The Hunt for Jack the Ripper (The Phantomhive Diaries #1)

14. Martha Tabram

We have come to the final segment of Chapter 1. And I was truly looking forward to this as we are starting with the first Jack the Ripper victim before the Canonical Five. This would have been the first taste of the killer's reign of terror and I thought it be interesting to explore some of the death of the victims rather than being told about it as we never got to see how most of the victims died in the manga or the anime.

I do hope you enjoy.

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One the night of the 7th of August, 1888, 39-year-old Martha Tabram was heading out to meet with a friend who told her about two soldiers she wanted her to meet at the White Swan. Despite being heavyset with dull brown hair and flabby cheeks, Martha put on her best dress. A black bonnet, a long black jacket, a dark green skirt, a brown petticoat and stockings as well as a pair of spring-sided boots. She was dressed to impress, even pinched her cheeks to make them red and wore charcoal around her eyes to make them stand out.

She was going to get some money, by any means she found necessary.

The moment she stepped out of her lodging house, her oldest son Frederick caught up with her.

"Oi! Mum!"

Behind him, Charles followed suit. Both Frederick and Charles were her darling boys. Frederick was seventeen, almost a grown man, while Charles was sixteen. They had been living with her since she and their father separated. But in full honesty, she would have preferred if the boys had stayed with their father instead of her. She didn't have the best stability, constantly looking for jobs that went nowhere and always delaying on rent, to the point she and her boys were forced to regularly stay at the Whitechapel Union. She knew this was no life for them. However, she couldn't get their father to care enough for them and now she was stuck with the problem.

She was surprised to see them both arrive home so late after having been gone all day.

"Frederick John Tabram, where the hell have you and your brother been all day?" she asked him harshly. "And why do you smell like ink?"

"Easy, mum, I can explain," he said. "Charlie and I got a job."

Martha's eyes widened when her son said this. "A job? Where?"

"At Routledge. Mr McRae told us that the publishing house needed two cleaning boys so we happily accepted."

"Fred and I got paid ten shillings each today," Charles said.

"Yes, so we got some food," Frederick said. "We got beef and bread."

"And some biscuits," Charles said with a broad smile on his face. Martha knew how much he loved biscuits. So, seeing him smile made her heart leap with joy.

She kissed both of Frederick's cheeks. "Oh that's wonderful! I am so proud of you, boys!"

Frederick smiled. "How about we go inside and celebrate?"

Martha nodded in agreement.

She almost followed them into the house, but suddenly stopped as she remembered something important.

Pearly... That bitch will never let me hear the end of it if I don't show up.

Martha sighed. "I'm sorry, Freddie. I almost forgot. I promised Pearly I'd meet her at the White Swan tonight."

Charles scoffed. "For what? So you can meet with your clients again?"

"Don't be like that, Charlie," Martha said. "You know it's nothing serious. It's just a bit of extra money to bring food to the table."