuffed.

“I would not go so far as to say that” Sergeant Argent pursed his lips, “I am merely saying that you might have a point”

“So, can we go and feel ‘er collar, then?”

“No, we cannot ‘feel her collar’” Sergeant Argent looked witheringly at his Constable, “We have no proof that Miss Aefelthrith was doing anything untoward”

“She were out after curfew” Constable John pointed out.

“Yes, I know, and I accepted her explanation for that oversight”

“Then, she went past the shop she were s’posed to be goin’ back to”

“Yes, that would seem to be the case” Sergeant Argent agreed, miserably, “but I am convinced that there is a reasonable explanation”

“But, we never asked ‘er, did we?” Constable John looked at his superior, sideways.

“No!” Sergeant Argent sighed, “Would you be satisfied if we talked to her, again?”

“Yeah, let’s ‘ear what she’s got to say” Constable John grinned.

“If we must!” Sergeant Argent groaned, turned and proceeded back toward the Pawn Shop.

* * * *

“I dunner want yer to fret yersen” Gwladys patted ‘Arry’s mum’s shoulder, “if ‘e wants to come with me, ‘e’s welcome, jest ‘til yer get yersen better”

“I ain’t gettin’ better ‘n yer know it” The woman coughed and spluttered, “but it’ll give me peace of mind if I know ‘Arry’s looked after.  That way, I can go ter me Maker with a clear conscience”

“’Course, ‘e may not want ter come with me” Gwladys pointed out.

“Give ‘im a shout, I’ll ‘ave a word”

Gwladys threaded her way, carefully, through the debris, back to the entrance.  ‘Arry was mooching around, kicking stones on the street.

“’Arry!  Yer mam wants a word with yer” Gwladys shouted.

“Is she alright?  She ain’t taken badly again, ‘as she?”  ‘Arry looked panicked.

“Nah, she’s no worse’n she ‘as been” Gwladys reassured him, “she just needs a chat”

‘Arry pushed his way into the hovel and made his way toward his mother’s ‘bedroom’.  Gwladys hung around the doorway, ignoring the suspicious looks of passers-by.

* * * *

“Your darling Clarence” Dolly hissed, as she loomed over Aefelthrith, “is a total liability!”

“Well, I think that is a little…”

“A bloody disaster!” Dolly insisted, “you know he cut his own hand off, don’t you?”

“Yes, I was aware but…”

“If I hadn’t nursed him, tended to his wounds and stuff, he would have been a goner and no mistake!”

“I’m sure he was very grate…”

“And what with me nursing him, round the clock, we got close…”

“Very close, I would say” Aefelthrith sniffed, looking pointedly at Henry, playing with some clothes pegs on the kitchen table.

“Yeah,” Dolly nodded, looked thoughtful and wandered back to Henry, “that might have been one of them ‘errors of judgement’, but I wouldn’t part with my boy here, not for anything”

“No, of course not”

“Which is why I’m bloody furious with you!” Dolly stormed back to Aefelthrith, who had just begun to relax, “How could you steal that little boy’s father away from him? Eh?”

“That was not my intent…” Aefelthrith began, only to be interrupted by a furious knocking on the Hall door.

“I wonder who that can be, eh?  Shall we see?” Dolly raised an eyebrow and marched over to the door.  From her position, frozen, against the kitchen wall, Aefelthrith could hear, “Why, Sergeant, how nice to see you again”  An icy chill ran down her spine.

“We wondered if we might have a word with Miss Aefelthrith” She could hear Sergeant Argent saying, in an apologetic tone.

“Come on in, Sergeant” Dolly said, happily, “I’m sure she would love to have a chat”

* * * *

Gwladys could hear shouts and sobs emanating from the far end of the hovel.  She sighed and waited to see what would happen next.  Finally, there was a crashing and banging and ‘Arry appeared, clutching an old sack.

“She reckons I’ve ter come with yer” ‘Arry said, sullenly.

“Only if yer want ter” Gwladys said.

“S’not what she says” ‘Arry sniffed, rubbed his nose and a tear traced its way down his cheek.  “I can’t leave ‘er on ‘er own, not when she’s like she is”

“She won’t be on ‘er own” Gwladys snapped.

“She will, if’n I go with yer” ‘Arry sniffed.

“No, she wunner” Gwladys shook her head, “’cause I’ll be with ‘er”

“Yer will?”

“Aye, I’ll not see ‘er on ‘er own” Gwladys nodded, “now get yer things together and let’s be ‘avin’ yer”

“I ‘ave” ‘Arry held up the sack he was holding.

“Is that it?”

‘Arry nodded.

“Right then, get yersen back to yer mam an’ say goodbye proper, an’ no tears mind!  Yer mam’ll wanter know yer gonna be ‘appy, right?”  Gwladys looked at him, pointedly.

“Yeah, alright” ‘Arry nodded, miserably, handed his sack to Gwladys and made his way back to his mother.

* * * *

“Visitors for you!” Dolly smirked, as she led Sergeant Argent and Constable John into the kitchen.

“Why, Sergeant, Constable, how nice to see you” Aefelthrith said, without a great deal of enthusiasm.

“Miss Aefelthrith” Sergeant Argent bowed, slightly.

“How can we be of help, Sergeant?”  Dolly smiled, sweetly.

“There is a erm, minor discrepancy regarding the events of last night” Sergeant Argent blushed and looked at his boots, “we rather hoped that Miss Aefelthrith might be able to help us with our enquiries”

“Dear me, what have you been up to, Aefelthrith?”  Dolly said, with mock horror.

“What seems to be the problem, Sergeant?”  Aefelthrith asked, flatly.

“Yer know as ‘ow yer said yer were on yer way ‘ome from one of them ‘sewing circles’?” Constable John began.

“Sewing circles?  Is that so, Aefelthrith?  I had no idea you were so devoted to needlework!” Dolly was enjoying herself, hugely.

“I do recall that, Constable, yes” Aefelthrith glared at Dolly.

“Could you tell us, then, Miss Aefelthrith, why it was that, when we apprehended you last night, you had, in fact, walked past your home?”  The Sergeant asked, miserably.

“Had I?”  Aefelthrith feigned surprise.

Sergeant Argent nodded.

“How remiss of you, Aefelthrith” Dolly smirked.

“Where were yer goin’?” Constable John got to the point.

“Well, home, of course” Aefelthrith was acutely aware that she was blushing.

“But, you had passed your domicile” The Sergeant pointed out.

“It was very dark, Sergeant” Aefelthrith replied, “and I am not used to being abroad at that hour”

“You really need a strong man to hand, in those circumstances, do you not, Aefelthrith?”  Dolly raised an eyebrow.

“Very wise, ma’am” Sergeant Argent agreed.

“I reckon I’d know where I lived” Constable John chimed in, “Any road, she hadn’t walked past…”

“What on earth do you mean, Constable?  You said she had, yourself!”

“Nah, worrimean is she didner walk past ‘er ‘ouse, she ran past it” Constable John looked pleased with himself.

“Ah yes, I see what you mean” Sergeant Argent nodded and turned to Aefelthrith, “That is, indeed, the case ma’am.  You were running at the time we apprehended you”

“Was I?” Aefelthrith was getting decidedly hot under the collar.

“Yes, ma’am” Sergeant Argent confirmed.

“Weill, I….” Aefelthrith struggled for inspiration, “I suppose I was afeared of footpads coming to rob me, when I heard your footsteps behind me”

“Ah, now that is a valid point, ma’am” Sergeant Argent nodded.

“I dunno so much” Constable John looked dubious, “I reckon she were runnin’ long afore we caught up with ‘er”

“Constable! Miss Aefelthrith has pointed out the lateness of the hour, her lack of experience of such an environment, the absence of illumination and her, quite natural, fear of thieves and ne’erdowells.  I am inclined to accept that those four factors could well lead to someone erroneously walking, or indeed running, past their home.  I am sorry to have troubled you, ma’am” Sergeant Argent looked relieved.

“Huh!” Constable John sulked.

“Are you sure there isn’t anything else we can do for you, gentlemen?” Dolly grinned.

“Quite sure, ma’am.  We will leave you to your day” Sergeant Argent bowed, grabbed his Constable by the arm and shepherded him out of the door.

“Well, that was fun, wasn’t it?” Dolly winked, theatrically, “Sewing circles, eh?  I never had you down as a seamstress, Aefellthrith?”

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)